Some of us at Inspirations HQ have just recently returned to the office after photographing Inspirations issue #114. Whilst it’s not a new process for any of us, there always seems to be a moment that takes us by surprise.

As has been said about raising children ‘that it takes a village’, the same can be said of publishing the magazine. There are a lot of people who play their part to make what we do at Inspirations possible. Two such people who are part of our village are our stylist and photographer who have been with us since issue #90.

Over time, we’ve become familiar with the way they gather props, style the projects and photograph each of the pieces within our publications.

Sometimes the stories are simple, yet there are times the detail of narrative they form captures our attention and transports us to the world they’ve imagined. One such piece that did this on our most recent photo shoot was Wendy Innes’s Rainbow Bee-Eater. Not to spoil the surprise of Inspirations issue #114 arriving in your mailbox April ‘22, but the piece is a spectacular bird delicately perched atop a sprig of orchids. Its colours are vibrant, with the stitches bringing a realistic dimension to its subject.

As we laid Wendy’s stitching on a timber steppingstone amidst greenery as vibrant as the bird itself, our stylist unpacked the props, along with the story that went with them.

‘The photo will capture a bird watcher who’s stepped away from his position momentarily, leaving behind not only his binoculars, notepad and Avian reference guide, but also a thermos of beverage and a spattering of trail mix he’s packed for sustenance throughout the day.’

It was amazing how the details of Natalie’s story brought not only the piece, but also the props, location and final image to life. Almost instantly, we felt at one with the bird watcher whose return was imminent, knowing he’d brought everything he needed, and then some, as he sought to observe a Rainbow Bee-Eater in its natural habitat.

There was a certain magic in knowing the ‘why’ behind the image’s ‘what’ and it made us appreciate what was before us all the more. We hope when you see the images of Wendy’s stitching in Inspirations issue #114, Natalie’s story will come to mind, and like us, you’ll find yourself instantly transported to another time and place.

It seems there are still plenty of UFO stories around. If anyone doubts the existence of these things, all they need to do is come and have a read of All Stitched Up! We’d say that we’ve encountered more UFOs than Roswell, and we’re pretty confident that there are more out there. Perhaps if everyone realised that ‘Unfinished Objects’ were so common, it may help to demystify their existence!?

Sue Donohue Smith wrote to tell us that when her mother passed away in 2009, she was given a large bag of needlepoint ‘stuff’ that had been saved for her, as she was the only stitcher in the family. Sue only had the chance to collect it in 2011 when she flew back to her hometown, where she put the bag in her luggage and didn’t think much more about it.

When she got it home, she discovered a half-finished needlepoint of two swans that she remembers her mother working on as a present for Sue’s sister. But there was no pattern! Not one to be deterred, Sue sat down to figure it out. With the help of one of her guild friends, she finally got it finished and gifted it to her sister.

Lucy sent us this lovely picture of a tablecloth that was started by her mother prior to her mother’s wedding in 1950. It was unfinished and left in a drawer until the 1970s, when it was given to Lucy to finish off. She did just that and now still uses it, although she struggles to see which stitches were hers and which were her mother’s. Perhaps a testament to the skill of both needlewomen?

Wendy Armitage was mulling over sustainability after being inspired by Ann Baseden’s thrifty use of her husband’s shirts as embroidery material. Wendy says she tries to be as sustainable as possible in her life, often wearing her clothes until they are well past the possibility of being donated to charity. Wendy hates putting things in the bin, so she often uses them to embroider on, or cuts up the highly patterned items and uses them to finish the backs of her hoop art. What fabulous ways to reuse and recycle!

Finally, Joylene Smart wrote in to add to the conversation for the first time, and there is no doubt that she gave us a good laugh with her closing comments (after we’d gotten over our surprise). Joylene has spent time sorting through her craft room because she realised she needed to tidy things up.

After being shocked by the number of UFOs other readers had, Joylene took a deep breath and counted her own. At that point she realised that she wasn’t exactly perfect herself! Over the lockdowns, she’s managed to finish a few and each new project she’s started this year, she’s made the effort to finish.

Joylene also jumped in on the acronym conversation. It is probably best to quote her directly here as we don’t think we could say it any better:

‘Do readers have PIGs (Projects in Grocery Bags) in their homes? Have they had a good FART (Fabric Acquisition Road Trip) recently? How about any SEX (Stash Enhancing eXercises) lately? I may even have a WOMBAT (Waste of Material, Batting and Time) or two in my craft room.’

We think we might just leave it there for this week!

