Hoop-La! - Spring 2014.pdf

SPRING 2014

New look embroidery

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EASYTO-USE TEMPLATES

+ Step-by-step stitch library INSIDEl

MODERN MOTIFS TO STITCH

y Lovebird T-shirt y Veggie napkins y Polka dot purses y Maison Sajou linens y Funny face egg cosies y Aimee Ray’s Sashiko mats

& lots more!

QUICK-STITCH FUN A PUN PINCUSHION FROM THE FOX IN THE ATTIC

DIGITAL EDITION

FRESH & SIMPLE STITCHING

Create Lucky Jackson’s Polaroid Love portrait

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WorldMags.net MEET THE TEAM EDITOR Katie Allen EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenny Dixon ART EDITOR Rob Eyres PRODUCTION EDITORS Rhian Drinkwater Charlotte Martyn, Zoe Williams DESIGNERS Nicky Gotobed, Rob Speed ADVERTISING Call: 01225 442 244 Senior Advertising Manager Penny Stokes Deputy Advertising Sales Manager Mike Pyatt US Sales Executive Beckie Pring Sales Director Clare Coleman-Straw London Sales Director James Ranson

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION Direct Marketing Manager Elizabeth Daly Trade Marketing Manager Janine Smith Head of Trade Marketing James Whitaker International Account Manager Rebecca Richer

PRODUCTION Production Controller Stephanie Smith Production Manager Mark Constance

LICENSING Senior Licensing & Syndication Director Regina Erak

PUBLISHING Head of General Craft Liz Taylor [email protected] Group Senior Editor Julie Taylor Group Art Director Matthew Hunkin Creative Director Robin Abbott Editorial Director Jim Douglas Managing Director, Future Women Jo Morrell UK Chief Executive Mark Wood Printed and bound by William Gibbons Distributed by Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PT Tel: 0207 429 4000

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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Call: 0844 848 2852 or subscribe online at www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

I’m so excited to welcome you to Hoop-La! Embroidery really is the craft of the moment and we had great fun choosing a selection of stunning designs from the best and brightest new stitchers around the world. Turn to page 84 for our gorgeous polka-dot Sashiko purses, find our pretty lovebird t-shirt design on page 57 and check out Fox in the Attic’s fun pincushion on page 17 – it would make the perfect gift for a crafty friend. There are projects for cross stitchers too, not to mention interviews with some of our favourite makers and plenty of news from the world of needle and thread. If you've never tried embroidery before, our handy stitch guide on page 91 includes everything you need to know. One more thing before you get started – it would be great to hear what you think of our magazine. Get in touch via Twitter or Facebook, or simply drop us an email. We’d love to hear from you and take a peek at what you’re stitching!

Katie Allen Editor Katie Allen is a journalist and author of craft book Just Sew Stories; she also likes tea, museums and coveting other people's pugs.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/hooplamag Twitter: @Hooplamag Email: [email protected]

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PROJECTS POLAROID LOVE

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POCKET DOLL

Use simple stitches to create Lucky Jackson’s contemporary design – this retro camera girl will add a sophisticated touch to any home

Stitch a pun-tastic pincushion pattern from Michelle Kruessel of The Fox in the Attic – it’s a super-quick make, and practical too!

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Work up some funky geometric designs – Beci Orpin’s modern cushion is a great way to show off your stitching round the home

Add a French touch to your dresser with Caroline Zoob’s scalloped shelf edgings

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

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OFFBEAT CUSHION

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FLOWER GARDEN

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FAVOURITE THINGS

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SEW LOVELY!

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This adorable doll by Charlotte Lyons makes a fun gift for the young at heart

Give your finished piece the natural look with Kirsty Neale’s hoop-tastic wall art

FUNNY FACE EGG WARMERS

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Start every day with a smile! Chloë Owens’ fabulous egg warmers are simple to stitch and a delight to wake up to

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Laura Mason of Mason Bee shares her delicate floral mirror case – a Liberty fabric lining means it will always be a delight to use!

LOVE LETTERS

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Every nursery needs an ABC, and this detailed patchwork hanging by Christine Leech is the perfect alphabetical decoration!

LOVEBIRDS T-SHIRT

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We just love Carina Envoldsen-Harris’s bright folksy lovebirds – and it’s a great project to learn how to stitch on to stretchy fabrics

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STITCH LIBRARY Simple steps to expert status

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TURN TO PAGE

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FRENCH KNOT Step 1

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17 48 SEA BREEZE

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Learn the Japanese art of Sashiko embroidery with these soothing placemat designs by Aimee Ray

SIX APPEAL

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KEEP IT FRESH

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Brighten up your lunch table with Lucinda Ganderton’s tasty napkin designs

SIMPLE SASHIKO

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TIME FOR TEA

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Cross stitch Rebecca Greco’s sweet coaster – then sit back and relax with a cuppa

PRETTY PINBOARD

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Organise your notes with Mandy Pellegrin’s quick-stitch pinboard

Find us on www.facebook.com/hooplamag

This cute geometric design was designed by Becca Lee and inspired by her vintage kitchen tiles, so take home some retro style today!

It’s time to go dotty for Sashiko stitching – whip up one of Hiromi Widerquist’s stylish purse designs in a weekend

LOVE READING

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Mollie Johanson’s adorable embroidered bookmark is so quick and easy to stitch, you’ll be making one for all your friends!

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FRENCH KNOT Step 2

MORE! 07

Hoop-La! Style We take a tour through the latest blogs, books and stitchy products

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Floss & Mischief Take a look around Genevieve’s studio Alyssa Thomas The founder of Penguin & Fish talks business and inspiration

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Pretty Recycling Stitch a curtain from vintage hankies

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Vintage Charm Chloë Owens discusses her new book, Chloë Tells You How

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Lost and Found Seaside inspiration for your stitching

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Inside the Maison Sajou Lucinda Ganderton discusses recreating classic French style

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The Merriweather Council Inside the Council’s crafting chambers…

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Letter Love Brighten up a cushion with simple stitching for a personal touch

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Stitch Library All the stitches used throughout the magazine, clearly explained

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Essential Supplies All you need for stitchy success

Carina Envoldsen-Harris Meet the designer whose craft room is bursting with colour

Chain Reaction Check out Lana Pelana’s stunning embroidered necklaces

Using Templates How to transfer a design on to fabric 5 Ways With A French Knot Inspirational knots and threads to delight

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Handmade with love… 132 PAGES OF BEAUTIFUL WEDDING INSPIRATION, IDEAS AND CRAFTY MAKES

£7.99 from all major supermarkets and WHSmiths Or visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/stitch-and-craft-bookazines Or call 0844 848 2852 (UK)+44 1604 251 045 (international)

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=ĻŘà Take a peek at our favourite people & picks from the luscious world of embroidery

Blogs we love &STITCHES

www.andstitches. blogspot.co.uk

COOL KIT

Trust Sublime Stitching to make tool cases the latest must-have accessory! This chevrons case comes in the shades of Sublime’s own Flowerbox thread palette. It comes either pre-filled (with scissors, needles and labels), or empty for those of us who are already tooled up. $30 (£18.23) from www.sublimestitching.com.

SSSSH!

PAPERFOLK

www.paperfolk. blogspot.co.uk Michelle Woods is a designer-maker based in Glasgow. As well as selling her pretties online, her blog is a must-read for followers of the latest stitch style. You'll find posts packed with all sorts of interesting stitching, art and design from across the web.

SEW LOVELY EMBROIDERY

www.sewlovely embroidery. blogspot.co.uk Photo credit: Zoe Barrie, Photos By Zoe

Sometimes in life, if you can't stitch it, cheat! This hand-sewn, customised jacket was created by Scottish maker, Jill Skulina. She sells second-hand menswear, embellished with embroidery, patches, piping and beads at JACK (et), www. jack-et.co.uk.

Modern stitch fans will love this e-zine from Follow the White Bunny’s Nicole Vos van Avezathe and our very own Carina Envoldsen-Harris (see page 57). The self-confessed stitch geeks have rounded up a fun mix of embroidery and hand-sewing, with themed issues (from colour to Scandinavian style) to inspire you.


We’re inspired by the kick -ass designs of Sew Lovely. Where else would you find tattooed ladies, circus artistes and woodland creatures? Browse iron-on embroidery patterns with a blend of flirty, folk and story-time themes in the Sew Lovely Etsy shop. Their blog features favourite makes from around the world too.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SUBLIME STITCHING’S JENNY HART Jenny fills her days with seriously stitchy activities!

Green Gables

Buddy the dog helps Jenny to mentally plan her day.

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ince 2001, LA-based textile artist Jenny Hart’s “hip embroidery for cool crafters” has turned traditional embroidery on its head. www.sublimestitching. com offers modern patterns featuring everything from mermaids to skulls and aliens, plus books, notions and threads. We take a glimpse into Jenny’s busy life… 7.30am I take my dog, Buddy, outside while I plan my day. Throwing a ball for your dog is the perfect activity for this! 9am Head to the Sublime Stitching office.

9.30am Meet my assistant to see how things are moving along. 10am Attack my emails and get any urgent work out of the way so I can focus on larger to-dos. 11am Write the Sublime Stitching newsletter. 1.30pm Lunch at a noodle bar, or if I’m lucky, snag a sandwich from Proof Bakery.

3.30pm Review new scissor sheath samples that unexpectedly arrived. 4pm Post Sublime Stitching giveaway on Instagram. 4.30pm Begin embroidering or doing studio work.

2pm Walk Buddy in the park.

7.45pm Head home where I make a fire and have dinner with my two guys (boy and dog). Usually a bottle of wine is opened.

3pm Back at the studio to focus on developing new patterns and textiles.

10.30pm Off to bed. I can’t survive on less than eight hours' sleep – good night!

Photo credit: Whistling Teapot

SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL

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Anne of Green Gables is one of our favourite heroines, so we love New Yorker Aly Parrott’s beautiful Anne doll. She's made from organic cotton muslin and embellished with a mixture of free-motion machine embroidery plus hand stitching. £25 from www.alyparrott.etsy.com.

Sometimes hoops need to be a bit more teensy. These sweet decorative hoops by The Creative Muster are made from wood and measure just 2.5cm in diameter. Perfect for mini makes, they also come in oval, floral and geometric varieties. From £2.20, www.creativemuster.etsy.com.

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FLOSSY BOBBINS

These dachshund bobbins are the cutest way to organise your threads. They’re the brainchild of US designer and artist Missy Kulik. Find out more at www.sugarcookie.etsy.com and www.missykulik.com.

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Books we love

SAY IT WITH STITCHES Embroidered initials are the best and these personalised necklaces from The Merriweather Council have been a smash Stateside. Turn to page 73 for

a peek around the super-pretty studio of Danielle Spurge, the maker behind The Merriweather Council, and buy from www.merriweathercouncil.com.

Curious creatures Marina Rachner’s curious creatures would be perfect for any (big) kid. Her sweetly sewn Benedetta rabbit is our favourite. £29, www.marinarachner. bigcartel.com.

LOVE STITCHING

Sandrine Kielt-Michaud £9.99, Search Press This pretty little book is full of ideas for using vintage-style clasps and fastenings to make retro accessories. Inside you'll find home-sewn classics including a clutch bag, embellished handbag and purse, plus everyday accessories from sewing kits to phone cosies.

CLOTH

Cassandra Ellis £25, Kyle Books Cloth is a fascinating exploration of five fabrics – cotton, wool, silk, linen and hide. It includes over 30 sophisticated projects that utilise the unique properties of each material, such as linen slippers, a leather purse, tie-dyed silk scarf and Liberty print cushions.

SEW QUICK, SEW CUTE

Keep your stitch ideas safe in one of these lovely notebooks, inspired by the designs of hand-embroidery queen Jan Constantine. The pages are half lined, half plain, making design jotting easy! £19.99, www.jacquismallpub.com.


VINTAGE PURSES TO MAKE, SEW AND EMBROIDER

Fiona Goble £14.99, Ivy Press Sometimes you just want a quick project to feed your crafty urges. Fiona Goble delivers with this collection of stash-busting stitches, including tote bags, children’s toys, pincushions, pillows and quilts. So the next time you have a spare afternoon, treat yourself to one of these satisfyingly speedy makes.

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LIGHT UP YOUR HOME WITH NEON BRIGHTS This on-trend lampshade would be perfect for any craft room. Handmade by MaKhumalo, a master crafter who lives in the rural South African province of KwaZulu Natal, these custom made lamps are created from recycled cornbags, embroidered with neon wool. £43.70 from www.noush.co.za and www.noushprojects.etsy.com.

