embroidery revival!

I seem to have re-awoken my embroidery mojo! Since our slow stitching workshop I seem to have had a needle permanently in my hand, feeling very creative and enjoying the relaxing qualities of hand stitching. Last weeks applique and embroidery workshop has buoyed me up even more, so feeling full of positivity, I finally made a start on my first crafty swap in a very very long time!

I had been tempted by Ali of very berry handmade 's Mini hoop swap and signed up to join in. . .

inspired by Heather's use of recycled denim in last weeks workshop and having found it a lovely background to work on, I chopped into and old skirt and got stitching. . .

I got a bit carried away! I found it very hard to know where to stop and every time I decided to even up my stitching the background got smaller and smaller until eventually . . .

. . . there was no background only stitching! 

I hope my swap partner will like it, I loved doing this and I've decided I'm going to offer a version of this design as a class in the workshop

here is my attempt at being more minimal with the design, it is a very small area so it is hard not to get carried away, maybe I will make a larger piece for a class.

I actually really love this but as you can see minimal is not really for me but I love the busyness of this design.

So watch this space for a new workshop over at

The Magpie's Nest, Bideford coming soon!