Happy New Year

Hello everyone

Happy New Year! Hope that you had a wonderful festive season and that 2023 brings everything you hope for. The shop is open and there are a few new items and changes to start off the new year, so read on:

Majestic Kudu.

For fans of Whitework with colour, there is a extraordinary new pattern available – the Majestic Kudu. The male Greater kudu is a large antelope found in mixed scrub woodland acacia, and mopane bush in eastern and southern Africa. The male kudu is distinguished by it’s large twisted horns. Kudu horns have spirals, which allow them to spar by interlocking horns. The males then proceed to shove and twist until one opponent is knocked off balance and thrown down. It is not uncommon for kudus to be found with locked horns, even in death.

This pattern is available as a PDF download and there is an optional iron on transfer. The pattern is level Intermediate, so would be helpful if you had some previous experience with Whitework. I have used Japanese Cosmo threads for this pattern as they had exactly the shades of smokey blue and green that I wanted (I love the way they contrast so beautifully with the white). However, there are DMC substitutes listed for each Cosmo shade, so you could use either.

Japanese Cosmo Threads

I have been working closely with Cosmo Lecien in Japan over the last year to help launch their stunning range of stranded cottons globally. I absolutely love their range of colours which are presented in a comprehensive range of light to dark shades, which as you know I use extensively in my Needlepainting and Whitework designs.

In 2022 I was commissioned by Cosmo Lecien to design introductory thread packs.  I designed these packs of co-ordinated shades to achieve a smooth gradation of shading for any embroidery project where shading is required, specifically  Needlepainting.

In October 2022 they launched 3 packs of colour, (shown below) as a trial. At the Needlework Expo in Japan, the complete stock was purchased by a distributor in the USA, so they are currently producing more stock and have added another three packs of colour. I will be selling these 6 packs in the shop, which will be available as soon as I receive stock, hopefully by February 2023.

Iron on transfers

The iron on transfer packs have been given a make over and are now compiled by theme. You can purchase a pack for each pattern collection, which will make it easier for you to see which patterns are available for each transfer pack. If you click on PATTERNS INCLUDED IN FLOWER COLLECTION a new page will open with all the flower & butterfly patterns included in this collection, as shown below. The same applies for each transfer pack.

Each time a new pattern is released, there will be an individual iron on transfer available for that pattern for a few months, but it will also be added to the relevant transfer pack. So if you had previously purchased the Birds transfer pack (for example) you can purchase the new pattern as a single transfer to add to your collection.

Please take note that the iron on transfer packs do not include the pattern instructions – these can be purchased separately as a PDF digital download. This is clearly stated in the description for each iron on transfer but often is confused as including the pattern.

What’s in the shop?

There are hundreds of PDF patterns. When you purchase a PDF pattern you can purchase the embroidery linen ,cotton fabric and iron on transfers for each pattern, but you will need to provide your own hoop/frame, needles and threads to stitch the pattern. These are all listed in the pattern instructions and there is a list of recommended online stores that carry stock for your convenience.

I do not sell kits due to the fact that I have to import the threads into South Africa and it is not always possible to maintain the stock of thread needed for each design. The threads I use which are mainly DMC and Anchor are available online worldwide and it is more cost effective for you to purchase these in your country of origin, or if you are a seasoned embroiderer you may already have these in your stash.

Inspirations Studios – Some of my designs have been licensed to Inspirations Studios and are available as kits.

Specialized thread collections are available whilst stocks last and from time to time I offer my original embroideries for sale. Please note that some items are currently out of stock, but on the way.

What’s on your site?

When you get a moment have a good browse on my site – there is a plethora of information on embroidery that you may have missed. It is a one stop resource for everything you need to know about Needlepainting and Whitework.

Till next time, wherever you are in the world, keep smiling and happy stitching!

Trish