Patterns: some sad news - #VATMESS

Wave Goodbye by Nicole (Follow the White Bunny) - 

pattern available here until 30th December 2014

Hands up who's addicted to embroidery .pdfs? I am, there's nothing like a spot of instant pleasure, affordable art and anticipation (of the stitching you plan to do with the pattern), that a good embroidery .pdf can bring. So, I'm very sad to hear that some of my favourite designers have been badly affected by a change in European tax law, that comes in force at the beginning of next year, meaning that, if you're an European designer, selling digital products (such as .pdfs) will suddenly become a hell of a lot more complicated. You can read more about the change in law on this excellent post from What Delilah Did. 

Nobody has ever become rich from selling embroidery and craft .pdfs, in fact even before this some embroidery designers were shutting up shop, the new ruling makes it even more questionable whether selling embroidery .pdfs is worth it. Reading the recent crop of blog posts has been sad and frustrating, that bureaucracy meant to tackle tax avoidance in large multinationals, is instead going to stifle fledgling businesses. Nicole from Follow the White Bunny is no longer going to sell .pdfs from 31st December, however her shop will remain open. Carina from Polka and Bloom thinks she may have to put up her prices to counter the cost of the extra administration. Sami from Teasemade will also stop selling .pdf patterns on 31st December. Laura from Bugs and Fishes will be removing her .pdf patterns from her shop on 22nd December, as well as no longer accepting blog ads (also affected by the new rules), she will be looking for a VAT compliant reseller and selling her .pdfs that way. 

So, if you've been eyeing up that Follow the White Bunny .pdf that you never quite got round to buying (Nicole's latest pattern Wave Goodbye is particularly lovely), want to get in on the action on one of Carina's classes or pattern clubs before prices may rise (I love her new Stitchy Souvenirs pattern club) or fancy wanting to know how Laura makes one of her felt creations, or support any of the other talented European designers out there that are selling digital products, now is the time to do it. 

If anyone knows of any other European designers whose businesses have been negatively affected by this new ruling and I haven't mentioned them, please do leave a comment below.

Patterns: Las Flores de Frida

Las Flores de Frida by Carina from Polka & Bloom

Carina from Polka & Bloom has branched out to doing people! Embroidery patterns of faces (particularly realistic looking faces) are often tricky but Carina's done a great job here. You can learn more about how she created the pattern, which is fascinating, here. And you can find the pattern itself here.

Stitched Blooms - book review and giveaway!

Feeling Stitchy's old friend Carina from Polka and Bloom has a book coming out! Called Stitched Blooms, it has 300 floral, leaf and border motifs to embroider! We've been very lucky to have a sneak peak at it and I can say it is absolutely gorgeous! 

As well as a comprehensive embroidery introduction, there are 20 projects to make. Some of my favourite projects include a Mexican folk blouse, botanical art (I know what's going on my to-stitch list for my Christmas present giving this year), a Dala horse (check out Mollie's version when she reviewed the book) and a sweet dreams bedding set.

I think the highlight of the book though is the large collection of motifs at the back of the book. Looking through the pages of motifs is the embroidery pattern equivalent of being a kid in a candy store; the motifs range from borders to small to large-ish individual motifs which could be put on so many things, there isn't a pillowcase or item of clothing that is safe from me now! Although I am a big fan of large complicated patterns (that's where I'm personally at in my development as an embroiderer, as I've been embroidering for a fair few years now), there is so much to be said for smaller patterns, they're perfect for quick embroidery fixes where you can sit down, start something and finish it in one session, it's satisfyingly rewarding! And well, that big embroidery piece you spent months on, there's only so many things you can do with it, whereas with Carina's collection of motifs, in a blink of an eye you've got little leaves and flowers and cute Scandi borders appearing on everything! (And for those hankering after larger patterns, there's patterns such as the bedding set and the blouse as you can see.)

To prove no item of my clothing is now safe, I couldn't resist doing some alteration on an old plain white shirt of mine that had been sitting unloved in my wardrobe. It's still a work in progress, my plans got ahead of me, but this is what I've done so far.

(The stitching around the collar is adapted from one of Stitched Bloom's patterns, I made it longer. Also I'm finding little hoops are really handy when trying to work round awkward bits of clothing.)

Now that I've hopefully tempted you all, how would you like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of the book and a bundle of seven different colours of floss that are favourites of Carina's?

To be in with a chance of winning, simply leave a comment below (and I'd love to know what item you've got sitting round the house you'd like to stitch a motif onto!) The giveaway will run till midnight UK time 30th September 2013 and is open internationally.

Patterns: Tree of Life

Tree of  Life Embroideries stitched  by  AllspiceAbounds

Some beautiful wall art inspiration today. I love how AllspiceAbounds has stitched Polka and Bloom's Tree of Life pattern twice, showing how versatile the pattern is in different sizes, colours and fabric. I think the two hoops go really well together.

As of typing I can't see the Tree of Life pattern in either of the Polka and Bloom stores (here and here) but it's worth keeping an eye out for and it's also worth checking out Carina's other patterns, with which you could create a similar wall display.

Patterns: Dala Horse

Embroidery by Pangaloon

Pangaloon has been busy making Christmas presents, one of them being the Dala Horse by Feeling Stitchy's very own Carina. Pangaloon found the pattern in this month's issue of Mollie Makes but you can also find it in Carina's store here.

Patterns: some recent patterns from Feeling Stitchy bloggers

1. Spring Birds - new pattern by Carina at Polka & Bloom,

2. Tales from the Forest by Nicole at Follow the White Bunny,

3. mr. fantastic stitched by Claudia Marchan from Sublime Stitching's Ryan Berkley patterns

The Feeling Stitchy bloggers have been busy over the last few months releasing some lovely new patterns; Carina from Polka & Bloom has released two birdie patterns which I think would look great on a pair of cushions and Nicole from Follow the White Bunny has released Tales from the Forest which I think would look great in a child's bedroom.

Feeling Stitchy guest blogger Jenny Hart from Sublime Stitching has released loads of new patterns over the last few months, it has been particularly great to see some .pdfs for sale of designs that were previously only available on Sublime Stitching's tote bags. Jenny has also released another pattern sheet from her artist collaboration series, transferring Ryan Berkley's gorgeous animal heads to stitch. I love Claudia Marchan's stitching of this pattern, which appeared in the Flickr embroidery pool recently.

And just squeezing in one more pattern from a Feeling Stitchy blogger, Beefranck (Bridget) in collaboration with Mr X Stitch and Julie Jackson from Subversive Cross Stitch released an alternative Royal Wedding sampler at the end of last year for the Independent, admire its gorgeousness here and download for free if you fancy stitching your own memento.