Conversations about climate change have become common place as we work towards a more sustainable future for the good of the planet and the generations to come.

Whilst large organisations and governments are making progress in battling our climate crisis as they pledge to reduce carbon emissions and invest in renewable energy, there are times it feels like we can affect little change personally. However, the small steps each of us take will help to build momentum that will eventually reduce the negative effects of climate change.

‘Zero Waste’ is a term now often heard in relation to landfill and cooking as we focus on waste prevention. Whilst the idea of zero waste is noble, realistically it’s a notion not easily achieved and so many activists are encouraging us to consider the five R’s of refusing, reducing, reusing, repairing and repurposing that will help slow our current waste creation and switch our mindsets toward a more circular approach rather than a disposable one.

What about our time with needle and thread? Is it possible to work towards less waste in our approach to stitching?

The answer is absolutely!

The concepts of saving fabric and thread from one project to another or ‘shopping our stash’ aren’t foreign ideas for many of us, but have we ever stopped to consider the fate of our orts?!

Orts are the leftover snips of thread that remain when we’re done stitching, often thrown into an orts pot never to be thought of again until we find the pot overflowing. For many of us, we simply empty it into the waste ready to be filled again. But there are those who’ve taken the time to consider their orts and found some fabulous ‘less waste’ approaches to them.

As we photographed Inspirations issue #112, our stylist pulled from a bag a select few brightly coloured orts and placed them thoughtfully within a bird’s nest to create the just right prop. As we found ourselves thinking about orts in a whole new light, a subsequent Google search uncovered many a creative way to put our orts to use.

Think decorative jars filling slowly as testament to the hours we’ve spent with needle and thread, visible tokens of our dedication and accomplishment. Small cushions filled with our repurposed lengths of threads. Clear Christmas baubles displaying the colours of projects past or simple frames in which our orts are exhibited as works of art.

Whatever use we find, not only are we reaffirming our love for needle and thread - orts and all! - we’re also helping to build the momentum that will reduce the effects of climate change as we focus on the ‘R’ of repurposing.

It is unlikely we are ever going to run out of inspiring stories that have arisen from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the tragedy, disruption and change that the events have wrought, there have been some wonderful tales of people who have come together to overcome difficulties, share a sense of solidarity and community and continued to do what they love despite the challenges they faced.

Luzine Happel’s name is one you will probably have heard before. She is a world class embroiderer and designer of whitework embroidery, in particular, the technique of Schwalm embroidery from Germany.

Luzine is also a superlative whitework designer, and her work has featured in a number of our publications.

Early in the crisis last year, Luzine was looking for a way to bring her international community of followers together, and she came up with the idea of a global sampler. She put a call out, asking embroiderers from all over the world to contribute a small piece of Schwalm embroidery. She planned to put them together in a sampler, representing the connection between embroiderers from all over the world. By the 23rd April 2020, the first contributions started coming in, and they just kept coming.

Contributions first arrived from Luzine’s home country of Germany and from France. With the inevitable shipping issues from other parts of the world as the year went on, Luzine needed to assure her contributors that as long as she knew they were stitching for the project, then she was happy to wait so that everyone could see their work included in the finished piece. Fortunately, the difficulties and delays didn’t deter her community, and more pieces came in from as far afield as Australia, the USA, and Japan.

Like many of Luzine’s other contributors, Fumie Suzuki from Japan designed her own piece. Normally, Fumie did not use heart motifs in her Schwalm work, despite the heart being a ubiquitous and very traditional shape. However, she wanted to somehow represent the:

…so, she created a stunning heart bouquet filled with gorgeously intricate Schwalm stitches. When Fumie sent her piece to Luzine in July last year, she included a comment which likely summed up the thoughts of everyone involved.; ‘I sincerely hope that the world will be full of love and return to calm.’

Once the contributions arrived, Luzine was faced with the challenge of putting them all together. Each piece was worked on linens of different counts and weaves and each piece was a different size. In order to overcome these difficulties, Luzine asked her community for advice. She was offered all kinds of useful suggestions, but the one she finally settled on was to include a consistent strip of border fabric around each piece that would bring the whole project together harmoniously and ensure that the joining stitches weren’t visible in the completed sampler.

In the end, Luzine received 92 pieces from all over the world. With the addition of the border, it was a matter of fitting them all together like a giant jigsaw puzzle, ensuring that the completed sampler was regular in shape and the contributions all sat together neatly.

It was a mammoth effort to ensure the pieces fitted, looked perfect and each individual contribution was displayed in its best light. Luzine also added an outer border that acknowledged the purpose of the sampler and all the people who were involved.

