Lately I’ve been taking some time for reflection, so I thought it would be fun to look back and ask “how did I start embroidery”? I’ve been stitching so long that sometimes it feels like something I’ve always done. However there obviously must have been a starting point… Since I enjoy hearing about other people’s journey into stitching, I thought I’d share mine!
First stitching steps
The first piece of embroidery I stitched was most likely this comb holder.
I’d guess I was around 5 or 6 when I stitched this. It’s regular knitting wool on a large scale aida fabric. A practical take on a stitch sampler really.
I remember also making a purse type project in a similar style, although sadly I couldn’t find that to take a photo of.
Having the clearly defined holes in the fabric made it easy for me to be consistent with the size of my stitches. They also mean you can use a blunt needle – not a bad consideration for a young child!
Along a similar theme, I made a series of bookmarks using canvas and regular knitting wools. The wools were most likely remnants given to me by my Mum or Grandma.
It looks like I had fun playing with different stitches, colours and designs.
By this point I think I already had a curiosity for geometric patterns after seeing mosaics at a Roman villa. So the grid like canvas fabric was perfect for this.
Around this time I also stitched a more classic stitch sampler on aida fabric. Again, I’m afraid I didn’t find it to photograph. But I remember it being a bright and modern design that I think was targeted at kids.
Starting to expanding my embroidery designs
As many kids do, I enjoyed drawing my favourite characters. I clearly decided to take this further, as I found these Mickey and Minnie canvas pieces when going through my old files.
I had first planned out my designs on graph paper and then used that as a guide to stitch them on the canvas. Luckily I’d dated one of the graph paper designs (probably inspired by the sampler I’d done), so can tell that I was 10 when I stitched these.
Looks like I was still using the wool remnants and had more important things to do than bother with stitching a background! 🤣
Discovering cross stitch
At some point after this I remember browsing through a craft shop with my Grandma and seeing a cross stitch kit of a Morris Minor. My Granddad was very proud of his Morris Minor so we agreed it would be a great project for me to stitch.
I’d stitched cross stitch in some of my previous samplers, but I think this was the first time I stitched a full cross stitch piece.
I got totally hooked as I then went on to stitch many more cross stitch pieces through my teens and early twenties. This was mostly from kits or patterns, but I did also do a few of my own designs. These usually featured my favourite cartoon characters. I also made some samplers that I’d designed for a family member or to mark an anniversary.
It was in my teens that I first started experiencing mental health difficulties. Looking back, I can see that I would often use the stitching for some respite.
Here’s a selection of some of the cross stitch pieces I stitched.
Rediscovering embroidery
When I left home and moved to London, I got out of the habit of stitching.
I still made plenty of time for creative pursuits, just through different avenues. Such as taking drawing and painting classes and learning to sew clothes. I was also more likely to pick up some knitting or crochet than embroidery.
Then one day I suddenly got the urge to stitch again.
A partially completed cross stitch bookmark that had been sitting in a drawer for years started calling to me.
I was going through a difficult time and feeling very unsettled. Clearly I had an intuitive knowledge of what I needed.
I picked up that bookmark and enjoyed feeling soothed by the mindful stitching.
It was a small project so I quickly finished it. Leaving me in search of my next project.
Going beyond cross stitch
That’s when I remembered hearing about the Royal School of Needlework and the possibility of doing classes at Hampton Court Palace. I think I’d first heard about them a couple of years before. Thinking “stitching in a palace sounds pretty cool!” but then not getting around to doing anything about it.
Well this time I knew that I needed to do something for myself.
Simply because I wanted to.
Browsing through their website and classes, I was astounded at all the different types of embroidery. It was like a whole new world of creative possibilities was opening up to me and I wanted in!
So I looked through their beginner classes and signed up for a day class.
Boy am I glad that I did!
That day class gave me an amazing sense of “coming home”. Like I’d found my space, my people.
The class was my first step into the world of crewel embroidery. We stitched this stork design inspired by a hanging that I’ve since seen at the Victoria and Albert museum. One of my first blog posts was about the class.
Straight away I booked my next class.
Then it didn’t take much more for me to take the plunge and sign up for their Certificate course.
I was hooked again!
I also felt very clear about how beneficial stitching is for my mental health. Which is a big part of why I created this blog – to share my passion and hopefully help others to enjoy the benefits of embroidery along the way. 💗
You might like
If you’re starting your embroidery journey or looking to expand beyond cross stitch, it can be hard to know where to start.
A quick and easy project or two is a great way to build up your skills and confidence. So I designed these adorable polar bear, walrus and penguin chick patterns to be fun introductions to embroidery.
You can get a free copy of the penguin chick embroidery pattern by signing up to my email newsletter via this page.
For extra support to ensure you start embroidery with confidence, I’ve created an Introduction to Embroidery course. The self paced course will walk you through everything you need to know to stitch these adorable polar animals so go check it out!
If you’d simply like the polar bear and/or walrus embroidery patterns, the polar bear and walrus patterns are available here.
Love your posts Alex. They are charming and always bring a smile. Thanks for that, Elaine
PS they also make me want to take up a needle and thread again, and that’s really good!
Hi Elaine, aww, thank you so much, that’s really lovely to hear!
What a delightful post! Your journey is similar to mine (and I suspect many stitchers), including early days in plastic canvas and a long live affair with cross stitch. My embroidery journey is coming full circle: due to vision issues, I’m revisiting plastic canvas after nearly 40 years, and remembering how enjoyable stitching on a hard, stiff substrate is! I’m experimenting with different fibers and stitches for more sophisticated pieces than the umpteen country-style fridge magnets I made as a child. 😊
Hi Stephanie, Thank you and thank you for sharing your journey. Ah yes, I remember stitching on plastic canvas, I think my parents still have a Christmas tree decoration that I stitch with it! Glad to hear you’re finding ways to keep stitching. Sounds great to be experimenting with different fibres and stitches – I think there’s always something new to explore which I find can be very invigorating 🙂