Upon receiving the latest issue of the ‘Needlepoint Now’ magazine from the US, we read with interest ‘Elizabeth’s Musings’ where she unpacked her love of being able to shop for all things needle and thread in a fully stocked, local shop.

Well… she then went on to share a frustration that many of us have experienced ourselves - with local brick and mortar stores becoming a rarity rather than the norm, we’re shopping online which makes colour matching difficult at best and the tactile experience of holding fabric and thread all but impossible.

Her words were a welcome reminder to savour the times we find ourselves surrounded by supplies that speak to our passion. Whether that be with a quick trip to our local supplier or on an adventure further afield to not only purchase, but also experience the tactile luxury that our love of needle and thread affords us. As unfortunately for some of us, these experiences are becoming as rare as the brick and mortar stores themselves!

In Inspirations Magazine issue #102 we reviewed the book Embroidered Treasures Flowers, which is the first in a series of books featuring projects of historical significance held by the UK Embroiderers’ Guild.

As with her first book, Dr Annette Collinge includes pertinent information for each project including technique, date, place of origin and size of the finished work.

You can read our full review on page 10 of issue #103 of the magazine, and copies of both the first and second books in the series are available to purchase from our website.

As stitchers we love to embellish… to leave something better than we found it by adding a little magic using our needle and thread. It’s also fun to embellish our clothes, bags, hats etc, by adding an enamel pin here and there. So, we’ve combined the two and created a series of enamel pins based on needlework designs from Inspirations magazine.

From this…

To this...

Each pin is a miniature work of art and looks gorgeous on the lapel of a jacket or shirt, on the strap of your needlework bag or even as decoration on a pin-up board in a sewing room.

Click below to browse our range and embellish yourself with some beautiful pins today.

After sharing her ingenious temperature blanket idea on Facebook, Tracy Kennedy has social media in a frenzy.

The real-estate agent from Brisbane, Australia showed off her crocheting skills by posting a photo on her Facebook page of her multi-coloured blanket, that changes colour based on the temperature of the day.

Ms Kennedy records the highest temperature on the day and crochets a row onto the blanket with the corresponding colour. She demonstrates her commitment to the accuracy of the blanket by saying’ ‘I always take it to the decimal point, so it has to be accurate.’

In 1554, Ogier de Busbecq, ambassador of the Holy Roman Emperor to the Sultan of Turkey, sent a simple flower bulb back to Vienna from his travels. This bulb, purportedly the first tulip in Europe, started what was to become a mania. Centred in The Netherlands, the tulip mania led to what many say was the first recorded financially based speculative bubble. At its height, a single bulb could fetch up to ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsworker, a high price indeed for a flower.

Different tulips carried different values, with the most sought after being the Bizarden or ‘bizarres’. These sported yellow or white streaks on a red, brown or purple background. The colouration of these flowers only formed after years of cultivation and as a result of a specific virus, which was one of the reasons these rarer forms of tulip became such a sought-after commodity.

It almost seems ludicrous that fortunes could be made or broken on this beautiful flower which can now be purchased in bulb form at most local garden centres. And better still, not only can we grow them ourselves, but thanks to Carolyn Pearce, we can also immortalise the delicate petals and mosaic like colouring in needle and thread.

Carolyn has combined realism on the front and back with a delightful stylised version of the flower on the spine and inside the cover where the stems and tendrils snake upwards to form a perfect art-deco shape. The whole project is then brought to sparkling life with a gold and beaded border, perhaps nodding to the opulence of the past when this tulip would have held pride of place in the homes of the nobility.

We were, of course, delighted to see Carolyn’s characteristic snail edging towards the bloom on the back cover. He would have been banished with horror in the 1600s, but today he’s a welcome addition to the project, adding a little touch of whimsy to what is otherwise a complex and rewarding piece.

If you’ve never tried threadpainting before, don’t be afraid. Once you’ve secured the padding in place, the secret is to manage the angles of your threads and ensure you pierce the previous stitches to achieve the required blending. Fortunately, you are working with wools which offer a pleasing softness and help with the blending. Adding highlights afterwards simply brings the flowers to life.

Carolyn is also known for her construction, and this project is perfect as the cover of a handmade book. Imagine it adorning your coffee table. You can almost see your front room transform into a Dutch parlour, filled with merchants haggling and gold coins jingling, all arguing over your serene and beautiful tulip.

While the Ready-To-Stitch kit contains everything you need to create the actual book cover itself, the real value is in the number of threads it includes. Carolyn is famous for using a huge array of colours and a variety of threads in her projects, which is all part of the magic of her designs. And Perfect Love is no exception with the kit containing: 8 x Anchor threads, 3 x Au Papillion threads, 7 x Au Ver à Soie threads, 2 x Cascade House wools, 3 x Cottage Garden Threads, 1 x DMC, 14 x Gumnut Yarns wools, 2 x Gumnut Yarn silks, 1 x Needlepoint Inc silks, 1 x Tentakulum Silk, 2 x YLI threads and 2 x B&J metallic threads. Then there are the 9 different needles and 9 different types of beads without even listing the fabrics, felts, interfacing etc.

