And seemingly just like that the finish line of 2021 is now in sight!

In many ways, it feels like the past year has been an endurance marathon that’s flown by at the speed of a 100m sprint. Such is the dichotomy of time.

So, at Inspirations HQ, we’ve found a renewed determination to cross the finish line of 2021 with every item crossed off our To Do Lists before we break for Christmas and New Year.

We’re wrapping up the year by penning this, our last newsletter for 2021; organising the despatch of Inspirations magazine issue #113 which is due to be shipped to subscribers in January; putting the final touches on Inspirations issue #114 to ensure it is print-ready, and collating the projects and props for Inspirations issue #116 which is scheduled to be photographed not long after our return to the office in the new year. And all whilst still trying to chase up the last few issues of Inspirations #112 that are yet to make their way through the once unimaginable shipping delays that 2021 will be remembered for!

It feels a lot like knowing you’re about to lay the last few stitches of a project, when, all of a sudden, you realise that no matter the difficulties you experienced with needle and thread or whether you doubted your ability to finish what was before you, they feel long forgotten and suddenly you find yourself looking towards your next challenge.

The good news is that whether we’re pleased with the way we ‘ran’ 2021 or look back and realise there’s some (or a lot) of room for improvement, the imminent New Year gives us the chance to start afresh and choose a different gait for 2022.

We look forward to running next year’s race alongside each of you…

In All Stitched Up! issue #309, one reader asked about uses for vintage crochet. It is a question that has often occurred to us as well, especially when we mooch around in thrift shops or charity shops and find bundles of beautiful old doilies, either crocheted or embroidered, which took someone hours of work but are now being sold at 50 cents a bundle. So often we wonder, what could we do with them? How could we save them from sitting endlessly in a sale bin, gathering dust… or worse?

Ann wrote in to say that shortly after she saw the request, she discovered a post on the Felting and Fibre Studio entitled ‘Recycling, Upcycling and How One Thing Leads to Another’. This article includes ideas on using crochet and other types of lace.

The author of the article was very happy to share her ideas with our readers and says she has even more examples of things she’s made using old lace. For those interested in this topic, it’s well worth having a read and perhaps even connecting with Lindsay Wilkinson who wrote it or joining her forums to find out more.

Mary Ann Witalec Keyes wrote to tell us that she has a large collection of vintage textiles, including crochet. She also tries to rescue as much needlework as she can when she visits thrift shops or garage sales because she sees it as a vital part of our shared women’s heritage. She then uses the pieces to create wall hangings by attaching the vintage pieces to linen cloth by hand, then adding colour with simple embroidery stitches before framing and mounting them. I think we can all agree that they look pretty special.

Lesley-Ann Read suggested that vintage crochet pieces can be stitched together with a suitable backing fabric to make pillow shams. She also suggested stitching a row of doilies and table runners around a bedskirt for some real luxury, with the added bonus that it weights the bedskirt and helps it to stay in place. Finally, she incorporates pieces into crazy quilts. So, there are a whole host of ideas! If anyone has any others, we’d really love to hear them or better still, send us pictures.

We received a really thoughtful response from Mrunalini Nimbalkar after reading our welcome from All Stitched Up! #309 concerning our question about ‘stepping away’. She said that we all need to relax in order to really bring out our creativity. Research has shown that even when we are daydreaming, our brain is still working hard, but in that state, it improves both productivity and creativity and so it is very important to put that needle and thread down occasionally to get the best out of yourself.

She also highlighted the importance of proper vacations and holidays that allow your mind to take a complete break from all of the day-to-day tasks and return, refreshed and blooming with more ideas.

Mrunalini told us that the activities she likes to get involved in when not stitching are breathing with nature, walking and smelling the flowers, sometimes taking pictures and posting them on social media in order to share what she’s seen and read the lovely comments her friends write.

Finally, Julia admitted that she always has far too many projects on the go at one time. These include embroidery, quilting, knitting, crochet and dressmaking projects. But she knows that different types of projects suit different types of moods.

If she is tired and wants to do something that doesn’t require too much thinking, she’ll crochet a blanket. If she wants to get lost in the skill and craft of the work, it is fine embroidery. And then, when she wants to really step away from it all, she’ll either cook or do something in the garden.

