hospitality | hɒspɪˈtalɪti
the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers

Some of the team from Inspirations recently spent a few days interstate visiting several people who spend not only their leisure time, but also much of their professional lives, with needle and thread. At the end of each visit we were once again reminded about the hospitality that comes to pass as we share our love of all things needle and thread inspired.

It’s the warm welcome you receive as you walk into a store that sells the tools of our trade. The generosity of time you find yourself surrounded by as you appreciate pieces that have been stitched with love and care, designed to inspire you to pick up needle and thread for the first time or extend the skills you’re still developing. The friendly advice so easily offered as you ask for assistance and the camaraderie that’s found in stitching alongside others as deep friendships and true community form. It’s all this and so much more! An encouraging word, a listening ear, a passion shared...

Hospitality is the simple process of opening ourselves and welcoming others into what we have. Who can you welcome into your needlework today?

HYS | KONDO-ING

In All Stitched Up! #173 HERE we encouraged you to spark joy as we unpacked the idea of ‘Kondo-ing’ our way through the items we possess and confessed to the fact we’d gotten a little side tracked by the vast amounts of stitching komono we find ourselves surrounded by!

Well, much to our surprise we heard from Andrea Symons who helps to administrate a Konmari Craft Support Group in Queensland, Australia who had some timely advice on how to get, and keep, our craft spaces tidy and organized!

‘For those wanting to Konmari their craft space I have the following suggestions:

1. Do a vision statement for your craft space and refer to it when/if you get stuck figuring out if something goes or stays. In your vision statement think about what type of crafter/embroiderer/sewer you are and consider everything about your craft space in your vision statement - lighting, chairs/tables, frames, heating/cooling, storage and such.
2. Konmari on the craft category needs to be executed on very small subcategories. So, if you are doing craft tools break it down into much smaller groups like scissors, pins and needles.
3. If you are finding yourself organising instead of choosing what sparks joy, take the category out of the craft space and Konmari it elsewhere.
4. Touch each item in the category. You’ll be surprised at what brings joy and what doesn’t.
5. Remember that you might not like something, but its function is what brings you joy - a vacuum may not be nice to look at, but brings joy when it helps you clean up!

6. It’s easier to Konmari when the weather is cooler.
7. Do not look for storage until after you’ve completed the category, then look for storage that brings joy.
8. Remember to take before photos because you won’t believe the difference.
9. Craft is one category that can grow or shrink. Marie suggests an annual Konmari review of your home. With the craft category, however, you might consider a review when/if you get more supplies or when you complete a particular project.
10. It’s easier donating unwanted items to someone who’ll appreciate them, so ask your local community centre, primary school or guild if they’re interested in taking donations.

Andrea, we can’t thank you enough for taking the time to point us in the right direction of a tidy and organized craft space that truly sparks joy - we can’t wait to put your advice into practice!

Gail Doane has had a life-long love affair with handmade, classic children’s clothes. ‘I still have magazine clippings from when I was a teenager (100 years ago!) of beautiful things for children.’ This love became a passion for not only making children’s garments but also designing them herself.

‘A new project is always exciting because the possibilities are endless, and every aspect of the design is up to me. I love every part of the 'making'...choosing and sourcing supplies, pattern design, pattern drafting, cutting, stitching, embroidering, pressing. Every bit of it!’

Gail’s enthusiasm for the design and making process carry through to teaching, and ‘Amelie’ from Inspirations issue #101 is one of the gorgeous designs Gail taught at Beating Around the Bush last year. This enchanting baby set of matching bloomers, blouse and jacket is as pretty as it is practical.

As Gail says, ‘a bit of hand embroidery on a baby project ALWAYS elevates it from ordinary to special.’

An embroidery design to embellish clothing doesn’t need to be complex or use a lot of threads. The trailing design of pastel flowers on the Amelie jacket uses only four stitches and five colours chosen to coordinate with the Liberty cotton lawn print of the bloomers. Apart from colour choice, a factor in making even the simplest of embroidery designs so eye-catching is attention to detail when stitching.

As you stitch, try to be as consistent as possible in the size and placement of the stitches. Taking the time for attention to detail can add a great deal of pleasure to both the making process and the results of your work, and this is something that Gail emphasizes in her classes.

