It’s been said that intellect stems from understanding, whilst wisdom is brought about by the application of the understanding.

Of recent times, I think we’ve all been trying to understand coronavirus and the way in which our worlds have had to adapt amidst the crisis that has unfolded around us. Whilst it hasn’t always been easy to make sense of what’s going on, we certainly haven’t found ourselves short on information to glean our understanding from!

Sometimes, though, we’ve found ourselves a little light on the wisdom that will help us apply the understanding we’ve gained during this unprecedented situation.

We did, however, receive some sage advice from Margaret Lee who shared with us her wisdom at this uncertain time.

Whilst none of us could deny the danger our current season brings with it; we wonder how many of us have paused to consider the opportunities that lie within?!

If nothing else, it’s given many of us the gift of time which is often a fleeting commodity in our ‘usual’ lives. Like so many of the Inspirations Community, Margaret has used her additional time for stitching. But what other ‘gifts’ might come of this season?

It may be that the crisis causes us to reexamine our priorities, mend a bridge or two from our past or encourages us to be truly grateful as we capture the poetry of the ordinary that surrounds us each day.

Whatever it may be, we need to remember that it’s not what we know that counts, it’s what we do with what we know, as within that premise, true wisdom lies.

It seems you all enjoyed our recent article ‘Putting You in the Frame’ from All Stitched Up! issue #224 as we’ve had some wonderful emails in response. Thank you to everyone who wrote in, and we’d love you to keep the ideas and stories coming by emailing news@inspirationsstudios.com!

‘Dear Inspirations, you forgot to mention the Q-Snap frames!

They are a sort of hybrid between a hoop and a scroll frame. Very light to hold, which is good for people with hand or wrist issues. And if you buy a couple of different sizes, you can mix and match the components to get the size you need.

I think they're less damaging to your fabric and stitching than a hoop too.’

You’re absolutely correct, Ruth and thank you for the reminder. In fact, at least one member of the Inspirations Team (an avid cross-stitcher) swears by Q-Snaps, especially for large cross stitch projects! Constructed out of PVC pipe, they are very light and give excellent tension. Some people have found it difficult to put the snaps on and take them off, but sliding rather than clipping them can help.

‘I am using a needlework frame called Evertite. After your piece has been stapled or nailed to the frame, it can be tightened.’

This frame wasn’t as familiar to us, Stephanie so thank you for bringing it to our attention. Mary Corbet has written a great article about these frames which you can read about HERE.

‘I use good quality wood hoops in various sizes depending upon the dimensions of the embroidery I am making.

Often I will use a larger oval size hoop instead of a round one.’

That’s great advice, Marcia, especially for people who prefer to use hoops over some of the more permanent devices like slate frames.

‘For most of my stitching life I've used various sized hoops but recently I began a large project and didn't want my stitches being crushed. So, I purchased a scroll frame to suit the width of the design. I like the vertical tension, but the horizontal tension was seriously lacking, especially in the centre of the fabric.’

‘After brainstorming with some friends, we have found the perfect solution and it doesn't involve true lacing.

The binder clips are quick to release when you're ready to scroll forward and the hair bands maintain the tension. I'd also recommend that you release the tension on the bands after each stitching session, so they don't become too stretched. Theoretically they could be replaced, but it would be such a hassle to remount the work!’

What a great idea, Brenda. The innovation of stitchers knows no bounds!

‘I always do my cross-stich without a frame, as well as most of my needle-lace and needlepoint. Only occasionally will I use a small, 10cm hoop frame.

For metalwork, needlepainting, crewelwork or bead embroidery, I always use one of my different slate frames.

I know that there is no rule for this and most people use their frames in many different ways.

That is so true, Christine. The only rule is to do what feels the most comfortable and works for you and your project.

Thanks again to everyone for sharing your ideas and suggestions – we always love hearing from you. Please let us know if there is anything else you’d like us to feature as we’re always looking for ways to share the knowledge you’re searching for.

Regular readers of All Stitched Up! will know our views on embroidery and art – they are pretty much the same thing in our opinion! Which is why the new issue of Inspirations magazine is a huge celebration of the art of stitch.

In this issue we provide you with all the inspiration and encouragement needed to create your very own works of art using your needle rather than a paint brush.

A great place to start is Margaret Lee’s deceptively simple ‘Pomegranate’ which appears on the cover and introduces you to the remarkable technique of random stitch embroidery which, once mastered, unlocks your ability to stitch incredibly lifelike designs.

Those who enjoy threadpainting can stitch Renette Kumm’s gorgeously coloured ‘Coquette’, worked in a rainbow of colours.

You might decide to encase a loaf of fresh bread in a delightfully stitched bread bag titled ‘Pane Di Casa’ by Elisabetta Sforza, or for those lovers of crewel embroidery, Anna Scott’s ‘Dawn Chorus’ shows a joyous songbird perched on a branch, surrounded by soft pink flowers.

If you’ve always wanted to try stumpwork, Ana Mallah has produced ‘Into the Forest’ which is a needlebook and pincushion that could easily have been plucked straight from the lush floor of a magical forest.

