Catherine, a hand embroidery artist, sat at a table with her hand resting under her chin. She's smiling and admiring her half finished embroidered bouquet. Catherine has natural vibrant ginger hair, her skin is pale white, she wears dark green glasses, has vibrant lime green eyeliner in the corners of her eyes, and she's wearing a pale blue hoodie.

About

Hi! I’m Catherine, a hand embroidery artist and creator of 'Artisan Cat', based in Birmingham, UK. I create cosy nature-themed embroidery inspired by the textures, colours, and details of nature. I'm always admiring the world around me; whether it's through birdwatching, gardening, drawing flora and fauna, or capturing it through photography, all of these passions feed into my embroidery designs. I offer finished original artwork, embroidery patterns and stitch guides for all skill levels, and custom pieces for special occasions.

Hand embroidery has always been a part of my life even before I picked up a needle myself. My Nan, Catherine (who I was named after), was an avid knitter and occasional embroiderer who worked in a Haberdashery shop in Bournville. Though I never got to meet her, my Nan’s passion for handmade crafts carried on through me, with her sewing supplies becoming my first connection to embroidery.

Old scanned photo of Catherine’s Nan in a beautiful dress, smiling at the camera.
Scanned old photo of Catherine’s Nan doing some gardening.
Old scanned photo of Catherine’s Nan posing while getting out of a car.
Small blue book of 29 embroidery stitches displayed on a mini wooden easel with five decorative thimbles lined up in front of it.

I discovered my Nan's decorative sewing tin and Mum's sewing box in a wardrobe as a young child, like hidden treasure. Inside both, I found what I can only describe as a magical trove of embroidery supplies; threads, decorative thimbles, buttons and fabric adorned with both my Nan’s and Mum’s embroidery and cross stitch work. Included was a little book called ‘29 Embroidery Stitches,’ which later became my guide when I first tried embroidery as a teenager - with a little help from my mum, who taught me cross stitch.

Over the years, I’ve worked on various creative pursuits as a small business owner, including photography, illustration, and polymer clay creations, before focussing on embroidery in 2018. Photography has always been my main passion, and I’m grateful to still use my photography and illustration skills in my embroidery work.

It feels like this is exactly what I was meant to do.

Delicate floral embroidery on a cloth sewn by Catherine’s Nan

Since 2022, I’ve been creating stitch guides and embroidery patterns designed for all skill levels - whether you’re picking up a needle for the first time or have been stitching for years.

Teaching embroidery through my stitch guides has been the most rewarding part for me, as I get to help others begin their own embroidery journey and experience the joy of making something by hand.

Whether you’re here to browse, learn, or find your next project, I hope my embroidery brings a little warmth and inspiration to your day. Happy stitching!

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