We don’t know about you, but we’re busy and to be honest it’s taken us a little by surprise!

Whilst there’s always something to do at Inspirations HQ, one of the silver linings of 2020 was that life seemed to slow a little and we found ourselves with the time to pursue some want-tos rather than just our have-tos. Yet all of a sudden, we find ourselves without time to spare again and we’re wondering what happened.

Whilst the disruptive hustle and bustle of COVID-19 is still with us on some level, it seems busy found a way to sneak back in!

Seemingly without us noticing, we’ve found the want-tos we pursued last year have once again taken a back seat to our seemingly never-ending list of have-tos and it took a post we saw on Instagram to remind us of this.

The post served as a timely reminder that we need to be intentional with our time, ensuring busy doesn’t take over and that amidst the flurry of everyday life we don’t miss the opportunity to be grateful.

Upon consulting Google, we found that that the direct translation of fika is simply ‘to have a coffee’. For the Swedes, however, it’s become so much more than that. Fika has become an integral part of Swedish culture, with many considering it an essential part of everyday life. More than just the act of consuming coffee, it’s become an opportunity to set aside time for both friends and colleagues.

Whilst still synonymous with consuming a coffee or beverage of choice - and almost definitely a sweet, sugary pastry! - it’s become a delightful custom that ensures a pause in the day where busy is put aside for the therapeutic, wellbeing promoting and productivity inducing act of fika.

It sounds like our days could indeed do with a little fika!

Whether your fika involves coffee, cake and others or whether it’s just a moment you schedule to engage in a want-to, we hope you’ll find it a refreshing pause from the hustle and bustle of everyday.

Not everyone can say they have encountered a UFO. In fact, if you were to tell someone you have a collection of UFO’s that might well be the last time you ever see them.

But not us stitchers. Our idea of what a UFO is, is very different to the average person.

Except for an admirable few, most of us have at least one UFO sitting somewhere at home. Probably the majority of us have more than one. In fact, to ensure that none of you feel too bad, there is at least one person here in the office who is well into triple figures when it comes to UFOs, and that number increases if you want to count sewing, knitting and crochet projects as well!

For most of us, we prefer not to count them as there seems to be something of a stigma around UFOs. But we would like to declare a moratorium. It’s time for all of us to stop feeling ashamed and accept that there are projects which just haven’t been finished… yet!

UFOs or Un Finished Objects are also known as WIPs (Works In Progress) or our personal favourite; PhD’s (Projects Half Done) and there are as many reasons we have them as there are projects. Reasons might include: losing interest in the project and putting it aside; reaching a really difficult part and giving up; discovering the reason you were stitching a project for someone no longer exists; or even just something else came along and that project was put down with all the intentions to pick it back up again.

This just scratches the surface of the reasons a UFO might appear. But every reason is valid and most of the time, the project is put aside with the promise that it will get picked up again. And sometimes it is only weeks or months later. Other times it takes years.

There are plenty of stories of people going through the effects of a deceased loved one and discovering a drawer full of unfinished projects. Or browsing through a thrift shop or second-hand store and discovering a forlorn UFO packaged up, waiting and hoping that someone might come along and buy it to complete.

Not to mention those moments when you look in a cupboard you haven’t opened for years, only to discover a UFO you had put there a decade ago for safekeeping! It turns out that unfinished objects are as much a part of stitching as are needles and threads.

So here are a few tips and ideas to consider when you either put a project down, or discover one put down a while ago:

1 - Keep all the materials with the project.

Always keep all the materials with the project. This includes threads. It is so tempting to borrow a thread from a kitted, started project, fully intending to put it back. But we don’t always fulfill that intention. There is nothing more off-putting that picking up a UFO and discovering that half of the materials and threads are missing. If you want to make sure you get it finished at some stage in the future, make sure you’ve got everything you need to do it.

2 - Keep a copy of the pattern with the project.

Magazines can get lost or borrowed. Charts can get tatty or old. Or worse, if it happens to be someone else who picks up that UFO, imagine how disappointed they will be if they want to get it finished but the instructions are nowhere to be found and can no longer be sourced? Even if you think you’re only going to put it aside for a week, marry the project with its instructions.

3 - Keep a list of all your UFOs somewhere.

Honestly, don’t feel bad about how many you’ve got. Nobody is judging you or keeping score, so you really don’t have to hide them. At least if you’ve got them written down, you won’t lose track of them. When inspiration strikes, you’ll know what you’ve started, where it is and how far you’ve got on it.

4 - Remember, needlework projects never go off.

They don’t need feeding so it’s OK if they sit in a cupboard for several months, or several years, or however long you want. They will always be there for you to pick up where you left off.

5 – It’s OK to let it Rest In Peace.

