Have you ever noticed that even the largest of projects created with needle and thread are made up of the smallest of stitches?

No matter the size and/or complexity of the stitching, it’s each individual push and pull of needle and thread through fabric that brought it into being.

It turns out that life is much the same.

When we look back, its often the big events we reminisce about, but if we take the time to unpack why these moments come to mind, chances are it’s the minutiae of the occasion that remain.

The overseas trip of a lifetime is often recounted moment by moment as we recall a simple meal eaten, a single conversation stumbled through in a foreign language or the bartering over a much-wanted item in a local market. The most memorable of weddings are often so because of flowers arranged, a speech given or an intricate detail on dress or veil.

Whilst the last couple of years have made many of our lives feel smaller as the borders to which we’re able to travel have become narrower and the groups we’re able to gather in are now lesser in number, many of us have found comfort in new rhythms of detail.

Rituals of checking in with those we love a little more often than usual, ensuring nature becomes a part of our everyday even if only for a moment or the simple practice of recording moments we’re grateful for amidst the hustle and bustle that’s surrounded us.

We’ve become attuned to creating ‘small stitches’ of life as never before.

As much as we’d hoped life would have returned to ‘normal’ by now, it would seem we’re not quite there yet, but maybe the lesson for us all is that instead of looking to the next big thing, we should dwell in the next small moment for as long as we can, both in life and in the stitching before us?

Recently we received an email from a reader asking whether we could write an article about the origins of smocking. As we have produced numerous publications over the years featuring hundreds of smocking projects and designs, it’s a subject and a technique that we have quite a bit of history with.

So much so, we often received impassioned requests from smocking enthusiasts looking for new material.

The art of smocking is a timeless pursuit that continually finds relevance in every season and cycle of fashion one way or another, and even today young and old alike are still wanting to learn and to practice this beautiful and historic technique.

Smocking can simply be described as embroidery on pleated fabric. The kind of smocking we’re familiar with originated in the UK some 300 years ago, however there is evidence from paintings and in written accounts that embroidery on some form of pleated fabric appeared in Europe many years before.

The technique was developed as it gave an elasticity to fabric in the days before the invention of the stretch fabrics we enjoy today. It is believed the name itself originated from the traditional ‘smock’ worn by farmers or agricultural workers.

These were often made using pleated embroidery to allow for movement. The decorative aspect was also important, and pleated embroidery became prevalent on cuffs, necklines, bodices and shirts.

When it was first practiced, most garments were made of strong linen, jute cloth or heavy cotton as they needed to be practical as well as attractive. As the technique became more popular during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, smocking was worked on fine cotton, silk or lawn and used for children’s clothes and as embellishments on women’s dresses.

By the end of the 19th Century, farm workers were no longer wearing traditional smocks, so the technique was practiced mainly for fashion. Since then, smocked elements have never really gone out of style, appearing on all manner of items, even in bathing costumes.

Some of our readers who have practised smocking themselves will probably remember using ‘smocking dots’ to pick up your pleats by hand. These could be marked on the fabric manually, or later, iron on templates became available to ensure that the dots were placed evenly on the fabric.

Nowadays, most people make use of pleating machines that still require an element of manual labour but, once you start rolling your fabric through, the machine produces crisp, even pleats with far less fuss than the traditional dots.

Although it is often mistakenly called so, the pleating machine isn’t actually a ‘smocking machine’ as the smocking is the embroidery itself. While there are a limited number of stitches that can be used on pleats, the number of combinations and patterns that can be made with those stitches is endless.

Smocking can also be done on checked or spotted fabric using a technique called ‘counterchange’. Rather than pleating the fabric before embroidering, counterchange smocking is done by forming the pleats as you embroider, using the pattern on the fabric as a guide.

Another form of smocking that is popular today is ‘picture smocking’, where an image is formed using basic cable stitches and a variety of coloured thread.

It is true that in the 21st Century, the majority of smocking that is still done is for babies or small children. We know that we probably have something to do with that, as we published 100 issues of our magazine Australian Smocking & Embroidery that was filled with patterns for the most gorgeous dresses, baby clothes and accessories imaginable.

The wonderful thing about smocking however, is that it can be added to any garment for children or adults. With the kinds of materials and threads on the market today, smocked creations can represent the height of modern fashion.

Smocking has come a long way since the days when farmers’ wives would embroider their husband’s work clothes by candlelight. The fact it is still popular is evidence that the technique is both beautiful and versatile and, above all, very enjoyable to do. While we may not see the return of the agricultural worker’s smocked shirt, we can look forward to seeing how this historic technique continues to evolve into the future.

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a complete kit containing materials for all of Corinne Lapierre’s adorable felt Christmas ornaments!

