Love Embroidery

Bring on the sunshine and the extra time we can spend embroidering in it! Who else is looking forward to getting back out there with their stitching? You’ll find us sewing up a storm in our local green spaces – or maybe even at the beach! – as we make the most of the sunny weather while we can (we are in the UK, afterall). We’ve got plenty of on-trend florals to top up your inspiration this month, plus a spot of striking thread painting (hello, cover star!) and heaps of clever ideas to update your wardrobe and décor with. So, grab your threads, find a sunny spot and get ready to unwind with your fave magazine and a spot of alfresco stitching……

Get ready to stitch your brightest makes yet with this issue’s gorgeous selection of summer-inspired patterns. From fabulous flamingos and fruity table linens to on-trend beach baskets, striking portraits and escapist vistas, you’ll be stretching those stitching skills and delving into your sunniest hues to create one-of-a-kind hoops, accessories, homewares, clothes and more! And speaking of clothes, this issue comes with our exclusive 48-page guide to embroidering your own wardrobe. So, whether you fancy adding decorative details to tees and denim, or are in the mood for stitching your own pair of holiday sandals from scratch, we’ve got you covered. Now all you need to decide is which project to start first!…

In full bloom Fresh florals in our home everyday with none of the fuss? Sign us up! OK, so we’re not strictly talking about real-life flowers here, but come on, these things are the nearest thing to them with their painterly petals and sunshine-evoking colours. Ian Snow’s Daisy Bouquet cushion cover is a thing of machine-stitched beauty, with a meadow’s-worth of flowers blooming out from the centre. It’s available to buy now, along with the oh-so-fabulous Bloomingville Armchair shown (just saying)… www.iansnow.com Sun, moon & stars Designer and maker behind EmBeaRoidery, Beatrice Gessa, takes a pinch of satisfying, adds a drop of gorgeous colours and mixes them together to produce harmonious stitches for us all to enjoy. Much like this Celestial Sun hoop, which you can buy as a kit, a pre-printed pattern on…

Whatever you wear this summer, make sure it’s embroidered with our quick and easy guide to stitching on garments! From the catwalk to the high street, from charity shop finds to wardrobe staples, stitched details are tipped to be especially BIG this year, elevating even the simplest pieces of clothing into something sensational. And if you happen to stitch these details with your own fair hands? Well, the satisfaction factor is going to be even greater! In The Embroidered Wardrobe we’ll show you how to transform fashion faves like tees and jeans with modern motifs, as well as how to create a show-stopping floral collar and a pair of summer slip-ons from scratch. New to stitching? We’ve included heaps of tips and tricks from our experts to help get you…

MATERIALS • Linen fabric: 25x25cm, cream• Stranded cotton: see Notes• Embroidery hoop: 15cm diameter• Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Satin Stitch, Long and Short Stitch, Straight Stitch Delve into a seductive palette of red, pink, peach and orange to sew a breathtaking flamingo. Designer, Beth shares how to work a variation of Long and Short Stitch, worked in stages, to create the appearance of realistic feathers. Try the technique on scrap fabric first, then use your new stitches to bring this regal-looking bird to life. 01 Transfer the design from the template onto the fabric using your preferred method. We used a pencil and a lightbox. Since pencil markings aren’t erasable, make sure to stitch over the lines so they won’t be visible on the finished design. Mount the fabric in your hoop with…

HEAD Dashed lines: Straight Stitch, brick red, 2 strands Eye: Satin Stitch, black, cream, 2 strands Eye ring: Straight Stitch, grey, 2 strands Head: Long and Short Stitch, orange/light red, red, 2 strands BEAK Beak: Satin Stitch, grey, white, black, cream, light red, 2 strands Beak top: Long and Short Stitch, cream, 2 strands Beak opening outline: Backstitch, white, grey, 2 strands Nostril: Satin Stitch, grey, 2 strands Curved line: Backstitch, grey 2 strands NECK Neck: Long and Short Stitch, brick red/red, light red/red, 2 strands Neck base: Long and Short Stitch, brick red, 2 strands TAIL Tail feathers: Long and Short Stitch, peach, light peach, peach/light peach, 2 strands UNDERWING/BODY Outline: Backstitch, white, 2 strands Underwing feathers: Long and Short Stitch, peach, 2 strands WING Wing feather underside: Backstitch, brick red, 2 strands Wing feathers: Long and Short Stitch, orange/red, red, orange, light red/pink, pink, peach, light peach, 2 strands…