In last week’s All Stitched Up! we found ourselves at the starting line of 2022.

Whilst our resolve to change the way we were approaching the year before us remained, if we’re honest, we hit the ground running pretty hard. The allure of the blank page, fresh start and all the possibilities before us saw us working double time in some areas to catch up from the Christmas and New Year break and ensure all our ducks were in a row for what 2022 has in store.

An extended family member of one of the Inspirations’ team lost both her parents in less than 48 hours of each other. Whilst the death of her Dad was somewhat expected, it would seem her healthy, active, planning-for-the-future Mum died in her sleep of a broken heart just 36 hours later which was anything but expected.

And do you know what? When the team member received the call of what had unfolded, they found a way to drop the tasks that had seemed all but impossible not to complete just hours earlier to be at the side of their heartbroken family.

It turns out when they returned to the office, the meetings they’d missed had been rescheduled, the emails were still there waiting for a response and the paperwork they’d abandoned waited another day to be completed. What seemed impossible to forgo at the outset of the day, gave way to what needed to be held tight that day – family and relationship.

We found ourselves wondering why it can take an event of such magnitude to put things into perspective. We guess it’s because it’s all too easy to take life for granted as we put the seemingly urgent before the important, always assuming there’ll be another day to focus on what really matters.

But now we’re approaching the year before us a little differently. Sure, we’ll attend the meetings, respond to the emails, complete the paperwork and declutter the cupboard that we can’t quite shut the door to anymore, but in the process, we’ll ensure we hold tight those we love, keep the big things the big things and not sweat the small stuff because now, more than ever before, we’re so very aware that life as we know it can change in an instant.

In Thread Conversions Part 1, we discussed how to switch threads if you don’t have a particular colour required for a pattern or if you want to use up your stash rather than buying new stranded cotton each time you start a new project.

This week, we’re going to discuss options for obscure threads, or those that are no longer manufactured or available in your region.

It can be very disappointing to discover the perfect project, published several decades ago, only to realise that the materials it calls for are no longer available.

Internet search

It almost goes without saying but your very first port of call should be the internet. If you find a thread that you have never heard of, do a search to discover what it is. The information you are looking includes:

1. Type of thread – Perlé, Stranded cotton, Metallic, Something else?
2. What material is it made from?
3. Is the manufacturer still in business?
4. Are there any shops online that still stock it?

You may, of course, already have this information. Many of you will already know if a thread is available in your region or if it is still being made but being armed with all this information will help when looking for substitutes.

As well as finding general information about the thread, also see if you can discover exactly what colour it is. There may be colour charts online or you may be able to find photographs. In some old patterns, you may have both a number and a colour name listed, but what is ‘antique olive’ in one type of thread may look totally different to ‘antique olive’ in another type. It is worth finding an image to help you make a close match.

Fibre type

For some projects, it is the fibre type that is most important. For instance, if the missing threads are metallics, to ensure your finished project looks the same, you’ll need to replace it with a different type of metallic thread. However, this is not always a hard and fast rule.

Some projects call for stranded silks, often hand-dyed. If the particular silk is no longer available, it may be possible to substitute with a stranded cotton instead. Although it won’t have the same sheen or the same colour gradation, you can still produce a beautiful effect with your finished project.

In fact, sometimes financial restrictions mean that the silk/cotton substitute is essential if you want to be able to make the project within your budget. This is why knowing the colour is important and following the steps discussed last week will also help.

Type of thread

For each type of thread – stranded cotton, stranded silk, perlé etc. – there will be multiple brands available. What is important is that you substitute within the type. So, if you’ve discovered that the obscure thread is a perlé, then you should replace it with a different brand of perlé. However, there is a caveat to that, as sometimes you can use multiple strands of stranded cotton or silk to emulate the thickness of a perlé, depending on the project.

It is easier if you replace like for like, however with a bit of careful judgement in terms of thickness and finished result, you can use other threads. If you are going to do so, we recommend stitching a small sampler so you can see what it is going to look like. This way you can add or subtract strands where needed or try something different if it doesn’t give you the effect you hoped.

