Hoop-La! - Spring 2014 PDF

SPRING 2014
New look embroidery
49
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 Rays Sashiko mats
& lots more!
QUICK-STITCH FUN
A PUN PINCUSHION FROM
THE FOX IN THE ATTIC
DIGITAL
EDITION
FRESH
& SIMPLE
STITCHING
Create Lucky Jacksons Polaroid Love portrait
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EDITOR
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Nicky Gotobed, Rob Speed
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PRODUCTION
Production Controller Stephanie Smith
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PUBLISHING
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Im 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 Attics 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. Wed love
to hear from you and take a peek at what youre 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: hoopla@futurenet.com
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New look embroidery
21
36
60
26
84
12
PROJECTS
POLAROID LOVE
12
POCKET DOLL
Use simple stitches to create

Lucky Jacksons 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 its a super-quick make,
and practical too!
Work up some funky

geometric designs Beci
Orpins modern cushion is
a great way to show off your
stitching round the home
Add a French touch to your

dresser with Caroline Zoobs
scalloped shelf edgings
BIRDS OF A FEATHER
33
OFFBEAT CUSHION
21
FLOWER GARDEN
43
FAVOURITE THINGS
26
SEW LOVELY!
17
24
This adorable doll by

Charlotte Lyons makes a fun
gift for the young at heart
Give your finished piece the

natural look with Kirsty
Neales hoop-tastic wall art
FUNNY FACE EGG WARMERS
36
Start every day with a smile!

Chlo 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
48
Every nursery needs an ABC,

and this detailed patchwork
hanging by Christine Leech
is the perfect alphabetical
decoration!
LOVEBIRDS T-SHIRT
57
We just love Carina

Envoldsen-Harriss bright
folksy lovebirds and its a
great project to learn how to
stitch on to stretchy fabrics
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FOR OUR!
STITCH
LIBRARY
Simple steps to
expert status
69
TURN TO
PAGE
33
FRENCH KNOT Step 1
91
24
74
17
48
SEA BREEZE
60
Learn the Japanese art of

Sashiko embroidery with
these soothing placemat
designs by Aimee Ray
SIX APPEAL
80
KEEP IT FRESH
69
Brighten up your lunch table

with Lucinda Gandertons
tasty napkin designs
SIMPLE SASHIKO
84
TIME FOR TEA
74
Cross stitch Rebecca Grecos

sweet coaster then sit back
and relax with a cuppa
PRETTY PINBOARD
76
Organise your notes

with Mandy Pellegrins
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!
Its time to go dotty for

Sashiko stitching whip up
one of Hiromi Widerquists
stylish purse designs in
a weekend
LOVE READING
89
Mollie Johansons adorable

embroidered bookmark is
so quick and easy to stitch,
youll 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
16
30
Floss & Mischief Take a look

around Genevieves studio
Alyssa Thomas The founder
of Penguin & Fish talks
business and inspiration
32
35
Pretty Recycling Stitch a

curtain from vintage hankies
42
Vintage Charm Chlo Owens

discusses her new book,
Chlo Tells You How
47
56
Lost and Found Seaside

inspiration for your stitching
66
Inside the Maison Sajou

Lucinda Ganderton discusses
recreating classic French style
73
The Merriweather Council

Inside the Councils
crafting chambers
83
Letter Love Brighten up a

cushion with simple stitching
for a personal touch
91
Stitch Library All the stitches

used throughout the
magazine, clearly explained
96
96
98
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 Pelanas 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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=
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
Sublimes 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 Bunnys
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.
Were 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 STITCHINGS JENNY HART
Jenny lls her days
with seriously
stitchy activities!
Green Gables
Buddy the dog helps

