We know the season we’ve been travelling through has been anything but relaxing for the most part, but the relaxing we’re referring to is an approach to life that goes deeper than ‘surface’ relaxation.

After hearing author Elizabeth Gilbert speak at a breakfast in Inspirations’ hometown of Adelaide some time ago, we’ve been trying to approach life from a somewhat more relaxed position.

Elizabeth is on a mission to free women from ‘purpose and passion anxiety’ as she questioned the notion that we’re ‘supposed’ to be striving to find our purpose and passion in life. Rather, she encouraged the audience to approach life from a more relaxed perspective.

Instead of feeling the pressure and anxiety that is often accompanied when searching for our one true purpose in life, working diligently to hone this skill and then finding ways to use it to make a difference to those around us, Elizabeth challenged us to ‘relax’ into the same result from simply spending time with the people we love and serving them with what comes naturally to us.

She reminded us that the often anxious and worry-wrought way we approach life does not serve us well, but rather convinces us that we can increase our control over what happens to and around us if we just hold on tight enough and worry long enough.

We realised this to be true not just in life, but also in our time with needle and thread.

Whilst we’re big believers in persevering, after hearing Elizabeth, we realised there are times we need to recognise our rising anxiety and simply walk away from our stitching until we’re ready to relax into our time with needle and thread.

Not only will this approach likely increase our progress with needle and thread, but we think our fingers and shoulders will thank us for it as well!

Isn’t it fantastic to get that reminder that we’re all human and we all make mistakes sometimes? It was wonderful to hear how everyone could relate to our recent articles about Stitching Failures and we received some great insight as to how you approach your own failures and some cracking stories about some less-than-successful projects, several of which had us all in fits of laughter!

‘I am finishing up my second needle painting kit and I finally got tired with perfecting the technique.

All the while I’ve been keeping in mind that I also must learn from my imperfections because that is how you grow.’

Needle painting is definitely one of those techniques which can always be perfected. Even the greatest artists throughout history were constantly improving and rarely believed they had ever got it ‘perfect’. Your attitude is wonderful, Mary. When you set aside the need to perfect things, you can relax and enjoy the process.

‘The moment I saw Pat Trott’s book, Beginner’s Guide to Mountmellick, I was in love. Even though I’m a beginner with not too much time to embroider, I tore after it. I did a practise pattern and then tackled the project on the cover.’

‘It took a long time because I wasn’t able to stitch much. I also had an accident which took time to recover from. Finally, after about two years, I finished. I was so excited. I washed it… but discovered the ‘water soluble’ pen I used wouldn’t come out.

I still love it, but it will never make the wall hanging for my daughter as I intended.

Nevertheless, it fills me with joy and gratitude for the goodness and beauty inside all women which is offered to others even in time of great troubles, such as in Mountmellick, Ireland in the 19th century when the technique was born.’

This is such a common problem, Maureen. We’ve heard so many stories of washable pens which don’t wash, or heat erasable pens which don’t erase, or even Solvy which hadn’t dissolved as it should, but left the marks of the pen used to draw on the Solvy impregnated into the fabric. At least you can be comforted to know that you are by no means alone in this!

It’s great, however, that you have been able to look beyond those stubborn marks to see the historic beauty of your work. We hope you’ve continued to stitch Mountmellick since then (using a different pen, perhaps?!).

‘I was most amused by your article about everyone making mistakes and wanted to share my story of a critical design fail.’

‘I had designed and stitched a stationery case that featured bunnies. I knew what I was designing - rabbits being friends. What I couldn't or didn't see, even though everyone from my husband to my friend's young son warned me, was that the rabbits were more than... just pals!’

‘I did eventually rework the design but I missed the companionship between the creatures. So, I did rework the piece but not before it had been dubbed ‘bonking bunnies’ or ‘rude rabbits’ or ‘humping hares’. As you can see, everyone else saw the problem that I was blind to.

Let's say I learned a lesson the hard way:

So, it's nice to know I'm in good company when it comes to making mistakes. I still make mistakes. Some bother me, many I can walk away from. A few become design challenges that create more interesting embroideries.’

Thank you so much for sharing your ‘oversight’, Pat! You certainly gave us a laugh, but you’ve also given us some really good advice. It is often hard to listen to critics, but taking their views on board, especially from those who we know have our best interests at heart, can save us from embarrassing mistakes.

