Free Vintage Folk Dove Embroidery

Free with orders placed from now until midnight on Friday 12th April; receive this lovely vintage Folk Dove design screen printed onto antique linen.

The design fits perfectly within a 4” hoop.

I am back from a mini break in the Lake District and preparing for a Social Stitch at my studio tomorrow. Although everyone brings their own projects to work on, I do occasionally like to hand out a little complimentary stitching project for people to work on. This month we are trialling new silk threads by stitching simple little wildflowers onto olive green linen and embroidering these little folky doves with a lovely mid-grey cotton thread.

Hello Spring!

Welcome, Spring. We have been waiting for you! (Well, I have.)

Despite having a million and twenty three things to do today, I took my notebooks and coffee into the conservatory first thing this morning for a bit of a slow start to the day.

I love our conservatory even though it is falling to bits. There is a big comfy sofa in there, lots of lovely cushions and my antique quilt collection (safely stored in an antique meat safe where I can see them folded and pretty, but out of direct sunlight). There is a little desk for when I want to paint by the window and a very shabby coffee table piled with books on all manner of subjects. It’s a lovely, relaxing and inspiring room to be in.

As I cradled my coffee cup this morning I watched the birds come and go. A pair of blue tits was checking out the accommodation I have provided and seemed to settle on the sweet pale grey property that I have put up on the old barn wall. One of them kept popping in and hammering its beak on the wall inside, which I took as a positive sign that the dwelling is satisfactory! It is in a pretty little spot right above an old ladder on which I hang galvanised steel buckets planted with trailing pink flowers in the summer. We had blue tits nesting in the same box last year and I wonder if the same family has returned. I like to think so.

A large female blackbird hopped around collecting various leaves and twigs, carrying huge beakfuls to a spot in the neighbour’s hedge which overhangs a wall in the shady part of the garden, by our swing seat. This makes me very happy as I adore baby blackbirds. They are so darned fluffy and very cute when learning to fly.

Narcissi are bobbing their heads happily and my favourites are those that are pure white with spiky petals. I planted a variety of tulips which all look set to bloom very soon and I can’t wait for the bluebells. Is there anything nicer than a walk in the bluebell woods during Spring? I have been stitching a little bluebell embroidery in my spare time and dreaming of it.

The Stitchery Seasons Spring kit was posted out to subscribers last week and the reaction has been very positive which is a huge relief! When people sign up for a surprise through their post box each month there is a huge responsibility to make sure that you meet expectations and create something that people will enjoy stitching. There are a few kits left (unfortunately without Kate’s beautiful Limited Edition packaging) over on the website now if you fancy stitching a few Springtime flowers in the sunshine. We ship everywhere and the kits are suitable for all levels. I’ll be sharing a tutorial video in the next few days too, for anyone stuck with the stitches. The kit comes with a little paper sign with ‘hello Spring’ but as the pictures above show, you could customise it with your own lettering (and words) if you prefer. Just be sure to use a removable pen and cover the marks very carefully.

Wishing everyone a happy week and a short ‘to do’ list.

Love

Nicki xxx

New Year: Take Two

You may remember that I started the new year full of hopes and plans, as I always do. In fact, I wrote about it here.

Well.

Despite loving the Winter and all of the cosiness it brings, I usually struggle with a low mood and tiredness in January and February. I thought that I could fix all of that by making lots of plans; things to look forward to. It didn’t work. Instead I felt too tired and just too low to go anywhere or do anything. Cancelling plans made me feel even worse.

January and February was mostly spent at home, wading through huge workloads which felt tougher than usual. I slept a lot, ate a lot and, in retrospect, hibernated. I felt horribly guilty, and lazy, until I went for a restorative weekend in Devon for a break away with my husband and dog. I had booked onto a watercolour workshop and, by chance, met up with a friend who was doing the same class. I told her about my impromptu hibernation and she mentioned a podcast she had been listening to called The Living Experiment. She especially recommended that I check out the podcast about Winter.

I could hug my friend for telling me about that podcast. Early the next morning, I made coffee, set up a painting table in our little holiday cottage and listened as I practised brushstrokes from the day before. The presenters talked about the necessity of resting in Winter. Taking downtime during the shorter days to recover from the busyness of Christmas but also to preserve energy and prepare for the longer days of Spring and Summer when we are naturally out and about, busy and having fun. It makes perfect sense to me. Living in alignment with the seasons.

The Slow Living movement has been on my radar for a long time now. I have been seduced, if I am honest, by the myriad of photographs on instagram showing hands cradling steaming cups of milky coffee amidst swathes of crumpled linen and piles of interesting books. I have tried to find words that resonate with me about living more intentionally but all of the articles I found seem to focus on spending less money, buying less things. Doing less.

The Living Experiment has brought everything into focus. I am a sensitive person (sometimes over-sensitive and upset easily I know) but that is why it makes absolute sense that my mood and wellbeing is sensitive to the weather, daylight and sunshine.

Talking to my yoga teacher (and all-round wellness guru) Lisa at a private class with her, I feel more comfortable with making decisions on how to have a life, and business, that suits me. I am starting to realise that I don’t need to follow the usual rules of business and, indeed, I don’t have to run my creative business in the same way that others do.

