This month, we're thrilled to shine a light on Ruthie Taylor, the founder and designer behind Crows Feet Stitching. Ruthie’s designs are known for their timeless charm, delicate motifs, and heartfelt storytelling—each piece stitched with intention and meaning. With a love for traditional styles and a gentle, whimsical touch, her work captures the quiet beauty of needlework and the joy it brings to everyday life. In our interview, Ruthie shares her path into cross stitch design, the inspirations behind her pieces, and what it means to create something that resonates across generations.
Can you share how your journey into this creative world began?
I first got inspired to have a go at designing after I’d had a go at changing some words on a design I was stitching. I realised it was fun to personalise my work and I really enjoyed the creativity of it.
Tell us about your business—what sparked the idea to start your own brand?
It was during lockdown. My teenagers suggested I should have a go at making my own designs. I came up with three Christmas designs and thought I’d see how they went. I made an Etsy page and haven’t looked back!
How did you come up with your business name, and what does it mean to you?
Crowsfeetstitching – I remember having a long chat about what to call the business with one of my friends. She asked me how cross stitching had changed my life – I replied it had given me bad eyesight, so the crowsfeet name was born, referencing the lines that have appeared around my eyes from trying to see the holes on 40 count linen. Crow’s foot stitch is also a name of an embroidery stitch. I also am very fond of crows – all corvids, in fact, so having a crow in my business name was a nice addition.
What does your creative process look like, and what part of it brings you the most joy?
It’s hard to say, really. Sometimes I see something in a place I am visiting, or read a poem or just start to doodle. I then come back to the design several times. Some of my designs have taken a couple of years to get right. I enjoy playing with the design motifs and colours. I think stitching up the models of my own designs is also a real learning curve, as I am constantly improving as I go along.
How would you define your design style? Is there a particular piece that really captures it, and what inspired you to work in that way?
I like to think my design style has a nod to the past, perhaps a little primitive, and a little Victorian in style. I just started to design and it came out this way. I like to include nature and the seasons in my designs too.
Do you have a favorite creation? What makes it special to you, and what are you most proud of achieving?
Of my own designs I really like my Holly Bears the Crown, which was one of my first designs. I like the colours, border and that it looks old fashioned. I also think it has a bit of a sampler style to it as well. It’s one of my favourite Christmas carols.
Of the sampler reproductions I have produced, it has to be Mary Ann Kittle, which is a Norfolk sampler. It’s such a well balanced and very beautiful sampler.
What do you hope people feel or experience when they engage with your work?
I hope that the stitchers enjoy producing something that they would like to have around their home – either as a seasonal picture, or a little cushion that they can include in a display.
With the sampler reproductions, I really enjoy researching the original stitchers and the social context of the samplers and I hope that people will enjoy learning about the girls who stitched the samplers and what they can tell us about the past and particularly women’s history.
What’s one of your most valuable lessons on your creative or business journey?
It’s always a surprise as to what designs will sell or not. I can never anticipate what will be popular. There is such a wide variety of people’s tastes. Timing the releases of charts for seasonal stitching is also important.
Any exciting projects or surprises we should keep an eye out for?
I am stitching up some more little cushions which will go with my Summertime cushion – Wintertime and Autumntime at the moment. As well as lots more Christmas and autumn themed stitching! I am also going to be releasing some more Whitby Museum samplers as charity fundraisers for them.
Ruthie’s approach to stitching reflects her love for storytelling through art, blending tradition with a fresh perspective. Her designs offer a wonderful opportunity to connect with the past while creating something beautiful for the present.
Connect with Ruthie:
- Etsy Shop: crowsfeetstitching.etsy.com
- Website: crowsfeetstitching.com
- Instagram: @crowsfeetstitching
