Love Embroidery Issue 22

love embroidery FRESH IDEAS WITH THIREAD Shining stars? This issue is jam-packed with them! From the colourful crewel work motifs in this chic cushion by Jo Avery, to the tiny twinkles in Jenny Blair’s magical moth hoop, and, of course, our dazzling line-up of designers. But, the biggest star of all this month is definitely our cover cardi. Lovingly stitched by the wonderful Jenny Billingham, it’s the ultimate winter project, bringing together the cosiest of materials to work with, plus an abundance of bright florals to delve into – which are a gentle reminder that spring is just around the corner……

Outside might be chilly and grey, but we don’t care! We’re keeping things cosy this month with our favourite cardigans sprawled across our laps as we embellish them with magnificent blooms stitched up in colourful yarns and shimmering pearls. And, when we aren’t cocooned in knitwear? We’re transporting to warmer climes in Lauren Holton’s luscious tropical landscape, complete with a cascading waterfall and sunny skies. It’s the ultimate project to get lost in on cold winter days and push those needle skills to the max. There are plenty of new techniques for you to try this issue too, from sewing on cork, to transferring designs onto dark fabrics, and if you find yourself on a roll, don’t forget there are lots of free projects you can access at www.gathered.how too!…

Freshly picked Helen Wilde is the wildly talented fibre artist behind the brand Ovo Bloom, transforming blank canvases into a riot of texture and colour, and capturing nature through her unique blend of painted and hand-stitched details. You can see more of her stunning compositions at @ovobloom. www.ovobloom.com Getting started What better way to nudge someone into the world of needlework than with a starter kit from Cotton Clara? The Embroidery Starter Bundle is jam packed with kits, tools and notions to get a stitcher’s stash going, including a cheery bee kit to get making right away, a pair of snips to finish off projects with and much more. www.cottonclara.com Editor loves Scandinavian style with sustainability and ethics at its heart? Sign us up! Eka’s handmade crochet accessories and homeswares start in Sweden, with designer Gilly Seagrave,…

This issue, we’ve teamed up with the lovely folks at LoveCrafts and Paintbox Crafts to bring you an in-depth guide to stitching letters, words and phrases. From positive affirmations to customised clothing, we’ll show you how to master embroidery fonts in five word-based projects. Delve into your Embroidered Lettering book and you’ll find beginner-friendly tips to help get you started, illustrated stitch guides, full-size templates and colour guides, too. Each of the projects will also introduce you to some of the gorgeous new shades in the Paintbox Stranded Cotton range – there are 200 colours to choose from, see them all at www.lovecrafts.com. We can’t wait to see all the wonderful words and phrases you stitch up!…

For a guide to stitches and techniques turn to PAGE 64 MATERIALS • Chunky cardigan: cream• DK yarn: 20g each of aqua, blue, denim blue, soft blue, coral, light green, pistachio green, gold, pink, baby pink, rose pink, pale purple, plum, teal, yellow and mustard yellow• Water-soluble stabiliser• 4mm pearl beads: white• Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Bullion Knot, Fishbone Stitch, French Knot, Lazy Daisy Stitch, Satin Stitch, Split Stitch, Straight Stitch Striking the perfect balance between comfortable and cool, a chunky cardi is a wardrobe staple – and better still when upgraded with colourful flowers stitched in our favourite shades! Jenny shows you how to do just that with shimmering pearls and a handful of vibrant yarns (which you can substitute with 12 strands of stranded cotton if you’d prefer). 01 Transfer the motifs…

MEDIUM MOTIF 1 MAIN FLOWER Petals: Satin Stitch, blue, gold, 2 strands Centre: French Knot, soft blue, pink, 1 strand Centre decoration: pearl bead, white LEAF SPRIG Leaves: Fishbone Stitch, pistachio green, 1 strand Stem: Backstitch, pistachio green, 1 strand Veins: Straight Stitch, light green, 1 strand DOTS Dots: French Knot, rose pink, 1 strand SMALL ORANGE FLOWERS Flower: Bullion Knot, coral, 1 strand Base: Lazy Daisy Stitch, teal, 1 strand Stem: Backstitch, teal, 1 strand MEDIUM MOTIF 2 MAIN FLOWER Petals: Satin Stitch, plum, blue, 1 strand Centre half circle: Bullion Knot, pale purple, soft blue, 1 strand Centre: French Knot, baby pink, denim blue, 1 strand YELLOW BERRY SPRIG Stem: Split Stitch, light green, 1 strand Berries: French Knot, mustard yellow, 1 strand SMALL LEAVES Leaves: Lazy Daisy Stitch, teal, 1 strand LARGE FOLIAGE Leaves: Fishbone Stitch, aqua, 1 strand Stems: Backstitch, aqua, 1 strand SMALL ORANGE FLOWERS Flower: Bullion Knot, coral, 1 strand Base: Lazy Daisy Stitch,…