tiny matryoshka

whipped this little sweetie up on the weekend. she only took an hour or two, and i think she's very cute:

the pattern is from sewn studio, though their version is made with washi 'X'es on a wall - brilliant idea!

right of reply

i don't like to be negative about craft. it's something that brings me joy, and my many crafty pursuits are always calming, restorative and fulfilling to me. they're part of what makes me happiest in life.

similarly, i have always found communities of crafters to be positive, encouraging, and uplifting collections of people who inspire and support each other. most handcrafts are things you need to learn by being apprenticed to others, and whether they're online communities or real life sewing circles, i've learned almost everything i know from people who have been kind enough to teach me.

disappointingly, these groups sometimes contain people who are unkind, and work against the spirit of respect and camaraderie that i always take as given when i'm interacting with other crafters.

recently i organised a swap on craftster.org. i've participated in a lot of swaps in the past, and made a heap of friends through exchanging handmade goodies.
the brief for the swap was to make a 4 inch embroidery hoop for your partner, and as an example i used a photo of a 4 inch embroidery i drew, designed, and stitched for my best friend back in 2011.

it looks like this:

it was painstakingly designed, and went through several drafts to ensure it was perfect before being stitched. i was really proud of it, and happy to give it to my friend at the time. it seemed a very good example of the kind of thing i was hoping we could all achieve in this swap.

in the original swap thread, a user claimed that the image i had used was actually her own. i assumed it was an honest mistake (though i have never mistaken someone else's work for my own in the past, and it seemed a little odd to me at the time):

she didn't reply. i figured she'd realised her mistake and there was no more to say about it.

some weeks later, in a related thread (the gallery of completed projects produced in the swap), she tried it again, only this time saying my image (the exact same one) wasn't actually hers but just looked a lot like hers. the clear implication was that i had copied it. her comment is underlined in purple in the image below.

i posted the project on craftster when i completed it in january 2011. you can see it here. the date is clearly printed at the top.

i also posted photos to flickr. they're also dated. see them here, here, and here.

the crafter in question posted photos of her version of my piece to her blog in a post made in january 2013 in which she displayed her crafts from the past year.

and here is her photo of her version:

my work clearly preexists hers, and as you can see, the image is reversed, showing that it was printed, traced, and stitched directly from my original.

now, i honestly don't mind people sharing crafting ideas. it happens all the time.
and it's not like this person has taken my design and tried to profit from it, so the harm done isn't drastic.

what i take exception to is the implication that i have tried to pass someone else's work off as my own and lied about it. as someone who designs and sells patterns i am utterly scrupulous about this, and having my integrity questioned is not something i'm willing to stand for.

i'm not going to have a debate on craftster, because it's not in the spirit of the community, but i'm really hurt and frustrated by this, so i've had my say here, in my own online space, so i can feel that i've at least got it off my chest.

(thank you to siobhan and renae for helping me dig up my old links. i love you both x)

pattern: i'm no lady (and a special discount code!)

it's been a long time coming, but i'm excited to finally present a brand new penelope waits pattern!

i've been doing a lot of gardening in this last year, and my love of lady bugs has flourished - they're just so good for the garden. i feel happy every time i see one because i know they're a sign that my garden is healthy. this pattern has been in honour of my favourite garden friends - and it wouldn't be right if it didn't come with the kind of dorky pun you've all come to expect from me!

this is an almost ridiculously easy piece to stitch. it's made up of just two colours, and it's small enough that when worked on 14 count aida, you can frame it, like i have done, in a 4" hoop. if you've been wanting to give cross stitch a try, this is the pattern to begin with.

you can purchase this pattern as an instant pdf download from my etsy store, and in celebration of the new member of the pattern family, i'm offering a 15% discount on all patterns in the shop until the end of august. just enter the code: newlady when you make any purchase

i really hope you like this wee thing. i'm pretty fond of it myself.

pattern: interested owls

i recently found myself in need of an owl cross stitch pattern. i looked around on etsy, but couldn’t find one that suited my purposes (small, cute, simple), so i decided to design my own.

it was very quick to whip up so i thought i’d make it a free pattern to share here on the blog.

as you may be able to see, i used some variegated thread on the owls wings and tummies. as these are not as accessible as dmc threads, i’ve substituted dmc alternates into the pattern.

where the pattern uses dmc 3858, i used cottage garden threads‘ “blackwood”, and where the pattern uses dmc 422, i used cottage garden threads‘ “wheat”.

you should, of course, use whatever colours tickle your fancy.

for a larger version of the pattern, click here.

i always love to see the results when people stitch up my patterns, so if you sew your own little pair of owls, do consider adding a photo to the ‘penelope waits designs’ flickr group.