Second-hand threads

Sometimes, you just really want to use the exact threads that have been called for in the project. If you are willing to spend the time (and sometimes the money), you can try to find discontinued threads on second-hand sites such as eBay or Etsy.

Make sure you read descriptions carefully and don’t be afraid to ask the seller questions to ensure it’s exactly what you need. There is no doubt that this process can sometimes be like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially if you are after a particular colour, but for some people there is a thrill in the chase. When you get lucky, it is like hitting the jackpot!

If all else fails

If you have done your searches, hunted for second-hand threads, looked for substitutes and still not come up with anything, there are still options.

Many regions will have small, artisan manufacturers who produce their own threads. They will often be very open to having a chat and may be able to help you with creating something bespoke to suit your needs. Or you may discover that they already have something that works perfectly, but you’d never considered using their threads before.

Alternatively, if you are crafty yourself, you could always try dying your own threads. By starting with a plain white skein of the fibre and thread type you need, you could see what you can come up with. Although you know you won’t get an exact match, you may surprise yourself with the effect you are able to achieve.

A last thought…

Although it may seem like the most important thing in the world to get the exact thread that a project asks for, sometimes doing so is simply impossible. If so, it is worth remembering this…

Designers gain huge pleasure in creating their pieces of art. However, when they let it out into the world, as part of that process, they accept they no longer control what happens from there. For any designer there is a real joy in seeing a project worked, adjusted and reworked.

It is like watching a child grow into its own person. If you change a thread, switch a colour or leave something out, most designers will see this as part of the growth of their creation. They are not going to get upset simply because you were unable to use the exact thread or the exact colour.

Most designers appreciate when this happens as it shows that people still love their work and even as years pass, it helps the design to remain relevant and current. Plus, it’s much better than the alternative of their design being ignored or never stitched again simply because a brand of thread used or a particular colour chosen when it was first created is no longer available.

Like all forms of art, embroidery is one that constantly grows and changes. This is what makes it so wonderful for both designers and stitchers alike. We should never be afraid to embrace it.

If you have any thoughts about substituting or switching threads or have any experiences with old designs calling for materials that are no longer available, we would love to hear from you! Email us at news@inspirationsstudios.com

If you are looking for a pattern for the most adorable pincushions you could imagine then you need look no further than Daisies and Forget-Me-Nots by Ana Mallah from The Design Collective | Pincushions.

Ana, who is well known for her wonderfully realistic 3D floral designs, has dreamed up two little pincushions that combine stumpwork with a perfectly practical shape.

Both pincushions are in the shape of little pots surrounded by flowers. The body of each design includes various surface stitches for the stalks, leaves and grass, topped with three-dimensional flower heads.

When Ana first imagined these pincushions, she hadn’t quite realised the challenge in bringing them to fruition. Unlike most stumpwork designs Ana had created, in this one she needed to come up with a way to make the flower centres freestanding.

Ordinarily, stumpwork flowers would be created with petals worked as detached elements fastened around a centre that has been stitched directly on to the fabric. Because the heads of the flowers needed to sit proud of the edge of the pincushion, this wasn’t going to work.

It took a few attempts and a bit of trial and error, but eventually Ana found a creative way to make the floral centres using wire, fabric adhesive and different stitches to emulate the actual centres of the flowers.

Each pincushion has a halo of flowers around the outside; eight daisies and ten forget-me-nots. This means there are quite a few petals to stitch! Ana’s advice is to have your hoop and fabric ready and every time you get a few spare minutes, make another petal. Working through them one by one, eventually you’ll get them all done and you’ll be able to move on to the next part of the design.

For some of us, this is a much better way to work than sitting down with the daunting task of creating dozens of petals all at once!

The tiny creatures sit close to the flowers so as not to get in the way of the clear space on the top of the shape which is just right to put pins in.

