In the middle of winter, we are grateful for any kind of bloom in the garden – even if it doesn’t offer much in the way of colour. Hellebores come in a variety of muted colours, most notably, pinky-mauve and creamy white. I have gone for the latter as it felt more in keeping with the festive season. Although often known as Christmas Roses, they aren’t related to roses but are actually members of the buttercup family. I decided this month’s blooms would look lovely in a basket with the elegant nodding flowers set against a backdrop of their spiky leaves. I don’t usually like to see the background fabrics showing through the appliqué pieces and will often cut away the background or use extra fabric behind the stitched piece. However, with the hellebore petals, it seems to accentuate their delicate transparency, so I have left them untouched.
You will need
Solid or print fabric in the