I will emerge for my own new year, henceforth, in March. With the daffodils. Next year I will actually PLAN to spend January and February at home; in my little cottage with a fire burning, my hands cradling a steaming cup of milky coffee whilst I surround myself with swathes of crumpled linen and piles of interesting books. And I won’t feel the least bit lazy, or guilty.

Nicki x

Mothering Sunday 31st March 2019

I love to buy gifts for my Mum and Mother in Law for Mother’s Day. Both Mums love flowers, gardening, perfume, body lotions and chocolates but they are also super talented women who really appreciate a handmade gift.

My Mum trained as a dressmaker in a top fashion house before I was born. She made lots of outfits for me (and matching dresses for my dollies) and went on to teach me how to sew, dressmake, cross stitch and knit. Filling my floral padded sewing box with new, brightly coloured embroidery floss was one of my earliest shopping pleasures with Mum. Way before I started to enjoy shopping in HMV and Tammy Girl!

My Mother in Law is a highly skilled shoemaker and was a college lecturer on the subject too. She has taught hundreds (maybe thousands) of people in Northamptonshire the artisan skill of shoemaking over the years and the shoes she has made or overseen have been sold by the fanciest establishments in London. The Elves and The Shoemaker was my favourite childhood book and the fact that my MIL can make a pair of shoes from scratch is amazing to me and a little bit magical.

Both women know their way around a sewing machine, blindfolded, yet they still seem to love the little gifts I make for them: small patchwork lap quilts, lavender cushions, hanging hearts and sponge bags. No matter how skilfully produced (or not), handmade gifts are always, always, best.

It isn’t too late to embroider and sew up a pretty little lavender cushion with a spring tree in blossom or a little heart garland. A little mindful sewing will mean that you can enjoy the process as much as your mum enjoys receiving your work.

Love

Nicki xx

Introducing: The Stitchery Mini Kits

Hello hello! I have been busily working away behind the scenes preparing for my spring workshops and the release of lots of lovely standalone kits. The February issue of my The Stitchery subscription goes out tomorrow and whilst the pattern and design was sent out in month one, each kit has an added little happy and relaxing surprise in; this month it is an extra little embroidery project and I am looking forward to seeing how my subscribers stitch it. Non-subscribers will be able to buy the extra little kit later in the month; I’ll let you know via the newsletter when they are available.

In the meantime, I’ve been putting together designs for a new range of mini kits. The first of which is this little watering can embroidery. The kits still contain full instructions, threads and a 10” square piece of antique linen but the design is smaller and easier/quicker to complete than my usual standalone kits. In line with the ‘mini’ theme, the packaging for these kits is also different to the usual standalone kits. Still beautiful, vintage-inspired and good for gifting they are in smaller envelopes with a simpler design.

I hope you like them as much as I do. The first kit is available as a pre-order here - pre-orders are really helpful for me as they enable me to make a more accurate estimate of how many kits I might need to produce. Please remember that anything you order at the same time as a pre-order will be despatched at the same time as the kit. If you need extra items more urgently please place a separate order.

You can order the watering can mini kit here.

The Stitchery Sampler: Our 2019 Subscription - FAQs

Last year’s subscription was so much fun that I knew very quickly that I would run another in 2019. I am so excited that the first kit is finally on its way to my lovely customers; it has felt like a long time coming. Mostly because it took me a while to decide on the right fabric for this project.

I most often stitch onto antique linen but I do love new fabric, if it’s the right quality. I pondered the benefits of both for this sampler for a long time and having trialled lots of potential fabrics I have decided on a beautiful white 100% linen which I have had professionally printed. The new linen has a lovely even weave but is still slightly slubby so it has a little texture. It presses nicely when you have finished stitching and the colour is a perfect base for the soft colours and stitches I have chosen this year. I will still use antique linens but for such a large piece of work aimed at beginners and advanced stitchers alike, it is important to have a good background that is easy to stitch into and that perfectly showcases the stitches.

I thought that I would write a quick post to answer some of the questions I’ve been receiving about the kit, whether you have subscribed or you are thinking about it, I hope the following information will be useful. Warning: it’s a long one!

I subscribed to last year’s Stitchery Journal. Will my subscription carry on for this year?

No, it’s a whole new payment process for just another 12 months. Your subscription for 2018 will have ended and no further payments will be taken. If you would like to join The Stitchery subscription this year, please do so by ordering the first kit here. (There is an option to buy the full kit up front, at a discount, if you prefer.)

I have only ordered month one. How do I pay for the other kits?

The first kit was a one-off purchase only to allow me to gauge appetite for a subscription this year. Your order has secured a place for you in the 2019 subscription, don’t worry. A subscriber button will be live here on the website next week to enable you to set up automated payments for the rest of the year. To ensure that you receive the February kit please complete the subscription before 10th February.

Why is the subscription in your shop cheaper than the paypal button?

The unit price for the kit is £25 plus £3.50 postage and packing. You will pay £28.50 per month (if you choose the instalments option) however you choose to pay; the shop listing just breaks down into unit and postage cost.

Do you ship overseas?

Yes, we ship everywhere and at a very competitive flat postage rate, however large your order.

I have never embroidered before, will I be able to do it?

