It probably comes as no surprise that we love magazines here at Inspirations HQ.

The thing is, it’s not just Inspirations!

There are more than just a few other titles that capture our attention each time they’re released. Sometimes it’s the content, sometimes it’s the images and sometimes it’s a little of each. Country Style Magazine is one such title. And it just so happens to be a little of each.

As the current issue passed over our desks, we found ourselves taking in everything the cover captured – a gorgeous image of a food-laden, perfectly set table draped with envy worthy linen, under a canopy of festoon lights and flowering wisteria, all with a bunny perched effortlessly atop a wicker stool! We then read the taglines that hinted at the articles within.

Next, we glanced over the opening advertisements, read each word of the Editor’s Letter and perused the contents page with interest. When we found ourselves several articles in though, we stopped and thought.

Do we keep reading cover to cover? Do we skip to Country Style’s equivalent of ‘Loose Threads’, which is found on the closing pages of Inspirations magazine, promising ourselves we’ll then put the magazine down for the day? Do we stop reading altogether so we have something to come back to?

As tempted as we were to continue reading, we relished the thought of coming back to discover more, so we put the magazine aside for another day.

As excited as we are when a new issue arrives, we like to enjoy a little today, a little tomorrow and hopefully save just a little more for the days that follow.

Do you have a ritual each time an issue of Inspirations arrives?

Maybe you set aside the time to read it cover to cover or perhaps like us, you savour just a little of what’s within the day it arrives, diligently saving the rest for another time and place.

Whatever it is you do to celebrate the arrival of each issue of Inspirations, we’d love you to share it with us by emailing news@inspirationsstudios.com

Who knows, maybe your ritual will help to redefine ours going forward?!

A question was sent to us recently asking about the best way to transfer embroidery designs on to the fabric. Most designs from books or magazines are printed on paper and the challenge is to get it onto our fabric so we can start stitching.

When we started to research the question, we realised that there were more ways to transfer designs than we thought, so we have split this article into two parts, with the second half coming to you next week.

Prick and Pounce

One of the earliest methods for transferring a design is the prick and pounce method. A design is drawn or printed onto paper and then tiny holes are carefully pricked along the lines at short, regular intervals. The secret is to ensure there aren’t so many holes that the pounce will spread, but there aren’t so few that it is difficult to join them.

Once the holes have been pricked, the paper is carefully laid on the fabric and secured to ensure it won’t move during the pouncing process. Pounce is a powdered pigment, usually in white, black or grey.

The pounce is carefully dusted over the paper with a soft pad or sponge so that it falls through the holes. The paper is carefully lifted so the pounce won’t smudge and then, using a very fine paint brush and paint, the artisan joins the dots.

This is still a method used by some and it results in an accurate transfer although a steady hand is required for the painting. It is then important that one’s stitches cover the paint lines as they cannot be removed once they’ve been applied!

Tracing and Tacking

Another method that was used in the past and continues to be used today is tracing and tacking.

Firstly, the design is transferred onto tracing paper. The tracing paper is then carefully secured to the fabric. Using a sewing cotton in an easy to see colour, tacking stitches are worked along the lines. Once the entire design has been tacked, the paper is scored along the lines with a needle and can be gently torn away.

Like prick and pounce, this can be a highly accurate method of transferring a design although it does take time. Also, the tacking stitches need to be removed, especially if they have been made in a contrasting colour. There is an element of ‘dot to dot’ thinking required, as tacking necessarily has gaps in the line, but this method is a lot easier than painting.

It is preferable to draw the design onto tracing paper using something other than lead pencil as the graphite can transfer with the stitches to the fabric. Especially if your fabric is a light colour, removing graphite marks afterwards isn’t always straightforward!

Direct Tracing

If you have access to a lightbox and your fabric isn’t too dark, you can also directly trace a design onto it. If you secure the design on to the lightbox so it doesn’t move, then secure the fabric over the top, you can see the lines of the design through the fabric when the lightbox is turned on. If you don’t have a lightbox, a sunny window works just as well although it means you have to trace standing upright rather than sitting down.