We hope that everyone gets a chance to ‘step away’ over the Christmas break, so you can relax, recharge and come back refreshed in the new year.

We’re already looking forward to hearing everyone’s stitching stories and sharing all of the new ideas that people have come up with. We’ll be sure to get that kettle filled and bake a whole new batch of biscuits ready for the return of Have Your Say in 2022.

The giving of gifts to one another is something we’ve done for all of recorded history.

Sometimes gift giving was done for philanthropic reasons, other times to curry favour or gain status, and yet at other times it was done purely for the pleasure of seeing the joy on the face of the recipient.

One item in particular that was very popular during Elizabethan times was the ‘sweete bag’.

This was a decorative purse that, contrary to its name, was rarely used to hold money, as in those days the wealthy carriers of these exquisite bags seldom purchased items with cash.

Instead, the sweete bag (or sweet bag as we would now call them) was used as a holder or wrapper for a gift, which may have included sweetmeats but more often included jewellery, gems or other precious items.

Sometimes sweet bags were used to carry fragrance or scented herbs or flowers to mask the unpleasant smells pervading the average Elizabethan street, particularly in the days before proper plumbing and running water. At other times they were simply a fashion accessory, which is another reason why so many survive to this day, allowing us to enjoy the exquisite stitching and intricate designs worked by the professional embroiderers who made them.

Di Kirchner has created the gorgeous sweet bag ‘Seeing Red’ from Inspirations issue #112, which fits beautifully with the Elizabethan tradition. The design is worked in traditional blackwork, a monochromatic style of counted embroidery that uses detailed patterns and a small variety of stitches to create the piece.

Di’s project is worked on fine, 32 count antique white linen and makes use of several stitches commonly employed in blackwork, however Di has created something completely unique by changing the colour to red and marrying it with classically Elizabethan motifs.

The designs on the front and back of this lovely bag are only half the joy of Seeing Red. The rest of it comes from the truly exquisite red and white twisted cord that surrounds the top of the bag, and another that forms the shoulder strap.

This is then complemented by the elegant tassels along the bottom, all worked in silk perlé using needlelace.

Seeing Red is definitely a project for all occasions. If you were looking to emulate the Elizabethans and offer this project as a gift for a very special person, can you imagine the delight on the recipient’s face?

Or if you prefer to carry it as a fashion accessory, just like the elegant Elizabethan ladies did many years ago, the colour scheme and style would ensure it would go with any kind of outfit, from casual day wear to the most elegant of evening gowns.

Perhaps not too many of us would fill it with sweets nowadays, but that doesn’t take away from the pleasure you’ll get from working this project and carrying it with pride afterwards.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Seeing Red by Di Kirchner is a delightful redwork sweetbag with Elizabethan motifs and lustrous cords and tassels stitched with silk.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Seeing Red includes everything* you need to re-create pretty bag: Fabrics (unprinted), felt, embroidery threads, sewing 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 magazine/digital pattern.

Sweete Bag by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #99 is a stunning Elizabethan sweet bag featuring flower and bird motifs.

Elizabethan Sweet Bag by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #36 is an exquisitely embroidered sweet bag.

As sad as it is to say it… this is officially the last All Stitched Up! newsletter for 2021.

Join us in the new year for even more incredible projects, fabulous stories, and stitching conversations with our favourite All Stitched Up! community.

We’re not just giving the All Stitched Up! team a break over the Christmas period; the whole Inspirations crew will be enjoying a holiday.

Please note in your diaries that our office will be closed from 23rd December 2021 until 10th January 2022. Any calls, emails or orders received during that time will be attended to as soon as we get back.

If there was a theme for 2021, some of the contenders would have to be ‘the year of delays’, or perhaps ‘the year of patience’!?

With all the disruptions to the supply chain and postal services globally, we were so appreciative of the graciousness and understanding from our subscribers when, despite our gallant efforts, several issues of our beloved Inspirations magazine failed to arrive on time.

We are all hoping for a smoother journey for each issue of Inspirations throughout 2022, so if you’re not currently a subscriber, we’d appreciate your support and now is a great time to join by clicking HERE.

