Bloom & Blade I – Original Artwork

Bloom & Blade I is the first piece in my Bloom & Blade series of small, original embroidered works built around the image of a sword entwined with living growth. Each piece is designed to feel like a relic from a story half-remembered: something once symbolic, now softened by time and nature. Botanical embroidery winds around the blade in subtle variations, exploring themes of devotion, protection, and shared growth. Every hoop is stitched slowly and intuitively, and no two are ever quite the same - each one a small talisman rooted in fantasy, but made to exist gently in the real world.

In Bloom & Blade I, two vines grow upward around the sword, stitched in subtly different shades of green and dotted with contrasting flowers. They begin separately, but gradually twist and meet, sharing space as they climb. I liked the idea of letting them remain distinct while still clearly connected - two things growing together without losing their own character. The sword felt like a symbol of commitment, protection, and intention, softened by the organic shapes of the embroidery around it.

Because of that symbolism, this hoop feels well suited as a gift to perhaps mark a meaningful relationship - an engagement, wedding, or simply a way of saying we choose each other. It’s a one-of-a-kind original, and each future piece in the series will explore this idea a little differently.