Made in Scotland: Blackbird & Bloom

Welcome to our monthly Made in Scotland blog where we explore the incredibly creative makers in the best small country in the world! This month’s blog comes from Rebecca in Dunfermline who runs Blackbird & Bloom, an embroidery company with a beautiful range of pieces, for all skill levels! We were so taken with these beautiful designs, which were introduced to us by Tori from Harbour Lane in her blog. Read on for your own inspiration, even if you’re not the craftiest, Rebecca has a well explained starter kit for you!

Can you tell us how your business got started?

Although I originally trained as a jeweller, my business really began during lockdown. Like many people, I was furloughed, and with all of my jewellery equipment out of reach, I suddenly found myself without my usual creative outlet.

I started looking for a craft that I could do from home, without needing much space or a big investment in equipment. I ordered an embroidery kit, watched countless tutorials, and decided to give embroidery a proper go. I’d done a little cross-stitch when I was younger, but I’d never really taken the time to learn embroidery. It didn’t take long before I was completely hooked.

At first, I embroidered gifts for friends and family – lots of personalised baby name hoops! Before long, people started asking if I could create pieces for them, and I began taking on commissions. As my confidence grew, I started designing my own original embroidery hoops, and that’s when everything really clicked. I realised how much I loved embroidery and knew it was something I wanted to turn into a business.

Looking back, what started as a way to stay creative during an uncertain time became the beginning of a business doing something I genuinely love every day.

Where do you look for inspiration when you are designing new products? 

Nature is the biggest source of inspiration for my designs – particularly flora and fauna. Some of my best ideas come while I’m out walking in my local park, especially in spring when everything is coming into bloom. Seeing the changing seasons and all the colours and textures in nature always sparks new ideas.

I’m also inspired by traditional embroidery techniques and enjoy finding ways to incorporate them into modern designs. As someone who teaches embroidery, I love adapting stitches so they’re approachable and enjoyable for beginners while still creating beautiful finished pieces.

Sometimes a new design begins with a particular stitch that I’m excited to explore, and other times it starts with an image or theme that I can’t get out of my head. It’s a different process every time, which is one of the things I love most about designing.

Can you tell us a bit more about how you make your products?

Every product I create starts with an idea, but the process is a little different depending on what I’m making.

For my embroidery kits, everything begins with an illustration that I develop into an embroidery pattern. From there, I spend time refining the colours and stitch choices until I’m happy with the final design. As I stitch each piece, I photograph every stage of the process and use those images to create a detailed instruction booklet so makers can confidently follow along. Once everything is ready, each kit is assembled by hand in my studio in Dunfermline.

My Stick & Stitch patterns have a slightly different journey. They often begin with a Pinterest mood board based around a particular theme, followed by lots of sketching and doodling before I develop the ideas into clean line drawings that work well as embroidery templates. I print and cut all of the stickers on my Cricut machine in my studio, then test every design myself by stitching samples to make sure they work well and create a design I’m really happy with before they’re ready to share.

What are your most popular products and which are your own favourites?

My Stick & Stitch pattern packs have become my most popular products over the past year, and it’s been amazing to see how they’ve grown. They’re now stocked in craft and haberdashery shops internationally, which means they’re reaching so many people who use them to personalise clothing, accessories, and other creative projects. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how makers interpret the designs in their own unique way.

My personal favourite is the Beautiful Blooms pack, which was inspired by British wildflowers and garden flowers. I love how versatile the designs are, and I’ve even used them to embroider one of my favourite denim dresses. It’s always especially satisfying when I get to wear something I’ve customised myself, and I think that’s one of the things I love most about embroidery – it gives you the chance to create something that’s completely your own.

If you had to pick one place in Scotland to recommend that people visit, where would it be?

I might be a little biased, but I’d have to recommend Dunfermline, which has been my home for the past four years. It’s a beautiful city with so much history, but my favourite place has to be Pittencrieff Park, or “The Glen” as it’s known locally.

I often go for walks there when I’m looking for inspiration, especially in spring and summer. The gardens are full of flowers and wildlife, and we’re lucky enough to have free roaming peacocks, which always make a walk feel a little bit special. It’s a wonderful place to slow down, enjoy nature, and spark new creative ideas.

There are also lots of events held in the park throughout the year, making it a fantastic place to visit whether you’re exploring on your own, or spending the day with family.

Which other Scottish Makers do you love to recommend?

Thank you so much to Rebecca for taking the time to talk with us and do make sure that you follow Blackbird & Bloom on Facebook or Instagram!