About Us
About Hugs 'n Kisses
Designed and made in Australia by Helen Stubbings of Hobart, many of these stitcheries and other patterns are centred around feelgood quotes and sayings. Most stitcheries come with the design pre-printed onto quality fabric or quality and reuseable iron on transfers.
Hugs 'n Kisses is the home of Colourqué and many of the patterns and books include instructions for this simple but fun technique.
Hugs 'n Kisses' recognisable style encompass soft and dreamy themes leading into fresh and fun fabrics and designs - always pretty!
Helen uses a simple Glue stick applique technique anyone can enjoy and complete with ease, basic embroidery stitches and technically simple piecing and finishing techniques. All patterns are created professionally with most hand drawn designs then traced electronically for a very high quality pattern. Step by step instructions with many diagrams are included. Help is always just an email away.
Helen very often offers free tutorials, patterns and hints and tips on her blog or keep up with day to day happenings on facebook.
About Helen
HI, I am a mum with 3 beautiful girls Molly 16, Tess 13 and Matilda 6. I have a lovely understanding DH Rohan who is a drummer. I run and own both Pattern Press and Hugs 'n Kisses businesses working from home and heavily reliant on the internet. Hugs 'n Kisses is this pattern business and Pattern Press is the publishing and distribution wing producing patterns for other wonderful Australian and Overseas designers for the market.
I was born in a small country town at the bottom of South Australia starting with P. I grew up on the family farm - a soldier settlers property and have memories of milking cows, making butter with Grandma, picking fruit in the orchard and being surrounded by beautiful garden flowers. Hugs 'n Kisses has been operating since 2001 beginning in Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and in 2004 moving to Hobart Tasmania. After spending 13 years in the Australian Regular Army as a musician my new life began. Whilst living in Barrack accommodation in Adelaide I took my first embroidery class at Country Bumpkin. Thus began my true love of stitching. Next came the overlocker and the Knitwit phase. AFter having Molly in 1995 I began a two year Needlework skills class at TAFE in Wagga Wagga NSW. We then moved to Melbourne where I went back to full time work until the birth of Tess when I began teaching embroidery, needlework and patchwork. A move to Townsville in North Queensland accelerated my passion for stitching and also my number of classes a week teaching at several shops and at home. This began the design process of my own designs to teach under the name of GollyG pattern Co. Finally a move to Canberra saw the start of Hugs 'n Kisses. My original tag was 'feelgood stitcheries and associated thingsy!' I have since broadened my style and range to include Needle turn applique, embroidery and Colourque projects and techniques.
My aim was to bring the simple technique of stitcheries to every stitcher, young, old, new, experienced for quick satisfaction. Throughout my time as a designer and teacher I have found that nothing is out of reach for any stitcher .
I now reside in Hobart where I have started the popular annual Quiltaid projects, the Snugglybug Rug Project and the Pattern Press businesses just to fill in my spare time.
I believe we stitch for several reasons:
It feels good to make something with our own hands
It feels good to know we CAN make something with our own hands
It feels good to see something we make finished and displayed or adored
It feels good when others comment and compliment our achievements
It feels good when we give something we make to others and see their reaction
It feels good to be able to tell someone how we feel when to some this is difficult to express
It feels good to be able to give strength or pleasure to others when we do this special thing for them
It feels good to bring that special feeling to individuals, families, communities and the world
So, if you were feeling that good about yourself why wouldn’t you do it more??
It gives self esteem
It gives self confidence
It helps reduce loneliness and isolation – through distance, age, disability, race, colour or personality
It fosters a caring, sharing attitude to the individual, group and then to the world
I am a believer in projects being achievable by anyone and stand by my motto that everything in life is just one stitch at a time - no-one has failed me yet! x xx Helen