TIES TO DIE FOR

Every dapper chap needs a bow tie, and these laser-cut beauties are perfect for cross-stitchers. Rebecca Greco of Hugs Are Fun (see page 74 for her cheery coaster project) joined forces with supplier Beadeux to create these fun kits. £11.86, www.hugsarefun.etsy.com.

OH HELLO LITTLE FRIENDS

These cute critters from Kiriki Press come in kit form and feature a menagerie of creatures. Choose between woodland favourites foxes, bears and badgers or opt for a slinky sloth or cheeky monkey. The designs come hand-printed straight onto the fabric so there’s no transferring required! Perfect for newbie embroiderers, they come in three skill levels so you can pick your favourite that suits your skills. The only problem is choosing which one to take home. Buy them from www.kirikipress.etsy.com or www.kirikipress.com.

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Let’s get weaving! Jamie Chalmers, aka Mr X Stitch, is the king of modern embroidery. Who better to start Weave, a new social network for our favourite craft? Tell us about Weave Weave is a social network for stitchers. It's a place to meet like-minded crafters, show off your work and share ideas. What made you want to create Weave? I felt that embroidery needed its own version of Ravelry (the popular knitting and crochet website). I wanted a space where I could meet

others and talk about embroidery in ways that other crafters might not be as interested in. While there are existing sites like Craftster dotted around the interwebs, I felt that needlecraft deserved a dedicated space, so I made one! Who can join? Weave is open to anyone who is interested in needlecraft, from casual

beginners through to diehard fanatics. What sort of things do people chat about? It’s early days but we're already seeing some interesting conversations around digitised machine embroidery, as well as techniques for tackling those loose threads! We’ve set up groups and forums for specific needlework types.

Where do you hope to see the site going? It's important that Weave becomes a community that's driven by the people involved. Artists will be able to share inspiration with people new to the craft, and I'm hoping that online conversations will lead to offline meet-ups. Where can we sign up? www.mrxstitch.com/

CALLING ALL RETRO LOVERS

These glam 1920s gals (Eloise and Ramona, since you ask) are the creations of Kate Gabrielle of Flapper Doodle. You can find an array of her prints and products, including this downloadable embroidery pattern (£3.12), at www.flapperdoodle.etsy.com.


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Lucky says... “This embroidery design was featured in my 365 Lucky Days project. It is a ode to my vintage camera collection, of which Polaroids are my favourites.”

LOVELY LAYERING… Layers of patterned and plain fabrics make a great background for a simple stitched design – we love the retro wallpaper effect of this floral print!

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Smile and say "CheesE"!

POLAROID LOVE Fall in love with Lucky Jackson’s ode to photography – this modern design will look sensational hanging in your home!


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YOU WILL NEED Floral and green fabric (background) Pink polka dot fabric (for the dress) Unbleached calico (for the stitched figure) Anchor embroidery threads in 290 (yellow), 403 (black), 1089 (blue) and 9046 (red), as well as some threads to match your background fabric Lace trim Bondaweb Light blue coloured pencil 10in embroidery hoop (for stitching) 9in embroidery hoop (for framing)

HOW TO MAKE The easiest way to transfer the figure on to your calico is to tape it against a window – or you can use a light box if you have one – and use a sharp light blue coloured pencil or erasable pen to trace. Place the calico into an embroidery hoop to keep it taut and place it flat against the window. Trace around the template,

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including the dress outline. Repeat this to trace the dress outline on to your polka dot fabric.

linear feel of the design. Once complete, remove the backing paper and iron the dress template onto the figure, and then remove the backing of the calico and iron on to the background fabric.

The quickest and simplest way to layer up the background fabrics is to use Try working the design in a hoop to Bondaweb to stick them together. Simply keep the fabric taut and to reduce any cut pieces to size, making sure they fit puckering. A sharp embroidery generously into your 10in hoop, and needle is essential to work then iron together. You can use through all the different fabric Bondaweb to apply the lace TOP TIP layers. Most of the design trim too. Follow our Start the thread with a simple knot and finish has been stitched using photographs or get the thread by weaving it backstitch, although some creative! through the reverse areas such as the hair, and of the stitches on Iron a Bondaweb some of the longer lines of the back of backing to the figure and the dress have been worked the fabric. dress, keeping the backing in long stitch. We’d suggest paper in place until you’re ready to working the legs first, followed by apply to the background. Trim the excess the head and shoulders, then the dress fabric around the calico figure, using and finally the forearms and camera. sharp embroidery scissors. Leave a 0.5cm Working from the back of the design border of calico around the outline. Now towards the top elements – such as the trim around the dress template, this time camera and arms – will help to keep these trimming the fabric a little closer around areas looking crisp. Frame your finished the forearms of the figure to keep the stitching in a 9in embroidery hoop.

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A SHARP EMBROIDERY NEEDLE IS ESSENTIAL TO WORK THROUGH THE LAYERS OF FABRIC

A bit more… Lucky is a Canadian artist who lives with her husband and two children. In 2011-2012, she completed a handembroidery every day for a year, as an art project entitled 365 Lucky Days. She sells prints, patterns and original embroideries at www.luckyjackson. etsy.com. Visit Lucky’s website at www.luckyjackson.ca.

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Add French knots around the flower centres on your background fabric for extra texture and interest!

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WorldMags.net USE LUCKY'S TEMPLATE AT 100% TO FIT IN A 9IN EMBROIDERY HOOP AS SHOWN

TOP TIP A blue pencil is a good alternative to an erasable pen – it creates a clean shadow, if any lines are still on show once the design has been stitched.

WORKING FROM THE BACK OF THE DESIGN TOWARDS THE TOP ELEMENTS WILL KEEP IT LOOKING CRISP


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WorldMags.net Inside the

vĩT¬Ĺĩõõè Take a peek inside the studio of Floss & Mischief, creators of “trendy needlework”

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hen Genevieve Brading’s boyfriend wanted to fill their house with not-so-PC taxidermy, she put her foot down – “it’s just too creepy!” – and stitched him some colourful beetles instead. Her resourcefulness grew into Floss & Mischief, purveyors of cross-stitch

kits featuring all manner of bugs and butterflies. Now Genevieve flits between busy London life – meeting clients, stockists and suppliers – and her peaceful Gloucestershire studio, where she continues to design trendy stitching we love. www.flossandmischief.com

PAINT YOUR EMBROIDERY HOOPS TO BRING OUT THE COLOURS IN YOUR STITCHING

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b

C

A The desk is a 1940s bureau that belonged to Genevieve’s grandparents – they used to keep board games in it when she was young. The embroidery hoops are painted to bring out the colours in the needlework. For an easy tutorial, visit the Floss & Mischief website.

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B Washi tape always provides the perfect finishing touch. C F&M stickers to sneak into shop parcels! D All the embroidery threads in F&M’s kits are cut by hand from these colourful cones.

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Michelle says... “The idea behind this design was to show off silly little puns that people who love sewing and embroidering will appreciate. Plus stitchers will always need a pincushion!”

it's Prettyas-aPincuShion!

SEW LOVELY! We adore this pretty pincushion, designed by Michelle Kruessel from The Fox in the Attic WorldMags.net

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Turn to page 91 for our easy-to-follow st itch guides

Meet the designer

michelle

krusessel Have you always been crafty? I’ve been creative from a young age. My mum always kept us busy with painting, drawing, playing with clay etc. My grandmother taught me how to do embroidery when I was little and I’ve really enjoyed rediscovering this wonderful craft and combining it with toy-making. Do you have a favourite stitch? My favourite stitch is backstitch – it creates unity between all my items. There's always something new to learn.

YOU WILL NEED Two 5x5in pieces of different fabrics (we used prints from 30’s Playtime by Chloe’s Closet, for Moda) 3½x3in piece of contrasting fabric, for speech bubble Embroidery thread Bondaweb Iron Erasable pen Sewing machine Toy stuffing Embroidery hoop

HOW TO MAKE Get all your tools together and cut the fabrics to the sizes given above (A & B). Iron Bondaweb onto the wrong side of the fabric you are using for the speech bubble. Then use the template to draw out the outline of the speech bubble on the right side with an erasable pen. Cut the bubble out and iron it onto

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the centre of one of your two squares, on the right side (C). Use the template to write “Sew Lovely” on the speech bubble using erasable pen (D). Embroider the letters through both layers of fabric using backstitch (E), then use a different colour to embroider around the speech bubble using buttonhole stitch. If you need to, wash the fabric to remove the pen marks.

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Pin the two pieces of fabric together, with the right sides facing each other (F). Sew along the edges, about ¼in from the edge, but leave a small opening at the bottom to insert the filling (G).

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Clip off the corners and turn inside out, using a chopstick or pencil to push out the corners (H).

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Stuff your pincushion and sew the opening closed (I). Add some pretty pins and needles to finish!

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Can you tell us a bit about your business The Fox in the Attic? The Fox in the Attic is a home-based business, selling fabric toys, cushions and pincushions that are all handstitched, sewn and stuffed by myself. Where can we find you online? You can find me at the following sites: Website: www.thefoxin theattic.com Etsy: www.thefoxin theattic.etsy.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ thefoxintheattic Twitter: @FoxintheAttic1 How would you like to see your business developing? I recently quit my day job, so I am hoping that The Fox in the Attic will keep on growing and evolving. I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love.

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TOP TIP You may find it difficult to trace the design through two layers of fabric. If so, photocopy our template and tape it to a window with your fabrics – it makes it much easier to see the pattern.

Wh y not c re own templateatse your favourite phraswith es?

Step-by-step

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b

c

d

e

f

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ON SALE NOW WorldMags.net

Or visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/ stitch-and-craft-bookazines Or call 0844 848 2852 (UK) or +44 1604 251 045 (international) WorldMags.net

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OFFBEAT CUSHION

Beci says... “There is cushion overload at our house. In fact, one could say you can’t find my bed for the cushions. But I like it that way. My sons Tyke and Ari like it too: is there much that’s more fun for a child than to dive head-first into a pile of cushions? I think not. And that way I can kid myself the cushions serve an actual purpose too.”

Get geometric with Beci Orpin’s contemporary cushion design that's sure to draw attention!

Smile and Wave!

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YOU WILL NEED 2 fabric panels approximately 40cm (16in) square Embroidery thread in several colours Pins Sewing machine and thread Cushion stuffing or cushion insert Embroidery hoop, 15cm (6in) in diameter Crewel needle Pencil

HOW TO MAKE Trace the design from the template onto one of the pieces of fabric. You can do this with a lightbox or by taping the template and fabric to a sunlit window as shown (A).

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You can begin the embroidery where you wish, but we suggest starting with the simpler parts, and working up to the more detailed ones. We used a simple running stitch for the cross and small circle, and backstitch for the outline of the hand (B).

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Work the stars by crossing tiny straight stitches over each other.

For the diamond, semicircle and the triangle nose, use satin stitch to fill up the shapes, working from one end to the other (C).

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For the dodecahedron, the eyes and the stepped shape, use long and short stitch (D).

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Work the dots in the stepped shape in seed stitch (small straight stitches).

Once the embroidery is complete, it’s time to sew your cushion. Pin the edges together and sew a 2cm (¾in) seam around all four sides, leaving a

15cm (6in) gap in the bottom, so you can add your stuffing (E). Once the cushion has been stuffed to your liking, hand sew the cushion closed with tiny stitches (F).

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we Suggest you Start by StitcHing SometHing Simple Like the Hand, Then Work up to the More Filled-in Shapes

Step-by-step

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A

B

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templates & guides TRACE THESE FUNKY DESIGNS ONTO YOUR FABRIC, POSITIONING THEM AS YOU WISH

A bit more… This funky pattern is taken from Home by Beci Orpin (£20, Hardie Grant, www.hardiegrant.co.uk). Beci lives in Australia and likes “gardening, riding her bike, birdwatching and cooking”. Find out more at www.beciorpin.com.


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Charlot te says... “This was inspired by a set of dolls I had as a child. We called them pocket dolls, just the right size to tuck into a handbag or coat pocket! My version can also be made up as a little puppet.”

p-p-p-Pick up a Pocket Doll!

POCKET DOLL Charlotte Lyons’ simple embroidered doll makes a fun and whimsical present

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YOU WILL NEED Linen or similar fabric Backing fabric Embroidery threads or pearl cotton size 8 in a variety of colours Polyester toy stuffing Erasable pen Small embroidery hoop

Visit Ch arlotte's Etsyt store for more swee doll designs

HOW TO MAKE

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Trace the design onto the linen fabric and place it in a hoop.

