Now released : February Mini Monthly Sardines

 Hello, 

Today is the day that February is released in my Etsy shop  HERE and this is part of my Mini Monthly Sardines series.

Being February the theme of the sardines are around valentines and love, please let me know what you think.

The design can be stitched on any count fabric as only whole stitches have been used.  The colours for this design are :

DMC

151           350

310           352

349           453

I hope you enjoy stitching this chart as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Remember there is a Facebook group set up for people if they want to show their stitching, talk to others or even ask me questions, pop in!  HERE

Jacquie

Unexpected issue

 Sorry for being a little quiet, the 3rd January I was admitted into hospital with horrendous left knee pain leaving me screaming with every movement.

  My current situation is that I am still in hospital awaiting a second MRI attempt.  The first one was aborted due to extreme pain, I am hopeful with this second attempt when I go as I have movement in my leg with drastically reduced pain levels.  Once I have had the MRI hopefully it’s fixable then I will be on the recovery journey.

The reason I am on here now is to up date you all and now that I have internet access whilst in hospital is a bonus, and it helps that my pain levels are tolerable enough to function.  

Home truths

The give away was a flop, maybe it was too soon? I will try another time.

My mini monthly sardines

I am thrilled that people are joining in on this fun stitch, thank you so much, it would be lovely to see them, and share them here. 

Good news that the launch of February will go ahead as planned with my behind the scenes 24/7 tech support Han (daughter!).  I am very excited to share the next one in this series with you all.

It’s not too late to join in with this fun stitch, HERE it will remain on the introductory price, come any try my design, let me know what you think.

Thank you all for your continued support. 

Jacqueline

Happy New Year!

I’ve never been very good at New Year’s resolutions.

I admire people who can make lists, set goals, and stick to them all year long,  but I’ve learned that I’m far too spontaneous for that. My creativity doesn’t work well when it’s boxed in, and I tend to follow ideas as they appear rather than plan them months in advance.

Instead of resolutions, I like to think in terms of hopes.

As 2026 begins, I’m hoping for a year that feels calm but curious, one where ideas continue to grow naturally, where I keep making things simply because they bring me joy, and where Zenf Embroidery keeps evolving in ways that feel true and unforced.

Right now, my little world is very much filled with sardines. The mini monthly sardines have been swimming around my hoop and, most recently, onto my fridge,  slowly turning into a tiny, moveable calendar with magnetic pieces. It’s one of those projects that started as something playful and has gently become something a bit more thoughtful and functional. I’m enjoying letting it develop at its own pace.

There are also new designs quietly taking shape behind the scenes. With Valentine’s Day not too far away, I’ve been sketching and stitching ideas that feel soft, heartfelt, and a little bit fun,  the kind of pieces that make lovely small gifts or meaningful keepsakes.

If I had to wish anything for the year ahead, it would be this:

More time to create, more trust in my instincts, and more moments of connection through stitching,  whether that’s through the work itself or the people who find it.

Thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting my work in all its stitched, sardine-filled forms. I’m really looking forward to seeing what this year brings.

Wishing you a calm, creative 2026 full of sardines, stitching, and happy surprises.

Happy New Year 

Hello and Who is Zenf Embroidery?

Welcome

Hello, and welcome to Zenf Embroidery.

I’m really glad you’ve found your way here, I realised I had not introduced myself or said hello, apologies.

This blog is a quiet space where I share my hand embroidery practice as it unfolds, slowly, thoughtfully, and without pressure. Stitching is part of my wellbeing, and this space reflects that. It’s not about speed, trends, or constant productivity, but about presence, repetition, and care.

You’ll find posts about what I’m currently stitching, reflections on hand embroidery as a calming and regulating practice, and occasional updates about new designs or pieces I’m sharing through my Etsy shop. I also write about creativity, health, and wellbeing, shaped by both lived experience and study. I have included some tabs just under the banner, there is one called ABOUT ME, please take a look for more insights.

If you enjoy small projects, gentle humour, nature, animals, and slightly quirky ideas (like my Mini Monthly Sardines!), you may feel at home here.

Thought I would answer some questions: If you have any questions you want me to answer, please feel free to leave a comment.

Do you prefer stitching in the morning or evening?

This is a great question, personally I stitch at any time! I have a really good daylight bulb in my floor lamp, so time really means nothing when I am stitching. 

One colour or many?

