A recent email from Ingrid Fetell Lee opened with a question that got us thinking about our time with needle and thread.

Whilst ‘afraid’ may be a strong term to use in terms of our stitching, we quickly realised there are things we have put off in our time with needle and thread and we have a feeling we’re not alone.

As Ingrid reminded us in her email though, whilst ‘many of these things don't seem that consequential in the moment’, the truth is, the ‘risks’ we take in our time with needle and thread determine the stitcher we become and the joy we experience throughout our journey with needle and thread.

Whilst the reasons will differ for each of us, we have a feeling things like the time required to complete a particularly large project, confidence to tackle a complex design, new techniques we aren’t confident we can master, expensive supplies that require the ‘perfect’ application and bucket list needlework adventures we’re yet to prioritise over our day to day, may be common ‘risks’ for many of us.

Ingrid went on to suggest several ways we can reframe our thinking so we can move from a place of fear to bravery and tackle some of things we’ve been putting off.

Simply being curious about what’s before us will give us the permission to explore something we’d like to do without feeling the pressure to complete it, and who knows where that curiosity will lead?!

Telling select people about all that we hope to achieve with needle and thread will allow them to inspire us and hold us accountable.

Taking small steps allows the task before us to seem much less overwhelming. It may be as simple as buying the supplies we need one day, and then putting them where we’ll use them the next.

Imagining the task completed, then borrowing courage from our future selves will allow us to believe in our ability to complete what’s before us, making the task seem infinitely easier.

Asking ourselves what’s the worst thing that can happen can often make us realise that the risks involved probably aren’t as big as we initially thought, with many being forgotten about in a relatively short space of time.

And so, we’re off to become ‘brave’ stitchers by tackling at least one of those projects we’d previously put off, hoping that one will lead to two will lead to…

Sharing the thoughts of both Hannah Brencher and Stephanie Duncan Smith in All Stitched Up! issue #363, we unpacked some ideas on the worth of our work, encouraging each of us to dignify our time with needle and thread.

The words we penned resonated not only with us, but also with those within the Inspirations Community.

Like many of us, Sharlene felt her creative works were ‘just things that should be placed last behind all the other things life has us do.’ These thoughts led her to devalue the time she took exploring needle and thread which ultimately led to a sense of frustration.

However, last year Sharlene came to realise that if she didn’t think of her own creative time as worthy she would never prioritise it. Appreciating the personal joy it brought her as well as the pleasure she found in the making journey, Sharlene came to see the value her time with needle and thread held.

As a result, she learned to view the time she spent stitching as a gift to herself. Her work is now ‘slower, steadier and ultimately more fulfilling’, with each piece she creates being ‘a gift of happiness’ she gives herself.

Juana shared the very practical way she measures the worth of her time with needle and thread.

Within each of the boxes she uses to contain her threads for a project, Juana also keeps a 7.5cm x 12.5cm (3” x 5”) Index Card. Not only is the card used to record project information such as title, designer, size and cost of the raw materials, it is also used to keep track of the approximate number of hours she spends on the project.

Although the county Juana lives within states their minimum wage is $7.50 per hour, as those who work within the fast-food industry are paid $16.00 per hour, Juana has set her hourly ‘wage’ at $15.00.

Whilst there is no accurate way to value what we create with needle and thread, Juana appreciates the approximate monetary value this system allows her to calculate, especially in the instance of having to declare the value of an item for insurance purposes.

Keeping record of her hours also allows Juana to let the recipients of any gift she creates know how many loving hours of her life they hold in their hands.

Whilst declaring the words in our editorial ‘exceptional’ and acknowledging that anyone who works within an art field needs to hear them, Linda is yet to bring herself to call her sewing room a studio. The words we shared made her realise that she should in fact do so though!

Lelly was particularly taken with the words of Stephanie Duncan Smith when she declared: ‘There is a world of difference between the work of a writer who downplays their craft, and the writing of a writer who dignifies their work.’

Lelly, we love that you’ve taken Stephanie’s words and applied them to your life’s journey, and you are absolutely right, the narrative of our lives should be filled with our own thoughts of worth and dignity.

In 2021 Margaret Light published her first ever book.

A Fine Tradition was a celebration of her life’s work to date, with Margaret at the time, on the cusp of retirement.

Our first print run of A Fine Tradition sold out immediately with the book now enjoying its third reprint, such has been its popularity.