Yes, yes, yes! The kits come with detailed step-by-step instructions and an annotated illustration. Subscribers also have access to my brand new channel over at Vimeo where I will upload regular tutorials and podcasts. Find me here. Be sure to follow me so that I can follow you back (we have to go through this process to enable access to content as my videos will be private). It is free to set up an account and you do not have to pay to view. I will still upload tutorials to my youtube channel and I am always happy to help via DM or email if you get really stuck.

How does it work on a monthly basis if I already have the whole pattern in month one?

You will be given the backing linen in month one, pre-printed with the entire alphabet that we will stitch this year. The pattern is vague, however, and whilst you can see where the various blooms or stems are placed you will not know until each month which colours and stitches we will use. The sampler is a riot of English Country Garden flowers in a soft, muted, but quite colourful palette.

Each quarter (March, June, September and December) you will receive bonus patterns and printed linen for a few small floral motifs that will complement the letter designs and enable you to build a collection of designs that you can use however you fancy. Those who have completed the full year will receive a detailed pattern for the lower case alphabet and numbers 0-9 with their December kits, giving a whole host of design opportunities for future gifts and decorative homewares.

What sewing tools do I need for the Alphabet Sampler? What size hoop do you recommend?

The kit comes with the linen and threads that you need to complete the stitchery. You will need a basic sewing kit to include a small pair of very sharp embroidery scissors, a selection of hand-sewing needles (I often use crewel needles because they have a larger than usual eye) and an embroidery hoop. I use wooden embroidery hoops with a screw but find one that suits you best. If you use a wooden hoop then, for a project of this size, I recommend wrapping both the inner and outer hoops with a natural coloured cotton tape. This helps to keep the fabric taut in your hoop and can prevent staining from the wood.

I always recommend the smallest hoop you can find. I prefer a 4” or 5'“ hoop; occasionally I will use a 6” hoop but any larger and I feel all fingers and thumbs. I also find that the fabric slackens very quickly. Embroidery hoops are inexpensive to buy and so it is worth having a selection to experiment with. The size of the sampler means that, whichever size hoop you use, you will need to move it around the fabric as you work. My favourite brand for quality sewing needles and scissors is Bohin. I keep a good stock of materials in my online haberdashery and at my studio in Castle Ashby if you are close enough to pop in.

If you have any questions please drop me a message and I’ll make sure I update this post. I am so looking forward to stitching with you this year!

Credits:

Thank you so much to Kate Nicole at Oyster Bridge & Co who has, as always, produced beautiful delicate calligraphy for my Sampler together with the Stitchery Logo suite. Lucy Hopcraft at Three Six Five pulled together the design, branding and managed print work. They are basically a dream team to work with.

The pattern designs, text, illustrations and watercolours throughout these monthly kits are all my own work.

All rights reserved. Copyright Nicki Franklin 2019.

A New Year with ice skating, tidy hair and ribbon embroidery

Happy happy new year! In all honesty I am still struggling to get into the swing of ‘normal’ life after a lovely Christmas break.

We worked our bottoms off up to Christmas and spent the festivities in a light fug of exhaustion. We did manage to escape for a delightful break in the Lake District where we walked, ate, read and knitted (well, I did) in a gorgeous little hotel my friend discovered earlier in the year within Beaxtrix Potter’s old stomping ground.

I remember eating lots of chocolates, binge watching Killing Eve (oh my gosh, LOVED it), reading lots of books and knitting several rows of my little cotton blanket. An entire bottle of violet gin may have been consumed too.

I did spend a lot of time thinking about the year that was and the new year ahead of me. I love this time of year for exactly that; filling out empty planners, diaries and calendars. Considering the things I’d love to achieve this year and how to go about it… So much possibility and opportunity, it’s dizzying.

Over the last few years I have tried to make my new resolutions happy ones, or I at least phrase them positively. So this year as well as eating more vegetables and protein, having tidy hair, learning to ice skate and mastering calligraphy I am going to conquer ribbon embroidery.

I have dabbled with ribbons, reasonably successfully, but never gave it the time and focus to develop any skill in it. Having found the loveliest teacher I am filled with enthusiasm and she is coming to The Stitchery Studio in February to run a beginners class. If you fancy joining in, you can book here too. All I am going to say is: ribbons. Beautiful silk ribbons.

You can check out Tanya’s work here and the pictures in this post show my floral heart garland design that Tanya converted to ribbon embroidery. So gorgeous, delicate and so textural. Hope you can join us.

In the event of another Beast from the East then the workshop will be re-arranged for a mutually convenient date so please don’t let the potential weather put you off. We will be cosy and warm in my light and bright studio for the day.

Christmas Embroidery Kits at The Stitchery

I have been watching Christmas films (well basically Little Women on repeat), singing Christmas hymns loudly (with lots of muffled mumbles when I don’t know the words) and I have had my first Christmas Costa cup (a hazelnut praline latte which was yummers). For my first Christmas at The Stitchery I have created two embroidery kits for you to stitch at home.

The Vintage Christmas Wreath is elegant and understated featuring a wreath of dark red roses and poinsettia flowers. Full instructions are given in the kit and a youtube tutorial will be published at the beginning of December. The wreath is finished with a white antique linen bow. It is my favourite handmade Christmas decoration this year.

