Hazel Grace Tunbridge of
Graceful Embroidery
Working as a bridal dressmaker in southern England,
Hazel Grace Tunbridge saw a huge gap in the market
for designs suitable for bridal embroidery. She was often
asked to create bridal gowns with Celtic embroidery but
could not find enough suitable designs. Hazel decided
to teach herself embroidery digitizing with the goal
of creating collections consisting of a great variety of
designs for Celtic, bridal and heirloom projects.How do you stay creative?
That’s not difficult at all. I think
I have several lifetimes of ideas
in my head. I’m inspired by the
beauty of the leaves and flowers
I grow in my garden, as well as
those I see when I’m out and
about. Most flowers in my garden
are grown so I can study them
in detail with a view to digitizing
them. There are always freshflowers in my house, as I enjoy
photographing and watching
them open and develop.What do you love most
about the work you do?
I adore digitizing and find it very
relaxing and therapeutic. It really
is not work for me, but a passion
and a delight. I love making friends
all over the world and receiving
emails from my customers with
photos of what they have created
with my designs.Where do you draw
inspiration?
Many places: from nature, from
my customers who make sug-
gestions. I love to visit museums,
plant nurseries and flower shows.
A morning of wandering around
the shops always inspires me,
even if it is just a color scheme
that catches my eye on gift wrap
or an item of clothing. Special
events also inspire me, like royal
weddings and royal births.What’s your favorite thing
you’ve designed?
That’s hard because I don’t release
any designs until they’re perfect!
I was delighted with my Antique
Sewing machine, one of my
biggest challenges and designs,
and my Romantic Crazy Quilt
blocks, which included designs for
two stockings.68 CMEMAG.COM | Fall 2019behind the design
Hazel Grace Tunbridge of
Graceful Embroidery
Workingasa bridaldressmakerinsouthernEngland,
HazelGraceTunbridgesawa hugegapinthemarket
fordesignssuitableforbridalembroidery.Shewasoften
askedtocreatebridalgownswithCelticembroiderybut
couldnotfindenoughsuitabledesigns.Hazeldecided
toteachherselfembroiderydigitizingwiththegoal
ofcreatingcollectionsconsistingofa greatvarietyof
designsforCeltic,bridalandheirloomprojects.How do you stay creative?
That’s not difficult at all. I think
I have several lifetimes of ideas
in my head. I’m inspired by the
beauty of the leaves and flowers
I grow in my garden, as well as
those I see when I’m out and
about. Most flowers in my garden
are grown so I can study them
in detail with a view to digitizing
them. There are always freshflowers in my house, as I enjoy
photographing and watching
them open and develop.What do you love most
about the work you do?
I adore digitizing and find it very
relaxing and therapeutic. It really
is not work for me, but a passion
and a delight. I love making friends
all over the world and receiving
emails from my customers with
photos of what they have created
with my designs.Where do you draw
inspiration?
Many places: from nature, from
my customers who make sug-
gestions. I love to visit museums,
plant nurseries and flower shows.
A morning of wandering around
the shops always inspires me,
even if it is just a color scheme
that catches my eye on gift wrap
or an item of clothing. Special
events also inspire me, like royal
weddings and royal births.What’s your favorite thing
you’ve designed?
That’s hard because I don’t release
any designs until they’re perfect!
I was delighted with my Antique
Sewing machine, one of my
biggest challenges and designs,
and my Romantic Crazy Quilt
blocks, which included designs for
two stockings.68 CMEMAG.COM | Fall 2019
behind the design