We love hearing all of your stories and knowing that we’re all fallible offers a sense of camaraderie. Embroidery should give you joy – whether it is joy from a beautiful finished project, or laughter from a huge, obvious mistake. It’s good to share both of those aspects of our needlework, knowing we’re all the same.

Picture a wheat field on a warm, sunny day. As well as the golden sheaves glowing against the clear blue sky, if you look closely, you’ll pick out splashes of colour on the edges of the field. Red poppies, blue cornflowers, purple bell flowers and pure white daisies provide a vivid array of exquisite colour, adding to the tranquillity of the scene.

Elisabetta Sforza is an embroiderer renowned for her delicate designs and gorgeous embroidered alphabets. In her new booklet, she’s captured the scene above, designing an alphabet and a series of motifs which exude the warmth and beauty of that wheat field.

Complete with patterns for all 26 letters of the alphabet plus a range of other motifs, as well as full instructions for stitching the wheat and flowers, In a Wheat Field is the perfect companion to this week’s featured project from Inspirations issue #106 – Elisabetta’s Pane di Casa.

Hurry to order your copy now as we have limited stock.

Elisabetta Sforza is so passionate about her designs she has developed a new concept called a Lively Book.

A Lively Book is an online PDF file which Elisabetta continues to add to over time. It contains different colourways for her project In a Wheatfield, so after you’ve purchased the book, with this free additional add-on to enjoy you’ll never run out of gorgeous options to stitch.

You can download a copy of the In a Wheatfield Lively Book HERE.

It’s been a little while since we’ve had a request to re-release one of our older patterns in digital format, so we were very pleased when we received an email asking for Lady’s Slipper by Denise Little.

Lady’s Slipper was published way back in Inspirations issue #17 and was a firm favourite at the time, so we’re very glad to be bringing it to you again.

The project is a wonderfully unique design of an elegant shoe formed from luscious crimson strawberries, curling stems and dainty white strawberry flowers. Hovering above this cornucopia of fruit is a busy bee, pausing only to decide which flower to alight upon first.

Worked in a range of surface stitches and highlighted with delicate gold, Lady’s Slipper will bring a touch of elegance to any room. Now available as a digital download.

For regular readers of All Stitched Up! you will already know of our ongoing support of Fine Cell Work. This charitable organisation brings the joy and meditation of needlework to prisoners across the UK and has arranged collaborations between their stitchers and artists to produce many stunning works of art.

Now they are offering everyone the chance to create their own works of art with a new series of sumptuous needlepoint cushions to stitch. Each kit contains everything you need to create your own cushion, including Appleton’s wools, needles, printed canvas and instructions.

They are shipping kits even during these difficult times. So, if you’re looking for the perfect project to do whilst you’ve got time on your hands, and you want to support an excellent cause, one (or more) of these stunning cushion kits would be ideal.

You can find the range of kits on the Fine Cell Work website HERE.

There has definitely been a resurgence in baking home-made bread recently. There isn’t much that can beat the warm, yeasty smell of a loaf baking in the oven, or the taste of a fresh slice of bread, still steaming hot, cut from the end of a crusty loaf.

But even before we rediscovered the passion for baking at home, there were plenty of bakeries and even many supermarkets which were offering fresh baked loaves in a variety of types and flavours, from sourdough to rye, multi-seed to olive bread.

With all of these lovely breads on the market or being baked at home, the question then arises about how to keep them fresh?

Many of us resort to plastic, as it is often the nearest thing to hand, but most of us agree that reducing plastic in our lives is an admirable goal.

One answer to that question comes from the French. The nation who brought baguettes to the world most definitely has a vested interest in maintaining the freshness of their bread. Therefore, it is little wonder that historically, their bread has been kept in linen bags.

Linen naturally attracts moisture, which helps prevent the bread from drying out. It is also reusable, washable and breathable and, although those French ancestors wouldn’t have considered it, it’s very eco-friendly.

Fortunately for us, Elisabetta Sforza has designed this stunning, linen bread bag titled ‘Pane di Casa’ from Inspirations issue #106, just in time for a moment in history when many of us have begun or returned to baking our own bread.

Pane di Casa is an elegant bread bag, adorned with a colourful spray of wheat, poppies and cornflowers in the style that Elisabetta is famous for.

The roughness of the natural linen gives a perfect, rustic feel to this project. It has also been delicately finished with four-sided stitch and cleverly joined at the sides with bullion knots in a style ideal for allowing your fresh bread to breathe.