happy stitching!

pattern: hardly bear

it seems like ages since i’ve had a new pattern to share with you, and i am excited to say, that the time has finally come! may i present, ‘hardly bear’:

this pattern is a little different - it’s customizable. where the example says “sweet” is left blank on the chart, and i’ve included charts for a whole bunch of useful adjectives, such as awesome, silly, clever, cute, pretty, etc. so you can make the most appropriate crafty message for the recipient of your masterpiece.

i’ve also included an alphabet chart, so that you can put your own adjective in there if it’s one i didn’t think of.

you can download this pattern as a pdf from my etsy shop. 

i hope you love it! 

finishing things...

it turns out that i am great at blogging about works in progress, but when i finish a project, i’m so keen to move on to the next one that i forget to show it off.

remember the ‘marriage of the minds’ sampler i was working on earlier this year? i finished it ages ago, and was going to wait til i’d had it all nicely framed before taking proper pictures of it. and then i forgot! it’s been hanging on the wall here in our new house for weeks!

there’s a lot of great detail in this one, so can i suggest clicking here to see an enlarged version?

i loved every moment of working on this piece, and have now become completely obsessed with the drawn thread’s beautiful, timeless designs. i’m currently working on the birth band (with important details left blank til january!), and modifying the colours so it tones in better with this sampler.

as i said in my previous post about this, my favourite part of this sampler is the bit i modified - in the original pattern the two figures at the top were a man and a woman, but i changed them to make them look like my partner and i on our not-quite-wedding day. that little change makes it all the more personal, which a sampler like this should be. the whole reason i decided to stitch this (apart from it’s general beauty) is that it features the sonnet i read to my partner on that very day.

i also love that, while most of the piece is cross stitched, it includes a range of other pretty stitches, and they add variety and texture to the overall look.

there’s a lot of symbolism incorporated in the sampler too - the two houses join through love to make one house, the rabbits are for fertility, the bluebirds for happiness, the owls for wisdom, and so on. so much love and thought has been put into every aspect of it, and that makes me so happy.

i’m pretty proud of this one, i must say…

happy new year

these days after christmas are so lovely. all the big events are over, and there is time to rest, regroup, and gear up for the new year.

we’ve been taking it very easy here, and i’ve been fully immersed in an embroidery project that i’ve been working on for some time…

the pattern is by the drawn thread, and it’s called “the marriage of minds”. i’ve made a few alterations, the main one being to make both of the figures women, and to make their dresses resemble the ones we wore at our not-quite-wedding.

i hope you’ve had a wonderful festive season - and happy new year!

pattern: hovel, sweet hovel

sometimes, while reading other people’s beautiful blogs, and seeing glimpses of their lovely homes, i start to feel that my housekeeping abilities are abnormally appalling. i am simply not one of those people who can keep my house consistently clean and tidy. i go through bursts of industrious organisation, and determined washing-of-all-the-things, but it’s never been something i’ve been able to maintain for any length of time, and my house always seems to descend into a state of cheerful chaos before long.

i’m sure i can’t be alone in this, so i have designed a simple little pattern for the domestically challenged among us…

the pattern is free, and you can find the chart here. 

you can sit on the couch and stitch it up, instead of doing the vacuuming!

hope you like it!

pattern: woodland sampler

here is the latest pattern from penelope waits: the woodland sampler!

i wanted to create a sampler that wasn’t quite so pink as the last one, and that incorporated animals as well as botanicals. this is the result!

it’s not a traditional sampler, in that it doesn’t have a place for the date and the stitcher’s name. i thought it might be nice to keep this one as simple as possible, what with all the busy little creatures scampering across it!

as ever, you can purchase the pattern from my etsy shop if you have taken a fancy to it.

pattern: crafty like a fox

i’ve got a new pattern to show you! it’s designed especially for crafty folk like us…

i’ll be hanging mine near my sewing table, with all my other crafty things.

it’s a really easy pattern, and only has two different colours in it, so it would be a great starter pattern for a beginner.

i think it would also be a lovely present from one crafty person to another.

if you’d like to stitch it up, you can find the pattern at my etsy shop.

stay crafty!

in print

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.

pattern: tea and scandal

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, 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!

pattern: springtime sampler

i am so excited to be making this post - i have been working on the pattern for a sampler for ages, and it’s finally ready to share!

i love samplers. when i’m working on one, i feel part of an ancient tradition. i can picture myself as a character out of a jane austen novel, or an arthurian courtier.

with this pattern, i wanted to draw on traditional motifs, while creating something fresh and a little different.

like the bunnies, and the squirrels, the pattern for this sampler is available in my etsy shop.

