• Use this ultimate resource by Award-Winning Australian embroiderer and quilter, Cathy Jack Coupland, designed specially for the avid fibre artist.
• Reconnect your passion to create through unique colour and design choices.
• Save time – use my Checklists to inspire and motivate.
• Just begin, and see where it takes you.

April 2024

Inspiring greens mingle happily with one of the simplest hand embroidery stitches – Blanket stitch.

A gently curved spiral leads the eye and the stitch around and around creating a vortex of swirling green lines.

Again a small amount of black and gold adds highlights with some olive green bugle beads for contrast.

This is an easy stitch to work and changing the scale adds gravitas to all those beautiful threads.

Plus working with a monochromatic colour scheme is pleasing to the eye if contrasts of value and thickness are used.

What’s interesting is the dynamic between simplicity and intricacy – the simplicity of the stitch itself against the amount of stitch and thread used to create the design.

That’s what excites me.

 referMarch 2024

A simple circle forms the basis for many of my recent embroideries.

Working within a circle is a wonderful means of experimenting with colours, stitches and embellishments.

But it’s more than that.  Add repetition and variety and what evolves can’t help but be something interesting and eye-catching.

Yellows, pinks and gold with just a hint of black and gold thread for drama, create a very soft, easy-on-the-eye palette, yet it’s visually pleasing because of that simple circular format.

Worked on felt, gently coloured with pink markers, it was easy to cut around the design to stitch onto a small stretched canvas for instant presentation.

Fly stitch, Chain stitch, Blanket stitch over a central ring and a variety of small round and bugle beads bring added interest to this small, delicate embroidery.

Circles make a great beginning for those wishing to pursue colour and stitch combinations.

They also make a great library for future reference.

March 2024

Everything looks ‘Pretty In Pink’, hence the name for this work.

A simple stitch, in this case, Chain stitch, can be made into something very special indeed, by using texture, line, shape, variety, and space – plus a few unique embellishments as highlights and my favourite gold and black Butterfly thread to lift the entire palette.

It’s one of a series focussing on a single simple stitch with the idea of highlighting the beauty of that stitch when used imaginatively.

These are the kinds of stitches I learned decades ago – the ones we used to call ‘fancywork’ – but they’re so much more when imagination is brought into play.

I think too, it makes us look at these stitches as the art that they can be – there’s a whole world of possibility locked within them.

These works are meant as wall pieces.  With just a glance they’re meant to uplift and inspire so that you feel a moment of pure joy.

How often does that happen now?

Well it can, from a simple needle and thread.

February 2024

The formation of new work is so important in my creative practice.

It builds on what’s been done before, which is why a daily practice pushes that creative energy even further.

Yes, it takes time, but the results are worth it.

The image on the left is a perfect example.

I’ve been working on samples for an upcoming workshop – and this one just came out of nowhere.

Rarely do I use grey in my work, but how it sings with yellow and just a dash of elegant black.

Plus leaving plenty of white space enabling the work to breathe is important and restful.

Working directly onto paper is energising because the magic of watercolour simply does its thing before I even have to think of what I’m doing.

Check out my latest YouTube video featuring further work on paper and canvas here.

January 2024

Welcoming a New Year brimming with creativity, colour, and friendship.

As new work develops, I’ve been thinking about the myriad ways one can design.

Do you draw and plan out every element and step of the process?  Or, do you wing it, hoping that everything comes together serendipitously?

Or, as in the case of the work featured here, do you try another way – where small embroidered slips are made, then placed pleasingly on the background fabric?

All that matters is the result, but it’s interesting nonetheless to think about process and how we each address it because, for me, success is in the result.

I’ve worked each of the ways nominated – and they have all worked, although working without an idea of the outcome can be quite scary.

So here are some of my beaded, hand-painted slips, bursting with the textures of the melon patch – and what a great way to finally use some of those showy, fuzzy novelty threads I’ve had hoarded away.

Let’s see where they lead me.

November 2023

As the year comes to an end, the inspiration and desire to stitch continue to grow, just in different directions.

And that’s just how I like it.  

I’m continually growing, my work is evolving and I feel the pull of the needle and thread as strongly now as I ever did.

Colour plays a huge role in my work – and that alone can motivate me, but I have to say painting with watercolours has to be a favourite ignition to almost instant inspiration.

When those beautiful, strong pigments merge together and mix, I’m in heaven – and then trying to interpret how to stitch into those pools of colours poses yet another layer of problem-solving, testing my skills and my eye even more.

What works?  What doesn’t work and why?

They’re questions that I love having to answer.

And those questions are exactly what supports my intuition, something that needs to be cultivated daily.

Paint and stitch it’s a perfect combination.

November 2023

Yellow symbolizes optimism, joy, energy, happiness, and friendship.  It really is a sublime colour to work with.

