Personalised Embroidered Gifts at StephieAnn Design, Brighton
Hand Embroidery: Traditional Craft
I can’t remember the first time I picked up a needle. Growing up, my Mum and grandmother were always making—hand-smocking dresses, decorating clothes with beads, and embroidering gifts for loved ones. One of my earliest memories is cross-stitching Winnie the Pooh at eight or nine—25 years later, we’re creating and selling our own hand embroidery kits!
Hand embroidery has a rhythm I love, and knowing that something I stitch by hand will be treasured is incredibly rewarding. It’s a skill that’s disappearing, yet still alive in my corner of Brighton. I especially enjoy stitching letters onto pyjama pockets—sometimes, it’s faster by hand than using a machine!
I use DMC 100% cotton thread, known for its strength and vibrant, colour-fast finish. My go-to stitch for lettering is the chain stitch. It moves smoothly over fabric, adding thickness to initials while maintaining a delicate, decorative touch. Depending on the fabric, I adjust the number of strands—two for pyjamas, four for socks—to keep the embroidery crisp and refined.
When I first started stitching my ‘I am Awesome’ socks, each pair took over an hour! I’d trace the words onto paper, tack them to the fabric, and painstakingly embroider before peeling the paper away. Now, I freehand the design, finishing a pair in just 15 minutes.
Machine Embroidery: Meet Sandra!
In 2023, I received a part-funded grant for my fabulous digital embroidery machine—lovingly named Sandra. After eight years of hand embroidery, Sandra has opened up a world of possibilities, allowing me to create designs I never could before.
With six needles and a range of frames—small for socks and pyjama pockets, large for scarves and big projects, and even cap frames—Sandra is a powerhouse. Threading is easy, but she does grumble when overworked! A quick clean to remove loose threads, and she’s back in action.
Each embroidered piece starts with a design in Photoshop, where I map out colours and shapes. I then transfer it to my embroidery software, adjusting stitch style, length, direction, and density. Sampling is crucial—one of my embroidered vases takes 45 minutes to stitch, with nearly 17,000 stitches!
The variety of fonts I can use means embroidery is perfect for different styles—fancy script for scarves and pyjamas, bold lettering for socks. Most of my embroidery is personalised, making gifts truly unique. Unlike printed designs, embroidery is long-lasting, and luxurious, and allows you to add a personal touch that reflects both the giver and the recipient.
