It would seem the pursuit of perfection is an ever-increasing goal for many.

Whilst striving to be our personal best has always been a timeless aspiration, it would seem some of us have adopted the definition of personal best as ‘perfect’, and what once was fuelled by encouragement and inspiration is now being driven by unrealistic expectations.

In a study conducted in 2019, Simon Sherry and Martin M Smith defined perfectionism as the ‘striving for flawlessness’. Whilst noble in its intentions, this unrealistic expectation of life, or parts thereof, often renders us sensitive to criticism and plagued by self-doubt.

But there’s a gentler way. Wabi-sabi.

Wabi-sabi invites us to focus on rustic simplicity and encourages us to take pleasure in the imperfect. It teaches us to understand and accept ourselves, imperfections and all. It calls us to be compassionate with ourselves just as we are, whilst all the while building on what is.

Many Japanese artisans embrace the idea of wabi-sabi by introducing a deliberate imperfection in their almost perfect craft as evidence they truly accept that beauty is found in the perfectly imperfect.

Whether it be in our lives or our stitching, here’s to each of us pausing in our sometimes-relentless pursuit of perfection and embracing what is, and maybe even laying a deliberately perfectly imperfect stitch along the way!

Many of you will remember Peggy Kimble and Nancy Fisher who we first met when they were stitching together on World Embroidery Day back in 2015. Peggy and Nancy live in Ontario, Canada and it seems that nothing and no one can prevent them from getting their needles out and stitching!

Since 2015, we’ve been thrilled by Peggy’s messages displaying her beautiful work and putting many of us (who are just a little bit younger than this inspirational woman) to shame.

While in Australia we’ve been experiencing record heat and devastating bushfires, we received yet another heartfelt message from Peggy and Nancy, who wanted to share their opposite extreme weather to us.

‘Just a little note to let you know that we're thinking about everyone enduring the bushfires in Australia and hope that everything settles back to normal very soon. Here are some pictures of how very different things are around here after an ice storm.

Perhaps some interesting embroidery will come of Mother Nature's rage.’

Inspiration really is everywhere, even in the most extreme weather. If you’ve found yourself inspired by the majesty of nature or awestruck by the severity of the seasons and have put needle to fabric in response, we’d love to see it.

In keeping with our celebration of men who stitch, a while back we had a great email from Cathy Lysnes. Cathy proudly introduced us to her brother-in-law, Steve Black:

‘Steve is a very well-rounded man with many interests. He sings, he's an antique oil can collector, he does 1/12 scale miniatures AND he does wonderful cross stitch!’

‘He started cross stitching before he retired as a stress reliever and to have something in common with his wife (my sister) and her needlework. Steve has done numerous pieces and generously gives away many of his completed projects.

I have attached the needlework piece he did for me, the quilting piece for one sister and the sewing piece for my other sister. He has also stitched our coat of arms for one sister as well as a Canadian Airforce Insignia piece for our brother.’

His biggest challenge to date was the framed picture of the Tuscany area of Italy that he did for his sister. It was a memory of happy times she spent there with her husband.’

We’re getting in early this year to help everyone overcome the Great Mother’s Day Gift Dilemma. What is this Gift Dilemma we speak of? We’re glad you asked!

It occurs at the beginning of May (or March for those in the UK) when you realise Mother’s Day is about a week away and you still have no idea what gift to buy. The dilemma is further compounded if you are also a Mum and everyone is asking for your gift list, but because you’ve been so busy stitching, you haven’t done anything about it yet.

Our first gift pack is ‘Beautiful Birds’ and features two designs by the fabulously talented Nicola Jarvis.

Primavera is a petite, noble bird in a pear tree embellished with beads, silk and metal threads with the design also released as an enamel collector’s pin.

The Linnet is an enchanting silk and goldwork bird, adorned with a sparkling crown. Held within a gilded cage The Linnet is worked in sparkling metal and lustrous silk threads to create a spectacular image.

Inside the ‘Beautiful Birds’ gift pack you will find:

1 x ‘The Linnet’ Ready-to-Stitch Kit
1 x ‘A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII’ hardcover book with instructions for ‘The Linnet’
1 x Inspirations Magazine issue #101 featuring instructions for ‘Primavera’ 1 x ‘Primavera’ Enamel Collector’s Pin

The individual items in this pack total over AU$315 when purchased separately, however, as a special Mother’s Day celebration, the Beautiful Birds Gift Pack is only AU$160, and it even comes in a box ready for you to gift wrap!

Buy one for your Mum, buy one for someone to gift you, or just buy one because it’s crazy good value – the choice is yours!

Victoria Laine’s stunning Elizabethan Sweete Bag which featured on the front cover of Inspirations issue #99, is one of the most striking projects we’ve published in recent years.

As you turn the calendar page over to March, the room lights up with this vibrant and intricate project. Worked in minute stitches and shimmering with silver thread, Victoria’s design is bursting with flower and bird motifs.

Sweete bags originally contained fragrant herbs and flowers or gifts of sweetmeats or gold coins and were given on New Year’s Day. Nowadays, the bag stands alone as an heirloom piece of embroidery, guaranteed to draw attention for its exquisite beauty.

If you’ve ever looked at this project and dreamed of undertaking it, now is the time. March is here, heralding Spring in the Northern Hemisphere – the season of new growth and, we believe, new starts. What better project to start with? Now available as a digital download for you to purchase and begin right away.

A very popular and common theme we find amongst our readers is their unending love for their pets. Pets are an integral part of our family, bringing comfort during times of sadness and constant joy with their unconditional loyalty and love. This is why losing a pet can often be such a devastating moment in our lives.

