Like many of you, there are those of us at Inspirations who love the clean slate a new year declares. Just thinking of a diary bursting with blank pages waiting to be written on fills us with hope and enthusiasm.

Sometimes, however, the application of achieving what we felt so hopeful and enthusiastic about just a few short weeks ago leaves a little to be desired as ‘real’ life gets in the way!

So, one of the other things we relish at this time of the year is the number of people talking about how they manage their expectations and the ways in which they go about achieving them.

Last week we spoke about the idea of a Habit Calendar HERE and this week we’re unpacking the idea of choosing rhythms over resolutions.

After reading Hannah Brencher’s blog about how she’s changed her ideas about New Year’s resolutions and found a gentler way to approach them, we knew she was onto something!

Instead of feeling the pressure of meeting a finite goal of a resolution that often comes from a place of feeling not good enough, Hannah’s decided to embrace the idea of rhythms.

Appreciating priorities can be forgotten all too easily amidst the hustle and bustle of daily life, Hannah’s found a way to support them through intentional rhythms, also realising that although she won’t be perfect from the beginning, the great thing about rhythms is that you just try again the next day, week or month.

We think the reason this idea resonated with us is because we appreciate the rhythm of needle and thread and relish the meditative quality this brings to our life. If we can find a meditative rhythm in stitching isn’t it possible we can find the same from our rhythm of life?!

Here’s to each of us finding our rhythm and becoming all we’ve been called to be…

Stephen West is one man who bristles when he hears comments about ‘knitting being something that grannies do’. The tall ex-dancer took up knitting early on, even while he was pursuing his dance career in the US and Europe.

He’d knit every spare moment he could between shows and rehearsals, creating fantastic, colourful garments which he either gave away as gifts or proudly wore himself.

Eventually, Stephen reached a cross-road and either dancing or knitting had to go. He hung up his dance shoes and chose knitting. In no time, his career as a designer, teacher and iconic male knitter took off.

Fortunately, West is not an outlier. Many men are discovering the benefit of knitting, not just from a creative point of view but also for meditative and community value.

There’s something intensely satisfying about a fully stocked bookcase, bursting with volumes standing one beside the other in perfect alignment.

Inspired by a sampler from the Pioneer Memorial Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah, this diminutive etui will sit snugly on a shelf between other volumes. The cover is adorned with the characteristic letters of a traditional sampler, leading a browser to believe that they might find a child’s historical scribblings nestled inside.

Rather than holding pages, the book is actually a cleverly disguised double box. The two box tops are decorated with a beehive and a caged bird designed as complementary shapes. Down the middle, mirroring the book’s spine, sits a pin roll. The roll is stitched with an image of a plinth and vase filled with flowers, reminiscent of a Victorian hallway or drawing room.

Such accessories are perfect for maintaining the illusion, when the etui is closed and returned to the shelf, that what you are looking at is a tiny book rather than a beautiful item for the discerning stitcher.

Capture a piece of history by stitching Betsy’s wonderful etui – perfect for needlework lovers and book lovers alike.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Pioneer Girl’s Book Etui by Betsy Morgan is a nostalgic sampler etui that opens like a book.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Pioneer Girl’s Book Etui includes everything you need to re-create this charming etui: Fabrics (unprinted), interfacing, interlining, batting, firm card, felt, charm, buttons, embroidery threads and needles.

Please Note: To cater for flexibility of purchase, instructions are not included with our kits. For step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to the book ‘Willing Hands’.

Perfect Love by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations Issue #103 is a stunning artist book featuring threadpainted tulips.

Crewel Whimsy by Ana Mallah from Inspirations issue #102 is a pretty journal cover with gorgeous crewel flower design in two colourways.

In Writing by Jill Newton from Inspirations issue #78 is a pretty appliquéd journal cover you can make in a weekend.

Snow on the Mountain by Carol Hawkins from Inspirations issue #57 is a stylish embroidered book cover featuring a single sasanqua camellia bloom.

