Susie Johns started her career in publishing. She writes about two books a year, with projects and instructions for a variety of art and craft techniques.
How did you find yourself on an artist’s path?
I was born into a family where artistic pursuits were valued and encouraged.
My dad was an illustrator before becoming a photojournalist for a national newspaper. My maternal grandfather painted in oils.
My mum, aunts, and grandmothers were all good needlewomen and between them they taught me the basics of crochet, knitting, dressmaking, and embroidery. In short, I was surrounded by creativity.
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What different creative media do you use in your work?
Sometimes I wish I could concentrate on one discipline. If I did, my house would surely be less cluttered. One day I will concentrate on drawing and painting – but in the meantime, while I need to earn a living, I sew, I knit and crochet, I make collages and papier maché models, I do beadwork and jewellery.
Do you use a sketchbook, journal, or technology to plan or keep track of ideas? How does that help your work develop?
I’m definitely a pencil and paper kind of person; technology isn’t really part of my creative process. I usually have several sketchbooks on the go, always carrying one in my bag when I’m out and about.
Where do you find your inspiration for your designs?
Inspiration is all around me. I love to visit art galleries and museums, which provide a wealth of ideas. And I can’t resist a junk shop, flea market or car boot sale. But of course, there is also plenty of inspiration to be found in nature, on a walk in the park, or simply sitting in a quiet place and letting my mind wander.
Describe your creative space.
I live in a modest Victorian terraced house in London. My children have all left home now and I’ve converted the largest bedroom into a painting studio and one of the two ground floor reception rooms into a sewing room – though to be honest, it’s become a bit of a dumping ground and needs a good sort-out before it can function properly.
What are your tips for organizing the variety of threads and needles used for embroidery? What works for you?
I use mostly six-stranded floss and I find that skeins become tangled and are difficult to store tidily. So I wind the thread on to cardboard bobbins, label them, and store them in shallow boxes in colour order. When I embark on a new project, or start work on a new book, I will choose a palette of colours and arrange them in one of these boxes, where it is easy to select colours and keep track of what I have used.
Your new book, “100 Essential Embroidery Motifs,” is a collection of a hundred different designs. How did you decide what to include?
I wanted to try to include something for every occasion. Floral motifs tend to be a favourite for embroiderers – but I really wanted to look a bit wider and make sure there was a range of more unconventional motifs that would appeal to a wide range of people and be something they wouldn’t find in any other collection.
To earn its place in this book, the motif had to be recognisable as an uncomplicated line drawing and be versatile enough to be interpreted with a variety of stitches: as effective when simply outlined as it would be if richly embroidered with filling stitches.
Many embroidery books can feel technical. How did you balance clear instruction with inspiration in this book?
There is a technical aspect to the book because each motif has been photographed, step-by-step, guiding readers to complete the finished example shown on each page. But it is important to realise that readers can use their own colours and stitch combinations, to make each motif their own.
At the beginning of the book, there are pages devoted to techniques, including a range of basic stitches, and a guide to tools and materials.
Beginners might like to stick to the colours and stitches suggested for each of the motifs – but more experienced stitchers will enjoy being creative. That’s one of the joys of a book of designs, really, to provide helpful advice but also to encourage creativity.
Were there any motifs you almost didn’t include but ultimately felt were too important to leave out?
Honestly, I could have included lots more – but the book is one of a series: 100 Embroidery Stitches, 100 Knitting Stitches, 100 Crochet Stitches – and so that’s what I had to do, design 100 motifs!
Every motif has a place in the book, and some motifs will no doubt be more popular with some readers than with others.
Though the book is not divided into chapters, as such, you will soon see that there are a number of themes. It starts with the animal Kingdom, including insects, then there are flowers and plants, including fruits and vegetables, then the ocean and seaside, then the home and garden, and finally fantasy themes and patterns.
Did working on this book change the way you personally approach embroidery or design?
Probably not, as I always work in quite a methodical way.
First of all, I had to devise a list of what I wanted to include. I made masses of sketches, refining the ones I liked best, and rejecting any that I thought wouldn’t work as a line drawing.
Then I made an outline drawing of each motif. The next job was to produce an embroidered sample of each one, to be photographed for the book, which I really enjoyed.
When I was doing the embroidery, I tried to vary the stitches I used, and I tried to make some nice and simple ones, to appeal to people who were beginners to embroidery and perhaps wanted something not too challenging, or to provide ideas for quick projects, perhaps suitable for a greeting card or a project that needed to be completed in a hurry.