It’s probably not advisable. Unlikely to be endorsed medically. And certainly not how us stitchers roll… so don’t do it!

While our office may be closed, our website is open 24/7 and still packed full of wonderous needlework treasures and stitching delights for you to enjoy, with all orders processed and shipped upon our return.

There are even hundreds of digital products that you can download and access instantly.

Did you know that not only are all 313 issues of our newsletter available to read and re-read anytime on our website HERE, you can also browse by category HERE.

If your favourite segment is Have Your Say, check out all the different threads that have been discussed in Conversations.

Perhaps you enjoy What Are You Stitching? and love to see all the fabulous creativity from our needlework community on display, then check out Your Stitching.

Or maybe you just need a pick me up and would benefit from reading some of our newsletter welcomes under Be Inspired, or read all the clever Quotes that appear in each issue all compiled together.

And if all that wasn’t enough and you’re still looking for something else to do… send us an email! We’d love to hear from you. Tell us what you’ve been up to, what you like to stitch, what you’d like to see more or less of in any of our publications – and whenever possible please send photos so we can continue to share the wonder and joy of needlework with our global family.

At last, we are about to open up the glorious Inspirations 2022 calendar to the first new month and what a project we’ll be met with!

This lovely little picture, worked on exquisitely printed fabric, shows a serene ocean scene with soft coastal grasses and flowers gently swaying in front of a calm blue sea.

Sea View perfectly reflects the kinds of scenes we might see on our holidays or weekends away for those enjoying the warmth and sun in the southern half of the world.

And for our friends in the Northern Hemisphere, Jo’s project is a lovely reminder of warmer days to come that can help you get through the cold, dark days of winter.

In 2022 we will once again celebrate the world’s most beautiful needlework every month with a review of the projects featured in the Inspirations Calendar.

The instructions for every project will be made available to purchase as a pattern, and this year we are even looking at bringing back Ready-to-Stitch kits for some of the more popular and no longer in stock projects.

Remarkably we have a handful of calendars still in stock, so get in quick and purchase your copy today.

Bringing you the world’s most beautiful needlework projects is without doubt our raison d’être. And that includes all the rich history and amazing stories about embroidery as well.

That’s why this week we’re bringing you a fascinating book by Natalie Fisher, entitled ‘Ghörżah: Islamic Architecture in Needlepoint’.

‘Ghörżah’ is actually Arabic for ‘stitch’, and this book is filled with photographs, stories and histories of the Islamic world that have inspired Natalie to create some of her beautiful needlepoint designs.

This book is as much a travel book as it is an embroidery book and although it does have a project in the back of it for you to try, it provides so much more.

So, for those times where you’d like to make yourself a cup of tea and sit down with a book to read, filled with full-colour photographs and fascinating travel stories about Morocco, Uzbekistan and the United Arab Emirates, this is the perfect choice.

UK designer and needlework artisan Jo Butcher has already achieved a great deal in her career.

From creating exquisite award-winning pieces that have been published and celebrated the world over, teaching sold out classes globally, to producing her own range of products and giftables available through her own successful online store.

As announced recently, you can now pre-order copies of Jo’s upcoming book ‘Where Meadows & Gardens Grow’.

Knowing how popular she is as a designer, by pre-ordering your copy today, you can be guaranteed to be one of the lucky people who gets to start on any one of Jo’s fabulous new projects as soon as your book arrives, scheduled for release in January.

Another enormously popular designer is Elisabetta Sforza who has released several books filled with intricately designed monograms. Her latest release, A Sea to Stitch, was so popular that we sold out, however, we’re pleased to announce that more stock has arrived, so this lovely book is now available again.

A Sea to Stitch has an entire alphabet in a nautical theme. Each letter is stitched with shells, strings of pearls, waves and miniature ocean scenes using a variety of surface stitches to create a wonderfully tactile monogram.

The letters can be stitched individually, or you can group them together to create a word or a name. Elisabetta even offers different colour ways so that you can match the colours to the item you are creating, while still maintaining a harmonious balance in tone and style.

Each project has detailed instructions with 10 decorative patterns in the back using the alphabet for you to try. Order your copy today.

