Carolyn Mitchell Designs


Carolyn Mitchell


[Photo by Celine Schaad] Carolyn Mitchell

has devoted the past forty years to sharing

her love of textiles, thread and creative

stitchery with all those she meets.


A National Standard Council of American

Embroiderers (NSCAE) certified teacher

since 1987, and talented designer, Carolyn

owned and ran a very popular needlework

store, "Mrs Twitchett's Eye", opening in

1988 in Whitehorse, Yukon, then moving to

Fort St John, BC and then in Winnipeg, MB

until her retirement in May 2008. 


As an active member of the Embroidery

Association of Canada (EAC) since 1977,

Carolyn has become a well-known educator

and advocate of her favourite forms of

needlework. Because she travels frequently

and teaches by invitation in many

communities across Canada, Carolyn is

much in demand and often designs pieces

based on colours and textures that she sees

on her travels.


Carolyn is equally at home with

Canvaswork, Hardanger, Blackwork,

Florentine and Counted Thread as well as

Smocking and Pulled Thread Work. She

frequently uses stitches and techniques

from the different forms of needlework

to achieve the exact ‘look' for her current

project. As well as being a keen observer of

the world around her, Carolyn welcomes

ideas and input from those she teaches and

meets. Carolyn Mitchell Designs are also

requested by telephone and e-mail and her

experience teaching correspondence

courses for EAC, and Cyber courses for

ANG, stands her in good stead when

helping her clients over long distances.


One of Carolyn's greatest talents is her

encyclopaedic knowledge of threads – their

uses and colour ranges. She continues to

amaze her students with alternate

suggestions when the colour combination in

a pattern does not appeal to them. She also

encourages all needle workers to broaden

their horizons by attempting new challenges

and Carolyn is always ready with a helping

hand when needed.


Knowing Carolyn is to be included in a warm

and encouraging environment where the

emphasis is not only on imparting

knowledge but also on sharing ideas and

enjoying the company of other like-minded

people. One of Carolyn's greatest strengths

is awakening the adventurous in even the

most timid stitcher. As Carolyn uses the

world around her as inspiration, she teaches

her students and guests to broaden their

horizons as far as they can and then she

initiates the ‘little push' that amazes the

students to find they have reached further

out of their comfort zone – be it with colour

experiments, stitches previously considered

too hard, or attempting a new form of

needlework.


Carolyn is the mother of two daughters, both

of whom are school teachers, who obviously

inherited their mother's “teaching gene” and

love of sharing knowledge. Carolyn is

 the proud grandparents of

 Alexandre, Abigayle, and Ava Kathryn.

 They are all proud possessors of Grandma's

needlework!  Each receive at least one

Christmas ornament every year in their

special Christmas box.


If only Ava does not have to touch and hide

all the red ones that she adores from the

others!!


Even Grannie cannot find everything!!