A Life Woven in Stitches
The Joy of Design
You know what I love most about designing? It's seeing an idea grow from a rough sketch into something beautiful. Choosing just the right colours, working out each stitch, writing up the pattern – it all takes time, but oh, the joy when someone picks one of my patterns to create their own special piece!
My Crafting Roots
I come from a family of makers. Mum and Dad were tailors, and both my grandmothers were clever with their hands – sewing, knitting, crocheting, the lot. Growing up, they made all my clothes. While they taught me to sew, it's hand stitching that really captured my heart (sewing machines and I have never quite seen eye to eye!).
From First Stitch to Published Designer
It all started with a tapestry kit of a cat. As I worked through more kits, I found myself drawn to counted cross stitch – such lovely, fine work. I kept changing colours and tweaking patterns until one day my husband said, "Why don't you just draw your own?" And wouldn't you know it, that's exactly what I did.
Kiwi Designs Take Flight
My first design – two hands stitching – was published in Just CrossStitch magazine. What a thrill! After that, I approached a women's magazine here in New Zealand. For two years, they published my designs of native birds, flowers and zodiac signs. A publisher spotted these and turned them, along with more Kiwi-inspired designs, into four beautiful books.
Growing the Collection
Before long, craft shops and tourist outlets were asking for my patterns, and the business just grew from there. Then came the felt patterns. I'd noticed so many patterns on the market were terribly complicated with pages and pages of instructions. I wanted to create something simple but beautiful – designs you could easily sew from the right side. A local manufacturer turned these into kits, and we're always adding new ones to the collection.
Always Creating
These days, my drawing board is never empty – there's always another idea (or ten!) waiting to be brought to life. Though there are only 24 hours in a day, I never run out of something to stitch – by hand, of course!
Find My Patterns
You'll find all my current designs, both cross stitch and felt on ETSY.
The lovely people at CraftCo now produce my kits and hard copy patterns, available in craft shops and tourist outlets around the country. I'm working on lots of exciting new felt and cross stitch designs.
If you'd like to stock the patterns, just Contact Me or CraftCo – we'd love to hear from you.
Cross Stitch Patterns
From native New Zealand birds to seasonal celebrations
Felt Designs
Simple to follow patterns for beginners and experts
Books
Sharing stories shaped by my personal experiences
“Looking forward to stitching. Cherry was extremely helpful with technical support!”
- Sheila, Etsy Customer
“This was possibly the best book I have read recently… It gave me an insight into living… Thank you Cherry.”
- S. Soffe