Mastering Blackwork:
Blackwork kits for beginners

Blackwork Little Owl

Three blackwork fill patterns, along with cross stitch for his eyes, bring this little blackwork owl to life.

Design size: 3.4 x 3.3 inches

downloadable chart £2.25

My husband was walking with a friend when he pointed to a tree asking "what's that bird?" John whispered,  "A little owl". Sighing, hubby stated, "I can see that, but what is it?"  

"A little owl!" John repeated.  By now, hubby was getting frustrated and asked once more. John retorted, "A LITTLE OWL!" 

Hubby gave up but on arriving home continued ranting. I knew he wouldn't rest, so grabbed my bird book and showed him a... Little Owl. 

His first experience with identifying birds has gone down in family history. He really thought his friend had been teasing him.

I couldn't resist designing a Little Owl as one of my first blackwork kits for beginners. It will surprise you  how quickly this little owl will stitch up so you can recognize it (unless you are my husband, of course).

Blackwork Rocking Horse

Perfect for a card or framed as a gift for a new baby. Stitch him in blue or pink threads.

Design size: 4 x 4 inches

downloadable chart £2.25

Playing the role of a gymkhana pony one day and then taking on the task of pulling a plough the next kept my favourite childhood toy busy. My mum said I always had a fascination with horses, but couldn't afford riding lessons, so the rocking horse was the next best thing.

My three siblings made up their own stories as he carried a valiant knight, a fierce warrior, and a courageous explorer over the years. Sadly, he eventually fell apart, but remains one of the most vivid memories I have of my younger days.

To keep things simple, when I designed this blackwork rocking horse I gave him a bow shaped rocker rather than the solid wooden base ours had. You can choose to embellish his saddle with a gold edging or perhaps add an initial to personalize your stitched version. 

Run Rabbit Run

This sweet blackwork rabbit with a simple border makes a lovely picture for a child's room. I introduced a touch of colour in this design, just because it's blackwork doesn't mean you can't use different colours.

downloadable chart £2.25

As a seven-year-old, finding a large brown and white rabbit in our garden was a wonderful surprise! We tried to find out who had lost her, without success. So Tess stayed with us for the rest of her life. She tried to escape frequently but, the furthest she ever got was our neighbour's vegetable garden, which she seemed to enjoy tremendously. 

Many bunnies followed over the years, all different breeds and temperaments, each one bringing their own little something to our family. 

This little blackwork bunny is a permanent resident. She hangs on my studio wall, bringing back childhood memories. 

If you haven't tried blackwork before, she makes an ideal introduction to this simple needlework technique. Your only difficulty will be to work out where to display her once you have finished the stitching. Don't take too long deciding, as she won't take long to complete!

Have fun.