We recently read an article by Molly Wilcox titled ‘Overcoming Perfectionism and Gaining the Confidence you Need to Begin’.

Whilst not a new topic to our time with needle and thread, or indeed this newsletter, the fresh way Molly presented her ideas struck a chord with us and served as a timely reminder to not let perfect be the enemy of the good.

Molly learned to rename failure in a real and meaningful way as she learnt that not only is ‘failure’ sometimes a way of showing us how not to do something, but it provides feedback that will help us grow and develop if we’re willing to listen and learn.

Next, Molly embraced the idea of learning out loud. Instead of learning in secret until you've acquired enough mastery to flaunt your skills, learning out loud means you share what you're currently learning openly. Though this process will often result in disappointment, chances are you’ll find yourself encouraged by onlookers who’ll become your cheerleaders as they nurture you from where you are to where you want to be.

Lastly, she stopped comparing. Molly found a way to accept that there will always be someone better than her and instead of allowing this to diminish her creativity, she allowed other people’s work to inspire her and invite her to become better.

Not only will the ideas Molly unpacked remind us to begin as the title of her article references, but they’ll also encourage us to keep going when perfectionism threatens to halt us in our tracks. The closing invitation in her article was that we’d start chasing after the dreams we have, knowing that we will get better every time we try.

Now that’s one invitation where our RSVP will be a definite yes and we hope yours will be too!

Over the past weeks, we’ve been receiving more and more fantastic emails sharing your UFO stories in response to our article in All Stitched Up! issue #290. We’ve been gathering them up, but we can’t ignore them any more as there are just too many. It seems that every stitcher has an UnFinished Object somewhere in their cupboard, with lots of us having a whole army of them! It’s time we shared, just so that you know you are not alone…

Joan Concannon started a project called Poppy Field a long time ago. She would do a few stitches in front of the TV in the evening, alternating it with smaller projects that she would do on the train to and from work. One day, her son saw a Bugs Bunny kit that he fell in love with, so everything else was put aside so Joan could finish it for his 21st Birthday.

Life took over, babies came along, knitting had to be done and Poppy Field never seemed to make it to the top of the pile. Then, lockdown hit and everything changed.

Not only did Poppy Field get finished, but three other large projects were completed too. Now, Joan is luxuriating in the knowledge that she has no more UFOs left! For now anyway…

Laraine Mitchell started to get interested in quilting about 12 years ago. She read everything she could find, went to shows, and finally decided to start. Of course, like many of us, she chose the most challenging project she could find to begin with – a hand appliquéd, queen-sized quilt with Australian wildflowers!

She had been working on it for a few years when she developed cataracts. After surgery, she tried picking up the quilt again, but couldn’t see clearly enough for the detailed hand appliqué. So back it went into a box where it was duly forgotten about.

Some three years later, Laraine discovered it again by accident and decided to give it another try. This time, she successfully completed the blocks including the one that required about a million French knots, her least favourite stitch.

At last, she put it all together, gave it to a professional company to back it and finish it and voila! It may have taken her 10 years, but now she has a quilt that she can be suitably proud of. And another UFO bites the dust, although there are at least another 20 to go as Laraine admits sheepishly.

Carol George visited the upmarket French department store Galleries Lafayette in Paris in the 1970s where she bought a beautiful, stamped linen tablecloth and matching napkins. This was the start of her love of embroidery, and she completed about a third of the project before other things took over.

It was then put away… for almost 50 years! Like Joan, the pandemic inspired Carol to get this UFO out again and she finally finished it.

The other positive thing that has come out of Carol’s experience is she now tackles her UFOs in a different way. She always has one new project and one UFO on the go, which allows her to make new memories and re-live the old.

Regina Santarcangelo wrote to us about her UFO experiences. In 2000, she was working on a couple of big projects but after a house move, she lost the chart for one and the other one went missing entirely. She also experienced a change in her eyesight and could no longer do close work. Both of these things caused Regina to give up stitching altogether.

Some 10 years later, after an operation, Regina decided to try stitching again. Thanks to the magic of the internet, she managed to secure another copy of the lost chart and all of the materials she needed for the other project. Although she had to start the second project over, both are now finished at last.

While we’re discussing UFOs, you might remember we featured a UFO belonging to Penelope in All Stitched Up! issue #295. Karen Mullan wrote to say that if Penelope needed the chart of the London Landmarks, she had it in her stash!

Karen also has a finished version of it hung on her wall – not stitched by her but found in a second-hand shop beautifully framed and finished. It now has pride of place on Karen’s wall.

Madelaine Pearson turned her eagle eyes to Penelope’s photograph to see if she could help with where things may have gone wrong. She suggested maybe there was an error in the bridge? She observed that the towers aligned and were connected, but the draw bridge and abutments were not aligned. Maybe these are the fresh eyes you need, Penelope, to finally get that mistake fixed and the UFO finished?

All of your stories have been so inspiring and entertaining – thank you everyone for sharing. We’ll bring you more conversations next week, in the meantime, happy stitching!