TOP TIP

Embroider the design, using three strands of embroidery thread or one strand of the pearl cotton. Work the outline of the doll and her features in backstitch, with French knots for eyes and mouth. Decorate her dress with rows of your favourite stitches – here we’ve used backstitch, lazy daisy, chain, satin and blanket stitch. Her feet and the little heart are worked in satin stitch.

Add a thread loop to the top and the doll becomes a little ornament!

Decorate her Dress With Your FavouRite Stitches – we've Used BacksTitch, Lazy Daisy, Chain, Satin and Blanket Stitch After embroidering the doll, carefully cut her out leaving a ¾in seam allowance on the top, sides and bottom. Pin the doll to your backing fabric, right sides together, and cut out a piece to match the doll.

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Stitch around the doll leaving a small opening in the bottom. Trim and clip the seam allowance on the curves then turn right side out. Press from the back. Stuff very lightly and sew the bottom opening shut.

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A bit more… Charlotte Lyons lives in the lower Hudson River Valley of New York, where she is inspired by the simplicity of traditional art and crafts, as well as the inventive use of repurposed materials. Find out more at www.charlottelyons.com and her Etsy shop www.charlottelyons.etsy.com.

For a puppet, repeat these steps but leave a ¾in allowance on the bottom edge of the doll. Stitch around the sides and top only. Leave the bottom open, then turn, press and hem the bottom edges all around. The finished doll measures approximately 2½x4in.

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Caroline says... “The dresser in a family kitchen is full of memories, so I followed the French tradition of embroidering a collection of favourite things: little bottles filled with flowers, tureens, chocolate pots and old stone jars. I gave the piece a more contemporary feel by working it in single blue thread.”

SHELF LIFE… We love the crisp blue thread Caroline’s used here. Red is also traditional for designs such as this, or why not match the colours to your kitchen?

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Bright Copper Kettles…

FAVOURITE THINGS

Caroline Zoob’s shelfedgings add a clean, fresh look to any kitchen


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WorldMags.net TOP TIP If you don’t want to make a shelf trim, you may want to adopt this idea for the bottom of a kitchen blind.

YOU WILL NEED Fabric, long enough for the shelf plus a 2cm turn allowance, with a scallop-edged trim if possible. Use something that can be washed and ironed easily and is not too thick. Dark blue embroidery thread

HOW TO MAKE Using the scallop template (opposite, bottom right), cut the bottom edge of the fabric and hem neatly. If you would like to embroider along the scalloped edge use a fine blanket stitch worked in double thread (single is finer but will take a long time).

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it is ImporTant to Keep the Back of Your StitcHing Tidy, and to Weave in all Your Ends, so it can WithsTand Regular Washing For the embroidery, start in the centre of the fabric and work to the sides; you will achieve a better balance. If you trace the design from the templates then start the tracing in the centre as well. Embroider the outlines using stem stitch or backstitch.

Follow th e outl using backst itcinhes stem st itch as yoor u pre fer

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It is important to keep the back very tidy, and to weave all of your ends in neatly, as any kitchen textile has to withstand regular washing.

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Use our guide on page 97 to transfer the designs to your fabric

Fix the trim in place on the shelf with tiny tacks at each end, and perhaps one in the centre if it is very wide.

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TOP TIP

You can scale th e templates to an y siz e you wish to suit your kitch en

If you decide to make this using red thread remember that some modern red threads can bleed slightly, especially if you wet them when threading the needle.

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WorldMags.net Ch oose your favourite motifs to match th e pieces in your kitch en cupboards!

TOP TIP Personalise the shelf-edgings by adding family names discreetly on plates or jars.

Take your ti th e smaller pmiee with c keep th em neaes to t

A bit more… This pretty project is taken from The Hand-Stitched Home by Caroline Zoob, photography by Caroline Arber (£20, Jacqui Small, www. jacquismallpub.com). Caroline Zoob is an embroiderer and designer, often using antique textiles. She first trained as an opera singer, then solicitor, before venturing into the world of design. Caroline likes old, worn, faded surfaces, a restrained colour palette, folk art and all things French. Find out more at www.carolinezoob.co.uk.


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Interview with

Alyssa Thomas We love Penguin & Fish’s inventive designs. Founder Alyssa Thomas tells us how she started her business and what inspires her today y first encounter with embroidery was in the form of cross stitching. We had a babysitter who was working on a counted cross stitch – I was maybe six years old, and I was glued to her the entire time as she stitched. I thought it was magical how all sorts of coloured X’s could end up as a picture (I still get a bit excited by it!). I started Penguin & Fish by making stuffed animals: some were crocheted bears and others were made out of recycled sweaters. Eventually I realised two things that led Penguin & Fish in a different direction: one, it was exhausting sewing all the stuffed animals, and two, I missed drawing (I'd majored in graphic design). On a whim I decided I was going to draw an animal for each letter of the alphabet, and I was going to embroider them. It was an excuse for me to draw and craft at the same time! I shared progress pictures on Twitter and Flickr and people started to ask if they could

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A bit more… Find out more about Alyssa’s company, Penguin & Fish, at www. penguinandfish.com, or visit the blog at www.penguinandfish.

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have the pattern. That’s when I decided to turn the embroideries into patterns and sell them as digital downloads. The next big event was the International Quilt Market in my town. I didn’t know exactly what it was, but I decided, “Okay, I’m going to do it!” and quickly figured out how to print physical patterns, finished the alphabet and designed fabrics to print and use in a sample quilt to show off the embroideries – and put together a booth design, all in a couple of months!

blogspot.co.uk and Etsy shop, www.penguinandfish.etsy.com. As a special treat, she’s offering a free taster “Picnic Pals” pattern at www.eepurl.com/jpBDD. For the latest news, find Penguin & Fish on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

It was crazy, but we did it, and that trade show turned out to be the biggest jump-start to get Penguin & Fish off the ground. After that we had orders from all over the world, and got a deal to make a “real” fabric collection with a manufacturer. Right now, we have some new patterns and projects in the works, as well as more fabric collections on the way. We’re also working on a trunk show tour for our book, Sew & Stitch Embroidery, where finished projects from the book will be travelling to some of our favourite quilt shops. I can’t wait!

SIZING UP, SCALING DOWN There are two stitching trends that I’m seeing now that I really love and want to play with more myself. The first is playing with size, whether it’s making embroidery huge or teeny tiny. My theory is that the smaller something is the

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Super-size me! Alyssa loves the dramatic effects you can get with some extra-large stitching

WorldMags.net Alyssa’s patchwork tote is finished with a chirpy handstitched bird!

Alyssa’s adorable designs are fun to make and easy to stitch

You’ll find these fab finger puppets in Sew & Stitch Embroidery

cuter it becomes, and the bigger it gets, the sillier and more dramatic it becomes. Both ends of the spectrum look great to me! In the book, I experiment a lot with scale – it’s the most fun thing to do! For my large embroideries, I stitch with yarn instead of thread and use a large quilting hoop instead of an embroidery hoop. There’s something so comedic about using those enlarged tools that it’s impossible not to have fun! The second trend I’m seeing at the moment is people filling in entire shapes with embroidery stitches instead of just outlining a design. There are some amazing textures and effects that can be created. You can give something a smooth texture by filling a shape with satin stitches or a hairy texture by filling a shape with lots of short stitches. There are a bazillion other ways you can fill in a shape as well.


Use a variety of stitches to fill in all the parts of your work

It’s all about experimenting and seeing what you like.

NATURAL INSPIRATION When I need inspiration, there’s always something new to discover with animals and the outdoors. I’m inspired just by looking out the window near my desk. How the sparrows push the food from the birdfeeders onto the ground for the other sparrows and the squirrels, or how the leaves from our front tree leave a gorgeous pattern of stains on the sidewalk. I also love learning new crafts, mediums and techniques. Learning something new usually immediately feeds new ideas. I have a sketchbook with me at all times, so when an idea pops up I can get it recorded right away. I might not act on that idea for years, but I still have it down on paper so I can always find it later when I need it.

Pro Tip! We asked Alyssa for the most useful piece of stitching advice she had to share… One of the biggest issues I think people have is how to start and how to end a piece of thread. And also how to keep the back of the work clean without a ton of knots or loose threads to mess you up! My top tip that solves both of these issues is to use a temporary knot when you start a new piece of thread. It’s the best way to start, and the back of your embroidery will have zero loose ends – even during the process of stitching. I have a video tutorial online here at youtu.be/4663CX29Rxg.

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PRETTY RECYCLING

Let in light with a delicate curtain made from embroidered scraps and vintage handkerchiefs. From The Hand-Stitched Home by Caroline Zoob, photography by Caroline Arber (£20, Jacqui Small). Turn to page 26 for Caroline’s fresh-forspring shelf-edging project.

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Kirsty says... “It took quite a lot of sketching to settle on this design! It's really flexible, and so easy to rearrange the feathers and customise colours to make a completely different hoop using the same templates.”

let Your StitcHing Soar!

BIRDS OF A FEATHER

Create sophisticated wall-art inspired by nature with Kirsty Neale

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WorldMags.net HOW TO MAKE

YOU WILL NEED Plain or patterned fabric Embroidery threads Erasable pen Embroidery hoop, 20cm (8in) diameter Feather (real or craft) Washi tape Fabric glue

TOP TIP Set the satin stitches slightly further apart than you normally would for the ombre and banded feathers to give them a more realistic feathery effect.

Transfer the feather templates onto your fabric using an erasable pen. Leave a gap between the first and second feathers to add the real feather later.

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Use two or three close-set vertical lines of split stitch to make a stalk for each feather, and then work the remainder of the feather in satin stitch in a variety of colours.

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Apply a thin line of glue to the centre back of your real feather and press it down into place on the fabric.

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Press small strips of washi tape at intervals around the hoop, smoothing them down carefully. Stretch your fabric into the hoop, tighten the screw, then neaten the back by trimming the fabric and folding it over, gluing it down to the inside edge of the hoop.

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A bit more… Kirsty Neale is the author of Hoop-La! (£14.99, David & Charles) and blogs at www.kirstyneale.typepad. com. She likes “vintage fabric, mid-century homewares, illustration, stripes, Anthropologie, reading, sunny mornings and apple green”. You can buy the book for just £11.24 with a free hoop at www.stitchcraftcreate.co.uk, or call 0844 880 5851.

REDUCE OR ENLARGE THESE TEMPLATES SO THEY MATCH THE SIZE OF YOUR GLUED-ON FEATHER!

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vĩT¬Ĺĩõõè Carina Envoldsen-Harris takes us on a tour of her beautifully light and airy workplace

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anish designer Carina EnvoldsenHarris lives in Essex, where she designs and stitches gorgeous embroideries and also “dabbles” in quilting, crochet, knitting and sewing. “I never really did any crafting until I moved to England, but I guess I’ve made

up for it now!” she laughs. Carina says she finds inspiration “in walks, in nature or in the city; in magazines and my collections of vintage embroidery books and botanical books.” See page 57 for her embroidered t-shirt project. www.polkaandbloom.com

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LIDDED GLASS JARS SHOW OFF CARINA’S COLLECTIONS OF RIBBONS AND WASHI TAPE b

c A “Having a separate place to work has been a big wish for a long time. Somewhere to leave the mess and not have to tidy it off the dining table every day,” Carina says. Her studio is now based in an extension of the house: “luckily, embroidery doesn’t take up that much space!”

E Find us on www.facebook.com/hooplamag

B The wallpaper wall is one of Carina’s favourite things about her studio. The walls weren’t a priority while the rest of the house needed redecorating so she knocked up a display with some wallpaper samples and masking tape. We love it!

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C The painting is of Mount Vesuvius. Carina painted it from sketches and photos she took while on her honeymoon in Rome. D Carina works alone in the studio with everything she needs to hand. Her husband pops in from time to time – but the neighbour’s nosy cat is not allowed! e Carina is a fan of folk art souvenirs like Russian dolls and a Dala horse, and she collects Danish ceramic trees. Somewhere there is also an ET toy from her childhood!

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FUNNY FACE EGG WARMERS Chloë Owens’ vintage-inspired felt cosies, taken from Chloë Tells You How… To Sew

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Chloë says... “With these cosies, I tried to think of a fun design to keep eggs warm. The red-head with the bow in her hair is my favourite because I love her 60s hair-do.”


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TOP TIP WorldMags.net Why not make a smiley-faced cosy for each member of your family – you could even tweak the faces to look like them!

HOW TO MAKE

YOU WILL NEED Red, white and pink felt Scraps of fabric for the bow Black and blue embroidery thread Tracing paper, pencil and card

“COLOURS AND STYLE COME WITH A BIT OF EXPERIMENTATION AND ‘PLAYING’. THAT'S WHAT CREATIVITY IS AFTER ALL – IT’S PLAY TIME!” CHLOË OWENS, DESIGNER

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Copy the templates for your chosen warmer onto card – we're making the pretty red-headed face, below right.

