What Delilah Did

Let's Tessellate

 
If you visit me here often you probably already know that there are two sides to me: the traditional, period-drama-obsessed Tudor throwback who exists for most of the year; and the modern geo/neon-lover who has a tendency to surface every time the sun shines. When CrossStitcher asked me to design something for their summer issue it was a particularly sunny day, and I think you can probably tell from the picture above which hat won out.

You can find the project in the July issue of CrossStitcher (issue no. 267) which is in the shops now, or available in digital format here from Zinio. You can also see a roundup of some other designs from the issue on the Mr X Stitch blog.

On a related note, if you are familiar with Alt J then you have probably already guessed what I was listening to when I designed these. I took my baby sister (Cassia) to see them recently and somehow managed to get front row balcony tickets, which never happens. Normally I am stuck behind a gaggle of giants, which for a hobbit like me is somewhat problematic. It was my Cassia's first gig and the seats were amazing, the stage design was beautifully simple and stylish, and the band was flawless. A charmed introduction for her I think. Being a total fan-girl she also wore the triangle necklace I made her for Christmas:

Because triangles are our favourite shape...

 Delilah x

It's The Book!

I have been itching to tell you all about this for so long, and with precisely one month to go until my book launches I am finally allowed to show you the cover!

Of course I am somewhat biased, but I really do think it is one of the loveliest book covers I have ever seen. When we were talking in the early stages about how I wanted the book to look, I said that I would love an illustrated cover and in my dreams it would be something a bit like the artwork that my favourite artist/illustrator Julianna Swaney does (she's the same lady that designed my new logo a few months ago)... well my publishers only blinking well managed to get her on board to do the whole thing didn't they? I was so excited when I found out. She has really outdone herself and created something even better than I could have imagined. The beautiful paper cover wraps right around the book with a cut-out for Mr Fox, and it just looks incredible. I can say that without blushing because I didn't paint it!

As for what's inside... the book is called Storyland Cross Stitch and is a collection of projects and stories set in a wild sort of a fairyland. There are patterns big and small; things for beginners and seasoned stitchers alike, and a lovely little miniature kit in the back so that you can start stitching something right away.

I hope to be able to show you more as we inch closer to 4th July when it launches, but if you hop over to the LoveCrafts blog in the meantime, you can see a sneaky peek of one project behind the scenes at the photoshoot. LoveCrafts is the website run by my publisher Collins & Brown, so it's also the place to keep your eyes peeled for more news on the book as they will have exclusive images/competitions/interviews/offers etc. before anybody else.

T minus one month and counting!

Delilah x

Mastering The Art Of Embroidery

Almost two years ago I was asked to contribute some images of my work to a book on modern embroidery written by super-embroiderer Sophie Long. I had all but forgotten about it when the publisher contacted me to let me know that it was being released and that my work had made it into the final thing: Mastering the Art of Embroidery - whoop! I didn't really know what to expect but my copy arrived the other day and I was blown away. There is just so much packed in - a veritable who's who of contemporary embroidery.

The book covers every aspect of embroidery you could possibly hope to encounter: Surface Embroidery, Counted-Surface Embroidery, Embellishment, Stumpwork, Whitework, Three-Dimensional Embroidery, and Machine Embroidery. Each discipline is introduced with a bit of history, followed by a glut of beautiful interpretations by modern practitioners to get you good and inspired, and then rounded off with clear step-by-step tutorials to show you how to have a go at some of the stitches yourself.

Obviously we all know that cross stitch is my bag - the anally retentive mathmetician in me just can't help it. In fact the whole counted surface embroidery section really floats my boat. But I would also love to have a go at crewel embroidery, and the whitework chapter has some amazing things in it too.

I'm guessing that if you are reading my blog you have probably already fallen down the rabbit hole that is modern embroidery, in which case I can think of nothing more appropriate to feed your addiction than this book. Just be aware that you will likely lose many, many hours under its influence...

I am really proud to be featured alongside so many incredible artists, though I can't deny that it is a little strange to see my humble bedroom wall in print! It has been in a few magazines, but it seems different somehow when it is nestled within the pages of a hefty hardback...

Delilah x

All images taken from Mastering the Art of Embroidery.

Clutter City Yuletide Market

Evening all. Just dropping in with a date for your diaries:

I will be selling my wares at Clutter City Yuletide Market in Norwich on Saturday 8th December, so if you are in the area be sure to stop by and say hello. I think this year is going to be an especially good one. I have been working my socks off to get all my kits stocked up for Christmas and I am just putting the finishing touches to some brand spanking new kits that I will be taking with me too... I am not entirely sure how I am going to fit everything in!

Hope to see you there,

Delilah x

Wriggly Tin

Ok, so I know it is painfully tedious looking through other people's holiday photos, but I promise these are not holiday photos in the normal sense. I will keep it brief. I just really want to show you where I went because it was awesome and I thought you might like it too (working on the proviso that if you are reading this we probably share a similar aesthetic).

Home for the week was this shepherd's hut in the middle of a field surrounded by trees and sheep (naturally) in deepest rural Hampshire. I was given glamping vouchers for my birthday so I knew whichever place I chose would be in a wonderful countryside location, but what sold me on this one was the beautiful job Alex (the owner) has done of kitting out the hut. Just look at it:

Brilliant, no?

I was blessed with no electricity and no phone signal and was therefore forced to relax, spending my time playing with fire, going for lovely long walks, reading by lamplight and eating copious amounts of toasted marshmallows. Bliss. I also now need a wood burning stove in my life more than ever...electricity may be useful and convenient but it is just so very dull in comparison.