Jenny to mentally
plan her day.
ince 2001, LA-based

textile artist Jenny
Harts 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
Jennys 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 Im 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 cant survive
on less than eight hours'
sleep good night!
Photo credit: Whistling Teapot
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL
Anne of Green Gables is one of

our favourite heroines, so we love
New Yorker Aly Parrotts 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.
Theyre 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 Rachners 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, childrens 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 theres 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.
10
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Lets 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?
Its early days but we're
already seeing some
interesting conversations
around digitised machine
embroidery, as well as
techniques for tackling
those loose threads!
Weve 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!
12
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Smile and
say "CheesE"!
POLAROID LOVE
Fall in love with Lucky Jacksons ode to
photography this modern design will
look sensational hanging in your home!
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13
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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,
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. Wed suggest
paper in place until youre 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.
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 Luckys website at
www.luckyjackson.ca.
14
Add French knots around the ower

centres on your background fabric
for extra texture and interest!
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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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15
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Inside the
vT
Take a peek inside the studio of Floss &
Mischief, creators of trendy needlework
hen Genevieve Bradings boyfriend

wanted to fill their house with
not-so-PC taxidermy, she put her foot
down its 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
A The desk is a 1940s bureau that

belonged to Genevieves 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.
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&Ms kits
are cut by hand from these colourful cones.
16
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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
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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?
Ive 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 Ive 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 30s Playtime by
Chloes Closet, for Moda)
3x3in 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
18
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.
Pin the two pieces of fabric together,

with the right sides facing each other
(F). Sew along the edges, about in from
the edge, but leave a small opening at
the bottom to insert the filling (G).
Clip off the corners and turn inside

out, using a chopstick or pencil to
push out the corners (H).
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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19
ON SALE NOW
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Or visit www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/
stitch-and-craft-bookazines
Or call 0844 848 2852 (UK) or +44 1604 251 045 (international)
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OFFBEAT
CUSHION
Beci says...
There is cushion
overload at our house.
In fact, one could say
you cant find my bed
for the cushions. But
I like it that way. My
sons Tyke and Ari like
it too: is there much
thats 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 Orpins

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).
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).
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).
For the dodecahedron, the eyes and

the stepped shape, use long and
short stitch (D).
6
7
Work the dots in the stepped shape

in seed stitch (small straight stitches).
Once the embroidery is complete,

its time to sew your cushion. Pin the
edges together and sew a 2cm (in)
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).
we Suggest you Start by

StitcHing SometHing Simple Like
the Hand, Then Work up to the
More Filled-in Shapes
Step-by-step
22
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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
1
2
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 weve 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 in 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.
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.
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 in 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 2x4in.
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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 Carolines
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 Zoobs shelfedgings add a clean,

fresh look to any kitchen
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TOP TIP
If you dont 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).
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
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.
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.
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.
28
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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 & Fishs 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 Xs 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
A bit more
Find out more
about Alyssas
company,
Penguin & Fish,
at www.
penguinandfish.com, or visit the
blog at www.penguinandfish.
30
have the pattern. Thats 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 didnt know exactly what it
was, but I decided, Okay, Im
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, shes 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. Were 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 cant wait!
SIZING UP, SCALING DOWN

There are two stitching trends that
Im seeing now that I really love
and want to play with more myself.
The first is playing with size,
whether its 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
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Alyssas patchwork
tote is nished with
a chirpy handstitched bird!
Alyssas adorable
designs are fun to
make and easy to stitch
Youll nd these fab

nger 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
its 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. Theres
something so comedic about using
those enlarged tools that its
impossible not to have fun!
The second trend Im 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 ll in all the
parts of your work
Its all about experimenting and

seeing what you like.
NATURAL INSPIRATION
When I need inspiration, theres
always something new to discover
with animals and the outdoors. Im
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. Its 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 Carolines 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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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.
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.
Apply a thin line of glue to the centre

back of your real feather and press it
down into place on the fabric.
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.
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!
34
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Inside the
vT
Carina Envoldsen-Harris takes us on a tour
of her beautifully light and airy workplace
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 Ive 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
LIDDED GLASS JARS SHOW

