In the last issue of All Stitched Up! for 2022, we found ourselves writing about ‘suddenlys’ as we suddenly found ourselves at the end of another year.

As we contemplate what has been and whether we’ve achieved and experienced all we’d hoped throughout the last year, we realised how the promise of a New Year unfolding before us can tempt us with another suddenly.

All too often we set our goals and sprint toward a New Year believing we’ll suddenly eat healthy, exercise more and get organised, all whilst setting aside more time to stitch. But this year Hannah Brencher challenged us to pause before getting caught up in the suddenly of 2023.

Hannah encouraged us to consider not just the big things that happened, but also the work we did, the small projects we completed, the ordinary miracles we encountered and the countless good things we experienced. She also suggested we ponder the things that didn’t go our way and any of the hurts we may have experienced throughout the year.

Why? Because it’s the big and the small, the beautiful and not so beautiful things that make us who we are, and that’s who we’re taking with us into the New Year.

Instead of moving as fast as we can into another New Year that will be over as suddenly as it began, pausing and savouring what’s come before us will be a timely reminder for 2023 to be present in, and grateful for, each moment the New Year brings, ensuring we relish the small as that is what will sustain us before the next big suddenly is upon us.

Here's to savouring everything that’s about to unfold before us…

We’re opening the New Year by closing off some of the conversations that were continued at the end of last year.

In All Stitched Up! issue #359 Marjorie wrote in looking for some words of wisdom as she put the finishing touches on her husband’s family crest.

Janet recommended stitching the gold ribbon in full then adding the words on top using backstitch. If Mary was tackling the project herself, she’d mark out her lettering, embroider the gold ribbon ensuring she encroached on the edge of the letters ever so slightly, then finish off by embroidering the letters themselves ensuring any encroachment of gold was covered in the process!

Unlike both Janet and Mary, Tommye ‘would embroider the letters first and then work the gold in around them.’

Depending on the size of the crest, Roberta suggested two ways Marjorie could tackle the stitching before her. If the ribbon was narrow, Roberta advised doing the gold stitching first to form the ribbon before adding the letters. However, recommended the opposite if the area was wide as the letters could be embroidered first, then the background filled.

Karla suggested that Marjorie visit Mary Corbet’s website Needle ‘n Thread, as not only is her knowledge exceptional, but her site is easy to navigate.

Or Nué was Emily’s technique of choice and she pointed Marjorie in the direction of The Goldwork Guild to find out more. The ever-informed Alison Cole also joined in on the conversation and recommended Or Nué as well as the technique allows both the lettering and background to be worked at the same time.

If you’re willing to share the final result Marjorie, not only would we love to see the crest, but Janet is particularly eager to see the finished result and hopes you enjoy the process.

Terry also posed a question in ASU #359 hoping someone would be able to point her in the direction of a storage system that would help her tame her currently untameable ‘Ziplock’ bags!

Assuming the bags Terry is using are 3” x 5”, Carol suggests using iDesign Stackable Bins that are readily available through The Container Store in the USA. Whilst they’re often used for organising refrigerators, Carol uses them to store the clear cellophane pockets that house her card making dies and rubber stamps.

Like Terry, Deborah also stores her thread in Ziplock bags, placing them in a card catalogue similar to what is found in many libraries. Sandra managed to find such a catalogue at an antique store recently that fits her Floss-A-Way bags perfectly. Sandra also uses long, thin knitting needles through the holes in the corners of the bags to keep them in order.

Whilst Dianne has found success by storing her floss bags on rings: ‘I have quite a bit of thread, so I have eight, 3” rings. The bags are in numerical order on the rings, and as I don't have a lot of space in my stitching room, I bought eight adhesive hooks and spaced them evenly on the inside of the closet door. I even cut adhesive vinyl labels so I would know at a glance which numbers were hanging on which hook.’

Like Dianne, Roberta and her daughter are also advocates of the ‘Numerically Ordered D-Ring’ method. However, when it comes to storing her Caron threads, Roberta prefers to use photo size, archival storage boxes that are often used for storing scrapbooking supplies.

Susan also uses photo boxes to store her bags in numerical order. Susan has multiple boxes as some of her threads are stored numerically, whilst others are stored by thread type or manufacturer. Another method Susan uses to store her threads came about from a retreat activity:

‘I use a tag for each project from old greeting cards. I simply use a paper punch to make them, then place them on the ring with the threads for a particular project.’

One of the Inspirations Community suggested Terry watch this YouTube clip HERE from ‘Living on a Dime’ as she unpacks how she uses Ziplock bags to organise her thread stash.

Ann’s advice was to insert a piece of card inside each bag so they’ll be self-supporting, which would allow them to be easily stored in a corresponding sized box.

Mendie took matters into her own hands when she experienced the same issue with her Floss-a-Way bags!