Delilah x

Find out more about Wriggly Tin here: http://www.wrigglytinhuts.co.uk/

Pearl Lowe's Vintage Home + Exciting News!

Afternoon all!

I would like to begin by saying a tremendous thank you to all of you for the many, many orders that have helped me to purchase the shiny new laptop that I am currently writing this post on... I have been completely bowled over by the reaction and cannot tell you what a help it has been in this less-than-desirable technology-induced ordeal. You are all incredible!

So back to business: have you seen Pearl Lowe's new blog? I was delighted to be able to work with them on an upcoming project and they have written a lovely post about me here. The project itself is a secret at the moment (yes, another one - sorry!) but I promise to tell you more when I can.

And on the subject of secrets, I can finally divulge arguably the biggest of them all...

My first book will be published next year!!!

Exciting, no?! It is the reason things have been so quiet around here for the last few months and it has been just about killing me to keep it a secret, so I am beyond relieved to be able to tell you all at last. I have been locked away working on a What Delilah Did book for Collins & Brown since Christmas and although the release date is an awfully long way off, I hope it will be worth the wait. I can't say any more until nearer the time, but hopefully it will be something to look forward to! I still have another month or so to work on it, but after that I should be in a position to make lots of new patterns and lovely things for the shop, which I am really looking forward to.

Anyway, I suppose I had better get back to it...

Delilah x

Craft Fair + Earlybird Christmas Discount!

Hello there!

I am missing blogging muchly as I am being kept away by a manic kit-making spree ready for Christmas, but I just wanted to stop by with a couple of updates: 

Firstly, to let you know that I will be selling my wares at Clutter City Market again this year so please come and see me if you are in the area! Saturday 10th December at Norwich Arts Centre. There is always a lovely atmosphere and lots of lovely things to see, with music/crafts/food so it is well worth a trip.

Secondly, the world and his wife seem to delight in telling me that they have already finished all of their Christmas shopping and I am feeling hopelessly inadequate in comparison as I have hardly started! I will probably be doing most of mine online which made me realise that I had better get my act together before the pre-Christmas postal nightmare begins... So in that ilk I thought I would set up a little discount especially for you lovely people that visit my blog to help you beat the rush too:

From now until midnight on Saturday 17th December (GMT) you can get 15% off your entire order in my shop* when you enterthe code: EARLYBIRD at the checkout.

Assuming we don't have a crazy snow-related Royal Mail meltdown like last year, last order dates for Christmas delivery are as follows:

UK: Saturday 17th December

Europe/USA/Canada**: Wednesday 7th December

Rest of World**: Saturday 3rd December

I will be re-stocking the Guardian and Little Bird kits in the shop within the next few days too so if you have been waiting on these they will be available by the weekend.

Delilah x

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*Discount excludes postage charges

**Please bear in mind international orders can also be held up in Customs which is outside my control, so it is best to order earlier rather than later.

London

Hello there! It has been a very busy summer and I believe I have some catching up to do...starting with London.

I finally made it down to Liberty where my hoop display is now up (rather later than planned) - hurrah! It was very difficult to get a decent picture, but hopefully you can get the idea. Not so happy-making however is that somebody already appeared to have stolen one of the hoops! I would have thought that cross stitch fans and thieves were rather at odds with one another but apparently not...

It was quite exciting to see my work on sale in what I consider to be the most beautiful shop in the world. A big goal ticked off. I have to say it stuck out like a sore thumb, but I am reliably informed this is a good thing. And the kits are selling really well, so a very big thank you to everybody that has already bought one.

All that wood panelling just kills me! Sigh.

Back soon,

Delilah x

Pop-up Shop

As promised, the obligatory photo roundup from the craft fair - well, technically these photos were taken in my little house since I am always running too late to do them when I get to the fair, but you get the idea!

I kept a similar layout to the stall at Christmas but added the new kits, a couple of other new things and changed the tablecloth and some other little bits. I have to say I really love it - it makes me want to open my own little bricks and mortar shop more than ever! Though alas I don't think that will be happening any time soon.

Since I have rather more stock now I really struggled to fit everything in, so I decided to head upwards and hang my little swarm of winged beasts from a rail, where they proceeded to flutter sweetly in the breeze.

I stitched these new miniature hoops for the fair and displayed them on sticks like lollipops (I have found there really is no end to the uses for cocktail sticks!). I used giant cross stitches and close up they have a lovely plump lattice effect - I will show you better pictures of them soon so that you can see what I mean.

     

    

And lastly I made these lovely lace-edged bookmarks since I never seem to be able to find a proper bookmark when I need one and am generally forced to use old receipts and messy scraps of paper in their stead - I liked them so much I didn't actually want to sell them but it seems I was not alone in my fondness for them since they all but disappeared. I suppose I shall just have to make some more to keep for myself since I am back to square one with no bookmarks! Another thing to add to the list... 

Delilah x

Clutter City Summer Fete

Just a quick hello in the midst of this hectic week to let you know that I will be selling my wares at the lovely Clutter City market in Norwich this coming Saturday 2nd July. If you happen to be in the area it would be wonderful to see you there! I will be selling the new kits and have a couple of other little trifles to preview too.

If you can't make it (and I know that many of you are in fact across oceans so it would be quite a major detour for you to pop into Norwich for the day!) then never fear as I will try and get pictures as I did at Christmas.

Until then,

Delilah x