OFF CARINAS 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 doesnt take up that much space!
E
B The wallpaper wall is one of Carinas

favourite things about her studio. The walls
werent 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
neighbours 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!
35
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FUNNY FACE
EGG WARMERS
Chlo Owens vintage-inspired
felt cosies, taken from
Chlo Tells You How To Sew
36
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Chlo 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
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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
ITS PLAY TIME!
CHLO OWENS, DESIGNER
Copy the templates for your chosen

warmer onto card we're making the
pretty red-headed face, below right.
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).
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).
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).
Finally, tie a bow from your scraps of

fabric prints, and add to the hair.
This fun project was

taken from Chlo Tells
You How To Sew by
Chlo 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
38
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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
40
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FRONT OF HEAD MAN
USE THE BLACK

OUTLINES FOR THE
DETAILS OF THE MENS
FACES, AND THE
BLUE AND RED
OUTLINES FOR THE
MAIN PIECES
BACK OF HEAD MAN
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Vintage
charm
Textile designer Chlo Owens wowed
the stitching world with All Sewn Up and
Chlo Tells You How. Here she tells us
all about her vintage inspirations
hlo 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 youd get
to know the characters in different
stories throughout the books.
The name of my book, Chlo 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. Ive 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 thats a little different from
your usual craft book.
Im 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 childrens books (and
comics), vintage childrens toys and
Scandinavian design. I also think Pinterest
is great and I love Instagram (find me at
42
chloeowens), although my account

seems to have a lot of photos of my cat
and dog (Twiggy and Ringo)! When Im
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 appliqu
and embroidery added a homespun
charm, which I loved. My passion for fabric
grew from there.
When Im 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 dont worry too much about
how itll 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 didnt do a business plan
until a couple of years later, but its
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 doesnt itll
never be a business, so make sure you sell
your designs for what theyre worth!
A bit more
Find out more about Chlo, 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 Bees Laura Mason
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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.
Place your linen into a hoop frame,

making sure its 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.
Once the grass is complete, its 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.
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.
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.
Step-by-step
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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).
For the final detail switch to the yellow

thread and fill the centre of the flower
with French Knots.
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.
14
10
Now its 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.
16
17
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).
11
Trim down the sides (not the top and

bottom) to around 23mm. Turn
inside out. Press the edges of the case
with an iron, but be careful not to iron
directly onto the stitches.
12
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
13
15
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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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, its
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 Ive
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
Were 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, Im always
drawn to type and words. I love
circus lettering, and think its 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 Leechs 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.
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.
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.
12
13
10
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.
11
On the reverse of each square, draw a

seam line 1cm in from the edge on all
four sides, using an erasable pen.
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
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.
6
50
Repeat with the six other rows, checking

that they all face in the right direction.
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LETTERS AND MOTIFS
ACTUAL SIZE
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
52
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
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, Christines 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!
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?
Ive 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 Im 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?
Theres a shop in London called Barnett
Lawson (www.bltrimmings.com). Its an
Aladdins cave of ribbons and trims and
feathers and shiny things. Theres 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 its 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
Im not writing books Im the creative
director of Marie Claire Runway, a fashion
magazine documenting all the goings on
of international fashion weeks. Its 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 thats my
biggest craft project right now!
For more information about Christines 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 Pelanas embroidered
necklaces. From approx 19,
www.lanapelana.com,
www.lanapelana.etsy.com.
CHAIN REACTION
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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 doesnt need to be scary