There comes a time in the life of every UFO when you have to accept that you’re never going to finish it. Your grandchild is now in their 20s and isn’t going to appreciate the teddy bear blanket quite so much. Your daughter is never going to get married and that’s OK. And what made you ever think that that colour was going to look good in your house?! It is time for those UFOs to move on. Whether it is to your local guild, charity shop, a friend or a care home or church group, there will be someone who will fall in love with your partially finished work and get enormous joy out of finishing it off. See it as a collaborative project.

In the end, the most important thing to remember is that there is no rule book with this craft.

And you don’t lose points for having multiple UFOs. We do this because we love it. Some projects we adore, others we don’t. Ultimately, life is too short to stitch something we are not enjoying. It might be time to move on.

What is your oldest UFO? How many have you got? (Are you brave enough to admit it? But you’ll have to do well to beat some of us!) Have you given UFOs away? Or have you finished someone else’s UFO? We’d love to hear your UFO encounters – needlework style of course! Because we all know that they’re out there…

We have some exciting news… for the first time in quite a while we haven’t run out of kits for the current issue of Inspirations magazine. How is this possible you may be wondering?

Issue after issue, publication after publication, they somehow manage to source the most hard-to-find elements from all over the world and put them together for your stitching pleasure into our range of Ready-to-Stitch kits. And for Inspirations issue #110 they went the extra mile and even managed to almost keep up with demand. Bravo kit team!

Now as wonderful as it is to still have all the projects from issue #110 available, we all know it’s only a matter time before, just like all previous issues, these kits will no longer be around.

So today is the day to make your final choices, pick your favourite designs and order them while you can, as this is our final call for Inspirations issue #110 stitching utopia. Click below to order…

In Inspirations issue #60 we celebrated the magazine turning fifteen and Christmas all together in one bumper issue. Due to its popularity, Inspirations issue #60 is completely out of print, however that doesn’t have to stop us from enjoying the projects.

With most of the designs already available as digital patterns, we’re now busy dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s and this week we’re releasing two more projects from issue #60.

Hungarian Bouquet by Peta McMillan is a gorgeously colourful little mat worked in the traditional Hungarian Kalocsa style. It combines brilliantly colourful satin stitch blooms with a lacy white background and would look perfect on a side table or as a centre piece.

Julie Graue’s Bundles of Joy is a pattern for two adorable and practical baby bags that would make an ideal gift for a new Mum. With delicate quilting and a gorgeous gingham frill, these bags can be made for a baby boy or girl.

Both fabulous projects are now available to purchase and download as digital patterns.

We’ve always said that embroidery is as much an art form as painting or sculpture. But when you combine painting with embroidery, the artistic results are sublime. This is precisely how we would describe the art of Sarah Detweiler, a mixed media artist who combines thread with paint to exquisite effect.

Sarah creates mysterious portraits of women who are front and centre while at the same time, completely hidden. In this way, she explores anonymity and universality associated with the feminine. The combination of oil, watercolour, gouache and embroidery is breathtakingly unique.

Although Sarah is based in Philadelphia in the USA, there is a virtual tour of her most recent exhibition available online. You can read more about her HERE or follow her on Instagram @sd_artifacts

From wares to kits and all kinds of tricks, if it has recently come back in stock, you’ll discover it below.

Needlebooks, needlerolls or needlefolds are some of the most popular projects around. Perhaps this is because every one of us has a multitude of needles at any time and finding an effective and attractive way to store them is an ongoing quest.

Needlefolds come in all shapes and sizes, and this week we’re taking a closer look at two designed by Margaret Light, both of which appear in her book ‘A Fine Tradition’.

These beautiful and unique needlefolds benefit from Margaret’s exquisite eye and both offer the stitcher pleasure and joy in the making.

The first is the 18th Century Needlefold. The design for this lovely project originated from a court dress from the mid 1700’s that was beautifully embroidered. This costume inspired Margaret to create a twirling flow of flowers that spirals its way up the linen. With a colourful combination of pink carnations, jolly periwinkles and lovely blue forget-me-nots, when the needlefold is opened out, you get to fully appreciate the feast of floral delights.

However, it isn’t just the attractive design on one side of the needlefold which makes this project so unique.

Margaret created the interior, borrowing from a little book in her own collection that contained an image of an antique leather needlecase. From this she included the pincushion pillow filled with emery at one end, and ties at the other to hold it all together.

It is easy to fall in love with this project, but before you begin you are met with another wonderful choice – do you stitch it in crewel wool or in stranded cotton? There are instructions and material guides for both. If you choose the former, the result is similar to historic crewel embroideries, filled with rich colour and a strong, raised texture. However, if you opt for cotton, you’ll achieve a lighter effect with a distinct shimmer.

The second needlefold featured in A Fine Tradition is Morning Glory. This project features a slightly more modern design, constructed to open out like a book. There are hints of the Gothic Revival in the lines and the positioning of the flowers across the back.