The Carol Singers Embroidery Kit is a fun and easy piece to stitch using mostly split stitch. The colour palette is fresh and modern. I like this a lot, it was so enjoyable to stitch.

Festive embroideries are so lovely to work on when you need a little downtime over the busy holiday period. Whether you stitch the designs to decorate your home or as a gift for a loved one, taking the time to slow down and stitch helps you to savour the season and enjoy the little moments that make Christmas so special; things that are often overlooked when we rush through our to-do lists.

These embroideries are beautiful framed but could also be made into little cushions, lavender bags or used to adorn the front of a project or gift bag. I have used my embroideries to decorate journal covers and adorn apron pockets. There are so many possibilities! You can buy here via my online shop and I ship worldwide.

Nicki X

Festive Photographs, Peanut Butter with Jam and a Very Cross Lady

It is late Friday afternoon and dusk is falling. I have just got home from the studio and my first job was to set about the business of switching on the lamps, fairy lights and lighting candles. I am about to put a match to the fire too; it has turned really chilly today. Having made myself a coffee I found a couple of stashed (and forgotten) squares of milk chocolate in the fridge. So that’s a high note for the end of the week!

I have had the cosiest week. I have been feeling a little under the weather with what feels like the onset of a cold and it has really forced me to slow down. I’ve worked from home for most of the time, often next to the woodburner in the kitchen. There has been some online training, lots of stitching and lots of planning! I am pleased to have finalised my embroidery workshops for the Stitchery Retreat which is in just three weeks! We have five days in Cornwall; one day at the Cowslip Christmas fair, another out for Sunday lunch and three lovely hyggelig days of embroidery workshops. I have planned three exclusive kits for everyone and I am really looking forward to it.

I have also taken a few festive photographs this week. Loosely translated this means that I have tripped over fairy light wires more times than I care to mention, made countless cups of coffee in Father Christmas mugs and rummaged about in the garden in my nightdress and birkenstocks looking for Rosemary, Ivy and Holly and anything remotely ‘Christmassy’. (It did not yield much.)

So I thought I would share my photos with you here on the blog. My Christmas kits are in production and I have an anniversary kit coming out in mid-December to round up a year of The Stitchery Journal. I love the Gift Vouchers that I have produced with Three Six Five Design and Oyster Bridge & Co. So beautiful. You can buy them here.

In the spirit of a weekly round-up, this week I have also:

• Started my Christmas shopping. For myself. Haha. So far, Father Christmas will be delivering a beautiful pair of Victoriana lace-up ankle boots, a pale rose cashmere sweater and a festive set of gorgeous fine silk embroidery threads (don’t worry I got some thread for you too).

• Finished two books; The Wisdom of Sally Red Shoes and The Woolly Hat Knitting Club. Both very cosy reads.

• Eaten three peanut butter and strawberry jam sandwiches. One of which was rustled up at the ungodly hour of 2am when I couldn’t sleep for my rumbling tum.

• Smothered my face nightly with an eye-wateringly expensive cream (Cult 51) which so far appears to be making no difference whatsoever.

• Tried to rescue a very cross lady who was knocked off her push bike by a DPD driver right outside the studio. (I think she was cross because she was knocked over. Who wouldn’t be. She was fine but her bike which “cost thousands of pounds and isn’t even my best bike” had a few scratches. I offered her a cup of tea and the use of my loo (which she crossly declined) and went inside for a cherry bakewell and a cup of tea to get over the shock. It is really scary to hear a van screech to a halt right by your window!

The weekend beckons and I have too many plans and not enough time. Lizzie is skipping about by my feet reminding me that it is her dinner time and Andrew will be home soon for a glass of wine and Killing Eve. What a lush day!

Have a great weekend, thanks for reading.

Love

Nicki xxx

Hips, Haws, Sloes and Blackberries

The Stitchery Studio Autumn Wreath

Such a beautiful time of year; September to New Year's Eve is my very favourite. 

So many cosy, lovely things to do and see.  Walking through the countryside at the moment is blissful.  The days are comfortably warm, the hedgerows and trees laden with fruit.  So much colour; beautiful muted pinks and greens of slowly ripening fruit contrasts with the vivid orangey red of rosehips and the jewel-like deep purples of blackberries and elderberries.

So much inspiration; for drawing, painting, stitching and applique.  I have been working on a few Autumnal pieces - a beautiful bramble wreath for a forthcoming workshop at the Rosehip Farmhouse and a more muted wreath of seedheads which will be released as a standalone kit very soon.  

I am enjoying the cooler weather at last, particularly at night time, but so appreciate the still-warm sunshine during the day.  Still perfect temperatures for taking a coffee outside, wearing sandals and sunglasses.

I always feel so inspired at this time of the year that I feel almost panicky that there aren't enough hours or days for me to get everything done.  I have dug out my Cali Cozy quilt kit from Alicia Paulson and plan to start piecing the top this weekend (after a little brocanting and brunching, of course).  I am trying to balance my desire to savour the present seasons with the necessity of planning for forthcoming seasons.  I have been working on Christmas plans for a few weeks now and whilst I am excited to launch Christmas workshops I am loath to move on too quickly and miss the onset of Autumn in all her glory.

