Well, here we are, the final All Stitched Up! for 2020.

A lot unfolds within the 365 days of any given year. However, this year has seen more unfold than most.

At the onset of the year, All Stitched Up! issue #218 explored the idea of Vision and in part unpacked the concept of hindsight being 20/20 which means it’s often easier for us to be knowledgeable about an event after it’s happened.

Whilst the uncertainty of COVID-19 is anything but behind us, I think we’d all have to admit we’re a lot more knowledgeable about Coronavirus than we ever thought possible or necessary!

As we look back over the year, hindsight has helped us to realise just how much we’ve learned from the challenges 2020 has thrown our way. Of the many things this year has taught us afresh, adaptability, patience and resilience are but a few that come to mind here at Inspirations HQ. Beyond these, however, we’ve developed a new appreciation for gratefulness.

No matter what the year threw our way, we realised that if we took the time to count our blessings, however small they seemed at the time, the sense of gratitude they brought about helped us navigate the uncertainty before us with both balance and grace.

Grateful for those who have taken the time to join us each week to read the words penned within this newsletter, grateful for your patience and understanding when the delays with supply and postage have been well beyond what we initially anticipated, and grateful for those who took to needle and thread to help them navigate the uncertainty of 2020.

No matter what the New Year brings our way, we plan to continue to count our blessings both big and small and hope you’ll join us as we strive to remain grateful through life’s inevitable ups and downs.

by Nancy Williams

I want to start out with a massive thank you to everyone who responded to our article in All Stitched Up! issue #260 about my enormous stash and my rat’s nest of threads. I was thrilled to discover that I wasn’t alone and I have learnt so much from you all. I'll do my best to try to summarise all of the wonderful messages we received but I am not sure I can fully do justice to all of the fantastic advice.

It was also fascinating to hear how we’re all different in terms of how we store our random threads and what we do with them. Velia impressed me no end when she described how ordered her stash was. I was particularly taken by her description of all her thread ends wrapped neatly around pieces of card and stored in shoe boxes ‘like little soldiers’. That gave me storage envy! I so wish I could take up the wonderfully generous offer of Kathy Callahan to come and help me. Kathy loves sorting out other people’s stashes – the bigger the mess the better. If only I could let you loose in my craft room.

There were quite a few readers who recognised that the size of their stash was probably excessive and were already doing something about it. Both Joan Clark in the UK and Glenys Taylor in Australia donate their extras to charity shops, knowing the money is going to a good cause and other people will get joy from their stash. Sue Sanderson also wanted to give some of hers away and was fortunate enough to connect with a young lady starting out on a textile course. Sue not only generously donated several bags of goodies to this young lady, but also got the pleasure of getting to know her and passing on some of her knowledge. The joy she gained in helping the next generation clearly showed in her email.

There were plenty of practical tips as well which were gratefully received. Marion McCrindle suggested discovering new shades by working with different coloured threads together. Bonnie Adie shared a story about her friend who gratefully accepted thread ends for her machine embroidery.

In terms of storage and organisation, Sheila McCoy explained the value of re-using cardboard rolls from paper towels to wind up threads, ribbons, wools and lace. She recommended colour co-ordinating them too. Also, in relation to colour, specifically in regard to the comment about the ‘floss toss’, Kirsty Fulton recommended taking a photo of the chosen colours as often the ones that don’t work will clearly either jar or stand out in the photo.

Several of you shared how you use your leftover threads. The delightfully named Stitches4Sanity explained how she always uses leftover thread on old linens. She has even completed a project which her friend’s late mother-in-law had left unfinished, digging into her stash to do it and then gifting the finished work back to her friend once it was done.

Nicole Martin showed us a fabulous project she designed and completed using nothing but her leftover threads. It just goes to show what can be done with what you already have. Although Gillian Kirby did warn us about the difference in dye lots and colours, especially when you have very old threads. Just make sure you have enough thread to finish a project, as sometimes it is impossible to match it.

So, while just like Teresa Cain, I too go bonkers over threads and yarns, I agree with Muriel Broadhead that there does come a time when we perhaps need to hand things over to others, especially those who like finishing off other people’s work. Because frankly, like many of you, I have a SABLE. ‘What’s that’ I hear you ask? Frances Gedzium definitely made me laugh when she explained. It is defined as 'Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy!' Never a truer title has been given.

Thank you to everyone. I love knowing that we’re all in this together.

Ladies and gentlemen, what you are reading right now is in fact the last issue of All Stitched Up! for 2020. ‘Awwww!’ we hear you cry. But never fear, it won’t be long before we’re back in your inbox, bringing you news, stories and plenty of inspiration every week.

Look out for us on the 22nd January 2021 when a shiny new issue of All Stitched Up! will be waiting in your inbox, all ready for you to boil the kettle as we share a cuppa together.

During the Christmas/New Year holidays, the Inspirations Studios office will be closed from Tuesday 22nd Dec returning Wednesday 6th Jan.

During this time if you email or leave a voice message, we’ll get back to you as soon as possible upon our return.

