Quote: “Sometimes creativity grows not by doing more, but by choosing a gentler rhythm.” – Anonymous

Colour, Confidence & Choosing a New Rhythm

(20 years of embroidery... a turning point)

As my creative journey evolved, it became clear that colour was no longer just something I used, it was something I explored, questioned, and built entire worlds around.

When colour met blackwork

Around this time, my work naturally expanded into blackwork embroidery, in colour, of course.

Blackwork is a technique I’ve always loved. It offers a very different rhythm from cross stitch: quicker to stitch, with a strong sense of completion and more immediate finishes.

Adding colour to blackwork felt completely instinctive. It allowed me to open up a new range alongside my cross-stitch designs, and sometimes even merge the two techniques in the same piece.

Whatever the method, colour remained the common thread running through everything I created.

The book I dreamed… then received

During a show in the UK at Hampton Court, I was exhibiting alongside many talented designers, and the renowned craft publisher Search Press. Every time I walked past their stand, I kept thinking the same thing, again and again:

“I’m going to create and publish a book called Blackwork Embroidery in Colour with you.”

I never said it out loud. I didn’t pitch. I simply held the thought, clearly and repeatedly.

When the show ended, I returned to France and completely forgot about it.

A week later, I received an email from the editor at Search Press asking if I would like to design a book of blackwork patterns… in colour.

I still remember the disbelief.

After many designs and a long creative process, Blackwork Embroidery in Colour was published. It remains one of my proudest achievements, the result of experience, intuition, and trusting my creative voice.

Bringing my work back to the UK

That UK show gave me a renewed confidence and a desire to share my work more in my birth country. I decided to apply for the Knitting & Stitching Show in London, at Alexandra Palace.

What an experience, and what a venue.

I met so many enthusiastic, curious, and joyful stitchers, and it confirmed something important: my work resonated just as much in the UK as it did in France or the USA.

I enjoyed it so much that I returned two years in a row.

Knowing when to stop

After years of doing shows across France, the UK, and Italy, I made a decision that felt both difficult and necessary: I stopped doing shows.

I was 14 years older than when I’d started, and I no longer had the energy for the driving, the stand setups, sore feet, time away from family, rising costs, and shrinking margins as competition grew.

What I do miss are the human moments, meeting customers in real life, laughing with friends, and reconnecting with colleagues.

But stepping away from shows gave me something invaluable: time.

Time to explore colour more deeply.

Time to redesign, rethink, and imagine.

Time to create new projects, including the Broderie & Colour Box.

Sometimes growth isn’t about expanding outward.

Sometimes it’s about choosing a new rhythm.

Happy Stitching!

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