The concept of new beginnings has been overused in social media but I am totally on board with the fresh start that September brings; squeaky new school shoes and all.

Have a wonderful week and thanks for reading. 

Nicki xx

PS if you can make it to Suffolk and would like to join us for a blissful day of wreath embroidery then you can book here.  There are still spaces available. These are my last workshops at the very special Rosehip Farmhouse as the family is moving next month.  Very exciting for them but I am sure tinged with a little sadness to be moving on. 

Watering Can Embroidery

This weekend I was due to teach a little embroidery class at the Dorset Brocante.  I had romantic plans to sit in a beautifully sunny garden underneath a pop-up gazebo (for shade) sipping tea and stitching with a group of lovely women.  Unfortunately the weather had other plans and it simply wasn't the weather for gazebo stitch parties.  

I had prepared a little embroidery kit for my stitchers in advance of the brocante; it was my last nod to summer... A tiny painted watering can planted with a waterfall of palest pink flowers sitting on a patch of late forget-me-nots...

I may make the design into an 'official' kit in the spring next year but I think it is nice for my workshop attendees to have something special all for themselves to stitch.

I spent my unexpected day off wisely. I haven't taken any time just to be at home for a long while and so I pottered around the house, drinking good coffee, reading (Close to Home by Cara Hunter; so far so good) and preparing to go back to art school next Friday.  I bought a new paint palette and spent an enjoyable hour choosing colours, putting them in order and squeezing them into their little wells. I labelled the wells and made a little chart to keep inside the palette too.  

I felt like painting a little something small and quick. When I was in Norfolk recently I bought myself a little book of blank watercolour postcards.  The perfect size to ward off 'the fear of the blank page' and so I had a little practise at painting my embroidery.  I often do little watercoloured sketches when I am coming up with design ideas but I haven't worked this way round before.  I feel inspired to try to paint watercolours of my other pieces; just for my journal.  Of course I will share them with you here too, since you're such a kind and supportive bunch! 

It was the loveliest day and I felt refreshed to start a busy week at work.  I have a Social Stitch group on Saturday here at the studio and I want to get the place ship shape before everyone arrives. 

Enjoy this last week of August and the last days of the school holidays. 

Love

Nicki x

Pixie Workshop at The Stitchery Studio

I am so excited; I have just listed the first 'guest tutor' workshop at The Stitchery, with Christina Hamilton (who you will know as Nina @ninalovesorange on instagram). 

Nina is the sweetest, most gentle lady, and so it is no surprise that the pixie peg dolls she creates are so delicate and ethereal.  It promises to be a super-relaxing day with like-minded individuals.  I will be on hand during the day to serve tea and help Nina; I will also be able to share some embroidery ideas for the dresses if you would like to include a rosebud here and there.  Our little pixies will be wearing linen dresses - perfect to embellish with vintage fabric, stamps, papers and tiny little stitches.  There is no experience necessary, beginners are welcome.  If you'd like to join us please book here. 

Lots of love

Nicki xx

Sunshine, Stitching and Swimming

Is this the longest summer ever? It certainly feels like it.  Having been born in the winter of 1976 following the last lengthy UK heatwave, I often joke that I was 'cooked' on a high temperature hence my penchant for hot weather.  However, now I'm not so sure.  It is taking me a million time longer (approx) to do anything, I cannot go anywhere without an electric fan switched on full and I am more short-tempered than I care to admit. 

There have been many more highs than lows to this summer: 

• Escaping to Center Parcs, the second that school broke up, with my gorgeous nieces.  We swam, ate ice cream and took long walks every single day.  It was bliss.  One of my favourite sounds is the laughter of my nieces and there was a lot of it that week (particularly when my husband emerged from the bathroom in my sister's skirted swimming costume).
• A happy Social Stitch day with some lovely Stitchery ladies.  We chatted, ate pavlova and scones and even managed a stitch or two! 
• Bike rides to the park.
• Tiny spools of antique embroidery silk in their original box. 
• Detours to collect Friday flowers on the way to work every week from a keen local gardener (made even more wonderful with a lovely little drive to pick them up).
• Raspberry gin with lots of ice.
• Peter Rabbit on DVD.  (I love Rose Byrne in Bridesmaids but as Beatrix Potter she is perfect.  Coveting her house and wardrobe.)
• Cold showers with rose-scented foam before bed.
• Homemade scones with clotted cream and rose petal jam.
• Mamma Mia HWGA at the cinema with sister and eldest niece.  
• Rediscovering the gentle Miss Read Fairacre novels. 
• Actually fancying salad.
• A unicorn paddling pool, two squealing girls and a bucket holding 250 water bombs.
• My calm, white, studio with air conditioning unit and delicious Deli millionaire shortbread on days when I need to catch up on writing jobs.
• Sleeping under a thin antique quilt to the relaxing whirr of an electric fan.
• Eating out almost daily because it is TOO HOT to cook.
• Golden Retriever play dates, crochet and watermelon feta salad with my bestie.
• My favourite Maxibon ice cream sandwiches in stock at our local supermarket.
• Spotify Summer playlists on repeat.
• Dinner, antiquing and happy chats with lovely new friends.
• Cool linen Son de Flor frocks, Saltwater sandals in candy colours and floppy Gil Fox sunhats.

