Stjärnljus by Katherine Kennedy

Swedish weaving, also known as ‘huck embroidery’ or ‘huck weaving’, is a needlework style that has existed for hundreds of years.

It is thought to date back as far as the seventeenth century and made its way to the United States during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries thanks to Scandinavian immigrants, who brought this simple but effective method of decorating cloth with them to their new home.

As is with many things these days, what once was old is now new again and Swedish weaving is currently enjoying a resurgence in popularity.

This renewed interest is mainly thanks to American designer Katherine Kennedy.

Katherine is a world authority on all things Swedish weaving and huck embroidery having written four best-selling books and personally designed hundreds of different patterns, which you can read more about on her website HERE.

One such pattern is Stjärnljus, which is Swedish for starlight, and it is our great privilege to have this piece included as part of our Handpicked 3 collection. It is also our first time publishing a project by Katherine, so welcome to the Inspirations family!

Swedish weaving is worked by picking up the vertical threads, called floats, on the front of the fabric so the stitching does not show on the back. Once you learn the basic stitches, the possibilities are endless.

Originally worked on huckaback, the geometric designs can be stitched onto a number of different fabrics and are usually stitched with cotton perlé, making this a satisfyingly quick and easy way to add a special touch to a hand towel or tea towel.

And Stjärnljus is indeed just that, a magnificent tea towel featuring a striking repeating star motif.

For anyone familiar with Swedish weaving or huck embroidery, you may have come across the problem of finding quality fabric to use.

Often the huck towelling that is readily available is not up to the same standard that we’re accustomed to as embroiderers, especially when it comes to adding needlework.

The good news is that as part of Katherine Kennedy’s passion for reviving and maintaining interest in this fabulous technique, she has sourced premium quality huck towelling and provided it for us to include in our kits.

Furthermore, the tea towel comes already hemmed, so once your kit arrives, simply refer to the instructions included, thread your needle, follow the chart and you’ll be working up this fun to stitch pattern in no time.

There are only four stitches used, double loop stitch, slant stitch, straight stitch and twisted loop stitch and by the time you’ve finished stitching you’ll have a stunning, premium quality and super absorbent tea towel ready to bring some needlework wow to your kitchen.

Stjärnljus also makes for a fabulous gift perhaps for a housewarming or a friend who’s just had a kitchen reno. You could even embroider their initials on the tea towel to make it personal.

We hope you’re as excited about meeting Katherine Kennedy, discovering Swedish weaving and enjoying her delightful project Stjärnljus as we are.

May our kitchens never be adorned with drab tea towels ever again!

Make Your Own Stjärnljus

Our Handpicked Ready-to-Stitch kit contains all the materials you need to re-create this project yourself, including the instructions.

If you prefer to source the materials yourself, this project is part of our Handpicked Collection 3, with instructions included in the printed book and also available separately as a printed or digital pattern.