Acorns and Oak Leaves — A Favorite Motif

I love acorns and oak leaves. When Neal and I made a visit to Biltmore (speaking of, don’t forget to enter the giveaway I have running!), we realized that throughout that magnificent house acorns and oak leaves were imbedded in the architectural details. Some are carved in wood moldings and others are chiseled into the granite on the exterior of the house. The Vanderbilts loved it as the acorn and oak leaf represent strength and growth.

I am amazed today at how many times these beautiful motifs show up in decorating, tableware, and textiles. For years I have loved stitching the acorn motif into samplers.

Neal and I decided to incorporate acorns and oak leaves into our monogram. Angela Atherton, who is a wonderful artist, created a monogram for us when we were married. But this one was designed for machine embroidery. She and several of her sewing friends surprised us with monogramed fabric that we used to recover our dining room chairs (pictured at top).

What motif do you love, and what does it represent in your life?