Take an unused watercolour, some yellow felt plus a used plastic vege bag for added texture, topped with some wonderful handmade circular sequins and you have an amazing ground for creative embroidery.

Where to start?  Always with colour and texture. 

Black seemed to be the perfect starting point and everything grew from that.

For me, hand embroidery is about layering and building on those initial stitches, thinking about the thickness, lustre, and shape – of both the stitches themselves and the embellishments added.

Here, I love the contrasts of weight – heavy and dark against light and floating almost, and yet I’ve used very simple stitches.

Straight stitch, chain stitch, whipped chain stitch, buttonhole – all share a role in this interplay, but that unusual plastic vege mesh adds unique visual interest with its suggestion of movement and motion.

Yellow is a fantastic starting point for any embroidery.

September 2023

What stimulates me to create?

Colour and texture would probably top my list.

And when it comes to hand embroidery, I like to keep adding and mixing elements to create not only variety but also interest.

So this is my latest small embroidery worked on some beautifully coloured, hand-made art felt that just begged to be stitched into.

Tones of orange, strikes of lime green, sooty black, and creamy white made the perfect base on which to simply create – which is exactly what I’ve done here.

No pattern, simply instinct and experience.  Improv stitching at its very best.

Not everything worked, but I’m more than happy to give anything a go – and with hand work, it’s fairly easy to rectify if it needs to come out.

So with colour and texture as my impetus and a theme based around the beautiful world of our amazing coral reefs – the embroidery simply flowed.

And I’m very happy with the outcome. 

August 2023

What is it exactly that makes me want to work with a needle and thread?

Well, it’s no one thing, rather, a combination of elements such as colour, texture, dimension, and scale.

And when the union of those elements excites, inspires, and urges you to create, then there’s no stopping the endless output of work. 

Now that’s a good thing, believe me, but inherent within those elements is also a need to continue to explore and innovate.

For instance, I’m now investigating the addition of embroidery with beadwork because the textures are just so completely different – as you can see in this image.

A simple Bullion stitch worked in rayon thread catches and reflects light beautifully and is a simple contrast to the beadwork.

Another aspect is leaving some empty spaces throughout the work – and I think that just makes the work all the more interesting.

June 2023

More and more people are turning to the needle arts as a means of slowing down, reconnecting with traditions, or forming new ones.

And it’s easy to understand why.  

Even through the harem-scarem of packing for an imminent move, I’ve still needed that connection to work with my hands, to be creative, and to just relax into the repetition of forming stitch after stitch.

These Coral Clusters are a delight to make – and I love to work them in an almost monochromatic colour palette.  Somehow, it just deepens the magic.

So, even with innumerable packing boxes overtaking my life – those haptic senses still need to be appeased.

And it’s a pleasure to do so.

Whilst I truly enjoy research for my Stitch Safari Podcast, involving a great deal of screen time, designing and creating is what really slows me down and allows me to breathe deeply.

It’s a very easy solution to the business of the world today and one I wouldn’t trade at all.

April 2023

This work-in-progress image exemplifies the link between expressive embroidery and the natural world.

It’s just one stitch, repeated and repeated to replicate the amazing textures found in our underwater world.

Like so many embroidery stitches, Bullion stitch is versatile and under-utilized – it’s a powerhouse of texture and dimension.

And I love it.

My next step is to think about a colourway and how I’ll fill the centres of each coral-flower, but that will come will a little trial and error.

What’s fascinating here is the utter simplicity of using one stitch for visual impact – and it works so well to express those hard corals.

So, something to look forward to when I post an image of the piece finished and ready to mount for exhibition.

Both our natural world and embroidery are so giving – it’s just a matter of looking to see what each offers and interpreting that in our own unique way.

March 2023

Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

While wasting time on the internet, I came across some very interesting forms made from compressed paper.  They’re light and take paint well.

However, they are not easily stitched.

So I had to think of a solution….and there’s always a solution.

I made a little cap that covers most of the half-circle form, then will simply secure that.

It had to be shaped to fit, so I drew on my long-lost dressmaking skills, cutting away several sections – just like making darts for a dress or blouse.

And it’s worked well.

The cap fits, and all I need to do is take a few stitches around the lower edge to secure it to the form.

So the process, yet again, was back-to-front, in many textile artist’s books, however, it’s worked for me.

And created a new series of works.

February 2023

I’m currently writing a book on design for textile artists – it’s two steps forward and one step back at the moment, but, here’s the crux of what I believe design is really about – give it time, give it energy, and give it all you have to help visualize your idea.

These forms were inspired by an underwater image of a plant-like sea animal.

Pastel in colour, it had soft, tubular arms that reached upwards ending in flower tips.

Immediately I saw a connection between some beautiful sequins and some white straws I had.