Wonderful texture is achieved through a combination of bullion knots and needlewoven picots, as well as cast-on stitch for the poppy buds. The main design is then set off by the colourful twisted cord which secures the mouth of the bag, protecting your loaf and keeping it fresh.

We can’t think of a better gift for a loved one, or a better project to decorate your kitchen whether you are spending more time in it now or not.

Both beautiful and practical, imagine delivering a perfectly made sourdough which you’ve finally mastered after months of trial, wrapped snugly in this delicately embroidered and endlessly reusable linen bag. Nothing says ‘love’ more than a home-baked, home-stitched delight.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Pane di Casa by Elisabetta Sforza is an Italian linen bread bag adorned with poppies, cornflowers and wheat in surface embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Pane di Casa includes everything* you need to re-create this enticing bag: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads and needles.

Pane di Casa kits are currently on back order as we await the arrival of threads from France, with wait times unfortunately expected to be 2-3 months. We appreciate your patience.

*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.

Secret Possessions by Elisabetta Sforza from A Passion for Needlework is a beautiful monogram surrounded by flowers on a linen sachet.

Love Letters by Elisabetta Sforza from Inspirations issue #89 features an elegant floral monogram on a pristine linen cushion.

Picture This by Elisabetta Sforza from Inspirations issue #98 is a handmade zigzag photo album featuring a delicate frame with pulled thread embroidery and a spray of roses.

As promised, here is the second instalment of our wonderful array of counted projects sent in by our readers.

‘I love that needlepoint has evolved from merely basket weave and continental stitches.’

‘Many of the stitches I use are embroidery stitches and they give it such depth and character.’

‘No matter the craft, I find that as long as I am stitching, I am happy.’

We love your array of finished pieces, Edna. It’s wonderful how varied and interesting needlepoint is nowadays, not to mention how fabulous the colours and textures are.

‘The little sampler is a design issued by Nicola Packman with all proceeds going to two fire stations in Australia to help pay for equipment lost in the recent bushfires.’

We featured Nicola’s design in All Stitched Up! issue #224 so it is really nice to see what the project looks like completed. Thank you for sharing it with us, Anna.

‘My childhood was filled with many artistic family members. Needle arts of all types were imparted to me and my two sisters at our dear mother's knee and have continued to be an integral part of who we are.’

‘I am always up for a challenge to learn a new, intriguing type of needle work artistry, so when I mentioned my interest in blackwork at my needlework group, a fellow member showed me her ‘chess board’ blackwork sampler.’

‘Being sufficiently inspired, I drew up a pattern for a peacock from a poster that I had, and with a blackwork book and patterns from the internet this Blackwork Peacock was created.’

‘Done entirely in dark brown (DMC 838, not black, as it had to match my decor!), the 14” x 18” (35cm x 45cm) piece eventually made its way to the Kansas State Fair where it received both a Blue Ribbon and Best of Division Ribbon.’

What a stunning piece of work, Jeannette. The patterns are so intricate and the peacock is very elegant. Well done, and we look forward to seeing what your next challenge is.

‘I recently finished Hearts of the Kingdom sampler by Rosewood Manor. I stitched it one over one on a fabric called Purple Passion. The threads I used were a mixture of silk and colours, DMC Etoile and locally sourced cotton thread.’

‘I found the braid and pink sparkles in a local craft store. Now I have still to decide whether it will be framed or mounted.’

This is a lovely sampler done in gorgeous colours, Sharon. You should be very proud of your work – one over one can be quite difficult on the eyes.

‘I don’t do much cross stitch, but I saw these two charts and I really wanted to stitch them. They are done on 32 count linen and I now have them hanging in my powder room.’

They’re a perfect pair, Karen. We’re sure you must enjoy admiring them every time you use the powder room.

Passionate about counted work? We’d love to see your finished creations. Or perhaps the thought of counted work turns you cold, and you’re a surface stitcher all the way. If so, your finished projects are just as welcome. Whatever technique you choose, please send us a picture and a little bit about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Robin Hood by Kay & Michael Dennis is a fabulous figurative stumpwork featuring Robin Hood beneath a shady tree.

Enchanted Forest by Zinaida Kazban from Inspirations issue #95 is an enchanting scene featuring a curious bunny.

Fine Feathers by Anna Scott from Inspirations issue #101 features a lyrebird displaying his tail in an enchanting stumpwork scene from an Australian rainforest.

Forest Floor by Kay Dennis from Inspirations issue #104 is an enchanting stumpwork scene of mushrooms and berries.

~ Elizabeth Gilbert ~

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.