2

Draw around the hair template twice on red felt and cut out two hair shapes. Using sharp scissors, cut a curved V-shape slit in one hair shape to make a fringe. Then cut two faces from white felt in the same way, pin them together and blanket stitch all the way around with matching thread. Using a pencil, draw the features on one side of the face (A).

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Cut two small circles from pink felt for the cheeks and a mouth shape from red felt, and stitch them onto the face with tiny running stitches. Embroider the eyebrows and eyelashes in black backstitch, the blue eyes in a circle of chain stitches, and the nostrils with a few straight stitches worked close together (B).

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Next, slip the face under the V-shaped slit in the hair piece, lightly glue it in place and leave it to dry. Pin the second hair shape to the back of the face and blanket stitch around the edge with matching thread, being sure to leave a big enough gap at the bottom for the egg to fit through (C).

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Finally, tie a bow from your scraps of fabric prints, and add to the hair.

This fun project was taken from Chloë Tells You How… To Sew by Chloë Owens (£14.99, CICO Books). To buy a copy for just £10.99 with free UK p&p, call 01256 302699 quoting GLR 9NS. For more details, visit www.cicobooks.co.uk.

Doris makes cosies! A spiffing idea pops into her head!

Gathering materials…

“M y eggs have gone cold!”

Step-by-step

A

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b

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templates USE THESE TEMPLATES TO CUT OUT YOUR FELT, AND AS A GUIDE FOR YOUR STITCHING USE THE RED OUTLINE FOR THE HAIR USE THE BLUE OUTLINE FOR THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE HEAD


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templates USE THESE TEMPLATES TO CUT OUT YOUR FELT, AND AS A GUIDE FOR YOUR STITCHING USE THE RED OUTLINE FOR THE HAIR USE THE BLUE OUTLINE FOR THE FRONT AND BACK OF THE HEAD

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FRONT OF HEAD – MAN

USE THE BLACK OUTLINES FOR THE DETAILS OF THE MEN’S FACES, AND THE BLUE AND RED OUTLINES FOR THE MAIN PIECES

BACK OF HEAD – MAN


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Vintage charm Textile designer Chloë Owens wowed the stitching world with All Sewn Up and Chloë Tells You How. Here she tells us all about her vintage inspirations…

hloë Tells You How is based on vintage annuals from the 50s, 60s and 70s. I grew up reading my older brother and sisters’ hand-me-down annuals, and I loved the games and the slightly out of date language and humour, and especially how you’d get to know the characters in different stories throughout the books. The name of my book, Chloë Tells You How, was inspired by the “Mother Tells You How” strip from Girl magazine, which ran from 1951 to 1960. The mother would teach her daughter all the “essential” skills in life, such as how to make a bed and how to wash up. I’ve also invented some characters of my own to teach the readers how to make the projects featured in the book. I wanted to make something that commemorated these books in a tongue-in-cheek way, and something that’s a little different from your usual craft book. I’m not sure exactly what it is about that 50s, 60s and 70s style that appeals to me so much. It just always has. I think everything was more fun and everything was so design-led then, from hair and fashion to a table lamp. It was a very creative time, in a revolutionary way. I love colour and pattern. My designs are vintage-inspired but with a modern twist. The 60s are my biggest inspiration, as well as vintage children’s books (and comics), vintage children’s toys and Scandinavian design. I also think Pinterest is great and I love Instagram (find me at

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“chloeowens”), although my account seems to have a lot of photos of my cat and dog (Twiggy and Ringo)! When I’m not working or crafting I love just hanging out with them.

GETTING STARTED I first used a sewing machine for freehand embroidery in an A-level class called Art Textiles. It appealed to me because I never felt I was very good at painting or drawing but the imperfections in appliqué and embroidery added a homespun charm, which I loved. My passion for fabric grew from there. When I’m creating freehand embroidery, I always think of the needle as a pencil and the fabric as a piece of paper, then switch the two in my brain to “draw” a picture. I always get the best effects when I relax and don’t worry too much about how it’ll turn out. But personally I like the imperfections in my designs. My business began more as a hobby and I started making toys from vintage fabrics after I left art school. I bought a DIY website from eBay and began selling

EVERYTHING WAS MORE FUN AND EVERYTHING WAS SO DESIGN-LED BACK THEN, FROM HAIR AND FASHION TO A TABLE LAMP – IT WAS A VERY CREATIVE TIME, IN A REVOLUTIONARY WAY some of my makes through the site. My business grew from there so I decided to do it full time. I didn’t do a business plan until a couple of years later, but it’s essential if you want to get anywhere in your business. For anyone who wants to make a career from their creativity, my advice is to start small, get a website or blog and get your designs out there. Sell on Etsy and try selling at craft fairs to test the market. Sadly, too many creatives under-sell themselves. If you want to make it a career you have to make a profit – if it doesn’t it’ll never be a business, so make sure you sell your designs for what they’re worth!

A bit more… Find out more about Chloë, her books and her designs at www.chloeowens.com and on her blog www.chloeowenstextiledesign. blogspot.co.uk. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram as “chloeowens”.

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Laura says... “No matter what the weather or the time of year, with this little pouch you will always have a sunny day to carry about with you!”

MirroR, MirroR, in my Pouch…

FLOWER GARDEN

Stitch and sew this beautiful floral mirror case from Mason Bee’s Laura Mason


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WorldMags.net HOW TO MAKE

YOU WILL NEED 21x10cm linen 21x10cm Liberty Tana Lawn for lining 21x10cm curtain interlining or lightweight thin wadding DMC embroidery threads: 321 (orange/red), 600 (fuchsia), 3834 (purple), 937 (medium green), 704 (bright green), 743 (yellow) Cotton sewing thread to match linen 9mm metal popper Erasable pen Embroidery hoop Sewing machine

TOP TIP When sewing up the sides of the case, pick up the threads of the linen and not the lining to give it a smoother and neater finish.

1 2

Cut out your lining and interlining and place to one side.

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Place your linen into a hoop frame, making sure it’s nice and taut.

Transfer the design onto your linen, including the mark for where one part of the popper will go. If you are using an erasable pen you can also mark where the fold lines will be, or use pins.

GET STITCHING Start the embroidery with the mini garden on the front. Stitch the grass and stems of the flowers in one thread of stranded cotton (A). You will be switching between the light and dark green using a combination of back, straight and chain stitch to give depth.

4

Once the grass is complete, it’s time to add the flower heads. Again use a single thread of stranded cotton, and switch between different stitches and colours. Follow the stitch guide or feel free to place the flower heads wherever you wish, using your preferred stitches.

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Here the flowers are worked in French knots, lazy daisies and straight stitches. Leaves for the flowers are created in lazy daisy stitch (B, C & D). The stem of the large flower is worked in two strands of the darker green thread in backstitch, and the leaves are lazy daisy stitches. To help keep the leaves’ shape you might need to do a couple of additional holding stitches to pull out the sides of the main loop.

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The flower head is worked in one strand of cotton. First stitch the outline of the flower in split stitch using the pink thread (E). This outline will help you to guide your thread as you do your first row of long and short stitches. It is easier to start in the middle of one of the petals and then work your way round as you bring your needle up through the fabric and down over the split stitch outline (F). The second row of long and short will fill in the gaps as the area is quite small, but this time your needle will be coming up through the stitches of the previous row and going down on the line marking the flower centre.

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Step-by-step

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A

b

C

d

e

f

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WorldMags.net To add more definition to the flower add a few more short stitches into the last row of pink, but this time using the purple thread (G).

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For the final detail switch to the yellow thread and fill the centre of the flower with French Knots.

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with the machine thread and use slip stitch to close (I). Repeat for other end.

Variations

Sew on the bottom half of the popper on the spot you marked earlier (J).

For an alternative to French knot centres for the flowers, try seed beads, or for extra glamour use 2mm Swarovski Hot-Fix Crystals.

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Now it’s time to sew up the sides to begin making it into a case. First fold the case on the second fold line (see template) and pin to make it easier to sew. Sew up using slip stitch (K).

The seam allowance for the pouch is 1cm. Machine sew down the sides of the pouch to make a tube.

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SEW YOUR POUCH Take your embroidery out of the hoop. Pin the linen to the lining and interlining, with the embroidery facing the right side of the lining (H).

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Trim down the sides (not the top and bottom) to around 2–3mm. Turn inside out. Press the edges of the case with an iron, but be careful not to iron directly onto the stitches.

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For the top and bottom, mark with a pin where the seam allowance is, then trim the wadding down to the pin and fold in the fabric. Thread a needle

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lour Why not change the co of the flower head to ? match your lining fabric

Sew up the other side of the pouch, again using slip stitch.

Fold the flap line and press with an iron to keep it flat. Sew on the other part of the popper – use a pin to help you to line the bottom up with the top (L). The fold of the flap needs to be flush with the top of the opening. Give the pouch a very gentle press around the edges, avoiding the stitches. Now fill with your prettiest mirror or special little treasures.

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g

h

i

j

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WorldMags.net French knots USE LAURA'S FLORAL DESIGNS AT 100%, OR WHATEVER SIZE SUITS YOUR COMPACT!

Long and sh ort stitch Backstitch Lazy daisy

Meet the designer

Lazy daisy stitches Straight st

Ch ain st

French Knot

St raight st itch

ENLARGE THIS FABRIC PATTERN BY 150%

LAURA MASON

Can you tell us a little about your life in stitching? I just feels natural to me. I always remember my mum playing with fabrics when I was a kid, and my aunt is a costumer for film, stage and TV. When I became an apprentice at the Royal School of Needlework back in 2002, it just seemed to sink into me how much I enjoyed it. Being able to design a project and then stitch it, it’s a wonderful feeling. Also it gives me the greatest excuse to buy wonderful threads and fabrics! Where do you look for design inspiration? I find most of my inspiration comes from colour or from supplies I’ve collected over the years – I love the challenge of coming up with a design to use them up. Do you have any personal projects on the go right now? I have to keep busy, even when I get home from a day at work. At the moment I am working on a patchwork quilt, mostly by hand as I want to take my time doing it. Admittedly this does run the risk of it taking years to finish! Laura Mason is the designer behind Mason Bee (www. masonbee.co.uk). Buy patterns and makes at www.themasonbee. etsy.com, and read her blog at www.themasonbee.blogspot.co.uk.

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LOST AND FOUND

We’re always looking for new materials to turn our needles to, and artist Ella Robinson certainly provides plenty of inspiration! Ella creates giant installations using driftwood, and her pieces cost from £20, www.ellarobinson.com.

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STITCH BY STITCH… This is a large project, but because it's broken down into individual letters, it won't seem overwhelming!

Christine says… “As a graphic designer, I’m always drawn to type and words. I love circus lettering, and think it’s really nice how each letter is different. I think the designs would also work well in a simpler colour palette if you were embroidering it for a specific room with its own colour scheme.”

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noW i Know my abc…

LOVE LETTERS We love the soft, spring colours of Christine Leech’s wall hanging, from her book Little Sew & Sew


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YOU WILL NEED Embroidery DMC embroidery thread as listed in the templates Embroidery hoop, 10cm diameter Wall hanging 28 15x15cm squares of linen in various colours 60x100cm linen or cotton for backing 5 6x10cm rectangles of linen for tabs Matching sewing thread 9 pom-poms, 5cm diameter 60cm ribbon or cord for hanging 60cm length of dowel, 1.5cm in diameter Spray paint or acrylic paint Drill

EMBROIDER THE DESIGN Transfer the letters and illustrations to your fabric squares, positioning them centrally. Place in the embroidery hoop and embroider as per the stitch guides, using two strands of thread. When complete, remove visible transfer marks and press.

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MAKE THE WALL HANGING

When you have seven rows each of four squares, place the ABCD row on the table face up and place the EFGH rectangle on top, face down but rotated 180 degrees. (You want to sew the bottom of the ABCD row to the top of the EFGH row.) Pin together and machine stitch along the bottom edge.

