You may recall us introducing you to the work of Ingrid Fetell Lee in All Stitched Up! #292. Ingrid has become somewhat of an authority on the topic of joy, how we experience it and what we can do to incorporate it into our everyday.

Originally, Ingrid piqued our interest with her essay entitled ‘The Secret to Finding More Joy in Less Time’. Most recently, it was the title of an email from her that caught our attention - ‘Is Your Home Driving You Crazy? Try This.’

Like many of us, there are times Ingrid looks around her home and all she can see are the problems – piles of laundry, a kitchen countertop that is anything but beautiful and myriad projects yet to be completed. Almost instantly our minds connected Ingrid’s observations with those of our sewing room – piles of supplies, surfaces that aren’t necessarily of our choosing and more UFOs than we care to number!

Like Ingrid, we’re familiar with the world’s solution to such predicaments. Products. Ingrid, however, has realised that our homes – or in our case, our sewing rooms – are more than just a problem to solve or a collection of things that need curating.

Aren’t our sewing rooms supposed to be just that too – a tool we use to stitch well?!

Whilst we confess to often choosing form over function, the truth is, our sewing rooms should be a space that serve us well and support all we hope to achieve with needle and thread. Ingrid helped us realise that before we purchased another storage solution, we needed to be clear on what our needs and aspirations for the room are.

After reading through the list Ingrid created, where she posed three simple questions she used before making changes to her home, we adapted them to the space we use to indulge our love of all things needle and thread.

1. Why do we want to change our sewing room?
2. What is our vision for our sewing room?
3. Where will we start?

The questions above helped us to consolidate the why behind our desire to change the room, helped us to imagine how we’ll use the room going forward and where we’ll start ‘Day Stacking’ our way to the final result. We hope they’ll do the same for you.

Here’s to each of us creating a space that helps us to stitch well and stitch joyfully…

When we wrote about substituting threads in Thread Conversions Part 1 and Thread Conversions Part 2, we asked about your experiences and we were inundated with readers sharing their favourite tips, stories and some really useful advice. We have learnt so much ourselves, so we hope there will be some ideas here that will enhance your own stitching experience.

Alison Hickson shared a story about thread substitution. She was a teenager in the mid-1960s when she was handed a half-finished needlepoint project that her aunt had started in the 1940s. It did have the Anchor wool with it, but not enough to finish the piece. Alison did what she could, varying the stitch to be more economical, but soon ran out of wool.

It was then she discovered that the numbering system for Anchor had changed not once, but twice by the time she was doing the project! To make things worse, she was stitching in the ‘bright ‘60s’ not the ‘muted ‘40s’ and could not find any matches in the range. She couldn’t use DMC as the thread weight was different, so she ended up with a half-stitched cushion and no thread to finish it with.

So, Alison adjusted the design, completing the outer part of it in bright ‘60s colours which ended up setting off the muted 1940’s centre. To her delight, it looked great. When the project had been started, there were no kits available and you had to buy the threads you thought you needed without any way of judging quantity. But her creativity allowed her to finish a cushion that was used for years afterwards until it literally fell apart several decades later. Alison finished by saying:

Mendie Cannon shared a useful tip for substitutions. She suggested that when you want to change threads, lay a sheet of transparent red plastic over them. This will help you see clearly if the thread is of the same value – light, medium or dark, and the same weight – thin, medium or thick. The red plastic takes away the distraction of the actual colour and allows you to really see other properties.

Roberta Kenney lamented the lack of consistency in colour description conventions. She told us about a method of describing colour that is used for pigments and dyes, called the Munsell Colour System. This system outlines the terminology used when referring to all aspects of colour. Roberta says that this would be a fabulous system to use when referring to colours of threads, as it would provide a clear way to cross reference between manufacturers. Unfortunately, as far as Roberta knows, these designations are not commonly used by thread manufacturers, so we usually have to substitute by eye.

Because she often stitches her own designs, Lynne Redderson doesn’t usually need a specific colour. However, if she doesn’t have the exact shade she wants, say of a pink or blue, she will use two strands of different pinks or blues that, when stitched, appear as a completely new shade. What a clever idea!