Ladies and gentlemen, many, many of you have been asking about this one and we can now officially confirm A Fine Tradition 2 is due to be released very shortly.

Pre-order now open. More soon…

A few weeks ago we were delighted to announce the re-launch of the World Needlework Convention taking place October 5-15 this year across two stunning locations in the UK.

The feedback has been AMAZING with so many people looking forward to attending, including many from the UK.

We opened registration with our All Inclusive Package that featured absolutely everything the event has to offer including fabulous accommodation.

This means you now have the flexibility of either attending and staying in luxury with us with all meals and transfers provided, or attending the event but arranging your own place to stay (which might be at home for the locals!).

The Event Only package includes 3 x Two Day needlework classes from a choice of over 80 projects complete with morning tea, lunch and afternoon tea, day trips to the Stitches and Knitting Show and Parham House, evening presentations and more, all for AU$3,110 (approx. GBP£1,790 USD$2,157).

This truly is one needlework extravaganza you won’t want to miss.

For further details about our new Event Only package and to register, visit the Needlework Tours website HERE.

Did you know we have an entire collection of projects that are published exclusively under our Handpicked label?

With only so much room in our books and magazines, what happens when we have more designs than capacity?

We release a limited number of additional projects as part of our Handpicked range.

Created by incredibly talented designers, each project has its own vibrancy and intricacies. Ranging from flowers to footstools and bumblebees to bags, and spanning a variety of techniques, there’s something for everyone.

Every Handpicked project is released individually as both a print and digital pattern complete with step-by-step instructions and close up photography, just as you would find for any other project in our books and magazine.

Ready-to-Stitch kits for each design are also available, although they tend to sell out fast!

Keep an eye out for advertisements in Inspirations magazine for each new Handpicked project as they are released, and click below to start your own personal Handpicked collection today.

When Inspirations issue #87 was released, it included a unique mix of techniques with the specific intention of encouraging us to try something new, despite any self-doubt or hesitations we may have.

To help fulfill this idea and make it as easy as possible for everyone to try something new, this week we’re thrilled to announce that each project from issue #87 will soon be available as a digital pattern. The first instalment for this week includes:

The delightful Natural Beauty by Fiona Hibbett is an intricate raised embroidery piece inspired by an 18th century study, featuring a golden pineapple and vibrant insects.

Su Caboniscu by Giojo Ralui, is a unique book weight featuring traditional Sardinian embroidery. Whitework, known in Sardinia as Punt'e Nù or knot stitch is worked with white perlé cotton on striking blue linen on one side, and with cornflower blue cotton on white linen on the other.

Vivienne Cox’s exquisite A Midsummer Night’s Dream showcases vibrant Elizabethan inspired florals against a black satin fabric finished as a stunning bag - perfect for a night out.

All three projects are now available, exactly as they appear in the magazine, to purchase and download as individual Digital Patterns. The PDF file you purchase will have all the instructions, requirement lists, stitch diagrams and include full size pattern sheet(s) of the design and construction information when applicable.

Tune in next week for another instalment of digital patterns from Inspirations issue #87.

Every stitcher we know is continually looking for different ways to display their finished work or searching for innovative things to stitch on.

This week we’re excited to bring you a range of ‘Things to Stitch On’ that we’ve found at our store The Bobbin Tree that we hope will offer you some creative solutions.

First up we have some terry-cloth bibs and cuddly Koala baby comforters, both with aida cloth sections perfect for creating personalised gifts for the little ones in your life.

Next, we’re bringing some luxury into your life with Vivian Grace fine linen napkins. Complete with a beautiful decorative lace trim around the edge, all they need now are some embroidered motifs or a monogram perhaps?

Finally for this week is a beautiful, pre-printed sampler panel from French General. Add as much or as little embellishment as you like and, as per a traditional sampler, this is a perfect project to try a range of new and different stitching techniques.

All the links you need are below, happy shopping!

If you appreciate still-life paintings, you’re going to love seeing what can be achieved with still-life embroidery.

Polish artist Alicja Kozlowska has created the eye-catching series ‘Embroidered Ordinariness’, and we think it’s anything but ordinary.

An apple core, a takeaway coffee cup, banana peels, a takeaway container, empty bottles and cans and more can be seen in her series, which includes over 75 pieces of exceptional needlework.