Although these two pincushions are designed to be very practical, they are so cute that you could easily imagine seeing them sitting on a windowsill or mantlepiece just like a little pot of flowers. We love how such a utilitarian project can be transformed into something so lovely.

Whether you use these pincushions for pins or you simply leave them out to admire, you’ll be equally proud of the time and effort you have put in to complete this project.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Daisies & Forget-me-nots by Ana Mallah is two enchanting pincushions, surrounded by pretty stumpwork flowers.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kits for Daisies & Forget-me-nots include everything* you need to re-create these adorable pincushions: Fabrics (unprinted), wool felts, fusible interfacing, fusible webbing (Daisies kit), template plastic, wires, long pin, fibre-fill, embroidery threads and needles.

In Good Company by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #50 features forget-me-nots, in pastel blue, highlighted with glistening gold and dusky pink sprays of silk ribbon roses interspersed with rosebuds and leaves.

Petit Bouquet by Christine P. Bishop from Inspirations issue #79 is a lovely, counted thread pincushion adorned with a beautiful flower basket charm in the centre.

When it comes to fabric, there are very few brands that surpass Liberty for quality and design. As such we have now added three designs to our website that are just perfect for summer or for dreams of summer, depending on where in the world you are.

Available by the half-metre, these three gorgeous floral designs in characteristic Liberty style with subtle colours and a delicate print, are ideal for quilting, smocking, dressmaking or any other artistic endeavour you could dream up.

Order your Liberty fabrics today to ensure you always have fabric to hand just when inspiration strikes.

It’s a new year and it’s time to replenish your thread stash! There’s nothing better than setting up a new stitching kit to see in the new year, especially if you’ve been spending some heavenly hours planning all of the projects you’re going to tackle in 2022, gathering the materials you need and deciding which of the many you want to start with.

To help get that stitching kit set up with all the speciality threads you need, we have silks and metallics from Au Ver à Soie, stranded cottons from House of Embroidery, Piper’s silks, Gumnut Yarns and more. You can browse our entire range on the website and start to fill in the gaps in your stash.

Also keep an eye on our newsletter and online store as we add new threads frequently to ensure you’ll never be short of something fantastic to stitch with.

We’re almost into the second month of 2022 already, and the Inspirations calendar features a project that will definitely keep you busy for the whole of February.

Margaret Lee’s beautiful Pomegranate, which originally featured on the cover of Inspirations issue #106, introduced us all to Margaret’s fine technique of Chinese Random Stitch Embroidery.

This technique, using Chinese silk thread, allows the stitcher to create artworks that are so lifelike it is hard to believe they aren’t photographs.

This simple study of a ruby red pomegranate teaches blending, colour matching, shading and stitch direction, and was a firm favourite when first published.

February is a short month, but it is one for concentration. Pomegranate is the ideal project to tackle if you want to spend some quiet time either escaping the heat or trying to keep warm through the last, cold month of winter.

It is time to update those social media feeds and add a few more fantastic artists to the list! The new year has seen a flood of new accounts as more and more talented people are picking up their needles and threads and posting their amazing creations on the web for the world to admire. Here are a few to watch:

@glechoma_embroidery: This talented embroiderer from Japan creates intricate hoop art, much of which looks like fine porcelain.

@mollyburgessdesigns: Molly, an artist from Grand Rapids, MI in the USA, creates wonderful, soft insect sculptures.

@veespamartini: Verena Bohm creates ‘needle doodles’ as she claims she can’t thread paint. But the expression and mood she achieves with just a few stitches on diaphanous fabric is something else.

@cathyneedhamtextileartist: Cathy Needham loves colour and tapestry, as her exquisite artworks attest.

You can also follow Inspirations on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest where you’ll discover fantastic needlework every day 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.

This week’s All Stitched Up! features a cascade of flowers, so introducing Margaret Light’s Floral-Sprigged Sewing Fold from her book A Fine Tradition, seems perfectly apt.

Margaret’s vintage-style sewing fold is a celebration of flowers, from the beautiful embroidery on the outside to the delightfully surprising floral-themed interior.