‘There is no substitution for accuracy. Anyone can learn to be more accurate in their cutting, measuring, stitching, trimming and pressing.’

Being as accurate as possible in the first step leads to the ability to be more accurate in the next step and so on, making for more pleasure in the process and the best possible result for your hard work.

As often as possible, aim to enjoy every stitch, even if you can only fit in a small amount of work on your project each day. ‘There is great satisfaction in completing a beautifully stitched and embroidered baby project - even if ends up on a spitty baby!’

The pattern pieces supplied for Amelie in Inspirations are for 12 months size to fit a baby of up to 10kg (22 pounds) and detailed construction information for the blouse, bloomers and jacket are on the lift-out pattern sheets.

If you’d like to see Gail demonstrating some hints and tips that might be useful for making Amelie, see HERE for transferring circles for a floral embroidery design and HERE for cutting bias strips for piping and binding.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Amelie by Gail Doane is a gorgeous baby outfit with embroidery adorning the white jacket and turquoise blouse collar.

Step 2 – Purchase Kit

Kits for Amelie are available from Gail Doane direct via her Etsy Store HERE.

A Bush Christmas by Beth Allen was originally published in Inspirations Issue 60 and features the iconic Australian koala all dressed up ready for Christmas.

Sandra, we look forward to seeing pictures of your own Christmas koalas when you’ve finished them and thanks for your request and helping the rest of us plan well ahead.

Thank you to everyone who has been patiently waiting to receive a copy, the good news is it’s now back in stock. If you are yet to order the new Index, we can tell you from personal experience it’s a very, very useful resource to have on hand as is evident by the fact every single person in the Inspirations office has a well-worn copy on their desk after repeated daily use.

So why not make your search for Inspiration easier than ever, with the new Inspirations Index | Issues 1-100.

Not content with merely the bones, Shanell also filled the skeleton with removable, anatomically correct organs. Crocheted, of course!

Stemming from a fascination with Frankenstein, mortuary practices and the Victorian period among other things, Shanell took 8 months to design and work the project.

We’re not sure that this will become a pre-requisite in medical schools any time soon, but it just goes to show that crochet is a highly versatile craft. Crocheted intestines, anyone?

That moment when something you’ve been keeping somewhere in your needlework stash for years turns out to be exactly what you need for a project you’re working on right now. And it’s perfect.

If you’ve ever had the joy of experiencing this feeling, you’re in good company. This is exactly what happened for Susan O’Connor when it came to adding a wonderful finishing touch to her design ‘Versailles Chatelaine’ from our book A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII.

‘I developed this design and chose the colours when I was overseas, away from my threads. I particularly love the gorgeous grey-blue which is so different from the blue-violet that I usually gravitate towards. I think that in the back of my mind I remembered that I had some beautiful French silk ribbon at home that was this colour and when I returned, I was delighted to find that it was a perfect match!’ Susan thinks she might have purchased the ribbon 20 years ago at one of the first Martha’s Markets in Arlington, Texas. What a memory!

Susan’s design for this chatelaine is simply beautiful.

‘I’ve always loved stripes and flowers together – I think it is the wonderful contrast between the rigid formality of the stripes and the voluptuous curves of the flowers that appeals to me.’

The result is an exquisite embroidered fabric in the tradition of timeless French textiles for adorning the pinwheel, scissor sheath and needlebook.

The embroidery is a delight to work using silk threads in a refined colour palette that, in the best enigmatic French style, is simply perfect. Gentle touches of colour that allow the flowers to sing sweetly in harmony with the soft stripes, each element complementing the other.

The bouquets feature a rose surrounded by daisies, forget-me-nots, tiny buds and delicate sprays of golden foliage. To help you achieve the appearance of identical bouquets, Susan’s stitching sequence is set-out in A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII in step-by-step diagrams.

The stripes, although formal in line, add to the sense of lightness with a lace-like base of trellis stitching edged with interlaced chain stitch and finished with single, white daisies spaced evenly down the length. The stitching sequence is, as for the bouquets, shown in diagrams to help you to establish a happy rhythm for working each stripe.

The edging of the stripes also surrounds the elegant monogram on the needlebook – an entire alphabet for which is included on the pattern sheets – along with sprays of gold foliage. The shape of the monogram medallion is echoed in the oval scissor fob that is embroidered with a large rose in the same shades of pink as the rose on the bouquets.

