Susan Bates - Designing the “Egg Hunt” Patterns for StitchableCards
Photo credits for moodboard: Painted Eggs by Aleyna Çatak, White Bunny by Janan, Daffodils by Peter Muscutt, Goose by RPM FX, and Gingham pattern by Pixeliota on Unsplash.
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Spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. It’s a time when the natural world around us starts to come back to life. Plants and animals awaken, after lying dormant during the cold winter months. Spring is a time of growth, when we see the emergence of buds on the trees and flowers starting to bloom.
Easter is celebrated during Springtime and, whilst it is a religious festival, it has also
come to represents the broader themes of new beginnings and renewal.
For me, Spring is a time to look forward. As the days start to lengthen I want to go outsideand enjoy nature and the increasing warmth of the sun. This time of the year encourages me to look to the future with hope and optimism.
For my latest set of designs I’ve focused on the imagery of Spring and Easter, to try to
encapsulate this sense of hope and optimism. I’ve used a palette of soft pinks, yellows
and blues, with the odd sprinkling of bright yellow, orange and lime greens, to give the
designs a fresh feel.
Eggs represent the potential for new life and are ancient symbols of fertility and rebirth. They’re also a common Easter motif. One of the traditions of Easter is the egg hunt; when children search for hidden eggs, usually filled with sweets and chocolates.
For my design I’ve decorated the egg with bands of colour and sprigs of little flowers. The egg is framed by a colourful yellow garland of flowers.
Underneath the covering I like to think that there is a tasty chocolate egg, ready to eat!
Bunnies are so sweet and represent innocence, joy, and new life. Although they were initially a pagan symbol of fertility, they’re now also synonymous with Easter.
Traditionally it was the Easter Bunny’s job to bring a basket of brightly painted eggs with him, which he then hid, either in the house or the garden. Children would then hunt for these eggs. This tradition still continues today and gives children lots of fun and joy.
Here, my Easter bunny is sitting calmly amongst the flowers. I created a white bunny, to give him a sense of unworldliness, as it’s quite unusual to see a white rabbit.
He has a blue bow around his neck and a sweet, smiling expression on his face.
The light turquoise blue background ties all of these elements together to create a scene of serenity.
Apparently geese mate for life. This creates a strong bond with their mate and helps with the raising of their young. Because of this they have come to symbolise loyalty and protectiveness. Their nest building announces the arrival of Spring, so we often associate them and their young with this season.
Here my white goose has a little bow around her neck. She’s looking after her flock of tiny goslings and is taking them for a walk.
The pink background in the oval shape helps to frame the design and the gingham blue and white gingham patten behind this adds a touch of whimsy to the design.
The yellow of the goslings and the orange bill and feet of the goose adds a pop of colour to this otherwise pastel scene.
All in all, I hope I have created a charming little design which will appeal to adults and children.
When I think of springtime I imagine swathes of brightly coloured yellow daffodils
swaying in the breeze.
Daffodils have trumpet-shaped flowers and can be seen in many different shades of yellow and orange. They are often seen to represent new beginnings, rebirth and love.
My design has is a pleasing symmetry to it, with the yellow daffodil flower placed in the very centre. Its lime green leaves curl around the flower and are complimented by pretty little pink flowers at the top of the design. The turquoise blue in the back- ground background perhaps suggests a blue sky on a crisp Spring day.
So, in summary, this set of designs focuses on the positive nature of this time of year. The animals and plants that I’ve depicted embody the themes of birth, growth and renewal and also loyalty and love.
Whilst these are serious themes, I think that you can appreciate the designs purely on an aesthetic level. The animals and flowers are appealing motifs, even without knowing their symbolism. The colour palette is soft and gentle, with the odd zing of brighter colours to make them more lively than purely pastel shades.
Also, the decorated Easter egg is a motif that can appeal to adults and children alike. As children we make new memories when we do the annual egg hunt, and as adults, we may recall happy memories of this event in the past!
I hope you are inspired to stitch my designs and have fun with them. They would make lovely gifts, but you may also want to keep them just for yourself!
