If you remember the opening paragraphs of last week’s All Stitched Up!, you might think we’re a walking contradiction.

Last week we explored the idea of not rushing through the holiday season before us, but this week we have to confess that there’s a little rushing going on at Inspirations HQ, both professionally and personally!

As we’re about to enter our last couple of weeks in the office for 2022, we’re making sure our To Do Lists for the year are as complete as possible, our planning for the New Year is well underway so we can hit the ground running in 2023 and making sure we haven’t left any loose ends to chance while we’re away over the Christmas break.

We’re sure we’re not alone.

It turns out there are only so many hours in each day and whilst we’re trying to use each one of them as efficiently as possible, we’ve come to realise that there’s a reasonable possibility we won’t get everything done by 25 December.

And do you know what? That’s all right.

Sure, there might be a few things we have to move from this year’s To Do List to next year’s list, that recipe we were hoping to practise before Christmas Day might just have to be ‘practised’ the morning of, and the stitching we had planned to complete… well, there’s always Christmas next year!

Amidst the hustle and bustle of it all, whilst we may not be finding many of the ‘pauses’ we referenced last week, we are trying to remember that the journey and destination are inextricably linked and that the more we enjoy the passage of time before us, the more we’ll enjoy the destination.

Whilst it’s not always easy to put aside uncompleted checklists and the idea of the ‘perfect’ holiday season, we’re learning that all we can do is show up and do our best and that that is usually more than enough.

The following is an extract from the article published in Inspirations issue 107, written by Ansie van der Walt.

Dijanne Devaal’s travelling blankets are perfect metaphors for her life – a collection of places, people, relationships, and experiences collected on her journey to date.

Born in the Netherlands, Dijanne grew up in Australia. ‘My father came home one day when I was nine years old and said to my mother, ‘we are immigrating. It is Australia or Brazil.’ She chose Australia. I was bereft, I didn’t want to leave, they had promised me speed skates for my tenth birthday!’

The first year in Australia was difficult. As a ten-year-old who couldn’t speak English, life in a small town was lonely. ‘I was teased a lot and was basically an outsider – it taught me to be resourceful on my own.’

Dijanne’s textile skills and knowledge were collected in the same way as her travelling blanket memories – bit by bit, and piece by piece, from her mother who sewed and knitted for the family, to her artistic aunt and uncle, to her own self-taught knitting, embroidery and quilting endeavours.

Dijanne ended up studying law and working as a solicitor for about ten years.

‘I came to quilting and stitching prior to a year’s travel to Africa and Europe. I felt I needed something to do with my hands whilst travelling and purchased a book by Pauline Burbidge. I made a quilt from the book, cut entirely by hand as I did not know about rotary cutters.’

Dijanne created the The Sentinelle series about her concern for the environment and the ideas of Australian indigenous people as guardians of the land. ‘I am in awe of their connection with the land, knowledge of that land and all things that grow on it. It seems to me to be very much the way forward as we grapple with environmental destruction on a scale never before encountered.’

‘I travel a lot. It satisfies my curiosity about the world and other people. I like being outside of language – not being able to speak the local language. I need to be extra observant to understand what is going on.’ Dijanne tends to go to one place at a time and really discover it by walking a lot just to observe.

Dijanne started her first blanket whilst she was travelling with an exhibition that she curated in 2001. ‘The first piece was small, but I liked the idea and it grew bigger and continued out from there. I am always working on one these days as I find it stills the hectic pace, and somehow unwinds my mind into a gentler place.’

Dijanne might not be a writer in the written-word sense, but she is a storyteller. Way back when as a ten-year-old girl in a new country, she learned to live outside of language. She learned to observe, to sense and to interpret. And she learned to use her European heritage and her connection to her new land, to create her own palette, to stitch her own story.

The full version of this article is available HERE and to discover more of Dijanne’s art visit her website HERE.

Most of the truly epic creative endeavours in life often come about through a pursuit of passion.

The designer doesn’t plan for their creation to become a success, they simply ply their time and talents in earnest and let the creative process unfold at will.

And so it was when Susan O’Connor created one of the most beautiful embroidered blankets of our age. Susan’s original book ‘Embroidered Flowers for Elizabeth’ has been out of print for several years, such was its immense popularity. There have been numerous cries for help – print more, the people pleaded.

We have so much to unpack about this very exciting new release, but for now we just wanted you to know that the new book ‘Flowers for Elizabeth’ is nigh, so nigh you can pre-order your copy today!

