Based in Cardigan Bay in Wales, DO Lectures is an ideas sharing event that has recently released a series of podcasts. The premise behind the podcasts is that Gav Thompson converses with people about how they have achieved their level of success, along the way also uncovering some of the ‘despites’ they have had to overcome to get there.

It was whilst listening to one of these podcasts we heard a quote that got us thinking.

The podcast unpacked the idea that no matter the level of success we see from the outside, there’s always a back story, a struggle behind the scenes we may not know about.

In terms of our time with needle and thread, this idea also rings true.

All too often we see a finished piece of stitching and envy the ease with which it was created, without understanding the ‘despites’ that have been overcome to get there. There may have been a physical limitation in terms of sight or dexterity that had to be accommodated throughout the process, a shortage of materials that meant significant substitutions were made along the way, perhaps an unpicking or two or even a start-over when a mistake rendered the progress untenable!

It even comes down to the number of hours spent with needle and thread before the success is seen that need to be taken into account.

You see, it can be all too easy to see other people’s successes and compare them against the ‘despites’ of our own we know all too well and feel like we don’t measure up. However, the name of the podcast we’ve been referring to is ‘Being Amazing Despite…’ and it’s a reminder that no matter the difficulties or obstacles we face, we can indeed be amazing despite them. All the while ensuring we remember the amazing we see in others comes with a despite we may not be aware of.

How will you be amazing despite… today?

As we were deciding which topic to cover for this week’s World of Needlework segment, an email arrived which settled the question. It came from a reader who had been involved in a year-long project, where stitchers from all over the world signed up to stitch a common project, sharing the joy of their work with like-minded community members.

However, the reader related a sad story from her group. One of the members had posted to their forum expressing how down-hearted she was.

Despite her virtual community, in real life she was experiencing criticism, lack of support and people who told her what she was doing was frivolous, a waste of time and effort or, worst of all, completely worthless.

Fortunately, the members of her group rallied around to support her, however our reader stated:

SALs existed even before the internet. It is impossible to find the origins of them, but it would probably be right to suggest that early quilting bees, stitching circles and sewing groups helped to shape the idea. Even with the somewhat primitive technology of the pre-digital age, stitchers would find ways to support each other.

As long-time stitchers, we remember being involved in Round Robins where a piece would be sent from one stitcher to another, with each person completing a part of it before sending it on. The piece was usually accompanied by a letter or postcard (remember those?) from the previous stitcher, explaining who they were, what they had done and a little about themselves. In this way, it combined the pleasure of stitching with the fun and excitement of a new pen-pal.

As the digital age matured and it became easier for people to connect, these kinds of events took on new life. Forums and groups became international and people who might never have had the chance to connect in the past suddenly found each other through the magic of the internet.

From there arose the idea that if we can communicate across continents, why can’t we stitch the same thing all together and share our individual journeys as we go?

The result was an explosion of SALs. If you’ve never come across them before, a stitch-along is a catch-all term for an embroidery project that is undertaken by a large (or small) group of people, usually semi-simultaneously over a set period of time.

In some, you might sign up and receive the materials, chart and instructions ready to go. In others, you might get the whole chart with a schedule of stitching.

Each month you receive a different section of the pattern, with the intention being that you’ll complete that little section in time for the next one to be released.

Common across all formats is the community. Everyone involved can share their progress, get support, ask questions or get help and receive motivation from the other members of the SAL group. Of course, it is also a wonderful way to make friends.

There are plenty of reasons why SALs are so good. Lord Libidan outlined four:

- Being involved in a community.
- Gaining a better knowledge of the pattern or chart.
- Achievement of mini-satisfactions as each section gets completed.
- The pleasure inherent in the surprise, especially when you don’t know what the finished piece is actually going to look like.

To that list, we’d also like to add:

- Daily motivation to keep going, provided by the cyber-cheer squad which is the group itself.
- A strong drive to finish (this is particularly important if you are like some of us and find finishing projects a bit of a challenge).
- The shared excitement of starting a project, knowing that there is a whole community of people doing it all at the same time.
- Often the charts or patterns are exclusive to the SAL, which means you would never have had a chance to do them otherwise.

All of these things are fantastic reasons for you to pick up a needle. For the lady our reader described, she may not have been able to find the words to explain why she wanted to be involved in the project, but at least a few of her reasons may fit into the above categories.

We hope we’ve sold you on the idea of joining a SAL or two (or three?). However, we wanted to close by saying something not just to the stitcher in question but to all stitchers out there who might have found themselves in her position.

It’s ok if those around you don’t value or appreciate the benefits of needlework – it just means they haven’t been enlightened yet! Their own lack of understanding doesn’t mean you should feel inadequate or bad for loving something so creative, relaxing, joyous and beautiful.

Validation for our stitching doesn’t come from the approval or acceptance of others, it comes from our own relationship with needle and thread and the deep knowing that ensues.

Being a part of a group that shares that feeling can offer enormous strength, but even in those moments when you are alone, gain strength from the fact that you have a passion which belongs to no-one else but you.