After alluding to it for several weeks, today we’re taking a sneak-peak at our upcoming new book and releasing it on pre-order.

While there is truth in the saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ there is equal credence in ‘what is now proved was once only imagined’ and here at Inspirations Studios we fiercely believe in always trying new things.

Rather than focusing on a specific technique or single designer, this series brings together a single type of project. For this, the first volume, we approached some of our favourite designers and asked them to create a pincushion, and what an amazing array of projects we received.

What makes this collection stand out is that each and every pincushion is completely unique and absolutely characteristic of its designer.

The Design Collective | Pincushions not only includes our trademark close- up photography, detailed instructions to stitch and construct each pincushion, along with a full-sized pattern sheet, we have also included design and technique notes pertaining to each project as well as specific commentary from each designer.

For those of us who like to collect things, you’ll be thrilled to know this book is the first of a series, all designed to sit together beautifully on your bookshelf.

But more importantly, the series will offer you more brand-new projects to stitch than you could possibly dream of.

If you love pincushions or love beautiful needlework, this new book is a stitcher’s utopia and unlike anything you have ever seen. Now available for pre-order, shipping late October.

When considering which products to add to our website, our team here at Inspirations carefully curates a selection of wares that, we hope, offer a nice blend of the best goodies available.

When we announced we were stocking Clover thimbles recently, it was lovely to receive so much positive feedback. In particular we had an email from Lesley who commented that, although she’s been collecting thimbles for years, as the joints on her fingers have enlarged over time, she now finds she has to try and jam the traditional thimbles on, which isn’t at all comfortable. But these soft, malleable silicone thimbles are the perfect solution!

Furthermore, our Facebook post about the thimbles was filled with comments such as ‘best thimble I have ever used’, ‘I love mine!’ and ‘They are the best’.

So there’s not much else for us to add really, other than to let you know all three sizes are still available and if you haven’t tried one yet it may be worth a go as they really do get quite the glowing reviews!

If you thought we were spoiling you last week with four digital patterns from out-of-print Inspirations issue #51, then just wait until you see what we have for you this week! Not four, not five, but six more gorgeous patterns to download and begin right away. And every one of them would make a perfect gift or addition to any home, ensuring their place on your list of ‘must-do’ projects.

Brenda Ryan’s Seeds of Love is a pattern for three adorable little coin purses decorated with charming embroidered flowers and constructed using a range of beautiful vintage fabrics.

If you’re after a slightly more challenging project, Beverly Sheldrick’s Imagination is a practical compendium with handy pockets inside for note cards and pens and worked with delicate stitching on a striking black fabric.

You can practise your satin stitch with Lilac & Linen by Hanna W. Pedersen and Lizzi Damgaard. This is an elegant cushion adorned with a lovely floral portrait worked in subtle shades of pink, lilac and orange.

Or for a more intimate gift, you could make Perfect Harmony by Kris Richards – a stunning lingerie bag stitched on silk dupion and decorated with bullion roses and a gorgeous pink bow.

Work up a quick and practical present with Table Manners by Lizzi Damgaard. This is a set of crisp table linen finished with brightly coloured motifs on linens ranging from natural to checked.

Or for a new arrival or beloved grandchild, you simply must stitch Rae Wilson’s gorgeous blanket, Leaps & Bounds, featuring a series of baby giraffes capering across a dark wool cashmere background.

All six are now available as digital patterns for immediate download. If you were wondering what you could make for a thoughtful gift, then you need wonder no longer as there is sure to be the perfect present amongst this range of fantastic projects.

For those of us who enjoy spending time scrolling through our phones and devices looking for a shot of motivation as to what to stitch next, here are a few suggestions of wonderful textile artists to follow whose work will do nothing but inspire…

@saramoon1211 – If you want to see some of the most breathtaking Punto Antico, then you simply must follow this talented embroiderer. Her work is truly amazing.

@kitstichy – this embroidery artist creates modern designs inspired by her love of cinema and pop culture.

@nancylisagor – Nancy Lisagor produces bold and beautiful bargello pieces that simply pop. Check out some of her amazing cushions!

@lizgstitches – Elizabeth Griffiths creates the most amazing eye portraits in embroidery. Don’t know what an eye portrait is? You simply must take a look at her work.

Our own social media team here at Inspirations Studios creates daily posts sharing needlework designs, embroidery artists and other fabulous stitching centric musings on both Facebook and Instagram.

So, if you want to indulge yourself with some needlework eye candy, be sure to pin us to your board! You can check out our page HERE or within Pinterest search for Inspirations Studios under People.

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

In anticipation of everyone loving Di Kirchner’s stunning crewel work cushion Interlude from Inspirations issue #111, we asked Di if she could produce another piece as part of our Handpicked series. And what an incredible piece she produced!

Four Corners is a truly magnificent footstool worked in the Jacobean style, which will take pride of place in any sitting room or lounge area.

It was only when the piece arrived that we realised how few footstools we had published over the years. This was interesting considering that historically, embroidery was used for home furnishings all the time.