Ever since we first announced the availability of Corinne’s book, 12 Days of Christmas Felt Decorations on our website, we’ve been thrilled to see how popular her gorgeous designs have been.

And now our excitement levels are off the charts as this week we’re releasing an embroidery kit to accompany her book.

With so many of you already purchasing the book, we are selling the instructions separately, so you don’t end up buying the book twice.

For anyone yet to purchase a copy of Corinne’s book, we still have plenty in stock. It contains clear, step-by-step instructions to make all of the felt ornaments, and if you buy it along with the complete kit, you’ll have everything you need to enjoy a Christmas tree decorated with gorgeous handmade ornaments.

We’re sure that everyone is familiar with the classic pinwheel – a circular storage wheel, studded around the outside with pins. It is a great way to store pins and be able to access them easily without any wayward points getting embedded into fingers!

While as a needlework fraternity, we are experts at creating the most ornate and elaborate homes for our pins and needles, sometimes you just need a good old-fashioned pinwheel at your disposal.

These pins are sharp, durable, heat-resistant, straight and easily inserted into or removed from fabric. Each pinwheel contains 40 pins in a rainbow of colours, with generously sized glass heads so they are easy to see and grab when needed.

These colourful pinwheels are perfect for every stitching kit… after all, you really can never have too many pins!

Hailing from sunny California, USA, Threadworx Threads are a quality product well worth trying out.

We currently have some of their variegated stranded cotton threads available in two colour options, 10601 ‘Beanstalk’, a lovely blend of cool greens and blues and 1069 ‘Spanish Olives’, which offers subtle shades of warm olive green.

Each skein has a generous 18m (59’) of 6-stranded Egyptian Giza cotton so there will be plenty to include in any current or upcoming project where you’re looking to add that little something, something extra!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, we thought it might be time to treat yourself with a new project or two… or perhaps more? With the release of five fabulous projects as digital patterns from out-of-print Inspirations issue #43, we have five new ways to spoil you!

First Blush by Julie Graue is a simply stunning needlecase, studded with bullion roses and filled with exquisite details. This is definitely a project to be savoured. Also, Best Friends by Helen Hardman is a unique blanket featuring two gorgeous cats and a pot of flowers worked in stumpwork.

Belle Fraise by Lesley Turpin-Delport is an extraordinarily detailed study of a strawberry plant using a wide array of raised stitches and needlelace. Penny Squares by Anna Scott is a simple, charming sachet embroidered in striking redwork. This is the perfect project for a last-minute gift or even to turn into an elegant ornament.

Finally, Gilded Rose by Carolyn Pearce is a delicate little pot topped with a vintage style design featuring ribbon roses and shining pearls. You could put a little treasure inside and gift it to a very special friend.

You may not know which project to choose, so why not treat yourself with a few? These and our entire digital range are available on the website right now.

Whether you’re looking for a birthday present for your needlework friends, a beautiful thank you gift for your stitching tutor or mentor or even the ideal Mother’s Day present for all those stitching mums out there, we’ve got a gift pack to do the trick.

Perhaps you’ve always dreamed of owning a historic sampler or embroidery? Well, unfortunately your chance to secure a piece of an incredible collection has just passed as the contents of an Elizabethan country house, including an amazing embroidery collection, have just been sold for more than £1 million.

All of the furnishings of Upper Slaughter Manor in the Cotswolds in England recently went up for sale. The needlework collection, which, by the looks of things was truly magnificent, sold for almost £300,000.

We’re sure that whoever purchased some of these beautiful samplers and the other embroidered pieces will take exquisite care of them. It is good to know that embroideries such as these continue to give pleasure to stitchers and collectors alike.

You can read more about the auction from Woolley & Wallis HERE and even view the collection as it appeared in the manor HERE.

Although we would say that every embroiderer is an artist, there are some embroidery designers whose artistic skills cross the boundaries between stitching, drawing and painting. Taetia McEwen is one of those designers. Her skills in drawing and painting inform her designs and ensure that every single project she produces is a stunningly unique masterpiece.

Taetia’s latest project, which features in Inspirations issue #112, is Spring Song. This design features a gorgeous little bird perched on a sprig of blossom, singing happily while it watches over its nest.

Nestled inside are three bright blue eggs and surrounding it is a cornucopia of wildflowers including Queen Anne’s Lace, daisies, cornflowers and jasmine.

For anyone who enjoys a bit of mixed media in their repertoire of projects, you have the added optional extra with this design of using watercolour pencils to create a delicate shadow on the fabric before you start stitching.

The ground fabric is a soft pink silk dupion and if it so pleases you, while the fabric is on the lightbox but before you transfer the stitching lines, Taetia includes instructions on how to sketch in some blossoms, leaves and petals freehand in a range of different colours.