Have you ever been involved in a stitch-along? Are there any that you’ve loved, or would recommend to the community? What have been your experiences? We’d love to hear from you and, if possible, please send pictures!

It’s always the right time to add a bit of sparkle!

Au Ver a Soie threads are arguably some of the finest in the world, and come in a delicious range of colours, textures and fibres.

Metallise Tressé are a range of delicately fine metallic braids that can be used as blending filament, in hand embroidery or even in machine embroidery and will provide a level of sparkle unmatched anywhere else.

This week we’re launching on our website two Metallise Tressé collections.

Shades of Vibrant includes rich rainbow colours and Shades of Pastel includes the softest and subtlest of pale colours shot through with eye catching shine.

Just imagine what you could do with these gorgeous threads! We can’t think of a better way to give your project a touch of je ne sais quoi…

PS – Please note we have limited quantities available of each set.

Our team here at Inspirations is not only hard at work publishing new designs, we also have a huge library of existing projects that we’re constantly making more accessible.

For example, when an issue of Inspirations magazine sells out of printed copies, an alarm in the office goes off as a reminder to ensure that all the projects from that issue are available as digital patterns.

You might have fallen in love with Trish Burr’s Robin from the cover, or wanted to try making Susan O’Connor’s beautiful turtledove Christmas ornament. Other Christmas treats include Prancer, a whitework project by Trish Burr, Christine P. Bishop’s Simplicity table mat or Julie Kniedl’s ever-popular Christmas Bouquet ornament.

This issue of Inspirations also included two projects by Jane Nicholas - a gorgeous goldwork beetle, and Lacewing & Dogwood in stumpwork. Finally, Deborah Love’s Deerfield cushion and Jan Bergman’s protea basket complete this stunning issue.

If you’ve been waiting to stitch any of these projects, but couldn’t get your hands on the magazine, your wait is over. All nine fantastic projects are now available for instant download so you and your needle can get a new project started in no time at all.

Occasionally there are some needlework projects that come along that are guaranteed to become heirlooms.

Although they require love, care, time and patience to complete, they are so gorgeous that you know you’ll be able to furnish all of those things and more to get them complete.

With three books in the series, each one tells a different story about a loveable little mouse named Monet and provides hours of joy and delight for a beloved child or grandchild.

You can choose from ‘Des Fleurs Pour Grandmére’ (Flowers for Grandmother); Monet et le Papier Jaune (Monet and the Yellow Paper) or Monet, Hugo et les poissons d'or (Monet, Hugo and the Golden Fish).

Each project tells the delightful story of Monet’s exciting adventures, with all the words and illustrations stitched in exquisite detail and finished into a soft cloth book.

Originally released across three different issues of Inspirations, the printed copies of each magazine are now all sold out.

Perfect for those who prefer to work from paper rather than a screen, all our Printed Patterns include the requirements list, step-by-step instructions, close up photography and everything you need to complete each book, exactly as it appeared in Inspirations magazine.

Order your Printed Patterns of the Monet books series today, by clicking below.

For anyone who has embroidered on organza, netting or other delicate fabric, you’ll know how challenging it is. However, if you want to understand true patience and dedication, then just take a look at these exquisite works, stitched onto dried leaves, by artist Hillary Waters Fayle.

Hillary is passionate about connecting her work to nature and uses these incredible pieces to explore that connection. Her work:

Although not the first artist to use natural materials as their medium, there is something breathtaking about Hillary’s work. Just knowing that the whole thing could be destroyed by pushing the needle too roughly or dragging the thread without care makes each one of these leaves a true work of art.

You can read more about Hillary in an article about her by Oddity Central HERE and view more of her work on Instagram HERE

Straight from our great wall of sticky note reminders to you, Ladies and Gentlemen we present our list of products that are now available to order for your stitching pleasure…

Although everyone will have heard of the Magna Carta, there are as many interpretations of the document as there are misunderstandings about its significance.

To many, it is the document which grants liberty to the people of Britain and establishes the rule of law, but over the many centuries that it has been in existence, historians, legal theorists and academics have argued at length about the real meaning of this monumental document.

What is known is that the 1216 Magna Carta, as it was named, was the reissue of a document from the previous year that had been drafted to clarify the position between an unpopular king, John and a group of rebel barons.

Rewritten in 1216 after the death of King John, and stripped of some of the more radical clauses, it soon became a part of English political life. As the power of the monarchy waned and parliament grew over the centuries, many of the clauses of the original document were either codified into law or superseded.

Believed by many to be the definitive symbol of liberty, it represented the unending struggle between authority, the law and the people over the centuries. It is revered not just in the UK but in the USA and New Zealand as well where some clauses from it remain part of current constitutional and general law.

In 2015 there were celebrations marking 800 years from the first drafting of the original document. Since then, numerous copies, known as exemplifications, were created to include amendments and changes and reflect contemporaneous political positions.

For the celebrations, however, the British Library brought together the four existing copies of the original 1215 manuscript to exhibit, with other exemplifications touring the world. It was one of these copies which inspired Mike Parr to design his piece ‘The Great Charter’.

