All items by HappyPigeonDesigns

Embroidery kits and patterns, nik naks and gifts

Hello! I'm Hannah, 36, living in North Derbyshire with my husband of 12 years and our 2 children. I'm a passionate advocate of mental health and self care! I love gardening and have my own little veg patch in our back garden.

I started hand embroidery a few years ago when I realised I needed a mindful hobby during the winter when the garden is not as accessible and awake! I got myself a kit, or 2 or 15, and fell in love! It's such an easy hobby to pick up and put down and, because it's so mindful, it's so beneficial for mental health.

I started gardening when my youngest was a baby because I was struggling with quite severe Post Natal Depression but I'd never found a hobby I really enjoyed or stuck at (thanks, ADHD!) I also wasn't in the habit of practicing self-care. I don't enjoy baths and I'm not great at sticking to a skincare routine (Again thanks, ADHD!) We had moved into our house in 2017 and part of it's appeal was this beautiful back garden but due to the renovations needed indoors, working full time with a toddler and then a second baby, the garden suddenly was no longer beautiful. It was an over grown mess and not that safe for our children so I decided this could possibly an opportunity to kill 2 birds with 1 stone! So I set to task with working on our garden and my mental health.

To this was a very long winded way of telling you, I have seen the benefits of self care for myself and it doesn't always look like bubble bath and a face mask!

Last year, after a few years of sewing other peoples patterns, I designed my own. It was just going to be a little thing for myself to hand on the wall and to prove to myself that I could decide on a project and see it through to the end. Well, I loved the whole process and I was so incredibly proud of the finished piece I decided to work on it to polish it up and make it look a bit more professional which made me think perhaps I could do this for real, to share with other people?

I didn't really act too much on it, though I thought about it a lot and made lists and plans and let myself dream, but then my mental health really nose-dived and I made the difficult decision to leave my job (& 16 year long career!) so suddenly I was unemployed with no idea what to do next and I thought, blow it lets give it ago!

So here we are :) I hope you look my happy, colourful and positive pieces as much as I do! and, what are you waiting for? Give hand embroidery a go (Or plant a seed!) and I promise you won't regret it.

Hannah x