And that’s all it takes – that connection between a drawing, sketch, or image, what we have to work with, and the techniques we’re able to utilize to make it all work.

So after a couple of hours of thinking, stitching, and painting, this is the result – almost completely different from what inspired it, but offering something that’s uniquely original and uniquely me.

And that’s what design is all about.

February 2003

Working with form has truly pushed me to think and work differently.

Thinking of shape is easy, but working with form certainly throws a few obstacles into the mix.

For instance, do I cover the form with fabric and then stitch onto it, or do I embroider the fabric first and then make it fit?

Either choice poses the question of the suitability and appropriateness of my stitch choices – some simply can’t be used.

But the beauty of time is that as all these thoughts and questions filter through my consciousness – I’m also trying to figure out solutions.

And there’s always a solution.

The stitches used are all simple stitches – Fly stitch, Bullion knots, and French knots, and these are the type of stitches I love working with.

So form + embroidery is achievable when I really push myself to think.

And this is the result.

December 2022

Well, it’s nearly Christmas time and the big countdown is well underway.

But, as with anything we do, a time of reflection and contemplation does not go astray – and this is the perfect time to do it.

That break between Christmas and the New Year is my time to look back to help me move forward.

It’s great to reflect on achievements, successes and failures – and they’re all in there, but now, with an eye to the future.

I like to take stock, re-think, re-evaluate and push through some of the obstacles I’ve faced this year, so I can look ahead with clarity.

This is also the perfect time to wish everyone a peaceful and safe Christmas along with my best wishes for a fabulous new year to come.

And I hope it’s filled with ambition, creativity and endless inspiration, so those stitched masterpieces can just keep coming.

So, from my work-room to your studio, I send my very best wishes.

May all your dreams be filled with exotic textiles, and sumptuous threads.

December 2022

It’s amazing where inspiration can lead you.

Coral certainly has me in its clutches with its magical, witchery sub-aquatic beauty.

And stitching is the perfect time to think and plan – with this set of small decorated boxes being the outcome.

Small beaded tokens sit amid decorative motifs to form even more intricate patterns – all using simple shapes.

The result is just so elegant and pleasing – showing yet again, just how versatile a needle and thread can be.

Yes, they’re decorative and useful at the same time – is that still considered art?  Of course, it is – the Arts and Crafts Movement would applaud, I’m sure.

But really, creating is about the inner person and their style and values – so I suppose these say a lot about me.

Beautiful, useful, colourful, and intricate – that encompasses my work exactly.

November 2022

Working with the magic of a very simple, yet elegant colour palette – Black and White.

The Black/White contrast is one of the most eye-catching and well-used in the design world, but it’s also extremely satisfying and easy to stitch.

Take away colour, and your focus moves onto other design elements such as variety, repetition, pattern, and texture – and sometimes that’s a great way to re-energize and re-ignite stitch inspiration.

And the joy of working with Black and White is that you can use as little or as much as you like – small accents can be quite powerful without actually taking over a design.

This piece emulates coral bleaching – that eerily beautiful, yet devastatingly sad event that occurs across the world where coral gardens begin to die due to a number of factors, one of which is thought to be warming water temperatures.

So again, a simple needle and thread are able to offer a narrative, and perhaps gain attention to the crisis in our oceans.

August 2022

Next month my daughter’s being married in a romantic, tropical destination wedding.

So what does a Textile Artist mother do?

Well, she beads a teeny-tiny Neo-Baroque, bespoke beaded horseshoe for the happy couple, of course.

Measuring just 6cm high by 5.5 cm wide, this sweet little horseshoe is also fully beaded on the back along with just one blue sequin for that ‘something blue’ all brides should wear.

This little horseshoe will be pinned onto her gown immediately after the ceremony and has spurred me on to create something similar for a different wedding at the end of the year.

What I love about this work is that it shows the diversity of embroidery in our modern world – still.

This can’t be machine-made or mass-produced, it has to be worked by hand with thoughtfulness and affection.

It’s a beautiful coalescence of technique, tradition, and innovation.

July 2022

We all know and understand the importance of colour – but just how exhilarating can one colour be?

Green is such a simple, evocative colour, yet it just gives and gives in terms of pleasure and usability.

Add contrast of line, shape and texture and it’s simply divine.

Used since the time of the ancient Egyptians as a symbol for regeneration and birth moving to signify wealth, merchants, bankers and the gentry in post-classical and early modern Europe.

Green is as mesmerising as it is ancient – but so useful and modern at the same time.

Here I’ve used a variety of applied fabrics and threads, working a plethora of threads, gimps, sequins and beads to create a panel of green for my Improv Sampler.

Very satisfying and highly recommended – green is delightful to work with.

May 2022

Hand embroidery crosses time and borders.  It’s an art and a treasure.

And I’ve recently rekindled a passion for hand embroidery leading to this work-in-progress.

