Sweet Stitches by Fumie Suzuki

We would like to introduce you to a wonderful new designer who is appearing in Inspirations magazine for the very first time. Fumie Suzuki is an embroidery artist from Japan who simply wowed us when she submitted her first project.

Sweet Stitches, which appears on the cover of Inspirations issue #115, is a Hedebo bag like no other. The design and the stitching are absolutely exquisite and we know that Fumie is a designer who our community will adore.

Hedebo is a type of cutwork embroidery that originated in Denmark in the 1700s. There has been a great deal of variation in Hedebo embroidery over the centuries, with changes in the type of stitches being commonly employed over both time and geographical location.

What remained consistent, however, was the white-on-white finish that gave Hedebo embroidery a crisp and gorgeously clean appearance.

The Hedebo technique, which is familiar with needleworkers today, and Fumie has used in Sweet Stitches, was known as Udklipshedebo and was developed in the mid-19th Century.

It is characterised by its use of both cut threads and needle lace, and employs motifs such as curves, wheels and foliage. The edges of the cut areas are embroidered with blanket stitches and the interiors are worked with needlelace to give the lacy effect.

Sweet Stitches is a stunning pouch that would make a perfect wedding accessory among other occasions befitting such a delicate piece. The body of the pouch includes an intricate Hedebo pattern with a wonderful array of needlelace techniques and gleaming satin stitch leaves and drops.

It is then completed with an incredible edge of thread rings that really sets this project apart.

To create the perfect circles that edge Sweet Stitches, you are encouraged to use a tool called a couronne stick.

This is a wooden tool that has rounded sections on one end in different sizes. To achieve perfectly matched circles, you create your thread rings using the appropriate section on the tool.

This way you know that not only will the ring be round, but each one will match the next to perfection, creating the necessary harmony and symmetry that makes this project so unique.

Fumie does say that if you haven’t got a couronne stick, you can make the circles using appropriately sized knitting needles, pencils, skewers or dowels. Just be sure to keep all of your tools together for the duration of the project so that you know that each circle will match the rest in terms of size and shape.

While Sweet Stitches is an intricate piece, you can be assured that the instructions provided will make stitching this project a pleasure. It won’t take you long to find the rhythm in the Hedebo stitch and feel the joy that arises as each lacy section starts to form.

Whether you stitch this project for a happy bride-to-be so she can carry it on her big day, or you stitch it for the sheer pleasure of creating a project using a traditional and historic technique, Sweet Stitches is guaranteed to be a fabulous experience from the first stitch to the last.

Make Your Own Sweet Stitches

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Sweet Stitches by Fumie Suzuki is a dainty drawstring pouch featuring exquisite Hedebo embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Sweet Stitches includes everything* you need to re-create this charming Hedebo pouch: Fabrics (unprinted), ribbon, sewing thread, embroidery threads and needles.

*Please Note: To cater for flexibility of purchase, instructions are not included with our kits. For step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to the magazine/digital pattern.