Or challenge yourself with another forest dweller – ‘Robin Hood’ standing proudly by a tree and holding his bow and arrow, designed by Kay and Michael Dennis.

Counted embroidery fans will love Di Kirchner’s Hardanger mat ‘Delicate Stitches’, created using a symphony of intricate stitches that make for an exquisitely detailed piece offering hours of stitching pleasure.

Completing our gallery of designs for this issue is a beautiful piece that combines the discipline of counting with the freedom of surface shapes - Deborah Love’s Schwalm project entitled Field of Flowers.

Start with one or stitch them all, Inspirations issue #106 is out now!

To all our wonderful subscribers out there, we just wanted to let you know that if you haven’t received your copy of issue #106 as yet, it is on its way to you!

Our mailing houses in Australia, USA and the UK have all successfully processed and dispatched Inspirations #106 per usual, however as we can all appreciate some postal services are running slower than usual due to COVID-19.

The biggest delay that we know of is in New Zealand, so we thank our fellow islanders for their patience and hopefully you won’t have to wait too much longer.

If we become aware of any further delivery interruptions, you’ll read about it here in All Stitched Up!, but in the meantime if you have any concerns regarding your subscription please email us anytime at subs@inspirationsstudios.com

Because art should never wait, we have kits in stock for projects from issue #106 ready for you to purchase now.

PLEASE NOTE – due to a global shortage of materials from some of our suppliers, availability of Ready-to-Stitch kits for issue #106 may be limited.

Traditional art or digital art? We have both! All of our issue #106 projects are available as digital downloads so you can enjoy them in an instant.

Unless you are familiar with Japanese embroidery, you may not have come across komas. These clever wooden tools are used to help the embroiderer couch threads and beads with even tension, acting just like an extra pair of hands, and we all know there are times we could use those!

Traditionally, komas were used with Japanese gold thread but they will also work with beads or any decorative thread which is to be couched down.

Wrap the thread around the koma, then place it on your needlework or hold it in your non-stitching hand and feed the thread from the wooden spool. Keeping the koma close to your stitching helps you to maintain control over your thread as you couch it down.

The square ends of the koma ensure that it doesn’t roll around as so many round spools do.

You can now purchase a beautiful pair of wooden komas from our website, perfect for couching a single thread or pairs of threads on any piece of embroidery.

Your stitch tension will be so much better, your knees will thank you and you’ll wonder how you ever stitched without them!

Nowadays almost everyone always has a camera with them to capture every moment of their lives, albeit most often housed within their mobile phone! It is so easy to snap a shot, but very few of us actually print out our photos anymore.

But as time has passed, the significance of individual pictures has been lost and many end up in junk shops, antique shops and flea markets. Which is where textile artist Han Cao finds them and reimagines them with needle and thread, giving them new life.

With so few printed photographs nowadays, an embroiderer in 100 years’ time is just not going to have the wealth of material Han Cao currently has.

Hopefully someone will still find a way, like she has, of giving these pieces of history meaning again.

We asked and Betsy delivered!

After sharing the birth announcement of Betsy Morgan’s grandson, Elijah James, in last week’s All Stitched Up! HERE, Betsy emailed us an update…

‘The article about Elijah in today’s newsletter is just lovely and I’ve been getting emails of congratulations from Australia, Europe, New Zealand and the USA all day, so thank you!

I was also pleased to hear about the second printing of the book. I had a couple of students who said that they went online to various shops to buy copies and everyone was sold out - they will be very happy with this news!’

‘So, here is Eli’s birth sampler - completed in about 3 1/2 weeks. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when you can’t go anywhere! My daughter wanted her English Bulldog, Kai, to be included so he is there napping on the lawn with some friends.

Anyone who has stitched ‘Can’t See the Forest’ will recognize some of them. Most of the motifs have to do with Caitie and Garrett’s combined heritage - Eli is Irish, German, Greek, African American and Mexican. It is stitched on hand dyed 36 count linen in about 16 Gloriana silk flosses and is about 9 x 11 inches (23 x 28 cm).’

Betsy, we love that Eli’s sampler is well… so Betsy! It has your trademark signature stitched all through it and we know it will be a family heirloom to treasure. As much as you must be looking forward to life returning to ‘normal’, we hope you continue to enjoy these precious days with Eli and the extra hours you’ve been able to indulge your love of needle and thread.

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing Margaret Lee’s work ‘in the flesh’, you will know the awe that these works inspire.

The absolute perfection of the image belies the fact that it is worked in individual stitches of silk – something that only becomes evident when you look at the work close up.

Although most of us have found ourselves thinking, ‘I could never do that’, Margaret has made it her mission to teach everyone how to achieve this kind of finish, and her latest book The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 | Intermediate Level published by Inspirations Studios, offers more remarkable insights into this, until now, secret world.

