The Secret Garden

Written by Frances Hodgson Burnett and published in 1911, The Secret Garden is another childhood memory.

The spoilt and contrary Mary Lennox is sent to live at her uncle’s gloomy manor in Yorkshire after losing her parents to cholera in India where she grew up accustomed to having her own servants. Here, quite unexpectedly, she discovers a new world of warmth and friendship. 
Exploring the gardens she found a hidden key and unlocked an old door in the grounds, Mary reveals a place of enchantment that begins to weave its magic on her and those around her. I worked most of the piece with an image in mind, it wasn’t until I listened to the story for the first time in ages while working on this piece that I realised that my interpretation is a flight of fancy! The door should be a green wooden door and little Mary should be dressed in white…..

I wanted to give the feeling of something unknown being discovered under the undergrowth and marvelled upon, the robins were nesting in the garden, and Mary was a thin child with long thin yellow hair and the style, if not the colour, of the clothes are right for the period. The robins are holding the title of the book and written amongst the grass is a quote from the book, “And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.”

I have used all commercial fabrics machine stitching as outline quilting and also appliqué. To give volume to the trees I added some confetti silk leaves. The dress and bent gate are purposely left unstitched to give suggest more movement.