Designer Q&A: Julia Lucas
Q. When did you begin cross stitching?
A. I first began stitching in kindergarten when our teacher gave us small stiff cards with a printed pattern and punched holes, a very blunt needle and colorful yarns. She showed us how to thread the needle and work the designs so it would look pretty. I was very proud and took mine home to show my parents!
Q. Have you always loved needlework?
A. My mother loved all handcrafts and was very skilled at embroidery, sewing and knitting, and was eager to share that love with me. Her favorite was crewel embroidery, so she started with that, then she taught me to knit and to sew my own clothes.
My love of drawing took me to a technical college, where I learned architectural drafting. I got jobs drawing houses and building plans, and life was good! The next step was meeting a lovely man, marriage and moving into our home while I continued to be busy with my career!
Q. What brought you back to needlework and to cross stitch in particular?
A. When I was 25, I became very ill with Crohn’s disease and was frequently hospitalized for long periods of time. Mum began to buy needlework kits for me again, and my love of embroidery returned. To provide variety, my husband began bringing me lovely shades of knitting wool, and the ladies in the craft store got to know him very well! He also brought a variety of craft magazines, so I was well taken care of. Those magazines introduced me to cross stitch, the only form of needlework I had not yet explored. I quickly realized that it was the perfect companion for my love of drawing, as I could transform a drawing or painting into a cross-stitch project!
Q. What is your favorite type of design to cross stitch?
A. Since I love architecture, my favorite design subjects are old buildings, houses and barns. So when I wanted to design a cross-stitch scene, that’s what I felt most comfortable with. A few months after I began “painting” in cross stitch, my husband said, “These are amazing. You should send them off to one of your craft magazines.”
So I created a hand-drawn crossstitch chart on graph paper, depicting an elaborate Victorian house and abundant garden. I made a color photocopy and mailed it to Lorna Reeves, who was then the editor of Just
CrossStitch magazine. ( Those were the days before computers and email!) She replied almost immediately and asked if I had any more designs like that to show her. I sent her a rugged, old stone mill with a water wheel, and that began a long and lovely new career working with Lorna and many other wonderful magazine editors.
Q. What are some of your favorite things about designing?
A. I have met the most wonderful people in all areas of this business. Editors have come and gone over the years, new styles and ideas dominated, and I’ve had requests for everything from weird to wonderful and modern to antique, and I’ve loved it all. Aimee Wichelt, owner of Wichelt Imports, has been an amazing person to work with, taking me from standard designs to full afghan projects! She even requested I include her beloved dog Zuzu in one of them! While I am
not comfortable drawing animals, I couldn’t let her down, and Zuzu now lives for eternity.
“Editors have come and gone over the years, new styles and ideas dominated, and I’ve had requests for everything from weird to wonderful and modern to antique, and I’ve loved it all.”
Q. Where do you get your ideas from?
A. The answer is simple—everywhere! Just look around you, and something will speak to you—a lovely vase, a cute house, an evening landscape or a garden full of flowers. I’ve been inspired by a scrap of fabric, a geometric pattern on a card, children splashing in puddles with bright yellow boots on, Southwestern pottery—anything and everything!
Q. If you were to give someone cross-stitch advice, what would it be?
A. Start small and work carefully. If you have never done any cross stitching, start with a very simple design but one that you absolutely love. Never work when you are tired or rushed. Even if you only have a few minutes in a busy day, set that time aside, turn everything else off and enjoy the soothing process of hand stitching. And always wash your hands first!
Find a good book or magazine that explains the basics in a way you understand immediately. There are lots of online videos that can help.