Many of us who indulge our love of needle and thread also find great joy in putting our green thumbs to use in our gardens.

Gardener or not however, most of us are acutely aware of the beauty found in nature and appreciate how it changes from season to season. The lavish blossoms of spring give way to the abundant flowers of summer. The vibrant colour of autumn’s changing leaves are closely followed by the sparseness of winter’s bare branches.

In our hometown of Adelaide, whilst spring is yet to, well spring, it would seem Mother Nature didn’t get that memo! Our days feel for all intents and purposes like we’re still in the middle of winter, yet the trees abound with blossom.

As a sudden gust of wind arose, individual petals were whipped from the trees in a flurry of ‘snow’ and landed on the ground, leading us to wonder whose responsibility it was to clear the paths it now covered.

And that’s when we realised that nothing is all good or all bad. There’s a balance to be found in everything.

The abundant flowers of summer require constant watering to keep them flourishing. Those vibrant leaves of autumn need raking, and often winter’s bare branches can be prone to breaking under the weight of heavy rains or snow. And we’re now particularly attuned to just how often paths need clearing from spring’s ‘snow storms’!

The same is true in our time with needle and thread.

A single project is rarely all good or all bad. There will be elements we love such as falling into the meditative push and pull of needle and thread through fabric as we find the rhythm of a familiar stitch. The satisfaction of anchoring the final thread of a project we’ve poured our time and talent into.

But also, there’ll be sections we’d rather not have to complete – transferring a complicated design, an infinite number of French knots or binding large quilts anyone?!

Whilst the ‘good’ and the ‘bad’ will differ for each of us, we’ll all have a list for both. What do you love and loathe about your time with needle and thread? We’d love you to take the time to email and let us know.

And next time we’re faced with the ‘bad’, we just need to remember that somewhere along the way we’re bound to find the ‘good’, sometimes we just have to look a little harder than others!

While we’re patiently waiting for the spring weather to arrive here at Inspirations HQ, the occasional sunny, warm, and breezy days we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy to date, have been just enough to inspire us towards some spring cleaning.

After reading one of the articles we’d written on transferring designs in All Stitched Up! issue #336 Doreen wanted to know if anyone in the Inspirations Community has used a Brother ScanNCut machine for printing onto fabric.

Doreen understands that it’s possible to scan a design, save it to the machine, insert the removable pen and the machine will then simply draw the design onto your chosen fabric.

If you’ve used a Brother ScanNCut, let us know and we’ll be sure to pass your experiences on. Doreen’s hoping the whole process is not too good to be true, as it is the one transfer method she’s wanting to use going forward!

After reading about our visit to Carrick Hill located here in Adelaide in ASU #334, Melanie, who hails from the UK went to the Carrick Hill website in hope of seeing pictures of the needlework collection we’d referred to. But alas, wasn’t able to find them! If you too tried to find those elusive pictures, elements of the collection we wrote about can be viewed HERE.

Responding to our ‘There’s Nothing Like a Challenge’ article in ASU #340, Sharon shared what she’d created with needle and thread to answer the challenge ‘Interrupt a Still Life You Admire’.

Sharon chose Van Gogh's painting of Sunflowers in empathy with the people of Ukraine enduring the ongoing conflict. She decided to do only a portion of the painting, and after using many different stitches and techniques to create the piece, I think we’d all have to agree it was indeed a fitting salute. We think Van Gogh would be delighted with how Sharon ‘interrupted’ his original!

Recognising how helpful the Inspirations Community can be, Clare’s hoping someone might just be able to point her in the right direction.

If you have any suggestions about where Clare might find a solution, email us and we’ll be sure to let her know.

We close this week’s Have Your Say with one of the most heart wrenching emails we’ve ever received. Many of you will know Nina Burnsides from ‘Flights of Fancy’ that was published in Inspirations issue #102, as well as her many inclusions in What Are You Stitching?.

Nina shared with us a project that has been nine months in the making.

‘Because of the strokes I lost some of the feeling in my hands and wasn’t sure I could embroider anymore. Just learning to hold a needle again was a struggle. But I was determined to get back to something I loved. It also helped me mentally to deal with everything that had happened.