A lot to be cheerful about, all in all! So good to reflect on the happy times this summer.

There a full pipeline for The Stitchery this August and heading into the Autumn.  I have just launched my Floral Heart Garland embroidery kit (pre-order here) and I am looking forward to attending the Dorset Brocante on bank holiday Monday.  I will be holding workshops in a pretty white gazebo in the gardens of West Dean, selling my kits and sewing supplies.  There are a few spaces left in the afternoon session if you fancy joining us (book here).  We will be stitching little floral wreaths to be made into lavender bags (or for you to frame if you don't like lavender). I can't wait; the Brocante is always so lovely. 

On Saturday 1st September I will have my first Social Stitch session (book here) .  The Social Stitch will happen generally on the first Saturday of every month and you can book your space now until the end of the year if you wish.  From 1st September I will also be opening my little studio for visitors on Tuesday to Friday each week.  If you live nearby and want to collect your order, stock up on sewing supplies then please come and say hello.  I'll be open from 10am - 4pm Tuesday to Thursday and 9am - 12pm on a Friday.  

I am going to be blogging much more frequently now (I promise) so please keep popping by for news, event updates and youtube tutorials.

See you soon, with lots of love.

Nicki xx

Catch-up on The Stitchery Journal

The Stitchery Journal is a year-long embroidery project, aimed at both beginners and advanced stitchers.  There are youtube tutorials here for all of the projects and each pattern is loosely designed according to the month in the UK.  

The year started with a dried hydrangea wreath and we've stitched floral hearts, daffodils, tulips and a little window box to name just a few.

The Stitchery Journal was always intended to be just a 12-month project and so the last kit will be sent (with a little extra surprise pattern!) on 12th December.  As we move into July, I'm starting to think about my designs for Christmas and the New Year and so it makes sense for me to have a break from compiling and sending Journal kits.  New subscribers will still be welcome throughout the year but the catch-up patterns for January-July will only be available to buy until the end of July here.  Use the drop-down box within the listing to add multiple months of stitchery patterns.

Journals will be a regular stock item well into the new year.  I think they are useful for all types of embroidery and mixed media work, but I want to make sure that they are still available for those people who joined the stitchery subscription but didn't initially want the accompanying journal. 

The Stitchery Journal subscription has attracted an incredible community on instagram - all of the participants are friendly and supportive.  We use a couple of hashtags to share our work (#thestitchery and #thestitcheryjournal) and so many people have made good friendships through their love of embroidery with other stitchers.  It has been so uplifting to witness.  I've made good friends of my own through the subscribers too.  

If you would like to have a go at stitching but don't fancy the commitments associated with a subscription kit, I have started to release a range of standalone kits which can be ordered here. All of the kits have the linen and thread required to complete the project and there are accompanying youtube tutorials to help you to stitch them too. 

I really hope to see you on our Stitchery journey and I'm looking forward to sharing my plans for the 2019 Stitchery subscription kits which will be another exciting and beautiful collaboration with Kate at Oyster Bridge & Co. 

Happy stitching!

Love

Nicki x

Embroidery Kits, Sunshine and Workshops

There is so much going on at The Stitchery at the moment that it is taking real effort to heed my own advice and slow down... 

The thing is, I have met SO many wonderful, like-minded, people through my work that it is hard not to be super enthusiastic and excited.  I have to set my alarm to remind myself to go home!  The studio is most definitely my happy place and Andrew (my husband) loves coming here too. 

(How lovely is this Castle Ashby map that Kate drew for me!  If you could see the scraps and sketches she was given to work from you'd be even more impressed.  Kate is an absolute creative genius and I want to be her when I grow up.)

We are working hard on collating the June subscription kits at the moment and they will despatch on Monday.  I am in love with the summer designs for the subscription kits; fresh, delicate florals with pretty colour palettes.  I am excited for people to receive them! 

I realise that not everyone likes the mystery and commitment of a subscription service so I've been working with brand designer Lucy Hopcraft and artist Kate Nicole to come up with some beautiful standalone kits that you can basically buy off the shelf.  Kate provides all of the lovely handmade folders for my embroidery workshops and I wanted the new kit design to incorporate that.  I'm really happy with the kits that we've put together and the first ones will be landing on doormats early next week.  You can order yours here.  Perfect little stitcheries for yourself to work on but I think they will also make the most lovely gifts.  I have a small range of my favourite haberdashery items for sale in the studio which will be available online soon, so maybe a one-stop shop for a present for that creative friend of yours? 

I have finalised my plans to attend the Dorset Brocante in Dean's Court on August Bank Holiday Monday and the Christmas Fair at the Larmer Tree Gardens on 30th November and 1st December.  I'll be selling my kits and haberdashery but also holding a few workshops too.  I so enjoyed my time at the Dorset Brocante last month so I am really looking forward to the next fairs.  Really hope you can come to see me.   If Dorset is a bit too far, I have published a couple of summer workshops here at the studio too - we will be stitching pretty floral heart garlands to make into lavender cushions (or frame if you're not keen on lavender).  Lots to look forward to.   If you fancy coming along to a workshop either at the studio or the Dorset Brocante then please book here. 