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Trim away any excess fabric, cutting the corners on the diagonal to make the TOP TIP hanging less bulky at the The letters would also Repeat with the rest of corners. Remove all the pins work well as the rows. Again, make and turn the hanging right monogrammed cushions for a sure that they all face in the side out. The tabs should new baby. right direction. Press well. pop out along the top. Hand stitch the turning hole closed Make the hanging tabs by and press well. folding each 6x10cm rectangle in Hand stitch the row of pom-poms to half lengthways, right sides facing, and the bottom of the hanging, spacing sew down the long raw edges. Turn each them out evenly. right side out and press so the seam is in the middle of the tube. Fold in half FINISH THE HANGING widthways to make a loop and pin to the Paint the dowel in a co-ordinating right side of the sampler with the majority colour with spray or acrylic paint and of the tab laying on the embroidered allow to dry thoroughly. Drill two holes letters and the folded edge facing vertically through the dowel, one 2cm in towards the bottom of the hanging. Pin from each end. Thread one end of the one tab at each end, one in the middle ribbon through one hole and tie a knot. and the remaining two evenly spaced Thread the dowel through the tabs of between them (D). your hanging, then thread the other end Place the backing fabric on top of of the ribbon through the other hole and the letters and tabs, right sides tie a knot to secure.

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Place the letter B face up on a table. Place letter A on top of B face down (so the neat sides of the embroideries are touching and making sure they are both pointing in the same direction). Pin along the drawn seam line and machine stitch together, following the drawn line (A). Open up and press flat. Repeat with letters C and D, placing D on the table and C on top, face down. Pin and sew along the left-hand side (B). Open up and press flat.

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On the reverse of each square, draw a seam line 1cm in from the edge on all four sides, using an erasable pen.

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facing, and pin all around. Machine stitch 1cm in from the edge, making sure you sew far enough in to catch all the edges of the squares. Leave a turning hole along the bottom edge.

Step-by-step

A

b

C

D

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Place the CD rectangle on the table face up and place the AB rectangle on top face down. Pin and sew along the left-hand side (C). Open up and press flat. This has created your first row.

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Repeat with the six other rows, checking that they all face in the right direction.

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A Mid orange 742 Gold 3852

Lemon yellow 3078 Dark orange 740

D White Lemon yellow 3078 Mid orange 742 Mid yellow 972

G White Grey 317 Mid yellow 972 Lime green 907


B Pale pink 818

White Turquoise 813

E Pink 962

Pale bronze E677

C Lime green 907 Sage 3364

F Purple 340 Dark blue 996

H Brown

Red 309 Dark pink 321 Dark green 700 Pale bronze E677

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Turquoise 813 Metallic blue E316

Metallic blue E334 Dark purple 3835

I Dark pink 321

Pink 760 Yellow 743

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J Blue 996

Dark blue 824 White Yellow 792 Lemon yellow 3078 Mid orange 742

M Light blue 747

Pale lilac 341 Pale pink 818

P Blue 996

Dark blue 824 White Yellow 792 Lemon yellow 3078 Mid orange 742

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K White

Pink 761 Pale pink 818 Beige 842 Pale green 3819

N Purple 340

Dark purple 3835 Peach 353 Pink 760

Lime 907

Q Orange 740

Silver E168 Light orange 742 Pale blue 747 Yellow 743

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L Lemon yellow 3078 White

Mid yellow 972 Pink 602

O Blue 996 White Dark blue 824 Metallic blue E334

R Dark pink 321

Pink 3706

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S Lemon yellow 3078

Yellow 743

Gold 3852

V Lemon yellow 3078

T Lime green 907 Brown 3371

Gold 3852

W Red 309

Pea green 702 Lemon yellow 3078

Pale pink 818

Pale blue 747

U

Turquoise 813 Dark blue 824 Pink 962 Peach 353

X Dark orange 740 Dark pink 321

Mid orange 742 Pale pink 818

TURN TO PAGE 91 FOR OUR EASY GUIDE TO ALL THE EMBROIDERY STITCHES USED HERE

Y Orange 740 Silver E168 Light orange 742 Pale blue 747 Yellow 743


Z Pink 818

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BLUEBIRD Lime 907 Blue 996

Pink 818 Dark pink 321 Turquoise 813 Yellow 3078

HEART Dark pink 321 White

Grey 762

Light pink 3706 Gold 3852

SPLIT YOUR EMBROIDERY THREAD AND USE JUST A FEW OF THE STRANDS, TO GIVE FINER, NEATER STITCHES

Little Sew & Sew Simple Makes: Little Sew & Sew by Christine Leech is published by Quadrille, £12.99. Photography by Keiko Oikawa. This book is packed with 30 original makes that include 15 simple sewing projects as well as 15 pretty embroidery patterns to add to your finished pieces. They can be mixed and matched as you wish to create an almost inexhaustible array of projects for you to enjoy!

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Meet the designer

Christine Leech Starting with the best hemmed handkerchief at the village show, Christine’s passion for craft has led her to books, magazines and more… hristine Leech is a designer, art director and author. In her “day job” she works as creative director of Marie Claire Runway, while also working on projects such as her book Little Sew & Sew and co-authoring Everything Alice and Everything Oz with Hannah Read-Baldrey, both packed with stunning fantasy-inspired makes. We catch up to chat about stitching, shopping and more!

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What first got you into embroidery? I guess it was when I won my first sewing prize at the age of five – for best hemmed handkerchief – that I got the bug! When I was older I would make patches for my jeans, carefully embroidering the logos of my favourite bands onto old bits of sheet. Then and now I really like the way you can see the pattern slowly developing as you sew. I also find embroidery a really mindful and peaceful pastime. Can you tell us more about your book Little Sew & Sew? The idea was to create a series of designs that could be used on existing items of clothing or pillowcases, tea towels etc, but there would also be instructions for making items to embroider too. I tried to stick to the basic stitches, but to show how to use a combination of them to work up quite an intricate design. Do you have any tips for making your embroidery as good as it can be? I’ve learned a little trick of starting


embroidery without having to tie a knot. Split your thread in two and then fold it in half, threading the raw ends through your needle. Then bring the needle up from behind through your fabric till just a little loop of thread is left on the reverse. Do a small stitch through the fabric bringing your needle through the loop. Pull tight to secure. This makes the back of your embroidery much neater. I also like to split my skein of embroidery thread down so I’m only using four plies of silk. This gives you a finer stitch and neater stitches.

I USED TO MAKE PATCHES FOR MY JEANS, EMBROIDERING ON THE LOGOS OF MY FAVOURITE BANDS Do you have any favourite shops? There’s a shop in London called Barnett Lawson (www.bltrimmings.com). It’s an Aladdin’s cave of ribbons and trims and feathers and shiny things. There’s also a fabric manufacturer, Dashwood Studio (www.dashwoodstudio.com) which uses British designers. The cottons are lovely.

What trends have you spotted? I love the yarn bombing and guerilla crafting that is around at the moment. Anything that jollies up our streets is a good thing if you ask me! Where do you look for inspiration? Pinterest is great but can sometimes be depressing! You can think of the most original idea but when you have a check online, someone somewhere has already made it. I try to steer clear of looking at actual craft projects but it’s great for colour inspiration and styling ideas. I love old technicolour films, especially musicals – the colours, the clothes, the style – and they inspire me a lot. When I’m not writing books I’m the creative director of Marie Claire Runway, a fashion magazine documenting all the goings on of international fashion weeks. It’s great to see all the amazing clothes and trends and I tend to get ideas from them too. Do you have any personal projects on the go at the moment? Well there always seems to be something that needs doing in my house – that’s my biggest craft project right now!

For more information about Christine’s work, books and designs, visit her website at www.sewyeah.co.uk. Her blog is packed with ideas and inspiration, from simple crafty makes to home improvements, beautiful photography and book extracts.

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We love the block colours and botanical design elements in Spanish maker Lana Pelana’s embroidered necklaces. From approx £19, www.lanapelana.com, www.lanapelana.etsy.com.

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Carina says... “These little birds are inspired by folk art embroidery and look very sweet on this t-shirt for a little girl. But a grown-up girl could easily adorn her t-shirt with it too!”

Bright and BeautIful LovebIrds!

LOVEBIRDS T-SHIRT

Stretchy doesn’t need to be scary – Carina Envoldsen-Harris explains how to stitch on knit fabrics WorldMags.net

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Wh y not scale up th e pattern onto an adult siz e t-shirt?

YOU WILL NEED White t-shirt DMC embroidery thread in the following colours: Light pink (957) Pink (602) Yellow (972) Orange (740) Orange red (606) Green (907) Aqua (3845) Stabiliser Erasable pen Embroidery hoop

HOW TO MAKE Photocopy the pattern opposite to the size you want to stitch it – our template is slightly larger than the embroidery shown for clarity. It's easy to reduce or enlarge to fill the exact space you want on a t-shirt. Now cut out a piece of stabiliser fabric that is slightly larger than the pattern.

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Iron the shiny side of the stabiliser to the reverse of the t-shirt, over the area where you want to stitch (A).

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Stretch the section you want to stitch in an embroidery hoop with the right side of the t-shirt facing you. Place the inner part of the hoop on the top of the fabric, with the outer hoop underneath, the opposite way round to normal. Place the pattern under the stabiliser and trace it with the erasable pen (B).

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Start With the Outlines of the Birds in BacksTitch, Then Fill in the Details With French Knots, fly Stitch and Lazy Daisies wings and the heart in backstitch (C). Then fill in the details using backstitch, French knots, fly stitch and lazy daisies.

It isn’t necessary to stitch with the When your embroidery is finished, hoop as this is a fairly small pattern, so you can remove it now if you prefer. remove the stabiliser from the back of the t-shirt (D). It should peel off, but When stitching it makes it easier to handle the t-shirt if you roll the where there are a lot of stitches, it can be a bit tricky to bottom edges towards the pattern, but take care not remove – use a needle to TOP TIP help loosen it. to get so close that you It is always best to embroider on a t-shirt that risk stitching into it. has been pre-washed. Rinse the pen marks This avoids distortion of To stitch the pattern, from the t-shirt and the stitching if the let it dry, then gently iron start by working the t-shirt shrinks a bit outlines of the birds, the it on the reverse. when washed.

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WorldMags.net TOP TIP The stabiliser helps stop the jersey fabric from stretching as you stitch – buy some from www. sewandmake.co.uk.

Work all th e out line st itches in backst itch

Use laz y daisies fo th ese c olourful r feath ers

Step-by-step

A

D


b

C

A bit more… Carina Envoldsen-Harris is a Danish designer living in England. Her book Stitched Blooms is published by Lark Crafts (£10.46, www.larkcrafts.com). Read Carina’s blog at carinascraftblog.wardi.dk for plenty of colour and inspiration, and check out her shop at www.shop. polkaandbloom.com where you can buy patterns, printed fabric panels, ebooks and more.

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Aimee says... “There are many beautiful Japanese Sashiko patterns, and they’ve inspired my design. This is a fun, easy project which shows off this unique embroidery technique.”

STITCH BY STITCH… This is a great project for beginners because it’s made entirely of running stitch – easy! Just ensure your stitches are as neat and even as possible.

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Easy StitcH, Great Effects!

SEA BREEZE Aimee Ray’s cool blue placemats give a contemporary twist to traditional Sashiko embroidery


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WorldMags.net TOP TIP Dress up the border of a plain skirt by stitching these designs along the bottom edge.

YOU WILL NEED 1 yard dark blue quilter’s cotton fabric Embroidery threads in white, light pink and pink – we've used DMC threads in white, 761 and 760 Dressmakers’ carbon paper Blue thread

Embroider the design by stitching the pattern with running stitch and white embroidery thread. Sashiko designs are usually stitched with an extra long needle, so you can create several stitches at once. But you can easily stitch them one at a time if you prefer for the same results.

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Pin your stitched piece of fabric to the second (unstitched) rectangle that you cut out in step 1, right sides together. Stitch around the edge, leaving 1in around each edge and leaving a 2in opening along one side.

Enlarge one of the Sashiko patterns on pages 63 or 64 by 200% (or you can easily adjust the size if you like).

Trim away any excess fabric from the corners, then turn your placemat so right sides are facing out. Push out the corners and press the seams flat.

HOW TO MAKE This project makes two 16x12in placemats. For each placemat, cut two 17x13in rectangles from your cotton fabric.

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Transfer the pattern on to your fabric using dressmakers’ carbon paper, or by taping it onto a window and tracing.

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Now you’ve finished one mat, you’ll find making the second is a doddle! Simple repeat these steps but using the second Sashiko pattern.

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To finish, stitch all around the edge of the placemat, stitching 1/8 in from the outer edge.

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Sashiko Sashiko is a traditional Japanese method of embroidery, used to reinforce stitches, mends and patches with a creative finish. Traditionally it uses white thread on indigo fabric, although sometimes red is used. You don’t need a hoop, but you can get special Sashiko needles – these are long as you’ll sometimes need to make several running stitches in one go. Specialist Sashiko thread is usually twisted more than embroidery thread, and you won’t separate it into strands. It works best on more loosely woven fabric such as linen/cotton mixes.

