As a lover of all things textiles, and having tried my hand at most major forms of stiching, I do from time to time get a chance to sit down and do some embroidery. I love embroidery because I love the fine detail you can create. Many people think that because I design the things I make myself, I wouldn't enjoy following patterns or kits, but I find you can learn so much from following others, and this in turn can improve your own designs. It is also very relaxing and helps you to improve your technique because you don't have to focus on the design.
My favourite embroidery kits are those made by a company called Rowandean. This family run company takes inspiration from the countryside to produce wonderful sewing kits. What makes their kits unique is their use of texture. In addition to the usual embroidery threads, they use wools, fabric and beads to create texture in their pieces. The kits also often incorporate the use of a frame around the picture which is embroidered as well. The stitches used create texture in the pieces, for example like like to use French knots quite often for flowers and tree leaves.
I love the Rowandean designs because I find nature and countryside inspiring. I love bright, bold prints when I'm making clutch bags for my shop, so this might seems like a contrast or contradiction in tastes, but I do love many things and many styles.
As with most things that aren't for my shop, they are often started and not finished! But I am determined to get them finished eventually as they will look fantastic on the wall. Check out the Rowandean website to see what the completed kits look like. I will post pictures of mine when they are finally finished, but it might take a few months!
She took me to one of the best bead shops I've ever been to. It's called Lebeado, and there is one in Durham and Covent Garden too. I was really pleased to see the shop was very busy, and it was nice to see people sitting in the shop making necklaces and bracelets, such a vibrant, crafty atmosphere.
After that we ventured into the Northumberland countryside, so peaceful and green. I love the countryside, it's where I feel happiest. We thought we were going to run out of petrol at one point! We couldn'd find a petrol station for miles, and when we did find one it had closed at one o'clock, on a Saturday! That's the charm of the countryside! We eventually found one so all was well.
