Summer embroideries....

Just came back last week from a 5 week vacation, spending time with family in India. Got quite a few projects done over there as well.... I was really excited to make this "Kalash" embroidery. I found the pattern as a coloring page, came up with the stitches as I went along, trying to use as many different filling stitches as I could think of. A kalash is a copper pot, topped with mango leaves and a coconut. According to Wikipedia, "The Kalasha is believed to contain amrita, the elixir of life, and thus is viewed as a symbol of abundance, wisdom, and immortality". The swastika on the kalash is not to be confused with Hitler's, since it is a 5000 year old Hindu symbol, distorted and given all sorts of negative connotations by him.