Today, when we take the time to embroider a footstool, cushion or fire screen, the thought that it might be used can be horrifying! Imagine someone putting their feet on our work?! But in the past, this is exactly what people did.

Items such as linen chests, bed curtains, chairs and sofas were all covered, worked or upholstered in hand embroidered fabric and then used for a highly practical purpose. Because of this, historical textiles haven’t always survived through the ages. Many of those that have been preserved still show signs of the wear and use to which they were subjected.

However, that wear can be seen as part of their story. One can’t help but wonder whose feet discoloured that section, or what kind of emotions were felt when that cushion was sat on or that bed curtain was drawn. In many ways, it brings these items to life, giving them as much of a history and personality as the people who made and used them.

Saying that, we probably wouldn’t expect a pair of dirty work boots to be placed upon Four Corners! Nevertheless, it has been designed with the majority of the work in the corners of the piece, meaning that any feet which are placed upon it are not going to damage the bulk of the needlework.

In Di’s characteristic fashion, the colour, balance and design of this piece are exquisite. She has employed a range of crewel stitches so that even the most experienced stitcher will enjoy the challenge, but also ensured through her instructions that this project is achievable for all levels of stitching experience.

The symmetry is so pleasing on the eye, you would not be blamed if you simply wanted to frame this project and hang it on the wall. But it would work equally well made up into a cushion or mounted into the lid of a box.

The more of Di’s projects you do, the more your skills at crewel embroidery will improve. Every stitch will be a pleasure to work and the finished piece will be something to be proud of.

Perhaps you might follow in the footsteps of your forebears and put this piece out, ready for a pair of tired, stockinged feet to rest upon it. Or perhaps you will simply want to preserve it as a work of art. Either way, it will develop its own story and is guaranteed to become a beloved family heirloom to be admired in years to come.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Four Corners by Di Kirchner from our Handpicked Range is an elegant and richly shaded crewelwork panel on sturdy linen twill, perfect to use as an insert for a wooden footstool base.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Four Corners includes everything* you need to re-create this superb design: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads and needle.

*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 printed/digital pattern. Kit does not include wooden footstool base.

Winter Sunset by Hazel Blomkamp from the book A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII features a magical palette of gentle pastels and intricate stitch techniques to create the fascinating surface on this square footstool.

Masterpiece by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations issue #70 is a superb footstool richly decorated with ornate, traditional Jacobean motifs, and embroidered with a rich palette of lustrous cotton threads and stitch techniques.

Jacobean Dream by The Wemyss School of Needlework from Inspirations issue #110 is a charming crewelwork cushion featuring embroidery based on a 17th century crewel hanging.

Symphony in Blue by Deborah Love from Inspirations issue #72 is a stylish Deerfield embroidered cushion, perfect for any home.

There is nothing more inviting than a comfortable sofa piled high with cushions, and they’re even better when they are handmade. Although we might love stitching cushions, there are plenty of us who are horrified at the thought that someone might sit on our beautiful work! Whether you stitch cushions for sitting or you stitch them for show, they are always a popular project. Here are a few to delight:

‘I've stitched Sweet Repose from Inspirations issue #107 using different colours and a few beads. I hope my stitching passes muster!’

It certainly does, Margaret! It’s wonderful to hear that you find inspiration in our publications and we look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous creations as this version of Sweet Repose looks fabulous. Well done.

You should definitely be happy with it Charmaine – it is a lovely finish. A little too much long and short stitch you say? Well it looks like you have certainly mastered that technique.

‘This next project is a Hardanger scatter cushion that I also finished recently. It was adapted slightly from a Permin of Copenhagen table centre pattern. I just missed off the outer edging and sewed it up into a cushion cover. It’s now on our sofa.’

Two fantastic cushions for two very different purposes! Thank you so much for sharing your work, Elizabeth and for your wonderful contributions to the newsletter. We always love reading your emails.

‘Looking at it brings back so many memories; some good, some not so good. I do still have the pattern and maybe one day I’ll make another one to match.’

What a beautiful cushion Joan and it’s amazing how much history has been in embedded in those threads when you consider the passage of time from the first stitch you laid to the last. If you do stitch another cushion to match, we’d love to see it!

Do you love stitching cushions? Are you happy for them to become comfortable parts of the furniture or are there signs all around them saying ‘don’t sit here’?! Perhaps there are other kinds of home furnishings you like to stitch? Whatever it is you like to stitch, we’d like to see it. Send us a picture of your work with a bit of information about the project and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Shaker Spool Box by Betsy Morgan is a handy counted thread box for sewing thread spools with places for scissors, needles and an emery.

Gloriana by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #98 is an elegant, counted work reticule with needlebook and scissor fob inspired by Mary, Queen of Scots.

Seasons by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #87 is a sweet pin cube showcasing the seasons of the year.

Edinburgh Etui by Betsy Morgan from the book A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII is a charming etui and accessories with counted work and surface embroidery.

Cosmina by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #63 is a decorative scissor keep and matching fob.

~ Lao Tzu ~

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.