So whether you’re planning on re-creating the design as a book cover, or using the threads in the kit to stitch the design on the pocket of a jacket or cardigan, or feature on an evening bag or as a framed piece, the Ready-To-Stitch kit will save you a LOT of running around.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Perfect Love by Carolyn Pearce is a stunning artist book cover featuring threadpainted tulips.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Perfect Love includes everything you need to re-create this beautiful book cover: Fabrics (unprinted), interfacing, bag batting, wool felts, fusible webbing, embroidery threads, beads and needles.

Special Note: Instructions are not included in our kits. Please refer to the magazine for detailed information on how to create the project.

Pensée by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #63 is a delightful beaded tape measure cover.

Blue Ribbon by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #100 is a gorgeous blanket adorned with enchanting blossoms and an elegant bow.

The Work Basket by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #21 takes a humble cane basket and transforms it into a work of art, designed to store your own works of art in progress.

Spellbound by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #19 is a delightful lavender bag with dusky mauve ribbon roses entwined into an elegant heart, tied with a wide satin ribbon decorated with tiny rosebuds.

Inspired by Carolyn Pearce’s ‘Perfect Love’ project, Inspirations issue #103 has been titled ‘The Artful Needle | Painting with Thread’ and it’s this theme that’s inspired our selection of projects for this week’s What Are You Stitching? - projects that have been painted with thread from some very artful needles indeed!

‘Trees were added and I also coloured the background fabric with watercolour pencils and slowly the garden grew bigger. I became so absorbed in this project, letting my imagination take over, picking up threads randomly and stitching away. My threads and needle did the painting of the garden in my imagination. This was a very therapeutic time for me as I would imagine myself walking through the garden, enjoying the flowers and trees.’

‘It now hangs in the lounge of my new home, with the finished embroidery measuring 28 x 24.5cm (11 x 9.5”). I have been a subscriber to Inspirations Magazine for many years and always look forward to receiving the newsletter in my Inbox every week - thank you for all your wonderful inspiration!’

Gay, your stitching absolutely speaks to your passions of embroidery and gardening. Whilst we’re sorry to hear that Louis never got to see the finished result, we love that Lesley became your champion and inspired you to not only finish what you’d begun but expand the scope of the design in the process!

‘I related to your recent article on the concept of happiness through sewing or stitching for others. Enclosed is my first attempt at landscape embroidery. My inspiration came from Judy Wilford’s embroidered landscapes and although I cannot aspire to her talent, I was pleased with what I managed to achieve.’

‘This little piece, which is postcard size, was a gift for my sister who now lives in Canada. The landscape is our original family homestead near Young in New South Wales, Australia and the lack of tension across the fabric is because the work will be stretched and framed in Canada.’

Karen, we think you can absolutely aspire to the talent of Judy Wilford! Your piece is detailed but restrained and captures the beauty of the Australian landscape perfectly. It’s a thoughtful gift that will serve as a constant reminder to your sister of home.

‘Apart from crazy quilting, my other passion is attempting to recreate old abandoned buildings in fabric wall hangings. I hate to see the old barns, churches and homes being left to decay and wonder about the stories of the people that once used them. I, of course, can't leave my crazy quilt background out of the process and end up adding embroidery to help bring my scenes to life.’

‘I spend many hours in my sewing space overlooking the local river in a smallish town in southern Ontario Canada. Being retired means I have lots of time to devote to my creative pursuits, but that's not to say I don't wish for more hours in the day so I could do more!’

Mary Anne, what a fabulous way to allow the abandoned buildings of yesteryear to live on! Your piece is detailed and textured and leaves us too wondering about the stories of those who once lived there.

‘I look forward to receiving the Inspirations newsletter All Stitched Up! in my mailbox each week! I’ve been a keen embroiderer for more than 30 years and have covered many of the disciplines in that time. In 2005 I bought Di van Niekerk’s ‘Bottoms Up’ kit, mainly because of the children.’

‘I went through old birthday cards, selecting images of trees, flowers, animals and many more. I arranged all the images and asked Lesley Turpin-Delport to transfer it onto silk. I then darned it onto counted linen and my exciting journey started! Lesley taught me how to create depth and balance with needle and thread. What a joy! As the picture grew, my own interpretation of the clothes and hair took over. In the end the picture grew beyond the original border and became what I pictured in my mind.’

Nola, it would seem Lesley has quite the knack for taking what someone has started and encouraging them to expand on their original idea! Your stitching has blended the children and the image you had in your mind simply seamlessly.

Have your artful needles painted something with thread? We’d love to see the masterpiece! Email photos of your work of art as well as a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!

An Apple a Day by Julie Kniedl is an irresistible red apple in three-dimensional embroidery.

How About A Hoop?

Festive Fruit by Denise Forsyth from Inspirations issue #96 is a selection of fabulous strawberries made from linen textured with pulled thread embroidery.

Natural Beauty by Fiona Hibbett from Inspirations issue #87 is an 18th century naturalist's study interpreted in stitch.

Plums and Honeysuckle by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #57 features plump purple plums and sweet golden honeysuckle.

The Golden Pomegranate by Margaret Cobleigh from Inspirations issue #61 is a stunning pomegranate, beautifully represented in this richly ornamented goldwork study.

~ Chad Hurley ~

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.