I’m Faye and I’m a cross stitch designer and the owner of Little Dove Designs. I live on the east Suffolk coast with my husband and daughter and run the business from my home studio. I’ve been sharing my designs with cross stitchers all over the world for almost 20 years now. I also enjoy knitting and crochet and provide yarncraft tutorials and pattern inspiration under the name Little Dove Crochet.
“As tempting as it is to jump right into a large, colourful design
choose a simple, small project to start with to be your practise/learning piece”
How did your cross stitch journey start?
Having grown up in a family full of creatives from dressmakers to tattoo artists I think creating was always going to be on the cards. My mum made wedding dresses so I grew up surrounded by fabric, thread and all the associated haberdashery! When I was around 9 years old my mum had a party at home which was like a Tupperware party but with needlecraft kits and supplies and I was really taken with it. I then received a sewing box full of DMC threads, some aida and a Care Bears chart book (which I still have) for the following Christmas and became obsessed from then on!
When did you realise you wanted to design kits?
Very early on in my cross stitch journey but of course before advances in technology and packaging became more accessible and cost effective for me it wasn’t something I was able to pursue at first. In the pre-internet days and without being able to invest a large sum of money the only way to get your designs published was to try and get a foot in the door with a craft magazine or similar so I started off concentrating on just building a design portfolio and back in the 1990s I sent my designs to several cross stitch magazines who all politely declined me! With the internet and selling platforms becoming more widely accessible in the early 2000s I was then able to start promoting and selling my designs and my kits myself. Things came full circle in 2016 when I was contacted by Cross Stitcher magazine to become a regular designer for them and I went on to do this alongside the business for nine years.
What does your design process look like?
It’s evolved a lot over the years with the technology available at the time however it still almost always starts with notes and sketches. Often I will just get an idea and have to put it to paper straight away before then developing it further using software. Thread and fabric shade cards are vital to my creative process and once I’ve got the design finished I will stitch the model so that I can ‘iron out’ any last minute issues with the design.
What is your most popular kit?
My seasonal themed collections are always very popular and many people stitch the whole set and then rotate which one they display as part of their seasonal décor. My biscornu kits are also a popular choice I think because they are a lovely small portable project....perfect for holiday stitching!
What do you think makes a great cross stitch kit?
Quality materials! I always include high quality DMC threads and Zweigart fabric in my kits as it makes the whole creating process much more enjoyable. The last thing you want is thread constantly breaking or fabric that doesn’t keep shape. A clear chart with symbols that are easy to differentiate is also a must.
What skills should beginners focus on first?
Creating nice even cross stitches that are all worked in the same direction. Once you’ve mastered that you’re good to go! As tempting as it is to jump right into a large, colourful design choose a simple, small project to start with to be your practise/learning piece.
What inspires your designs?
The seasons and nature are a huge source of inspiration to me and feature in many of my designs. I take a lot of photos, if I see something I like the colours of, the wording of or the setting of then I will take a quick photo and when I’m feeling a little uninspired I’ll go through my photos to jog my memory and that will hopefully spark an idea.
What does your typical day look like?
As a one woman business I wear ALL the hats and time management is hugely important. The first thing I always do is get my admin out the way......emails, bills, invoicing, accounts etc. Next I check my order list and get those all put together and packaged up. If there’s any time left I will use that to check stock/order materials, post on socials, update the website and plan ahead the designs I want to work on or release next. There are never enough hours in the day really though!
What is next for you?
I’ve already released three new designs this year and have several more to come in 2026.....another companion design for Songbird and Robin Redbreast, a lovely wildflower themed design for the summer, and a sunflower themed biscornu are on the way to name a few!
You can keep up to date with Little Dove Designs by following ‘Little Dove Cross Stitch’ on Facebook and Instagram and you can view Little Dove Designs on our website here.
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1 comment
I love Little dove’s patterns, have a few on the go :D