‘My son and I made boxes from basswood. It comes in 36” lengths and is strong enough for this purpose. Cut to size, mine are 18” long and 4.75” wide to accommodate the bags. You can even add label frames or just write on the wood to you know what each box contains.’

Mary was able to find stackable, plastic containers at a ‘Dollar Store’ that not only allowed her to store her bags in numerical order, but as the containers were transparent, it meant the first colour in each box was always visible. Whilst the containers hold approximately 70 bags each, as Mary has an entire range of threads comprising 507 colours, she’s filled seven boxes!

Whilst not fancy, Patricia pointed Terry to a Floss Tote that is sold by Herrschners.

Finally, after reading about Terry’s dilemma, Velia suggested using ‘a bigger ring, hanging it on a peg in her sewing room, attaching her smaller baggies in separate rings by colour so she will be able to retrieve the threads she needs to work with, leaving the rest in a neat place without crushing or folding if they were in a drawer or box.’

When we published Terry’s question, never did we guess there’d be so many possibilities to help her solve her storage dilemma, such is the wealth of knowledge and creativity of the Inspirations Community.

It turns out we’ve run out of space for this issue but not conversations, so we’ll have to continue what we started next week!

Here’s an exciting thing that happened over the holidays… late last year we consolidated some of our global warehousing, which resulted in the discovery of a few boxes tucked away.

Inside we discovered a collection of different Inspirations magazine titles, 30 of which had been sold out, including super popular and rare issues such as #01, #37, #85, #100 & #106, just to name a few.

Now for some issues we only have 1 or 2 copies for sale and for the older issues, whilst they are brand new, any publication nearly 30 years old will have a couple of small blemishes here and there.

As you can imagine, the rarer issues will get snapped up very quickly, so this is one link you should click on sooner than later!

One of the challenges we have when a particular project becomes very popular, is that printed copies of the magazine in which it appears often sell out.

This means sometimes we have Ready-to-Stitch kits, but no instructions to sell with it. Often the solution is to release the project as an individual pattern in print and digital, though some readers prefer to have the original publication.

For your stitching pleasure, we have curated the following collection of Ready-to-Stitch kits, all of which now have printed copies of the magazine available… if they haven’t already sold out of course!

And if all of that isn’t enough, with over 120 different Ready-to-Stitch kits in stock, there’s a HUGE selection of projects for you to choose from to help get into the stitching groove for 2023.

Click below to enter our Ready-to-Stitch kit wonderland!

Do you want to know a funny story about Inspirations issue #90?

This issue is famous for featuring the project ‘Garden Fresh’ by Julie Kniedl on the front cover, otherwise known as the ‘corn issue’.

Julie’s stitched corn was so lifelike that when copies of the magazine arrived at newsagents it seems the front cover confused a few stockists.

We’ve always wondered how many gardeners ended up joining the needlework family as a result of this mix up!

Today, we’re not releasing planting guides for corn, but we are releasing the first batch of projects from issue #90 as digital patterns…

Small Change by Hazel Blomkamp
Thanks to Hazel you can stop searching for coins in the bottom of your bag and put them into this sweet little purse instead. Small Change is a charming coin purse with a vibrant Jacobean design.

Modern Crewel by Susan Porter
Here’s one you’ve been waiting for… this project has been one of our all-time most popular designs ever published.

What makes it so popular? Modern Crewel is, just as the name suggests, a classic design stitched in modern colours, the likes of which we don’t see very often.

The end result is an elegant crewel embroidery worked in a contemporary palette of fresh greens with turquoise and Wedgwood blues.

Resting Place by Kim Beamish
A graceful Hardanger design consisting of a perfect grid of wrapped bars that fill the centre of this charming white linen mat.

The unusual castellated edge of the mat is finished with blanket stitch and small diamond motifs worked in satin stitch.

A gorgeous project for anyone who enjoys counted work.

We’ll be back next week with more digital pattern releases from Inspirations issue #90.

It’s a new year and time for some new products. Think of this segment as a personal VIP shopping experience, where we showcase products normally only available at our retail store The Bobbin Tree and bring them direct to you.

We’re starting the year off with a range of trimmings, but not just any old trimmings. We’re talking about coloured pompoms, cute Scottish dogs, adorable paper doll ribbon, Sue Spargo ribbon, twill tape with a tape measure design and we even have the most spectacular reindeer you have ever seen!

This range is fun, it’s creative and well… it’s terrific!

Whether you have a project that is calling out for some trimming as a finishing touch, or you’re looking for some inspiration for your next project, browse our range of Terrific Trimmings today and see where the mood takes you…

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

If someone asks what you enjoy about needlework, perhaps the best response is to quote Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem ‘Sonnets from the Portuguese’ and simply tell them:

Needlework is a lot of different things to a lot of people such is its depth, breadth and height of techniques, materials, designs and social intricacies.

