satin & seed · linen · italianate
one fruit, open. the seeds are french knots in three reds, the darkest almost black. the rind is satin worked east-to-west, then west-to-east, and the leaves above are split in the middle by a single dark stitch the way real leaves are.
a pomegranate is the embroiderer's joke about abundance — too many seeds to count, but counted anyway. it appears on altar cloths and on bed linen, on bibles and at weddings, and in blackwork when only the contour is allowed.
field-note: count the seeds. you will not arrive at the same number twice.
small birds · alphabet sampler · whitework · garden · naturata