Today I’d like to introduce you to Helen Dickson from Bustle & Sew, who offers unique and quirky patterns that are just a little different to other patterns you’ll find on-line. And best of all, today, they are offering a free embroidery stitches book, called Simple Stitchery.
I just had a look at this free downloadable embroidery book and actually it is quite good! It has all kinds of embroidery advice with is perfect if you’ve never done any embroidery so you’ll learn the basics and all the embroidery supplies you’ll need.
Best of all, Simple Stitchery has an elaborate and quite beautiful stitch glossary in it, with step by step diagrams and instructions to that you can in-no-time master some of the most commonly found embroidery stitches. What I like about this the stitch diagrams is that they show you the stitches in different settings, i.e. how some stitches are perfect to make flower centers, and others are better suited for flower stems. Etc.
Even just spending 10 minutes with the book, I learned a lot and and best of all: was quite inspired by it!
When you think that embroidery is for grandmas, think again. Some of the most contemporary art and artists embrace embroidery as a technique of note! And adding a bit of embroidery to your projects in other media gives amazingly original results.
Want one of my out-of-the-box ideas? How about a bib necklace made with polymer clay featuring a hole pattern and then put cross – stitches into the holes…. perhaps reading a word or forming a symbol, like a peace symbol. Fabulous!?

Bustle and Sew has a multi- pattern embroidery and quilting magazine, several pattern books as well as individual patterns for sale. If that’s your trade, this site is worth a visit. At least, get your free eBook.
A hurray for Helen: if you decide to buy any pattern from Bustle and Sew, Helen is going to give me a nice commission as a ‘thank you’. So, ahum, don’t hesitate to…. (wink).