New Blackwork Pattern - Durrow Celtic Knots

I'm very excited about my latest blackwork pattern. It is another version of my Durrow Celtic Knots design. I stitched the blackwork version of it a couple of years ago and I've been wanting to share the pattern with you for a really long time but I had some technical problems to overcome. I won't bore you with the details but after a bit of tweaking, I have now been able to put the pattern in the shop.

The pattern has the same layout as the cross stitch version but is worked entirely in back stitch (or Holbein stitch if your prefer.) 

At each corner is an area of beautiful and intricate blackwork. These sections can be used for smaller projects like greeting cards or coasters.

This is certainly not a pattern for the less patient stitcher but if you love blackwork and are looking for a challenge, then this is the perfect place to find it! Whenever I work large patterns, they remind me that not everything in life can be achieved instantly. It is no bad thing to have to wait a long time to finish something and in the case of this embroidery, it will certainly be worth the wait.

I have worked this pattern in traditional black but you should feel free to use whatever colours you like.

It is one of my plans to have more blackwork patterns on sale as it is a form of embroidery I really do love. Keep checking back as I have several more in the planning.

You can also find two cross stitch patterns based on this design from the Book of Durrow. You can find them all at hawthorntreedesigns.com





Robins are for lfe, not just for Christmas!

Here we are in September again. It's almost a whole year since I rescued that poorly hedgehog* (wonder what it's up to now?)

I've been very busy for the last couple of weeks re-formatting all of my patterns and updating my shops with new versions. I've also built a brand new website. You can find links to both my shops and this blog as well as the two free patterns in my Payhip shop.

hawthorntreedesigns.com

So, you're wondering what this all has to do with robins? Well, I've just added a brand new pattern to my collection...

This sweet little robin redbreast compliments my bullfinches. I have several more which will be available in the near future and others in the planning. (Did I mention I love birds?)These bird designs are really easy to stitch and I would have finished the robin in one afternoon had I not decided to change the shade of orange I was using. I was also distracted by Frodo and Sam making their way through the Dead Marshes in The Two Towers so you may well finish it sooner than I did!

Like the bullfinches, this robin has been designed to fit into a 4-inch hoop but he also makes a great motif for Christmas cards, should you want to get a head-start on making some of your own before things start to get really busy.

However, as the title  of this post implies, robins can be seen all year round so he is definitely not just for Christmas! To stitch him for yourself click here.

*To read about my hedgehog rescue, click here.

New Pattern - Festive Bauble

 

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was giving my Festive Bauble design a makeover. I released the original last autumn, along with two other Christmas designs. While I'm happy with the Noel Sampler and I Will Honour Christmas, I felt there was some room for improvement with the Festive Bauble.

 

 

 

I decided to change the colour scheme to give it a different look to the other Christmas patterns. It now has a modern silver, purple and turquoise palette and a touch of silver metallic thread to add some sparkle. I have also resized it so that it fits neatly into a 7-inch hoop.

 

 

Everyone has their own preferences for Christmas colours and you may have your own ideas on how you'd like this bauble to look. You can make it look as modern or as traditional as you like. Match it to your own festive décor or make it look completely different.

 

 

If you're not a fan of metallic threads, you can always use stranded cotton or attach some beads instead. A length of narrow ribbon would also work well.

 

You can buy this pattern either by clicking on the listing at the top of the page or click here to go to my Payhip shop.

New Pattern: Ahenny Celtic Cross

I've just added a new pattern to both my Etsy and Payhip shops.

 

 

Ahenny Celtic Cross is already one of my favourites and was a joy to work on. It is inspired by knotwork carved onto the North Cross, one of the two high crosses at Kilclispeen Cemetery, Ahenny, County Tipperary, Ireland.

 

The two stone crosses are all that remains of a monastery that was on the site and are believed to date from the eighth or ninth century. They are amongst the earliest examples of ringed crosses.

 

 

This pattern is perfect for those of you who love Celtic art or who want to stitch something connected to ancient Ireland.

 

This will be the last Celtic design I release for a while as there are other design projects I'll be concentrating on for the next few months. My main priorities are forthcoming bird collection to compliment my popular bullfinches design and the Leopold alphabet.

 

Unfortunately, the Pentrich revolution embroidery project has been cancelled due to lack of support. This is very disappointing for me and the organisers of the project but they still have plenty of other things planned. I may still be able to donate a contribution to the art exhibition if I can find the time to make something.