i hope you like it!

pattern: nice buns

what’s this? another new pattern? i am on some kind of roll!

i made this pattern quite a while ago, but i got carried away with the squirrels and it sat on the back-burner for a bit.

i am a big fan of puns. jokes that make other people roll their eyes make me chortle and grin.

so i’m afraid i just couldn’t help myself here!

if you like the pattern, you can get your hands on a copy at my etsy shop. it could be a fun message to give to someone you admire, or something to hang above the bathroom mirror as a reminder that your own buns are pretty nice too (yes, they are!).

pattern: nuts about you

the pattern for this cute cross stitch is now available for purchase from my etsy shop!

i love the little squirrels so much, and i had the best time designing and stitching them up for you!

woodland creatures are kind of my favourites. i made friends with heaps of squirrels when my partner an i went to england a while ago. this little chap was one of them:

by ‘made friends’ i mean that i shrieked “skirril!” and ran after it whenever i saw one… but i don’t think they held it against me…

maybe after designing a pattern in honour of all the squirrels that i have loved (and chased), they’ll forgive me for loving them too much!

i really hope you’ll like this pattern. i spent ages getting it just right, and i can attest to the fact that it is fun and easy to stitch.

if you want a copy, head over to my etsy shop. 

teal deer

it’s not only my embroidery geekiness that’s showing (two new designs in two days! what is this madness?), but my internet geekiness too:

for those who don’t know what i’m on about, the urban dictionary defines “teal deer” as “a bastardization of ‘tl;dr’, which is a bastardization of ‘too long; didn’t read’…”.

this could be a cheeky gift to a particularly loquacious friend (if you think it can be given and received in fun, and not taken personally!), or just a fun and nerdy decoration for your home. mine is hanging among my fabric hoops in our living room.

the chart is below for your stitching pleasure. i used DMC 991 for mine, because i think it’s a lovely rich, vibrant teal.

may your geekiness be with you - enjoy!

tutorial: embroidered greeting card

when i was ten years old my mum went on a holiday to holland to visit relatives with my oma. my aunty judith and uncle martin looked after me while mum was away, and while i stayed with them aunty jude taught me to cross stitch. she bought me my fist few skeins of DMC floss, my first piece of aida, and my first embroidery needles. i have loved to stitch ever since.

it’s somewhat surprising to me that i have never designed a cross stitch pattern before. i guess it’s one of those things that i have always been meaning to do and never quite gotten around to til now.

this is a very simple pattern for a small cross stitch, which you could frame, or do as i have done and make a card:

you will need:

- a small piece of 14 count aida

- some embroidery floss (i used DMC 962, which i think is a particularly nice pink)

- embroidery needle

- embroidery hoop (desirable but not essential)

- a soft pencil (2b is good)

- an eraser

- a stanley knife and cutting board

- a ruler

- two pieces of card in a colour that coordinates with your selected floss. one piece should measure 140mm x 215mm, the other 100mm x 135mm

- a matching envelope

(N.B. this guide assumes you know the basics of cross stitch - of you are a beginner and do not know how to cross stitch, you can find a very good guide with pictures *HERE*)

1. fold your 140mm x 215mm piece of card in half.

2. on the front of this folded card, center and draw a rectangle that is 100mm x 55mm.

3. using your stanley knife and cutting board, carefully cut this rectangle out, making a window in the front of your card (make sure you open your card out flat before cutting - you only want to cut this hole in the front!).

4. erase any pencil lines, then set aside.

5. place your aida in your embroidery hoop and stitch the following design:

the little tail on the apostrophe is not drawn in on this pattern - it is simply a diagonal stitch from top left to bottom right of the square below the body of the apostrophe. you should be able to see how i have done this in the photo below.

6. trim your aida so that the design is centered, and the full piece of aida is approx 95mm x 130mm.

7. center your cross stitch over the window in your card, and using strong crafting tape or glue, secure it in place.

8. take your piece of card measuring 100mm x 135mm and stick it to the inside of the card so that the back of your cross stitch is both covered up and supported.

9. write a message inside to someone you think is sweet, stick it in the envelope, and seal it with a kiss!

i hope you like this pattern!

my oma's sampler

my oma turned 80 today. we had a birthday party this week, and all the family gathered to celebrate our matriarch.

i brought some hand-sewing along, because i never go anywhere without some sort of sewing project, and when she spied it, she ducked off to some dark corner of her house, and fished this out:

it’s a sampler she made when she was at school.

it’s amazing to see how bright those threads still are after all these years, and how neat and regular her little stitches are.

i hope i can impress my own grandchildren with some of my many handcrafts in sixty years time…