Building upon the fundamentals Margaret imparts in her first book of the series The Art Of Chinese Embroidery 1 | Foundation Level the projects in this new book are all worked in a traditional technique known as Random Stitch Embroidery – a term adopted by the West, although the direct translation of the Chinese is the delightful ‘chaotic stitch embroidery’. But chaos is the furthest thing from one’s mind when you look at Margaret’s Wild Iris, Eurasian Blue Tit or Lady the Persian Cat – just three of the nine projects included.

The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 isn’t just another book filled with embroidery projects. Rather, this is an entire art treatise on the technique itself. As well as the history of Chinese embroidery and, more specifically, of the Twentieth century art of Random Stitch Embroidery, Margaret guides you through how to understand light and shade, colour and tone, perspective and space.

Although the stitch itself is explained in Margaret’s characteristic detail, the real purpose of this book is to educate the reader to enable you to look at any picture – whether painting, drawing or photograph – and interpret it in embroidery.

To fully achieve the effect you wish, time is required to plan, dissect and develop a good understanding of your image. Only then should you thread your needle. Each stitch then needs to be carefully placed with individual consideration as to angle, length and layering.

The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 | Intermediate Level picks up where Margaret left off at the end of her first book and continues on to help you master a complete understanding of subjects as diverse as landscapes, flowers and the animal kingdom.

There is some reference to the first book within the second book, so depending on your familiarity with Chinese Embroidery, it may be worth having a copy of the Foundation Level handy to reference.

The projects within this new book are just a beginning. Margaret hopes that with the skills you acquire, you will be able to choose your own subjects which hold special meaning to you and then carefully immortalise them in silk.

The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 is available now for purchase.

Kits for the projects featured in The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 are now available for purchase. Click below to browse our range.

Kakisubata by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #74 is an elegant and refined Japanese Embroidery study worked in lustrous silk.

Sakura by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #105 is a delightful beaded purse featuring a cherry blossom.

Collector's Item by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #21 is a set of glorious bathroom linen adorned with colourful pansies and sunflowers.

Who can resist the alluring sparkle and infinite palette of beautiful beads, artfully worked to create truly spectacular results? Discover a whole new world of beading through the pages of this superb book by Margaret Lee which includes detailed step-by-step diagrams, full descriptions of the techniques involved and fabulous photography.

This week we’re celebrating one of the most popular needlework designers we’re lucky enough to have as part of the Inspirations family – Trish Burr.

Not only are her designs innovative, modern and simply stunning, judging by the fact no-one can seem to stop at stitching just one, her projects are also rather addictive. For your reading pleasure, here is a collection of her pieces stitched by our readers.

‘Here are a couple of photos of cats which are patterns by Trish Burr.’

‘The golden one is called Chloe and I have just finished her. Her sister is called Katarina. She was my first attempt at Trish’s style of whitework with colour, and I am now hooked.’

‘I have also done the African lady and she takes pride of place in my lounge room which is decorated with all things African.’

‘It was around 6 years ago that I went through my collection of Inspirations magazines and worked my first piece of crewel embroidery.

I borrowed a book by Trish Burr from the library and soon ended up buying it, along with most of her other books.’

‘For me, embroidery is a passion and there is nothing I like better than to sit and stitch listening to a talking book or Spotify. Doing this has got me through many stressful times.’

We completely understand the joy of stitching with an audiobook or music, Raewyn. Thank you so much for sharing your stitching journey with us.

‘I used to do freehand embroidery as a teenager, along with other handicrafts such as crochet, knitting and dressmaking.

‘Here is my blue fairy wren in long and short stitch, designed by Trish Burr called Royal Blue. I saw it in issue #77 of the magazine and just had to give it a try after not having done embroidery for many years.’

‘I am pleased to have taken up threadpainting again after such a long time.’

It looks to us like you haven’t forgotten a thing, Mel. Your fairy wren is so lively and realistic! We hope you continue to enjoy rediscovering this wonderful technique.

‘I have just finished Trish Burr’s Thandiswa, and it was one of the best embroidery experiences in all my 81 years!

‘All my friends were asking who I might be stitching this glorious lady for (with a gleam in their eye) but I steadfastly replied… ME!’

And so you should, Marjorie. It is no wonder all of your friends coveted your work – she’s just magnificent. We hope you enjoy many more pleasurable hours stitching Trish’s designs.

Do you also love the work of Trish Burr? Or is there any other designer you’re completely hooked on? If so, we’d love to see your work. Email us at news@inspirationsstudios.com with pictures and a brief outline of your piece and your stitching journey.

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Tudor Rose & Pomegranate by Cynthia Jackson from our Handpicked collection features superb goldwork embroidery showcasing a compelling variety of techniques and metal threads.

Chatelaine by Susan O’Connor from Inspirations issue #89 is an elegant collection of scissor sheath, needle book and pinwheel featuring the Tudor rose.

Tudor Garden by Valerie Whitcombe from Inspirations issue #59 is a glorious Elizabethan inspired floral quilt.

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

Pomegranate & Rose by Anna Scott from Inspirations issue #100 is a superb silk and goldwork design of flowing stems laden with fruit and flowers.

~ Dipanjan ~

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.