Worked on a ground of beautiful navy blue wool off-cuts, the rectangular lengths have been simply stitched and patched together to form one long working ground.

There’s no plan – other than a general idea of using a different colour palette in each rectangle.

So this is my interpretation of improv stitching – of gently meandering where line and shape dictate and where colour and texture add variety and interest.

Using simple surface stitches, and drawing upon my stash of threads and bits and bobs, I’ll be working on this at my stand at the upcoming Quilt & Craft Fair at Homebush next month.

Come and say hello.

April 2022

Delighted to have been invited to be one of three guest artists at this year’s Sydney Craft and Quilt Fair, presented by Expertise Events.

This wonderful event will be held at The Dome, Sydney Olympic Park, Homebush, from June 29 to July 3, 10 am-4 pm.

My stand ‘Design For Stitch’ will emphasize integral components needed to design your own work to stitch.

Most of all, I’ll be emphasizing making design enjoyable, sustainable and unique to you.

Come and say hi, and let’s chat about design.

There’ll also be my Top Tips talks daily at 2 pm.

Honestly, after so many lockdowns and restrictions, it’s time to network, socialize and re-energize our creative spirits.

See you there!

March 2022

Ozquilt Network offers a touring members’ exhibition, called Australia Wide.

This fabulous initiative by Ozquilt Network offers its members the opportunity to submit work that represents their contemporary art quilt practice.

I’m thrilled and delighted to be one of three selectors for the artworks to be included in the upcoming Australia Wide 8 touring exhibition and to be given the opportunity to submit a piece of my own work to travel with the exhibition.

Study In Green is my submission for this exhibition and was based on collage work done some time ago – something I don’t often do, but am certainly looking to further as a result of this work.

Initiating new design work is not always an easy process – and sometimes you just want to do something a little bit different.

Online entries close on April 8, 2022.

February, 2022

2022 appears to be the year of hand embroidery here at Live, Love, Stitch.

And it’s amazing to be back in the rhythms of needle and thread, stitch and embellishment.

So if you’d like to follow my progress, watch my YouTube channel.

This is a wonderful way to tap into all the research I do for my Podcast, Stitch Safari – and apply some of those stunning ideas and techniques – some of which haven’t changed for centuries.

And I just want to reinforce that none of the stitches I do are complicated – rather I love simple stitches worked over and over again, just like my machine embroidery.

So join me on my hand-embroidered journey for 2022 – or pick up a needle and thread and begin your very own.

ART QUILT AUSTRALIA 2021 OZQUILT NETWORK AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2021- see below

ART QUILT AUSTRALIA 2021

OZQUILTNETWORK AWARD OF EXCELLENCE 2021

And Then There Were Three 2021  2m x 40cm

Accepted into the 6th Biennial Golden Textures Contemporary Art Quilt Exhibition at the Goldfields Art Gallery, Maryborough, in March, and also into one of Australia’s premier juried exhibitions, Art Quilt Australia 2021, to be held at Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, Nowra, NSW from 12 June until 3 July 2021 and Yarra Ranges Regional Museum, Lilydale, Victoria from 7 August until 31 October 2021.

This narrative textile epitomizes an Australian summer using an unusual format inspired by the magnificent Medieval embroidery, the Bayeux Tapestry.

It’s long, narrow configuration, confined by decorative borders offers a perfect opportunity for a story-telling composition, featuring gently abstracted frangipani leaves, flowers and buds, along with a simple account of a family of nesting magpies.

As a contemporary embroidered artwork, it communicates a link to historical embroideries and woven hangings used to convey or represent stories that were deemed important, worthy of being recorded.

Read how this piece was designed and made in my three-part blog series ‘And Then There Were Three’.

Pleasure, Beauty, Freedom – 2021. 2m x 40cm

This lyrical, free-flowing design, inspired by the simplicity of a morning walk, embraces the pleasure, beauty and freedom felt during the easing of Covid restrictions.

The long, narrow, narrative format encased by geometric borders, references the magnificent medieval embroidery, the Bayeux Tapestry, connecting with our rich embroidered textile history.

The story gently percolates across the central frieze with zones of breezy airiness and cascading flowering gums, at the same time concealing five raucous, clamorous Lorikeets in and around the design embodying Australia’s amazing wildlife.

Ode to Plants 2020

Selected into the inaugural Australian Textile Art Award 2020 and also for the cover of the December 2020 issue of  Australia’s premier textile magazine Textile Fibre Forum.

This is my response to the dreadful bushfires, drought and lockdown we’ve all experienced here in Australia recently.  It’s a nod to looking forward to better things, to renewing our enthusiasm and the wonder of nature to regenerate after such hardships.

Worked in an unusual circular format which encourages an almost riotous interlacing design full of energy and life.

Fully machine embroidered using polyester and rayon thread on a felt substrate.