New stitchery projects

A friend posed a question this morn, which in turn has prompted this post (the first in a while you may note!).
The question went along the lines of : When did comparing my experience to someone else's rob me of happiness, and cause me to miss my own unique experience? 
How can I enjoy my own experience more?
Ok, so that was 2 questions!
They weren't being directed specifically at me, and they weren't asked in a way that needed an immediate answer (more of a quiet rumination).... but despite the focus on a less than pleasant thought process, the questions felt expanding and inviting.

We can all think of a moment where we have compared ourselves and felt rubbish. (Ha! If only it stopped at one moment!) 

My latest 'comparison moment' lead me to feeling that I wasn't showing up enough on social media, that I 'should' be doing more, posting more, promoting more,more,more....
As you may have noticed my reaction to that was to do the polar opposite and just not show up at all..... *sigh*
I blame my stubborn streak....I hate being told what to do even if it is me telling my self! 

Ridiculous...and funny :)

So anyhoos I'm neither going to let my 'comparison' OR 'stubborn' JOY robbing thoughts stand in my way.....I have so much stitchery goodness to share. Yipeeee!

I have introduced 2 new kits to my shop, which may be my favourite designs yet.(Available here)

This bear one is called 'Homeward Bound'. I may have mentioned before about my love of bears.....they remind me of 'home' somehow....hard to explain, coming from a somewhat 'bear-free!' Scotland...but they do. I really love the rose quartz coloured background and the mix of pink threads. A new colour mix to the kits but I'm so happy with how the designs all sit together. 

I'm a proud embroidery kit mumma!

Kit number 2 is below...... and introduces Long and Short stitch in some more pinky threads. Each kit I create comes with illustrated instructions on the stitches involved, but I like to add extra support for those who need it. You can find an extra detailed tutorial on Long and short stitch over on my website, here.

The idea for this kit was that the flowers are stitched and the swallow zooms out from the negative space.....This piece is stitched on a 4" hoop and so is a great pocket sized project to take out and about with you. I find this time of year so great for stitching in the sunshine while the kids play merrily...be it beach, park or bubbling stream :) It's available here.

I've also added a couple of new pdf's to my shop.

The first one is based on some bee designs I stitched up last summer. It's called 'Free to bee' and comes with a few different versions of the design so you can be(e) creative with it! The pdf pattern is available as an instant download here.

The other Pdf is a pattern now available is to make this sweet owl. He wants to accompany your little one for snuggles, or sit on your shelf or computer and whisper to you sweet secrets from the woods......

I've safety tested this little Owl, even though it's not normally done or legally required for patterns. I've been negotiating the tricky waters of safety testing some deer 'doll' designs (I shared about here), and got this owl involved too. Feels good to be able to offer designs that are not only sweet sewing projects but safe too! The pattern Pdf is availabe here.

Phew! So that's us all up to date now...and the comparison/joy thief has left the building :)

I'll be back with a fun FREEBIE to share next week.....A collaboration with Cloudcraft and a Sweet Summer Garden stitching project...if you like the sneakpeak below then you'll LOVE what's a'coming x

Magical Garden Embroidery. Recent Embroidery Projects

Just poppping in for a quick visit and to share what I've been stitching lately. If I wait until I have something 'official' to share then before I know it the weeks will have flown by, followed by months....!

Do you remember when I made a unicorn? It got commandeered by my eldest and named Legolas. (of course!)

Naturally my youngest took the hump with this,and requested I also make her a unicorn...which I did...or atleast almost did. A year later it is still awaiting some eyes, hair and a horn! Aherm.

Occasionally the 'not quite finished' unicorn has got a mention, followed by a swift excuse. Recently, however, I came up with an idea that would fill the unicorn gaping hole AND satisfy my embroidery urges (alas I'm all out of unicorn making urges at the mo)

Step in cute Bunny No.1.......

Followed by cute Bunny No. 2

Add in some extra flowers, shrubbery and fluttering insects and you get....

A magical garden inspired S for SKYE! Yipee!

It's safe to say the unicorn has been forgotten. (*cue audible sigh*)

I've been playing about with other letters and entertaining the idea of creating an alphabet so that you can embroider the initial of your choice.... what do you think? Would you like to embroider a magical garden inspired initial? It would be quite a large undertaking to embroider another 25 letters....and you know how lame I am even when it comes to making 2 unicorns?!