Then, some I embroidered with rich filling stitches, to show that the designs are versatile.
If readers take away just one new habit or way of thinking about stitches after using this book, what would you hope it is?
Embroidery is a great way to add decoration to all kinds of things.
The motifs in this book could be used in all sorts of different ways: greetings cards and framed pictures are probably the most obvious ones, but perhaps a patchwork quilt would be a nice challenge, with a different motif on each square?
You will see that each motif is presented on the page as a line drawing. The motifs can be used at actual size, or you could enlarge them, depending on what you want to use them for.
Have you got a favourite motif? Or perhaps a top 5?
Obviously, I’m going to say I love them all! But yes, I particularly like, from the ‘ocean’ section, the Jellyfish, the Weather Vane and the Seashells.
Another favourite is the Teapot, which I have shown outlined in split stitch, making it quick and easy enough to repeat as a set of party invitations.
Similarly easy and versatile is the Pram – or ‘stroller’ – which could be used for a birth announcement or baby congratulations card. Anyway, readers can decide for themselves which ones they like best!
Tell us more about your book, Flower Embroidery: Over 100 Floral Motifs and Projects to Create.
My first idea was to group flowers by season but then I decided to include categories such as Kitchen Garden, Meadow and Woodland.
This allowed me to include all my favourite flowers – and those I knew readers of the book would also like.
I enjoyed designing the motifs and made hundreds of drawings before choosing which ones to use. Readers can trace any of the motifs and use them in whatever way they wish – but I’ve included plenty of ideas for projects that show them to good advantage.
My favourites include a vintage cotton baby dress decorated with Sweet William and a celebration cake band featuring bright marigolds. I did the styling for the photography for this book. The photographer has a spacious garden, and it was a lovely challenge to source all the props and set up the items for each shot.
Do you plan your work out ahead of time, or do you just dive in with your materials and start playing?
Most books do require a bit of planning. For me, this starts with a flatplan – a kind of diagram of all the pages, showing the layout of the book. Then I fill a loose-leaf file with blank piece of paper, one for each page of the book, ready to make notes. Then I start sketching designs.
Once I have a good working drawing, I source materials – usually scraps from my work basket at that stage – and make a few swatches to test out colours, stitches, and measurements, after which I go shopping for fabrics and threads. Only then is it time to really start playing!
How often do you start a new project? Do you work actively on more than one project at a time?
Since becoming an author, I have produced, on average, two books a year. Sometimes there is a slight overlap.
Can you tell us about the inspiration and process of one of your works? How does a new work come about?
I have been known to approach a publisher with an idea for a new title – but, more often than not, the publisher approaches me. For Flower Embroidery, the idea came from the publisher and my brief was to come up with a plan for a book with 100 embroidery designs and projects for using them, plus pages of techniques.
Which part of the design process is your favourite? Which part is a challenge for you?
I honestly can’t choose. I love the design stage – researching and sketching – as much as actually making the projects.
How has your work evolved over the years? Is there a common thread (pun intended!) across the years?
I began my career working full-time in publishing as a magazine and partworks editor. When I went freelance in the mid-90s, I filled a portfolio with published work alongside new design ideas, mostly crochet and knitting.
At that time, yarn crafts had gone out of favour, so editors were keener to commission sewing and embroidery, particularly cross-stitch, as well as other crafts such as glass painting and mosaics. I adapted accordingly and soon established myself as a reliable all-rounder.
I got plenty of work, which kept me busy and allowed me to pay the bills. Of course, knitting came back into fashion, and when it did I was more than ready! I’ve had so many knitting and crochet designs published in various magazines and books over the years, I’ve lost count.
What do you do to keep yourself motivated and interested in your work?
Believe me, there is no effort involved… I am lucky to have a job that is so creative, there are never enough hours in the day or days in the week to fulfill all the ideas that are buzzing around in my head. I have to work hard to meet deadlines for commissioned work, and there is very little time left over for personal projects, though I do manage to fit some of these in somehow.
Where can people see your work and learn more about you?
Because of the diversity of my work, I have three separate instagram accounts to showcase my projects: @susiestitchschool for embroidery, knitting, and other textile work; @susiejohns_artanddesign for drawing and painting; and @papercircusstudio for collage and mixed media.
Interview posted April 2025
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