Irene from Little Stitches Art

This week's Blogger of the Week is another newer-to-me blogger and another very talented multi-crafting European.  She is stitching some lovely monthly and seasonal designs including some for the old traditional festivals such as Lammas and Ostara.  And guess what?  There's another cat picture!  Stitchers do love their cats.  And dogs too.  Please welcome Luna and Irene from

Little Stitches Art

1. Please introduce yourself – name, where you are from, family, pets etc.

My name is Irene and I am 43 years old. I define myself as a citizen of the world. I am originally from a pretty city in the south of Spain, Seville. After finishing my PhD in chemistry I moved to Paris and I was living there for almost 5 years. After that I got a job in London and I am living here in UK for more than 6 years now.

I am divorced and at that moment I don’t have a partner. I love my family, mum and dad, my sister and my grandma. I have then my other family, which is my hairy family. I have a very nice dog called Leti and a cat called Agu, who for different reasons are living with my mum in Spain and I have my small treasure, a lovely cat called Luna who is living with me and who became part of my life and my embroidery. I think I have forgotten how to embroider without Luna on my lap.

I like to spend my time cross stitching but I like other type of embroideries and crafts as hardanger, blackwork, patchwork, soap making, candle making,.... I love gardening, I have an allotment where I grow my own organic vegetables and I enjoy going to the gym.

2. How long have you been stitching and how did you start?

I started stitching when I was 25 years old and, to be honest, I don’t remember why did I start. I was stitching couple of years and then when I moved to France I stopped. There I was so busy and I didn’t have time at all. My mum still has at home an unfinished piece of embroidery framed as a part of that period of my life.

I re-started in France when I became unemployed. I had a lot of free time and I needed to occupy myself. I started making jewelry but after some time I decided to come back to cross stitch. From that moment I didn’t stop anymore.

3. How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start? Is there a story behind your blog title?

I started my first blog in 2011. It is a blog in Spanish and I still keep it. Last year I decided to start a new blog in English to reach more people and that is how Little Stitches Art was born.

4. How would you describe your stitching style? Are you a serial starter, a rotator, a OAAT (one at a time), highly organised, random and eclectic, etc.?

I define myself as random and eclectic. I like to stitch several projects at the same time but I don’t keep an organized rotation. I prefer to stitch what I want in every moment. That has a negative side effect, I have plenty of UFOs.

5. Do you have a favourite designer or style of design you are drawn to?

I like different designers. I can’t say I have a favourite one. All depends in the design itself.

6. Which piece are you most proud of in your collection?

Looking Back, a HAED from Crystal Dune. But I need to say that I still didn’t frame it…...


7. What has been your worst stitching disaster?

I don’t remember any.


8. Which new technique would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?

I like to learn and try different techniques. I am trying to learn traditional embroidery and patchwork. I would like to learn to make my own frames.

9. Do you have a box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces? Or is everything FFO'd? What's your favourite way to fully finish a project and what do you do with them?

I have a plastic box where I store my finished-but-not-fully-finished projects. Most of the time, after stitching the design they go to the box. When I really finished I like to frame them if the design is large enough or finish as a pincushion or biscornu if they are small.

10. Which of your projects most represents "you"?

Doubtless, the Sabbats of the Year series. They are a real reflection of my beliefs.

11. Tell us a secret about yourself. Or a joke. About anything!

I talked before about Luna, my lovely cat-friend. Well, last Christmas I was stitching Yule Sabbat banner. I left it in the embroidery hoop on my stitching corner and next day I went to my job. After coming home, I was about to continue stitching when I couldn’t find my project. I can guess Luna took it and hide somewhere. The funny thing is that I looked around every single corner of the house, and still I couldn’t find it……..

12. Anything you would like to add?

I want to encourage people to start stitching. It is a very good therapy for many things, that keep you busy, develop your abilities and keep your brain trained.

I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity of talking about my life and my hobby.