Once you’ve done this, you can then smudge the pencil with a moistened cotton bud so that the strong lines of your drawing disappear leaving a subtly coloured shadow on the fabric.

When you’re happy with the effect, allow the silk to dry completely, then press it with a warm iron to fix it. Next you put the fabric back on to the light box and, with a heat-soluble fabric marker, transfer the embroidery lines.

Like all of Taetia’s wonderful projects, she uses an array of different stitches, threads and embellishments to really give the full effect. A sprinkling of sequins and beads add a shimmer to the piece, just like the glimmer of moisture on the grasses on a spring morning.

The varied thickness of threads provide texture to the leaves and flowers, offering a truly lifelike effect. And the addition of unspun, dyed wool ensures that the nest is as cosy in look as in reality.

Spring Song looks just as lovely without the additional watercolour elements, so don’t feel compelled to include that step, however it isn’t often that you get to try out a different artistic technique while you’re stitching.

For those who are interested in giving it a go, don’t be afraid to try out the watercolour pencils and see what you can achieve. You never know, you might like the result so much that you become confident enough to use them in other projects. This is how art is created; by combining all kinds of techniques, skills and styles to create something really unique.

There is pleasure in the making from the beginning to the end of Spring Song. It is a project that will be enjoyed during the process and will be admired afterwards. We’re so thrilled that we have such artistic designers who contribute to Inspirations. They allow all of us to push our boundaries and create things we never imagined we’d be able to make.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Spring Song by Taetia McEwen is a delightful spring scene of delicately shaded flowers, dainty bird and nest with three blue eggs.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Spring Song includes everything* you need to re-create this pretty scene: Fabric (unprinted), wool felt, embroidery threads, wool staple, sewing threads, beads, sequins 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.

Dans Mon Jardin by Taetia McEwen from Inspirations issue #82 is two whimsical wall panels embroidered with shaded silk threads.

Angel's Breath by Taetia McEwen from Inspirations issue #111 is a delightful lampshade and wreath decorated with pretty ribbon and velvet flowers.

Sunbeams by Taetia McEwen from Inspirations issue #107 is a captivating fairytale garden adorning a lampshade, created using raised and surface embroidery.

Starlight by Taetia McEwen from our Handpicked Range is an enchanting lampshade with garden friends wishing on the first star.

We know that plenty of you love to smock, but there are also lots of people who enjoy making clothes using other techniques too. Adding embroidery to clothing is a fabulous way to make a garment unique, so here are a few ideas to get you inspired:

Thank you Anne – such lovely dresses you have created! Hopefully your granddaughter in London had a bit of warm weather so she could really show off your fantastic work. And we loved the creativity of your smocked bell, just gorgeous.

‘The brilliant artistry of all those in the Inspirations community continues to inspire me and gives me much pleasure even though my eyes are no longer as sharp and my fingers not so nimble.’

This is a magnificent vest, Barbara. We can see why you just won’t part with it. And we’d like to say that your own artistry is clearly up there with the best of them… well done.

‘I changed the original design slightly by not making the cuffs white - not a good idea for her, as paint and crayons get everywhere at the moment. I also only had enough piping cord to go around the neck. However, it is roomy enough for her to wear for some time and I know that when she sees it for the first time, she will love the characters around the yoke and will name them herself.’

What a gorgeous smock, Jacquie. It sounds like it has been made for a gorgeous little girl as well, how marvellous it will be for you to watch her creativity run free whilst wearing it!

‘Here is something that I started… and recently completed.’

Thank you for your words of wisdom, Elizabeth. This is magnificent and the lucky recipient certainly looks very pleased with it!

Do you enjoy making clothes? Do you make them for yourself or for others? Do you love to add embroidery or smocking to a garment? Or do you prefer to get your clothes from a shop and use your stitching time for other things?

Whatever it is you like to stitch, we want 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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Invermay Wildflowers by Alison Cole is a superb stumpwork study of Australian wildflowers in rich shades of purple and yellow.

Aetna's Bouquet by Helen M. Stevens from Inspirations issue #109 is a stunning silk embroidery celebrating wildflowers from the fenlands of England.

Wild Flowers by Cathy Veide from Inspirations issue #18 is a painted terracotta pot overflowing with brightly coloured nasturtiums.

Sweet William by Hazel Blomkamp from the book The Design Collective | Pincushions is a low-profile pincushion with sparkling, three-dimensional beaded flowers and leaves surrounding a lattice design.

Dragonfly by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations issue #110 is a winged beauty depicted in needlelace and beading.

Triple Treat by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations issue #101 is three sparkling brooches created with three-dimensional beaded flowers and leaves.

~ Christy Ann Martine ~

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.