Do you love or loathe the often-asked question, ‘What’s for dinner?’.

A recent article by Emily Naismith entitled ‘Why Meal Planning is Not for Me’ perhaps suggests she falls on the loathing side of the equation! If we’re honest, many of us at Inspirations HQ side with Emily so we read on to discover the approach she’s taken to the daily task of putting dinner on the table.

Emily confesses that those who are able to plan meals for a whole week, colour-code their menu plan, then link it to a shopping list of ingredients are nothing short of mythical beings. She simply does not have the brain for that.

Aside from her cognitive ability to meal plan in such a way, as the food Emily eats is often linked to her mood and what’s happening around her, what happens when it’s Wednesday, Vietnamese chicken salad is on the menu, and she simply doesn’t want to eat that?!

Instead, Emily takes the approach of simply starting to cook and seeing where she ends up. No rules, no limits.

Not only did we laugh our way through Emily’s article, but we were left considering whether our approach to needle and thread echoed her thoughts on meal planning.

Are we stitchers who ‘menu plan’ our projects well in advance, colour-code them by technique or difficulty then link them to a list of requirements, knowing whether they’re in our stash or need purchasing afresh for each project? Or are we more like Emily who simply adds a whole lot of items to her online shopping cart, and just rolls with it when they turn up?

Upon reflection, we realised we were a little of each. There are times we plan well in advance, ensuring everything we need is documented, planned and purchased. Whereas there are other times we love the idea of no rules, no limits and no ‘recipe’ as such, but rather an assortment of stitches created from what’s within our stash.

What about you? Do you plan or simply start stitching and see where you end up? We’d love you to email and let us know whether you’re an ‘Emily’ or one of the mythical beings she referred to in her article.

In response to our article about challenges in All Stitched Up! issue #340, we received several more emails from Guilds and groups around the world who wanted to share the fantastic work of their members. Challenges work to both narrow down the focus for people’s stitching, whilst fostering amazing creativity. They’re a fantastic way to get ideas flowing, as these examples will attest.

Writing to us from the UK, Sue Baughan shared her group’s annual challenge from 2018. Sue chairs the Herts Textile Arts & Stitch group, and she devised a challenge based on her discovery of 'Myriorama’ or endless scenes. The idea had originally been created as a Victorian card game for children. Each card in the deck showed a scene that could be seamlessly joined to any other card to form an ‘endless’ vista. The cards were designed so that, no matter the order, the scene always flowed and made visual sense.

When Sue gathered materials for kits, which included detailed instructions, she was met with exclamations of ‘a myrio…what?’ However, after several explanatory phone calls and meetings, the members of the group boldly set forth with the project.

The result was to be a never-ending garden scene. Each piece was a uniform size, with the plan being that they could be hung in any order. Rules had to be imposed to achieve this, including no half-plants on the edges, and assurance that the foreground, middle-ground and sky all started and finished at the same place on the edges of each piece.

The resulting display was a triumph. Since the challenge, the Myriorama display has been exhibited many times, with each exhibition being unique as the pieces are hung in a different order every time.

A different challenge was shared with us by Bridget O’Brien from the Canadian Embroidery Guild in Guelph, Ontario. Bridget’s group decided to try working the blue vase from Sue Spargo’s project, Bright Bouquet, which appeared on the cover of Inspirations issue #94.

Every contributor interpreted it slightly differently, including various embellishments and personal touches. It really is wonderful to see how the same design can produce such a wide variety of results. This really is what embroidery is all about.

Just while we’re sharing fantastic ways that people take the designs from Inspirations magazine and make them their own, Lee Harvey sent us a picture of a gorgeous wooden box that she uses to store her threads. It was originally a cutlery box, but when you look closely, you can see that she has adapted Veil of Gold by Christine P. Bishop from Inspirations issue #42 to decorate the inside of the lid.

Finally this week, our article on Envy gave many of you pause for thought. Ann shared with us that when she was a schoolgirl, she loved art. However, she was not allowed to do art beyond age 11, being confined to dressmaking or domestic science. This was the 1950s, and Ann hated sewing back then!

She dreamed of going to art school, but she had to earn a living and so life took her on other paths. This is where envy comes in. She sees the work produced by artists, especially textile artists, and notices that many of them have an art school background. She often finds herself grumbling with envy. However, taking that emotion and reframing it, she has gone back over her own textile work and has started to appreciate what she has achieved throughout her life, even without that formal training.

Martina Frank also thought about envy. As well as an embroiderer, Martina is a classical musician. When she was young, she’d listen to piano recitals and enviously believe she’d never be able to reach those heights. But that emotion caused her to increase her practice. She knew that there were always people who were better than her, just as there were always people who weren’t at her level.

Over time, she has come to appreciate her own skills that inform her dual passions of music and embroidery.