For any online orders placed while we’re away, please note that we’ll resume processing and shipping the week of 6th Jan. However, our digital products can always be purchased and downloaded at any time.

2021 is guaranteed to start with a bang with subscribers scheduled to receive their printed copy of Inspirations issue #109 late January/early February depending on postal delays. It’s filled with gorgeous projects and is guaranteed to inspire you to start the best year of stitching you’ve ever had.

Inspirations issue #109 will be available for general purchase on the 11th Feb. Not long to wait!

The New Year is about to begin, and what is one thing that almost everyone starts thinking about in January? That’s right! Getting organised! That’s why the first project in the 2021 calendar couldn’t be more appropriate.

Tied in Knots by Maria Rita Faleri first appeared in Inspirations issue #103. These highly textured Italian tassels made with gorgeous linen threads make perfect key fobs to ensure you’ll get yourself organised and never misplace your keys again.

This fascinating project will introduce you to the unusual technique of knotting threads, with the addition of pretty beads and knotted loops to create a beautiful and practical item. It won’t take you long to master several tassels employing three unique knots; capuchin, Turk’s head and onion.

Whether you attach the finished project to a bunch of keys, a blind pull, or even just display them in a bowl, Tied in Knots is the perfect project to start a brand new year.

We know. You’re going to miss us over the coming weeks. Rest assured; we’re going to miss you too! But there are still plenty of things you can do while we’re taking a break to ensure you don’t miss out on your fix of Inspirations during the Christmas period.

You may not have realised it, but we have over 500 digital patterns available on the website for immediate purchase and download.

There are also patterns from Australian Smocking & Embroidery magazine, our new exclusive Handpicked collection and several projects from our books have also been released as individual patterns. We encourage you to spend several happy hours going through them all to decide on your next project.

Plus, there are a number of digital books available for purchase as well, including several step-by-step based releases. How about learning a brand-new technique over the break?

Of course, the entire back catalogue of All Stitched Up! newsletters are also available for free on our website. If you’ve missed any, want to revisit previous articles or even if you just miss us, you can read all of our past newsletters online while you wait for your favourite weekly fix to return in 2021.

One of the joys of embroidery is that there are so many different techniques to try. Although we all have our favourite techniques, there is something particularly thrilling about trying something new for the first time.

This is why we’ve brought Yvette Stanton’s book ‘Early-Style Hardanger’ back in stock, ready for those of you out there who are looking for your next challenge.

Whether you’ve never done Hardanger before, or you’re a modern Hardanger specialist, this book will offer you something new.

The book is packed with detailed instructions and gorgeous, traditional projects. It is also filled with Yvette’s unequalled knowledge which she has gained over her years of embroidery. Even if you’ve tried Hardanger before, you’re going to love the delicate results which traditional Hardanger produces.

As the perfect companion to this book, we also have available specially dedicated Hardanger scissors to ensure that you can accurately cut your threads even on the finest of linen.

With an angled tip, designed to get into the hardest to reach corners and razor-sharp points for snipping individual threads, these scissors are the perfect accessory to have on hand as you enjoy Yvette’s book.

We’re familiar nowadays with teachers finding creative ways to teach children, but back in 1876, education was far more formal. Nevertheless, that didn’t prevent Ellen Harding Baker, a teacher and, more surprisingly, an astronomer, from discovering a fascinating way to teach her charges about the solar system.

Baker hand stitched this gorgeous quilt in wool and silk to aid in her lectures. The project apparently took seven years to complete and shows all of the stars and planets in exquisite detail.

The quilt is now held at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History but demonstrates the passion that this amazing woman had not just for her students and her subject field, but for her needlework as well.

If you’d like to read more about this quilt, you can find out more information at My Modern Met.

Many embroiderers love their gardens and are as clever with their needles as they are with their plants. It is little wonder that plants feature so prominently in so many embroidery projects as they offer no end of inspiration in terms of colour, texture and variety.

The plant world can be captured in needle and thread in so many ways, but there really is something magical about recreating, in three-dimensions, a series of delicate succulents with absolute perfection.

You will remember Ana Mallah for all of the fabulous projects she has created for us, not least the delicate Flower Pots which appeared in A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII. Those beautiful, three-dimensional flowers were so popular that Ana simply had to follow up with a sequel.

Ana describes embroidery as a treasure and there is no doubt that these projects are precious. At first sight, it appears that you have three little plants, displaying a riot of pinks and greens, growing beautifully on your shelf. However, each plant actually sits atop a perfect little treasure pot which can contain all sorts of delights, from stitching accessories to jewellery, from a tiny keepsake to a precious memory.

What makes Sweet Succulents from our book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery so special is the care which Ana has taken in matching colour and texture to the real thing. Nature blends pinks into greens and greens into blues just as Ana has done. Nature forms the leaves in interesting and unusual shapes, just has Ana has done. And nature smooths the leaves and plumps them up, just as Ana has done.

