for the last little while, i have been working on getting kits together for some of my patterns, and i am pleased to say that they have come together very nicely!

each one contains a needle, aida cloth, dmc embroidery floss, and the pattern itself.

i’ll be selling them from my very first market stall (so excited!), at sisters’ market in the brunswick town hall on the 14th of august. i’d love to meet you if you’re in the area and would like to come and visit.

if the kits are well received by market-goers, i’ll look into making them available in my etsy shop too, but in the mean time you can still buy the patterns there as pdfs.

essie xoxoxo

we have a new family member in our house. her name is orla.
she very special, because she has no tail. it was damaged in an accident, and she was abandoned because her owners couldn’t pay for the surgery she needed.
she was taken in by the amazing ingrid, who nursed her back to health, and looked after her til it was time for us to find her and fall in love with her.

we are having lots of cuddles, and doing a lot of tandem loafing.

essie xoxoxo

all embroiderers need a needle keeper. it’s a simple fact. otherwise we can never find our needles when we want them, because they’re stuck in the arm of the couch, and we don’t find them until we end up inadvertently stabbing guests with them when they sit down.

with this fact in mind i have designed a cute needle keeper, for the preservation of your sanity, and your guests’ wellbeing.

the one you see here is now available in my etsy shop, and similar ones will become available as soon as i can stitch them!

essie xoxoxo

the lovely people at frankie have been kind enough to feature penelope waits on their blog.

they’re doing a giveaway, so head over there, send them an email, and you could win a penelope waits kit! kits include a pattern, as well as the aida, needle, and embroidery floss you need to stitch it up.

good luck!
essie xoxoxo

my honey and i spent last weekend in country victoria. it was a wonderfully cosy winter weekend, all misty and grey.

we went on a few short drives, visiting gardens, and exploring the countryside. i had a lovely time taking photos of all the beautiful colours, shapes and textures i could see.

i think you’ll be seeing a bit of a floral theme n my upcoming work!

essie xoxoxox

i’m having quite a productive designing period at the moment. i thought you might like to see a work in progress…

here’s the early sketch stage:

… and here’s the design getting stitched up:

that particular project is part of a larger range that i am very much looking forward to showing you soon.

essie xoxox

my project for the last day or two has been to make some pretty bunting…

each of the letters have been hand stitched, using a big and contrasting blanket stitch, adding a bit of texture.

i love the mismatched yet complimentary fabrics - i think they’ve come up looking great together!

bunting with birthday and christmas greetings might be coming next…

essie xoxox

this is just a tiny post. i thought i’d show you one of my most treasured posessions…

it’s a tiny little book, and it lists the meanings of all the flowers you could possibly think of.

someone has hand written them, and done delicate little paintings of different blooms in the borders.

so much prettiness!

essie xoxoxo

today, as i drank my first cup of tea of the morning, the doorbell rang, and a lovely fed-ex lady delivered a very exciting parcel…

inside i found two copies of italian magazine casa chic’s cross stitch special.
now, receiving this magazine would be treat enough in itself, because it contains some genuinely gorgeous embroidery projects, but what made it super-mega-specially great was the fact that i’m featured in it!

i did an interview with a lovely journalist a couple of months ago, and now that interview, a biography, and one of my patterns (the “you’re sweet” card) have been published!

over three pages, no less!

i am honoured to be included in such a wonderful publication, and tickled pink to have my little pattern appreciated in other parts of the world.

essie xoxox

here’s a project that’s very close to my heart.
as many of you know, i collect teacups. i adore my collection - it’s full of intricate designs, beautiful colours, and delicate patterns (if you’re curious, you can see part of the collection here), and it’s been the inspiration for my latest embroidery pattern:

“they retired to their tea and scandal, according to their ancient custom”
- william congreve

i’ve chosen to hang the individual teacups in their own little hoops, but they would also look very cute in little frames, or used to make a set of greeting cards.

this is my favourite of my designs so far! if you like it too, you can buy a copy of it from my etsy shop.

bottoms up!
essie xoxoxo