Whether you are taking up a challenge, or channelling your envy towards a positive end, we’d love for you to share it with us. We all share similar experiences and we can all learn from one another. We’re just so lucky that this wonderful passion of ours serves to bring us together to share those experiences and helps all of us to grow.

For anyone who missed the news, last week we announced a very rare sale offering 40% off a selection of Inspirations Kits.

Our marketing team thought they were so clever coming up with the name 40% off 40 kits. It’s sounds so catchy, they said.

But guess what?

The sale ended up being so popular that many of the kits sold out, which meant we no longer had 40 kits on offer.

So as our 40% off 40 Kits sale enters its second and final week, we can promise you there really will be 40 kits on sale… well, until they start selling out again!

If you have already participated in the savings frenzy, make sure you click the link below to see which kits are new, and if you are yet to cash in on these AMAZING savings… what are you waiting for?!

Shop, Save, Stitch & Enjoy today!

PS – Just a reminder that subscriber discounts do not apply to the 40 kits on sale as if we sold them any cheaper, we’d be paying you to take them!

When most of us learnt to crochet, the first thing we were taught was a basic granny square. This well-known pattern has been used for generations to create rugs, clothing and household items, and has been hooked up by crocheters the world over, from beginners to experts.

Although the basic granny square is universally loved, when you see how the pattern can be adapted, the possibilities just explode. This is what the latest book by Celine Semaan and Leonie Morgan, entitled ‘A Modern Girl’s Guide to Granny Squares’ offers, with a fabulously varied and colourful range of adaptations of the basic design.

From rainbows to citrus slices, this book is filled with different types of crocheted squares which can be put together in a multitude of ways. Each square includes a large, full-colour photograph and detailed instructions for making it, with colour suggestions included. However, the beauty of the book is that each crocheter can combine and vary the squares in myriad ways to create gorgeously unique projects.

Take your love of crocheted granny squares to the next level and discover just how adaptable this gorgeous technique is with A Modern Girl’s Guide to Granny Squares.

No sooner have you downloaded and started stitching the first three projects of Inspirations issue #83, the next three are up on the website and available in our digital pattern library. This colourful and popular issue of the magazine features some gorgeous projects from favourite designers for you to enjoy.

What a Hoot! by Annette Drysdale and Meg Daniels is a fabulous, fun blanket featuring a group of the cutest owls imaginable – a parliament of whimsical owls! The pattern also gives you guidance on stitching one of these wise fellows onto a purchased top to make the perfect gift for any child.

Hummingbird by Gary Clarke is an exquisite study of a tiny bird, mid-flight, stitched onto the finest organza and cleverly mounted so that the finished subject appears to be hovering just out of the frame.

Come Fly With Me by Prue Scott is an elegant suitcase tag that will ensure your luggage will stand right out from the crowd when you head off on your next holiday. It would make an ideal farewell gift for a travelling relative.

Look out for the final projects from Inspirations issue #83 next week, but we’re confident that with these gorgeous designs to choose from, you’ll have plenty to keep your needles busy and your ‘must-stitch’ list looking healthy and full.

When Emily Beaver from Arkansas, USA started designing crocheted clothing, she may have dreamed that one day her creations would be on the Paris catwalk. However, as her skills and talent grew, the catwalk models failed to appear. So, Emily recruited the next best person to showcase her gorgeous designs. Her Dad.

Jeff Beaver had always supported his daughter’s creativity. He had also never been afraid to look silly. He enthusiastically donned Emily’s colourful creations and then strutted, danced, twirled and posed his way into the hearts of millions of social media users worldwide.

Since Jeff has started modelling his daughter’s crocheted crop tops, Emily’s business has grown at a rapid rate and her fan base has increased exponentially. It’s even allowed Emily to pursue her dream of crocheting and designing full-time.

So next time your Dad tries to embarrass you by dressing up and strutting his stuff, make sure you get the phone out and start the video rolling! You never know, he could be the next, fabulous, internet sensation and the springboard for your fabulous, creative career.

You can read more about Emily and Jeff Beaver HERE.

By Nancy Williams

When I wrote my first article for All Stitched Up! in May 2018, I was so excited to be a part of the Inspirations team. It has been a dream come true to spend my time writing about a subject which I love, and to spend each week conversing with like-minded people who are as passionate about needlework as I am.

This week it is with great sadness that I am announcing that this issue of All Stitched Up! will be my last, at least for now. If there is one constant in life, it is that all things change, and when new paths open up, difficult decisions have to be made.

I have loved writing for All Stitched Up! over the years. My own knowledge has increased, and I have really enjoyed learning about new things and getting to know our readers.

Each and every one of you has taught me something that has improved my stitching and my life.

So, for now, I bid everyone farewell although who knows where those strange paths of life may lead? Thank you to everyone who has read and commented on All Stitched Up! since I joined the team. You have made my job a true pleasure.

Until we meet again, happy stitching everyone!

