Step into a tiny, colorful world where rooms are stitched with thread and imagination leads the way. In this interview, embroidery artist Penny Dowdell shares how a simple hoop and a “wobbly” first project turned into a joyful creative journey.
Inspired by travel, cozy homes, and a love of playful detail, Penny’s work feels like peeking into a dollhouse made of fabric and dreams. She reminds us that you don’t need a big studio or fancy tools to make art—just a needle, some thread, and a little curiosity.
What first made you want to pick up embroidery?
I studied fashion at university (at Arts University Bournemouth, UK) and loved using all the cool equipment and machinery to create my designs. After I graduated, I no longer had access to those machines or to the big studio spaces and large-scale working.
I picked up a random embroidery hoop to stitch a wobbly quote as a Christmas present, and immediately fell in love with this smaller scale way of working. I loved holding the hoop in my hands, being able to take it around the house and even outdoors, and all of the possible art that can be created in the circle of an embroidery hoop!
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Do you remember the very first piece you stitched? What was it like?
Like I said, a wobbly quote stitched with white thread onto black felt. Not very good, but enough to leave me wanting more!
Was there a moment when you realized embroidery wasn’t just a hobby but something deeper?
I remember the experience of friends and family purchasing my work as being a lovely feeling, but after I set up a basic website and a complete stranger bought my work, that was an amazing revelation. It was the realisation that I was making real art that was appreciated as such.
You grew up in England — how did your early life shape your creative path?
I grew up surrounded by creativity. My mum is very artistic, and my dad was always doing DIY projects around the house.
In terms of textiles and sewing, it was the older women in my life who taught me to knit, use a sewing machine, and bought me my first sewing kits. My book is dedicated to them: my Nan, Nana, and Big Sarah (a sort of surrogate third grandmother!). I’m so grateful to them for inspiring me and encouraging me in my creativity.
When you moved to Taiwan, did your creative ideas change? How so?
So, I left the UK to live in Hong Kong for a year. I didn’t know if I’d have the time or the will to keep doing embroidery, so I only bought a limited kit of supplies.
Turns out, travel inspired me to stitch even more! My supplies stash grew thanks to awesome art stores in Hong Kong. After I met my Taiwanese partner, we moved back to Taipei together, and I turned our spare bedroom into a studio. For a craft that doesn’t really require many materials, my studio is very full!
How do travel and interior design influence your work?
It’s such a privilege to travel, to see new places and be inspired by the colours and cultures of different places. So I have created plenty of embroideries depicting the places I have traveled to.
The other embroideries I make, and the focus of my book, are all about the home and interior design. As I have been lucky enough to call several places home, it has made me consider what makes a space feel like home. From the furnishings and colours to textures and added elements, all these things create cosy and inviting atmospheres.
Your book Embroidered Interiors brings rooms to life with thread — what inspired the idea?
Following from the previous answer, I knew I wanted to feature interior design, and the idea of stitching different rooms led me quite naturally to the idea of a dollshouse. Probably because I’ve always loved dollhouses and miniatures.
I thought it would be so cool to stitch all the rooms in a hypothetical house. And then following that came the idea for each room to showcase and teach a different technique.
Those range from a living room filled with woven stitch elements to a music room filled with added miniature items. I am so excited that readers can expand their skill sets while creating these fun and colourful rooms!
What was your favorite room to create for the book, and why?
That’s a tough question!
I think it’s the cover image: the gallery wall dining room. I chose that as the cover because it contains a bit of everything I love stitching: the fun use of mixed media, lots of lovely details and fresh colours, and the added miniature frames.
It shows how much fun you can have with embroidery. I hope all the projects show that!
What do you want readers to take away from the book?
Precisely that: that embroidery can be so fun and imaginative!
I want readers to see the patterns in the book as a jumping-off point, and that they have the freedom to change the designs and make them unique to them.
