Suzani or Needlework Cover / Hanging

Big quatrefoil blossoms march around a red field, and a single sun blooms in the middle.

This suzani or needlework cover or hanging comes from Surkhandarya, Uzbekistan, and dates to the 20th century. It is cotton. Suzani, from a Persian word for needle, are the embroidered panels of Central Asia, generally made by women for the home and for a bride's dowry. Here a deep red ground carries a wide border of quatrefoil flowers in yellow, purple and cream, linked by scrolling green vines. A rectangular center frames a radiant medallion and curling motifs. A wiggling yellow line runs around the outer edge inside a pale fabric binding. It is 48 inches wide and 76 long.

Every stitch somebody's afternoon, and somebody's good idea.