Talking of large undertakings, I've recently turned Maurice the Bear into a PDF pattern. As there is nothing dainty about this handsome bear (he commands some admiration and attention!), the pdf is to create a BIG striking wall piece or cushion cover. It's a substantial project to accompany the coming winter months.Yes!

Oh and I've just snazzed up my acorn embroidery kits by packaging them in a lovely white gift box... it's autumn fruits harvesting time!

Hope you are all flowing with the seasonal changes easily....I tend to drag my heels a bit and resist....at least autumn projects help :)x

Newbies and freebie!

I've got 3 new kits which I have just added to my etsy shop...which I am so happy with! It gives me great pleasure to introduce my new Woodland Medley of "pocket projects".....

Foxglove

I know I'm not alone in saying there has been many an occasion when I have found myself sitting (by a pool/park/pitch) wishing I had brought something to do.......

and there are so many other times where a portable project would be handy like commuting, on holiday.... something that can be enjoyed and that can be shoved in your pocket as you dash out the door.

This is my solution! I'm creating a sewing-on-the-go revolution! ;)

The kit comes with a pocket sized 4" beech embroidery hoop to embroider the design and then frame it at the end. A single thread colour is used and several embroidery stitches can be practised.

Little Owl

Bluebell

I am working on offering these design with a more detailed background as pdf patterns to download also.... but not quite finished yet. They'll be available in my etsy shop too.
And talking of downloads...I wanted to share this freebie with you today. I adapted a few images from the Grahics Fairy and made a printable sheet of  vintage hummingbirds which was sent out with my newsletter. However I wanted to offer it here too.....there are so many fun things you could create with these sweet images it felt wrong not to share!
Click HERE to be taken to the downloadable version.

You can see below a couple of purses where I appliqued on some vintage swallows which I'd printed onto fabric.....help you get those creative juices flowing!

Wishing you all a wonder-filled weekend xx

Purse Kits & How to hand sew a Purse Video

I've FINALLY got my Purse Kits ready! Cue fireworks, cart wheels and star jumps!
Yippeeeee!
There are 2 ready to go at the moment and I've another design in the making...  so it gives me great pleasure to introduce my "Sunburst and Stripes" Kit:

available here at special introductory offer for 1 week only!

And my "Blue Blooms" Kit......

Available here at a special introductory offer for 1 week only!

I really want to make these kits accessible to everyone..beginners and happy stitchers alike. So I made a video walking you through the purse making , step by step. The video has been split into 2 parts so if you just want to know how to hand sew a purse clasp on, then you can just watch the 2nd part.

I still have a LOT to improve on in the video making department...but I hope they provide the help needed. I do believe I made up a new word on one of the videos...but I'll wait and see if you notice :)

Part I

Part II

There has been a WHOLE lot of work behind the scenes here, getting these 2 little kits ready for the world. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to be letting them go......I hope they fly :)xx

News and updates, bits and bobs!

I feel like I'm turning up a little empty handed here, but can I just say behind the scenes there is spring time BOOM of ideas, and projects and workings under way. Honest!
So what can I share so far?
Well........ my embroidery kits are so close to being released out into the world....this little doe included.

I'm also busy working on a new shiny website..where everything can live under one roof..instead of a blog here, shop there, gallery way over yonder..... it's a place I can offer online classes too,which has been a LOOONG  held dream of mine and is becoming more and more do-able. So stay tuned!

I do have to say though, this website building is challenging every part of brain and will power I have. It is tough! So I'm going slow and steady.

Sticking to the topic of classes though, I am delighted to say that I will now be offering a couple of workshops in Perth's "The Peacock and the Tortoise", in autumn (dates to be confirmed shortly). I am excited to be joining the workshop ensemble at this well reknowned establishment. The fabrics in there are drool worthy (it took every ounce of restraint not to disgrace myself!)

I'm also about to send out April's newsletter with this sweet little bashful bunny pattern included. I stitched him up while watching it attempt to snow outside.....  which I can now smile in recollection as it is soooo much cosier and sunnier now. Oh yes spring sunshine I do love you! 

It's now the school Easter Hols, so I can't promise to be back with much more than a bit of this and that for the next couple of weeks. So I'll part with a sunny picture of an egg roll taken yesterday! Proof that t-shirt can be worn in Scotland in April! :)

A little touch of magic .....

I just wanted to pop in and tell you about something funny and wonderful that happened just the other day. It's a little self indulgent, but I'm hoping you'll excuse it for the story of sweet synchronicity that lies behind it! :)

Many months ago a lady sent me an email enquiring about my embroidery kits, mentioning she "had seen them in Mollie Makes....or another magazine". The lady couldn't remember.

