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ISSUE 166, NOVEMBER 30 2018
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The word resilience is most often used when referring to our ability to adapt to adversity. It measures our capacity to recover in the face of a difficult situation.
After coming across a recent letter in Frankie Magazine that unpacked Sophie’s childhood ‘ordeal’ with arriving on stage for a rousing drum solo only to find her instrument was nowhere to be seen and then reading on to hear how she quickly saw the musical potential of a nearby salad bowl, it made us question our own resilience and our ability to not give up in the face of adversity.
While resilience is most often applied in response to a trauma, tragedy, threat or a significant source of stress, being able to find our resilient selves even amid our time with needle and thread will see us achieve more than we ever thought possible.
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It’s the ability to find something inside us that pushes us to try something beyond our current capabilities, to unpick our stitching for the umpteenth time in the hope our next attempt will bring about the desired result, perhaps even the courage to engage an external support network that will take us to a level of competency we couldn’t achieve on our own.
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The lesson Sophie learnt by being resilient and not giving up on stage that day was ‘sometimes, when it seems like you’re dead out of luck and there’s no feasible way forward, you just have to reach for the closest kitchen implement.’
While we’re not certain that the closest kitchen implement will necessarily be the tool that helps us in the face of our next stitching challenge, if we apply the same resilience by using what we find within and around us, we’re sure we’ll succeed and in the process, build a little more resilience that will set us up for continued success with needle and thread!
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This week it’s Lesley Grady’s story of her journey with Inspirations that is helping us to celebrate 100 issues of Inspirations Magazine…
‘Congratulations on reaching your 100th issue! I first saw Issue #4 of Inspirations and have been collecting ever since, gathering the back copies and some related publications along the way.
When I recently did my Inspirations’ stock take, I found that Issue #73 had been mislaid so have been searching the house for it. Luckily, it was featured in All Stitched Up! so have ordered another copy of it just in case!
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Thank you for continuing to produce such an outstanding and beautiful magazine.
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It has the added cachet of being South Australian, something that we Aussies can be very proud of! Although I have managed to complete a few projects over the years, I’m afraid my UFOs outnumber them.’
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‘I have often spent a rainy-day poring over the contents of my collection and while I may never achieve the standard of the wonderful items that I see in each issue, I was so proud that you included my photos from ‘Magic on the Mekong’ in Issue #86. It was a memorable holiday and experience and I hope that can I repeat it again one day. Best wishes to you all, Lesley.’
Lesley, it was an absolute pleasure to host you on the Mekong and we appreciate you being part of the Inspirations ‘family’ for all these years.
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The ‘Have Your Say Spring Cleaning’ that began last week, continues as we share more of the conversations we have on file from the Inspirations ‘family’…
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‘I’m five years on from my 36-year marriage ending in the most traumatic of ways as the life I thought I had turned out to be an entire lie. I have learnt a million things from that day and the years that have followed, the biggest thing being that when something goes wrong in your life, it doesn't finish you.
I found a needlework group and the ladies there taught me to embroider from scratch. I am a huge fan of Trish Burr and have nearly finished my version of her Hummingbird.
The poet, Mary Oliver, said ‘Someone I loved once gave me a box full of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift.’ The gift I found in my awful box of darkness was embroidery.’
Harriet, your story is the epitome of resilience! Despite an incredibly difficult situation, we love that it led you to embroidery and know that your time with needle and thread will prove to be a constant companion through life’s ups and downs.
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Mary Wyn Thompson | Canada
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‘I had never seen embroidery until one day fifteen years ago, I was walking by a laundromat and there was a lady sitting outside waiting for her clothes to dry who was doing cross stitch. From memory she was stitching flowers, but I had never seen anything so beautiful! She convinced me that it wasn’t hard, so I went to the craft store and bought a simple kit and started to stitch.
A short time later I went to a big craft show and the Embroiderers Guild had a booth - I saw Goldwork, Blackwork, Stumpwork and Hardanger. I was so amazed and decided that I wanted to do it too.
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I was 65 years old at the time and up until then, the most I could do with a needle and thread was sew on a button!
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I joined my local guild, which was a thirty-mile drive from home, and met over 30 wonderful women. They taught me, and I tried everything. Now I’m not too bad a stitcher! A few years ago I had a hip replacement, was laid up for a while and stitching saved my sanity. Now that I’m alone, I have a lot of time to stitch and over 30 wonderful friends to share it with. I must say that we do more talking and laughing at our meetings than stitching, but I can’t imagine how empty and lonely my life would be now without embroidery.’