 

 

I have also updated my logo and Etsy shop banner to freshen things up a little. I'll be updating all of my pattern cover pages with this new look too.

 

 

To buy the pattern, you can either click on the Etsy listing at the top of the page or click below to go to my Payhip shop.

 

https://payhip.com/b/nciR

Etsy prices - EU VAT update

I wrote in an earlier post how EU VAT is affecting sellers of digital products, no matter how small the business is. To recap, any business, regardless of its size, is now obliged to charge EU VAT to customers that live within the European Union.

 

In January, Etsy announced they would put systems in place to deal with this tax. Last week the system was introduced and so if you live in an EU country, you will see that my prices have increased. The price that you see will have increased by the EU VAT rate in your country. For the UK, this is 20%.

 

The price is calculated and added automatically and Etsy will take care of the tax. Unfortunately, because I'm not selling directly to customers in the UK, the tax still applies to sales to UK customers.

 

This is completely beyond my control and Etsy are only doing what the law requires them to do.

 

If you buy from my Payhip shop, EU VAT is added at the checkout.

 

There is a strong campaign to get the EU to introduce a reasonable threshold that will mean small businesses no longer have to charge this tax. If you would like to know more about how EU VAT will affect you as a business owner or customer click the link below.

 

http://euvataction.org/

Making Plans

My floss box

It's that time of year - the Summer Slump, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of creating heaps of work for myself. I've been really busy making plans for what I want to do over the coming months.

 

You may have seen my Leopold B design. Since I first stitched it, I've been planning to create a whole alphabet but until now I haven't got around to it. I've decided to shrink the letters so they each fit into a 6-inch hoop. It's going to take a while before they're ready to go on sale but I'm very excited about how they're going to look.

 

 

I'm also creating a series of bird designs to go with the bullfinches which are already on sale. Here's a sneak-peek at some of them. There's also a robin which will be ready later this year.

 

 

I'm also giving my Festive Bauble design a makeover: I'm changing the colours and resizing it as I wasn't completely happy with the original. That will also be available later this year.

 

I've been commissioned to make a wedding sampler which I have to keep secret for now but I'll show you how it turns out once it's been delivered to the happy couple. The wedding is in October so you'll have to wait a bit longer to see it!

 

I also have plans to give my online shops a new look. It all needs freshening up a little bit so this is another ongoing project for the next few weeks. I can't wait to put all the pieces together and when it's ready I'll tell you all about it here on Beneath the Hawthorn Tree.

 

As far as the blog itself is concerned, I want to add more tutorials and hints and tips etc so I'll be making a list of ideas for that. I'm also planning on launching a new personal blog for nature notes and musings as I want this blog to be focused on embroidery and crafts.

 

This is only part of my to-do list so as you can see I have plenty to keep myself occupied! I'll keep you posted on everything. In the meantime, you can follow me on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as well as popping into my Etsy and Payhip shops.

 

Make the most of the long days while they last!

 

Happy crafting! 

An experiment with variegated thread

I posted the above picture on Instagram. It's my Summer Solstice pattern with a skein of DMC stranded cotton, shade 90. As you can see, it perfectly matches the shades I have chosen for the pattern and I think it will make a great alternative if you want to give your version a completely different look.

I received a comment from Elizabeth Braun of the Sew In Love blog who correctly pointed out that variegated threads can give "a random, unpredictable" result and may not always work out the way you want. This is a very good point and I thought I'd better do some experimenting to see what happens.

Here is a length of the thread. Usually when I work with stranded cotton, I use a length that reaches from my finger tips to about an inch below my elbow but with variegated threads, I like to use a length that has all of the different tones in it. This is because you always lose a little of it when you cast off and snip the thread. This means the tones may not change as smoothly as you want them to.

The tones in this thread change from a deep, golden yellow to almost white.

Next, you have to think about how you're going to work your stitches. I usually work in rows making the first diagonal in one direction and then coming back making the second diagonal. You may prefer to complete each cross as you go. I wanted to see what difference each of these techniques would make to the appearance of the variegated thread.

I began with my usual method.

My first length got me this far...

When I threaded my second length, I threaded the opposite way to the first so I could carry on with the tone I had finished the first length with. Here is the finished circle...

 

It looks better in 'real life' but you can see it gives a very pleasing result.

The second circle (on the right) has been worked one cross at a time. There isn't a huge amount of difference in how the individual tones look but this technique uses more thread and so there is a bit more variation in the overall result.

I also stitched a circle working one cross at a time in a clockwise spiral, starting at the bottom.

