I’ve been sewing, stitching, embroidering, crocheting, and making things by hand since I was around seven years old. When I see something I like, my first thought is usually, “I can probably make that,” and I often do just that. Needlecrafts have always been my thing, but one stands out more than the rest because I find it the most calming. That’s probably a big reason why I still love cross stitching as an adult.
As a kid, I had two career goals: cashier or fashion designer/costumer. Cash registers fascinated me because they were huge, full of buttons, and made all kinds of noise. On the completely opposite end of the spectrum, I loved crafts — needlecrafts especially. My other career fantasy was fashion design and costuming, an ode to the late Edith Head.
I’ve always liked being able to express myself through design, and I think that’s one of the reasons cross stitching stayed with me for so long. It lets me be creative in a way that feels similar to designing, just with thread and fabric. Looking back now, it’s pretty obvious why stitching stayed such a big part of my life and why I still keep coming back to it alongside other needle arts. What I’ve realized over time is that I’m drawn to a very specific kind of scene.
Introducing Stillwater Stitchery
At the time, I don’t think I realized any of the things I loved would lead anywhere. It was just something I loved to do. Something calming. Familiar, but still with an element of surprise — the finished project. Over the years, all those little creative moments followed me through different stages of life until eventually they led me here, to Stillwater Stitchery.
I love doorways, windows, porches, little cafes, market scenes, gardens, quiet streets, tables tucked into corners, warm lighting, and places that feel lived in. Patterns with detail and personality, the ones that are busy without being loud, always seem to call out to me. They’re the kind of scenes you can slowly get lost in while you stitch them.
I spend a lot of time fine tuning my patterns because I want them to feel immersive without being overwhelming. I want people to settle into them the same way I do. Because stitching has never only been about finishing a project for me. It’s the process.
Sitting down after a long day and slowly working through something one stitch at a time — that’s the attraction. It’s getting quiet enough mentally to focus on colors, shapes, texture, and movement instead of everything else going on around you.
What Inspires Me
I wanted to create patterns based on the kinds of things I personally love to stitch. Calm spaces. Inviting spaces. Interesting spaces. Patterns that feel warm, grounded, peaceful, and comforting. That feeling is a big part of what inspired Stillwater Stitchery in the first place. Of course, every now and then, you step outside the box a little. You take on something brighter. Busier. Maybe a little louder than what you would normally choose. Honestly, I think that variety is part of why I still enjoy cross stitching so much as a hobby.
Sometimes a pattern becomes less about comfort and more about challenge, curiosity, or simply trying something different. But even those patterns eventually become calming once you settle into the rhythm of them. One stitch becomes another, and somewhere along the way the noise softens. The challenge becomes relaxing.
I think that’s part of why I love cross stitching so much. It offers both comfort and creative challenge at the same time.
When I look at the patterns I’m creating, I see the connection between all the things I’ve always loved.
The doors.
The windows.
The gardens.
The lights.
The calm feeling underneath them.
They all carry the same sense of comfort and escape that first made me fall in love with stitching in the first place. Somehow, after all these years, that little girl who loved making things by hand is still here.
Above all, the simple joy and calm of creating something beautiful are still at the heart of why I love cross stitching most.
