This week sees us having just finished the photography for Inspirations issue #110 which is due for release in April 2021. Whilst each issue differs depending on the projects included, the props sourced and the location we find ourselves in, the process itself is essentially the same issue to issue.

The featured projects are collated, the location is booked, the props are bought, each image is styled and lit and then the photograph is taken. Yet this time, we felt a little differently about the process.

Each part of the process listed above carried with it an open-handed willingness of someone to share their gifts and talents with us.

From the designers who, after pouring countless hours of time and talent into their piece, are willing to trust us with their ‘baby’. Ruth and Alan Irving from Al Ru Farm who so graciously allow us free access to their home, garden and everything within them to create the perfect backdrop for each project. Right through to our photographer and stylist, Brendan and Natalie Homan, whose attention to detail and pursuit of perfection is second to none.

The open handedness also extends to our Inspirations ‘family’ who read each issue of the magazine cover to cover and commit their time and talent by putting their needles and threads to so much of what is contained within its pages. And of course, you, our All Stitched Up! community, who are exceedingly generous with your time as you create the space to read and respond to this newsletter each week.

In each case, someone offered what they had, and for that we’re incredibly grateful.

By Nancy Williams

It is time for us to be honest with each other. How many of us have a craft stash so large we’d need to live until we were 250 years old to have any hope of making a dent in it?! I am waving my hand madly here and I know I am not alone. I suspect I am also not alone in feeling that I really want to use it up, but sometimes I just don’t get inspired by it. I’m also very aware that constantly buying more just increases the number of years I’d need to live to do it justice!

Rather than living with that vague feeling of guilt, I started doing some research on different ways to reuse, reinvigorate and reinspire. With a stash including threads, yarn, fabrics, patterns, UFOs and countless books, magazines and kits, it felt like high time to look at it all with fresh eyes.

Stranded Cottons

I have a box – actually, it is a crate – filled with random bits of stranded cotton. These include leftovers from kits, unbranded skeins, donated collections and various other bits and pieces I’ve gathered over the years.

All of them are usable sizes but, short of sitting down for days and carefully comparing each colour with my DMC collection, none of them correspond to exact DMC or Anchor numbers. There are several suggestions for reinvigorating this (let’s be honest) ‘rat’s nest’.

Firstly, who is to say that we have to use the exact thread numbers for that 30-year-old sampler pattern we’ve wanted to stitch for ages? Rather than buy more threads, dive into your stash and choose colours which are near enough. Or better still, choose new colours. About the only pitfall is ensuring you have enough of that particular colour to complete the pattern, but you can get some wonderful, individual effects by using different tones.

If you are concerned about whether the colours will work, do a ‘floss toss’. This is where you get all of the threads you want to use together, then pile them on the fabric you’re going to be stitching on. Now, step back from it. If there is a colour that jars or looks out of place, take it out and try another.

Another suggestion is to dispense with the pattern altogether. If you’ve ever wanted to try your own design, what better way to start exercising your creativity than with a wonderful crate of random threads. If you don’t think you can draw a design, there are so many fabulous ideas on the internet, from children’s colouring pages to free embroidery designs. Download one, trace it on to your fabric, grab a thread and start stitching.

Not sure what stitch to use? Just choose one. Don’t make it too complicated. If you want to stitch the whole thing in stem stitch, that’s great. Or satin stitch. Or French knots. Sometimes, the best way to begin is to not think about it and just see what happens.

If the randomness of the box of threads worries you, then it might be time to spend a few days with it and sort it out. Wind the pieces onto bobbins or thread cards. Then sort them, and any unbranded or old skeins, into colour groups. There are few things more inspiring than a tidy box of threads all sorted into colours, with different shades and tones and hues all beautifully aligned. This might be all you need to do in order to fall back in love with your old threads.

Other Threads

Over the years, I’ve not just collected stranded cotton. I have silks, speciality threads and boxes and boxes of perlé cottons, crochet cottons and sewing thread. Some of them are so lovely I’m almost afraid to use them. But a lot of them are very old, or simply in colours I just don’t like.

We all see colour differently and all of us feel passionate about different types of colour. I adore bright, bold colours, so in order to revitalise my stash, I tried dying some of my threads.

Different threads require different dyes and dying can go from the ultra-sophisticated to the absolutely basic. There are plenty of resources to explain how to dye different fibres, but I just bought a simple tie dye kit and had a go at dying cotton threads.

Whether you want to try natural dyes, vegetable dyes, commercial dyes or even just experimenting with tea, coffee or turmeric, you can turn those bland, dull or unwanted threads into something utterly inspiring.