Carina Envoldsen-Harris explains
how to stitch on knit fabrics
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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.
58
Iron the shiny side of the stabiliser to

the reverse of the t-shirt, over the area
where you want to stitch (A).
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).
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 isnt 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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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 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 Carinas 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 theyve 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 its 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 Rays cool blue placemats
give a contemporary twist to
traditional Sashiko embroidery
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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 quilters
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.
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.
Transfer the pattern on to your fabric

using dressmakers carbon paper, or
by taping it onto a window and tracing.
3
62
Now youve finished one mat, youll

find making the second is a doddle!
Simple repeat these steps but using the
second Sashiko pattern.
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 dont need a hoop,
but you can get special Sashiko
needles these are long as youll
sometimes need to make several
running stitches in one go. Specialist
Sashiko thread is usually twisted
more than embroidery thread, and
you wont separate it into strands. It
works best on more loosely woven
fabric such as linen/cotton mixes.
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USE AIMEES JAPANESESTYLE SASHIKO
PATTERNS TO GUIDE
YOUR STITCHES!
ENLARGE BY 200%
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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
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 its so
simple, but very versatile and creative,
and so different to the digital work I do.
Theres 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?
Ive loved them both since I was a little
girl and its never ceased. Im 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 theyre 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. Its basically an
introduction to each technique for people
whove never done them before. Crewel
is embroidery using thick, wool thread on
linen. Cross stitch is stitching tiny xs
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?
Im seeing more contemporary cross
stitch designs lately, which is great. Id
love to see more people pick up cutwork
and stumpwork and see what other
creative minds can do with them.
THERES 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?
Dont 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 Im 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 Aimees Sashiko placemats, you can

find her books on Amazon this project was taken
from Doodle Stitching: Embroidery & Beyond (9.99,
Lark Crafts). Read what shes 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!
Frdrique 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.
Frdrique 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
Frdrique 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
XIVs court. This proved the
perfect source of inspiration
when it came to designing a
set of napkins, and when I
66
wanted to capture Maison Sajous

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, Ive 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 werent
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,
Im 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. Im 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 Lucindas 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 Grimms
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
Frdrique 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.
Its published by Ivy Press,
19.99. For details, visit
www.ivypress.co.uk.
67
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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 Gandertons 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 weve
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 (in) along
each edge of each linen square and
press, then press under a second turning,
also of 12mm (in). Unfold both creases.
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).
Refold and re-press the original

creases to create a neat right angle
at the corner (B).
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).
Embroider the leaf fronds in olive

green thread, working one small
vertical stitch at the top of each guide
line, then a line of 47 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
CHILLI PEPPERS
10
Outline the peppers in backstitch as

for the carrots, using red thread.
11
PEA PODS
12
Step-by-step
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.
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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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.
13
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 dont 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).
17
14
18
15
RADISH
16
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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Inside the
vT
Explore the studio of Danielle Spurge,
designer behind The Merriweather Council
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
DANIELLES BOSTON TERRIER

LIKES TO SIT ON HER BED NEXT
TO THE DESK AS SHE WORKS
A The Merriweather Council studio is

located in Danielles 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, Danielles 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 Danielles fabric-covered
pinboard, covered in notes, inspiration
and works in progress.
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Rebecca says
Id 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 weve used
DMC colours 413, 666 and 964, but of
course you can use any colours youd
like, so get creative!
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.
2
3
Cut the aida into a circle around your

teacup, approximately 3in 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.
4
5
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 weve 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 1in from the left edge of
your aida, and 1in 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).
USE THE BOXES TO CREATE

CATEGORIES FOR YOUR NOTES
2
3
4
5
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
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
dcor 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 summers 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 Lees 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).
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 wont 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). Youll be making a border, so
its best to place your rows
of hexagons 23in up from the bottom
edge of the tea towel. In the tea towel
shown here, rows 1, 2 and 3 are constant,
BECCA LEE
Continue until all of your hexagons

are stitched (E), rinse out your pen
marks, give your tea towel another good
press and youre done (F). Now to make
some matching napkins
Step-by-step
82
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 its a great way to add interest
and beauty to day-to-day items.
What inspires you in your makes?
Im 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.
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 wasnt
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. Its 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 Im 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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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
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.
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!
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.
If you prefer the green dotty purse,

see our close-up photo (below) for
how to position your stitches.
MAKE THE PURSE
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).
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.
86
To create the diamond design, embroider

