We talk to product developer and hoop and frame maker, Kate Latham, who rediscovered cross stitch through a chance flash of inspiration!
Interview byJulian Odessa
An interview with...
CNC, a.k.a. Computer Numerical Control means automated computer control of machining tools, to help streamline manufacturing processes. And those processes can include stitching tools, it turns out! We asked Kate Latham about CNC, product design, and her love cross stitch…
Normally, we find that people start with a stitching background and expand to other adjacent fields, but it appears you did the opposite! What is your background, and what other things were you making with your CNC (and other tools!) before you found embroidery?
I’ve always been inclined to work with my hands. I first did cross stitch and embroidery in my teens, so the groundwork had been laid but was latent. I’ve been CNC’ing for 10 years as part of my custom home contracting business, making everything from home decor to signs – even a 10x13in flat-packed house. More peculiar items include a 10in tall Christmas tree, an 8in long fish, and life-sized sheep for a local museum!
In 2019, I attended an embroidery class with friends. Ever the practical planner, I wondered what we’d do with the embroidery once finished. A way to frame the hoop quite literally popped into my head, so I made some ahead of time and took them to the class. The instructor immediately wanted to buy them, so I knew I was onto something. This was my first invention that seemed like it could become a business and I ran with it.
Who got you started with stitching?
I did cross stitch and embroidery with my mother. That motherly influence still sneaks into my stitching as I tend to stitch small mottos or wisdom that my kids might need to hear on repeat: ‘Be Yourself’, ‘Kindness Wins’, or ‘Don’t Forget to Floss’. My favourite themes are ‘Mom advice’ and flowers!
The frames you create are very elegant, which belies the clever designs behind how they househoops. Did you study design or are you self-taught?
Thank you! I worked through many methods for holding the hoop inside the frame. My criteria were: easy to use, doesn’t damage the hoop, completely ‘un-doable’, and for it to be as simple as possible using few or no tools. Putting a hoop in a frame takes less than a minute, then all that’s left is hanging it! I’m not formally trained but I’ve worked in design for over two decades. For product design, you need a big dose
