​ Did you know that Blue is the most popular colour in the Western World? Who doesn't love at least one shade of this peaceful colour? Well.. I have to confess, I'm not a big fan! Not least because blue light makes my brain go funny (I have a neurological disorder)! But, not to be put off, I've been working this Blue Lotus design this last week, for all you Blue lovers out there. It's part of my Indian Inspirations series, and if you'd like to work the design yourself, why not come along to my Shisha Mirror Workshop on 21st October?

​Blue has a fascinating history - did you know that linguistically, Blue is the newest colour? The first culture to describe it were the ancient Egyptians, as they were the only culture who were able to produce a blue dye in that period. Previously Blue was considered colourless, or clear, and when the Vikings headed South, their eyes were described as colourless.

The present day Himba tribe from Namibia, don't have a word for the colour Blue, & don't see a distinction between green and blue, but they do see more shades of green. Researchers devised an experiment to see if the Himba people could distinguish between blue and green, and a reverse experiment to see if Westerners could distinguish between shades of green as easily as the Himba people - you can try it for yourself here!

Have you ever seen a blue cat? Nope? Blue is the rarest colour in nature, with only one example of a living being able to produce a blue pigment...  but... we've all seen blue butterflies, and birds, haven't we? Well... notice how all these blue birds and butterflies, kind of shimmer and change colour as we look at them? That's because the colour we're seeing is created by light bouncing off molecular structures within the wings/feathers of these creatures, and not by the production of a blue pigment in their wings/feathers.

The only creature, so far discovered, to produce an actual blue pigment is the Olivewing Butterfly, found in Central America. 

And those Vikings with the colourless eyes? Spot on! Blue eyes are colourless, they have no blue pigment, and the blue colour, as with other animals, is created by refracted light. So Blue is truly a magical colour!

 Don't lose the plot whilst crafting!

I love stitching so much, that I spend hours each day stitching, but, I do like to keep up with what's on TV too, and I particularly enjoy watching detective dramas. Here's a tip so that you don't miss any important plot points... switch on the Audio Description! 

Audio Description is a service for blind and partially sighted folk, but it's great for crafters too! You'll never miss an important plot point because you're threading a needle again! Some remote controls have an "AD" button, and Netflix has "English - audio description" as a language option. Not all shows have it, but lots do. Otherwise, you'll just have to listen to the radio!

​Mandy from Brighton, is the first person to enter the Stitch Along photo competition!

She's pictured here stitching her Yellow Jacobean Rainbow panel, well, in the bath! 

Don't forget you still have time to enter. Take a photo of yourself stitching your Mistress of Stitch Jacobean Rainbow Crewel Embroidery Kit in an unusual place, and be in with a chance to win the very first kit of my next design! Click here for details

​Caroline Middleditch won not one but two First Prizes at the West Kilbride Spring Show with her Four Seasons Hoop Art that she designed and made in Mistress of Stitch Embroidery Classes. She also won the John Temple Black Trophy for Best Exhibit in Handicrafts AND the Jean McKinnie Memorial Prize for Needlework with extra flair and imagination!

If you'd like to stitch your own Jacobean Rainbow Panel, why not join me for my Summer Stitch-Along? Purchase one of my my Jacobean Rainbow Crewel Embroidery Kits in May and not only will you receive weekly tutorials to help you work through the design, but you'll get a £5 discount off your kit too! Find out more by clicking here!