In last week’s All Stitched Up! we shared the idea that knowing our ‘why’ behind the New Year’s resolutions we set as 2023 unfolded before us might just help keep us motivated and focused on achieving them when statistics suggest otherwise.

Since penning those words, we received a few emails that went on to explore the ‘how’ of seeing our goals come to fruition.

Whilst Lifehack recognise that fuelling our internal motivation is one of the most important ways to stay motivated, one thing they suggest helps us to move toward our goals is finding an accountability partner.

Simply having someone check in with us on a regular basis can not only help us stay consistent and productive but can also be a source of encouragement and support throughout the journey.

As well as reinforcing the idea of an accountability partner, Grit & Virtue also recommends we consider:

1. Breaking our goals down into behavioural goals. These are simply the roadmap of actions we’ll take that will lead us toward a result. Not only can these be easier to track, celebrate and adjust, but they can also make ‘lofty’ goals feel less daunting and more achievable.

2. Creating a schedule that fits into our current season. This will ensure time is set aside to consistently work toward our goals.

3. Eliminating distractions. This will make sure the time we’ve prioritised on our schedule is put to good use so we can focus on what is most important.

4. Taking care of our physical and emotional well-being. This is often considered 80% of the battle, as a healthy body and mind will give us the energy and focus we need to help achieve our goals.

Hannah Brencher’s email reflected on learning the art of discipline. Hannah admitted that whilst the word ‘discipline’ rarely seems appealing at first glance, the results of learning the art of discipline is where the appeal lies. Put simply, it’s about putting habits, rhythms and routines in place that will put our goals in motion.

Still struggling to find that one ‘magic’ idea that will ensure your New Year’s resolutions come to pass?!

Mr X Stitch shared a completely different approach that might just have your name on it.

After realising how haphazard the results of ‘have to’ New Year’s resolutions can be, he’s taken the pressure off himself and is simply pursuing his list of ‘want to’ activities. Although admitting to feeling the ‘stretch’ of incorporating meditation, yoga, learning to play the piano and baking sourdough into an already full life, Mr X Stitch has realised that ‘maybe it's just that if you think something is worth it, you can find the capacity to do it’.

No matter which of these ideas resonate, the truth is, if we’re able to incorporate at least one of them into our day to day, ninety days from now, we’ll be glad we started today.

One of the many things we love about working at Inspirations HQ is hearing from friends, both old and new, through the many emails we receive each week.

Sometimes the emails are ‘administrative’ in nature as they seek to enquire about an order or a subscription, whilst at other times they’re purely conversational as the dialogue within starts or continues a discussion, many of which we just can’t think of keeping to ourselves!

Enjoy the highlights of our most recent conversational conversations…

Stephanie is particularly taken with the three tiles – Iznik, Deerfield and Delft – that appeared in A Fine Tradition and is hoping someone in the Inspirations Community is aware of a finishing technique that ‘encases and protects a piece of embroidery so that it can be used as a trivet’ as not only does she think they’d make unique gifts, but would also be a beautiful addition to any table.

If you’re able to point Stephanie in the right direction, we know she’d love to hear from you.

Oh, and Stephanie, you absolutely remembered correctly that there is a second Margaret Light book coming.

You can even pre-order your copy today to ensure it ships upon its release in April.

After worrying that the time she’s spent with needle and thread will while away its life stored in a plastic tub, Carol has determined to finish her projects in a way that ensures they’re useful, not just for herself but for the generations to follow. As a result, Carol has countless coasters, boxes and goldwork ornaments that are equal parts form and function.

Having also recently considered the fate of the household linens she’s collected, stitched and been gifted, Carol took to needle and thread once again and reimagined them into a quilt knowing that may well mean they survive another generation or more.

Although it seems Carol has ideas aplenty, she’s still interested in how the Inspirations Community considers the ways in which their stitching will not only survive but thrive in years to come. If you have any other ways of finishing your stitching that ensure a storage tub is nowhere to be seen, simply email news@inspirationsstudios.com

Cristina wrote in to share how she puts her orts to use at the end of each year.

