David Smith

Tickled pink tapestry kit by David Smith

I grew up on a farm in Kent, and studied Three-Dimensional Design at Ravensbourne College of Art and Design in the early 1970s, graduating with a First Class Honours degree. I specialised in Furniture Design, and developed a strong interest in the work of the Arts and Crafts movement. I spent most of my working life as a designer and maker of handmade furniture, both as a designer-craftsman, and, in later years, in a small company working as a designer and CAD/CAM programmer for the CNC machinery we used.

I was forced into early retirement by a long-term ailment called Meniere’s Disease. This is an incurable condition of the inner ear which, over the years causes irreversible destruction of both hearing and balance. I am now profoundly deaf.

Tapestry is a new adventure for me. Recovering from a short illness in 2019, my wife suggested I try a tapestry kit. I enjoyed it so much, painstakingly watching the design emerge from the canvas to take on its full depth and colour, I decided to write my own computer design program. I wasn’t interested in cottagey or homespun subjects, beautiful though these can be. I wanted to design my own, and coming from a long background in three-dimensional design, I wanted to reflect that in my design work, not only in the suggestions of solid objects, but also in the patterns and flow of surface and colour. I like to use light and shade, highlights and shadows, and the colour gradients that Appletons provide in many of their ranges are ideal for suggesting depth and solidity.

www.davidsmith-tapestry.co.uk
david.dwdsmith@btinternet.com

Dallas Designs

Kate is a British needlework designer who creates stitching kits for the modern maker. Having spent her formative years growing up in India, bright vivid colours are at the centre of all her designs. The simple graphic patterns are perfect for beginners.

Inspired by her time working in the TV industry as a director her newest range takes 90s film quotes and reimagines them in canvas and wool.

Her intention with all her kits is that they can be transformed into stylish accessories; whether it be as cushion covers for the home, iron on patches for clothing or even handbags.

Using high-quality materials these kits bring a little bit of colour to the everyday.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/DallasDesignsUK
Socials: @dallasdesignsuk

Liz Tapper

Liz Tapper trained as an apprentice at The Royal School of Needlework, graduating with a First in 1998. Now based in Somerset, she has worked on commissions for Harrods, Lulu Guinness, Monsoon and for television, as well as for London Fashion Week and on numerous private commissions, with her work being featured on the BBC.
 
Liz designs her own range of embroidery and canvas kits, choosing her colours for crewel and canvas from the Appletons range of wools. These kits and others, along with the complete Appletons range are available from her website. She continues to work on a wide range of commissions, teaches for the Royal School of Needlework, former Embroiderers’ Guild branches and other embroidery groups, as well as running her own private classes both in person and online.  

She is a Member of the Somerset Guild of Craftsmen and the Society for Embroidered Work.

www.lenhamneedlecraft.com

Eppie Thompson, founder of the Fabled Thread

Eppie Thompson, founder of the Fabled Thread

Eppie started her business back in the strange days of 2020, after seven years working in London’s financial centre. She discovered that her long-time love of stitching was also the greatest antidote to the stress of a job she was no longer enjoying, and this was brought home to her most clearly when she realised just how often she was checking her phone even when at home - if you are stitching, you can’t use your hands to fiddle with your phone.

This led her to recognise the extent to which she was relying on stitching for her wellbeing and eventually helped her decide to turn stitching and designing into her job. However, this didn’t happen overnight – Eppie planned for 18 months how to establish her business so that it could support her and used those 18 months to save all she could in order to make the transition easier.

Once the business was launched, Eppie discovered a whole new world of stress – deliveries not arriving as scheduled, the inability to make absolutely everything perfect – which led to her having to develop a very different and new skill set to manage a small business. The greatest skill she has learned so far? Resilience. The ability to bounce back when things do not go according to plan. Whether the issues are being let down on a website design, or the lack of a supplier’s reliability, Eppie had to manage the issues and outcomes, and has distilled this learning into a pithy: ‘Trust yourself a bit more’ – which she applied when let down by a website design company, and (very impressively) learned to build her own site.
Eppie is constantly moving forward – this year’s plans include a move to a new studio, as well as continuing teaching and helping others with their stitching journey. She is also releasing new tapestry designs later this year.