I hope that this will encourage you to revisit your thread stash and start to think differently about it. Next time, we’re going to look at fabrics and yarns, but in the meantime, if you’ve found ways to fall back in love with your stash, and to reuse, reinvigorate and reinspire, we’d love to hear from you at news@inspirationsstudios.com. I’m sure I am merely scratching the surface and I can’t wait to get more ideas from the community.

Having the right needle for a project is really important and knowing that you’ve always got the full range of needles to hand just takes the pressure off. It was little wonder then, when we first brought you these Bohin Needlebooks, they sold out in record time.

With each pack containing a full selection of Bohin needles, from the tiny size 11 sharp through to the size 3 darner, you can be guaranteed to always have the needle you need.

There are three designs to choose from: Solange, Edwigee and Marlene. Featuring an elegant, historic portrait and stunning patterns, each handy needlebook isn’t just practical, it looks fabulous as well!

Don’t discover too late that you’ve missed out on this new shipment – order your needlebooks today.

Although our children and grandchildren tend to spend a lot of their time in T-shirts and jeans, on those wonderful occasions when they put on a handmade smocked item, they are instantly transformed into children from days gone by, with puffed sleeves, full skirts and gorgeous fabrics making them look for all the world like little princesses.

The perfect way to complete that look is to add a stunning, handmade petticoat to the ensemble.

Included in the pattern are three essential petticoats designed specifically to go beneath a wide range of smocked dresses. There is pull-on, drop waist style petticoat with a soft, cotton-lycra bodice. There is an easy to construct petticoat with a skirt attached to a purchased singlet or vest. And there is a waisted petticoat, beautifully trimmed with broderie Anglaise.

The petticoats can be embellished with ribbons or lace and can be made as full as required in order to really enhance your smocked creation.

Little Women is the perfect pattern for ensuring that your princess looks her best in whatever smocked outfit you’ve so lovingly made.

What are the essential items you should always carry with you in your handbag? Glasses, purse and phone are the obvious ones, but what about a tape measure? How many times have you wished you had one and swore you’d drop one in your bag soon?

Available in two different designs both decorated with an elegant, black and white print, these tape measures have a super smooth retracting mechanism and are light, compact and beautifully designed.

Never again will you have to guess the size of a piece of fabric by eye or measure a sleeve length or waist measurement with a random piece of string. Having one of these tape measures with you at all times means you can get accurate sizes no matter where you are.

And best of all, they make fantastic stocking fillers! Why not buy one for each member of your stitching group? The only problem you’ll have is remembering whose is whose!

We all understand how therapeutic needlework can be. There are countless stories of people who have turned to embroidery to help combat mental health issues, physical and financial difficulties and many different kinds of trauma.

Professor of Psychology, Puleng Segalo, has done a great deal of work exploring how women in her native South Africa used the art of needlework to come to terms with their lives and histories, in particular, under the apartheid regime.

Embroidery as an art form acts as a creative method of expression, allowing experiences and emotions to surface which may not be able to be expressed in words.

Segalo discovered how the embroideries which resulted from this kind of self-expression were both personal and political and could be seen as ‘playing a role in the attainment of a just society’.

Although it might not directly change the world, the humble needle and thread can help people from all walks of life to understand and come to terms with it.

You can read the full article at The Conversation.

By now you have probably heard that the rescheduled 2021 Beating Around the Bush needlework convention is on its way! The catalogue is out and the excitement is starting to build here at Inspirations HQ.

But we’re not just excited by the thought of all of the classes, tutors and new friends we get to experience and enjoy.

You might be wondering why we’ve brought this up? Well, the project we’re featuring this week from Inspirations issue #108 actually came to us as an entry in the 2018 Stitch Your Heart Out Challenge.

You may remember that’s when we celebrated the 10th Anniversary of Beating Around the Bush and to commemorate that milestone, we set a challenge to create an embroidered piece to fit within a 10cm x 10cm square. Stitchers could use any technique and any style they wished, as long as it complied with the size specification.

We received some incredibly creative and innovative projects, which as usual surpassed our expectations, such is the incredible depth of talent that exists within our very own needlework community.

Once such example of a spectacular entry we received is Victoria Laine’s Castle Keep. This gorgeous, delicate project combines traditional canvas work with goldwork and blackwork to create an image so wonderfully detailed, the fact it fits in 10 x 10cm almost defies belief.

Worked on 55-count Kingston linen and using exquisite, stranded silks, beads, sequins and a delicious range of metal threads, Castle Keep allows stitchers to play with a whole range of different stitches and techniques.

You’ll find yourself marvelling at the textures produced, as Victoria has cleverly rendered the grass, the tiled castle turrets and the patterned walls in a perfect selection of stitches, all highlighted in glittering gold.