Nancy

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

If prompted to think of spring flowers, one of the first blooms that will come to mind is the beautiful, yellow daffodil. This gorgeous flower is often one of the first to appear, even while the winter lingers. Its brilliant colour and characteristic shape almost always brings joy as it heralds the coming of the sun and warm days to follow.

The daffodil is also known as the Narcissus, a name derived from the Greek myth of the beautiful young man who became so captivated by his own reflection in a pool that he was unable to tear himself away. He eventually died of hunger and thirst, a victim of unrequited love for himself.

As the flower blooms in many parts of the world, it carries a range of different meanings, depending on which culture you observe. The Victorian British, in their language of flowers, dubbed it as the symbol of chivalry, respect, courtesy and sunlight although it was also taken to symbolise unrequited love, just as Narcissus himself had experienced. In other parts of the world, the flower variously symbolises love and a happy marriage, food for the soul and winners and heroes.

Wendy Innes has selected the gorgeous yellow daffodil as the highlight of her latest stumpwork masterpiece, Daffodils & Violas, which appears in Inspirations issue #115. The brilliant colour of the three main flowers is set off perfectly by the addition of purple violas, offering the complementary colour on the colour wheel and bringing perfect harmony to the overall design.

The flowers are then framed by deep green leaves worked in both surface stitching and detached elements, offering a delightful balance to the finished piece.

Wendy is well-known for her beautiful stumpwork designs featuring flora and fauna in wonderfully realistic displays. She has the ability to build up her studies, carefully employing surface stitching, padded elements and stitched slips that come together to give the impression that the subject is bursting out of the frame.

Daffodils & Violas is a project that is guaranteed to bring a sunny smile to your face. The brilliant, bold colours and the delightful shapes of the flowers are the perfect reminder of spring. You will capture the atmosphere of the season in this gorgeous project, and the fresh sight and scent of spring will permeate your house every time you admire Daffodils & Violas on your wall.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Daffodils & Violas by Wendy Innes is a display of bright, spring flowers embroidered using stumpwork, raised and surface embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Daffodils & Violas includes everything* you need to re-create these stunning blooms: Fabrics (unprinted), felts, wire, flocking, embroidery threads, beads and needles.

Monarch by Wendy Innes from Inspirations issue #42 is a striking stumpwork butterfly and thistle.

Buttercup by Wendy Innes from Inspirations issue #47 is a scissor case and matching fob featuring a sunny yellow buttercup.

Viola Tricolor by Wendy Innes from Inspirations issue #46 is an exquisite botanical study in stumpwork.

Anise by Wendy Innes from Inspirations issue #53 is a stunning stumpwork butterfly picture.

Although many people love stitching blankets for babies, there are so many other people you can stitch a beautiful blanket for. Cashmere or wool blankets are perfect for any kind of design, from animals to flowers. Our readers have always loved stitching blankets and we’ve always loved seeing everyone’s creations. Here are a few more that caught our eye.

You have been very busy making blankets, Liz! If all the grandchildren received a blanket as beautiful as this one, it is no wonder they have been well used and well-loved. Your stitching is just exquisite.

You should be very proud on both counts, Kate. It must be wonderful to finally enjoy the finished blanket after 20 years, as well as to admire your creativity and colour choices. We’re also rather smitten with your furry companion who seems to appreciate your blanket as much as we do!

We’re sure she’ll love it no matter what the weather, Angela. This is a gorgeous heirloom project that is guaranteed to be treasured as your granddaughter grows.

This is a fantastic project, Joanne. Trish’s cats look just perfect on the blanket, which we are sure is going to be loved for many years. Trish will be thrilled to see what you have done with her designs.

Do you love stitching blankets? Are you always excited to learn of the impending arrival of a new grandchild or baby, as it means you can get all your blanket patterns out and decide which one to do next? Do you stitch blankets merely because you love them, telling everyone you’re doing it in anticipation of the arrival of grandchildren?

Whatever it is you love to stitch, we would love 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!

A Passion for Needlework | The Whitehouse Daylesford, the fourth book in the series, will be officially released on 23rd September. ‘The Whitehouse Daylesford’ tells the story of 12 exceptional needlework pieces by 12 exceptional designers, all in one remarkable location.

Golden Moth Orchid by Alison Cole is a superb stumpwork study of a golden Australian orchid.

Fireflower by Alison Cole from Inspirations issue #110 is a stunning red flowering gum with stumpwork leaves, blossoms and bee.

Roses and Old Lace by Alison Cole from Inspirations issue #98 is a dainty combination of raised silk embroidered roses highlighted with goldwork and gold lace.

Invermay Wildflowers by Alison Cole from Inspirations issue #112 is a superb stumpwork study of Australian wildflowers in rich shades of purple and yellow.

Clematis by Alison Cole from Inspirations issue #78 is a magnificent stumpwork picture of trailing blooms and goldwork stems and dragonflies.

~ Ravi Shankar ~

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