A blog post by Darius Foroux recently piqued our curiosity.

Darius explored the correlation he’s experienced between the number of options he has in life and his happiness. He found that if he can choose what he does with his time, either at work or for leisure, he is able to declare himself happy.

Darius believes that fewer options are restrictive and can sometimes bring with them a sense of unhappiness as we feel restricted with what we can do in life. However, this is easily turned around when we create options for ourselves.

He quoted the work of psychiatrist Gordon Livingston who believes that one of the contributors to positive mental health is the presence of choice - the more choices we’re able to exercise, the happier we’ll be.

As we read his thoughts throughout the post he’d titled ‘The More Options You Have, The Happier You Are’, we found ourselves thinking back through some of the conversations that have been had through All Stitched Up! over our previous 309 issues.

Most recently, our series on UFO’s explored how we feel about our ‘options’ with needle and thread. Like anything in life, there’s not a one size fits all approach. There are those who relish the thought of the almost endless number of projects they have on the go or just waiting to be started. Whilst there are others who find themselves overwhelmed if they have to choose between, or focus on, more than a single project at any one time.

For those of us who fall into the first group of one too many UFO’s, we’re able to take comfort from Darius’s words as they cemented our thoughts that it doesn’t matter what we put our needles and thread to, what matters most is that we have a choice.

Now to get back to all our options with needle and thread…

By Nancy Williams

I was standing in front of my bookshelf, stuffed with embroidery and craft books, considering a topic to write about. As my eye scanned the spines, I felt that wonderful, familiar burst of inspiration.

It made me consider the connection between needlework and books and noted with interest some of the reader recommended titles mentioned in this very newsletter in recent weeks. The connection between handcrafts and reading is a natural one. Both require concentration and contemplation. Both bring a sense of peace, and both can transport you away from the stress and worry of life, allowing you to rest in that sublime feeling of ‘flow’.

I suspect that many of us are book collectors with multiple embroidery books on our shelves ranging across a vast number of topics. Some might be antique, passed down from previous generations. Others might be so new the pages are still pristine and the spine untouched. But all of them are treasured.

The instinct to collect things is very human, and the specific art of book collecting has been practiced since long before Gutenburg invented his press. The love of books is known as bibliophilia, and those people who love reading, admiring and collecting books are bibliophiles. You don’t need to only collect rare antiques or highly sought after first editions to be regarded as a book collector. You can simply collect books you love, or books by a specific author or, in our case, books about a particular topic.

There are several kinds of collector. There are the people who collect simply for the sake of possessing. These people will hunt high and low for a specific volume and then when they have secured it, they will keep it safely locked away in a cabinet or high on a shelf, and only take it down to carefully admire it.

Then there are people who collect for the sake of use and study. The thrill of the chase is just as great, but when this type of collector discovers their prize, the pleasure comes from what they gain out of the book. The book is used for what it was intended rather than just as an object to look at.

Whether you have a large collection or a modest one, how it is stored and displayed is also something which varies from collector to collector. Many people will have full bookshelves like mine. Others will have books in piles or in boxes. Some may stack all their books together, creating a delicious mix of everything from embroidery pattern books to crime fiction. Others might keep their books neatly separated or in alphabetical order or ordered by subject or technique.

Many of us wear the title of bibliophile with pride, and never get tired of looking through our collections, perhaps occasionally stealing a precious moment to take a book down from the shelf and spend a few minutes leafing through it, admiring the pictures, getting caught by a sentence or two, or wondering about a new project, technique or stitch that appears within it.

How about you… do any of you enjoy collecting books? Do you have an extensive embroidery book collection? Have you found innovative ways to catalogue or display them? Or are there any books in your collection that hold special importance to you?

The Inspirations Team and I would love to hear about your passion for books via email at news@inspirationsstudios.com. We have yet to find a word that describes a specific collector of needlework books, but perhaps if there are any Latin scholars out there, you might be able to come up with one?

Hands up who loves a gorgeous bundle of fat quarters. You don’t have to be a quilter to appreciate a fine fat quarter of fabric, and almost everyone will know that Liberty fabric is some of the finest on the market.

Originating from the Liberty Department Store in Soho, London, these fabrics have become synonymous with gorgeous patterns and exceptional quality.

