Carol Leather - Step-by-Step Embroidery Lessons

I help stitchers turn confusing patterns into beautiful finished pieces — with gentle, step‑by‑step tutorials, magazine‑grade designs, and patient teaching that makes stitching a pleasure.

Hello - I'm Carol

I learned to stitch at my grandmother’s knee. I still remember her gentle touch guiding my hand and the warm Devonshire burr of her voice as she told me my stitches were “as good as hers.”

Those early lessons gave me more than technique — they taught me that making by hand brings calm, connection, and a special kind of joy.

How I help you

I teach stitchers, from beginners learning their first stitches to adults returning to the hobby, with a gentle, friendly approach. What you’ll find here:

• Simple, step‑by‑step lessons that take the mystery out of complex stitches.
• Patterns designed for real life with clear colour guides, sensible sizes, and notes so you can finish what you start.
• Patient support. Quick troubleshooting, friendly advice, and encouragement when a stitch (or a day) goes wrong.

A few things that matter to me (and might matter to you)

My story — the short version

I began stitching at seven with my grandmother and never lost that sense of wonder.

Later I discovered counted cross stitch and designed my first sampler for my daughter — a small, brave step that led to more designs, regular magazine work, and eventually my company, X-Caibre Designs, and this website.

To make my patterns clearer and easier to share, I moved from drawing charts on squared paper to using computer design software so stitchers around the world could follow them with confidence

Teaching and community

I love both designing and teaching. I get a thrill sketching a new pattern, and the same quiet joy from helping someone take a small step — learning a stitch, fixing a colour choice, or finishing their first big project.

I treasure the messages from stitchers who tell me how stitching helped them through a hard time, or how a simple tutorial led to hours of calm.

If you’ve tried a lesson from this site and want to share a photo or a story, please do - I read every message.

A longer story: how finishing a project brought someone back from the edge

Six months after his wife Mary died, a man rang me from his small town. He had been clearing her things and found an unfinished cross‑stitch piece — the largest design she’d been working on. Grief had made everything else feel impossible, and he admitted he had even thought about ending his life.

He made a quiet promise to himself: he would not make any irreversible decisions until he had finished the embroidery his wife had started. He taught himself the stitches, picked up the pattern, and slowly — with every small, rhythmic stitch — he found a thread of purpose returning.

The work didn’t erase his grief, but it gave him routines, small achievements, and a reason to keep going. When he finished the piece, he spotted my number on the kit packet and phoned me to say, simply and with great feeling, "Thank you for saving my life." I tell this story because it reminds me that stitching is more than decoration; it can be a companion through hard times.

If you are reading this and you’re struggling, please consider reaching out to someone you trust or a local support service — you don’t have to go through hard days alone.

Not sure what to make?

Send me a quick note via the Contact Carol page with your skill level and what you’d like to create - I’ll point you to a project that fits your time, taste, and mood.