There’s something especially lovely about welcoming a new voice into the Aurifil family, particularly when that voice feels right at home in the world of thread and handwork. From the moment we met Carolyn Forster last year, her deep love of stitching, storytelling, and the quiet joy of making by hand was wildly apparent. Carolyn’s approach to her work is thoughtful and deeply rooted, with a timeless quality that still feels completely approachable. Truly, we’d jump at the chance to spend a day learning alongside her in one of her classes.
Her latest book, Chicken Scratch Embroidery (Search Press), is a wonderful introduction to this charming, time‑honored technique— one that turns simple gingham into delicate, lace‑like designs using just a handful of stitches. With 20 inviting projects and plenty of inspiration for taking your work further, it’s a great companion for makers at any stage.
To bring these designs to life, Carolyn has also curated a coordinating set of 10 Small Spools of Aurifil Cotton Floss— an easygoing, versatile palette designed to work beautifully across every project in the book. If you’re feeling inspired, you can explore the book and discover the thread set via the links below.
And now, we’re delighted to share our very first conversation with Carolyn— settle in and enjoy.
Did making and stitching play a role in your childhood, or did you discover your passion for textiles later in life?
I’ve stitched, and made and glued things together since I was a child. In the UK there was a TV program called Blue Peter and each week they had a project to make, and I would want to make it. My Mum stitched a lot of our clothes as she was a seamstress so fabric had always been in the house. She would let me sew on her machine and eventually I made my own clothes too. I’ve recently been sewing more of my clothes, and included a top I made in the Chicken Scratch book.
Your work spans quilting, embroidery, teaching, writing, and travel. Where did it all begin creatively for you—was quilting your first love, or did hand stitching come first?
I was always interested in stitching, from making my own clothes and doing cross stitch and black work embroidery, to Harganger on a dress I made for my A level needlework. Patchwork and quilting came up as another textile art to stitch and it just stuck. My first patchwork quilt was actually based on a cross stitch pattern.Even at college when I focused on weaving, I still made patchwork in my free time. I travelled from quite an early age, to Spain and the US with my parents so have always been inspired by the insights that brings and always looked for textiles wherever we were.
Over the years you’ve written numerous books, designed patterns, appeared on television, and hosted inspiring stitch retreats and travel experiences. Of all the different aspects of your creative career, which brings you the most joy?
Teaching and sharing the creative process has always been the driving force for me. I’ll be stitching away on something, and as I’m enjoying the process I’m wondering how others might enjoy it too. Writing and self-publishing my first book was a way to share what I was teaching with a wider audience, more than just those I could teach in classes. I always love when folks send a picture of a quilt they started in one of my classes or from a pattern I have written, I’m always so thrilled for them to have stitched that themselves.
When the day winds down and you simply want to stitch for yourself, what is your go-to creative practice? What brings you the most calm at the end of the day?
To be honest all the stitching I do is stitching for me. From those things then an idea for a class or a process to share might come about!
In the evenings I will always hand stitch. Whether that’s hand piecing patchwork, big stitch quilting, appliqué or the chicken scratch, and lately some red work embroidery, I will always hand stitch.
Your latest book celebrates the art of Chicken Scratch embroidery. For readers who may be new to the technique, how would you describe it and what makes it so special?
Chicken Scratch is a decorative cross stitch with variations sewn on gingham fabric. Depending on whether dark thread is stitched on the light squares, or vice versa, the focus and the designs can look very different. The stitches then often have the thread woven between them to form more intricate patterns. The basics are all very simple and easily accessible to the most novice stitcher, but the ideas and creativity is endless.
You can see from these images of the blouse I made when I was experimenting with the front panel how different it would look if I stitched it in the blue.
What first inspired you to explore and write about Chicken Scratch embroidery in depth?
I was actually researching 1930s quilts and found the chicken Scratch through that. It popped up as a thrifty way to decorate the home or garments on gingham. So I thought I might as well stitch a sample to try it out.
Then I fell completely down the rabbit hole of, if I stitch this design like this, what will happen if I stitch it on different squares and then in different colours. I found it so absorbing and completely addictive. I started sharing it as a bonus project on some tours I was teaching on and the participants loved it too. When I started classes the samples I stitched and projects I designed to show it off became more and more. And I also could see through my research that there was very little written about it out in the world. So I approached my publisher to see if it was something we could work on for one of their title offerings. It fitted perfectly into 20 to Make. It was just enough to give all the information and offer the springboard to the creativity the stitching offers.
One of the wonderful things about this technique is its lace-like beauty created from simple stitches. Would you say it’s a beginner-friendly practice? Could someone pick up your book, a piece of gingham, and a few threads and dive right in?
Yes definitely, anyone of any age really. It has great all round appeal and is easy to start as you need so few tools.
To accompany the book, you’ve curated a beautiful Aurifil thread collection featuring 6-strand Cotton Floss. What inspired the palette you selected for this set?
We worked with the colours in the book. I had used a wide range of colours, especially on the table cloth project, so we cherry picked to give the widest range of colors that all look great together. We made sure to include the classic red, black and white and then a variegated one as I always love how that look with this stitchery.
How do these colors work with both traditional and modern gingham fabrics?
Traditionally the thread colours would be the same as the gingham colours, so red and white thread stitched on a red and white gingham. But I often use completely different colours to stitch with than those of the gingham which can create different looks and styles of pattern. Modern ginghams are now also woven in a greater array of colours so I think the palette in the box works as a good starting point and allows you to explore lots of options.
I stitched a table runner using all the thread box colours on this linen gingham. I love the black and grey as it reminds me of a school black board, and shows off the colours beautifully.
What do you love most about working with Aurifil’s 6-strand Cotton Floss for hand embroidery?
I love the colour selection, but my favourite thing is the fact they come on the wooden spools. There is no need to re-wrap the thread onto cards or bobbins, you can just dive straight in, cut what you need, no mess and no tangling. So I find them really easy to use and take with me wherever I am stitching. I’ve even stitched some pouches to keep them all in!
Aurifil threads are beloved by so many makers around the world. What makes Aurifil your go-to thread?
I love the fact that there are different weights for my stitching needs. I hand piece with 28wt , Big stitching quilt with the 12 wt, and use the 40wt for hand finishing quilt bindings. I was brought up with knowing and using different weight threads for different stitching needs, so I was always looking for a good selection of colours in different weights. Aurifil seems to have cracked that for me, making it an easy brand to go to.
For someone discovering Chicken Scratch embroidery for the very first time, what is one tip you’d love to share to help them get started with confidence?
Start where you are, use what you have and do what you can. (Arthur Ashe)
I always find this quote really relevant to stitching. For me it is saying don’t be afraid, just get on with it, jump in and have a go. Only by doing it will you find out if you like it, and then whether you want to work with different fabrics or threads and tools to those that you already have. And when you do want to spend your money, buy as best as you can afford, as you do deserve to stitch with quality tools, threads.
You’re known for bringing stitching into wonderful places through retreats and travel. Where can our readers find you this year, and is there a trip or event you’re especially excited about?
I’ll be stitching in the UK as well as further afield this year with Stitchtopia (www.stitchtopia.co.uk ). I have trips to Madeira for the flower festival in the spring, then some weekend retreats in the UK and a trip to India in the autumn. Details on my website. There are some lovely trips for 2027 already planned too!
I teach for some lovely shops here in the UK as well as lots of groups and the Quilters Guild. In the Autumn I am joining Viv at www.purple-stitches.com for another great weekend retreat. I try to keep everyone up to date through my not so regular newsletter, so sign up on my website!