I think they have all given interesting results but I prefer the first one because I like the subtle blending of the different shades.

The circles I used for practising are smaller than those in my design and so you may get different results when working on a bigger scale. However, I definitely think it's worth thinking about and having a play with. As with most of my patterns, Summer Solstice (and it's sister pattern Winter Solstice) has the potential to be adapted to different colours and there's no 'wrong' way of stitching it.

Have you ever used variegated threads? What projects have you used them for? What did you think of the results? Let me know in the comments below or by getting in touch on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

To buy the Summer Solstice pattern and browse my other designs see my website hawthorntreedesigns.com

You can read Elizabeth's blog Sew In Love by clicking here.



New pattern - White Rabbit

You may already know that this year marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. This has inspired many maker-designers to create new products with an Alice theme.

The white rabbit is the character that Alice follows into the magical world of Wonderland. My rabbit has a background of a Bargello-stlye pattern worked in bright, contrasting colours.

Bargello needlework looks like something that originated from the counter-culture of the 1960s but in fact it is centuries old. In its traditional form it is a form of canvas work but I have translated the technique into cross stitch. Bargello patterns are made by repeating zigzags of stitches to create various shapes. They can be narrow and spiky or wide and curved.

It makes a striking background for the clean, white shape in the centre. White Rabbit is the latest of my designs where I've experimented with open spaces being as important to the design as the stitching, similar to Assisi work. You can also see this in my Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice designs and I have others in the planning.

You can find the pattern in my Etsy shop by clicking the listing at the top of this page or you can head over to my Payhip shop.

Etsy May Day Bank Holiday Weekend Sale

"Arise, arise, you pretty fair maid

And bring your May bush in..."

 

Today is May Day, another of the year's markers. The hawthorn, or May, blossom is not yet out in my part of Derbyshire but it should only be a couple more weeks. Here in the UK we're about to celebrate the May Day Bank Holiday and so to celebrate, I am having a sale in my Etsy shop.

 

 

To get 20% off all patterns, simply enter the code MERRYMAY20 at the checkout. You can visit my Etsy shop by either clicking on the Etsy Mini listings at the top of this page or by clicking here.

 

 

 

The code will be valid until midnight EST on 4th May. If you live in the UK the deadline is 5.00am on the 5th May (due to the different time zones).

 

 

After that, I'll be on holiday for a few days and so my Etsy shop will be in vacation mode until 13th May. In the meantime, enjoy the May Day weekend and happy stitching!

 



Tips on turning a photo into a pattern: the Ladybird Poppy

 

Cross stitch software is hugely popular now with hobby stitcher as well as professionals and this is a great way of exploring your interest in embroidery and making your own designs. You don't have to be a professional to benefit from design software and it can be really fun to play around with. If you're thinking about buying a package, start with something basic and don't spend too much. I only progressed from my first basic package when I became serious about publishing my own designs. Before you buy anything, look for free trial versions to download. That way you can decide if you like them first.

 

Even basic software will offer you plenty of features to allow you to create good quality patterns, whether you're starting from scratch or working from a photo. Scanning in a photo and converting it to a cross stitch pattern is really easy and all you have to do is follow the onscreen instructions. However, if you want to end up with a workable pattern, you will need to make some changes before you print it. Here is a little insight into how I work with photos and some tips on how you can make great patterns from your own pictures.

 

The first thing to say is that your computer may be awesome at many things but it doesn't have the eyes or the brain of a cross stitcher. It doesn't understand how to select the right colours or create a pattern that works well from a practical point of view. All those annoying little things you don't like about cross stitch patterns - your computer doesn't understand that you don't want them.

 

Here is a pattern I have just recently finished called Ladybird Poppy. I adapted it from a picture my Dad took in our garden a few years ago. As soon as I saw the photo on the screen, I knew it had the potential to be turned into a pattern; the colours and the shape made a really striking image. Flowers make an excellent subject for cross stitch and are great starting point for making your own patterns.

 

I began adapting the picture by removing all of the background. You want the focus to be on the main subject of the piece so by removing all of the unnecessary parts of the picture, you're not only cutting down on the amount of work needed to complete the pattern, you're creating a much cleaner image and a better composition. When I was left with just the flower head, it gave me the perfect sized pattern to fit into an 8-inch hoop.

