Moomin Embroidery

Jo Lochhead is the founder and creative director of The Crafty Kit Company, an award-winning soft craft kit business in East Lothian, Scotland, and a life-long crafter. Coming from a creative background (her father was a watercolour artist, her brother is a ceramicist, and her mother knits, sews and crochets), she was making and stitching from an early age. Over the years she’s explored many crafts, from embroidery to needle-felting, but her guiding force has always been to achieve mindfulness and joy from the making experience.As well as leading the team at The Crafty Kit Company, running its online workshops, and sharing the pleasure of making with new and experienced crafters alike, Jo is a regular contributor to Stitch magazine and the author of several books, including All-New Twenty to Make: Felt Flowers and Needle Felting Art, both published by Search Press.To learn more about Jo, and discover the crafting techniques she’s shared with thousands of people for over 20 years, take a look at The Crafty Kit Company’s website and social media.www.craftykitcompany.co.uk | IG @craftykitcompany | YT @thecraftykitcompany | FB @CraftyKitCompanyHeather Plant, based in the West Midlands, UK, is a designer and kit maker at The Craft Kit Company, and a life-long lover of crafting. Since the age of 4, she’s embroidered, sewn, crocheted and needle-felted, and to even today continues to explore different crafts and teach herself new skills.  In 2020, Heather began needle-felting more regularly and soon found herself completely absorbed in the process. The combination of texture, colour, and creativity appealed to her, and she started to design her own pieces. Her work caught the attention of The Crafty Kit Company, and she went on to become one of their designers, creating kits that help others enjoy the same sense of creativity and achievement she feels when crafting. When she’s not working with yarn, thread and fabric, Heather works as a primary school teacher. In the classroom, she enjoys helping children develop confidence and curiosity through creative play and hands-on learning. This is Heather’s first embroidery book which she has co-authored, bringing together her passion for crafting and her experience as a teacher. The Moomins are the central characters in a series of books and comic strips by Swedish-speaking Finn Tove Jansson (1914–2001), a painter, illustrator and writer. The Moomins are a family of fantastical white, roundish, hippo-like characters, with large snouts.After the first Moomin story published in 1945, Tove Jansson went on to write another eight books, four picture books and numerous comic strip stories about the Moomins. The Moomins have inspired numerous television series, films and theme parks.For more information about the Moomins, visit www.moomin.com

As someone who grew up watching the Moomins, Moomin Embroidery was an absolute joy to discover. The book captures the charm and nostalgia of the beloved characters while presenting them in a range of delightful embroidery projects. Most of the designs are intended to be stitched and displayed in a hoop, creating beautiful standalone pieces that would look lovely around the home.What I particularly enjoyed was that the book also offers ideas for using the motifs on bags, clothing and other textile projects, making it easy to incorporate a little Moomin magic into everyday life. The designs are so appealing that I found myself imagining an even bigger project, such as creating a large wall hanging featuring all the characters and motifs together in one whimsical scene.The instructions are clear, the photography is inspiring, and the projects are suitable for a range of skill levels. Considering the number of patterns and creative possibilities included, the book offers excellent value for money. For Moomin fans and embroidery enthusiasts alike, this is a charming and inspiring addition to any craft library.