If you weren’t already amazed by the photographs of this incredible project, it is also worth remembering that as well as coordinating and completing the sampler, Luzine has also produced a book documenting the entire journey. The book is complete with close up pictures of each and every contribution and was planned as an accompaniment to the sampler itself.

You can also see the process of the sampler’s creation from its inception to completion on Luzine’s website where she’s carefully photographed the fine detail visible in all of the pieces she received. And this is all thanks to 74 committed embroiderers from 14 countries around the world who came together to show their love and community in such difficult times.

The finished piece is a testament to what people can do when working together in harmony on a common cause, and what great things can come out of an idea and a passion, such as this one that Luzine birthed at the start of a difficult year.

It is common to hear a stitcher remark, that with all of the beautiful projects we do, there simply isn’t enough wall space to hang them on when they’re finished. As such, embroiderers are always on the lookout for different ways to mount and display their work once it is complete.

However, quality wooden boxes with provision for inserting an embroidered panel into the lid, aren’t always easy to find.

Fortunately, we’ve teamed up with Margaret Lee to bring you two stunning wooden display boxes, ideal for mounting special projects and creating a finished piece to be proud of.

These display boxes were originally designed to hold our new Handpicked project ‘Lotus’ by Margaret Lee, which you can read all about as our feature project later in this newsletter.

Inside each box you will find plenty of internal compartments and, when adorned with your stitching, will make a superb gift or a noteworthy addition to your dressing table or home decor.

Available in two styles, Rose is finished in dark wood with a light pink insert and Daisy features a light wood exterior with an olive green interior.

The boxes features a wooden lattice insert under the glass lid which can be left in place to use the box as is, or easily add in your own finished needlework piece.

If you have purchased the ‘Lotus’ kit and would like to mount your finished piece in the lid, or have another project in mind, be sure to place your order for these custom-made display boxes today, while stock is available.

Now… we had written a note somewhere to remind us to remind you of something… what was it again? Oh yes, it’s time to buy yourself some gorgeous new silks!

Over the past weeks, we’ve been highlighting the amazing range of Au Ver à Soie silks we now have available and wanted to jog your memory before we sell out.

From the sparkling Metallise Tresse series to their fantastic Discovery packs that allow you to try a range different threads to see which you like best, we can almost guarantee you’ll find something to please.

So, have a browse through the fabulous Au Ver à Soie range, pick out something you love, and then you can tick off that item on the list that says: ‘treat myself with some new silk threads!’

Continuing with our ongoing release of digital patterns from past issues of Inspirations magazine, this week we have three more projects from issue #80 for your stitching pleasure.

You may remember that Inspirations issue #80 celebrated 20 years of the world’s most beautiful needlework magazine, so it was packed with gorgeous projects from a range of talented Australian designers. Such was its popularity it is now out of print.

If you did miss out, as of today you can purchase a digital pattern of Christine P. Bishop’s cute little counted thread Christmas decorations, whimsically titled Christmas3 in a nod to their unusual cube shape.

You can also download Little Details by Julie Graue - two adorable baby coat hangers, personalised for a new arrival. And Yvette Stanton’s Mountmellick biscornu, Snowberry, is a stunning project worked in crisp white thread that can be stitched up in no time.

It’s always a treat to see these past projects again, such is the timeless nature of needlework. Complete your collection of projects from Inspirations issue #80 by downloading these fantastic digital patterns today.

If you are looking for a way to display your embroidery talent, the Worshipful Company of Broderers in the UK is seeking submissions for an upcoming exhibition scheduled to run in early 2022.

The theme for the upcoming exhibition is simply ‘The Art of Embroidery’ so the scope is as broad as you would like it to be. Every type of embroidery is welcome, including machine embroidery and hand embroidery, and both traditional and contemporary works are encouraged. The main stipulation is that your piece demonstrates embroidery as an art form.

Now, if you think that because you’re not in the UK, you can’t enter, we’re pleased to let you know that the exhibition is open to anyone around the world. To enter you can simply send a digital image/photo of your piece to the organisers and they will be making their selections from there.

If you’ve ever hoped that your designs might be exhibited at an event organised by one of the oldest embroidery organisations in the world, then now is the time to get the needles and sketchbooks out. Entries are now open, click HERE for details.

Having considered that waste is a terrible thing to waste and focusing on the ‘R’ of repurposing as we take our orts from want not to must use, we came across a charity in Australia who are wasting less by considering the ‘orts’ of our bread purchases.