It took two months to hold a needle longer than a few minutes at a time. The first attempted bit of embroidery looked like something I did when I was a little girl, but it slowly got better.

Now I have this beauty to show for all my struggles. Embroidery helped me get through a very difficult time and will continue to do so as I go forward, it just will take me little longer than in the past.’

Nina, your determination to come through what you’ve experienced, readjust to your new ‘normal’ and get back to your time with needle and thread is an incredible testament to your strength and character. Your piece is indeed proof of the beauty you found in ashes and is an inspiration to each of us to journey each season of our lives with the same courage and grace.

Over the coming week we’ll continue to dust and declutter so we can share more of the conversations the Inspirations Community have started or continued. Until then, we hope your week provides many an opportunity to indulge your love of all things needle and thread.

Ah Italy… the culture, the history, the landscape, the people, the food… so many wonderful things come from this country of passion.

While we’re on the subject of passion and Italy, Maria Rita Faleri has to be one of the most passionate needlework artisans around and her dedication to traditional Italian stitching techniques is legendary.

Inspirations has published some wonderful projects of Maria’s in recent years that you can check out HERE, and now her most recent venture takes her passion to the next level.

Maria’s new book ‘i Progetti di Esemplario –I miei Retini’, which translated into English means ‘The Projects of Esemplario – My Filling Stitches’ is a beautifully presented publication celebrating pulled thread whitework embroidery.

Often books specialising in regional stitches are written in their native language and not always available in English. Fortunately for us, Maria includes both Italian and English text in the one publication, offering a rare opportunity to learn embroidery techniques that might otherwise be unobtainable.

With a range of projects included, wonderful photography featuring rich Italian surrounds and easy to read diagrams, Maria Rita has produced a dynamic and sophisticated exploration of pulled thread embroidery in a book that will delight.

Click below to order your copy of Esemplario today.

It’s probably fair to say that if you are reading this newsletter you have some skills in needlework. You can probably thread a needle and start to lay down some stitches, good, bad or otherwise.

This means you are also highly likely to have abilities in other artistic disciplines. Some even say, the more diverse you are in your application of creative arts, the better you become at mastering each of them.

How about knots – are you any good at them?

Sometimes referred to as the art of tying knots in patterns, we have three macrame kits worth considering.

Projects range from a pot plant holder, a wall hanging through to a table mat, and each kit includes everything you need to create a finished product.

Beginner friendly and embroiderer friendly, these macrame kits offer a little something for everyone.

How has your 2022 been so far? For many of us it’s been a bit of a struggle coming to terms with the new world we live in with so many changes at hand. Others may be relishing the enjoyment of an amazing year for lots of different reasons.

Here's the good news… whether it’s been a tough year or a rock star year, either way we are about to improve it for you with the release of Inspirations magazine issue #116.

If you are looking for a mood booster, an outlook lifter or a serious dose of ‘gimme some inspiration’, you’ve come to the right place.

Titled ‘Spirit of Christmas’, this issue of Inspirations does indeed have somewhat of a messianic quality to it.

How about we start with that mesmerising cover. Balthazar is a goldwork Christmas beetle brooch by first time contributor Tania Cohen. Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is an impressive way to burst onto the Inspirations stage – well done Tania and welcome!

Darlings of the needlework industry Jenny Adin-Christie and Helen M. Stevens grace us with two superb designs. Helen has created a silk embroidered decorative pigeon called Crowning Glory and Jenny showcases some exquisite fine whitework textures with The Embroiderer’s Workbox.

To help bring the theme of Christmas front and centre, Wendy Innes razzle and dazzles us with The First Noël, a festive goldwork and stumpwork panel.

Inspirations regulars Di Kirchner and Ana Mallah bring their own festive-esque designs with Little Birds, an enchanting set of hanging ornaments by Ana and Red Treasure Box by Di, a beautiful counted-thread etui containing several needlework accessories all finished in brilliant red.

Italian designer Maria Rita Faleri is back with the stylish table mat Chequerboard, worked using pulled thread embroidery.

To finish off the issue the same way all good meals should end, we bring you a decadent dessert. Denise Forsyth has fashioned a pocket etui in the form of a pavlova slice topped with an array of tasty fruit. A Slice of Life opens to reveal a needle page and a scissor holder – just make sure your friends don’t try and eat it first!