New Year’s resolutions are always difficult to keep, but the decision to start one of these stunning projects will be the easiest you’ve made so far. The only challenge will be which one to do first.

Lovers of gold will not be able to go past Cynthia Jackson’s flowering pea plant, redolent of the 16th Century and bursting with gold thread. What about Alison Cole’s glittering Tree of Life, filled with different goldwork techniques? Or if you like to wear your sparkle, you won’t be able to resist Georgina Bellamy’s unique lorikeet brooch.

If flowers are your passion, you’ll be drawn in by Gary Clarke’s Leucadendron, worked on fine organza. Trish Burr has made her brilliantly coloured hummingbird all the more appealing by perching him on a sprig of flowers. And all bead embroiderers are going to be spoilt this issue with Margaret Lee’s beaded cherry blossom purse.

If you just can’t say no to counted work, Christine Burton will capture you with her blackwork cushion. Finally, for blanket lovers there is one for the boys, featuring an astronaut in his rocket heading for the stars.

Give in to your love of embroidery and grab a copy of issue #105 now.

Because they are completely irresistible, we’ve made sure that each project from issue #105 is now available to purchase as a ready-to-stitch kit.

If you just cannot wait, all of the patterns from issue #105 are available for purchase and can be downloaded instantly.

With the resounding response we had to the recent release of Betsy Morgan’s book, Willing Hands, and the popularity of Betsy’s work, it came as little surprise that we rapidly sold out of kits for Betsy’s Christmas Spirit, featured in Inspirations issue #104.

There was no way we could disappoint you, so we’re thrilled to tell you that we have kits back in stock. Although Betsy has used Christmas themes in her etui, this is a year-round project that will provide many hours of stitching joy.

If you want to try this project, don’t delay. The Ready-to-Stitch Kits won’t hang around the studio for long.

For centuries, historians studying the Bayeux Tapestry have wondered at the specifics of its unusual size and length. Stretching to 231ft or just over 70 metres long, the piece is just 50 cm or 20” wide.

Finally, a mystery is solved, which further enriches our understanding of this historic piece of needlework.

You can read more about this fascinating discovery at the MSN website HERE.

Whitework is usually understood as embroidery worked with pure white thread on a white ground. However, Trish Burr has taken the concept of whitework and extended it in unusual ways.

She designed a series of projects entitled ‘Shades of Whitework’ which allowed her to introduce some colour into her predominantly monochromatic pieces.

One of the most iconic of these is Katarina the Cat, an intricate, shaded whitework project based on a gorgeous doodle by Jill Buckley. Katarina elegantly faces off against a butterfly. Her sawtooth mane and noble chest lead us to believe she’s fierce and proud, but with wide eyes and a curled tail, her kitten curiosity shines through.

As part of our new range of Trish Burr designer kits, you can now invite this clever cat into your own home and stitch it yourself by purchasing the Ready-to-Stitch Kit complete with instructions and pre-printed fabric.

Katarina the Cat by Trish Burr is the cat with attitude, created in Trish’s signature whitework with colour style.

Explore our complete range of Trish Burr Designer Kits by clicking below.

The adage of ‘measure twice, cut once’ can also be applied to the technique of counted thread when it’s vitally important to count twice and stitch once. This week’s stitchers have just done that!

‘It has been a labour of love, as the original pattern was too large for the size of fabric we have here in UK, so I had to re design it to fit. Then the dreaded coffee spillage, which was a heart stopping moment to say the least, but at long last it is completed!’

Hilary, we love it too! Not only do we love the finished result and the way it’s been displayed, but we love that you were able to complete the work someone else’s hands had begun, ensuring the fruits of their labours weren’t in vain.

Have you counted twice and stitched once? If your needles and threads have completed something using counted thread, we’d love to see it! Email photos along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Autumn Harvest by Ana Mallah is a glorious stumpwork garland celebrating autumn’s spectacular bounty.

Fruit of the Vine by Maria Rita Faleri is two bunches of luscious grapes, formed with clever knots to create these fun tassels.

~ Hannah Brencher ~

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.