Throughout the year, Cristina collects the threads that are too short to use again in a box with the intention of filling a ‘leftover ball’ to hang on her Christmas tree each year. A stitched tag ensures each year is marked and remembered by the stitches laid throughout it.

That’s it for this week, but we know the next conversation isn’t far away, and we just can’t wait to see where it takes us!

Many of you will be familiar with our Passion for Needlework book series, and it was our great privilege to include a project called ‘On the Beach’ by the multi-talented artist Judy Wilford back in volume 1.

Replete with an array of stunning landscapes, we just love how Judy masterfully layers a combination of fabrics and stitches to create the most alluring scenes.

In this new book, Judy adds in the additional joy of birdlife she has meticulously studied over the years and now, combined with her love of landscapes, marries the two in perfect harmony.

We were incredibly saddened to hear that Judy passed away late last year so this will be her final book and what a glorious testament to her enduring talent this is.

Copies are already scarce and this will become a collectors’ item, so purchase your copy today while stock is still available.

With the countless number of projects each of us stitch over the course of our needlework journey, it’s inevitable that eventually we encounter that age old dilemma of running out of space and/or ways to display our finished pieces.

So whenever we hear of an innovative or unique way to showcase our work, we’re always eager to find out more.

When designer Margaret Lee created her beautifully stitched panel ‘Lotus’ it acted as a catalyst for her to seek out a solution to display, not only this piece, but more of her designs.

The exquisite ‘Daisy’ Embroidered Panel Display Box offers just that, a unique display option for any project.

Offering a space to present any 24cm x 16cm (9 ½” x 6 ¼”) embroidered piece, this box features a quality light wood exterior, a soft olive-green interior, and a removable wooden lattice insert under the glass lid.

With an array of storage compartments, this timeless box can be endlessly refreshed with each new piece of embroidery displayed in the lid. Serving as a thoughtful gift or the perfect addition to your own home, order your Embroidered Panel Display Box today.

Did you know that each issue of Inspirations magazine is given a title or a theme name? For example, the current issue #117 is called Full Bloom thanks to some of the extraordinary floral projects featured.

The projects from this issue are stunning and the name is spot on, as the designs are truly timeless.

In fact, having recently revisited this issue we realised that not all the projects were available as digital patterns so we asked our website team to chop chop the ones that were missing.

This week we’re pleased to announce the release of the final three projects from issue #63 for you to purchase and download as PDF files:

Cosmina by Betsy Morgan

For those of us obsessed with designs by Betsy Morgan, here is one you may have missed. Cosmina is a decorative scissor keep and matching fob featuring the design of a traditional folk dress created using colourful bands of stitching to form dazzling patterns for the skirt and sleeves.

Seed of Life by Heather Scott

Our Northern Hemisphere readers who might be enduring the cold winter nights at the moment will relate to this one: Heather Scott has created a wonderfully bright and playful hot water bottle cover using traditional paisley shapes worked with vividly coloured felt. The colours alone will make you feel happier and warmer!

Sweet Dreams by Julie Graue

Julie Graue fans rejoice – here is a rare find for you. Not only are there very few garments in the Inspirations project library, this stylish nightdress and matching sleeveless gown is a standout.

Click below to browse not only these three new projects, but also the other designs from issue #63 that are all available to purchase as digital patterns.

Need help printing the design from your digital pattern to the correct size using your home printer? Step-by-step instructions are available on our FAQ page HERE.

From our retail store The Bobbin Tree to you, our global needlework community, this week we bring you some handy magnifiers.

It’s no secret that some of the needlework projects we work on are so fine, it pushes the capabilities of our eyes to the limit.

It’s also no secret that as we age, our eyes are simply not as capable as they once were.

So why struggle when there are so many products available that not only give our eyes the boost they need, they make laying even the finest of stitches much easier.

Hands Free Magnifier

This handy headband comes with four interchangeable lenses with varying degrees of magnification to ensure you have the right lens for any job. The adjustable lightweight band makes it easy to wear without fatigue and can even be worn over glasses.

Clip On Magnifier

For those of us who wear glasses, this is a great option that clips onto your frames for hands-free work, and easily flip up for normal wear.