Sally Jorden has found that sometimes she needs perlé cotton or silk in a colour that has been discontinued. However, often that manufacturer will have a suitable colour in a stranded cotton or silk instead. She’s discovered that you can actually make your own perlé thread from stranded thread! She’s even recommended a PDF you can look at if you’d like to try doing this yourself.

Deborah Schwabel asked whether we knew of a conversion chart for Gloriana threads. Because Gloriana threads are hand-dyed, doing an exact conversion is always difficult. We found two conversion charts: one for Gloriana to Dinky Dyes and the other for Gloriana to Weeks Dye Works and Needle Necessities. If any of our readers know of any other charts, we’re sure Deborah would be very grateful.

Finally, Maryann Ashton shared her own experiences with substituting threads. She had received her grandmother’s threads and buttons when her grandmother passed away. This included a lot of Anchor threads that Maryann, who wasn’t an embroiderer at the time, wasn’t sure what to do with. When she started doing cross stitch, she occasionally delved into this stash, but not very often. In fact, rather than shrinking, it grew as left-over threads from cross stitch kits were added to it.

A little while back, Maryann started a kit that she had had for some time. The threads were not identified by manufacturer – there was just a symbol and a colour name. Life took over and she put the kit to one side for a short while and when she got back to it, some threads had gone missing. So, she went to Grandma’s stash where she easily found ‘pale lemon yellow’, ‘slate grey’ and a number of other colours.

Maryann said:

We’re sure there are as many stories about thread substitution as there are stitchers. If you’d like to share your own experiences with us, or if you have any useful tips for our readers, don’t hesitate to write in. We love getting your emails, as it means all of us learn new things every week and we get to share the knowledge amongst close friends.

When it comes to fine linen for needlework, one of the largest and most famous manufacturers in the world is Zweigart. Since 1877, Zweigart have been producing high grade needlework fabrics at their factory in Germany. They remain one of the go-to brands for all kinds of needleworker to this day.

Zweigart Belfast is a 32-count linen that is perfect for all kinds of counted embroidery, from cross stitch to blackwork. We currently have Zweigart Belfast available in an exquisite shade of Deep Magenta. It can be ordered by the half metre (50cm / approx. 20 inches).

Zweigart Kingston is a 52-count linen, woven so finely and evenly it is silken to the touch. Despite the fine count, this linen can be used for various kinds of counted embroidery, including Hardanger and counted whitework. Thanks to the tight weave, it is also suitable for surface embroidery.

We have Zweigart Kingston available in White and Ecru that can be purchased by the quarter metre (25cm / approx. 10 inches).

These beautiful linens can be purchased in the minimum sizes indicated, however if you would like a larger piece, just order the number of units you would like and we’ll send it to you as a single, uncut length.

Over the past few years, many of us have been missing the opportunity to gather together in person with other stitchers. However, out of adversity comes great innovation, with online conferences and gatherings going from strength to strength.

Lady Anne’s Needlework is delighted to bring you it’s third online needlework festival from the 2nd to the 15th of May 2022, riding on the back of its previous successes.

From the comfort of your very own home, participate in lessons from tutors such as Deborah Wilding, Jenny Adin-Christie, Kate Barlow, Zina Kazban, Phillipa Turnbull and Mandy Ewing, who will teach designs inspired by Historic Costume and Accessories.

Lectures will take place in the evenings with speakers Elery Lynn, Ninya Mikaela and Michele Carragher and others speaking on their specialist topics.

Lady Anne’s Needlework Festival is needlework’s most carefully curated online gathering. You are invited to indulge in creating one of the exquisite designs with expert small-group online tuition, delve deeper into the history of the art form, or just enjoy some quality time with like-minded enthusiasts.

You can find out more about the festival HERE, or register for the event HERE.

Every stitching kit needs the basics – scissors, needles and pins. When it comes to the latter, you can never have enough, particularly as pins seem to have a habit of disappearing between floorboards or behind sofas!

