Blogstar Spotlight – Heather from The Patchwork Heart

Thursday 20th February 2020

Tags: Blogstars, Crochet

The Stylecraft Blogstars programme has now been running since 2016 so we thought we would start a new series of blog posts where you can rediscover what makes each and every one of them so special. The Patchwork HeartFirst up is Heather from The Patchwork Heart. Tell us a bit about you? I was a full time Maths teacher in a girls Grammar School, a busy wife and mum of 3 children Thinking I'd be there for many more years, it was a huge shock when my health took a turn for the worse and in 2017 I became medically retired. Crochet has been my saviour giving me a reason to get up and something useful to do. Connecting with people on Instagram and Facebook who also share the same passion, is now my world. Crochet Flowers What inspires you? Colour. Very simply colour around me is translated by my brain into colour recipes for crocheting! It may be a sunrise, flowers in my garden, trees, mugs, china, clothes in a shop, anything! My need to create is always fuelled by my love of colour, putting together fabrics or yarn gives me immense satisfaction. When did you start blogging? My blog began 10 years ago, and it was about sewing at first. When I was a stay at home Mum with 3 children, I used to dabble in free style embroidery, patchwork creations and then later free motion machine embroidery. I went back to teaching full time and so it all stopped and got packed away. However, part of me was missing, the need to be creative was still there and it was at this time I took up crochet which was something I could do whilst sitting with the family watching TV. What kind of things does your blog cover? Putting colours together and designing colour recipes is what I have become known for. I like to make crochet items for the home, mainly blankets, cushions, hot water bottles, flowers and mandala mats. I am a collector of Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater china and it has become my trademark to make a daily post, with a mugshot matching my crochet. I am so very humbled when people say they visit my pages each day, for their daily dose of colour and positivity and I am very blessed to now be using my teaching skills in another way, connecting with people in my crochet classroom! On my daily posts I have much pleasure in sharing the colour recipes and patterns I use, to enable others to have the same creative pleasure as I do. Sharing about my life changes and health issues has brought me into contact with so many people worldwide, who also use crochet as their therapy to fill many rest hours and this has had such a positive impact on me. blanket stacks As well as your blog, which other social media can people find you on? You can find me daily posting on Instagram and Facebook, sharing bursts of colourful yarny goodness. I read all the comments and feedback that people kindly leave and try to respond to questions as soon as they are seen. It is my pleasure to share and encourage people on their crochet journey. What have you got coming up? This spring I am working with cottons and pretty colours, making gifts for Mother’s Day and Easter; mandalas, flowers and bookmarks. I will be sharing patterns and hope to inspire people with ideas of what they can make. This year I am also going to be starting a series of picture blankets using pixel crochet in charts which appeals to my mathematical brain and love of cross stitch. This is new to me and I hope it will open up a new world to many followers too. Which Stylecraft yarn is your favourite? Special DK is my all-time favourite yarn because of the fantastic colour palette of over 90 shades. It is soft, cosy, warm, easily washable and very affordable. It is a dream to work with for making blankets. PhotoGrid_1575037307684 Bellissima and Bambino DK are also favourites for making clothes, truly luxurious yarn which I have used with great success for cowls. Chain or Magic Loop? Magic loop all the way! What are you watching or reading? I'm re watching the whole series of Call The Midwife and totally loving it. We know that Heather will be showing some lovely work in one of our new yarns that launches on 3rd March so don’t forget to check in with her blog then.