Since that email the thought has briefly crossed my mind once or twice, wondering if my kits really had been featured in Mollie Makes, and thinking that if they had I would probably never know.
I must add at this point, the idea of having anything of mine featured in Mollie Makes would tickle me pink. I LOVE this magazine (and finally got a subscription for my crimbo!). I submitted some images of my kits to the deputy editor a while back,  hoping they may make an appearance but never heard anything to indicate they had.

So fast forward to 2 days ago, when I am sitting watching a short video from a Mini Series created by Rachel Taylor, about creating your signature style. In the second video, Rachel was talking about where to find inspiration, and started to show some items beginning with  a pantone book, paint chips, jar of buttons then a magazine....Mollie Makes Magazine. She then proceeded to stop "to find a relevant page"  and held up the open magazine....
Cue immediate double take, jaw hit floor, scramble to pause the video and then laugh like a hyena!
2 of my embroidery kits were there on the very page Rachel had stopped to show ...making their debut appearance in Mollie makes!!
Heeheeee!

 Rachel Taylor in Video 2 from Mini Series over on Make it in Design

Of all the pages, in all the magazines on all the videos......or something like that!

It's an older edition, (Edition 42 whereas the current one is Issue 48)......but I'm so jumping with joy.....and bought a digital copy of it so I could see it with my own eyes (as shown below!).

Mollie Makes Magazine Ed 42

Just to make sure you can see too!;) 

I'm delighting at the sweetness of life and it's lovely little surprises, at the twists and turns and VERY unexpected treasures. Thankyou Rachel, Thankyou Mollie Makes, and thankyou lovely lady for emailing!

xx

New embroidery and sewing patterns - lots of them!

Hello there! How are you all? 
I've been busy this last week or so, trying to complete some designs I've had in the pipeline for a while. I've been workings away on some of them since the summer holidays, so it feels lovely to finally put them out into the world. 
I was beginning to think I'd never get them finished!

I have to start with the one below as I think it may just be my all time favourite (its funny what tickles the heart!).... if you look back at my sketchbook snippets you may notice the beginning whispers of this design. Meet Mathilde and Celeste, they are the BESTEST of buddies.

available as a PDF pattern here

I seem to have featured Bluetits a lot in my stitchery pieces, but I do love the BIG character that these little feathery fellows possess. I created a Birdie Banner design and tutorial available as a downloadable PDF here. There are 2 versions of the design included in the PDF. One version has a background of triangles (below) and the other version has cherry blossoms in the background and a blank ribbon to be personalised with your own meaningful quote, special date, special name etc.

Another embroidery pattern is this Barn Owl.... she's rather special and most definitely a little magical! I used Fishbone stitch to embroider the leaves in this design, and so wanted to create a tutorial on how to embroider FISHBONE STITCH ,which you can find here.

Instant download of Barn owl Pdf is available here.

And finally I got my Gathering Acorns and Winter Fruits Embroidery Kits finished which I shared in progress some months ago Yay!

They are also available in my shop here

Phew! 

I have been a busy girl! More to come soooooooon :)xx

Welcome!

Read to the end of this post to find out how to be in with a chance!

I am really excited to begin this shiny new blog, and embrace this stitchery adventure! It's taken me a long time to take my long held dream of creating a sewing corner and turn it into a reality......but a lengthy 'brewing time' is required for all good things I'm told!
So let me dance and skip from the rooftops and sing....

May as well start as we mean to go on!

I'm delighted you are here, and I hope you will decide to stick around and watch this space unfold with sewing inspired projects, tutorials, shares of what I'm working on...and general rambles of course! 

So to celebrate this bright new beginning and help spread the word, I'm having an Embroidery Kit GIVEAWAY (& some secret extra goodies!).Yipee!

To enter the giveaway all you need to do is follow this blog using one of the subscribe options on the LEFT side bar, or sign up for the newsletter on the RIGHT side bar. 
Then simply leave a comment below saying you did it!

Of course, if you sign up for the BOTH the blog and newsletter you get 2 entries. If you would like to share this via twitter, facebook  or megaphone you get extra entries too, just let me know in the comments.
I'll be picking 2 random names out of a "hat" at midday on Friday 19th Sept. So that gives you one whole week to sign up!
Everyone is welcome to take part.... these kits are happy to fly!

And so what could be better to finish of this celebration, than a dancing owl! If he had legs I reckon it would definitely be a tap dance! 

Sweet! And not annoying in the slightest ;)x