14/10/2026
🖤 Witches, folklore and a dark chapter of English history...
There's something about our two newest designs that immediately made me think of the Pendle Witches (for those of you who don't know I'm originally from Lancashire).
Perhaps it's the mysterious expressions, the dark atmosphere or simply the feeling that each woman has a story to tell.
And that got me thinking about one of the most infamous witch trials in British history.
Back in 1612, in the shadow of Pendle Hill in Lancashire, a group of men and women found themselves accused of witchcraft.
It was a time when superstition, religious tensions and fear could have devastating consequences.
Twelve people from the Pendle area were accused. One died in prison before reaching trial, one was acquitted, and ten were executed by hanging.
Perhaps one of the most extraordinary details is that a key witness was Jennet Device, a girl of around nine years old, whose testimony helped condemn members of her own family.
More than 400 years later, the Pendle Witch Trials remain one of the most haunting chapters of English history. Not because of any proven magic, but because of what fear and suspicion could do to ordinary people.
Of course, our two new cross stitch designs belong firmly in the world of fantasy rather than history, but I love how artwork can spark an interest in stories from the past.
✨ Both designs are now available as counted cross stitch patterns from Sunflower Stitches.
I'm curious — have you ever visited Pendle Hill or Lancaster Castle, or read about the Pendle Witches?
And which of these two Melanie Delon designs would you choose to stitch? 🖤