Margaret tells us that she gets a huge amount of inspiration from historical pattern books, particularly those from the 16th and 17th centuries. However, as is probably obvious from the careful observation of details in all of Margaret’s work, she is also a keen gardener.

The result is a design that is both historic and modern. This particular project is worked on natural herringbone linen, which is the first aspect to give it a vintage feel.

It folds into three different parts, each decorated on the outside with a different type of flower. The centre panel features subtle pink spotted carnations; there are delicate bluebells at one end and a bold purple iris at the other. Each flower is surrounded by leaves and stalks rendered in an array of stitches giving a pleasing texture to the exterior of this piece.

The inside is also a delight. Margaret has carefully thought about the practicalities of a sewing fold and determined that it needs pockets, a pincushion, a place for scissors and another for a thimble.

She then considered how she could carry the floral theme through using felt and stitches. The result is a wonderful iris shaped scissor holder with a bud designed to hold the thimble. The scissor fob is shaped like a bluebell, and the pincushion is decorated with a carnation.

Finally, a handy pocket is included and the whole design is completed with herringbone stitch to complement the rest of the piece.

Especially when they are as lovely and as useful as Margaret’s Floral Sprigged Sewing-Fold.

Having a different sewing-fold for every project and every sewing bag seems a perfectly reasonable thing to do. And frankly, that is probably all the excuse you need to get started on this lovely, vintage project that shows Margaret Light’s design skills in all of their glory.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Floral-Sprigged Sewing Fold from the book A Fine Tradition includes a pincushion and pockets for scissors, thimble and accessories, with a bluebell emery fob, and is decorated with carnations, irises and bluebells.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Floral-Sprigged Sewing Fold includes everything* you need to re-create this gorgeous sewing accessory: Fabrics (unprinted), wool felts, fabric stabiliser, interfacing, ribbon, buttons, sewing thread, emery powder, embroidery threads and needles.

Summer Blooms by Ana Mallah from Inspirations issue #110 is three charming needlework accessories featuring pretty garden flowers.

Perfect Pansies by Carolyn Pearce from the book A Passion for Needlework | Blakiston Creamery is a vibrant set of needlework accessories featuring velvety pansies, in rich shades of garnet and violet.

Although nature is undoubtedly beautiful, and almost all natural features make fantastic needlework subjects, there is an elegance in architecture that can sometimes be underrated. Here is a selection of embroidered buildings that demonstrate just how lovely man-made subjects can be.

You’ve put together a wonderful combination of embroidery stitches and textures on this project Desiree, which have really helped bring the printed fabric to life – we love it!

What a magnificent result, Ann! You’ve done such a great job of this complicated project. You should be very proud.

‘In my version, I added extras including the water (Bosporus), two fishermen in a boat with a fish net, and two cats. Every step was experimental, like doing a puzzle. I enjoyed working on it immensely.’

What an incredible story and a wonderful work of art, Serap. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Do you like the lines and angles of architecture? Does your heart sing when you see a historic building or character-filled house? Does it make your fingers itch to stitch? Or do you prefer natural subjects?

Whatever it is you like to stitch, we’d like 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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Bluebells Under the Birches by Jo Butcher is a stunning carpet of pure, blue flowers spread beneath a canopy of birch leaves.

Amongst the Daisies by Jo Butcher is a beautiful field of fresh, white daisies, some crowned with a golden eye, spread beneath the sun.

Silver Birches by Jo Butcher features graceful trunks of ghostly white rising through a woodland garden of ferns and cow parsley.

Two Hearts by Jo Butcher from Inspirations issue #85 is two dainty heart designs for you to stitch with ease.

Summer Days by Jo Butcher from Inspirations issue #101 is a delightful garden in full bloom with busy bees flying to and from their wooden hive.

Woodland by Jo Butcher from the book A Passion for Needlework is a charming scene of foxgloves amongst birch trees.

~ Dr Wayne Dyer ~

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.