Needlework designs and delights
Those antique birds – I just can’t stop stitching them! I wanted to introduce you to my newest feathered friend, this little one, surrounded by a magnificent wreath of flowers. I think it’s a cardinal – but perhaps the original stitcher took some license with the colouring – what do you think? I’ve been collecting…
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While I was preparing for the most recent Stitching in the Mountains Retreat, I was considering patterns that would fit our theme of scent. After some to-ing and fro-ing, I remembered my Great Aunt (Auntie Pam, we called her), who had a beautiful kumqat tree in a big, fancy pot, right by her front door.…
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An antique reproduction (Eileen Elizabeth Mason 1923) and two pin-pillows… More of my time than I care to admit is spent searching online for antique samplers. Most are out of my price range, and many use very similar motifs, similar sentiments and have tried-and-true colour palettes. It was such a treat to find this relatively…
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Pokolbin is in the Hunter Valley, a place renowned for it’s vineyards, where once a year, I travel over rolling hills to the Daisy Chain Stitcher’s Retreat. Run by the wonderful Theresa Craig (of Daisy Chain Stitchery and fabric dyer of Whoopsie Daisy Designs) and her family, this is a highlight of my year. This…
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An antique reproduction – special Etsy exclusive Working with antique samplers is such a privilege. While my collection mostly consists of the damaged, neglected and in need of saving, I have found a particular love of French samplers. Typically very floral, there’s a lightness and delicacy about them that keeps me intrigued. This sampler came…
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An antique reproduction and a drum This pattern arose out of friendship – the lovely Nicola from Number12StitchCo on Etsy asked me to create a special reproduction using her beautiful linen, for the first Toowoomba Stitcher’s Retreat in 2024. After going back-and-forth on a couple of designs (and hitting the inevitable design roadblocks) we decided…
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One of the great joys of my work has been finding good people to work with – and Cottage Garden Threads are one of my favourite collaborators and friends. As an early champion of their beautiful threads (and an explorer of the innovative things we stitchers can do with them!), it’s heartwarming to see how…
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A free design in thanks… Being part of the stitching community is such a privilege and a comfort. It’s been a difficult time, and I wanted to create a small design to offer you in thanks for your kindness, and to celebrate the resilience of even the most fragile-seeming life. I love those moments when…
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So many people have stitched and enjoyed “In the library” – it’s been such a joy to connect with other readers all over the world. I always intended to create another piece, and this one celebrates gardeners and plant lovers. I’m particularly thinking of my mother, who makes things bloom, and my sister, who makes…
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A scrappy WIP upcycling project Do you have a secret stash of offcuts of linens, of bright finishing fabrics and little scraps of trim? Do you also have a pile of half-finished stitches that you know you’ll never complete? I have both, I must admit, and I love using them to create stitched collages. It’s…
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Mojo Stitches 