Can one ever have too many embroiderers, textile artists or designers to follow? Is there ever an end to inspiration? For those of us who answered with a resounding no, this week we’re bringing you some Instagram accounts to follow that, in keeping with the season, have a decidedly Christmas feel about them. Enjoy!

@olgauhry – Olga Uhry is from Alsace in France and she creates simple, effective and beautiful hoop art and embroidery including a range of Christmas themed projects.

@julia_toy_art – Julia G from Germany makes the tiniest, most perfect little doll’s outfits, many of which are embroidered with exquisite detail.

@pinsandneedlesstitchery – Liz Simpson’s embroidered art is worked in muted tones that is both stunning and very effective.

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.

Sometimes, the most effective projects are the simplest. There really is joy in working a project that doesn’t take forever to complete and yet the finish looks incredibly effective. Deerfield by Deborah Love, from our new book The Design Collective | Pincushions, is one such project.

Deborah Love is well known for her beautiful Deerfield designs. Deerfield embroidery is a type of surface embroidery, traditionally worked in shades of blue on a crisp, white background. It employs a range of stitches and a variety of different textures in sinuous, often herbaceous designs.

This particular design was inspired by music. Deborah started with a swirl on paper, inspired by a musical riff, and then began to add the floral elements as soon as she saw that the shape was just right.

Knowing that it was going to be worked on a pincushion and therefore needed space for pins, Deb placed the more detailed flower elements on the corners, leaving the bulk of the front covered with the delicate swirl worked in cable chain stitch.

The flowers themselves are worked in an array of stitches, including the traditional New England laid stitch that is characteristic of this particular style of embroidery.

The border sits well apart from where the pins would go but adds a little extra to the project.

Deb admitted that the border took her the longest to stitch as she wanted the beads to sit exactly right, so she was very careful with their placement and stitching. The result is a perfect pincushion with something very special around the outer edge.

Traditional Deerfield is always worked in shades of blue, but that doesn’t mean you couldn’t stitch this project using a different colour if that suited your own stitching kit or preference.

As long as you select the corresponding shades to mimic the four blue hues chosen by Deb, then you’re sure to produce a pincushion that is just as lovely but is unique to you.

One of the wonderful things about a project like this is the blissful satisfaction of creating and finishing it in a short period of time. This also means you can re-create it twice or even three times, whether for yourself, as a gift or simply for the love of it. But perhaps the very best part is that once complete, you’ll have a gorgeous new home for all your pins and needles!

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Deerfield by Deborah Love is a pillow pincushion with graceful buds and stems worked in harmonious blue shades and finished with a beaded edge.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Deerfield includes everything* you need to re-create this gorgeous pincushion: Fabric (unprinted), white sewing thread, fibre-fill, embroidery threads, 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 book.

Harmonies by Deborah Love from Inspirations issue #88 is a graceful Deerfield design perfect for home décor.

Symphony in Blue by Deborah Love from Inspirations issue #72 is a stylish Deerfield embroidered cushion.

Sometimes it's lovely to turn your hand to a smaller project, especially after you’ve completed something large or time consuming. Popular small projects include something for a stitching kit, whether it be a biscornu, a needlebook or an etui. However, don’t be deceived! Often these projects look small but are, in fact, more intricate and involved than you might initially think. Here are a few to admire:

What a wonderful collection of projects, Denise, beautifully designed and superbly stitched. You must have the most spectacular embroidery kit around with all of these special little items.

‘There was no pattern, just a simple flower. I happened to go into a knitting shop that had these adorable scissors to complete the gift.’

What wonderful additions to the goodie bag from your mother Lynda, these needlebooks are the perfect little gift. Just the right size, super useful, and gorgeous… and how adorable are those scissors you found?!

‘Now I have these exquisite little boxes as a reminder of better times ahead.’

We’re so glad you have loved Betsy’s work, Dianne and that it has helped you through the difficult times. Your collection of her projects would have to be one of the largest we have seen with each piece so skilfully stitched and masterfully constructed. Betsy will be so thrilled to read your story and see all you have accomplished.

Do you like to stitch small projects? Do you prefer things that may only take a few days or weeks to complete? Or do you love to start on huge projects, knowing you have months or even years of work ahead of you?

Whatever sized project 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

Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!

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

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.

~ Unknown ~

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.