Stitching with silk is an absolute joy, although so many of us tend to stick with stranded cotton because it is what we know and, frankly, it is generally more cost effective.

However, it is true to say that once you’ve tried stitching with silk, you’ll want to do more of it. So, to help get you started, we’ve put together a sample pack of exquisite Gumnut Stars silks.

These silks can be used for counted needlework, silk shading, surface embroidery or any other type of textile art you wish to try. The pack includes a selection of greens, pinks and golds that bring to mind flowers, gardens and the glory of spring.

The colours included are:

606 Rainforest
607 Med Rainforest
608 Dk Rainforest
677 Med Olive
746 Med Daffodil
857 Med Salmon Pink
859 Dk Salmon Pink
947 Med Hazelnut
991 Ecru

The sample pack is the perfect way to try out these beautiful threads and with the sheen, the colour and the texture that Gumnut Stars offers, we’d be very surprised if you didn’t fall in love. Just make sure you send us pictures of all of the wonderful projects you work with them.

You will have seen by now that our latest publication, The Design Collective | Pincushions, is available in most territories the world over and is taking the embroidery world by storm. Already we’ve heard from people commenting on how lovely the projects are and how much they are enjoying the format and the style.

We thought we should let you know that we now have all of the kits on the shelves, waiting to be stitched. We’ve been working extra hard to put them together, sourcing materials from all over the place so that all you have to do is choose your favourite pincushion (or two or…), go online and get your kit ordered.

We’re working our way through the roaring ‘40s, digitising as we go! This week, we’ve set our sights on out-of-print Inspirations issue #46, which is jam packed with fantastic projects. It’s so jam packed in fact that to help avoid overwhelming you, we’re releasing half of the projects this week and the rest next, so let’s get started:

Winter Bouquet by Beverley Sheldrick is an elegant cushion made from pale yellow silk dupion and adorned with a silk ribbon bouquet, bringing a touch of nostalgia to any living room or sitting area.

Round and Round the Garden by Sandra English is a wonderfully whimsical set, comprising a tote bag with the beloved nursery rhyme stitched on to it and a gorgeous glove puppet. The puppet has tiny bears stitched to each finger, which will provide endless fun for a baby or child as they learn their numbers or act out their favourite teddy bear rhymes.

With babies still in mind, Serenity by Kris Richards is a subtle baby blanket just perfect for a newborn. It is embroidered in pastel shades with bullion roses and bluebirds, making it ideal for either a boy or a girl.

Finally for this week, Sunseeker by Anne Chaves is a handy drawstring bag decorated all around with sunflowers. Whether you use the bag for tidying things around the house or for taking your swimming gear to the beach, this project is guaranteed to bring a bit of sunshine into any day.

All these projects and our entire digital pattern catalogue can be browsed, purchased and downloaded immediately. Use the link below to begin your click frenzy!

As restrictions start to lift around the world, one of the wonderful things we are seeing is the return of exhibitions and shows. For endless months now, artists have been forced to work in isolation, but at last their creations can be put on display for people to finally get out and enjoy.

One such exhibition is The Needles Art, which we first featured in Inspirations issue #108, and after being postponed due to COVID-19, is now opening on 20th November at the Bodleian Library in Oxford, UK.

The exhibition features a selection of hand embroidered items inspired by an early Tudor pattern book, MS Ashmole 1504. There is a huge range of different projects on display, all of which have used one or two discrete designs from the book as inspiration.

The exhibition runs until the 16th January 2022. Even if you aren’t lucky enough to be able to visit Oxford to see the works, you can read more about it HERE or follow Ornamental Embroidery on Instagram HERE.

You’ve heard of textile artists creating food out of fabric and thread, but what about creating fabric and thread out of food? Alana Jones-Mann, a talented baker from the USA, has been creating the textures of rugs and other textiles using various colours of fondant icing.

Alana uses an array of colours for her creations, but what really sets them apart is their amazing texture. At first glance, her cake looks for all the world like it is covered in carpet, or raffia or some other kind of textile. But a closer look reveals that these mouth-watering works of art are actually perfectly edible.

Alana says she finds the process of icing a new cake both creative and meditative. She loves to push the limits on what can be done with icing and is currently working on creative cakes that appear to be iced with embroidery.

It’s a perfect pairing, because if there is one thing that goes nicely with an afternoon of stitching, it is a lovely piece of cake and a cup of tea!

You can read more about Alana HERE.