Visit her at www.thefabledthread.com to explore some of her beautiful designs.

The Elephants Child (original)

The Crab Who Played with the Sea (alternative)

The Crab Who Played with the Sea (alternative)

Anna Scott Embroidery

Anna Scott Embroidery

Anna, based in South Australia, claims that she didn’t choose to become an embroiderer – it chose her! After starting a course in garment design, one of her first modules was hand embroidery, which she very quickly adopted as her major. Now, she designs kits and teaches workshops; she is also currently producing a new book containing 12 new crewel work design, all of which were inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement. William Morris is obviously a large influence, but May Morris and her contemporaries are also inspirations.

Anna Scott Embroidery
PO Box 80
Kangarilla SA 5157
AUSTRALIA

Website: https://annascottembroidery.com.au/
E mail: annascottembroidery@bigpond.com

Spider Spun

Sarah Neal Simpson of Spider Spun designs heirloom needlework projects for the Instagram era. Her designs are inspired by vintage images, updated with fresh illustrations and a bright color palette. The range includes everything from Christmas stockings to pillow cushions to picture frames. Spider Spun also offers custom design commissions.

Spider Spun kits are made of only the finest materials so you will enjoy the time spent making and adore the stunning end result. A library of how-to guides and video tutorials will help everyone from beginners to needlepoint experts start stitching and answer any questions that come up along the way.

Though all of the women in her family were talented needlewomen, Sarah Neal didn’t pick it up until later in life. She began to experiment with a needle and thread and couldn't stop. She hopes to inspire the next generation of needleworkers to create heirlooms that will be passed down for generations.

Telephone: +1-704-467-4328
Website: www.spider-spun.com
E mail: info@spider-spun.com

Liz Smith
Spider Sun Tapestry Kit
Spider Sun Tapestry Kit
Spider Sun Tapestry Kit

The Stitchsmith (Liz Smith)

Focusing on contemporary design, most of her work celebrates the wonderful flora and fauna in New Zealand. Flowers and birds abound with bright colours and a modern interpretation.

Liz’s work has been featured in several magazines and books and she also teaches needlework classes from her home in Auckland, New Zealand.

Designs are printed onto the canvas for easy stitching - all kits come with Appletons tapestry wool, needle, quality Zweigart 12hpi canvas, full colour instructions and illustrations.

Liz sells her designs through her website and through independent needlework stores.

Website: http://www.thestitchsmith.co.nz/

www.instagram.com/thestitchsmithneedlepoint

Liz Smith
Liz Smith
Liz Smith
Liz Smith

Remembrance Day 2021

With the memories of the world wars fading into history, the symbolic importance of the poppy is more relevant than ever to ensure that the lessons, sacrifices and tragedies are not forgotten.

To that end, Cleopatra’s Needle (https://www.cleopatrasneedle.co.uk/Poppies+Lavender+Heart) have this, and other, poppy themed kits which will provide a gentle reminder all year round.

However, it is also a time to remember how stitching played a part in the mental rehabilitation of many soldiers who returned from the Front in the First World War suffering from what we now recognise as PTSD, at a time where mental health concerns were virtually unrecognised. The Disabled Soldiers Embroidery Society, founded by Ernest Thesiger, provided employment for soldiers unable to return to work in previous trades, and thereby therapy at the same time. The ongoing use of handicrafts such as stitching and embroidery have had an important role to play in providing a focus for mindful, therapeutic activities ever since.

Our new Emily Peacock Kit – Jane Austen

Jane Austen Tapestry Kit

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every British author series must be in want of a Jane Austen. Well, we now have ours! She is absolutely stunning and on sale now on our website by clicking here.

Suitable for all ages and perfect for framing or turning into a cushion, Jane Austen evokes a calmer, more creative time where stitching was done by candlelight or firelight and social media was probably the town crier.

Jane Austen Tapestry Kit