 

Next, you need to check the colours. The computer will automatically match colours it picks out from the photo with the colours in the cross stitch software's database. This is where you need to be careful. The colours that you see on the screen are likely to look very different to the actual threads. It might be worth investing in a colour card to help you decide if the colours are correct or you might have colours in your stash to compare with the image.

 

The Ladybird Poppy pattern I have now is significantly different to the original and the picture below compares the two stitched versions. You can see that my first attempt (on the right) has brighter tones and even quite a bit of orange in it. I realised as I was stitching it that it looked completely wrong. Ladybird poppies have beautiful rich, red petals with black spots - hence the name. The computer had interpreted patches of sunlight on the petals as an orangey-red colour. This is where you can make a decision that the computer can't and it's also where a colour card really comes in handy. I had to do a bit of 'shuffling' of the colours to get a more realistic palette.

 

I also had to look carefully at the light and shade in the petals. The bottom petals are curled up and this is what gives the image the interesting shape. The computer doesn't understand what a flower looks like and so you have to make sure the colours reflect the light and shade and form of the petals. This was not clear in the original pattern and so I corrected it in the new version.

 

Another very common problem with using software is the 'speckling' that often occurs. This is when you get odd stitches here and there of a different colour to the surrounding stitches. Here, you have to make a judgement about how much detail you want in each area of the picture. For the poppy, I wanted more detail on the green seed-head in the centre in order to give texture but I wanted the petals to look smooth and shiny. The petals of ladybird poppies are not as delicate as those on other types of poppy and are not as transparent. They do reflect a lot of sunlight and so there are quite a few different shades of red in the petals of this pattern. I wanted these different shades to be blended properly in order to get a naturalistic effect but too much speckling can make the pattern more complicated than it needs to be. As much as I love cross stitch I have a relatively short attention span so I like to feel that I'm making progress! Therefore, I keep speckling to a minimum in my designs.

 

While you've checked the speckling, have a look at the colours in your palette. Are there enough? Are there too many? Sometimes you'll find that some colours are only used for a tiny number of stitches. When I checked the shades of green used in the centre of poppy, I found that two shades were very similar and were used for a fairly small number of stitches each. I decided to use just one of the shades for all of those particular stitches. If you're devising your own pattern and the same thing happens, check if you already have those colours in your stash. If you do, then it doesn't matter and you don't necessarily have to leave one of them out. I made the change because I wouldn't want to buy a whole new skein for just a few stitches and I wouldn't expect somebody buying my pattern to do that either.

 

So, you've got a good composition, you've checked the colours and you've decided how much detail you want on the picture. Now all you have to do is check the overall shape of each part. Does anything look a bit weird? If so, simply add or take away stitches until you're happy. Don't forget to save the pattern when you've made changes you're happy with. That way, if you go on to make a mistake you can go back to an earlier point in the design and try again.

 

I hope you find this helpful. If you have any questions or comments, leave a comment below or contact me on Twitter or Facebook. If you'd like to buy this Ladybird Poppy pattern, you can either click on the Etsy Mini listing at the top of this page or click here to go to my Payhip shop.

All photos (c) Karen Eley 2015

 

 

New Bullfinches Pattern and a Payhip Shop Sale

The days are getting longer and lighter, the snowdrops are opening and that means the birds are starting to think about nesting.

 

I've been fascinated by birds since I was a young child and I love all birds but most of all I love the birds of woodland habitat and those that come into my garden. My favourite bird of all is the bullfinch and I remember the first time I saw one in my garden. It perched briefly on top of the brick archway over the gate before flying away. On another occasion, during a snowy day one winter, a male landed on the fence and his pink breast looked like a rose that had suddenly blossomed in the white landscape.

 

 

Bullfinches are believed to pair for life as males and females are often seen together in winter. I have been lucky enough to see a pair in my garden a couple of times feeding on the berries of a Himalayan honeysuckle plant (also known as pheasant berry). This being so, you really shouldn't stitch one without the other, even if you choose to frame them separately.

 

 

 

This brand new pattern is one six that I have included in a 20% sale on my Payhip shop. The sale includes the following patterns:

 

Bullfinch Pair

Summer Solstice

Winter Solstice

Summer and Winter Solstice Pattern Pack

Art Nouveau Rose

Lindisfarne Celtic Geometry

Celtic Knotwork Bellpull

 

To get 20% off these patterns simply enter the code SNOWDROP at the checkout.

 

THIS OFFER ENDS ON SUNDAY 22nd FEBRUARY

Etsy Shop back to Instant Downloads

This is just a very quick post to let you know that the designs in my Etsy shop are once again available as instant downloads. This is because Etsy have now admitted that they are liable for EU VAT and have relieved us of the burden. Hurrah!