This could be a trick question, there is something mesmerising and calming about just using one colour to stitch with.  On the other hand my brain craves colours, I love the chaos of lots of colours or the calmness of a purposeful selection of colours like pastels or brightly coloured threads.

What's in your hoop?

Is that besides the weekly embroidery and cross stitch sardines? And besides the ongoing mini monthly sardines too!

 I am working on for a future release, a new design. I am stitching it on 32 count fabric over one, it's actually quite tiny but I adore it already! The title is a work in progress,' Floral Delight', this will probably change when I see my finished design. Would you like to see more updates of this new design regularly?

I am multi tasking right now as am also trying to complete the days of the week and numbers for my January mini monthly sardine:

I do have an update:

Thursday is complete and on the fridge! I am really pleased with how this is coming together.  And as I have put magnetic strips on each part they can be moved around, fun!

I have almost finished the 0 and 1, I will need to hurry up as its almost January!

There’s no pressure to comment or interact, you’re very welcome to read quietly. And if you ever do feel like saying hello, asking a question, or sharing a thought, I’d love to hear from you.

I plan to post here regularly, at a pace that feels sustainable and kind, and I hope this blog becomes a place you might like to return to.

Thank you for being here, and for taking the time to read.

Happy stitching 💙

Zenf Embroidery/Jacqueline

You don’t have to comment,  but if you feel like it, that would be lovely.

First Blog Give-Away

🎉 GIVEAWAY: WIN A WHOLE YEAR OF MINI MONTHLY SARDINES! 🐟🧵

I’m so excited to finally share this…

To celebrate the launch of my brand new Mini Monthly Sardines cross stitch series, I’m giving one lucky stitcher the entire set for FREE,  a whole year of sardines, delivered month by month as I release them!

✨ What you’ll win:

The complete Mini Monthly Sardines collection for 2025

That’s one new sardine pattern every month, sent directly to you as it launches.

• 🐟 January will be sent immediately

• 🐟 February will be sent in mid-January

• 🐟 And so on, all the way through December

It’s happy mail, stitching inspiration, and seasonal sardines all year long!

🧵 How to Enter

To enter the giveaway:

1️⃣ Follow me on Instagram: @handstitcher

2️⃣ Follow my blog: www.zenfembroidery.blogspot.com

3️⃣ Leave a comment (here or on Instagram) telling me which month is your favourite, or which sardine makes you smile the most!

That’s it!

💙 One Small Request

All I ask in return is that the winner:

• Stitches the sardines

• Shares their progress and finishes on social media as I would love to see it!

I would love to watch this colourful school of sardines come to life throughout the year and be shared with the stitching community.

📅 Important Dates

• Giveaway closes: January 7th

• Winner announced: ✨ January 8th ✨

• January sardines will be sent immediately after the winner is announced.

  
  

Thank you so much for your continued support, encouragement, and love for my designs. This giveaway is my way of stitching a little joy back into the community,  and I can’t wait to see who joins me for a whole year of sardines! 🐟💕

Even if you’re new here, please feel welcome to enter 💙

Good luck everyone!

What Am I Working On Now?

I decided to create a monthly cross stitch series to span over the whole year to inspire more creativity within myself and others, or to keep that creativity flowing.

I have always loved the sea and everything within it, for this series I wanted to keep the main outline simple so that it was achievable for all skill levels.  In fact throughout all of the monthly designs I have only used full/whole cross stitches.

January is available now within my Etsy store HERE for 50p, which is the lowest price I could offer, for this new project with the instant download pdf option.  

The months February through to December are priced at £3.00 each and can also be instantly downloaded when I release them.

Here is the full set of months that will be released, so that you can see at a glance what is coming.

I have stitched January, on 18 count zweigart khaki Aida and will probably stitch all the months with this as I have a whole bolt I need to use. I wanted to make the months into a visible useable calendar, this is what I did:

• I put cardboard on the back of the stitching, laced the back so that the cardboard was covered.  
• I then bought magnetic sheets and cut to size and stuck to the back of my design, I will do this with all the months so that they can easily be changed.

    

I plan on stitching days of the week and numbers, so that it will be a working calendar then, on my fridge. More updates to follow.

Would you like to join in? 

• The pdf instant download is available HERE
• I have also started a Facebook group specially for people that are stitching my mini monthly sardines HERE

Happy Stitching!