WorldMags.net USE AIMEE’S JAPANESESTYLE SASHIKO PATTERNS TO GUIDE YOUR STITCHES! ENLARGE BY 200%


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WorldMags.net ENLARGE THESE TEMPLATES BY 200% BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO YOUR FABRIC

Soothing Swirls of Water…

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Meet the designer

Aimee Ray Since her granny first got her hooked, Aimee has become the queen of doodle-stitching. But what gets her reaching for her needle?

est known for her creative “doodle stitching” techniques, Aimee Ray trained as an illustrator and worked as a greeting card designer before leaving her job to work for herself. Now she writes books, creates beautiful crafty projects and lives with her husband and son in Arkansas. We caught up with Aimee for a crafty chat…

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Have you always loved to sew? I learned embroidery from my grandma when I was about five, and often worked on small sewing projects as a kid. My grandmother, mom and aunties were all into sewing, which sparked my interest. What draws you to embroidery? I picked up embroidery again as an adult while working as a designer doing mostly computer work. I love it because it’s so simple, but very versatile and creative, and so different to the digital work I do. There’s something primitive and relaxing about stitching something by hand, and the result is very special and unique. A lot of your work is influenced by nature and animals – why is that? I’ve loved them both since I was a little girl and it’s never ceased. I’m inspired by everything in nature, the idea of growing things and living as close to nature as possible. I love woodland animals in particular because they’re cute and fun to draw, as well as being a bit mysterious and wild. The forest is a very magical place – many fairy tales take place there.


Where would you recommend a beginner embroiderer start? Besides my first two Doodle Stitching books, I have some tutorials on my blog www.littledeartracks.blogspot.com for beginners, as well as lots of free projects. In my third book, Embroidery & Beyond, I tackle several different, more advanced techniques. It’s basically an introduction to each technique for people who’ve never done them before. Crewel is embroidery using thick, wool thread on linen. Cross stitch is stitching tiny “x”s

about, but I particularly enjoyed crewel. It creates a very tactile look, with thick stitches and lots of texture. Do you see any embroidery trends or styles emerging? I’m seeing more contemporary cross stitch designs lately, which is great. I’d love to see more people pick up cutwork and stumpwork and see what other creative minds can do with them.

THERE’S SOMETHING PRIMITIVE AND RELAXING ABOUT STITCHING SOMETHING BY HAND

Do you have any top tips for making your embroidery as good as it can be? Don’t worry too much about being perfect, just be creative and have fun. The more of yourself you put into your work, the more original and wonderful it will be.

together to create a design. Sashiko is a Japanese form of stitching that creates geometric, repeating designs. In cutwork, parts of the fabric are cut away to create windows which are stitched around, and stumpwork creates 3D pieces with special stitches, stuffing and wire frames. They were all fun to work with and learn more

What projects do you have on the go at the moment? I just finished my fourth embroidery book, Holiday Motifs. It contains projects for holidays all year round. When I’m not crafting, I spend most of my time chasing around my 2-year-old son. He is great fun and so creative himself, already.

If you like Aimee’s Sashiko placemats, you can find her books on Amazon – this project was taken from Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond (£9.99, Lark Crafts). Read what she’s been getting up to over on her blog – www.littledeartracks.blogspot.com or pop into her Etsy shop at www.littledear.etsy.com for a selection of adorable patterns and printables.

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Inside the

Maison Sajou Maison Sajou is the byword for elegant French haberdashery. Lucinda Ganderton tells us how she created embroidery projects for their new book hen my publisher first came up with the idea of collaborating on a new book with Maison Sajou, I knew the Sajou range, and of course I was delighted. It was a real dream job! Frédérique Crestin-Billet relaunched the Sajou name in 2005. She invited us to Paris so that we could get a feel for the products and learn something of her own needlework philosophy. She was a joy to work with, full of enthusiasm, and whisked us off for a stroll through Versailles and a leisurely lunch at the local bistro. Frédérique has amassed a wonderful collection of sewing items including skeins of silk, patterns and thread cards over many years. She generously let us spend the afternoon leafing through her personal archive in search of inspiration. Sajou has recently opened a shop in the heart of Paris, but I met

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Frédérique at her showroom and office, which is housed in a beautiful stone building that forms part of the original stable block of the Palace of Versailles. It is absolute haberdashery heaven! Every surface is overflowing with thread winders, embroidery threads, fine woollen yarn, woven braid, lace, needles, pins and linen in every colour imaginable. I particularly coveted a pair of fine steel embroidery scissors in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.

FINDING INSPIRATION I designed a series of projects for the new book and I very much

Get the look… Sajou's showroom is next to Le Potager du Roi – the picturesque 17th century kitchen garden that supplied all the fresh produce for Louis XIV’s court. This proved the perfect source of inspiration when it came to designing a set of napkins, and when I

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wanted to capture Maison Sajou’s sense of history, but to add a fresh, contemporary twist. When I approach any new design I spend a lot of time researching the subject, drawing and working up sample swatches. Ever since my art studies days, I’ve compiled study books full of fragments that inspire me. I studied Fine Art Embroidery at Goldsmiths College and although I now work across a range of other textile crafts, hand stitching is my real love. Embroidery is really just drawing with thread and I enjoy the process of building up an image with individual stitches. Most of the stitches I used for the projects are

read that the King was particularly fond of the peas grown there, this was the first motif that I drew. I chose stitches that suited the shapes and textures of the vegetables – frond-like fly stitch for the carrots, encroaching satin stitch for smooth shiny chillis and

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Inside the Sajou showroom, based in an original stable block in the Palace of Versailles… it's haberdashery heaven

raised satin stitch for domed round peas. I recycled the centre of an old Irish linen tablecloth to make the napkins – I love to give new life to old fabrics. To make your own set of these vegetable napkins, turn to page 69 for a taster project from Lucinda's book.

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We would kill for the chance to rummage in the showroom!

FRANCE HAS A GREAT TRADITION OF DOMESTIC EMBROIDERY, ESPECIALLY HOUSEHOLD LINEN – SHEETS, NAPKINS AND EVEN TEA TOWELS, WHICH ARE PART OF DAILY LIFE… OLD ORIGINALS ARE SOUGHT AFTER NOW straightforward but I did include my favourite – cable chain – which looks like a length of chain links and takes a bit of practice.

PRESERVING TRADITIONS As an English designer, I felt a great sense of responsibility when it came to working with Maison Sajou, who are so intrinsically French! France has a great tradition of domestic embroidery, especially monogrammed household linen – sheets, napkins and even tea towels, which are part of daily life. Old originals are much sought after now, so I knew I wanted to include a decorative alphabet in the book. (I actually had to chart a J and W for this, as these letters weren’t included in the French alphabet.) Fine stitchery has always been valued in France, and I think it is an


integral part of daily life there. When I was on holiday in Provence last summer I found that even the smallest department store has a well-stocked haberdashery department and there are many independent needlework shops. Now that the book is completed, I’m working on a big quilt-making project next for an international publisher, developing a patchwork book and collaborating on a Cath Kidston sewing book, as well as contributing to magazines. I also need to make time to do some hand embroidery, inspired by the Sajou work. I’m planning a series of stitched panels based on anatomical and natural imagery – going back to my roots in Fine Art. Turn the page to find out how to stitch Lucinda’s Sajou-inspired vegetable napkin designs.

The Sajou shop still mostly sells products made in France

All about Maison Sajou French haberdasher Jacques-Simon Sajou first founded Maison Sajou in Paris in 1828. He stocked beautiful linen and embroidery threads, as well as quality goods for crochet, tapestry and lace-making – including pearl-handled scissors and silver thimbles. Sajou was also known for his tiny embroidery albums with stitch charts for alphabets, borders and characters from Grimm’s Fairy Tales. Sajou went on to run the company for 50 years, also setting up a workshop for teaching orphaned girls to read, count and embroider. The historic name was revived in 2005 by Frédérique Crestin-Billet, who now runs the company from an ancient building in Versailles. She sells replicas of the original Sajou designs, with most of her products still all made in France. Maison Sajou has a shop on Rue du Caire, the historical haberdashery centre of Paris.

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Find out more in The Maison Sajou Sewing Book by Lucinda Ganderton. It’s published by Ivy Press, £19.99. For details, visit www.ivypress.co.uk.

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Lucinda says... “I made this project from an old linen tablecloth – I love to give new life to old fabrics. These vegetable napkins are the perfect accompaniment to a summer salad or warm winter soup.”

KEEP IT FRESH Lucinda Ganderton’s vegetable motifs make a delicious treat for the dinner table

eat up all Your veg!

GIVING AND RECEIVING… This classic set of napkins would make a lovely housewarming or wedding present for a special friend.


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Fill in the Carrots With EncroAching Satin StitcH, Working Normal Satin Stitches, but ExtenDing Them Over the BacksTitch Outlines to Give Depth to the Motifs

YOU WILL NEED Four 50cm (20in) squares of laundered white or cream linen Embroidery thread in seven colours: orange, light green, olive green, pale orange, red, ivory and yellow-green (in the project shown here we’ve used Maison Sajou Retors du Nord in 2405 Orange, 2013 Fern, 2445 Olive, 2540 Mandarin, 2032 Red, 2196 Ivory and 2449 Nile) Coloured thread for tacking Sewing thread to match fabric

NAPKINS Finished size 46cm (18in) square The napkins are finished with a double hem. Turn under 12mm (½in) along each edge of each linen square and press, then press under a second turning, also of 12mm (½in). Unfold both creases.

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The surplus fabric now has to be trimmed and pressed to create mitred corners. Turn back the corner to form a right angle, carefully matching the crease lines. Press the folded edge very lightly. Snip off the tip of the triangle, along the diagonal shown (A).

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Refold and re-press the original creases to create a neat right angle at the corner (B).

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Neaten the other three corners in the same way, then tack down the turnings. Secure the hem with two rounds of machine stitching, working the first one 3mm (1/8 in) from the inner fold and the second one 3mm (1/8 in) from the outside edge. Remove the tacking stitches (C).

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Embroider the leaf fronds in olive green thread, working one small vertical stitch at the top of each guide line, then a line of 4–7 fly stitches below it as shown (D).

Embroider the long highlights with orange satin stitch and the rectangular highlights with ivory satin stitch. Fill in the rest of the pepper with encroaching satin stitch in red (F).

Fill in the carrots with encroaching satin stitch – this just means extending the stitches over the backstitch outlines to give depth to the motifs. Use one strand of pale orange and one of orange for the left carrot, two strands of orange for the centre one and two of pale orange for the carrot on the right (E).

Embroider the hull and stalk in olive-green satin stitch, altering the angle of the stitches to follow the direction of the outline. Work the shadowed areas along the side of the stalk and the points of the hull in light green satin stitches (G).

Finish off by adding a few straight stitches in olive green along the sides of the carrots.

Backstitch around the outside of the left pod and the inner and outer lines of the left pod with two strands of light green thread. Using yellow-green thread, embroider vertical satin stitches over each of the peas to act as padding, then work horizontal stitches on top. Fill

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CHILLI PEPPERS

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Outline the peppers in backstitch as for the carrots, using red thread.

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PEA PODS

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Step-by-step

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G

EMBROIDERY Transfer one motif to a corner of each napkin. Position them about 5cm (2in) in from each side of the corner. Embroider the motifs as detailed below, using two strands of thread throughout.

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CARROTS Stitch over the outline of the carrots with small backstitches, using orange thread. Work stem stitch in light green thread over the lower part of the leaf stalks.

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WorldMags.net in the triangular spaces with small ivory straight stitches (H). Fill in the rest of the pod with encroaching satin stitch worked vertically in light green thread. Work extra stitches down the middle on each side in olive green to add highlights.

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radish, then fill it in with encroaching satin stitch. The blended-colour effect is created by using one strand of ivory and one of red together for the light areas (J) and two strands of red for the darker parts. The plain-coloured root and lower part are worked with two strands of ivory.

Work the second, third Embroider the crescents and fifth leaves in light green satin stitch, angling on the left pod with TOP TIP olive green satin stitch, the stitches to match the You can easily update an outline. worked vertically. Fill existing set of napkins, if in the pod with you don’t have time to make Sew a line of small encroaching satin stitch them from scratch. The versatile motifs could also be olive green in light green thread, used around the kitchen backstitches down the working over the to decorate an apron, centre of each leaf. backstitch outline. tea towel or recipe Stitch the first and fourth book cover. Work the hulls and leaves in olive green thread stalks as for the chillis, in with light green centre lines. light green and olive green thread, then embroider the tendril in small whipped backstitches in olive green. ‘Whip’ your finished backstitch by passing the needle under the stitches (I).