Mary, just like Harriet your story shows how constant a companion needle and thread can be. We love that from a chance encounter outside a laundromat, your passion for all things stitched has become such an integral part of your life.
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Inspirations Calendar – December Project
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And just like that, it’s December! Well, tomorrow actually… or today if you’re reading this tomorrow! Anyway, the point is, it feels like only yesterday we were all giddy about the 2018 Inspirations Calendar and, just like that, another year has almost gone and we’ve reached the last of our 12 featured projects.
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‘Double Delight’ by Jennifer Kennedy from Inspirations #92 is a pair of pulled thread work Christmas stockings with contrasting lustrous perlé threads and satin ribbon with a hessian ground fabric.
Each stocking is lined and backed with white taffeta and hangs from a fabric loop to create beautiful organic Christmas decorations, suitable for every style of home.
Double Delight is available to purchase as a digital pattern, plus a small quantity of Ready-to-Stitch kits are also available, just in time for a Christmas present to yourself or a lucky fellow stitcher.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Double Delight
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Double Delight
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The Fayrest Strawberry of All
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In the Inspirations Projects Hall of Fame, there is an elite collection of designs that have appeared in our publications that have gone on to achieve super-star status.
One such project is Strawberry Fayre by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #95 which is now famous in the needlework community the world over.
This fabulous heart-shaped necessaire with pretty surface embroidery features a palette of soft greens and berry pinks plus a bounty of exquisite details make this sewing necessaire an essential for every needleworker.
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The beauty of the design, the intricacy of the needlework, and the practical aspect of the project once completed, all combine to ensure Strawberry Fayre is the perfect project to proudly showcase anyone’s passion for needlework.
Now available to purchase as a digital pattern.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Strawberry Fayre
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Rejoice, Rejoice and again we say Rejoice
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With the release of the new Inspirations Index Issues 1-100, it’s easier than ever before to browse through projects from the Inspirations library. As a result, we’ve made a commitment to our readers that if you find a project you want to stitch but it’s out of print, we’ll do out best to release it as a digital pattern.
Thanks to Cheryl Bollard who requested ‘Rejoice’ by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #47, you can now purchase this stunning project from our website.
Rejoice is the perfect festive season decoration, using gleaming metallic threads, glistening beads and brass charms to create a lavish Christmas bell.
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Blue Ribbon by Carolyn Pearce
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The diversity of the Inspirations Community means within each issue of the magazine, everyone is looking for something different. Some want projects with intricate, challenging techniques to stretch themselves, some look for whimsical designs that are fun to stitch, others like to create something practical that they can use when finished.
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One question we are frequently asked is when are we going to feature another blanket?!
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Be it for babies, young kids, families to use on the couch or something to keep our legs warm as we get older, blankets are an evergreen staple in the home of a stitcher.
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So, when it came to selecting projects for issue #100 we knew there were two things we had to include: 1/. a blanket. 2/. a project by Carolyn Pearce. Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you Blue Ribbon a blanket by Carolyn Pearce. Now that is going to keep a LOT of people happy!
Carolyn Pearce is needlework royalty. Her influence on the stitching landscape the world over is legendary. Carolyn’s books, projects, teaching, designs, all flow from her life that is lived fully immersed in needlework.
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One of the things you may not know about Carolyn is her stash of threads and fabrics collected over the years is rumoured to be a bit like a Willy Wonka factory for stitchers! From this fabled stash, rich in anything and everything you can possibly dream of, she creates her stunning designs.
Carolyn’s fascination for different stitches and needlework techniques often results in an array of wonderful surprises in each project using a stitch, a thread or a technique where you’d least expect it.
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With 30+ projects featured in Inspirations Magazine over the years, a range of bestselling books to her name and designs that keep everyone coming back for more and more and more, Carolyn is a true master of her trade. We had the honour of catching up with her recently to chat about life, the universe and all things needle and thread:
Carolyn, can you share with us a little about the process you go through when creating one of your beautiful projects:
‘I have been creating designs for Inspirations ever since Issue #3 – 25 years of meeting deadlines! Sometimes a design comes instantly into my head, for example the bridal ring cushion for a magazine special entitled “Inspirations Bridal”. I instantly thought of the flower wreaths encircling the little heads of Princess Di’s flower girls. Once I have a clear mental picture then I can draw up the bones of a design, pin it to the fabric and look at it for a few days.’
