The world has a rhythm by which it subsists. The moon waxes and wanes, water ebbs and flows, seasons come and go. So it is with life. Yet so often we find ourselves fighting its natural cadence.

There’s been a little of that going on at Inspirations HQ lately. We relished the ‘wax and flow’ of our time in Daylesford photographing A Passion for Needlework IV yet resisted the ‘wane and ebb’ of returning to the everyday.

Don’t many of us do this all too often?!

We try and hold on to our favourite season whether it be spring, summer, autumn or winter. We seek to hold tight to that oh, so perfect moment as if by doing so means it won’t be so fleeting. We hesitate to lay down our needles and threads when we’ve found their seamless push and pull through fabric for fear it won’t be found again.

Seasons will come and go. Perfect moments will seem as if they disappear almost before they’ve arrived. That seamless push and pull will at times seem all but impossible to find. But, as Ann Voskamp wrote in her most recent book, Waymaker, ‘life comes in waves, and the way to live is to find a way to ride the waves.’

There’s a peace that comes when we accept that all of life is movement. Sometimes life is wax and flow as we move gently closer towards our goals and dreams. Whilst at other times the turbulence of the wane and ebb requires us to draw on our inner strength to weather the storm before us.

We just have to remember the shift eventually comes. Remembering the shift will prompt us to be grateful through seasons of ease and remind us that difficult times will eventually pass.

Last week, we wrote an article about bobbin lace to atone for our error in misidentifying a vintage sample sent in by one of our readers. Unfortunately, the mea culpa does not end there, as there was another error in All Stitched Up! issue #319 which our eagle eyed readers also picked up!

In the article about Christine P. Bishop’s project ‘Wedgewood’, we incorrectly spelt the name of the historic porcelain company with an additional ‘e’ to match the name of the project. In fact, the company name is Wedgwood, without the second ’e’. We’ve corrected it now but thank you again for all of the emails pointing out our mistake.

We have had to practice some humility over the past weeks, and we can only apologise that occasionally, errors do get through our editing process. We will do our very best in the future to catch them before they get sent out to the wider world!

Although much of our inbox was filled with our community kindly correcting us, we did also receive a number of other messages on various topics, from thimbles to threads, that we also wanted to share.

Samantha Bramich’s email was entitled ‘A game changer tool’, which immediately caught our attention. She was talking about the Clover Adjustable Ring Thimble. After years of suffering from a sore middle finger and improvising with old leather glove finger ends and every different kind of thimble you could imagine, Samantha finally discovered this clever tool.

It sits between the first and second knuckle on the middle finger, so it is nicely out of the way and keeps the finger ends blissfully free.

If you have a game changer tool which you cannot stitch without, let us know what it is! We’d love to share it.

We are still receiving some great thoughts on thread substitutions.

Elizabeth Morris does much of her embroidery on quilt blocks. When she travels, rather than taking multiple skeins of thread with her, she chooses a variegated thread with the range of colours she wants within it. That way, she only has one skein to carry so it is less likely to get tangled or lost in transit and she can still enjoy the look of multiple colours in her work.

Alice Rathofer was inspired by Mendie Cannon’s suggestion to use a transparent red plastic sheet to view colour values. However, if you don’t have red plastic to hand, Alice’s idea was to place the threads on a photocopier and copy them in black and white instead. This offers you the same effect.

Alice is also an advocate of the ‘floss toss’, where you place the threads you plan to use together on the fabric. This allows you to see if any of the colours are going to be lost in the background or are jarring in contrast.

Ann Baseden shared with us the story of her workroom.

Ann has been working on mixed media pantomime costumes, so her poor workroom is filled to the brim with odd bits of plastic, paper, paint, beads and associated tools and equipment. Ann laments the fact she used to have a beautiful, purpose-built workshop in her previous house, but the reality is, this workroom is what she’s got. If only she could find the time to clear it out!

We really do love to hear from you, whether it is to relate your stitching experiences, tell us something wonderful that has happened in your stitching life, or just to share your knowledge and help us all learn something new. Keep writing in and keep the conversation going.

Everything old is new again! One of the many beautiful things about embroidery is that styles and techniques wax and wane in popularity, but you can be assured that none ever vanish completely.

Sometimes, particular types of embroidery seem to disappear for a while, but when they come back there is so much pleasure in rediscovering them and getting the opportunity to either learn something new or put those past skills to use again.

We have seen more ribbon embroidery appearing in the magazine over the past few months, which we know a lot of you have been thrilled about. Our latest Handpicked project picks up on that resurgence and then adds to it.

You would buy a stunning print that had been transferred on to fabric and then use a range of silk ribbons, threads and embellishments to turn the print into something extra special. Some of you may even remember a time when whole magazines were devoted to this style of embroidery, and you’ll even find a few embellished, pre-printed fabric projects in earlier issues of Inspirations magazine.