Each project ends with ideas for ways to personalize the project, and the final chapter is a very cool ‘Mix and match’ project, where readers can create their own patterns from scratch using pattern elements.
There’s so much room for play and for unique interpretations. I can’t wait to see what people create with the patterns I’ve designed!
What does a typical creative day look like for you?
I very rarely get a whole day to be creative, between teaching work and the other demands of life.
I’ll usually try to get an hour or two of stitching in the morning before work, with a coffee and an interesting podcast. Or a few hours in the evening, with a chamomile tea and a lit candle.
Describe your creative space.
My studio was our spare bedroom, but I’ve pushed the bed up against the wall and set the desk in front of it (we’re in a rental so can’t just get rid of the bed!).
I’ve covered the walls with colour: embroideries, postcards, and bits of art, and all sorts. At my desk, my laptop is in the middle (for watching YouTube while I stitch), and my threads are at my side.
The desk is usually a huge mess, and I’ll have to do a big sort out now and again to get it back to a workable state!
What’s the one material you cannot live without in your studio?
Light! Straining my eyes too much will damage them and mean I cannot stitch for as long. So I use overhead lights, two lamps, and wear glasses while I stitch.
How do you organize your space to keep your ideas flowing?
I always use DMC threads, but I was a very chaotic stitcher for a long time, with bobbins and half used skeins all over the place. But, over a week, I organised all my threads onto bobbins, put them in order and catalogued what I had, then bought all the shades I was missing.
I can’t express how much this has improved every area of my embroidery practice! It means I can see all the colours available and have no need to run across town to buy anything before starting a project.
Walk us through your process — from idea to finished piece.
Even though there’s increasingly a lot of AI on it, I still find Pinterest to be the best place to gather imagery and ideas. I’ll usually create moodboards to fix on colours, shapes and atmospheres of new projects. Then, I’ll design on Procreate on my iPad. I usually stitch the outlines first, then decide on the colours and fill in the colour last.
How do you balance technique and imagination in your work?
I love using Procreate for designing, and I think that’s where I let my imagination run wild.
Just like the pattern elements in my ‘Mix and match’ chapter in my book, I’ll design elements in different layers and have fun playing around with the shapes on the iPad. Then, when I’m happy, I can trace out the design and stitch the outlines.
I don’t decide on the stitches for the colour until I’m already stitching, and that’s the time when I enjoy adding different textures and cool stitches.
When a piece isn’t going right, what do you do to fix it?
It’s painful but I’m never against unpicking stitches if I’m unhappy. Or, I can just stitch over things I don’t like!
Embroidery is a bit like gouache paint – very forgiving of cover-ups!
How do you know when a piece is truly finished?
Since I usually create whole hoop embroideries, a hoop is finished when every single millimeter is covered in thread!
Although maybe not quite, if I’m adding extra stitching on top. I like to re-stitch the outer circle of the design to make it bolder. But basically, it’s when I can’t think of anything else that I should add!
On tough days, what reminds you of why you make?
When I’m stuck in a rut, just stitching a mini hoop is always great for inspiring me, especially because I can finish a 3” much faster than an 8” hoop!
I have a bi-weekly newsletter where I release a mini pattern based on different letters of the alphabet. I love this project (#pennysabcchallenge) for stretching my imagination to stitch things I’d never have thought about before!
What advice would you give someone who’s never picked up a needle before?
You don’t need a lot of materials or skills. It’s just one stitch at a time.
Where can people see your work?
My Instagram is @pennydowdell, and my website is pennydowdell.com
Rapid-Fire Fun:
Thread you love most right now? DMC 6 strand ECRU. I use ECRU all the time, I love the softness of the shade
Current favorite embroidery stitch? Split back stitch, always!
Stitch that challenges you every time? Bullion stitch always gives me a headache.
One word that describes your creative mood today? Inspired (so many ideas in my head for new projects!)
Interview posted April 2026
Browse through more hand embroidery projects and inspiration on Create Whimsy.