Berry Glass-headed Pins are perfect to ensure your kit is always complete.

Each pinwheel has 40 pins in an array of bright colours. They’re sharp, easy to grip and easy to see. They do the exact job they’re designed to without fuss, and what’s more, they then nestle comfortably back in their holder ready for the next time they’re needed.

Stock up on these Berry Glass-headed Pins today to ensure you never get caught short!

Printed copies of Inspirations issue #53, originally published back in 2007, are now completely sold out. But don’t despair! The amazing projects from that issue are now available as digital patterns.

You can now buy the pattern for True Blue by Jenny McWhinney. This is an adorable needlecase with a cute koala on the front and a tiny blue wren on the inside, all set off by two stunning gumnut tassels.

Anise by Wendy Innes is a beautiful stumpwork project featuring a colourful butterfly alighting on a delicate pink cone flower.

If you’re looking for an elegant evening bag, you simply can’t go past Vintage Rose by Julie Graue. Stitched on bronze dupion silk and featuring stitched flowers studded with beads, rolled fabric roses and a shimmering beaded fringe, this bag is perfect for any special occasion.

Finally for this week, Anemone by Gabrielle Henderson is an eye-catching shawl covered in shimmering anemone flowers worked in rayon thread to produce a silky, luxurious finish.

We’ll be bringing you more projects from Inspirations issue 53 next week, but until then, these four magnificent projects are available to purchase and download immediately.

Many of you know of Jenny Adin-Christie, who produces stunning needlework designs filled with delicate and exquisite detail. We can all imagine Jenny seated with a needle in hand, carefully deciding where to add the next stitch. But herding sheep?

Never fear, Jenny hasn’t decided to make a career change. Instead, she’s just been granted the Freedom of the City of London, which is the next stage in her becoming a Broderer of the Worshipful Company of Broderers.

This is an honour that has been bestowed on the finest needleworkers since the Middle Ages, so Jenny follows in a long line of master embroiderers.

If you’re wondering where the sheep come into it, it’s related to one of the privileges granted to her new title. Jenny explains:

Obviously, this is a historic privilege that may not be so practical in 2022, unless the sheep can find a way to navigate the cars, buses and taxis that now take up most of the space on that famous monument!

If you would like to read more about Jenny’s new honour, you can view the post HERE or follow her on Instagram.

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

Ribbon embroidery enjoyed its initial heyday in the sixteenth century in Europe, where French noblewomen used it to embellish their stunning day wear, evening dresses and ball gowns with elaborate silk ribbon flowers and designs. The technique was taken across the English Channel to become a favourite of English ladies, where its practice continued for several centuries.

During the more austere part of the early twentieth century, ribbon embroidery didn’t completely disappear. However, the difficulty of sourcing silk ribbon and the practical nature of much of the needlework at the time meant that the technique went quiet for a while. It began appearing again in books and magazines in the late 1970s.

Many stitchers of today fell in love with ribbon embroidery at the time. Like everything, fashions come and go sometimes making it harder to find new designs for something you really love, simply because the world has changed.

Fortunately, ribbon embroidery has always been there, even if it hasn’t dominated the books and magazines like it once did. Now, the ribbon embroidery projects we bring you use the same delicate, traditional techniques but are more modern and simply gorgeous.

Whether you are one of the people who never tried ribbon embroidery before, or you’re a seasoned ribbon embroiderer, Di van Niekerk’s project in Inspirations issue #113 is the perfect project to tackle. It introduces you to the fundamentals of the technique, allowing you to try out a range of ribbon embroidery stitches or practice what you already know in a new and different way.

It is also a project that exemplifies the style of the twenty-first century absolutely perfectly; modern without being stark, whilst also beautiful without excessive flounce!

In order to get the most pleasure out of working Wildflowers, we recommend using pure silk ribbon.

Stitching with ribbon is just as easy as stitching with thread. Once you have secured the ribbon into the needle in a special way specific to the medium, you’ll have no difficulties at all forming the petals and stalks of this lovely study.