The big question with direct tracing is what do you trace the design with? As mentioned before, lead pencil isn’t always advisable due to the difficulty of removing it afterwards. Fortunately, we now have erasable pens that work beautifully on fabric. They commonly come in three types: water-soluble, air-soluble and heat-soluble.

Water-soluble pens are fantastic for fabric that can be immersed in water, so if you know you are going to wash your project when it is complete, it is an excellent choice.

Air-soluble pens do just what they say on the tin – they disappear over time in the air. The amount of time they take to disappear depends on the pen and the environment, but if you are one of those people (like several of us are) who take quite a long time to finish a project, then there is always the risk that the design will disappear before you’ve had a chance to complete it. You may need to keep going over the lines periodically.

Heat-soluble pens, also known as Frixion pens, are fantastic and come in a range of colours. They disappear when you iron over them or, if you can’t iron your project, just get the hair dryer out and the lines will magically disappear beneath the hot air of the dryer.

However, people in very cold countries have discovered that the lines can reappear when it gets cold, and it is known that if you put your needlework in the freezer, they may reappear as well. There might be times when it is necessary to put your needlework in the freezer, but we aren’t exactly sure of when those times are! However, it is good to remember. Ensuring the lines are stitched over accurately will save unwanted reappearances!

For all pens, before you start you should try it out on a corner of your fabric first and have a try at removing it in the way it is meant to. If the pen leaves a mark or a shadow even after its ‘removal’ then it would be wise to look for an alternative method of transferring your design on to that particular fabric.

Next time we will look at some of the more modern methods of transferring designs, but we’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences about design transferral as tips are always greatly appreciated.

Different styles emerge in different periods. In the past, styles were often driven by the reigning monarch, which is why many of the styles we recognise today still bear their names. Jacobean, Elizabethan, Edwardian – all of these styles emerged under the named monarch, but the one we know the best is Victorian.

Victorian style developed during the reign of Queen Victoria from the early 1800s through to the end of the nineteenth century. Because Victoria’s reign was so long, the style did vary and change over the years, but many elements are still recognised and popular today.

This is primarily because it arose during a period of great prosperity for Britain, so no expense was spared when it came to fashion or decorations, at least for a portion of society.

The result was grandiose homes stuffed full of decorative detail; rich and brilliantly coloured textiles filled with patterns; beautifully designed dresses with masses of petticoats, bustles and elegant accessories and jewellery; and a love of floral and feminine detail.

Kim Beamish has taken that love of floral and feminine detail and used it to create a gorgeous set of stitching accessories that exemplify the Victorian style. Titled ‘Victorian Hearts’, this project from Inspirations issue #114 is a delightful trio filled with lacy detail and soft colouring. The matching heart-shaped pincushion, needlebook and scissor fob are decorated using various counted thread stitches and finished with tiny pearls in true Victorian style.

Kim has decided to use a subtle variegated thread for the floral border around the three accessories so that the colour variation between the heart-shaped flowers is softly graded. This gives the beautiful effect of flowers at various stages of blooming and emphasises the whitework centre of each accessory.

These centres are worked using an open trellis stitch, which results in a fascinating texture. The reverse of each accessory is worked only in white on white with the same stitch, ensuring that both front and back are as lovely as one another.

The step-by-step instructions make these easy to work, with the only consideration being to make each loop an equal size where possible. A small dot, made with an erasable pen for the start and end of the loop, can help. That way when you reach the bottom tip of the heart, you won’t find yourself with a loop of an odd size. It also helps you to ensure that there are a similar number on each opposing side to create a pleasing symmetry.

The final touch to Victorian Hearts is the twisted cord that is used for tying the needlebook closed and hanging the scissors from the fob. This is made from the same brand of subtle variegated thread giving a lovely, tweeded effect.

This beautiful and traditional set of needlework accessories would take pride of place in any stitching kit. It wouldn’t have looked out of place back in the 19th century, and it certainly still retains its beauty and charm today. Certain styles will always remain in fashion, and Victorian Hearts is a perfect example of that.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Victorian Hearts by Kim Beamish is a charming, needlework accessories set with pulled and counted thread techniques.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Victorian Hearts includes everything* you need to re-create these charming needlework accessories: Fabric (unprinted), wool felt, embroidery threads, beads and needles.