In ‘Drawing with Thread’ our roving reporter Ansie van der Walt interviews Meredith Woolnough who designs and creates the most magical three-dimensional machine stitched sculptures based on her scientific study of nature.

Her work has proven to be so popular and inspiring, Meredith now runs her own online classes teaching people the world over how to create their own amazing sculptures.

‘Dolls for Change’ explores the story of Kimberely Becker who uses the sale proceeds of her wonderfully artistic upcycled dolls to fund the construction of bathrooms in impoverished areas of Kampala in Uganda.

If eclectic and free flowing needlework pieces stitched using sashiko, boro and indigo dyeing techniques sounds fun, you’ll enjoy reading about Lindsey Gradolph in the article ‘Following a Dream’.

Lindey’s offbeat approach to designing and her passionate relationship with all the different personality types she creates for each colour is fascinating.

Finally, inside Inspirations issue #116 you will also enjoy a couple of book reviews including Jenny Adin-Christie’s masterpiece ‘Fine Whitework’, which is part of the RSN stitch guide series. Plus, we share more about Esemplario, Maria Rita Faleri’s beautiful book on pulled thread embroidery we referenced in this newsletter earlier.

Have we whetted your appetite enough yet? If you are in any way shape or form remotely interested in needlework, we promise you’re going to find something to enjoy in Inspirations issue #116, now available for purchase.

Kits for issue #116 are going to be popular! And there are some rare and exotic materials used in some of these projects, so supply may be limited.

Don’t be shy and don’t miss out, get on the front foot and order your kits today.

Print or digital? Everyone has an opinion and a point of view. Some say you can’t go past the tactile and visceral feeling of holding a printed publication.

If digital is your format of choice, it makes perfect sense – instant access, convenient to use and it takes up zero space.

That’s why every project from Inspirations issue #116 is available to purchase right now as a digital pattern. Digital lovers, rejoice!

Winter is a much-maligned season. Far too often, people focus on the cold or the wet, but if you switch your viewpoint, it doesn’t take long before you start to see the beauty in the season.

Especially in the Northern Hemisphere, winter may mean frosts and rugged landscapes. But it also may mean snow and the sharp contrast between the rich colours of the evergreens and the sparkling white of the snow-covered land and marble sky.

In the shape, colour and design, you can feel winter in its entirety. In fact, as soon as we saw it, we were reminded of one of the things that today is inescapably linked with that season. For any of you with a child or grandchild, you might have spotted it too. To us, this piece looked like it had come straight out of Disney’s hit move, Frozen!

It would be impossible not to have been caught up in the Frozen phenomenon over the past 9 years. First released in 2013, this animated film rapidly became a favourite for children and adults alike. It was a variation on the traditional Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Snow Queen. Telling the story of a beautiful queen, Elsa, who accidentally traps her kingdom in an eternal winter and her clumsy, funny and adorable sister, Ana, whose love for her sister helps break the spell, it is little wonder this film became so popular.

Since its release, it has made its way into the hearts and minds of children the world over. You can’t go anywhere without seeing a cute little Elsa toddling around, dressed up as her favourite character, or an image of the pair of sisters on clothing, lunchboxes, bags and every other manner of item you could think of. As distinctive as the characters are the colours and motifs, all of which speak of beautiful, shimmering winter snows and stunning Nordic scenery.

Naturally, Winter’s Frost stands alone in its beauty. You might associate it with the magic and romance of the film, but then again, it may remind you of your own childhood winters. Whatever emotion it brings for you, you’ll be captivated by Wendy’s choice of icy greens and blues, blended to create a poinsettia and mistletoe sprigs tipped with frost, and set off by pearls and silver curlicues to give a lustrous, wintery finish.

Although we’re confident that everyone is going to fall in love with Winter’s Frost because of its colour, its atmosphere and its beautiful design, we’ve also included another extra special treat with this Handpicked project.

Normally our kits are sold with instructions available separately as many of our readers purchase our books and magazines which include all the detailed information you need to re-create each project. In this instance if we added instructions in with the kits and you already have the publication the project appears in, you’d be paying for the instructions twice.