Di provides wonderful examples of how to do each stitch, but there is freedom in the process. You don’t have to get each stitch to look exactly like Di’s example, something that accords with the variation shown in nature. The twist and turn of the ribbon may vary each stitch, but that is as it should be. The result will be a bouquet uniquely your own, alive with colour and texture.

Wildflowers is the perfect project to start your ribbon embroidery journey. Or, if you have ever lamented the lack of ribbon embroidery projects available, it will be exactly what you have been looking for to get your hand back in to this lovely, historic technique.

Whether you mount the finished study in a hoop as Di suggests, or you mount it in another way, Wildflowers will be a project to be proud of and hopefully the start of more glorious ribbon embroidery projects to follow.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Wildflowers by Di van Niekerk is a pretty posy worked with hand-painted silk ribbon for a contemporary display.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Wildflowers includes everything* you need to re-create this lustrous posy: Fabric (unprinted), felt, ribbons, embroidery threads and needles.

Angel’s Breath by Taetia McEwen from Inspirations issue #111 is a lampshade and wreath featuring pretty ribbon and velvet flowers.

Home Sweet Home Beehive by Anne Davies from Inspirations issue #91 is a handy pincushion box inspired by basket beehives adorned with silk ribbon blooms.

Les Jardins by Lorna Bateman from Inspirations issue #78 is a glorious floral wreath in silk ribbon.

Garden Party by Helen Eriksson from Inspirations issue #70 is a whole garden of beautiful silk ribbon blooms showcased in a floral sampler.

The world is filled with all creatures great and small. The ones we are most familiar with are the creatures of the land and the air, but what about the creatures in the sea? Ocean life is endlessly fascinating but isn’t as well represented in needlework as we think it should be. In order to inspire you and show you just how majestic sea creatures can be, here are a few examples:

‘This is a project I did a little while ago. I took the photo after it was framed so the project is sitting behind glass. I was too scared to remove it in case I couldn’t get it back in again!’

It looks like a magnificent project, Jill. We love the design. Jellyfish are such a fascinating subject to stitch.

It sounds like you have achieved some incredible things with your stitching, Kate. Your octopus is so lifelike. It’s a stunning piece of embroidery.

‘My branch of the West Country Embroiderer’s in the UK had a 35th anniversary exhibition planned with a competition around the theme of 'Coral'. I did a coloured Casalguidi piece designed to illustrate the deterioration of the coral reef. My son entitled it 'Coral Grief'.'

‘I started with vibrant rich natural threads and ended up with a nasty black plastic thread. I was astounded when my piece won!’

Not astounding at all, Kay! Your piece is wonderful and well deserved its prize. Congratulations.

Do you love all of the creatures in the sea? Are you fascinated by the ocean and do you feel your needles twitch whenever you see a picture of an iridescent fish or an exquisite piece of coral? Or do you prefer stitching more familiar animals?

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

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This stunning mug features a blue lotus flower and is handmade in England by Burleigh Pottery. Kaffe Fassett has created this design exclusively for Burleigh Pottery, so you’ll be enjoying your tea from a one-of-a-kind ceramic mug.

Wedgewood by Christine P. Bishop is a stunning set of blue linen stitching accessories featuring exquisite reticella embroidery.

Buon Natale by Di Kirchner from Inspirations issue #112 is a beautiful reticella tree ornament worked in white and silver with a cord loop and beaded tassel.

Reticella Sampler by Christine P. Bishop from the book A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII is an Italian cutwork needlelace design from the 14th and 15th centuries.

Holbein Hexagon Etui by Betsy Morgan is a hexagon box with silk pincushion lid showcasing Betsy’s favourite stitching technique with Tudor-inspired motifs.

Sweet Treats by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #92 are cute little pincushions showcasing a variety of counted thread designs.

Bargello & Blackwork by Betsy Morgan from the book The Design Collective | Pincushions is an open box and scissor fob with elegant panels of counted thread and a velvet pincushion.

~ Ingrid Fetell Lee ~

Stay informed of upcoming needlework events taking place all around the world in our What’s On page on the Inspirations Studios Website HERE.