April Flowers by Di van Niekerk is the welcome revival of that gorgeous technique. This design starts out with a stunning print on linen. While the print is beautiful in itself, when you then start to add silk ribbon blooms to highlight and embellish specific elements of the print, it becomes something else entirely.

Di offers you all of the instructions you need to guide you on which stitches and colours to use and where to place them in order to create a tiny masterpiece using this wonderful embroidery technique.

We are happy to announce that we now have the printed fabric available to purchase individually, which is a must for anyone who is looking to re-create this stunning project, especially if you have already purchased the digital or printed pattern.

Alternatively, you can buy the complete Ready-To-Stitch kit that includes all of the ribbons and other materials you need, as well as the printed fabric on which to stitch.

Either way, you are going to get the chance to rediscover the joy in creating an embellished, ribbon embroidery – something we feel has been missing from our lives for far too long.

Ribbon embroidery and embroidery on a pre-printed background image are two of those techniques. Each of them alone is wonderful to do, but when combined, as Di van Niekerk has done in April Flowers, you are sure to be reminded just how fabulous this type of embroidery really is.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

April Flowers by Di van Niekerk is a beautiful bouquet of wildflowers worked over a printed background using hand-painted silk ribbons.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for April Flowers includes everything* you need to re-create this beautiful bouquet: Fabric with pre-printed background, lining fabric, embroidery threads, ribbons and needle.

Still Life with Flowers by Helen Eriksson from Inspirations issue #89 is a sumptuous bowl of flowers worked with silk ribbon.

Old Friends by Jan Bergman from Inspirations issue #88 is a glorious dimensional basket of striking proteas and grevillea.

Our kit department here at Inspirations Studios works tirelessly to ensure Ready-to-Stitch kits are available as soon as any new book and each new issue of the magazine is released.

Often our kits sell out quickly, and while we’d love for every project we publish to always have a Ready-To-Stitch kit available for purchase, the reality is we are limited to offering a select range of kits at any one time.

The good news is that the range is growing all the time, in part due to our team bringing some of the more popular kits back into stock.

Originally appearing in Inspirations issue #92 the project was so popular at the time, and has been requested so many times since, that we’ve sourced all the materials once again.

So, if you were disappointed to miss out on your Ready-To-Stitch kit for this gorgeous project the first time around, you now have a second chance.

Sweet Treats is a project featuring five tiny, candy-like pincushions, each adorned with a different counted design. Worked in bright silk threads and finished with jewel-coloured silk fabric, this is an adorable project that you’re going to just love.

Order your Sweet Treats Ready-To-Stitch kit today, and if there are ever any kits you would like us to bring back, please email us and let us know. We’re always eager to keep our loyal stitchers happy.

As promised, we have now finished digitising the remaining patterns from Inspirations issue #82. Just in case you didn’t have enough already, you now have even more fantastic digital patterns to choose from when you are deciding on your next project.

Perfect Palette by Di Kirchner is a magnificent crewel cushion with curling stems and gorgeous Jacobean style leaves. But best of all, this project gives you the choice to complete it in brilliant colour or in subtle tones of black, grey and white. Both options offer different stitches and a completely different effect.

Dans Mon Jardin by Taetia McEwen is a pair of gorgeous, whimsical pictures featuring children enjoying a beautiful garden. In one, a little girl sits happily on a swing and in the other, a little boy waters a flowerbed while a butterfly flutters overhead. Worked in soft shades of surface stitching, this pair would look perfect hung together on a wall.

Chanticleer by Patricia Girolami features a rooster in the centre of a tiny sachet worked in traditional needlelace and surrounded by a border of counted thread stitches. Finished with an intricate antique hem stitch border, this little project is a delight to stitch.

These three fabulous projects now join the others in our extensive digital library, so you can purchase and download them instantly, and get stitching without delay.

Loneliness, isolation and mental health issues are finally being recognised around the world as affecting all people, women and men alike. Mark Gibbins from Coventry in England could see this happening, and so quietly set up a small chapter of the ‘Men’s Shed’.

Open to all men, this type of group provides companionship, purpose and caring for people who need it most. It also offers new skills and experiences, one of which is embroidery.

Each member of the group has faced multiple challenges in their lives, but they all diligently threaded their needles and painstakingly stitched an embroidery pattern, most never believing they would ever do such a thing.

Mark Gibbin’s purpose was to:

The stitching is just one part. The companionship, acceptance and understanding are what makes this group truly transformative.

If you’d like to read more about the Coventry Men’s Shed, you can do so HERE. If you’d like to know more about the organisation, the Australian Men's Shed Association can be found HERE, the UK’s Association HERE and if you’re in the US click HERE.

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

For years, Betsy Morgan has delighted the stitching world with her exquisite, hand-stitched etuis and needlework accessories. We’ve featured them in Inspirations magazine on numerous occasions, and we’ve even published two books packed full of these unique and gorgeous projects.

The most recent, Willing Hands 2, has ten stunning projects all bursting with surprises, with the most incredible details in every carefully constructed piece.

Bee Contained Etui is a clever, hexagonal shaped box adorned with everything bee themed.

