Summer Days, New Beginnings and a Little Climbing Rose

It feels as though summer has arrived all at once this year. The recent heatwave has brought long bright days, open windows, wilting gardens and an ongoing search for the coolest corner of the house. The dogs, naturally, have not received the message that this is weather for slowing down.

Remy and Nala have recently turned two, although you would never know it from the amount of energy they still have. They remain completely full of beans, endlessly curious and usually right in the middle of whatever is happening. I had imagined that two might bring a little more calm, but so far they seem determined to prove otherwise!

Life has been especially busy behind the scenes, as I have also recently moved day job to another GP practice. What is supposed to be part time has yet to come to fruition, the joys of practice mananagement, which makes for crazy days particularly alongside keeping The Beautiful Stitch running. I am gradually finding a new rhythm between the two, even if some weeks feel more organised than others and weekends have become a thing of the past!

At home, the girls are back from university and college for the summer, so the house is suddenly full again. There are shoes by the door, cups appearing in every room and a constant coming and going. It is busy, noisy and sometimes slightly chaotic, but it is very lovely to have everyone home together for a while.

There are changes coming for The Beautiful Stitch too. In September, Stu will be joining the business, which feels like a really exciting new chapter. Running a small creative business involves so much more than the designing and stitching that you see online, and having another pair of hands will make such a difference.

There are fabrics to prepare, threads to dye, orders to pack, stock to organise and an ever-growing collection of ideas waiting to be developed. I am hoping the extra help will allow me to spend more time on the creative side of the business, bringing new embroidery designs to life and giving some of the ideas filling my sketchbooks the attention they deserve while also allowing us to finally carry lots of threads and fabrics in stock!

Amid all the chaos, I have been trying to make time for small, simple pieces of stitching. The sort of embroidery that can be picked up for a quiet half hour without needing too much preparation or concentration.

With that in mind, I have created a little free pattern for you.

A pretty little climbing rose

A Little Climbing Rose

The design features a simple climbing rose growing against a wooden trellis. It is intended to feel like a tiny snippet taken from a much larger scene - perhaps the corner of a cottage garden or an old garden wall.

The roses can be worked as little bullion knots, with simple stems, leaves and a softly stitched trellis behind them. It is a small and achievable design, perfect for using up a few favourite threads from your collection.

You could stitch it as a tiny hoop, add it to a needlebook or project bag, use it as a patch within a slow-stitching piece, or simply enjoy it as a small summer embroidery.

As always, there is no need to follow the suggested colours exactly. The roses could be soft yellow, faded blush, creamy white or a deeper vintage pink. Choose the shades that feel most like summer to you.

I hope this little pattern offers a peaceful pause during these busy summer days. Sometimes it is the smallest pieces of stitching that are the most enjoyable - a few leaves, a handful of roses and the beginning of a story that continues somewhere beyond the frame.

Happy stitching,

Vicki
The Beautiful Stitch