Sublime Stitching Sushi napkins

Have you seen the Sublime Stitching range by Texas based stitcher extraordinary Jenny Hart? After trying embroidery for the first time in 2000, Jenny has been revolutionasing the stitching world since with her alternative approach to embroidery patterns. All you have to do is pick the 'theme' that you want to stitch from a huge range including classics like the tattoo alphabet and craftopia to scooter babe, roller derby and vintage lamps. Or maybe something completely different like vital organs!? Whatever you fancy...there is something for everyone, with over 50 choices!

When I visited the hugely popular Make Lounge in London last year I spotted these cool crafty packs and snapped up the sushi themed one. Each pack comes as a sheet of hot iron transfers. So you just cut out the image you want and then iron it onto the fabric you want to stitch. It gives you an easy pattern to stitch round so you end up with a lovely little stitched image.

I decided to stitch my sushi onto napkins. I LOVE sushi, and after going to a sushi making lesson for my birthday a few years ago with the amazing Kumiko Haton in her Glasgow home, I make my own sushi quite often....

...so though it would be good to have some matching napkins!? Using some white cotton linen I had I cut out 4, 45x45cm squares. I finished off the edges and neatened them with mitered corners.

I then choose my designs and ironed on the transfers to the corner of my napkins and I was ready to go! This is a fantastic website giving really clear instructions with pictures of how to do just about every embroidery stitch you could ever want.

I used mostly used simple backstitch but also satin stitch and a few french knots. Here are my finished designs....