Stitch Life Magazine Issue 1

meet the designer...
Mirtia Razzi
@mirtia_comedincantohandmade
About me
My name is Mirtia and I live in Abruzzo, a small town east
of Rome, in Italy. The region is very green and full of
natural parks, and I’m lucky enough to have the sea on one
side and high mountains only a little way from my home.
I have a great passion for a wide variety of arts and crafts
from restyling vintage furniture and painting to sewing and
embroidering by hand.
I first became interested in crafting as a child and my
first creation was a garland with yarn flowers. Although
I am kept incredibly busy with my family and work, I
make time to experiment with different creative ideas
and techniques. This helps me to relax and has become
a therapy for my soul.
My favourite place in which to create is halfway
between a living room and a workshop. Over the years
I’ve filled this space with my own creations and those of
colleagues that I’ve bought or been given. In the evenings,
after I’ve put the family to bed, I light my vanilla scented
candle and go down into my world in the company
of my cat and my little dog.
“I am inspired by
the nature that
surrounds me.”
About my work
What I like most about freehand embroidery is the
possibility of expressing myself as if I were painting, and
being able to recreate the countryside around me using
flowers, leaves and animals.
My creative process starts with a mood board. For
hand embroidery I paint a watercolour sketch to match
the colours of the yarns. Then I refine the design by
adding the outlines of the individual parts. Finally,
I transfer the design to the fabric.
I am inspired by the nature that surrounds me and how
it changes with the seasons. I also take lots of photographs
of flowers, leaves and even vintage objects. Sometimes I
use photos that I see on Instagram that show small details
that strike me: a vase, a window or a bouquet of flowers…
I am also inspired by several Japanese and Russian
creators, such as Kazuko Aoki, @elkina_julia,
@alice_makabe, @rairai_ws, and I am inspired by
many botanical watercolour illustrators.
Blog: http://comedincantohandmade.blogspot.com
Mirtia
122 Stitch Life