The pretty purple coneflower is a powerhouse plant! It provides food for bees, butterflies, songbirds, and other animals. Humans have used the purple coneflower (known as Echinacea) as a medicinal plant.

This pattern is worked as a center circle (made with a Magic Circle/Foundation Ring), followed by petals around the circle. A second round of petals is completed by stitching in between the petals of the first. See pictures for stitch placement. Once you get the first one, the rest are easy.

Purple coneflowers vary in shades of pink, fading as they age. Their centers are a mesmerizing array of dark and light colors. This project is a great stash buster as you can use a wide variety of colors.

Consistent stitches (not too tight) help the petals stay straight, but I’ve found gentle ironing might be necessary for flowers intended to be left as 3-D (as opposed to stitched down as in applique).