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From Stitches to Stories
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items From Stitches to Stories – Here you’ll find threads of history, personal tales, forgotten techniques and the art of sewing woven together. Dip in for inspiration, discovery and a little stitching magic.
Sections
4
Sewing: History and Tradition
Sewing Made Easy
The Pleasure of Sewing
The Gathering Stitch Community
Sewing: History and Tradition
From forgotten techniques to the stories stitched into everyday life. Part research, part storytelling, always with a love of the craft.
A needle through time, stitching tales, tips and textile traditions.
Welcome to From Stitches to Stories!
Stories woven with every stitch.
More Than Stitches
How superstition influences how we stitch!
Sewing and Superstition
Retro sewing at its finest.
The Art of Stitching in the 1960s and 1970s
England’s Dragon-Slaying Saint!
St. George & the Stitch
Mass production doesn’t have to be boring.
Threads of War
Winston Churchill, Louisa May Alcott and Rosie the Riveter’s Real-Life Inspirations (Plus Other Surprising Celebrities!)
Famous Figures Who Loved Sewing
Left-Handed and Thriving in a Right-Handed World
Sewing Your Own Way
The discovery that this everyday object emerged from very complicated origins may surprise you.
Discover the Inventor of the Sewing Machine: A Fascinating History • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
A thoughtfully designed sewing area not only enhances your creativity but also helps you stay productive and stress-free.
How to Set Up an Inspiring Sewing Workspace at Home • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
A stitch library is something every sewist should make.
Ultimate Stitch Library: Your Go-To Guide for Every Stitch • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
It’s like your shirt is a tiny relic of a time when you needed a full staff just to get dressed in the morning.
Why Button Placement is Gendered
Imagine strolling through quiet, cobblestone streets where the rhythmic hum of weaving looms and the steady clatter of sewing machines once filled the air. These were towns where skilled artisans transformed raw fibres into fabrics that dressed the w...
The Forgotten Textile Towns of the World
In 2016, archaeologists made a groundbreaking discovery - a 7-centimeter-long bone needle with a carefully drilled eye, designed for threading plant fibres or sinew.
The Denisova Cave Needle
Curtains have done more than just soften light or shield us from the outside world - they’ve carried culture, craft and centuries of stitching. As someone whose life has been deeply threaded with fabric and form, I’ve come to see curtains not just as...
From Portières to Pelmets
Some stories stay with you, not just because of the hardships they reveal, but because of the strength, dignity and quiet heroism they represent. This is one such story. It belongs to my husband’s grandmother, Ethel Marshall (née Dale); a remarkable ...
A Life of Grit
You may be surprised to learn that pockets weren’t always part of our clothes. For women in the 18th century they were hidden beneath layers of skirts and petticoats, tied on like a secret. These weren’t just practical—they were personal, powerful an...
The Hidden Power of 18th Century Pockets
How people at home stitched support for our brave soldiers during war time.
Stitching for Soldiers
Discover how buttons were once used as a symbol of superiority.
The Secret Life of Buttons
In the ancient world, the ability to sit comfortably was not available to everyone.
The Secret Life of Cushions
Uncover the origin of the word “spinster”, it may just surprise you!
The Secret Life of Thread
The fascinating tale of the humble thimble.
Stitches and Shields
Sewing Made Easy
A collection of posts sharing sewing tips, techniques, and timeless tricks — practical know-how to make stitching easier and more enjoyable
Here, are my essential sewing tools. The basic, tried and tested can’t do without tools of the trade.
Sewing Tools: My Essential Top Ten • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
Discover my 5 secrets to being successful, not just at sewing but anything creative.
Successful Sewing: My 5 Secrets • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
This guide is to help you differentiate between the various types used for machine sewing, quilting and patchwork.
Sewing Tips for Trouble Free Sewing
The Pleasure of Sewing
Posts that explore sewing as a mindful practice — bringing calm, focus, and connection through the rhythm of needle and thread.
Whether you’re sewing, knitting, painting or engaging in another craft, the act of creating mindfully can transform your well-being.
Crafting for Wellness • Gaynor Marshall | Sewing and Design
How the Victorians stitched for mindfulness.
The Gathering Stitch
Slow stitching for the change of season.
Summer Stitches
The Gathering Stitch Community
Posts that celebrate the communal side of sewing — from shared traditions and collective stories to the ways stitching brings people together across time and place
Grab a cuppa and join the conversation!
The Gathering Stitch
I'm so excited to share the very first edition of my monthly newsletter with you. Each month, I’ll bring you a story rooted in history, a timeless sewing technique and a glimpse into how this beautiful craft connects us across cultures and generation...
The Gathering Stitch
Lately, I’ve found myself reaching for the projects that don’t ask much—just a quiet moment, a threaded needle and the gentle comfort of familiar stitches.
The Gathering Stitch
Today’s snippet from sewing’s past is from medieval Europe, where tailors would often pass down their sewing shears through the generations.
Midweek Stitch #1 - Scissors as Heirlooms
Like most things we use everyday, zips are something that we tend to take for granted. We fasten our bags, clothes and cushion covers without a second thought.
Midweek Stitch #2 - The Zip’s Awkward Name
I’ve been thinking a lot about making things last. Mending what’s worn, repurposing what’s still useful, finishing projects that have waited patiently in the to-do pile. That’s what led me to the blanket stitch this month.
The Gathering Stitch