Four interchangeable lenses are also included with this option to ensure your eyes get the perfect support they need.

If you’ve never used a magnifier before, maybe it’s time you joined the club… your eyes will thank you for it!

Inspirations Projects on Display

For any locals or needlework fans visiting our hometown of Adelaide, don’t forget to call in and check out all the original projects from Inspirations issue #117 and Susan O’Connor’s book Flowers for Elizabeth now on display in store.

And while you’re there, why not sign up for one of our weekly ‘Stitch ‘n’ Chat’ sessions. For more details about The Bobbin Tree including opening hours and lesson times, click HERE.

Swedish artist Ulla-Stina Wikander collects both abandoned cross stitch projects and ordinary household items from the 70s. She then craftily gives both a second life, covering sewing machines, hand mixers, old telephones and more with the cross stitch pieces, producing a beautiful exhibition of embroidered vintage objects.

With a collection of over 120 re-purposed objects, Ulla-Stina finds joy in seeing how old and obsolete items can transform when given a new context.

Naming her series ‘Untitled set’, there is an irony reflected in selecting such an unsuspecting title for such an exquisite body of work.

Perhaps this is a nod to the notion that there is more than meets the eye, as shown in both the title of her series and in the forgotten objects she transforms.

Though she doesn’t personally create the embroidery used, some of the larger pieces in the series have taken weeks to complete, demonstrating just how intricate her work is.

Ulla-Stina has definitely reminded us that when it comes to finding inspiration, old doesn’t always mean irrelevant. You can see her full gallery of work and even purchase select installations on her website HERE.

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

Diversity is a buzz word these days for lots of good reasons. Left to our own devices we have a tendency to become creatures of habit and stick to what we know.

Yet if we reflect on our own journeys of diversity, be it as simple as trying new food, buying a different coloured top or learning a new stitch, the results can be truly rewarding.

To give you a feel for what a diverse needlework journey looks like over a lifetime of designing, have a look through just some of the amazing projects we’ve published by just two of our more prolific contributors, Susan O’Connor and Carolyn Pearce.

You can see a selection of Susan’s projects HERE and Carolyn’s projects HERE.

Now in comparison let’s have a look at a designer who is still relatively early in their journey and yet has already created an amazing body of work.

Click HERE to see some of Ana Mallah’s projects to date.

Today we’re adding a new piece to Ana’s gallery with her latest design ‘Rose & Daisies’ from Inspirations issue #117. What we want to highlight about this piece is not only the exceptional beauty of these elegant, stitched flowers, but also the fact that this is Ana’s first truly three-dimensional project.

Now some of you are saying, hang on, what about the incredible flowerpots we just saw in her gallery, or the butterfly and toadstools? Aren’t they all three-dimensional?

Good point, let’s explain further. For the purposes of ensuring the nomenclature we use to categorise all the projects published by Inspirations is accurate, here is our definition to discern between three-dimensional embroidery and stumpwork:

Therefore, by virtue of this definition, Ana’s projects to date have been stumpwork whereas Rose & Daisies is a three-dimensional embroidered design.

Let’s have a closer look at the techniques Ana has used to achieve these incredibly realistic flowers and better understand what three-dimensional embroidery is.

The rose is created using 49 detached elements and the trio of daisies use 54 elements. The first step in starting work on a project like this is to create all the various detached elements.

First up are the petals for the rose. There are 27 petals in an assortment of sizes arranged in 5 rounds. Each petal is created by tracing the outline of the template onto fabric and placing a piece of wire on top, shaping it to follow the contours of the template. The wire is then couched to hold it in place.

Next, you begin at the base of the petal and work blanket stitch around the wire before switching to short and long blanket stitch to fill the centre of the petal.

Once you’ve finished stitching, you then cut out the petal and together with all the other 48 elements including the leaves and the bud, you wire and wrap everything together and voila! you have a perfectly stitched rose.

Now that is an over simplified summary of the processes Ana has used, but you get the idea.

Also, we should point out that petals for the daisies are created slightly differently to the rose as they use overcasting with the filling stitching sitting inside the wire instead of covering the wire.