One reader contacted us during just such a difficult time for one of her dear friends. Her friend had recently lost her beloved cat, and so the reader asked whether we could reprint the pattern ‘British Blue’ from Issue #30 so she could stitch it as a gift.

It is always a pleasure to be able to grant wishes, and in this case, we hope that this project provides comfort and a perfect memorial.

If you’d like to stitch your own version of British Blue either for yourself or a friend, it is now available to purchase as a digital pattern for immediate download.

The needle is probably the most fundamental tool in our toolkit. Appearing in all shapes and sizes, from the tiny No. 12 crewel needle to the crowbars used for sewing up feed sacks, there is a mystifying array to choose from.

In All Stitched Up! issue #219, Janet Burgess asked us to write about the needle. Well, fortunately, Mary Corbet has recently written a comprehensive beginner’s guide to understanding needles, including advice on what size to use and what needles to buy which you can check out HERE.

If, like many of us, you have a whole stack of random needles in your needlebook and you’d very much like to know what each one is, a Needle Guide is essential. Just lay your needle on it, match the size and you’re instantly organised and ready to stitch!

And what better tool to get the job done than with The Inspirations Needle Guide, a double-sided laminated card featuring seven needle types in all popular sizes. Order yours today.

When we were putting the ‘What Are You Stitching?’ segment together this week to showcase all the wonderous needlework our readers have been working on, guess what we found?

Not much! That’s because our cupboard is starting to look very bare. So, we’re calling on all the stitchers out there to take some photos of your work and send them in.

Whether it’s in progress, recently finished, or completed a long time ago, take some happy snaps and email them to us - the needlework community would LOVE to see it!

Email your photos and a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

On a chilly October morning in 1501, a petite, red-haired Spanish princess stepped onto the sand at Plymouth in England.

Catherine, only 15 years old, was soon to marry Arthur who was then heir to the British throne. She couldn’t have known at the time, but her life was to become one of defiance, controversy and upheaval, tragically ending in a lonely death.

When Arthur died just five months after their marriage, Catherine famously became the first wife of his brother, the soon to be Henry VIII.

One of the influences that has been accredited to Catherine is her introduction of a form of embroidery which, at the time, was known as ‘Spanishwork’. After Catherine’s fall, the technique remained popular but was renamed ‘blackwork’ and was used to decorate collars, cuffs and clothing of the noble and wealthy.

Although we still associate blackwork with Catherine of Aragon, there is evidence in Chaucer that the technique was practiced in England as early as the 14th century. But let’s not take Catherine’s gentle influence from her, as its popularity can easily be attributed to her delicate hands.

Christine Burton has embraced the Spanish heritage of this technique in her intricate cushion ‘Spanish Lace’ from Inspirations issue #105.

Because blackwork was often worked during the Tudor period on fine fabrics, designed for items of clothing which could be viewed from each side, it was traditionally worked in double running stitch. Also known as Holbein stitch, this reversible stitch was named after the artist Hans Holbein who painted many Tudor portraits of noblemen and women wearing blackwork pieces.

We’re sure that you too will find that sense of peace when you embark on Spanish Lace. A sense of peace which you will revisit every time you look at this beautiful cushion taking pride of place in your home.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Spanish Lace by Christine Burton is a gorgeous blackwork embroidered cushion with golden highlights.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Spanish includes everything you need to re-create this elegant cushion: Fabrics (unprinted), zip, piping, beading & embroidery threads, beads, sequins 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 magazine/digital pattern.

If blackwork is your thing, then Christine Burton is your new best friend. Not only is Christine an RSN qualified tutor, her depth of knowledge regarding the history, the designs and every stitch used in this fascinating technique, is legendary.

Oh, and the best news is that she’s teaching at Beating Around the Bush this year for the very first time!

With three stunning designs to choose from, including her magnificent ‘Limonera Pear’, across 1 day, 2 day and 3-day classes, this is a must attend event for anyone interested in blackwork. To discover more, click below.

Delicate Touch by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #86 is a clever blackwork strawberry given dimension with shading techniques.

Delicate Shadow by Maggie Gee from Inspirations issue #79 is an elegant shaded blackwork poppy.

Black Beauty by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #95 is an elegant study of a full-blown rose in shaded blackwork.

Intricate, abstract patterns and careful counted work are two important elements in blackwork, but they are also important in many other types of embroidery. This week in What Are You Stitching? we inspire you with some beautiful embroidery from our readers which rely on these aspects.

‘Living in central Toronto I am fortunate enough to be close to the Royal Ontario Museum. I was able to show it off to Alison Cole a few years ago and we wandered some of the galleries. It was Alison who spotted this magnificent door and thought it would be a good source for a design.’

In fact, I think she is teaching this same class at Beating Around the Bush this October.’

‘Just as a Commonplace Book is a sampler of thoughts, so the cover is like an old-fashioned sampler.’

Maggie, you’ve come up with the perfect solution and stitched it magnificently. We’re sure it will be a book to treasure, not just because of what is written in it, but now also because of its beautiful cover.

If any of you love counted embroidery or have stitched a piece which consists of lots of patterns, we’d love to see your work! We always welcome photographs and a backstory about any of your stitching. Perhaps you might inspire another reader to try something new. Email us now at news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Tree of Life by Alison Cole is a superb goldwork embroidery showcasing a compelling variety of techniques and metal threads.

Modern Crewel by Susan Porter from Inspirations issue #90 is an elegant crewel embroidery worked with glorious, over-dyed threads.

Aurora by Christine Burton from Inspirations issue #97 features timeless crewel designs on a handy, zipped pouch.

Autumn Gold by Phillipa Turnbull from Inspirations issue #40 is a charming crewel cushion.

~ James Salter ~

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.