Bold, modern, fun.

I studied textile design at university and at school before that, so some form of stitching has been part of my work and life for a long time. Though I specialized in knitwear at university, I was always drawn to surface embellishment, rather than technical knit stitches so I enjoy combining knit and embroidery. After university I joined DMC on the free patterns project in 2016 and since then I have learnt a lot more and developed my skills more technically.

French knots - especially stitched closely together in a big clump, it creates such an amazing texture. Satin stitch - for creating dense, clean, graphic sections of color. I love how it often creates a raised effect from the fabric too. Couching stitch - a really organic and versatile stitch, I love that it can be used for both outlines and larger sections. This is a stitch I want to experiment with more going forward.

I learnt small amounts of stitching at school and university whilst studying textile design, however I am mostly self taught. I usually learn new techniques from youtube or DMC tutorials!

Other than the embroidery staples (scissors, needles, pins etc) my essentials are: - A water soluble fabric pen, for transferring my design onto fabric. - My iPad, for illustrating the designs. - My customized DMC shade card - I removed all the strips of thread from my shade card and stuck the color codes to the back of it. This way I can more easily compare and choose thread colors closer to my illustrations design, or real life inspiration! - I also really love the new DMC Eco Vita thread. I’ve always loved working with wool.

Nature is a big inspiration for my work. I take inspiration from the more obvious elements such as flowers, plants, animals etc. But I also also love the more abstract shapes and textures that you can find in nature too, such as peeling bark, water ripples in the sand, the contrasts in texture of moss or lichen growing on a tree.

My favourite design is my “Forest Lily” kit. I love the striking composition and bold colors and I also have a houseplant similar to the design, so it always reminds me of that!

Stitching has allowed me to express myself in a different way. I’m quite a shy person but I gain confidence through stitching and my work. Stitching is also so versatile, although it can be be very precise and neat, I love being able to use it more abstractly and with expressive. Stitching can feel like painting to me in that you layer colous and the brushstrokes can be like each stitch, but without the mess of painting! I also love that it can be very mobile, I can do stitching in front of the tv to keep my hands busy, or on the go whilst catching a train!