On today’s blog I thought I would write about something new, something work related and something i have been so excited to start making – Hoops!

If you follow me on Instagram you may have noticed a few embroidery pieces pop up now and again and you’re probably wondering what I’m intending to do with them. It’s the same old story – lots of ideas and so very little time to actually do them but there will be more and it is an area I am really excited to be expanding out into.

It all started when I made the ‘Ivy’ memory cushions from my great Aunty Ivy’s hand embroidered table cloth. Working so closely with my own families inherited embroidery ignited something. The embroidery was so beautiful – hours and hours of work carefully crafted. Made me wonder - what if I could follow on this family tradition somehow?

So I gave it a go and I’m hooked! I love the whole process, so therapeutic and calming. Think of ‘mindful’ colouring in but instead of colouring in, you are creating different stitches. It’s a process that makes you slow down and concentrate on one thing while your mind peacefully wonders. And at the end of it you are left with beautiful embroidery an a chilled out mind. The use of embroidery it’s self is endless. It can be simply displayed in an embroidery hoop as ‘hoop art’ on a wall, embroidered directly onto clothing to embellish something and make it more interesting and unique or you can simply make a whole heap of embroidery pieces and then sew them together to make a cushion (see what I did there! – thank you Aunty Ivy!) The possibilities are endless.

Right now, I am collaborating with my husband (he’s the artist, I’m the maker!) and we are designing a few of our own patterns to eventually sell as either an instant down load and then later as full kits that you will be able to purchase from our store.

So that is our future plans with hand embroidery – but that’s not all! Hand embroidery is just one way to embroider - I have also been working on machine embroidery patterns. It is a modern twist i suppose - but i love the effect and accuracy as much as i love the uniqueness of hand embroidery. Every design is first drawn on Adobe Illustrator and this is then used in the embroidery software to create the stitches. This process is the most time consuming and should never be underestimated how much work and effort goes into machine embroidery. The benefit of machine embroidery is that once it has been ‘digitised’ it can be made more frequently, more easily.

Although I haven’t yet displayed them in a hoop (but maybe i should start trying!) I use the machine embroidery technique to duplicate a babies hand or footprint to be placed on our Made Just Sew Keepsake Memory Bears. The use and application of embroidery is endless!

I love being creative and I love trying new things! Turning to embroidery to help personalise my keepsakes opened up a world of new opportunities. Using the skills to machine embroider, I was approached by a friend to embroider her business logo on to an apron. Word spread and its is now something i am pleased to say I can offer to small businesses. So if you have a work shirt/tabard/apron/etc and would like your work logo embroidered, please get in contact.

There are so many plans for the future of Made Just Sew, this is just one avenue we are taking a trip down - who knows what doors will open and where it will lead but i love the idea of new ideas around the corner!

Thank you all for reading - my head is buzzing now with more ideas after concentration on this blog, so i’m off to scribble them down before i forget! (and did anyone else notice that i manage to keep my word and blog 2 weeks after my last one! I know - i don’t even recognise myself!! It’s a new organised me!!)

Take care all, speak soon………….hopefully in 2 weeks!! xx