There’s something new growing at Sunflower Stitches!
Sunflower Originals is our new collection of counted cross stitch charts, created especially for stitchers who love colourful, detailed designs with a little bit of personality.
I’ve been having great fun developing the first collections, from seasonal cats and mischievous Halloween animals to witches, magical libraries and dragons. And while some of the designs come entirely from my imagination, one collection had a very real-life inspiration...
Meet Teddy — the inspiration behind our Seasonal Cats
This is Teddy.
And yes, this photo pretty much sums him up.
Teddy has a habit of appearing in places where you least expect to find a cat — usually peering out from amongst the plants, watching everything going on around him and looking very pleased with himself.
When I started working on a collection of cats surrounded by seasonal plants, berries and flowers, it didn't take long before I realised exactly where the inspiration had come from.
Teddy had accidentally become a cross stitch collection.
The Seasonal Cats are designed around that idea of finding a curious little cat tucked amongst the natural world, with each chart capturing a different part of the year.
The autumn collection includes designs such as Rowan Berry Watch, Blackberries and Brambles, The Acorn Bed, The Pumpkin Patch Cat and The Apple Orchard.
Some are sitting amongst fallen leaves and autumn fruit, some are hiding amongst the plants, and others are doing what cats do best — putting themselves exactly where they probably shouldn't be.
And Teddy definitely approves.
Things get a little stranger at Halloween...
Of course, it wouldn't be autumn at Sunflower Stitches without Halloween.
The Sunflower Originals Halloween collection is a little different from traditional Halloween cross stitch. I wanted it to be fun, colourful and slightly quirky rather than overwhelmingly dark or scary.
So expect some rather unusual residents.
There are bats, cats and other creepy critters getting up to all sorts of trouble, including designs such as Bat-Wing Workshop, alongside plenty more Halloween animals joining the collection.
They're spooky... but still the sort of creatures you'd probably invite in for a cup of tea.
Probably.
Witches, cats and a little magic
Cats aren't restricted to the Seasonal Cats collection either.
Our witches seem to have acquired quite a few of them too.
The Witches & Cats designs combine colourful witchy scenes with feline companions, magical surroundings and lots of tiny details to discover as you stitch.
I've tried to create witches who feel more like characters than traditional Halloween decorations — each with her own setting, personality and story.
Some feel distinctly autumnal, while others could happily be stitched at any time of year.
And then there are the dragons...
Because apparently cats and witches weren't enough.
Dragons have also found their way into Sunflower Originals.
I have a particular weakness for dragons surrounded by books, so you may spot them sleeping on piles of novels, guarding enormous libraries or helping out in magical little bookshops.
They're designed to feel whimsical rather than fierce — although I'm not making any promises about what happens if you try to borrow one of their books without asking.
What makes a Sunflower Original?
Sunflower Originals are designs created by myself especifically for the Sunflower Stitches range.
They're converted into full coverage counted cross stitch charts, with the same features you'll find across our other patterns, including clear symbol charts and Pattern Keeper compatibility.
You'll also see quite a mixture of subjects appearing in the Originals collection.
I don't want it to become a range where every design looks the same. One week you might find a woodland animal, the next a witch, a dragon, a cosy landscape or something completely unexpected.
The common thread is simply that they're designs I'd want to stitch myself.
And there are lots more on the way.
Which collection should we create next?
This is only the beginning for Sunflower Originals, and I'd love for stitchers to have a say in where we go next.
Would you like to see more seasonal cats, Halloween animals, witches, dragons, or something completely different?
Have a browse through the latest Sunflower Originals and let me know which design is your favourite.
0 comments