Designed by Debbie Harding

Alive with Colour

Who says that blackwork designs need to be worked in black thread? Go beyond the traditional with a riot of vibrant hues

When it comes to blackwork, we’re accustomed to seeing intricate black backstitch, with perhaps some occasional gold or red highlights within the pattern, But this happy hummingbird breaks the mould to showcase 15 different shades of stranded cotton, including one iridescent fuchsia metallic thread. These combine to create a vivid
portrait flashing with colour, exactly as if light were being reflected off a hovering hummingbird’s feathers.

If you have not stitched blackwork before, you are in for a nice surprise. Blackwork designs are essentially entirely in backstitch—albeit quite fancy backstitch. This makes it faster to complete than a cross stitch design of the same size. So, you can up the scale of your stitching without having to increase your WIP time.