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‘For a project like the Strawberry Fayre neccessaire I draw up about 15 working drawings on transparent paper before deciding on the final design! It is not hard to guess my other passion is gardening. The two are inexorably linked.
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Threads are my paint box to bring to life the pictures in my mind. They allow you to portray the play of light on foliage, hence my use of fine metallics and beads.
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They also add texture to a design. Very rarely would I use just one type of thread in a piece. It is the highlights that work the magic. Whilst working up a design I will experiment with different combinations until one becomes the perfect choice.’
Where did you get the idea for the blanket Blue Ribbon in Inspirations issue #100?
‘In Blue Ribbon, it was the Valdani wool ‘Honeysuckle’ that sent me off in quite a different direction from my original working samples. Never discount a thread until you work a sample – time and again it leads to exciting results.
Originally, I created a design with a bow in each corner until I realised what an incredible amount of work this would involve, none of you would ever want to undertake it!’
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‘If you don’t have the threads I used, use what you have and make Blue Ribbon truly yours. We are so fortunate as embroiderers to have exciting overdyed threads available to us all over the world. I recommend using the wool/cashmere blend fabric as a base. It is expensive, but it is not as heavy or as thick as pure wool.
When I am creating an embroidery design, I like to stretch the boundaries. Fine embroidery on wool fabric is quite challenging. Firstly, the weight and thickness makes it difficult to hold in your hands. Then there is quite a lot of space between the threads so threadpainting with one strand of DMC was quite difficult until I hit on the idea of cutting out the shapes from a non-woven interfacing and carefully stitching them in place. This gave a much firmer base.’
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From your perspective what has it been like to be part of the Inspirations family?
‘I still get a thrill at seeing the beautiful styling of my work in the magazine. I certainly don’t stitch for fame or fortune. Years ago, driving back with a friend from a needlework school in northern Victoria I realised what a vast country Australia was. For many people it is an impossibility to get to or afford classes, so it is for those people I design. Just read the Inspirations newsletter All Stitched Up! each week and you realise how our embroidery gets us through life’s up and downs.’
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Thank you, Carolyn for inspiring a generation of stitchers with your equisite needlework, everyone at Inspirations loves working with you. Your dedication and passion for stitching is evident in all you do and it is an absolute pleasure and honour to publish your work.
SEE BLUE RIBBON BLANKET ON DISPLAY
You can see Carolyn’s blanket Blue Ribbon up close and personal on display at the Tutors’ Exhibition, Gallery 76 Embroiderers’ Guild NSW, 76 Queen St, Concord West from December 6 to January 30. For more details click HERE
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Make Your Own Blue Ribbon
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Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions
Blue Ribbon by Carolyn Pearce is a gorgeous blanket adorned with enchanting blossoms and an elegant bow.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 100
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Blue Ribbon
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Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit
The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Blue Ribbon includes everything you need to re-create this gorgeous blanket: Wool and cashmere velour, interfacings, fibre-fill, embroidery threads, silk ribbon, beads and needles. Kit does not contain backing fabric or piping.
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Blue Ribbon
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Looking for More Carolyn Pearce?
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The Peace Dove by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #52 is an exquisite Christmas ornament.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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The Peace Dove
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Gentle Thoughts by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #66 is a delightful pansy needlecase, stitched onto wool and cashmere velour with a multitude of silk, wool, cotton, rayon and metallic threads.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Gentle Thoughts
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The Embroidered Patchwork Bear
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Delight in this richly illustrated single-project book by Carolyn Pearce, combining the crafts of embroidery, patchwork and bear making.
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PRINTED BOOK
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The Embroidered Patchwork Bear
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Rosamund by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #58 is a pretty work bag with Jacobean embroidery.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 58
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Inspired by Carolyn Pearce’s Blue Ribbon blanket, we were motivated to hunt through our linen press for the linens that have been stitched with the needles and threads of the Inspirations Community…
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‘I have been stitching since my mother made me learn when I was about eight years old. I didn't like it, and by the time I had finished the stitching The Gleaners from an old painting, I was sure I hated it! Needless to say, 50 years or so later, I found that I loved hand stitching.’
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‘I now hand quilt and embroider and love it. My embroidery is only basic stem stitch and chain stitch and I can also make Bullion Stitch flowers. I hand stitched and embroidered this bed spread for my Granddaughter about six years ago. I love your magazine and the amazing embroidery that you share with everyone.’