 

I'm currently stitching the second of two designs which will be launched later this month. They are inspired by two things: an ancient bronze shield and sun worship in ancient cultures. I'm very pleased with how they're turning out and I'm very excited about sharing them with you.

 

Time to get back to the needle and thread!

Instant downloads are back!

As you know I had to temporarily close my Etsy shop after they disappointingly decided to make individual sellers responsible for EU VAT. This is the opposite to what HMRC state but until they sort it out between themselves my patterns will be delivered from my Etsy shop by e-mail.

 

However - I am very pleased to announce that I have opened a brand new shop on Payhip which you can find here. Not only do they take care of all the EU VAT hassle for me, you can purchase all of the patterns as instant downloads so everybody wins! Hurrah!

 

I will eventually be adding more patterns - I can now carry on with the plans to release new patterns throughout the year and I am really excited about them. Here's a sneaky peak at the one I'm currently working on.

 

 

(c) Karen Eley/The Hawthorn Tree 2015

Esty shop open again

The good news is I have reopened my Etsy shop but the not so good news is that due to Etsy's disappointing stance on EU VAT I can now only offer the patterns via e-mail, rather than instant downloads. I know that this is a pain in the rear end for you and me but until Etsy offer workable solutions I'm afraid it has to be this way. Very soon I will be opening a new shop on a platform that deals with all the VAT and allows instant downloads. It will take me a while to sort the files out but as soon as it's up and running I'll tell you all about it.

 

I suspect that platforms such as Etsy will eventually have to change their business models as EU VAT will eventually apply to anything sold within the EU, digital or physical and this will effect anyone who trades within the EU. If third party platforms fail to comply with EU VAT then people will simply stop using them. It would be nice though if they showed more of a sense of urgency.

 

That's all for now but this whole issue is an ongoing situation so this will not be the last you'll be hearing about it.

 

In the meantime, happy stitching!

Etsy Shop Temporarily Closed

In my last post, I mentioned the new EU VAT regulations that will take effect from 1st Jan 2015. I thought it would be possible to carry on as normal as I only sell through 3rd party market places. This was after assurances from HMRC (the UK tax office) that if you sell through such a website then it will be up to them to pay the VAT and not the individual seller. However, there is conflicting and confusing information about whether this is true or not. Etsy have stated on their blog that as individual sellers are paid directly by their customers then they ARE liable for the tax. They have not yet decided what they are going to do to help sellers comply and so until then, we cannot decide what we will do either. One possible solution is to send the PDF files manually via e-mail, as this means they will not be subject to the tax laws. My Folksy shop already operates this way and so is unaffected. I have reluctantly decided that until Etsy makes its position clearer and offers possible solutions that the best thing to do is close the shop for a short while and have a think.

 

I am very sorry for the really short notice but this has been really badly handled by the authorities and the vast majority of sole traders who will be affected did not find out until about 6 weeks ago. As I said, the implications of the legislation are still being debated, even by those who are enforcing it, so you can imagine how stressful this is for those of us who need to know what to do. As soon as I work something out, I will let you know here on my blog. You can follow me on Twitter and find me on Facebook to get in touch and keep updated.

 

Here's the good news. My Folksy shop is as yet unaffected as they have no instant download facility. Patterns are delivered manually via e-mail and so the tax laws do not apply. You an find my popular Lindisfarne Celtic Geometry and Art Nouveau Rose patterns there, as well as others. You don't need to register with Folksy to buy anything there, you can simply pay with a credit or debit card without logging in.

 

The legislation will eventually cover ALL goods, whether they are digital or not so I need to look for alternatives. I have already found some potential long-term homes for my patterns and my plans to release new designs next year are unchanged.

 

Of course, a lot of this stress and hassle would be avoided if the EU put a reasonable threshold in place to remove the burden for sole traders and small businesses. Let's hope that 2015 brings some wisdom and common sense to those in charge (!) and I wish you all a happy, prosperous and creative year. 

 

To end with, here is a sampler I stitched a couple of years ago. I don't usually do pink so I'm not sure what came over me but I'm quite pleased with the results.

 

 

Time to Reflect

 

 

As I write this, we're just a couple of days away from the Winter Solstice, the shortest and darkest day of the year. This is always an important turning point for me as it means that the days will soon be growing longer and lighter again (very good for us stitchers!). It is always a time to reflect on the passing year and looking forward to the swiftly approaching new year. This time I have been reflecting on my first months of trading and making plans for my business in 2015.