Put another way, you can’t pigeonhole or summarise the totality of what stitching means to someone easily, there are layers and layers of reasons as to why it resonates with each of us. And make no mistake, these resonances are indeed profound.

To help wrap some specifics around this ethereal thought, Hazel Blomkamp’s project ‘Reflection’ from A Passion for Needlework 4 | The Whitehouse Daylesford is a good place to start.

Before we begin, let’s first set the scene. Elizabeth’s poem came to mind when we asked ourselves the question, what makes Reflection a Passion for Needlework project?

Projects selected for our Passion for Needlework books are typically more sophisticated, more involved and more complex than those in some of our other publications.

This being the case, what makes Reflection a cut above any other cushion with a Jacobean motif? By answering this question, we begin to reveal some of the layers that add to the depth, breath and height of a love for needlework.

Upon first glance, Reflection features a gorgeous symmetrical design borrowed from the style of Jacobean imagining - a fantasy world of flora. Beautifully balanced and elegantly formed, the design sits atop a dark green and ecru striped cotton base, constructed into a formal cushion finished off with coordinated green piping.

If found for sale in a high street design house or a boutique homewares store, all would agree this cushion makes a striking and purposeful addition to any lifestyle environment.

Hazel Blomkamp is famous for many reasons. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on just one of her many claims to fame – the level of detail she brings to her needlework.

Having the vast repertoire of technique and experience that Hazel does, there is an innate ability to see an individual shape or form within a design, and craft it into an exquisite standalone element.

When you then proceed to assemble one exquisite element after another exquisite element, the totality of the design far exceeds the sum of its parts. Yet each part still remains its own work of art.

For example, look closely at how Hazel has chosen to fill the petals of the Dusky Rose Flowers. She starts with a base of long and short stitch and then layers up to feature trellis couching and whipped back stitch edging, punctuated with evenly spaced French knots.

Now consider the green leaves that Hazel has filled with trellis and cross stitch couching. How about the blue flower sprays? Here Hazel has used weaving to achieve the chequerboard affect that is quite an uncommon stitch yet achieves such a wonderful result.

All in all, this design benefits from over 20 different stitches capped off with carefully placed Miyuki glass beads throughout to add yet another layer of class and elegance.

Then there is the fact Hazel has stitched a Jacobean design in stranded cotton instead of the traditional approach of 2-ply wool.

Just like one of those hop-on, hop-off tourist buses, Reflection by Hazel Blomkamp can be enjoyed by getting off at each stop and relishing all of her different techniques. Or you can stay on the bus and only get off at the stops that interest you and vary the design yourself to make it as straight forward or complex as you are comfortable with.

Both a gorgeous cushion to admire and the needlework adventure of a lifetime, Reflection is a great example of how once you start peeling back the layers to needlework, there is no end to its many wonders.

How do I love needlework?
Let me count the ways.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Reflection by Hazel Blomkamp is a sophisticated cushion with stitch combinations enhanced with beading.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Reflection includes everything* you need to re-create this beautiful cushion: Fabrics (inc. with pre-printed design), piping, zip, sewing threads, embroidery threads, beads and needles.

Sweet William by Hazel Blomkamp from the book The Design Collective | Pincushions is a circular pincushion with sparkling, three-dimensional beaded flowers and leaves surrounding a lattice design

Clive the Chameleon by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations issue #100 is a fabulous chameleon with opulent beaded camouflage.

Winter Sunset by Hazel Blomkamp from the book A Passion for Needlework 2 | Factoria VII is a glorious design featuring fabulous Jacobean flowers.

Dragonfly by Hazel Blomkamp from Inspirations issue #110 features a splendid dragonfly depicted in needlelace and beading.

Pillows and cushions come in many shapes and sizes fit for many different purposes. What Are You Stitching? this week rounds up the works of stitchers who have thought outside the frame…

‘All in all, I’m very happy with these past two months of stitching. It was wonderful to create something. And it is a way for me to be present at this wedding of a beloved niece.’

What a wonderful story Christine, your one idea to embroider your brother-in-law’s design became the gift that kept on giving! They are all beautifully designed and stitched. We’re sure each piece will be treasured by their respective custodians for years to come.

‘My parents liked the finished product so much that the pillow stayed with them on various sofas and chairs until my mother passed in 2019 and it came back to me, 40 years after I first finished it. My husband always turns the pillow when he lies on it, so as not to put any more wear on the stitching.’

Wow Margaret, what a well-loved pillow that will surely have many more years of enjoyment to come, especially thanks to your husband's efforts!

Two fantastic projects Louise! It’s wonderful to hear that you find inspiration in our publications, we look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous creations. Well done.

The raised element on your ring cushion has set it off beautifully Elizabeth. We love that you embraced the faulty iron marks and come up with such a clever solution, the result is charming. We can’t wait to see what you finish next!

Have you stitched something outside the frame? We’d love to see it. 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!

~ Hannah Brencher ~

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