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Donna, we love that the seed of stitching your mother planted all those ago grew into a love of hand stitching that produced something as gorgeous and functional as your bed spread. It’s a piece that will be treasured and used for generations to come.
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‘I call myself an amateur of modest talent in all of the arts I pursue, embroidery among them! As I get older, having recently turned 72, I am more and more aware of the joy I have been given by generations of women in my family. Through the years, women have passed on their knowledge and skills to their daughters and I have been lucky enough to be one of those. So, I decided to make a crazy quilt that honored the women who went before me.
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Three of the blocks focus on one of my foremothers – Great Grandmother, Mother and older sister – and have all been finished, as well as some ‘just for fun blocks’ and one seasonal block which will be one of the cornerstones of my quilt. Thank you for your magazine which serves as an additional inspiration with every issue, I only wish I had discovered it with the first issue!’
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Noël, what a beautiful way to honour the tradition of needle and thread that has been passed on from generation to generation! We can’t wait to see the quilt once it’s complete.
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‘Crazy Quilting is my favourite technique and I happily teach it both virtually and in person across the USA and write about it on line. I think my favorite aspect of CQ is the no rules rule! Counted work is so not my thing, although I admire pieces done by others. Let my needle roam wherever, stitching down whatever, with whatever thread, dancing over seams and even skipping them all together - that’s my piece of heaven!
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My current goal is to complete a CQ art quilt, planned with nine 8” blocks and black sashing. All silk fabrics, both vintage and new for the foundation, Kimono sections from Ichiroya in Japan, generous and wild scraps from the Jerry Garcia tie factory and beautiful leftovers from Quilt and Silk in France plus new dupioni are used. Four blocks are done so far and the fifth is a WIP. Thank you for all the years of beautiful Inspirations.’
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Sara, we love your love of the no rules rule! You’re well on you way to completing a beautiful piece and we look forward to seeing it in its entirety.
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‘I would like to share my new blanket with you. I worked the poppies on black wool and used Gumnuts and Au Ver à Soie threads. I have friends that do quilting and was lucky to be out with one of them to find the material for the edge. I do look forward to the Friday newsletter which always gives me a great insight into what others are doing.’
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Ute, you couldn’t have found a more perfect edging to compliment your stitched poppies! It has a rich colour palette that has resulted in a gorgeous blanket.
Have your needles and threads produced a bed spread, blanket, quilt or similar?! We’d love you to share it with us. Email photos of your bed covering along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com
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Christmas Countdown is ON!
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With less than 4 weeks until Christmas and only 3 issues of All Stitched Up! left for 2018, if you need a book to read, a kit to stitch or a gift to give you should be ordering NOW!
For something special this year, you really can’t go past our new book, A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII, and the Ready-to-Stitch kits now available for these spectacular projects.
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Edinburgh Etui by Betsy Morgan
Charming etui and accessories with counted work and surface embroidery.
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT*
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Edinburgh Etui
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PRINTED BOOK
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A Passion for Needlework
Factoria VII
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The Linnet by Nicola Jarvis
Enchanting silk and goldwork bird, adorned with a sparkling crown.
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT*
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The Linnet
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PRINTED BOOK
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A Passion for Needlework
Factoria VII
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* Please note Inspirations Ready-to-Stitch kits do not include instructions. Everything you need to know, and more, about re-recreating our stunning projects is included in the publication they appear in which is available for purchase separately.
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Subscribe to Inspirations Magazine
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Not a Subscriber? Join Today!
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Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!
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Redouté’s Tulips by Trish Burr is a study of magnificent threadpainted tulips based on a botanical watercolour.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 100
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Redouté’s Tulips
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Redouté’s Tulips
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Tulip by Christine P. Bishop from Inspirations #90 is an exquisite white linen sachet featuring an elegant, single tulip motif filled with delicate Hedebo needlelace and finished with eyelets and satin stitch.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 90
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Simple Pleasures by Maree Moscato from Inspirations #19 is a beautiful table runner featuring a tulip, daffodil, bluebells and violets.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Simple Pleasures
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Tulipa by Susan O’Connor from Inspirations #69 is a cosy wool embroidered scented heat bag.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 69
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Designer Erica Wilson, is behind this beautiful piece of embroidery.
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‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.’
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~ Winston Churchill ~
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Stay informed of upcoming needlework events taking place all around the world in our new What’s On page on the Inspirations Studios Website HERE.
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If you’re holding an event or would like to suggest one to be added, we’d love to hear about it. Email us the details at news@inspirationsstudios.com
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© 2018 Inspirations Studios
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