After working Castle Keep, we hope that you will feel inspired to considering entering the Stitch Your Heart Out Challenge for 2021. With numerous categories open for entry, our special themed category for 2021 focuses on the beautiful and essential pollinators of our world – bees.

Titled ‘To Bee or Not to Bee’ entries in this category can be created using any embroidered item, using whatever technique you wish, as long as you use the theme of bees.

As in previous years, we simply can’t wait to see what our incredibly talented stitching community comes up with, and we can’t wait to showcase some of the entries in this newsletter when the time comes!

You can download all of the information about Beating Around the Bush and the Stitch Your Heart Out Challenge by visiting our website HERE.

In the meantime, while you are planning your entry, you can spend some quality time working Victoria Laine’s magnificent Castle Keep which is guaranteed to provide you with all of the inspiration you could need for 2021.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Castle Keep by Victoria Laine is a miniature castle portrayed using counted thread and goldwork techniques.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Castle Keep includes everything* you need to re-create this fairy tale castle: Fabric (unprinted), acetate, embroidery threads, beads, sequins and needles.

Due to their popularity, Castle Keep kits are currently available on backorder. The good news is that stock is on its way. The not so good news is that due to sourcing lead times and current delivery delays there is an expected wait of 8-12 weeks. 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.

The Frog Prince by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #98 is two fun, frog purses created with embellished needlelace, inspired by historical designs.

Sweete Bag by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #99 is a stunning Elizabethan sweet bag featuring flower and bird motifs.

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

Black Beauty by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #95 is an elegant rose in shaded blackwork.

When it comes to the very first form of needlework many people encounter, cross stitch is one of the most popular forms of embroidery out there. Most of us do it or have done it at some point and many of us truly love it. We’re always thrilled to see your cross stitch projects and this week we’d like to highlight a few notable mentions:

‘At the beginning of the COVID-19 shutdown in Canada, I was furloughed from my job. Finding myself with some free time, I decided to get back into needlework. My sister-in-law is expecting a baby, so I wanted to make a modern birth announcement for her and her husband. They love travel, so I found this pattern on Etsy which seemed perfect.’

‘I did most of Europe before I realised I'd miscounted and unpicked the entire thing! There are mistakes - and not a small amount of dog hair – in it, but I embraced it all as I went. Now I'm (im)patiently waiting for the birth of my nephew so that I can add in his name.’

‘Doing needlework makes me feel connected to history.

There is also something centring in stitching. In these times of confusion and uncertainty, I needed something to put my mental energy into, something I could make with my own hands to celebrate the birth of my newest family member.

Calling the needle arts ‘women's work’ is nonsense. The needle arts are proof of humanity, and the beauty inherent within.’

Thank you for sharing with us your needlework work Christine, and for your impassioned wise words. We hope your new nephew looks on your beautiful creation in years to come and feels the sense of profound joy that we suspect you’ve stitched into his piece.

‘I just love stitching counted work. I have been stitching for over 50 years and at 70 I am still stitching on 32 count linen. This is my latest finish.’

What a fabulous finish, Jan and well done for still stitching on 32 count linen! The results are just beautiful.

‘How lucky we are to have our embroidery during these terrifying times! Just before the Coronavirus pandemic began, I started a simple cross stich design by Rosenstand with a wreath of flowers.’

‘I recently learned the word CORONA in Spanish means ‘wreath’, so I stitch every day while thinking of those who have fallen ill. And for sure – when I finish this lovely design, I will never forget that I stitched it ‘in times of Corona’.’

What a lovely way to remember and to connect with the world, despite all of the difficulties which surround us, Christine. Your work looks beautiful.

‘Stitching has been truly a blessing to me during the pandemic. Here is my version of Jane Marshall 1857 from Hands Across the Seas samplers. This is one of my great achievements as I stitched it on 53/63 linen - my magnifier needed a magnifier!’

It is so delicate on such fine linen, Nancy. Despite the need for double magnification, you’ve really done a magnificent job, well done.

Are you a cross stitch fanatic? Or does the thought of counting send you into cold sweats? Whether you like to count or not, we’d love to see your work. Send us pictures of your project as well as a bit of information about your stitching journey and the project itself to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Christmas Robin by Nicola Jarvis is a royal robin resplendent in his sequin-studded Yuletide robes.

Hanging Around by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #80 is a pair of gorgeous Christmas stockings adorned with cheerful, red-breasted robins.

In Flanders Fields by Jo Butcher from Inspirations issue #99 is a beckoning meadow scene filled with red poppies and golden wheat.

The Stitching Essentials Gift Pack is bursting with useful and necessary stitching goodies that individually retail for over AU$180 but are now available for only AU$130.

~ Maya Angelou ~

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.