Oh, and for anyone who enjoys exquisite floral Elizabethan inspired motifs that you can stitch on a blanket, pinwheel, scissor sheath, needlebook and more… this book has your name all over it.

Another gorgeous needlework project of our age is Strawberry Fayre by Carolyn Pearce. If you’ve been lucky enough to see one of these finished in person, you’ll know just how exquisite this piece is.

First released in 2017, the project was so popular that both the issue of the magazine it appeared in and all the Ready-to-Stitch kits we produced, quickly sold out.

Here is how this works, we’ll include this little community service announcement alerting everyone that we’re nearly out of kits and in a few weeks they will all be sold out.

Then, soon after we’ll start receiving emails from people telling us they’ve had Strawberry Fayre on their stitch list forever and they are devastated to find out we’re all out of kits.

Don’t let this be you! With a project that has this many elements to source, purchasing a kit will save you a lot of time and frustration.

Click below to secure one of the last remaining Strawberry Fayre kits and discover why this project is one of our most popular designs ever published.

Last week we announced that one of our blockbuster issues of Inspirations, filled with an all-star line-up of needlework A-Listers, is being released as digital patterns.

Now we bring you part two of issue #93, the digital files….

Chatterbox by Jenny McWhinney | Delightful birds adorn a fun orts pot and needlefold.

It’s no wonder that Jenny enjoys one of the most loyal and ardent fan bases of any designer when you consider the amazing array of gorgeous characters she has created over the years. In this design, Jenny brings together an eclectic flock of feathered friends all stitched in shades of denim blue silk onto a natural background.

Birdsong by Gary Clarke | Fabulous brooches featuring Australian birds.

Designs for the printed panels, included in the digital pattern for you to print at home, are then stitched over to create delightful little brooches. Choose from the brilliant yellow crown of the sulphur-crested cockatoo, the striking black and white colouring of the magpie and the subtle plumage of the dainty little silver-eye.

Both projects are now available to purchase as PDF files using the link below.

Tune in next week for our third and final instalment of digital pattern releases from issue #93.

It’s amazing how each needlework artisan has such a distinctly unique look and feel to their designs. None more so perhaps, than UK designer Jo Butcher.

Jo is famous for her stitched landscapes, achieved through the application of a handful of cleverly selected and skilfully applied needlework techniques worked over backgrounds painted in watercolour.

These projects truly are a work of art and now you have a variety of different ways you can enjoy them…

Where Meadows & Gardens Grow

Jo’s first ever book captures twelve stunning projects in such a beautiful and contemporary presentation, you simply must buy a copy to appreciate what all the fuss is about!

Re-create your own landscapes with everything you need to become a stitched artist included in each kit (other than the instructions that are all in her book purchased separately).

If you love the idea of stitching your own scene over a printed background, you can purchase a piece of fabric that Jo has already prepared for you with a scene depicting a beckoning meadow. All you need to do is fire up your needle and thread and embellish away!

And if all of that is not enough, we even have a range of beautiful mini-gift cards reproduced from original embroideries by Jo Butcher available in an assortment of different designs.

The San Francisco School of Needlework & Design are helping us bring a little optimism into the New Year with the launch of their next Stitch at Home Challenge.

They want you to ‘stitch that lightbulb moment, joyful time, or uplifting item that brings you to the bright side’ so they illuminate their walls ‘with a pop of colour, exuberant optimism, hope, and crafty, crazy, creative ideas that can change the world’.

If you’d like to pick up needle and thread and start the New Year ‘On the Bright Side’, you can enter your submission HERE.

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

If someone asked you to close your eyes and try to imagine what the project they were designing using these five elements might look like:

What do you think you would come up with? As you consider each element and try to visualise the piece, your thought process might be something like this:

Christmas & Holly = sounds like a wreath or maybe a tree design.

Stumpwork & Goldwork = dimensional star or lettering perhaps, bright sparkling elements of some kind.

Calligraphy = thinking of the phrase Merry Christmas… maybe too obvious, how about Joy to the World or Ho Ho Ho?!

After doing your best at playing the guessing game, you open your eyes and behold! The First Noël by Wendy Innes from Inspirations issue #116 is revealed in all its shimmering glory.

Now let’s review the key elements we were given earlier and take a closer look at how Wendy has achieved this magnificent piece.

Christmas is represented through the restrained use of three colours, red, gold and green. Stitched on what we like to call ‘Father Christmas Red’ silk dupion, the slub introduces some lovely texture and character.

