As the present owners of Inspirations Studios, we wanted to take a moment to personally welcome everyone to 2020 - a brand new decade is upon us and what better time to thank you all for being a part of the Inspirations family, no matter where in the world you may live.

We start the conversation this year with a quick thank you from one very satisfied stitcher and then hear about some ideal stitching sanctuaries that will have you doing a little blue sky dreaming as you contemplate how you’ll retreat with needle and thread in 2020.

In All Stitched Up! issue #212 HERE Margaret was hoping we could point her in the direction of the instructions for a piece of Hardanger she’d found on Pinterest. Well, point you did, and Margaret couldn’t be more thankful!

‘A huge thank you for your assistance in helping me source the Hardanger pattern I was looking for. I am now the proud owner of Mary Hickmott's New Stitches Magazine which includes the specific pattern I was trying to locate. Your newsletter recipients are a wealth of knowledge and your help was invaluable! I always look forward to reading your newsletter over a quiet cup of tea.’

After sharing Coni Rich’s ‘Stitcherspringa’ in All Stitched Up! issue #214 HERE, we encouraged the Inspirations Community to share their ideal stitching sanctuary and share you did once again! Prepare to be inspired by the first installment of retreats that will have you clearing your calendar to ensure you enjoy a little ‘Stitcherspringa’ of your own whether it be at home or abroad…

‘My ideal stitching sanctuary would be staying at home with no phone, someone miraculously appearing to let the dogs out when necessary as well as feeding them, someone leaving good food for me to enjoy at appropriate times and making the dishes magically disappear!’

‘If I'm going to be able to get away for stitching then I want to do it right! That means several days to a week with nothing impinging on me as a must-do, have-to or should-have-done. There would be no guilt, no reminders or voices in the background to push my buttons.

But most of all, time - time to stitch as I please no matter the time of day or night. The only background noise would be the sound of needle and thread as it brings to life a precious design that’s been on hold for far too long.’

‘For me, I think I'd love my stitching retreat to be a seven-day cruise where one could join others in groups or simply stitch solo on the deck. There would be vendor fairs to browse new products and daily shows displaying our stitching as if in a museum or where the artwork could be bought and sold.

We would relax and think of new designs and ideas and attend forums where these can be shared with others. There would be daily fitness programs specifically designed for stitchers that would help us with longevity of needle and thread. All these programs would part of the cruise package and there would be traditional cruise programs available for spouses and children who accompany the stitcher.

It would of course have to be affordable for those of us with families or especially those of us on fixed incomes - perhaps scholarships, grants, or specialized loans could even be made available to help pay for it?!’

‘Several years ago, when my husband wanted to move nearer the ocean, I bargained for my stitching room. Now that my husband suffers with dementia, I can retreat to my room for hours at a time while still being near him. It has become a life saver for me!

My husband really enjoys seeing my latest creation in the making and I sometimes even include him in the color selections. Once a week several friends join me in my room to stitch and bond. My husband looks forward to seeing them and receiving their many hugs! I feel very blessed by my many friends, the world of stitching and also really look forward to your weekly emails.’

Bette, Billie, Debra and Helen, your ideas have inspired us to start planning our ideal retreat and we can’t wait to see what next week’s installment will add to our growing itinerary!

Hopefully by now you’ve reviewed the catalogue, marvelled at the wonderous projects and created a short list of tutors you’d like to spend some quality time with later this year.

Not sure what we’re talking about?

When registering online, a form will guide you through a series of questions to answer before securing your booking. To help make this as quick and easy as possible, here is some of the information you’ll need to know in advance:

- Which days you are coming and which classes you’d like to attend
- Any special events you’re attending and number of tickets required
- If booking accommodation at Westminster School or the Marion Hotel, which room type you’d like and dates you’re staying
- When booking shared accommodation, the names of any travel partners joining you
- Credit card details at the ready

Contains 5 x Eleganza Size 8 variegated perlé cotton spools in the following colours: Island Oasis; Pretty Please; Wildfire; Saltwater Taffy & Solar Yellow.

PRICE – AU$33

Thread Pack #2 – Eleganza

Contains 4 x Eleganza Size 8 perlé cotton spools in the following colours: Orange Crush; Sea Glass; African Violet & Union Blue.

PRICE – AU$23

Thread Pack #3 – Ellana

Contains 8 x Ellana wool/acrylic appliqué thread spools in the following colours: Dark Cerise; Very Berry; Pumpkin; Flame; Cloud; Mango; Goldenrod & Creamed Butter.

PRICE – AU$32

Stitching Sabbatical is an embroiderer who delights in creating stunning animal portraits for her customers. As you can see, these embroideries are works of art and are so much more special than a photograph.

Ownership would be marked on the beaks of the swans, a practice that thankfully no longer exists. Swans are now a protected species and only three organisations apart from the Crown maintain a traditional claim of ownership, the Abbotsbury Swannery, and the Vintners and the Dyers livery companies.

These rights, dating from the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries are now marked by leg rings, with cygnets begin allocated to the same ownership as their parents. The representatives of these companies wear blue jackets during the Swan Upping, and representatives of the sovereign wear scarlet.

The reasons for Swan Upping have changed. No longer recorded for food stock or monetary value of ownership rights, the focus of the count is now conservation and education. Swan numbers were in severe decline due to habitat loss, pollution and animal attacks on cygnets.

On the needle holder inside the etui, an egg-filled nest is revealed, along with a pair of young cygnets, ready to explore their river world.

Two generous pockets in the etui hold a thread minder featuring a very young cygnet riding on its mother’s back, and a scissor sheath with older cygnets standing on an ornate fountain.

On the back cover, the fountain motif is repeated, only the cygnets have now become young swans, showing off their white feathers.

The shape of this portable, wallet-style etui was inspired by a nineteenth century needlebook made by Morris and Yeomans, a needle manufacturer of the time. The Swan’s Bower Etui would make a unique and graceful addition to your sewing accessories!

‘I am a member of an embroidery group that volunteers in the National Botanic Gardens in Wales. We are working on a project of stitching portraits of the people that have had a connection with the land on which the gardens have been established or those who have a connection with the gardens now. I have embroidered these two portraits, Sir Henry Middleton and Edward Hamlyn Adams.’

Bronwen, we hear from many a stitcher that their two passions in life are needle and thread and gardening, and we love that you’ve combined both these passions in such a unique way! You’ve helped create a lasting history of the National Botanic Gardens in Wales and we wish you much success with the upcoming exhibition.

‘I saw this image in a Royal School of Needlework book a decade or so ago and wanted to stitch it as it reminded me of my Grandad. I kept looking at it over the years and finally started stitching it about nine years ago. I was out of my comfort zone and kept thinking of throwing it away, but instead put it at the bottom of my to do stash, getting it out only now and again. I finally finished it last week and am glad I persevered!’