Peonies needlepoint patterns

Peonies in several styles: most show one round bloom of rounded, overlapping petals on a short stem; one has a wide open bloom with a bee and a bud.

Of the five peonies drawn alone, the classic and whimsical ones are cupped and seen a little from above, and the blue and white, folk art and preppy ones are flat and face the front. In all five the petals are darker toward the center, and the stem has broad pointed leaves. In the classic peony and bee, a bee with white wings sits on the pale yellow center of an open pink peony, a dotted gold trail shows where it flew in, and a closed bud and green leaves grow from the stem. All are four inches square on 18 mesh, and most can be made round. Where the petals are layers of close shades, lay the threads side by side first and make sure you can tell each from the next.