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RADISH

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Use two strands of ivory thread to backstitch over the outline of the

Create a Blended Effect on the Radish Design by Using one Strand of Ivory Thread and one of red Held Together

A bit more… Taken from The Maison Sajou Sewing Book by Lucinda Ganderton (£19.99, The Ivy Press, www.ivypress.co.uk). Maison Sajou is a historic Parisian haberdashery, and the book is packed with stylish projects designed and brought to life by experienced sewist and embroiderer Lucinda.

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templates & guides YUMMY FRESH VEGETABLES! TRANSFER THESE ONTO YOUR NAPKIN FABRIC AT 100%, AS SHOWN ON PAGE 97

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vĩT¬Ĺĩõõè Explore the studio of Danielle Spurge, designer behind The Merriweather Council

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titch engineer” Danielle was a keen crafter from childhood, making her dolls clothes and crocheting them blankets to keep them cosy! Today her rainbow embroidered text appears everywhere from hoop art to her trademark initial necklaces. Danielle scours wedding blogs

and magazines for inspiration because she feels that “weddings, even the very modern ones, have traditional roots. I love to see how people blend the modern and traditional, and that gives me inspiration for my work.” www.merriweathercouncil.com

DANIELLE’S BOSTON TERRIER LIKES TO SIT ON HER BED NEXT TO THE DESK AS SHE WORKS

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A The Merriweather Council studio is located in Danielle’s Boston flat, and contains a custom-built wooden desk plus a few cabinets. From her windows she can see Fenway Park (home of the Red Sox) on one side and the Museum of Fine Arts on the other – inspiring! b Danielle heads out to the post office every day with her boston terrier, sending her designs to customers over the world. c Always ready to pick up needle and thread, Danielle’s favourite embroidery stitch is one of her own creation: “I call it the wishbone,” she says. “It was supposed to be another stitch but I did it wrong!” d We love Danielle’s fabric-covered pinboard, covered in notes, inspiration and works in progress.


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Rebecca says… “I’d had the idea for a tea-related pattern for a while (as I love to drink it!) but other projects kept getting in the way. One night when I was frustrated with my current project, I pulled out some graph paper and finally drew up a pattern for this little tea cup. It was just what I needed, a cute project that stitched up quickly.”

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TIME FOR TEA

This sweet cross-stitched coaster, designed by Rebecca Greco of Hugs Are Fun, makes a perfect present for a tea-loving friend

YOU WILL NEED 5x5in 14HPI aida fabric DMC embroidery threads in 413 (grey), 666 (red) and 964 (turquoise) Wool-blend felt Embroidery hoop

Enjoy Your Morning Cuppa!

HOW TO MAKE Put your aida in an embroidery hoop and tighten. Starting in the centre of the design, follow the chart to cross stitch the teacup and heart. Here we’ve used DMC colours 413, 666 and 964, but of course you can use any colours you’d like, so get creative!

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Cut out two felt circles, each 5in in diameter. You can use the same colour for both or vary them. We used a dark pink and a light pink to add some extra colour to our coaster.

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Cut the aida into a circle around your teacup, approximately 3½in diameter.

A bit more…

Starting in the Centre of the DesigN, FolloW the Chart to Cross Stitch the Teacup and Heart.

Rebecca sells “modern cross stitcheries” at www.hugsarefun.com. A trained graphic designer, she now designs her own cross stitch patterns and sells finished makes online. Rebecca particularly loves cross stitching onto laser-cut jewellery as well as experimenting on paper, ornaments and even office supplies!

Centre the aida fabric onto one of the felt circles and sew it on. You can use any stitch you like for this, but blanket stitch in a contrasting thread gives a nice pop of colour.

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Attach the second felt circle underneath in the same way.


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Mandy says... “Even with the advent of Pinterest, I still enjoy using a real pinboard to store notes and inspiration. This project uses simple embroidery to help keep your board organised!”

MAKE IT YOUR OWN… We've given you the measurements and details for the pinboard we’ve created here, but of course you can adapt this design to any frame size you prefer.

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Crafty yet OrganIsed – Love it!

PRETTY PINBOARD

This quick project will help you keep your stuff organised… Mandy Pellegrin from Fabric Paper Glue explains how


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YOU WILL NEED 10x12in 11HPI aida fabric Embroidery threads 12x12in piece of cork tile 8x10in photo frame Stapler

HOW TO MAKE Beginning 1½in from the left edge of your aida, and 1½in from the top, stitch four of the arrow boxes, using running stitch as shown on the chart. Leave 10 squares of aida between each box, and work each in a different colour. Each box is 18 squares tall by 27 wide (A, B & C).

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USE THE BOXES TO CREATE CATEGORIES FOR YOUR NOTES

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Carefully cut your piece of cork tile down to 8x10in to fit your frame (D). Wrap the embroidered fabric around the cork, and staple into place (E). Put your fabric-wrapped cork tile into the frame (F).

Use the boxes to create categories for your business cards, magazine clippings, sticky notes and more – whatever you want to pin and organise!

Step-by-step

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PRETTY PINBOARD CHART

A bit more…

Mandy Pellegrin is a crafter based in Nashville, Texas. She describes her website Fabric Paper Glue (www. fabricpaperglue.com) as “my creative outlet for sharing

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TOP TIP handsome crafts, delightful beverages, and fun stuff for fashionable sensibilities.” Find Mandy on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest as fabricpaperglue.

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Choose your thread colours to match the décor of the room your pinboard will be displayed in.

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Becca says... “The building I live in was built in the 1920s, and is full of period details, including little hexagon tiles on the kitchen counters. One hot summer’s day, I got the idea that the hexagons would make a lovely embroidery pattern. That design, combined with the colours of rainbow sherbet from the freezer, inspired this pretty project!”

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE… For a faster project, try stitching small clusters of hexagons instead of a border. Or why not decorate place mats and other table linen as well?

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SIX APPEAL

Becca Lee’s geometric tea towel was inspired by a vintage kitchen and a tub of ice cream!

Time to get Busy as a Bumble bee!


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YOU WILL NEED Tea towel 3 colours of embroidery thread (we used light pink, light green and orange) Hexagon template or stencil Erasable pen Embroidery hoop

but we occasionally skipped row 4 to create an interesting pattern (B). Put your tea towel into your hoop and start backstitching around each hexagon (C). To keep your stitching nice and even, aim to have three stitches on each side of each hexagon (D).

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Here, the top row is worked in orange, the second row in mint green, the third in pink, and the fourth (bottom) row is in orange. This way you won’t end up with two hexagons of the same colour right next to each other.

3 HOW TO MAKE Press your tea towel, then use your hexagon template and erasable pen to trace hexagons into a honeycomb pattern (A). You’ll be making a border, so it’s best to place your rows of hexagons 2–3in up from the bottom edge of the tea towel. In the tea towel shown here, rows 1, 2 and 3 are constant,

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BECCA LEE

Continue until all of your hexagons are stitched (E), rinse out your pen marks, give your tea towel another good press and you’re done (F). Now to make some matching napkins…

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Step-by-step

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You seem super-crafty! Why do you like embroidery in particular? I find that I tend to like crafts that result in something pretty that you can use or wear, like making a scarf, or embroidering a tea towel like this one. I enjoy embroidery in particular because it’s a great way to add interest and beauty to day-to-day items. What inspires you in your makes? I’m very inspired by vintage fashion and decor. I also look to the details in my daily life for inspiration, and often find that something as simple as a sunset or a pretty tile pattern can inspire a whole slew of ideas.

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Meet the designer

Tell us more about Ladyface! Ladyface Blog is a lifestyle blog where I share DIY projects, recipes, personal style and snippets of my daily life. I started Ladyface less than a year ago, when it had really sunk in that I wasn’t spending enough time doing things I love like cooking and crafting. My blog has really revitalised my creativity and has helped me feel inspired on a daily basis. It’s also opened up some great opportunities and introduced me to some really amazing people! In the years to come I hope my blog can inspire my readers and encourage them to explore their creativity. Becca Lee lives in Seattle with her cats Buddy and Hank. An admin assistant by day, she loves to craft, sew, cook and listen to music – and blog about it at www.ladyfaceblog.blogspot.com.

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LETTER LOVE

Stitched initials on a plain cushion make for a sweet personal touch. We like the calming colour scheme too. From Home-made Vintage by Christina Strutt (£12.99, CICO Books).

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Hiromi says... “Sashiko is a very old form of decorative reinforcement stitching. I love to attach traditional techniques to modern designs, and I’m happy to share this tradition from my home country.”

LESS IS MORE… We love the way these purses highlight just a small section of the print with embroidery – it gives a stylish, professional look to the project.

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we've Gone Dotty for Sashiko!

SIMPLE SASHIKO Fall in love with these beautiful polka-dot purses by Hiromi Widerquist


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TOP TIP WorldMags.net Pull your threads through gently to avoid puckering the fabric.

PREPARE YOUR FABRIC

YOU WILL NEED Half-linen polka-dot fabric Quilting weight cotton fabric for the lining Fusible interfacing Olympus Sashiko threads in Aqua (08), Sky blue (09), Purple (19), Yellow (16) and Orange (4) Zip, 23cm long Sashiko needle or sharp embroidery needle Bead for zip pull Sewing machine and thread All measurements given opposite are in cm

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Start by measuring and cutting out your fabric as follows: 1 main piece of polka-dot fabric, measuring 24x30cm. 1 piece of fusible interfacing, measuring 24x30cm. 1 piece of lining fabric, measuring 24x29.5cm. 2 ‘tabs’ of polka dot fabric, 3x4cm each. 2 ’zip ends’ of polka dot fabric, each measuring 2.5x2.5cm.

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Now place the interfacing onto the wrong side of your polka dot fabric with the rough side facing down, and iron to fuse it in place.

ADD THE EMBROIDERY

Use just two simple st itches to great effect!

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Embroider the Sashiko design of your choice on to your main piece of polka dot fabric. For the red dotty purse, use our illustration as your guide to stitch the lines in sky blue backstitch and the flowers with aqua straight stitches.

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If you prefer the green dotty purse, see our close-up photo (below) for how to position your stitches.

MAKE THE PURSE

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Start by preparing your zip. Mark the central 22cm section (this is the bit that will show), then move the zip end into the middle and secure the two ends with a couple of hand stitches (A).

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Now add the zip ends. Place one of your fabric zip ends (that you cut at the start) over the end of your zip, right side down, then stitch it in place along the line you marked in step 5. Trim away any excess (B). Repeat on the other end of the zip. This will keep your zip neat.

Create the stars by working straight stitches from the edges of the dots to the middle, leaving a gap in the centre.

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To create the diamond design, embroider the lines in running stitch and the flowers and squares with straight stitches.

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Now prepare your tabs. Take one of the fabric tab pieces and fold in the long outer edges. Press and stitch to hold the edges in place. Now fold in half lengthways, and repeat with the other tab. Place on top of your embroidered fabric, right sides together, 2cm from the top. Stitch in place, 0.7cm from the edge (C).

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To assemble the purse, lay down your lining fabric with the short edge at the top, right side up. Place the embroidered polka-dot fabric on top, short edge at the top, right side down. Sandwich the zip in between the two pieces, right side up, so one edge runs along the top of your fabrics. Pin in place. Sew along, 0.7cm from the top (D).

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Open up the fabrics and fold the purse back on itself. Sew the lining and fabric to the other side of the zip – pin it in place and sew along, 0.7cm from the top. Now sew the sides of the purse – make sure your zip is open first! Sew up the sides, 1cm from edge (E). Leave 10cm gap to turn.

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Flatten the four bottom corners of your purse. On each corner, measure a line that is 90° to the side seam and 4cm long. Stitch across. Trim the excess from all four corners to keep them sharp (F).

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Gently turn the purse through the gap you left and hand stitch to close the gap. Push the lining into the purse. Iron the purse, using a pressing cloth if needed (G).

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Thread the bead with two Sashiko threads and make a knot. Secure it to the zip pull (H).

If you wish, you can use an extra-long Sashiko needle to work several running stitches at once before pulling through.

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Hiromi Widerquist is a Japanese maker and designer living in the US. She blogs about her embroidering life at www.harujiondesign.blogspot.co.uk and sells her makes at www.harujiondesign.etsy.com.

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Mollie says... “I love books of all kinds, and I love embroidery just as much. Pairing these two things just seemed logical – especially when I can add a happy little face to my stitching!”

Snuggle up With a Good Book!

LOVE READING Never lose your place again, with Mollie Johanson’s sweet bookmark


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You can buy fauxsuede cord as used here from www.cc-craft. co.uk – it's easier to stitch through than leather cord.

