DIY Floral & Cactus Embroidery Projects from A Year of Embroidery

by Kelli Kehler

I’ve always been interested in various forms of art, but I’ve never dabbled in sewing or embroidery. Something about those two crafts has always intimidated me, so I’ve never dared to try my hand at them. But I’ve always been deeply enamored with embroidery, and it wasn’t until recently that I started considering actually trying to make embroidered goods myself. A friend of mine is a very talented sewer and all-around DIYer, and after I told her that I’m not equipped with the skills to sew, she assured me that I am — that all people are — it just takes practice. Serendipitously, I came across A Year of Embroidery: A Month-to-Month Collection of Motifs for Seasonal Stitching, a new book by Japanese textile artist and designer Yumiko Higuchi, and my new creative goal fell into place.