As you would expect from these top-of-the-line fabrics, all of them are 100% pure cotton and are ideal for quilting or any other kind of textile art you can dream up for them.

The bundle includes five medium weight fat quarters (50cm x 55cm / 19.7” x 21.6”) in the following designs:

Hampstead Meadow Pink
Forget-me-not Blossom Pink
Arley Garden
Mary Rose
Emily Silhouette Flower Red

Liberty fabrics are always in style and are the perfect addition to any stash. Order this fabulous selection today, using the link below.

The Clover needle holder in the shape of a little macaron is the perfect accessory for all occasions. Not only does it look delicious as a sweet treat and yet contains no calories whatsoever, it’s the cutest tool around to keep your needles both safe and sharp.

These clever designs feature a strong magnet, so needles and pins won’t fall off, but the central filling is actually a needle sharpener – just gently insert your needle into the filling and withdraw it for a razor-sharp finish.

The Clover needle holders make a perfect gift or stocking filler and are the ideal macaron for anyone who is looking to lose weight!

2021 has been quite a year. It has had its highs and its lows, tough times and good. It is almost hard to believe we have come through it all and we’ve almost reached the final month of the year.

December is simultaneously the start of the ‘silly season’, filled with gatherings, parties and celebrations, along with the last run towards the end of the year with all of the possibilities of the new year in store.

Betsy’s intricate counted designs constructed into diminutive boxes, etuis and accessories are always popular, and this project, which originally appeared in Inspirations issue #104 is no different.

Christmas Spirit is adorned with Christmas trees and festive motifs with a tiny needlebook and a neat scissor sheath and fob inside, all stitched in jolly Christmas colours on pristine white linen.

As sad as it is to see the end of our 2021 Calendar, our new 2022 Calendar is packed with even more inspiration and stitching goodness ready to kick off the new year.

Speaking of our 2022 calendar, you’re probably already booking dates for the new year so if you haven’t got your Inspirations 2022 Calendar ordered, your opportunity to have it delivered ready for January is fast running out.

Filled with full colour photographs bringing you the world’s most beautiful needlework projects to admire, each and every month, the calendar is a generous size, ensuring that there is plenty of room to note down important dates and events enabling you to see what’s happening each month with just a glance.

These calendars make the perfect gift for Christmas for a stitching friend or family member, so get yours ordered today before the new year is upon us!

Over the Christmas break, hopefully you’ll find plenty of time to relax and maybe even time to scroll through some of the fabulous inspiration on social media. To help make sure you’re not missing out on any of the talented embroiderers, textile artists and needleworkers who are posting, here are a few more people you could follow:

@cathycullis – Cathy Cullis is an embroiderer, artist and writer from the UK. Her lovely, embroidered portraits hark back to the sixteenth century.

@danielle_dun_art – Danielle Dun cleverly combines vintage imagery with stitching and printing to create fascinating and striking works of art.

@limonush_ - We had to look several times at the incredible embroidered landscapes stitched by Julia Omarova. They are so lifelike it is hard to believe they aren’t photographs.

@terinalbone – Teri Nalbone creates folk art out of materials she’s recycled, hand-dying, cutting and stitching cards, hangings and other fabulous things.

If you want even more inspiration, you can follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to receive your daily dose of the world’s most beautiful needlework from all over the web.

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

When you come across a new technique, it can sometimes be a little daunting to see a large project and wonder whether you’re going to be able to master the stitch well enough to get the project complete.

It is wonderful to admire samplers and pictures, but what many of us want is something small, beautiful and practical so that we can learn the technique and experience the satisfaction of getting our very first project using our new skills completed.

This is exactly what Di Kirchner has done for us with Buon Natale from Inspirations issue #112.

Reticella is a fine form of needlelace that originated in Italy as a type of cutwork. The word means ‘little net’ or ‘small grid’ in Italian. The name refers to the original form of reticella where squares would be removed from woven linen leaving a mesh upon which to stitch.

Modern reticella is created without a base fabric, rather the designs are stitched using needle and thread in voids and spaces or along the edge of the linen.

Di’s ornament has a central reticella motif that allows you to try out the technique. Her clear instructions guide you through the process of working the border, with its silvery, woven detail. She then gives guidance on cutting and removing threads – a task that can make even the most experienced stitcher nervous!