 

I've already learned a lot about what has worked and what hasn't. I'll definitely be working to improve my photography and I will be opening a Flickr account to share more of my behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as my inspirations.

 

I'm very excited about the patterns that I'll be releasing next year. There are some Celtic designs inspired by ancient artwork; some designs inspired by the natural world, including my favourite bird, a colourful finch and his mate; there are some fun and quirky ones too. I haven't yet finalised the order in which I'll be releasing them but as soon as each one is ready, I'll be telling you about it here.

 

I'm also planning to create some one-off pieces. Not necessarily to sell but just to share my love of embroidery with like-minded people and to grow as an embroiderer. Although all of my patterns are either cross stitch or blackwork, I enjoy all kinds of embroidery and I want to make time to really enjoy the craft and learn new things. I'll be sharing my progress on Flickr when my account is set up.

 

The best thing about this year has been the contact I have had with other designer-makers on Twitter. It's lovely to know there are so many creative people out there who enjoy sharing ideas and giving each other encouragement. I am very happy to be part of this community. Working on your own at home can be difficult at times so it's good to know you're all out there.

 

You may be aware that from 1st Jan 2015, the EU have decided that anybody selling digital products to EU countries will have to pay VAT to whichever country the sale was made in. This is mainly aimed at large companies who choose to funnel their taxes through the countries with the lower rates. I have no sympathy at all with such companies and it's about time they were made to pay tax in all of the countries that they trade in. The problem however is that there is no threshold being applied so no matter how small the business, VAT will have to be paid. Businesses will also be required to collect customer data and store it for 10 years. This is extremely difficult for small businesses and will add a huge administrative burden as well as a financial one. It won't affect me as I only sell through third parties but I was planning to eventually trade independently. That will not now be possible. If you'd like to show your support for small businesses you can do so by signing this petition:

 

https://www.change.org/p/pierre-moscovici-a-unilateral-suspension-of-the-introduction-of-the-new-eu-vat-laws-for-micro-businesses-and-sole-traders

 

To end on a more cheery note, tonight I'll be watching my favourite Christmas film It's A Wonderful Life. Last year it inspired me to make an embroidered piece to hang in my room. So all that remains is to wish you all a Merry Christmas and thank you to everyone who has supported me.

 

 

 

New Pattern - Postman Butterfly

I've just put a new pattern into the shop - a stunning postman butterfly which can be found in Central and South America. There are several different sub-species which can be found in different areas. The striking colours on their wings are a warning to would-be predators that they are poisonous. Their caterpillars feed on passion flowers, as do those of various other species of butterflies and moths. The adults feed on pollen and can live for up to three months.

 

 

I worked my original design onto 32-count ivory fabric and at that scale it fits neatly into a 5-inch hoop. In time, I plan to add more butterflies to this collection but for now this is the first of my designs inspired by Victorian butterfly collections.

 

This reminds me, I have a set of butterfly patterns by one of my favourite designers Mary Hickmott which I must get round to stitching. I'm afraid it will have to wait a while yet though as I'm very busy preparing new things for the shop.

 

I hope you like the latest addition. Until next time, happy stitching!

First Sale!

You know how it is when you wake up and realise it's Monday again, especially if like today it's cold and frosty outside. My mood soon lifted when I checked into Etsy and saw that I'd made my first sale! Hurrah! It was a lovely surprise to wake up to and very interesting in several ways. Firstly, it was not the design I expected to sell first as I have others which have been more popular (in terms of favourites) and secondly it was to a man. Don't get me wrong, I know that lots of men love embroidery in all forms as a hobby and I rarely do 'girlie' designs. Yet all the attention I've had so far on Twitter and on my shop feed has been from female stitchers. It is very exciting to know my patterns appeal to both men and women.

 

So, you're wondering what was the pattern? It was (drumroll optional...) the Art Deco Bird, as featured in an earlier post. Click the link to read more about the inspiration behind it.

 

I've been very busy this month working on designs for hand-embroidered cards which I'll have on sale next year. This is partly because I love experimenting with embroidery on paper and also because I have a stack of pretty papers and card blanks that I really need to do something with. I'll have some romantic-themed cards ready in time for Valentine's Day and some nature themed cards suitable for all occasions. I'm also planning to write a tutorial about stitching on paper at some point in the near future so watch this space.

 

Until then, happy stitching!