YOU WILL NEED 4x4in fabric 3½x3½in felt Embroidery threads in black, white, red, green and pale blue Sewing thread 18in faux-suede cord Erasable pen Small embroidery hoop Thin card (for circle template)

HOW TO MAKE Trace the pattern onto the fabric using an erasable pen. Stitch the design using six strands of thread for the main book outline and three strands for everything else. Use lazy daisy stitches for the leaves, French knots for the eyes and backstitch for the rest (A).

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Cut a 3in circle out of card and pin it to the back of your embroidery so that the design is centred on the circle. Trim around the circle, leaving a seam allowance of at least ½in.

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Using sewing thread (embroidery thread will work if you use several strands), stitch a row of running stitches

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around the seam allowance. Be sure you have a good-sized knot to start with so it doesn’t pull through the fabric (B).

TURN TO PAGE 97 FOR TIPS ON TRANSFERRING TEMPLATES ONTO FABRIC

When you have stitched all the way around the circle, pull the thread to gather the edges in around the template. Secure the end with a few stitches and a knot. Finger press the edges of the gathered circle, then carefully remove the template (C).

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From felt, cut out a circle that is just a bit bigger than your finished fabric circle (D).

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Fold the faux-suede cord in half, and using sewing or embroidery thread to wrap, tie the cord together about 2in from the folded loop (E). Place the folded cord between the embroidered circle and the felt so that the wrapped section is hidden just in from the edge of the circles. Pin the layers together.

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Using embroidery thread and running stitch, sew around the edge of the circle. Be sure to stitch through the cording to secure it (F). When you’ve stitched all around the circle, secure the thread with a knot hidden between the layers.

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Mollie blogs at www.wildolive. blogspot.co.uk, where you can find embroidery patterns, projects and printables. She also sells her goodies at www.wildolive.etsy.com.

Step-by-step

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sTiTch lIbRarY Follow our simple illustrated guides to work all of the stitches we’ve used throughout the magazine – they’re easy when you know how!

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Stitch library

BACKSTITCH! Bring your needle to the front and make a small, straight stitch. For additional stitches, bring your needle up an even distance away from your previous stitch. Then pass it back through your fabric at the same point as your previous stitch. Continue in this way along the line, always working the stitch “back” towards the previous one.

LOOPED BACKSTITCH! My favourite stitch is backstitch – it is flowing and creates unity. Michelle Kreussel

THREADED BACKSTITCH! Work a line of backstitch. Now, with your needle and thread at the front of your work, insert the needle through the first stitch from top to bottom, then through the next stitch bottom to top, and so on along the line. You Ideal for can also work along the stitches adding texture again in another colour, working the opposite way each time to as well as create double-threaded backstitch. colour

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Work a line of backstitch, then bring the needle and thread through from the back. Now keeping the needle at the front of the work, insert the needle through the second sewn stitch of the first pair, vertically from top to bottom, and pull through. Insert the Keep an even needle from bottom to top through the previous stitch to create a tension for the loop, and continue in this fashion, perfect finish! adjusting the tension as needed.

BLANKET STITCH! Bring the needle up at the edge of your outline, then down again slightly to the right and a small distance away from the edge. Now come up again along the edge, to the right of your first stitch, with the thread under your needle. Gently pull the needle through to form a neat loop, and continue in the same way.

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!BUTTONHOLE STITCH!

!CHAIN STITCH!

Bring your needle and thread through the fabric from back to front, then insert the needle back through the fabric a short way up and to the right. Without pulling the thread through, bring the needle back through the fabric below this stitch and to the right of the original thread. Ensure you catch the thread under the tip of the needle. Pull gently and continue in the same way.

Bring the needle up through the fabric, then down again in the same place. Without pulling the thread through, bring your needle up slightly to the side, making sure that the loop of thread is caught under the needle. Pull the needle through slowly to form a neat loop, and continue in the same way.

Right now my favourite is chain stitch – it looks like tiny crochet Alyssa, Penguin & Fish

!CROSS STITCH!

!FLY STITCH!

Stitch a small, diagonal straight stitch, then work another stitch over this to form a cross. If stitching on a block fabric such as aida, work the stitches from the corners of each square as shown. Ensure the top thread of each cross is worked in the same direction.

Bring the needle up through the fabric, then down again slightly to the right, without pulling the needle through the fabric. Come up again below the stitch and push the needle over the thread, then pull it through. Complete a short straight stitch over the thread to secure the “V” shape. You can work rows of fly stitches to create a scallop stitch effect.

An easy stitch that’s great for detailed colour


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Stitch library

LAZY DAISY STITCH! Bring the needle up and then down again at the same spot to form a loop, but don’t pull all the way through. Bring the needle up again a short distance away and pass it through the loop, then back down in the same place it came up.

!FRENCH KNOT! Bring your needle up through your fabric and wrap the thread twice around the needle. Hold the end of the thread firmly and take your needle down through the fabric, very slightly to the side of where you came up. Slide the twisted thread down the needle, so it rests on the fabric’s surface, Practice and take the needle through the makes fabric. Keep your thread as taut perfect! as possible, and gently pull it through to tighten the knot.

!RUNNING STITCH! The simplest of all the stitches – just bring your thread in and out of the fabric along the line. Try and keep all your stitches the same size.

LONG AND SHORT STITCH! This is a textured variation on satin stitch. Work the first row of stitches along the edge using alternate long and short stitches. Work the following rows using long stitches, so the top of each stitch goes into the row above it. Work the final row using just short stitches.

!HOLBEIN STITCH! You can make almost any design just by alternating length and direction

Work a line of running stitch, then change your thread and work back along the line in the same way, filling in the gaps between each stitch. You can create two-colour running stitch by using different colour threads for each direction.

Chloë Owens

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!SATIN STITCH!

!SPLIT STITCH!

This is a great stitch for filling in solid areas of fabric. Bring your needle up at one side of the area to fill, then down at the opposite side and back up at next to your first stitch, ready for the next. Keep the stitches close together, and try not to twist your thread as you work.

Bring the needle up through the fabric, then down a small distance to the right. Bring the needle up again through the middle of the stitch you’ve just made, splitting the thread. Continue in the same way, and make sure you always split the thread in the centre to form even stitches.

You can create endless designs with backstitch and satin stitch Becca Lee

Cover large outlines quickly – you can really speed along! Christine Leech

!STEM STITCH!

!STRAIGHT STITCH!

Bring the needle up just above the design line, then take it back down through the fabric a short distance away, just below the line. Come back up above the line Well-named again, to the left and in the centre stitch – it’s of the stitch you’ve just created. Continue in the same way, always ideal for plant working back on yourself. stems!

Work a short straight line along the fabric, bringing the needle up at the start of the line, and back down at the end. Longer straight stitches are also called long stitches, and you can work several straight stitches into a central point to form a star stitch. Tiny straight stitches dotted on the fabric form seed stitch.


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EssenTial Supplies

If you’re new to stitching, there are a few items you should stock up on – get yourself kitted out using our list below 1 THREADS There’s a thread for almost every occasion and your local haberdasher can help you find the right one for your project. Many embroidery projects use stranded cotton, which is a great all-purpose thread. With stranded cotton, each thread length is made up of six strands of cotton twisted together. Project instructions should say how many strands to use; if not, just choose what looks best!

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2 EMBROIDERY HOOP (not shown)

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Hoops really are a stitcher’s best friend! A wooden hoop, secured with a screw at the top, is perfect for keeping your fabric taut as you work, ensuring a neat, even tension for your stitches. They also make great quick-and-easy frames when you’re done!

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3 THIMBLE If you’re regularly stitching or working with thicker fabrics, a thimble will save you from pricking your finger.

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4 EMBROIDERY SCISSORS

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At about 13cm long, these are much smaller than fabric scissors. The fine, straight blade makes them good for trimming stray threads.

Keep all your stitching bits and pieces together and organised!

5 NEEDLES You can get specialist needles for embroidery, but it’s handy to have a pack of assorted general-purpose sewing needles. For basic stitches, you’ll need an embroidery or crewel needle with a sharp tip, which is ideal for fine details such as backstitch and French knots.

6 FABRIC Embroidery can be worked on almost any fabric, but always check the instructions for advice on which sort to use. If you’re after a specific amount of fabric, you’ll find it’s usually sold by the yard or metre. However, many fabrics are sold in “fat quarters”, which measure about 18x22in.

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7 PINS Use these to hold pieces of fabric together. Regular dressmakers’ pins can be fiddly, so try pins with larger heads – these lie flat so you can iron over them.

8 FABRIC SCISSORS Keep your fabric scissors sharp by only using them for fabric. Look for some that are about 20cm long and have a curved handle to enable accurate cutting on flat surfaces, with pointed tips for precision.

9 TAPE MEASURE Measuring your fabric correctly is one of the essential elements of creating a

perfect design (measure twice, cut once!), so make sure you buy a tape measure that’s at least 150cm long and shows both metric and imperial units.

10 ERASABLE PEN (not shown) These pens are perfect for marking out a design on your fabric. When you’re done, simply wash out the pen marks (or some pens will fade with air contact after a certain amount of time). One note of caution though – don’t iron the design until you’ve removed the pen marks, or they may be permanently set into the fabric. You can also use fabric pencils or blue coloured pencils as alternatives.

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Using TemplAtes

Many embroidery projects use templates, which you’ll need to transfer onto your fabric to recreate the design. Here’s how… efore you start tracing, make sure your fabric is wrinkle free. Plan carefully where you want to place the design and make sure you leave yourself enough space. Check the project instructions for details of whether you need to enlarge your template on a photocopier. You can enlarge or reduce any design to suit your specific project. The simplest way to transfer a design onto your fabric is to trace it. Hold the fabric right side up and place it over the template. Secure with masking tape so that it can’t slip. Trace over all the lines using an erasable pen or fabric pencil. If you struggle to see the design through the fabric, trace the design onto tracing paper using a fine black pen. Then tape the design and fabric to a window or a light box, and trace the design. To help with this, you could turn your fabric upside down and stretch it into a hoop or frame so that the right side of the fabric

B

TRACE YOUR PICTURE directly onto your fabric using a washable or fading fabric pen, available at most craft and sewing shops

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO TRANSFER A DESIGN ONTO YOUR FABRIC IS TO TRACE IT USING AN ERASABLE PEN OR FABRIC PENCIL is in the back of the hoop and the wrong side is flush against the design surface. Make sure the template is easy to see, then draw around it. Finally, remove the fabric from your frame and reinsert it right side up, ready to embroider. If your fabric is too thick to do this or you find it impossible to trace using the window, trace the design onto tracing paper first then secure to your fabric with pins. Following your pencil lines, tack around the design using small, even stitches in a contrasting coloured thread. Score along your tacking stitches with the tip of a needle and then remove the paper by simply tearing, and you’re ready to go.


PLACE DRESSMAKERS’ carbon paper face down onto your fabric, position your picture on top and trace using a blunt pencil

Alternatively, try dressmakers’ carbon paper. First, trace the design onto plain paper. Cut a piece of dressmakers’ carbon paper to fit the size of the design. Place the carbon paper over your fabric, where you want to place the design, with the dark side next to the fabric surface. Place your paper template on top and trace over the outline using a blunt pencil or similar. Remove the carbon paper and

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you will have created a dark outline for your embroidery design. Once you’ve drawn your design onto the fabric, place it into a hoop. This will provide the correct tension, your stitches will be neater and it will prevent the fabric from puckering. If you’re righthanded, work the embroidery stitches from right to left – if you’re left-handed, work from left to right instead.

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Turn to Page 94 for our Easy French Knot Guide

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5 WAYS WITH A

French knot From www.thechestofdrawers.etsy.com. $35/£21

French knots are one of the prettiest embroidery stitches around – and also the most versatile. Get inspired by these gorgeous creations… DOTTY DESIGNS

This cushion from Mary Gamelin Creations has a clean, graphic style.

From www.marygamelin.etsy.com, $28/£17

LOOK OF LUXURY

From www.bearatam.etsy.com, $20/£12

This unique piece from The Chest of Drawers combines hundreds of tiny French knots with glass seed beads and vintage pearls.

COOL OMBRE

Neon bright threads create a modern ombre look on this vest by Printosaurus.

RAINBOW BRIGHT Dozens of French knots make for a pretty graduated effect, by Bearatam.

HOT SPOTS

From www.printosaurus.org, $50/£30

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From www.lilipopo.co.uk

We love the French knot flowers in this girl’s hair, by LiliPopo.

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FUN M0DERN EMBROIDERY...

y Projects from the best & brightest new designers y Exclusive interviews with your favourite makers y Templates & guides for stitching success!

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Hoop-La! - Spring 2014.pdf

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