The clever and subtle colouration of the leaves comes from blending carefully selected, solid DMC colours for the most part, rather than using variegated thread. Each detached element is stitched by working very close blanket stitch over the wire forming a neat, textured edge. Then the leaf is filled with long and short stitch, following the shape and contours of the real plant to give a perfect re-creation of the beauty of nature.

As with all stumpwork and three-dimensional embroidery, it is best to work all of your detached elements together before you start any cutting out. This way, your fabric remains taut in your hoop allowing you to achieve the right tension. You can imagine that if you cut out and then try to re-tension the fabric, you’ll find the hole you’ve cut can make things somewhat difficult.

So, as tempting as it might be to have your perfect leaf emerge from your ground fabric, patience is the key. Stitch first, then cut, then get the pleasure of putting it all together as if you were Mother Nature herself.

The joy you will gain from stitching these pots will easily match the joy that will arise when you gift them as a set to someone you love, secreting something special away inside each pot. Or you may simply want to arrange them on your own mantlepiece, dressing table or stitching table, reserving them for very special items or the most precious of treasures.

Whatever you decide to do with them, you’ll love every aspect of Ana Mallah’s project and you’ll continue to admire them for years to come.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Sweet Succulents by Ana Mallah from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery is three handmade trinket pots, each topped with a lifelike, stumpwork succulent.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kits for Sweet Succulents include everything* you need to re-create these charming pots: Fabrics (unprinted), wool felts, wadding, wire, card, string, 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.

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

Flower Pots by Ana Mallah from A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII is two gorgeous trinket pots embellished with exquisite stumpwork roses or hydrangeas.

Into the Forest by Ana Mallah from Inspirations issue #106 is two woodland-themed felt sewing accessories charmingly embellished with raised and surface embroidery.

Mushroom Magic by Ana Mallah from the Handpicked Collection is a delightful mushroom pot with a handy pincushion top.

Nature is always a source of inspiration. Whether it is the animal kingdom, the world of birds or insects, or the deeply varied world of plants, there are never ending possibilities in terms of projects, designs and ideas. For our final ‘What Are You Stitching?’ for 2020, this week we’re bringing you some wonderful projects that do a superb job of bringing the beauty of outdoors into the home.

‘Here's my latest piece - my version of July in the local country park (Highwoods in Colchester, UK), which I'm lucky enough to live only a short walk from.’

‘I enjoy my stitching so very much more when the room is clean and tidy, the laundry is as up to date as is reasonable and the dishes are done. I can then settle down to my hoop or frame with a clear conscience and find the whole thing so much more satisfying.’

It is great to stitch with a clear mind and a clean house, isn’t it Elizabeth? Your lovely project is evidence of how well it works for you!

‘I have been sitting in the only room in my house without a view working from home for the past months, and I was tired of not seeing nice things in my garden. So, I decided to stitch myself something green to look at.’

‘I sketched some leaves from outside - Monstera, Peace Lily, some assorted fern fronds, and more. The stitchery is just worked in stem stitch which is ideal for leaves. I am very happy with the result. It's like a mini-window.’

It really is, Sharlene! What a fantastic way of bringing the outside in. We could imagine you turning your office into a whole, stitched, hanging garden.

‘This is Ana Mallah’s Sweet Succulents Pot 2 from A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery, which I had to ‘ad lib’ a bit. I only had 22-gauge wire and acrylic felt, but I was still pleased with result. I can recommend using book binding glue to adhere the fabric pot, however my son said I had to remember NOT to water it!’

Indeed, your succulent pot is realistic enough that you might just forget, Nicole! You’ve done a fantastic job on this lovely project.

‘This is the mood I was in last fall because we didn’t have any snow in Stockholm. It was ‘fall’ all through what normally should have been winter from a meteorological point of view. It also rained a lot, with flooding in parts of southern Sweden. Climate changes!?’

‘I stitched this on a very fine linen using sewing thread and coton á broder in different shades of brownish grey. I used backstitch and long running stitch for the fence.’

You’ve certainly captured the mood, Elsebeth. What a wonderfully atmospheric result from such deceptively simple stitches.

Do you like stitching plants or trees? How about flowers or shrubs? Do you love everything green and are you torn between gardening and embroidery? Or perhaps you prefer your gardens and plants to be managed by someone else while you focus on other subject and designs?

Whatever it is that inspires you, and whatever you like to stitch, we’d like to see it. Send us photos of your projects along with some information about it and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com.au

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Bright Baubles by Natalie Dupuis is a gleaming or nué design of Christmas baubles worked over silver threads.

A Christmas Carol by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #72 is a charming sampler that celebrates the songs of Christmas.

Kris Kringle by Heather Scott from Inspirations issue #72 is a pretty gift bag - the perfect wrapping for any small gift.

Double Delight by Jennifer Kennedy from Inspirations issue #92 is a pair of pulled thread work Christmas stockings with contrasting lustrous perlé threads and satin ribbon with a hessian ground fabric.

~ Amit Sood ~

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.