the lines in running stitch and the owers
and squares with straight stitches.
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).
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).
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.
10
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).
11
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).
12
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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A
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 Johansons sweet bookmark
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TOP TIP
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
3x3in 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).
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 in.
Using sewing thread (embroidery

thread will work if you use several
strands), stitch a row of running stitches
around the seam allowance. Be sure you

have a good-sized knot to start with so it
doesnt 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).
From felt, cut out a circle that is

just a bit bigger than your finished
fabric circle (D).
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.
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 youve stitched all around the
circle, secure the thread with a knot
hidden between the layers.
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
90
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sTiTch lIbRarY
Follow our simple illustrated guides to
work all of the stitches weve used
throughout the magazine theyre
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
92
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
thats 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 dont 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 fabrics 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.
Chlo Owens
94
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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 youve
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
its
of the stitch youve 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 youre new to stitching, there are a few items you should

stock up on get yourself kitted out using our list below
1 THREADS
Theres 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!
9
5
3
2 EMBROIDERY HOOP (not shown)
Hoops really are a stitchers 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 youre done!
3 THIMBLE
If youre regularly stitching or working with
thicker fabrics, a thimble will save you
from pricking your finger.
4 EMBROIDERY SCISSORS
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 its handy to have a pack
of assorted general-purpose sewing
needles. For basic stitches, youll 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 youre
after a specific amount of fabric, youll
find its usually sold by the yard or metre.
However, many fabrics are sold in fat
quarters, which measure about 18x22in.
96
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
thats 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 youre 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 dont iron the design
until youve 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 youll need to

transfer onto your fabric to recreate the design. Heres 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 cant 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
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 youre
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 youve 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 youre righthanded, work the embroidery stitches
from right to left if youre left-handed,
work from left to right instead.
97
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
98
FRENCH KNOTS LOOK

GREAT ON THEIR OWN
FOR POPS OF COLOUR
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From www.lilipopo.co.uk
We love the French

knot flowers in
this girls hair,
by LiliPopo.
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9000
9001
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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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SPRING 2014

New look embroidery

& lots more!

Create Lucky Jacksons Polaroid Love portrait

MARKETING AND CIRCULATION

FUTURE PUBLISHING LTD 2014

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Chief executive Mark Wood

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Photograph Leonie Morse www.leoniemorse.com, taken at ABSTRACT yarn shop, Walthamstow

Call: 0844 848 2852 or subscribe online at

Im so excited to welcome you to Hoop-La! Embroidery

Katie Allen Editor

Use simple stitches to create

Stitch a pun-tastic pincushion

Work up some funky

Add a French touch to your

This adorable doll by

Give your finished piece the

FUNNY FACE EGG WARMERS

Start every day with a smile!

Laura Mason of Mason Bee

Every nursery needs an ABC,

We just love Carina

FRENCH KNOT Step 1

Learn the Japanese art of

Brighten up your lunch table

TIME FOR TEA

Cross stitch Rebecca Grecos

Organise your notes

This cute geometric design

Its time to go dotty for

Mollie Johansons adorable

FRENCH KNOT Step 2

Hoop-La! Style We take a

Floss & Mischief Take a look

Pretty Recycling Stitch a

Vintage Charm Chlo Owens

Lost and Found Seaside

Inside the Maison Sajou

The Merriweather Council

Letter Love Brighten up a

Stitch Library All the stitches

Essential Supplies All you

Chain Reaction Check out

Using Templates How to

Handmade with love

7.99 from all major supermarkets and WHSmiths

Trust Sublime Stitching to

Modern stitch fans will

Were inspired by the kick

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Buddy the dog helps

ince 2001, LA-based

2pm Walk Buddy

Photo credit: Whistling Teapot

Anne of Green Gables is one of

Sometimes hoops need to be a bit

These dachshund bobbins are the

SAY IT WITH STITCHES

a peek around the super-pretty studio

Keep your stitch ideas safe in

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