The Blue Plough Roses Needlepoint Canvas by Seg de Paris SEU928.351

Stitch The Blue Plough, a printed needlepoint canvas by Seg de Paris: an old blue plough with wagon wheels covered in climbing red roses by a white fence.

A little stitcher's folklore: old gardeners say you plant a garden for the next generation, and stitch one for the next hundred years. Needlepoint on printed canvas grew out of the great French tapestry tradition, and half stitch is the same stitch used on many antique chair seats and cushions.

Why this canvas: the full-colour print shows exactly where each shade goes, so there is no chart to count and you can simply relax and stitch; it is printed on genuine Zweigart canvas in France, so the mesh stays square and the colours stay crisp from the first stitch to the last; and buying the threads yourself means you choose the look: Colbert wool for a classic tapestry finish, or Mouliné and Pearl cotton for a finer sheen.

Canvas includes: one Zweigart 10-count canvas (100% cotton, 40 holes per 10 cm), designed and printed in France with the design in full colour, and a thread list naming the DMC Mouliné, Colbert wool, Retors and Pearl cotton shades to buy. Stitch used: half stitch. Not included: threads, needle and frame, which are sold separately.

Match each printed colour to the thread list, then cover the canvas in half stitch, working the main shapes first and the background last. Mounting the canvas on stretcher bars or a frame keeps it square, and a tapestry needle size 20 to 22 suits the 10-count mesh.

Canvas size: 30×40 cm (11.8×15.7 in). A comfortable size for a framed picture or a small pillow front. It looks at home in a living room, a bedroom or a sunroom, and makes a thoughtful gift for gardeners, grandmothers and country-home lovers.