How amazing is that holly? It does everything that well designed and properly constructed stumpwork should do and leaps off the piece giving a magical three-dimensional effect.

A quick side note for those interested in some technical details, one of the unique aspects of how the holly is formed relates to the centre vein of each leaf. While the outline and side veins of the leaf are created by couching beading wire, covering with stitching then applying gilt pearl purl super on top, the centre vein is also couched using beading wire but is then carefully released so you can slide a section of gilt peal purl no.2 over the wire and then couch it back down.

Next, we make our way to the shimmering gold lettering and that beautiful calligraphy stitched in goldwork.

All the filling is achieved using rows of doubled Japanese gold thread couched in a brick pattern. The outline once again features the peal purl metal threads that tie in not only the edging of the holly leaves, but also the three stars twinkling overhead.

Finished off with a few strategically placed gold paillettes and The First Noël is ready to take centre stage in ushering in the festive season.

Wendy Innes has created a truly delightful piece to stitch as it has all the hallmark finishes of a sophisticated design yet is not technically difficult; it simply requires one to take a little extra care in the application of each technique.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

The First Noël by Wendy Innes is a festive goldwork and stumpwork panel celebrating Christmas.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for The First Noël includes everything* you need to re-create this festive panel: Fabrics (unprinted), wire, embroidery threads, beads, needles and paillettes.

Mistletoe Bell by Julie Kniedl from Inspirations issue #100 is an elegant three-dimensional mistletoe decoration for Christmas.

A Christmas Carol by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #72 is a charming sampler celebrating the songs of Christmas.

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.

Jingle Bells by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #60 is a joyful Christmas stocking featuring a luscious plum pudding topped with sprigs of holly and a sweetly singing robin.

Whilst Charles Dickens’ ‘A Christmas Carol’ features the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, this week’s What Are You Stitching? is celebrating the stitching of Christmas past, present and future. Enjoy what the Inspirations Community have created in the past, that will be used to celebrate Christmas present as well as those future Christmases yet to come.

‘There were times the design, construction and finishing took me to despair, but I got to the bottom of it all, especially with the precious help of a carpenter friend!’

Cristina, we love that you were courageous enough to design, construct and finish such an elaborate project! Each element has been finished to perfection. The mailbox would add a sense of festivity and whimsy to each Christmas it’s displayed. Well done.

‘It is a companion piece to a stocking I designed and made a couple of years ago with goofy-looking sheep.’

Judy, both designs are fanciful, the stitching impeccable and the construction faultless! We can just imagine how delighted Rowan and Shae would be when they see them afresh each festive season.

Penny, you are well on your way to achieving your ambition of a tree laden with handmade decorations! It must be an absolute joy to get them out each year, see how the collection has grown and carefully hang them on the tree, all the while recalling the many hours of stitching joy they brought you.

Susan, what an exquisite stocking! They say all good things come to those who wait, and while Lauren may now be grown, the Christmas stocking will always be a lovely reminder of the carol that meant so much to her growing up. Amazing.

Teresa, they may be kitschy, but they are absolutely charming! Your mom will love to see a project she started all those years ago finally completed. They will be well treasured for years to come. Oh, and by the way, we think your stitches are a lot more than just acceptable!

Have you stitched something from Christmas past you’re yet to share with us? Maybe you’ve just finished something for Christmas present? Or perhaps you’re partway through a project that will now have to be for Christmas future?!

Whether old or new, finished or only partway through, we’d love to see it! Email your festive stitching, along with a few words about your journey with needle and thread to news@inspirationsstudios.com

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A deep dive into the fascinating history and rich culture of Japanese family crests. And what a rich bounty of culture and a stunning array of motifs she has unearthed during her journey!

A Slice of Life by Denise Forsyth is a cute pocket etui using stumpwork to recreate a slice of delicious dessert.

Delft Tile by Margaret Light from the book A Fine Tradition is a fruit bowl laden with pears, figs and cherries, inspired by 17th century Delft tiles.

Fruit of the Vine by Maria Rita Faleri from the Handpicked Range is two fun tassels of luscious grapes, formed with clever knots.

An Apple a Day by Julie Kniedl from Inspirations issue #103 is an irresistible red apple in three-dimensional embroidery.

Festive Fruit by Denise Forsyth from Inspirations issue #96 is a collection of fabulous strawberries made from linen textured with pulled thread 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.