Love Embroidery Issue 62

love Embroidery FRESH IDEAS WITH THREAD Do you have a favourite stitch? In this issue we are revisiting some of the most useful and beautiful techniques in the LE library – and falling in love with them all over again! Like the satisfyingly smooth Satin Stitch used to create this pretty little Valentine’s Day envelope by Jessie Newton, and the tactile clusters of French Knot hearts that are bursting out from it (p29). We’ve also got a gorgeous new Stitch-along for you to try by the brilliant Julie Stuart (aka Clever Poppy) on p33, and of course our leading lady 3D hair portrait hoop by Rachael Dobbins on p14, which will stretch and delight your stitching skills in equal measure. Enjoy!…

After a well-earned break, the LE team are back and ready to shake things up! After all, a new year, calls for a new palette and we're kicking off 2025 with a romantic mix of pretty pinks, laid-back lilacs, cute corals and buttery yellow hues. These fresh shades are just what you need to fill your hoops (and hearts) with the promise of spring, and whip up our incredible 3D hairstyle hoop cover star. We know how much you all enjoy sewing these realistic hairdos, and Rachael Dobbins, the talented stitcher behind this issue’s stunning portrait, is well-known for creating luscious locks with thread, so who better to learn the technique from? Turn to p14 to find the full tutorial and give it a try. Also in this issue, you'll…

Stack 'em up! Valentine’s Day, Pancake Day, there are so many fun occassions to celebrate at this time of year, despite the gloomy weather! And now you can add National Embroidery Month to that list too. Expect free patterns, bonus tutorials, discounts for our Etsy store and much more throughout the month. Just head to our Instagram and Facebook pages on the 1st of February to join in the fun and see what exciting things we have coming up. See @loveembroiderymagazine and @loveembroiderymag Textile tour Bringing together 15 talented contemporary artists, Material Worlds from the Haywood Gallery is an exhibition that sets out to demonstrate how oh-so-ordinary materials such as fabric, ceramic and yarn, can be transformed into extraordinary, humorous and radical art. Touring around various locations in the UK…

Templates for digital readers on p72 MATERIALS Printed cotton fabric from your kit, or any cotton fabric: 20x20cm, white Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of blue, brown, green, orange, pink, purple, red, turquoise, yellow Embroidery hoop: 15cm diameter Felt sheet: 14cm diameter, white Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, French Knot, Lazy Daisy Stitch, Scallop Stitch, Straight Stitch NOTES The template outline for the 2025 Thread Journal is printed on the fabric in your kit, but you can also find it on p72. We’ve provided a library of 84 mini motifs on p73 to help get you started, but you can also sketch your own designs to fill your journal. 01 Mount the pre-printed fabric into a hoop with the outer ring on the back of the fabric, the design…

Master the details PRIZES WORTH £199.99 We’re always on the look-out for new stitching titles to grace our bookshelves and Michelle Staub’s Embroidered Animal Portraits: A Guide to Thread Painting Fur, Feathers, Spines & Scales (C&T Publishing), has become our go-to guide for working up portraits of our fave creatures. It’s packed with expert tutorials and tips, plus it features 12 brilliant patterns for you to stitch. We’ve teamed up with the lovely folks at C&T Publishing to offer you the chance to win one of 10 copies of this book this month, worth £19.99 each! Enter now at www.gathered.how/competitions Embroidered Animal Portraits can be ordered via www.searchpress.com Special delivery PRIZE WORTH £125 Carving out time in our stressful schedules to reconnect with our craft and find a moment to…

MATERIALS Cotton fabric: 25x25cm, colour to represent your chosen skin tone Lace fabric: 15x15cm, peachy pink Stranded cotton: 1 skein each of ecru (cream), 13 (light turquoise), 14 (light green), 25 (terracotta), 152 (pink), 225 (light pink), 422 (brown), 524 (green-grey), 800 (light blue), 809 (blue), 833 (gold), 967 (peach), 3047 (blonde), 3078 (light yellow) Embroidery hoop: 18cm diameter Felt sheet: 17cm diameter, cream Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Cast-on Stitch, Couching Stitch, French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch, Whipped Backstitch, Woven Wheel NOTE Find the template on p71. This time of year calls for a project you can really sink your teeth into, and our stunning portrait hoop design by superstar-stitcher Rachael Dobbins (aka Used Threads) fits the bill perfectly. It features lots of gorgeous techniques that will really…