However, as Handpicked projects don’t appear in any books or magazines, it makes sense to include the instructions specifically in these kits, which we will do for each new Handpicked release from now on, starting with Winter’s Frost.

Winter’s Frost exemplifies the icy season in all its glory. Whether you recognise the iconic film in the subtle colours of this piece or you view it as a gorgeous snapshot of winter, you’re sure to love this project.

It would look perfect hung over the mantlepiece on a Christmas evening. But it would also make an ideal gift for that little girl who fell in love with Elsa when she first appeared on the screen, but who might not be so little anymore. You’ll be guaranteed to recapture the magic with Winter’s Frost, whenever that magic first appeared.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Winter’s Frost by Wendy Innes is a sparkling Christmas bouquet of poinsettia and mistletoe.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Winter’s Frost includes everything you need to re-create this Christmas bouquet: Fabrics (inc. with pre-printed design), wires, embroidery threads, beads, needles and printed instructions.

Snowdrop by Jenny Adin-Christie from Inspirations issue #76 perfectly captures the ethereal beauty of the true European snowdrop in this delightful stumpwork embroidery.

Rustle of Winter by June Godwin from Inspirations issue #37 features a tiny field mouse sitting amongst ragged winter leaves.

Prancer by Trish Burr from Inspirations issue #88 is a contemporary whitework portrait of a stylish reindeer.

In last week’s What Are You Stitching? we started sharing projects from past issues of the magazine that have been completed by the Inspirations Community. We couldn’t fit them all into last week’s issue of the newsletter, so we’re continuing our journey through the projects we have on file this week!

Susan, you’ve done a beautiful job of recreating two of our most popular projects from recent issues of Inspirations magazine. And you’re right, where would we be without the designers who pour so much creativity and inspiration into their designs?! It’s our privilege to be able to share them through the pages of the magazine and an absolute joy to see them recreated through the needles and threads of the Inspirations Community.

Your sister was right Susan, it’s a project definitely worthy of sharing! You’ve created a sewing fold that is equal parts form and function - something that’s bound to be the envy of many a stitcher!

Philippa, we’re sure Ana won’t have any objection to what you’ve created with needle and thread! She’ll be thrilled that she inspired you to create something that is both so beautiful and practical. We thought that was a WIP of Tiny Turtle we spied in the pocket! Your pouches have meant that everything for the project is beautifully organised and easily accessible, which will help make the stitching before you that much easier. We look forward to seeing Tiny Turtle when it's complete.

We heard from Patricia after she had completed the Embroidered Workbox from Home Sweet Home. Her email simply read, ‘Just a note to let you know how much I enjoyed creating the four-seasons home from Carolyn Pearce’s book. Thank you, Mrs Pearce!’

Patricia, your email brought a smile to our faces as it was an incredibly succinct use of words for a project that uses anything but a succinct number of stitches! You’ve taken Home Sweet Home and truly made it your own. You should be proud that you saw such an involved project through to completion. The design, stitching and construction are simply impeccable.

Have you created something from the pages of Inspirations magazine that you’re yet to share with us? Not only do we love to see what you create with needle and thread, but know the designers also love to see their work recreated by the Inspirations Community.

Whether you’ve created a project that’s picture perfect to the original or have adapted it to make it truly your own, we’d really love to see it! Simply email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about 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!

All the charms required for the Home Sweet Home 10th Anniversary Edition workbox in one convenient pack.

Put Your Feet Up by Di Kirchner depicts vibrant Australian flowers in crewel embroidery, perfect for a footstool.

Four Corners by Di Kirchner from the Handpicked Range is an elegant and richly shaded crewelwork panel on sturdy linen twill, perfect to use as an insert for a wooden footstool base.

Winter Sunset by Hazel Blomkamp from the book A Passion for Needlework | Factoria VII is a stunning footstool worked in glorious surface embroidery with gentle colours and textures.

Masterpiece by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations #70 is a superb footstool, richly decorated with ornate, traditional Jacobean motifs and embroidered with a rich palette of lustrous cotton threads and stitch techniques.

~ Jana Kingsford ~

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