Leytonstone’s Anna Laviniere will showcase her talent for embroidery tonight
By Victoria Munro

Leytonstone illustrator and designer Anna Laviniere (credit: Handmade Christmas)

A Leytonstone illustrator and designer is competing on Channel 4’s Handmade Christmas today.

Anna Laviniere was picked to compete on the show, hosted by Kirstie Allsopp, after producers spotted her embroidery designs on Instagram.

A Leytonstone resident for the last three years, she gave up a career in museums to pursue her passion for art last year during lockdown after a “change of heart”.

Tonight, she will compete against three other crafters from across the UK to make the best handmade Christmas decoration.

One of Anna’s custom designs (credit: @lavystitch)

Speaking to the Echo, Anna said: “I’m quite a fan of Handmade Christmas and would watch it normally so to be approached by them was really great.

“Filming the episode was really nerve-wracking because I don’t normally go in front of the camera and usually embroider by myself so it was weird to have a lot of people in the room watching.

“But it was still really nice, even just to sit and talk to other people while crafting. Embroidery is a nice craft to do at Christmas time because it’s quite cosy.”

While the most popular product on her Etsy page is custom designs, most of her own work is inspired by music, such as song lyrics or album covers.

To see more of her work, visit her Instagram or tune in to Handmade Christmas at 5pm.

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