The Exemplary 2025
1st Place, Non-Professional Japanese Embroidery
Best of Show, Japanese Embroidery

I was encouraged to stitch this piece by Shay Pendray. I found it intimidating at first, but as I got into it, I loved the peaceful feeling of Japanese Embroidery stitching. The various colors are bright and striking. Using Japanese silk was challenging at first, but with patience and practice it came out well. I love how it is possible to create a sense of circular movement in the flowers by slowly changing the angle of the petal stitches. The background is left open. The frame emphasizes the black and gold thread colors.