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

All around the world, people celebrate Christmas in different ways. In some parts of the world they are gathering around a warm fire with mulled wine and woollen jumpers. In other parts, they are donning their swim gear and heading to the beach. However, for many parts of the world there are consistent symbols, images and songs which characterise Christmas no matter the weather or the annual traditions.

Holly and ivy are two plants which became synonymous with Christmas back in medieval times due to their everlasting colour even in the coldest, darkest Northern winter months.

Both plants have deep green leaves that remain throughout the winter, and the holly plant also produces bright red berries that sit in perfect contrast to the green foliage.

The plants became so popular that in the early nineteenth century they were memorialised in a traditional British folk Christmas carol ‘The Holly and the Ivy’.

Although the tune has varied in the years since the lyrics were first written, nowadays it is one of the many familiar songs that bring that delightful feeling of Christmas to the heart, and that is played on all the Christmas stations and sung by Christmas choirs.

These traditions inspired Margaret Light to use holly and ivy to decorate her stunning table runner featured in Inspirations issue #112. Stitched on a beautiful natural linen, this project features a range of stitches and threads, every one characterising the season.

Along the centre of the table runner are a series of circles stitched using gold thread couched down with red. Within each circle is either a sprig of holly or ivy or a delicate flower or star.

Many of us love to lay the Christmas table using specific linen, glassware and tableware, so this table runner is absolutely perfect for an elegant Christmas setting.

In order to keep your table runner looking perfect every year, it is best to store it rolled when not in use, as the gold thread will make ironing The Holly and the Ivy quite difficult. By laying acid-free tissue paper over it and storing it in a postal or other acid-free tube, you can be assured that each time you take out this wonderful project to lay your Christmas table, it will look as good as it did the first time you stitched it.

The season is fast approaching, so if you’re looking for the perfect Christmas project to stitch ready for your happy family gathering, then look no further. The Holly and the Ivy is most definitely a project you’ll enjoy using year after year.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

The Holly and the Ivy by Margaret Light is a festive linen table runner with central design of holly and ivy encircled with gold braid.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for The Holly and the Ivy includes everything* you need to re-create this superb table runner: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads, metallic 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.

Deck the Halls by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #56 is a delightful Christmas table runner.

Simple Pleasures by Maree Moscato from Inspirations issue #19 is a beautiful table runner featuring a tulip, daffodil, bluebells and violets.

Coffee Scrolls by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #56 is an elegant matching table runner and tray cloth.

Perhaps it is just a rumour, but the word is that there seem to be a lot of new babies around at the moment. For many of us, news of a new baby immediately makes us think about stitching a blanket! This week we’ve got some lovely blankets to show you that our readers have recently completed. If you haven’t already started, then this showcase should give you all the encouragement you need to get a blanket embroidered in time for the happy arrival.

‘The next project was Jenny McWhinney’s Hello Possum! blanket. It was a present for a friend of my younger daughter who had a baby about four months ago.’

You seem to be stitching ahead in leaps and bounds, Jill. The cute little possum was a real favourite, and you’ve done a wonderful job of it.

Blossom has such character, Judy! You’ve really done incredibly well brining Blossom to life and should be very proud of the finish.

This is a wonderfully creative blanket, Denise. And it seems there is a very happy little man enjoying the finished project as well!

‘It was my first time doing wool embroidery and I really enjoyed the project. What surprised me the most was how quickly it grew. I'm really pleased with the end product. Hopefully she will love it too when she receives it.’

We’re sure she’s going to love it, Jenny and we hope that you’ll soon get the chance to see your new grandchild in person.

Do you love embroidering blankets? Do you eagerly listen out for baby announcements, just so you can get out the wools and cashmere? Or do you prefer to stitch other kinds of gifts?

Whatever it is you like to stitch, we want to see it. Send us a picture of your project with a bit of information about it and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Bright Butterfly by Natalie Dupuis is a small linen bag with a deep border of couched goldwork inspired by kogin embroidery.

Bright Baubles by Natalie Dupuis from Inspirations issue #108 is a gleaming or nué design of Christmas baubles worked over silver threads.

Prism by Natalie Dupuis from Inspirations issue #103 is a sparkling brooch with a burst of coloured silks worked in Italian shading over silver passing thread.

Celeste Fig by Christine Burton from the book The Design Collective | Pincushions is a three-dimensional fig with beaded blackwork designs creating texture and shading.

Limonera Pear by Christine Burton from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery is an inventive three-dimensional pear pincushion featuring contemporary blackwork.

Grapes by Julie Kniedl from the book Botanica is a bunch of fresh, green grapes, complete with a grape leaf.

~ Robert McKee ~

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.