Each panel features lush foliage and a brightly coloured bloom, including vivid blue morning glory and warm orange wallflowers. The petals are set off by the natural linen background, and the whole project is finished with a sturdy edging and a soft felt inner lining punctuated with practical pockets.

It really isn’t possible to just have one needlefold in your needlework kit is it? Even if you already have a favourite one, these two projects would make thoughtful gifts for a stitching friend or family member. Margaret’s impeccable designs, exquisite colour choices and clever interiors make these needlefolds into ‘must do’ projects.

Frankly, even if they are never used for their practical purpose, they are such gorgeous objects in their own right, they are essential projects to add to your ‘to-do-next’ list.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

18th Century Needlefold by Margaret Light from the book A Fine Tradition is a stunning needlefold containing pincushion and needle pages with exquisite flowers worked in stranded cotton or crewel wool.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kits for 18th Century Needlefold include everything* you need to re-create this stunning needlefold: Fabric (unprinted), wool felts, waddings, linen tape, sewing thread, embroidery threads (stranded cotton or crewel wool) and needle.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Morning Glory Needlefold by Margaret Light from the book A Fine Tradition is a pretty needlefold with large pockets adorned with scrolling stems of morning glory and wallflowers.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Morning Glory Needlefold includes everything* you need to re-create this lovely needlefold: Fabric (unprinted), wool felt, wadding, linen tape, sewing thread, 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.

Abundant Riches by Margaret Light from Inspirations issue #80 is a stunning jewellery roll with a lavish design of exotic blooms in rich colours.

Sweet Secret by Margaret Light from Inspirations issue #73 is a sweet and practical little pouch adorned with vibrant red pelargoniums.

Rainbow Dreams by Margaret Light from Inspirations issue #65 is a set of cot linen richly decorated with birds, animals and insects in the style of Indian kantha embroidery.

Strawberry Fields by Margaret Light from Inspirations issue #42 is a charming needlecase featuring strawberry stems that softly entwine to form a delicate heart.

Warm weather or cold, it doesn’t seem to have any effect on the desire that quilters have to make more quilts. Of course, we are particularly fond of those quilts which combine their clever construction with beautiful embroidery. Today we want to highlight a number of these clever people who aren’t just skilled with the needle, but also with arranging and constructing all of those bits and pieces of fabric into coherent and beautiful designs.

‘I decided I wanted to make just a simple quilt for a friend’s second baby. Thanks to Jenny McWhinney for the bunny pattern (which I have now embroidered twice!). The rabbit is on a piece of calico and I thought that perhaps I could get some rabbit printed material and make it up.’

‘Well, I couldn’t find rabbit material and it was difficult to find the right colours without making it too girly or boyish! I made do with what I could get here in Tasmania and I think it has turned out ok for a light quilt for Perth’s warm weather.’

It looks perfect, Gill. The colour choice works really well and you have done a superb job re-creating one of Jenny’s gorgeous rabbits who looks perfectly at home surrounded by the wonderful fabrics you have chosen.

‘I love embroidery and quilting and have combined both lately, which is very satisfying. In 2017 I embroidered the birds but cancer in 2018 and life issues prevented working on it. I finally finished the quilt top last week using Robin Kingsley’s ‘Sheltering Tree’ red fabrics. When completed it will be hand quilted and have more beads added.’

Your quilt is a gorgeous combination of embroidery and quilting, Bobbi. What a spectacular result you have achieved under what sounds like very trying circumstances. We look forward to seeing the final piece once completed.

‘A few years back I bought the ‘A is for Alphabet; Q is for Quilt’ book with the hope of another grandchild.’

‘I spent three years on and off working the embroidery, and I really enjoyed doing all the blocks. I assembled it and Cooee Quilting, located in Yeppoon in Queensland, Australia, quilted it for me beautifully.’

‘And this year in February we now have a cherished grandson Aiden.’

That is a spectacular family heirloom you have created Anna, something to be very proud of and to be treasured for many years to come. Congratulations on a beautifully finished quilt and the exciting news of your new grandson Aiden, we trust he enjoys it.

Do you love fabrics, swoon over quilting patterns and need to nail your cupboards shut for fear of all your finished quilts falling out? Do you like to quilt by hand and add embroidery? Or do you prefer your machine and like to keep your embroidery separate?

Whatever your preference, we’d love to hear about it. Send us pictures of your work with a bit of information about the project and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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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.

Cherry Delight by Jane Nicholas from Inspirations issue #97 is a superb stumpwork roundel with goldwork and beading.

Punica Granatum by Jane Nicholas from Inspirations issue #73 is an elegant pomegranate tree and goldwork beetle personalised with the embroiderer's initial.

Lacewing & Dogwood by Jane Nicholas from Inspirations issue #88 is a superb study of a dainty lacewing resting on a stem of pink dogwood.

Corncockle and Dragonfly by Jane Nicholas from the book A Passion for Needlework 1 is a superb stumpwork study of the corncockle and insects.

~ John de Paola ~

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.