Love Embroidery Issue 74

Love Embroidery FRESH IDEAS WITH THREAD Known for its soul-soothing properties, a bowl of well-made ramen, with its rich, flavourful broth, slurp-worthy noodles, and traditional accompaniments, is an absolute treat to eat. And it turns out, it’s as equally delicious to stitch! Turn to p26 and you’ll find an exquisite embroidered version of this nourishing soup for you to try by Penny Dowdell, which is bursting with fun three-dimensional details, satisfyingly smooth stitches, cute cherry blossom branches, and a dreamy mountain vista to boot. Comfort stitching at its very best!…

At Love Embroidery, we want inclusivity to be at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to creating content that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the stitching community. Embroidery is for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, age, size, ability, sexual orientation or gender identity. We have begun work on a plan to drive meaningful change, but we know it’s a work in progress. We want to listen to you, our readers. Join the conversation on Instagram @loveembroiderymagazine or get in touch at love.embroidery@ourmedia.co.uk…

It’s important for all of us to find a little nook of calmness in this fast-paced world. And, of course, our favourite way to slow things down here at LE is to pick up a needle and thread. We believe if you can carve out a little bit of stitching time each week – whether it’s 10 minutes or four hours – you can experience some of the many benefits associated with embroidery. Increased focus, lower stress and anxiety levels, a decline in screen-time… to name just a few. And this issue is packed with patterns that are designed not only to help you unwind through the act of stitching, but the subject matter as well – from mindful mantras and awe-inspiring skies, to rippling waters and soothing sleep masks.…

Crafting champions Hold your hoops! Olympic diving champion and Game of Wool presenter, Tom Daley has joined forces with Hobbycraft to launch an exclusive range of stitch kits – and it’s not just yarn-fans that are celebrating. The Made With Love collection includes fun, animal-inspired crochet kits, themed sets of embroidery motifs, and colourful iron-on patches to customise your clothes. It might just be the coolest craft collab ever!  www.hobbycraft.co.uk Luscious locks Learn how to stitch three-dimensional hair – with flair – when you pick up a copy of Rachael Dobbin’s Ultimate Guide to Embroidered Hair. First featured in issue 36, this exclusive pattern book shows you how to work six different hairstyles, plus two fun portrait hoops through easy-to-follow tutorials. Treat yourself to a digital copy via the Gathered…

Templates for digital readers on p85 Timeless blooms CONNECT WITH NATURE AS YOU STITCH EACH OF OUR FLOWER ADORNED LETTERS Smart gifts USE YOUR LETTERS TO WORK NAMES ONTO NAPKINS, HANKIES, CLOTHING, & MORE! MATILDA SMITH Graphic designer, illustrator and maker (and prior Love Embroidery Art Editor!) Matilda dabbles in all kinds of crafts, including knitting, pottery and, of course, embroidery. Her recent illustrations have focused on the beauty of the tiny overlooked weeds in her local area of Bristol. She really loves putting unexpected colour combinations together and relishes the opportunity to work with fabric and thread, having studied textiles at university. www.matildasmith.co.uk @matildartsmith Name hankie MATERIALS • Your gift – Floral Alphabet embroidery transfers• Handkerchief: light purple• Stranded cotton: 1 skein of dark purple• Paper and double-sided tape…

MATERIALS • Velvet fabric: 50x106cm, vintage pink• DMC Stranded Cotton: 1 skein each of 155 (purple), 320 (green), 718 (magenta), 3345 (dark green), 3810 (blue)• Embroidery hoop: 25cm diameter Adhesive soluble stabiliser• 5mm ribbon: 1m, rose gold• Machine thread: vintage pink• 20mm elastic: 50cm• Quilting fleece/wadding: A4 sheet• Safety pin, sewing clips/pins• Seed beads: gold• Sewing machine with a standard foot• Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Braided Chain Stitch, Fishbone Stitch, French Knot, Long and Short Stitch, Split Stitch Shut out the world – and any pesky street light – with Jenni Davis’ sumptuous eye mask, and you might just find yourself enjoying a deeper, and more peaceful night’s sleep. Jenni has made her classic cover-up using vintage-coloured pink velvet for luxe appeal, but you can swap this out for…