From Tangled Threads to Dancing Tools: A Week in the Studio (and a Van to Pack)

If you’ve ever wondered what the week before a big show looks like inside a textile studio, imagine a whirlwind of threads, tea, triumphs, and the odd muttered word at a computer screen. That’s been me—stitching like mad to finish my brand-new range of dancing haberdashery needlecases, wrangling Wilcom, and turning sketches into stitchable joy.

It’s been equal parts exhilarating and… let’s say “character-building.”

The Stress (and Magic) Behind the Stitch

Design chaos: The dancing scissors insisted on two legs, the pins demanded proper feet, and the music notes? They kept trying to sneak into the wrong layers.

Software gymnastics: Vector to stitch, fills vs. outlines, transparent backgrounds—I’ve done the lot. Some files behaved beautifully; some made me question all my life choices.

Late-night problem solving: You know it’s serious when the kettle is doing overtime and you start negotiating with your embroidery machine like it’s a diva. (It is. And yes, it won.)

But somewhere between the false starts and the “aha!” moments, the characters came to life—pins clinking glasses, scissors mid-twirl, irons shimmying—all ready to dance their way into your hands.

What’s New: Dancing Haberdashery Needlecases

This range started as a daft idea at 2am—what if everything in the studio came to life when I left? Now they’ve formed a troupe. Expect clean, stitch-friendly linework with filled feet/arms and pinheads that pop. They’re playful, practical, and unapologetically joyful.

Today’s Mission: Load the Van

Today is all about boxing, labelling, ticking things off, and not forgetting the card reader (manifest it with me). If you see a purple-and-gold blur on the A roads tomorrow, that’s me, whispering “please don’t slide” at neatly packed crates.

Come Say Hello at the NEC

I’ll be at the Creative Craft Show, NEC Birmingham tomorrow—
Find me on Stand K34.

Come see the new dancing designs in person, have a rummage, talk threads and techniques, and snag your favourites before they waltz away. I’ll be demo-ready, happy to chat about processes, materials, and how to get your own artwork from sketch to stitch without the meltdowns.

A Final Word (from the studio floor)

Yes, it’s been stressful. Yes, I’ve had to redo designs more times than I’ll admit. But that’s the truth of making something new: messy, maddening, and utterly worth it when the needle finally hums and the design dances.

See you tomorrow at Stand K34. Come and say hi—let’s make something wonderful together.