Main Bead Embroidery Kit City gatherings

“City gatherings” is a company of sparrows on viburnum branches in midwinter. Six birds are perched along the whole width of the piece, and one has just spread its wings.

What the picture shows

The composition is stretched horizontally and held together by diagonal branches hung with clusters of red berries. On the left a sparrow sits with its feathers fluffed up; two more huddle together beside it, and further along a single bird stands in profile. The main event is on the right: a bird lifts off above two neighbours with its wings wide open, every flight feather worked in separate rows of beads in beige, brown and grey. The berries are the brightest notes in the piece, deep red beads gathered into dense clusters. The background is painted like a watercolour — turquoise, blue and white sky with soft transitions — and stays as print on the canvas, so the beaded birds and berries stand out in relief and read from across a room. Despite the winter subject the piece is not cold but lively, thanks to the warm feather tones and the red clusters.

What is in the kit

• Artist canvas with the full-colour pattern printed on it — no chart to follow on a screen
• Czech Preciosa beads, 18 colours
• Beading needles
• Instructions and finishing guide

Specifications

• Finished size: 650×300 mm (25.6×11.8 in)
• Beads: approx. 17,633
• Bead colours: 18
• Difficulty: medium
• Base: artist canvas

The piece is very wide, a panoramic format, so it sits well above a sofa, a dresser or in a kitchen-diner. Gallery finishing is possible — the canvas stretches over a bar and hangs with no frame.