The humble and oft-used plastic bread tag has become the currency by which ‘Aussie Bread Tags for Wheelchairs’ are purchasing much needed wheelchairs for the disadvantaged in South Africa.

The idea originated in South Africa in 2006 when Mary Honeybun realised that the majority of people in need of wheelchairs in her home country were unable to afford to buy one of their own and that by combining her desire to help others with her passion for the environment, a solution was at hand.

A local plastic moulding company were willing to pay for bread tags and since embarking on her mission to waste less and provide more, Mary has been able to collect and recycle enough bread tags to purchase and donate over 800 wheelchairs.

After Australians got wind of Mary’s work, people with connections to South Africa were posting and transporting bread tags to her that were being collected far and wide from across Australia. However, with the number of bread tags being collected and the price of getting them to South Africa becoming prohibitive, it became apparent in late 2018 that there was sufficient interest and need to set up a national collection network within Australia and Jenny Cooper, a South African who had migrated to Australia, took up the challenge.

Jenny’s network of volunteers now includes collectors, collection point hosts, state coordinators, colour sorters and people who help with transporting the bread tags to a plastic recycling facility in Robe, South Australia, with the funds raised being remitted directly to Bread Tags for Wheelchairs South Africa. Not only is there now in excess of 200kg of bread tags being recycled every month in Australia alone, the tally of wheelchairs donated from our home country is now 20, and a community of like-minded, passionate people has been created all thanks to Mary’s original idea.

After considering the orts from our time with needle and thread, we’ve realised that by considering the orts of our bread purchases too, not only can we waste less but we can contribute more to an incredibly worthy cause.

Want to join us?!

Simply collect and mail your clean, bread crumb free, bread tags to the address below and we’ll take care of the rest:

Inspirations Studios
PO Box 10177
Adelaide Business Hub
SA 5000 Australia

Please note, bread ties which are made from metal wire then surrounded in plastic aren’t suitable and that, colour aside, it is only the bread tags pictured above we’re able to recycle.

We can’t wait for you to join us as together we work towards donating wheelchairs to South Africa one bread tag at a time!

With each new issue of Inspirations magazine, we jam in as much of the world’s most beautiful needlework from cover to cover as possible, while still keeping within our page count and weight allocation.

Handpicked projects are exactly as the name suggests – additional projects hand chosen by the Inspirations editorial team for publication. Whilst you won’t find these projects in the magazine, each exquisite Handpicked design is available for purchase individually as a printed booklet and as a digital pattern, with each one exclusive and unavailable in any other publication.

It is with this in mind that we reveal our latest Handpicked project from one of our very favourite designers, Margaret Lee. If you’ve already read your copy of Inspirations issue #110, you’ll notice that Lotus is the perfect complement to Margaret’s project, Yuki. However, this striking project stands just as perfectly on its own.

Lotus is a breathtaking flower design worked in Japanese goldwork and bead embroidery. The dramatic brown silk taffeta background highlights the shine of the gold and silver thread as well as the scattering of shimmering beads, ensuring that this project is one to be admired.

Although the lotus flower is stylised in this particular design, the colours and materials perfectly represent the significance of the flower in Japanese culture. The bloom is renowned for growing out of dirty, murky waters and arising absolutely pure and clean despite its surroundings.

In this, it represents the process of attaining enlightenment, where seekers rise from the lowest to the highest state of consciousness, transcending suffering as they seek nirvana. It is little wonder that the symbol is ubiquitous not just in Japan, but throughout many Eastern cultures.

Margaret Lee’s Lotus deviates from this tradition only in the fact that the background it arises from is almost as beautiful as the flower itself. The glass beads scattered across the fabric act like light-catchers, with flashes of rainbow colours sparkling as the light around them changes. The shimmering fabric is also beautiful in its silky smoothness, making the perfect ground for the gold and silver flower that floats on its surface.

There is a meditative quality to both the working of and contemplation of the central flower. Working from the centre of the flower to the outer petals, the repetition in the stitches and the evenness inherent in working in a circular shape all encourage you to think carefully and ensure that each stitch is perfectly matched to the ones before and after it.

And then comes the mounting. Lotus looks simply stunning framed and hung on the wall, which is the finish you can achieve when you purchase one of our Ready-to-Stitch kits. Although as you’ll see you can also opt to mount Lotus in the lid of a stunningly worked, custom made display box.

As mentioned earlier in this newsletter, these wooden display boxes are now available from our website, so if you plan on mounting your Lotus into a lid top, don’t forget to order a box at the same time as you purchase the instructions and the Ready-to-Stitch kit.