Inside the box is a hand-made ruler, scissor fob, hexagonal needlebook, thread winder and a tiny, beehive shaped pincushion all continuing on with the apian theme.

Betsy has chosen a pale golden linen that is set off by the black silk dupion interior of the box to create a really striking set that will delight all stitchers, whether you’re a bee lover or not. She has even taken the time to find bee-themed charms and buttons to add the perfect finishing touches.

Gathering for Winter Etui is yet another of Betsy’s intricately clever designs. For this etui, she has chosen to construct a cylindrical box and has chosen acorns as the main motif.

The colour palette is filled with greens, browns and golds and she has come up with as many different acorn shapes and styles as she could possibly think up, all worked in a range of counted stitches.

As before, the box itself is just the beginning. This project also contains a cute little pincushion with a spiral top designed to mimic the spiral pattern found on an acorn cap. It also has a tiny needlebook, a scissor fob and an acorn-shaped scissor sheath to complete the set.

Betsy has chosen to attach a hand-turned wooden acorn charm to the end of the closure cord on the etui, however she invites you to use any sort of charm or button you wish. You may have something else to hand that fits with the theme and will make this project uniquely yours.

We know that many of you were sad when you learned that Betsy had announced her retirement. We were too! However, it seems that there are still new designs in Betsy’s talented and ever-busy mind. It’s no wonder – how could someone as innovative as Betsy ever truly stop? So, you’ll be thrilled to learn that we’ve heard a rumour.

That means, we may still get the pleasure of new Betsy Morgan designs in the future!

In the meantime, it is very easy to fall in love with both of these etuis, not to mention all of the others that appear in the book. While the creative process is happening, you’ve got plenty of wonderful projects to keep you busy. Whether you choose Bee Contained or Gathering for Winter, you’re sure to love every single moment of the process of making these stunning etuis.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Bee Contained Etui by Betsy Morgan is a hexagon box etui celebrating bees with motifs and form.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Bee Contained Etui includes everything* you need to re-create this gorgeous hexagon etui: Fabric (unprinted), interfacing, comic board, wool felt, button, charms, beading thread, embroidery threads, ribbon and needles.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Gathering for Winter Etui by Betsy Morgan is a cylinder box etui showcasing a busy squirrel’s acorn collection.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Gathering for Winter Etui includes everything* you need to re-create this whimsical cylinder box etui: Fabric (unprinted), interfacings, interlining, wadding, wool felts, Mylar®, button, wooden acorn, charm, beading thread, embroidery threads, bead, ribbon and needles.

Hidden Secrets by Angelique Benseghir-Vergnault from Inspirations issue #61 is a stylish embroidered etui that allows you to treat your precious needlework tools with loving care.

Tiny Treasures by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #65 is an exquisite cross stitch etui with sewing accessories.

The animal kingdom is rich with inspiration for our needles. We all have animals we adore, from dogs and cats to wolves and lions. Here are a few fabulous examples of stitchers who have taken their love of animals and translated them into beautiful stitching.

That is such a cute little sheep! Perhaps he/she looks more thoughtful than worried? We’re so glad you had such fun creating this piece Bunny. We love it.

We’re sorry to hear of your loss, Caroline, however you have certainly chosen an incredibly beautiful way to remember your beloved companion.

‘I have been following Aja Trier, an artist from the USA, for some time now. She specialises in pet portraits with a Van Gogh style background. When I saw her German Shepherd, it was love at first sight.

Aja was so kind to give me permission to use her image and for that I want to say a big thank you. I really enjoyed doing this project as it is so different from my usual style, but it was not a strain on my eye.’

It's a wonderful design, Elza and such a dynamic piece. You’ve also stitched it beautifully, even with your current limitations. You should be very proud.

‘I particularly love doing animal-themed embroideries, like this wolf.’

It’s a very striking image, Morena. You’ve done a wonderful job creating it and we’re glad you have found your passion.

Do you love stitching animals? Do you get passionate about memorialising a beloved pet, a favourite breed or a particular species with needle and thread? Or do you prefer to stitch more abstract subjects?

Whatever it is 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

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We have three of Elisabetta Sforza’s exquisitely embroidered alphabets to offer. Drawing on the beauty of nature, Elisabetta develops a theme that she uses to decorate each letter in A Flower Alphabet, A Sea to Stitch and In a Wheat Field.

Allium Meadow by Jo Butcher is a sun-kissed meadow filled with alliums and salvias growing above grasses sprinkled with cornflowers and cosmos.

In Flanders Fields by Jo Butcher from Inspirations issue #99 is a beckoning meadow scene filled with red poppies and golden wheat.

Sea View by Jo Butcher from Inspirations issue #107 is a peaceful meadow scene of grasses and flowers overlooking the ocean.

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.

Cottage Garden by Jo Butcher from Where Meadows & Gardens Grow is a garden scene with swathes of flowers, large and small, melding together in perfect harmony.

~ Vincent van Gogh ~

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