I hope that everyone is having a wonderful week and enjoying the warm weather.  It feels like such a treat to have G&T in the sunshine after a long day, surrounded by the roses in the garden (which are so good this year!). 

Lots of love

Nicki xx

Calligraphy by Kate Nicole, Oyster Bridge & Co 

Workshops at The Stitchery Studio

I love having people to come and stitch with me at my studio.   

I love making up the kits and preparing the linen. 

Love seeing confidence build and friendships being made. 

I love sharing inspiration and feeling inspired too by the women who join me. 

I love planning lunch, baking cakes and arranging my shelves so that my supplies look artistic and inspiring. 

Love sharing new finds and favourite makers.  

I held my very first workshop on Saturday with another yesterday.  Despite me being overly optimistic about the number of people I could comfortably seat and cater for I think it all went really well and I so enjoyed making it a happy day.  I can't wait for the next one.  Come and join me - workshop dates are always published here and I'll be releasing new dates and new patterns soon. 

If you can't join me for a workshop then on a few days a month I'll be holding social stitch groups.  These will mostly be Saturdays but I'll open on other days for those who aren't free on a weekend.  Just bring your latest project and something for your lunch and come to work with a group of like-minded people for the day.   And if you're passing and the sign says I'm open then knock on the door and have a cuppa with me. I'd love to see you.  

My gorgeous stitched letter from my friend Penny at  The Embroidery Bird.   These are available to commission as wedding/new home gifts or any other special occasion.  Plump with fragrant lavender and stitched onto antique linen.  Heart eyes!

Gifts and cards from my lovely stitching friends.  I am so lucky to meet these people. Kindness beyond words.

Have a great week, 

love

Nicki xx

The Stitchery Studio

It has been a super exciting weekend for me - I got the keys to my new studio on the beautiful Castle Ashby estate just five minutes from my home. 

I have been self-employed for nearly three years now and during that time I have been working from home.  It has been a bit of a challenge for me, to be honest.  I like 'going out' to work; I like the change of scenery, driving with the radio on and the routine that working offsite provides.  I am too easily distracted to work from home full-time!  Our house has been pretty messy, with boxes piled high in the spare room and the dining table is rarely clear.  All of the components for The Stitchery* are made and compiled in-house and it soon became apparent that I needed more space in which to work.  Finding the studio felt like fate, it hadn't been advertised and the current tenant was going to be out at the end of the month.  

I have been popping along to the unit every so often to measure spaces and drop off furniture but to finally have the keys this weekend and be able to start painting is so exciting!  We are going to be working really hard over the next two weeks to get the place ready to welcome visitors.  The downstairs space will be a working studio and shop; upstairs is room for me to work.  There is a little kitchen downstairs so that I can offer my visitors tea and cake, and a tiny WC.  I will share pictures as I decorate but think gorgeous old chippy furniture, tiny drawers filled with old lace and buttons, and handmade soft furnishings.   It is a lovely light and bright space so I am going to dress the windows with simple pelmets hiding roller blinds.  The furniture and accessories have been bought from independent businesses where possible and other makers whose work I love.  

My plan is to work there every day Monday to Friday and I will be holding a Stitch Club on Saturday mornings for people who want to bring their current WIPs and have a bit of a natter.  Any stitching goes - crochet, patchwork, embroidery, knitting... just a nice drop-in social session.  I will post more details here when we're up and running.   I will hold my workshops at the studio (don't worry if you have booked to come to the house, it is a stone's throw from my home) and I plan to have a few shopping events and embroidery taster sessions too.  

The studio is opposite a lovely country pub called The Falcon which is currently undergoing work to become a boutique hotel.   It should be open this summer and the plans for it sound wonderful.  There is a rural shopping area at Castle Ashby with deli, cafe, gift shop and home interiors store, amongst others, plus a pottery studio (which I am personally very happy about, desperate to try a bit of hand built pottery). 

If you haven't visited the gardens at Castle Ashby before you are in for a treat.  I plan to spend a lot of time there; so much inspiration for art and embroidery.  The Orangery is very special indeed, built in 1872 with a heavenly central pond.  The house is occupied, I think, by the owner Lord Northampton and not generally open to visitors but there is a  walled garden tearoom and plant shop with a play area for children.  

I can't wait to share more and hope you'll join me for the next stage of my journey.  Working for the bank seems so long ago.  In the meantime I am working hard preparing the gorgeous March boxes, putting together catch-up kits and making journals.   We've had very bad (beautiful) snow this week which has rather thwarted our attempts to make good progress with the decorating so we are bringing in the big guns (mum and dad) during the week to help get it sorted!  My family has given me so much support and physical help with The Stitchery, I am very lucky to have them.  Thankful too that dad took early retirement! 

Have a wonderful week and enjoy the last of the snow, friends.  Spring will be here before we know it and these magical, sparkling days will be a distant memory.

Love

Nicki x

* If you haven't heard of The Stitchery, check it out here.  It isn't too late to join; catch-up kits are available and we are still able to make journals to order.  

Pure Silk Thread

I am sampling threads and *dying* to start stitching with this gorgeous pure silk. 