It is sometimes difficult to find the right words to describe Margaret Lee’s superb projects, but Lotus is undoubtedly up there with her finest designs. Don’t miss out on this unique and exclusive project that will exercise your skills and bring a wonderful sense of serenity and achievement all at once.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Lotus by Margaret Lee from our Handpicked Range is a stunning flower design in Japanese goldwork and bead embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit & Wooden Display Box

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Lotus includes everything* you need to re-create this superb box lid insert: Fabric (pre-printed), embroidery threads, beads 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 digital/printed pattern.

Kit does not include opaque adhesive film, mount card or wooden display box.

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 that includes detailed step-by-step diagrams, full descriptions of the techniques involved and fabulous photography.

Sen'nohana by Margaret Lee from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery is an elegant, hard-shell bag, richly embellished with Japanese-style bead embroidery.

Hanabatake by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #95 is a dazzling zipped case with Japanese-style bead embroidery.

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

When looking through our cupboard of What Are You Stitching? delights submitted by our community, we noticed several of you had re-created Margaret Lee’s Sakura purse from Inspirations issue #105. But it wasn’t just Margaret’s beaded purse which jumped out at us. There were other amazing beaded purses that caught our eye as well, that we want to share with you this week.

‘I love trying new techniques and that is what has inspired me to try some of the designs from Inspirations magazine. I don’t really have a favourite technique and mix machine embroidery in with my hand stitching. Time for stitching is a luxury so I like using quality materials for my work.’

‘Above is a photo of my finished Sakura purse from Inspirations issue #105. I used a few beads I had left over to make a small tassel.’

This is a challenging project you’ve tackled Helen and you’ve finished it beautifully, well done! We love the addition of the tassel as well, no doubt when Margaret sees that she’ll be thrilled at your creativity.

‘Here is a picture of the Sakura purse that I have finished. I have, however, decided to hate bugle beads from now on. All went well on the purse until I tried to make the bugle beads line up. Now they are all over the place but I’ve gotten to the stage where I would probably kill them if I had to take them out and do them again!’

‘I have to say, damn those beads to bugle heaven or hell - as far as they are concerned, they have played their own ‘Last Post.’

But I am a realist and have decided that if that’s the way they want to sit then so be it. There is usually one part of my work that looks like a bit of a car crash, but it’s reassuring to see because when you turn over to the back, there is a 6-lane pile up happening! It means the front doesn’t seem so bad.’

You really made us laugh with your description, Jill. Not only are you an accomplished stitcher, but your creative writing skills are also sensational!

We have to say though, your bugle beads look pretty good to us and there’s not a car crash in sight in our opinion, so job well done.

‘I belong to the Waikato Embroiderers Guild. About 15 years ago the Guild celebrated its 30th anniversary. The President’s challenge for that year was to stitch something inspired by the word ‘coral’. I embroidered a purchased bra with some seaweed and fish on one side and a mermaid on the other. I called it ‘Brarier Reef.’

‘I was pleased with the result and loved wearing my bra. Eventually one of the underwires broke. It stayed in my drawer for several years as I couldn’t bring myself to throw it out but couldn’t use it either. I would often look at it and think about what to do with it, before putting it back in the drawer.’

‘One day I was at a craft fair and saw a purse frame meant for a spectacle case. Inspiration hit me and I thought of my bra. The black rings that the chain attaches to came from the bra straps. I added some beaded fringing and a fish charm, and now I have a useful evening purse that is often commented on.’

What a wonderful story! From underwear to evening wear. Very inventive of you and well done for your vision in creating the bra in the first place, and then giving it a second life. Thank you so much for sharing, Marianne. PS: We loved the name Brarier Reef!

Have you ever made a purse or other accessory? Do you love beading? Or have you ever stitched an item, only to rework it years later into something completely different?

There are so many ways you can stitch and so many things you can do. Whatever it is you love, we’d love to see your work. Send us a picture with a bit of information about the project and your 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!

Tiny Turtle by Susan Casson is a delightful green turtle hatchling in stumpwork approaching the water’s edge.

Enchanted Forest by Zinaida Kazban from Inspirations issue #95 is a whimsical stumpwork embroidery featuring a sweet little fellow peeking out between blades of grass, ready to explore the wonders around him.

Dogwood & Lacewing by Jane Nicholas from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery is a beautiful stumpwork study of dogwood blooms arranged in a wreath, with a caterpillar, butterfly and lacewing.

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

Lepidoptera by Fiona Hibbett from Inspirations issue #102 is a stunning panel of nine stumpwork butterflies.

~ Will.i.am ~

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.