Craft Focus - Aug/Sep (Issue 68)

How did you get into cross stitch design? Both my Grandmas spent many patient hours teaching my sisters and I to crochet, knit and embroider during the long school holidays. I was the child who delighted in getting anything crafty and arty for birthdays and Christmas – it would keep me quiet for hours. I decided to study Vocational Art and Design at my local college, and went on to complete an HND in Design Crafts at Cumbria College of Art and Design. I started work with Coats (UK) Ltd in 1992 as an originator and was subsequently promoted to Senior Originator a year later. In 2003 I progressed onto cross stitch and tapestry design based in the Bolton Design Studio. This gave me a privileged opportunity not only to learn traditional practices, but also to introduce new technologies and computer processes while working on both the Anchor and Maia brands, along with popular license characters. Tell us a little about your background in the craft industry. Part of my professional role with Coats was to liaise with license companies such as Carte Blanche (Tatty Teddy and Solo the Cat), Disney, Forever Friends, Aardman, Beatrix Potter, Country Companions and Lilliput Lane, all of which I have worked extensively on, as well as a vast number of self-initiated designs, from the initial idea to the finished piece. My job also included the provision of editorial coverage and exclusives with publishing houses, keeping the company in the public eye and promoting the sale of thread. What led you to strike out on your own? After the Bolton studio closed in 2015, I decided I wanted to pursue my own creative vision to build up a collection of cross stitch designs that I could be proud of. I also wanted to create my own little character in the form of Eckley Tales. How would you describe your design style? It can vary from intricate detail to a more contemporary style which I have used for magazine commissions. I love to use colour in a realistic way, giving my designs a bright outlook. There are no grey skies though – that’s where the realism ends. I always like to place myself in a landscape and think what would appeal to me. If it’s a country cottage scene, for instance, there may be picturesque streams running through lovely gardens, or a pleasant snowscape with pheasants adding rich colour to the white surroundings. Describe your current product range to us. The Eckley Tales collection is themed around childhood memories including picnics, trips to the beach and old-fashioned toys. Each character is loosely based on one of my family members, which keeps their personalities running through each design. I wanted to create something a little special that I would find adorable to work on and develop for years to come. Where does your inspiration come from? One source is the wonderful landscapes painted by my grandfather, Albert Holt, which were produced just after World War One. I was always in awe of them and had a strong desire to be able to paint like him. They were very realistic, which I think my design style reflects. Cross stitch guru Amanda Butler tells us where she finds inspiration for her charming woodland designs a stitch in time 64 craft focus