Cool but spring-like colours on this cold winter day.  Beautiful. 

Embroidery for Beginners

I've had the most lovely start to my week; I held the last of my Winter workshops here at my cottage, The Little Green Door.

For the classes, I designed this little winter sampler to incorporate some of the basic stitches that I regularly use in my work.  I love the colour palette with its tiny lazy daisy leaves, pale pink ranunculus and white snowberries. 

Sometimes I can't quite believe that my work has moved in such a different direction.  Having worked in publishing and banking for more than 20 years it is so refreshing to now spend my days drawing, stitching and making up packages of pretty antique fabrics.  I have been sitting around my kitchen table this week teaching the most lovely group of women, serving cake and listening to stories from so many interesting, cosy, lives.  Sharing my love for the gentle pass-time of stitching.  I couldn't help but think of the contrast between corporate meetings, wearing a suit and heels, carrying laptop bags, minuting discussions about LIBOR and drawdown dates. 

So here I am today, tidying up the leftover cake (*dabs mouth with napkin*) and threads, planning patterns and colours for the spring workshops starting on Monday 19th March.   I will be teaching a series of little flowers, shrubs and foliage which can be stitched simply, on their own, or incorporated in larger pieces of work such as wreaths, containers, garden borders and meadows.  If you fancy coming along to a workshop you can book here or sign up to my newsletter here for advance notification of classes.

I've been catching up on admin today and this afternoon I am going to work on a piece for my grandmother before I finish off one final commission.   I have a few busy days ahead of me  - I'm going to be trawling the country collecting furniture and packing up my workroom.... I'm on the move!  Cannot wait.

I will leave you with a pretty little pixie who came to my class this Monday with her gorgeous creator, Christina.  Both arrived in a soft scented cloud of delicate perfume and blush pink knitwear; I was rather taken with both of them upon sight.  (I bought Juliet via the @cr_auction account on instagram where Maria of Sugar and Spice Furnishings raises money for cancer research selling donated items from very talented makers and small businesses).

Gorgeous peg doll pixie in acorn cap by @ninalovesorange (instagram)

Nicki 

x

The Stitchery Journal: a monthly subscription

The idea for The Stitchery came about after a chat at a friend's house over a few cups of tea and a packet of Extremely Chocolatey Biscuits. 

Mimi and I are both keen crafters with a particular love of contemporary embroidery in pretty, muted, colours.  We share a passion for slubby, heavy, antique linen, faded floral cottons and timeworn trimmings that tell a story.  Usually the more frayed and tatty the better.

We both had lots of little linen scraps in our workboxes embroidered with dainty little floral designs and we weren't sure what to do with them.  We bought gorgeous handmade paper journals (more on those another time) which inspired us to create a rough linen scrapbook in which to display our work.  

We knew it was something that our creative friends would love and that it would lend itself well to a monthly subscription.  And so, The Stitchery Journal was born! 

Each month you will receive an exclusive embroidery pattern with full instructions, the base linen on which to stitch and the all of the threads required to complete the work.  There will be suggestions for beginner stitches and instructions for more advanced stitches, depending on your ability and personal taste.  There will also be a small package of embellishments which you might like to use to decorate your work.  We like to call them Fripperies.  A wisp of beautiful old lace, a scrap of faded floral fabric, a handmade button.... The items each month in each box will be slightly different because the truly special thing about The Stitchery is that we will only be using handmade, antique or vintage materials.  (Apart from the threads which will be new and, importantly, colour-safe.)

Mimi has worked in the antiques trade for more than 25 years and I have been stitching, on and off, since the age of 7 when my great-grandmother would come to see us with a bag of Mint Imperials and a paper-thin embroidery transfer for me to stitch.  In readiness for our launch, Mimi has been up in the wee hours, scouring markets and fairs looking for beautiful fabrics and fripperies.  I have been scribbling in my workroom drawing up pretty little designs and doing sample stitches. 

The branding just had to be done by Kate Nicole of Oyster Bridge & Co.  If you haven't seen Kate's work before, she is a truly talented artist with a delicate aesthetic that is especially popular on the antiques scene.  Her fine penmanship harks back to a time of neatly calligraphed love letters and secret diaries.  We were delighted when Kate agreed to contribute to The Stitchery and some months you will find that your little package of fripperies includes a small handcrafted token by Kate. 

We all need a bit of downtime, to relax and be comfortable.  There are few things more comforting than crafting by the fire with your favourite drink and something soothing on the radio.  We hope that participating in The Stitchery Journal will encourage you to carve out time for yourself each week.  Each embroidery design fits neatly onto a piece of A5 sized linen and the journal (sold separately here) is slightly larger than A5 so that you can easily hand-sew your embroidery to the pages.  The finished journal, next Christmas, will contain all of your embroideries in one beautiful book; a lovely family heirloom.

We will share progress and ideas via our hashtag on social media #thestitcheryjournal and there will be instructional films on youtube to help you work the stitches you are struggling with.  If you are feeling sociable, we will be organising quarterly gatherings in central locations so that we can all meet up for a few hours, bring our work and share inspiration and skills over a cup of tea. 

Availability is limited for The Stitchery due to the nature of the materials that we source - antiques can't be bought in bulk!  Pop over to join in here.