Heart’s Delight by Kim Beamish from Inspirations issue #94 is a charming pulled thread mat with heart motifs.

Queen of Hearts by Kim Beamish from Inspirations issue #86 is an elegant Hardanger mat ideal for beginners.

Needlework isn’t just about making lovely pictures to hang on your wall. Your needlework projects can also say something about you, help you to preserve memories and allow you to create art out of personal things. If you haven’t considered this before, then Stitched Memories by Tilly Rose is the book for you.

This beautiful book shows you several gorgeous ways that you can integrate precious items from your stash, your home or your past into very personal stitched projects.

The book encourages you to use things you already have in order to make the projects. These include many wonderful items such as gift tags, a stamped fabric picture or a beautiful book cover, perfect for a journal or notebook filled with thoughts, dreams and ideas.

The book isn’t a step-by-step guide to create something that will look exactly like the picture, rather it is a whole wealth of inspiration so that you can create the projects in a highly personalised way. The goal is to inspire you to go beyond just the projects published and start experimenting on your own. The lovely photographs and fantastic guidance inside aim to open a world of stitched memories and allow your creativity to fly.

It is easy to be inspired to make pincushions after all the wonderful pincushion projects we’ve been offering you over the past months. Whether you are making one of the many we’ve been highlighting, or you are pursuing a different project, if your pincushion needs a wooden base, Sudberry pincushions are just for you.

These elegantly tooled wooden bases come in two sizes and are perfect for mounting your stitched pincushion project.

The Small Round Pincushion has a smooth finish and narrow surrounding lip that offers a subtle mount to highlight your stitching.

The Etcetera Pincushion has a handy surrounding tray that is ideal for holding bits and pieces while you stitch so nothing ever gets lost.

Stock up on your Sudberry pincushions today as we will undoubtedly be bringing you more pincushion projects in the weeks and months to come.

Inspirations issue #42 was first published back in 2004. To many of us, that doesn’t seem that long ago! Can you believe it has been 18 years since all the projects in that issue were seen for the first time? But even though issue #42 is now out of print, the projects are just as lovely today as they were then. Fortunately, you can still stitch them thanks to our digital library that now contains all of the projects from that issue, thanks to these new releases:

Wild Thing by Lesly Turpin-Delport is a highly unique and stunningly beautiful stumpwork project featuring dog roses. The design incorporates stranded cotton, perlé cotton, metallic thread and silk and organdie ribbon as well as various sizes of beads to give it a sparkling finish.

Anna Scott’s Celadon is a lovely evening bag in a soft dusty green. It is lavishly embroidered with a beaded design, which lends the bag an air of opulence and would be perfect for a wedding or any other special occasion.

Dreamtime by Julie Graue is a cute waffle weave blanket stitched with two adorable bunnies soft-sculpted from velour and seated on an ornate circlet featuring sprays of bullion roses.

Veil of Gold by Christine P. Bishop is a masterpiece of gold threads and lustrous pearls stitched in a lattice design. When framed with a matching golden frame, this elegant project echoes the carpets of Persia.

These four fantastic projects are now available as digital patterns for you to purchase and download from our website.

Threadpainting often results in highly realistic embroidered images. Textile artist Beth Carroll wanted even more realism, so when she started stitching, she chose a diaphanous tulle as her base fabric.

Beth, an Australian-born artist who now lives in Ireland, has translated her passion for birds into a series of pieces so lifelike, it looks as if her subjects have just fluttered down and perched on the hoop.

The delicate process of stitching and then carefully trimming the tulle around the freestanding tail feathers takes precision, but when the piece is finished, each bird is bursting with character. Beth sometimes even adds barbed wire or real twigs for the birds to perch on, making her creatures truly come to life.

If you’d like to read more about Beth Carroll and her work, you can do so HERE. She also has a website and an Instagram page so you can see more of her beautiful art and embroidery.

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

Inspiration comes from all over the place, but one thing that is almost guaranteed to get the creative ideas flowing is travel. We may not have been able to travel as much in recent years as we did before, but even small trips to new places can invite ideas and new creations.