Apart from being a collection of beautifully embroidered pieces, the chatelaine has been designed for use. Each piece is edged with a knotted stitch worked in silk thread, like touches of gilding, and the pieces are held together with twisted cords made from perlé cotton in the same colour.

Keeping with the French theme, the scissor sheath has an ornately curved edge, reminiscent of Louis XIV furniture, and the twisted cords are embellished with mother-of-pearl rings and finished with *the* silk ribbon. This fabulous chatelaine is aptly named after the opulent French palace and would make a wonderful addition to any needlework tool kit.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Versailles Chatelaine by Susan O’Connor is an elegant silk needlebook with a monogram, pinwheel, scissor sheath and fob.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Versailles Chatelain includes everything you need to re-create this beautiful chatelaine: Fabrics (unprinted), mother-of-pearl rings and buckle, pins, ribbon, wadding, bead, paillettes, embroidery threads and needles.

For those of you who join us regularly for What Are You Stitching? you may have noticed that we love a theme and this week’s theme is ‘uniqueness’ as we’ve decided to share some of the more unique pieces from our WAYS files that celebrate the individuality of what can be created with needle and thread…

‘I wanted to make something special for my granddaughter, so I decided to embroider this cross for her confirmation. It is made of hundreds of little bullion stitches, possibly even thousands!’

‘A true labour of love and once assembled I trimmed the edge with little golden beads. It was a challenge to assemble it into a wearable cross, but where there is a will there is a way and the finished cross was much appreciated. Now onto making another one for her sister! Thank you for your wonderful magazine and inspiration.’

Juliette, that is a labour of love indeed! What a special gift for an incredibly special occasion. We look forward to seeing the next labour of love created with your needles and threads!

‘I wanted to share with you the beautiful Wrapping Cloth Blanket I made for my daughter. Last September I was so lucky to be able to travel to Australia for the first time and hand deliver it to her. She loved it!’

‘I began working on the wrapping cloth in 2013, while taking an online class with Karen Ruane of the UK. Karen taught us her techniques, but each participant made their own choices on fabrics, stitches, size and design. I used found materials from second-hand shops and friends, fabric from the public school graduation dress I sewed for my daughter, new cottons and a silk I purchased, plus donations of lace and trims from online friends.’

‘I included a bright and fun fabric that had many of my daughter's favourite colours and called it the wild fabric!’

After 5 years of creating pieces for the cloth - in between other stitching projects - I pieced them together to make a blanket 45.5" x 58.5" (115cm x 150cm). I incorporated 97 pockets into my blanket. Some are tiny, some are layered on top of other pockets, and some are hidden. Each pocket is filled with my good wishes, pride in, and love for my daughter.’

‘Since we live so far apart as I live in Canada, she can carry a tangible reminder of my love with her, wherever she may go. She can wrap herself up in it on cold days and try to find all the pockets I created. It was stitched with memories, and bound with love, and I enjoyed every moment of creating it.’

Susan, what an incredible gift for your daughter! Not only is it the time and talent you poured into the blanket, but the thought behind it and the love contained within each pocket that makes it something to be treasured. And to think you were able to hand deliver it to her!

‘At the stitching group I attend, our convener often insists that we must complete at least six stitches before we can leave and this has become a running joke.

I like to experiment, so I tried working with just six stitches and was soon convinced that it was possible to create simple images using mostly fly stitch and detached chain stitches.’

‘Knots would work too, though I hadn’t learnt them at the time. And I realised something else along the way - we often use two or more strands of cotton to give the stitches more impact but there’s no rule that says those strands must be the same colour. By threading contrasting colours or tonal variations onto the needle, more could be eked out of each stitch. The result was a fun and quick project and a gentle dig back at our convener.’

Tony, necessity really is the mother of invention! We love that when you felt the need to express yourself in just six simple stitches, you found a way of achieving it. From small beginnings come great things…

Have the results of your time with needle and thread created something truly unique? We’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Jacobean Stag by Phillipa Turnbull is an elegant crewel panel featuring a splendid stag overlooking leafy hillocks.

~ Tim Chester, A Meal with Jesus ~

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.