You can then add the lace-like details in tiny, close blanket stitch. In order to create the star shape, the design is worked as four identical segments, each being completed before the next begins.

A lot of the success of reticella has to do with your tension, which needs to be just right – not too tight, and not too loose. You also need to ensure your stitches are even and neat.

The joy of Buon Natale is that it can be completed in a relatively short time. Finishing the ornament requires adding a twisted cord around the edge and finalising the tassel with a delicate needlelace top and a string of tiny, shining pearls to give a really festive feel.

This little ornament will look stunning on the Christmas tree and is sure to garner many comments. As you’re celebrating the season and enjoying the Christmas cheer, you can be satisfied you’ve taken on a new technique and mastered it.

Once you’ve created Buon Natale, perhaps you might like to try a larger reticella project? Or alternatively, you might find yourself going back to this project again and again to make a few extra special gifts for family and friends. Either way we wish everyone a Buon Natale (Good Christmas!).

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Buon Natale by Di Kirchner is a beautiful reticella tree ornament worked in white and silver with a cord loop and beaded tassel.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Buon Natale includes everything* you need to re-create enchanting Christmas ornament: Fabric (unprinted), embroidery threads, sewing thread, firm card, 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 magazine/digital pattern.

The Peace Dove by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #52 is an exquisite Christmas ornament richly embellished with intricate stitches in shades of cream and gold.

On the Second Day by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #88 is a delightful threadpainted ornament to celebrate the Christmas season.

Spirit of Peace by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #56 is a superb Christmas tree ornament embellished with beads and intricate stitches in shades of cream, violet and gold.

Peace Dove by Cynthia Jackson from Inspirations issue #108 is a sparkling ornament worked using silk, silver metal threads and crystals.

Our What Are You Stitching? segment is just like holding up a big mirror to our needlework community, reflecting back all the wonderful and popular designs everyone has been working on.

As such we often showcase animals, birds, insects and a huge range of flowers. However, we seem to have quite a lot of turtles sitting patiently in our WAYS? cupboard! What is it about turtles that embroiderers love so much? We have featured quite a few in our publications recently and every time we do, it becomes clear just how popular they are.

‘I wanted to share pictures of the habitat I created to display my Jewel of the Sea turtle from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery. I found the display globe on Amazon, glued a small wooden candle stick to the centre and painted it gold. I then added shells and beads from my stash. He was such a beautiful and fun piece to stitch I knew he deserved a special display.’

He looks truly magnificent, DeAnn. It’s the perfect display for such a majestic little creature.

We’re glad you managed to get him finished, Deb, and we have to say he looks amazing. We hope you enjoyed stitching him and look forward to seeing more of your work…. maybe even a second turtle to keep your first one company?!

We love the result, Elizabeth. It is fantastic how every embroiderer can take a project and make it their own and the French Knots are both a clever and textural rich alternative for the sand that works perfectly!

‘My latest finish is Tiny Turtle, by Susan Casson, from Inspirations issue #110. I adore this piece because of its beautiful colours, and because a turtle is such a unique subject for stumpwork.’

Your Tiny Turtle is fantastic, Susannah. Thank you for sharing your stumpwork journey and we happen to know that your skills in the technique are exceptional…

Do you love turtles? Perhaps there is another creature you are passionate about that you can’t help but stitch? Or do you like a range of animals, not being able to settle on just one? Whatever you like to stitch and however you like to stitch it, we’d love to see it! Send us a picture of your work and a bit of information about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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Rose & Honeybee by Merrilyn Whittle is a handy needlebook and coordinating scissor fob decorated with Japanese-style bead embroidery.

Bee Contained Etui by Betsy Morgan from the book Willing Hands 2 is a hexagonal box etui celebrating bees with motifs and form.

Honey Bee by Alison Cole from Inspirations issue #90 is a gorgeous goldwork motif to frame.

Sacred Flower by Margaret Lee from the book The Design Collective | Pincushions is a conical pincushion with lotus flower and leaf design worked with gleaming filament silks using Chinese embroidery techniques.

Purity by Margaret Lee from the book The Art of Chinese Embroidery 2 | Intermediate Level is a single lotus bloom, symbolising purity, harmony and renewal, stitched using the Random Stitch embroidery technique.

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

~ Edwin Markham ~

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.