It was travel that gave Betsy Morgan the inspiration for Tasmanian Needle Tidy from her latest book Willing Hands 2. As only Betsy can, she’s memorialised all the wonderful things she experienced on her trip to Tasmania, Australia, in this delightful project.

The idea for the needle tidy came from a special find Betsy made at the Salamanca Markets in Hobart.

When she opened it, she discovered wool pages ready for holding needles and a small pocket with ‘odds and ends’ inscribed on it. She knew she had to create something just like it.

Betsy gathered up all the magical experiences she had had on her trip to Tasmania. She had kept note of the flowers she’d seen, the wallabies she’d watched from her hotel window and the waves and scenery of a fantastic boat trip she’d enjoyed. All of these things and more then went into the gorgeous, sampler design that decorates the Tasmanian Needle Tidy.

Rather than suede, Betsy’s project is made from fine natural linen on which the beautiful design is stitched, and a soft, violet silk dupion for the lining. This colour choice complements the bright threads that she’s selected for the stitching.

When you open the tidy completely, you can see all the wonderful details arrayed along the surface – the flowers, the waves and right down the bottom, the two wallabies nibbling grass worked in Assisi stitch.

She’s also added two violet-coloured felt pages for needles. As an extra surprise, the project includes a scissor fob decorated with a delightful violet-coloured flower, which fits with the rest of the project perfectly.

Some people remember their trips through photographs. Others write travel journals. People like Betsy Morgan memorialise their trips by stitching. But we’re very grateful she does, as it means we get to vicariously relive her experiences through stitching her memories.

We might not be able to travel as much ourselves, but we can travel in spirit to wonderful places with this gorgeous project.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Tasmanian Needle Tidy by Betsy Morgan is a beautiful folding etui with twisted cord closure.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Tasmanian Needle Tidy includes everything* you need to re-create this beautiful etui: Fabrics (unprinted), interfacings, interlining, wool felt, button, sewing threads, embroidery threads and needles.

Good for the Goose by Betsy Morgan from the book Willing Hands 2 is a sturdy, three-sided box inspired by migrating Canada geese.

Bristol Bag Etui from the book Willing Hands 2 is a stunning red and white linen bag etui featuring a sampler alphabet, spot motifs and English paper piecing.

As we sit here and write, we pause for a moment to consider our words. The sound that breaks through our reverie is the sound of birds chirruping in the trees outside. Birds are delightful to listen to and even more delightful to stitch. We have so many bird projects in our cupboard, we are going to have to break them up over several weeks, but here are a few to start with.

It sounds like you’ve faced a lot of changes, Jane. We’re so pleased embroidery has always been there to help you through, even when there seems little time for it. Congratulations on a beautiful finish and we wish you all the best in your new season of life.

These are wonderful projects, Josephine. Judging by these, your creative talents obviously extend way beyond music and into needlework as well.

It’s great to be able to successfully re-create a design using items you have in your stash, isn’t it Linda? This is a perfect example of that, and we can only imagine how pleased you must be with it whenever you see it stuck to your fridge.

This is a really wonderful project, Julie. We love the combination of stumpwork and counted embroidery. You have stitched it to perfection and we look forward to seeing more of your work as you continue your stumpwork journey.

Does the sound of birdsong inspire you to pick up your needle? Or are you motivated more by the sight of a beautiful flower? Perhaps when you look at your favourite pet, you just want to memorialise them in stitches?

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

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Jarrah & Grass Blue Butterfly by Denise Mackey is a beautiful stumpwork study of the life-cycle of a butterfly on eucalypt stems.

Hello Possum! by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #109 is a cuddly blanket with a cute possum amongst gum blossoms and a matching carry bag.

The Great Escape by Erica Frame from Inspirations issue #19 is an award-winning blanket, featuring the silken blossoms of Australia’s native eucalyptus.

Norwegian Lace by Di Kirchner is a delicate and lace-like square of Hardanger atop a linen base, finished with a wrapped bead.

Bianca by Patricia Girolami from Inspirations issue #66 is an elegant Hardanger mat made from a combination of perfect stitches and precise cutting.

Mind Games by Kim Beamish from Inspirations issue #109 is a whitework table mat or cushion front worked with Hardanger embroidery.

~ Unknown ~

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