This sublime project featured in Inspirations issue #109 was created by Mike after he had viewed King Edward I’s signature on the 1300 copy of the Magna Carta. The magnificent E lent itself perfectly to being recreated using monogramming techniques and forms the main part of the design on this set of needlework accessories.

Stitched in white thread on crisp white linen, the monogram is worked using padded satin stitch.

Also, ensuring that each stitch lays perfectly next to its neighbours without overlapping is vital. Particularly when worked in a single colour, a stitch sitting incorrectly suddenly becomes very obvious.

However, by stitching carefully and methodically, you too can achieve the same level of meticulous finish showcased by Mike in The Great Charter.

Regardless of the actual, legal status of the Magna Carta today, its significance is still vitally important for many people around the world. Nevertheless, content aside, one can’t help but admire the aesthetic beauty of the writing, captured perfectly by Mike’s design.

Stitching The Great Charter is the perfect way to acknowledge a document which has had such a profound impact on millions of people over the course of eight long centuries.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

The Great Charter by Mike Parr is a whitework needlebook and scissor fob, embellished with a kingly monogram inspired by the Magna Carta.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for The Great Charter includes everything* you need to re-create these stunning sewing accessories: Fabrics (unprinted), replica seal**, wool felt, metal washer, fibre-fill, sewing & embroidery threads, ribbon 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.

** Please Note: Replica seal included in kit is for decorative purposes only and not intended for robust use.

First Mate by Julie Graue from Inspirations issue #94 is a delightful baby romper with monogram and crown.

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

Versailles Chatelaine by Susan O’Connor from A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII is an elegant silk needlebook with a monogram, pinwheel, scissor sheath and fob.

Prized Possessions by Julie Graue from Inspirations issue #69 is a stunning monogrammed jewellery roll.

We asked you to send in more avian inspired projects and they literally flew into our inbox! We’re thrilled with all the wonderful submissions we received, so without further ado, this week we present more magnificent projects featuring our favourite feathered friends.

‘I have been stitching two of Nicola Jarvis’s Christmas Robins from Inspirations issue #108 for my family members overseas. I just loved doing them at 65% of the original size so that they fitted into a 6-inch hoop. They were such fun to do in stumpwork.’

Not one but two delightful projects, Jackie! You must have thoroughly enjoyed working these little robins as both of them look absolutely perfect. Brilliantly done.

‘I like doing many types of embroidery and needlework, but it seems like I always have a cross stitch project on the go. I started the heron in 2018, expecting it to take several years for me to complete. However, it became my COVID project and I actually finished it just recently.’

‘I live in the suburbs outside of Vancouver Canada and we’re lucky enough to have great blue herons in residence in many places around us. We have even had them in our backyard on a couple of occasions!’

It’s amazing what we can achieve when we’re given a bit of time, isn’t it, Colleen? This is definitely a finish to be proud of and how wonderful you can enjoy the blue herons both as a stitched piece and in real life!

‘My embroidery journey started when I met my mother-in-law. She is an amazing seamstress and taught me many techniques. I moved to the Tweed Valley and joined the Embroiderer’s Guild of New South Wales in Australia, where I took some correspondence courses and learned more.’

‘My favourite technique is goldwork but I love the designs of Nicola Jarvis for something different. These Bluebirds are for a dear friend’s 60th birthday.’

We love Nicola’s work too, Allison. There’s always so much detail and so many wonderful stitches to master in all of her designs. What a delightful piece you have created for your friend, no doubt a gift she will always cherish.

‘For the last few months, I have been working on my Ruru cushion. Ruru is the Maori name for our little Morepork (also known as Tasmanian Owl). I have never seen one in the wild, but most nights can hear them calling. It is one of my favourite birds and is sometimes referred to as the ‘night guardian’.’

‘I am self-taught and the technique of needle painting fascinates me, although there may be areas where I forge my own path rather than the more accepted route. That's how I am in life as well!’

Putting your own stamp on your stitching is very important, Judy. We love the result and you should be very proud too, it looks fabulous.

Should we ask for more birds? Well, why not! We don’t think there will ever be an end to the inspiration they can provide and the fantastic projects which will come out of our love for the avian world.

Of course, we love all animals too so if you’ve got any project you would like to share with us, send it in. Email us with a photograph and some information about the project itself and your personal stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!

Helena Gum Moth by Emillie Ferris showcases the gentle colours of this large Australian moth.

Little Bird by Chloe Redfern from Inspirations issue #103 is a delightful superb fairy wren to frame in a hoop.

Autumn Flowers by Ana Mallah from Inspirations issue #104 is a glorious stumpwork garland celebrating stunning autumn leaves.

Autumn Harvest by Ana Mallah from the Handpicked Collection is a delightful stumpwork garland celebrating autumn’s spectacular bounty.

Simple Stitches by Chloe Redfern from Inspirations issue #96 is two fun and vibrant designs to display in a small hoop.

~ Michael Phelps ~

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.