I’ve been posting so many freebies recently that I thought it was about time that I showed you what else I’ve been doing. As I mentioned, I’ve been doing a lot of commissions, and here is an example (or two) 

The woman who commissioned these wanted to make a wall hanging featuring animals and plants that were significant to her family. The idea was to have two long slim designs down either side of the hanging, with other smaller designs between them. For the outer pieces, she wanted two designs that were 24 inches (600 mm) long, and of course that was far too long for my machine to do as a single design. So it all had to be pieced. I’ve rather lost track of how many designs went into these borders, but when I count everything up, it was something like12 separate designs for each border. And believe me, it took a LOT of effort to be sure that everything was in just the right place!

So here they are!

Yes, I’m afraid so! I’ve been doing a LOT of commission work recently, but the projects have been so large and complicated that none of them are in a fit state to be shown – yet! So it’s another freebie this week- but it’s a change from all the round things we’ve been having

This is a little vase of flowers that makes use of Mylar, one of my favourite materials. Mylar is of course just simple plastic sheeting, but it can add a lot to some designs, and in this one it gives a nice glassy effect to the vase. You should be able to buy it from art and hobby shops, and you won’t need much. Just a small amount of the thinnest kind will do nicely

The design is for the 5×8 inch (130 x 180 mm) hoop. And it’s in .pes v.6

Now – the first part is perfectly straightforward. Colours 1 through 17 are just the flowers, leaves, and the background of the vase.

Colours 18,19, and 20 are applique steps – BUT this is where you add the Mylar. Stitch colour 18 as usual, but then just place the Mylar on the area and hold it in place while the machine stitches it down slowly

Then carry on as usual, as you would if you were appliqueeing fabric

I hope it turns out all right! If you have any problems or questions, just ask me through the “Comments” section of the blog, and I’ll get back to you. Good luck!

Sorry things have been so quiet recently – I’m still struggling to come to terms with this new blogging system. But I hope it won’t be long before things are running smoothly again. I have a LOT of freebies in the files and I’d really love to see them used

Meanwhile, I just found this design in the files – it’s an unusual interpretation of the Art Nouveau style but it might be useful on table linen or perhaps on a little bag. It’s for the 5 x 7 inch (130 x 180 mm) hoop and it’s in .pes v6

Here it is:

As always, if you can’t download it let me know and I’ll e-mail it to you

Good luck!

Here’s another of the series of circular designs that I’ve been working on. I particularly like this one – I made a little bag with it and I have to say it looks very nice. As always, the pattern includes an appliqueed circular background to the flower, but you don’t have to se that if you don’t want to. The design will work just as well without it

So it’s just a colourful autumnal sort of design, for the 4×4 inch (100 mm x 100 mm) hoop. Here it is, in .pes v.6

I’m still having major problems with this new version of the blog, so I would be VERY grateful if you could let me know if you have problems with it. For example, if you can’t download the design, just let me know and I’ll send it to you directly

Right – onwards and upwards with the circular designs! I seem to have done a lot of them recently, so I’l be posting more of them as freebies over the next few weeks

There’s nothing much to explain about this one – it’s pretty much just as it looks. As with last week’s design, it’s digitised with an appliqueed circular background, but you don’t need to add this if you don’t want to – it will be fine if it’s stitched straight on to the backing fabric. And of course you can leave out the circular frame entirely if you like

Here is the design file, in .pes v.6

So it’s back to normal (I hope!) after a very long holiday break – made to seem even longer by the fact that here in the Scottish Highlands we were completely snowed in for something like three weeks

I spent a lot of this time going over my huge collection of old designs. I’ve been digitising now for nearly 15 years, and my files are full of designs that I no longer use, and I would really like to make many of them available to blog readers

So we’ll start 2026 with a free round design featuring flowers. I have several similar round floral designs which I’ll put up in coming weeks, but this will do to begin with. Here it is, in .pes v.6

It’s digitised so as to stitch on a circular appliqueed background, but you could just as well leave out the applique steps, as I’ve done on the stitchout that I’m showing

By the way, I’m still having problems with my new blog provider, so I hope that you can download the file successfully. Please let me know if you have any difficulties

Three Christmas freebies (I hope…)

Well, I’d be lying if I were to say that this blog is as easy to do as the last one – it’s a MAJOR headache. But let’s give it another try

I’m probably asking for trouble here because I’m going to try to post three freebies, which involves trying to post three images and three .pes files. But nothing ventured, nothing gained…

Here are three Christmas decorations – they’re very old and I think I posted them as freebies something like 12 years ago. But I don’t suppose I have many readers left from those years, so let’s give it a try. They have an appliqueed background with decorative motifs on top – you should be able to see how they’re meant to look

Good luck! Buy the way, if you’ve sent a comment in to the last posting I won’t have answered it because that’s a complicated business now. But I did read them, and I really appreciate it. And who knows – I might get used to this new system in time!

I’m still getting used to this new blog format, but with luck I should be able to post again with no problems (wish me luck!)

So – here’s a new freebie, as I promised. Many years ago I was fascinated by many of the older “schools” of design, such as Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau, and did a great many designs based on their principles. And here is something from my old Art Nouveau collection.

It’s a very simple little floral design which could be used in many different ways, and is perhaps most obvious as a quilt square. The green frame is quite optional- it stitches out last so can easily be left out if you prefer

It’s for the 4×4 inch (100 x 100 mm) hoop. Here it is in .pes v.6