The difference is you get a finer edge as there is no beading around the perimeter, however more care is needed when cutting these elements out.

The great thing about Inspirations magazine is all the instructions for both the rose and the daisies are included in intricate detail to make it as easy as possible for you to follow along.

Let’s re-cap… today we learned that in every great needlework journey there is diversity. Diversity in technique, in materials, finish and design. We celebrated with Ana as she added a new chapter to her journey by expanding her repertoire to include three-dimensional embroidery. We even learned the basics of how you go about creating a three-dimensional piece.

What better opportunity than to get started today by creating your very own Rose or a trio of Daisies, or maybe even both!

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Rose & Daisies by Ana Mallah is two stunning garden flowers in three- dimensional embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kits for Rose & Daisies include everything* you need to re-create these stunning three-dimensional garden flowers: Fabric (unprinted), wool felt, wires, embroidery threads, beads and needle.

Wildflowers of Hepburn by Alison Cole from A Passion for Needlework 4 | The Whitehouse Daylesford is a stunning three-dimensional recreation of a native lily, orchids and flax.

Remember by Philippa Todd from Inspirations issue #109 is an elegant three-dimensional poppy that can be worn as a brooch.

Camellia by Julie Kniedl from the book Botanica is a stylish red flower, buds and contrasting leaves.

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

This week’s What are you Stitching? rounds up the work of stitchers who, in different ways, have made their projects their own.

‘My next piece is based on a painting by artist Maureen Christie from Australia. As soon as I saw it I knew I wanted to stitch it, so I ordered a panel from Maureen and here is the result.’

What amazing pieces, Elza. Your stitching and attention to detail absolutely bring your pieces to life! Thanks for sharing with us.

‘In terms of stitching, I have been working in a heart/bee theme, having seen a picture of a tattoo that inspired me. I had this fabric in my stash and did not know what to do with it until I realised it was perfect for my very simple embroidery.’

This sounds like a fantastic gadget Jane, with so many uses all in one and we’re sure your lovely memories of receiving it add to the pleasure every time you use it. Also your bag is beautiful, we love how you have combined the cat motif and heart shape with the paw prints!

‘Many years ago, I sold second-hand books at a flea market. Other vendors knew that I stitched and stretched/framed my own pieces and would sell me all kinds of old picture frames and window frames for pennies. I would restore the frames and re-use them. This frame seemed appropriate for my feathered friends.’

One of our favourite sayings here at Inspirations is that every stitched piece has a story and all the back stories to your needlework, Lorrie are fascinating to hear. Your birds are beautifully stitched and that re-claimed frame suits the designs perfectly. We love that your needle and thread has kept the spirit of the ivory-billed woodpecker alive for those to admire and we’re sure it makes your friends smile every time they turn the pages of their books. Some very lucky friends you have!

‘We did this ring and then she showed us other stitches. I ended up adding a dragonfly and sent it to my mother-in-law in France.’

Kay, we would never have guessed this was your first attempt at Casalguidi! We love the addition of the delicate dragonfly, we’re sure it will be a gift that is treasured.

Do you stitch gifts for your friends or family? Have you got any faithful stitching gadgets? Or do you like to make your projects your own by adding elements?

Whatever your stitching story, we’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details 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!

Premium quality Ulster linen in off white, now available by the half metre.

Treasure by Margaret Lee is a sparkling card wallet embellished with a range of glass beads.

Hanabatake by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #95 is a dazzling zipped case with Japanese-style bead embroidery.

Lotus by Margaret Lee from the Handpicked Range harmoniously combines Japanese goldwork and bead embroidery in this stunning flower design.

Greensleeves by Brenda Sortwell is a crewel cushion with abundant flowers, foliage and sparkling highlights.

Revival by Brenda Sortwell from Inspirations issue #111 is a large hexagonal box topped with glorious autumn colours in crewel embroidery, with matching needle box and scissor sheath.

Arcadia by Brenda Sortwell from Inspirations issue #109 features an ornate bird and foliage using the fabulous traditions of Jacobean crewel embroidery.

~ Tony Gaskins ~

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