Well, I finally did it. I completely changed every single plan I had for my casket and surprisingly, that was the impetus that got me to finally start stitching.

Please forgive the long explanation (I plan on printing my posts out and including them in the finished casket as a sort of journal)....but, here goes:

My original plan, was based on the Cluny Unicorn tapestries. I was going to use the central elements for each of the five senses tapestries for each panel of the casket and the top would use the central figures from the 'My one desire' tapestry. I would use 'filler' motifs from Tricia's motif library and that would be the design.

It was a good idea and I got two of the panels designed (one posted to this site) and the beginnings of designing the others. The problem was, I wasn't excited about it. I loved the idea but I knew that I needed to be more enthused about it if I was ever going to finish it. As a result, the entire project has sat in limbo for several years now.

Then, in 2020, my mom passed away. Very slowly, I began to have the seed of an idea, to make the casket a tribute to my mom. She had taught me how to sew, crochet, embroider, etc. All the 'gentle arts' as she called them. The question was how to do that.

Mom originally taught me to embroider using pillowcases. She had many that she had done herself that I loved. So she would get out the 'crinoline lady' patterns from Vogart, iron them on to a pillowcase, and set me to them. I began thinking how I might use some of those patterns.

I played with the idea a while but never really liked what I came up with. The floral motifs just seemed to simple to me for the project. I wanted to project a lush, English, cottage garden.

Then, by some miracle, I found 'Embroidered Country Gardens' by Lorna Bateman. Oh my goodness! This was exactly the look I was wanting to achieve.

Then while searching for 'crinoline lady' patterns, I started finding some with little girls in them as well. BOOM! The ideas started flooding in my brain. A cottage garden, with a lady and a little girl, to represent my mom and me. That she also taught me everything I know about gardening makes it even more perfect.

As more ideas started flowing, I began to wish I had purchased the double casket rather than the flat casket. Then I could have designed it to look like a cottage, with the garden encircling it. Ah well.

I've completed the designs and actually started stitching....FINALLY!

I will be uploading them to my photos. I would love to hear any feedback that any one has.