Taking these every-day items and re-imagining them with her needle and thread, Alicja’s attention to detail leaves nothing to be desired. Look closely and you’ll see expiry dates, nutrition panels, sale stickers, even rust and flies on discarded food tins.

Though her work has a quirky playfulness to it, Alicja’s inspiration for creating this series is a little more nuanced than first impressions may suggest. Inspired by our everyday consumerism, she has specifically chosen globally recognisable brands that have ‘permanently entered the world of advertising’.

Her goal throughout this project is to inspire others to realise that art can be found everywhere, and that even the most unsuspecting objects can inspire a unique piece of work.

Thanks to Alicja many of us will now be paying a little more attention to the seemingly innocuous objects we use daily to see where inspiration may strike.

You can read all about Alicja’s work in the article ‘Art from Everyday’ by Ansie Van der Walt from Inspirations magazine issue #107 or check out Alicja’s website HERE.

When it comes to needlework techniques and design, you will often find a particular motif or design element has become synonymous with a specific stitch.

For example, Japanese bead embroidery will regularly feature a lotus, roses abound when working in ribbon embroidery and diamond stars frequent Hardanger designs.

In the same way you will find pomegranates are common in Crewel Embroidery, yet there is nothing common about the pomegranate starring in this week’s featured project.

To get started, here are some facts on the project for you:

Publication: Inspirations magazine issue #117
Designer: Kathy Andrews from the USA
Project Name: The Queen’s Pomegranate
Project Type: Cushion
Technique: Crewel Embroidery
Fabric: Ivory Linen Twill
Design Transfer Required: Yes
Threads: Crewel Wool
Dimensions: 38cm (15”) square

Pomegranates have played a fascinating role throughout history across a plethora of cultures and religions with some Jewish scholars even claiming the pomegranate was the original forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden.

Kathy has based her design on the royal emblem of Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife. Her motto as Queen of England was ‘humble and loyal’ and her emblem was a crowned pomegranate.

Yet at the same time, as this piece is after all a cushion, Kathy has given it just the right amount of warmth and a relaxed feel, which when you consider the competing agendas between regal formality and casual styling, a perfect harmonious balance has been achieved.

Our favourite element of Kathy’s work in this piece would have to be the textured effect used for the outer skin of the Pomegranate.

Achieved through the clever use of battlement couching, Kathy has utilised this technique to build up three layers of wool laid on top of each other in different hues from dark to light, with each layer slightly offset, resulting in an excellent dimensional finish.

Oh, and a quick shout out for Kathy’s choice of edging for the cushion… how wonderful does that free-flowing, sumptuous fringe look? Another nod to Kathy’s clever balance between a Queen and the couch!

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

The Queen's Pomegranate by Kathy Andrews is a stylish cushion with a regal pomegranate in crewel embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for The Queen’s Pomegranate includes everything* you need to re-create this beautiful cushion: Fabric (inc. with pre-printed design), trim, sewing thread, embroidery threads and needle.

Interlude by Di Kirchner from Inspirations issue #111 is a stunning crewel cushion featuring a vibrant pomegranate.

Redwork Pincushion & Chatelaine by Margaret Light from A Fine Tradition is a collection of handy needlework accessories including a barrel pincushion featuring a luscious pomegranate.

Tudor Rose & Pomegranate by Cynthia Jackson from the Handpicked Range features a stunning pomegranate in 16th century goldwork and silk embroidery techniques.

Persian Bounty by Anna Scott from Inspirations issue #108 is a beautiful pomegranate study using a variety of stumpwork techniques.

Behold What Are You Stitching? fans, this week we have special appearances from Jo Butcher, Laurence Lieblich and even a dragon! Read on to discover more…

‘Thank goodness I started at the top and worked down the design. But even though I always cover any worked stitches, it still seemed to be fairly sensitive to any touch. However, I am pleased with the finished result. So, some good things came out of lockdown!’

What a result, Nerys! Your stitching is fabulous and the colouring really helps brings out the expression of this fire breathing creature. Such a unique project to pour your time and talent into.

What a lovely way to reintroduce yourself to stitching, Nola. This is a lovely piece and truly in the spirt of Jo Butcher’s belief that ‘everyone’s embroidery will come out slightly differently, interpreted and expressed through our different perspectives, but trust the development.’

‘With each new book I read, I always learn something and it's exciting.’

Claude, another beautifully stitched flower. The yellows and pinks in this piece look magnificent together. Also, we love that you are enjoying broadening your embroidery knowledge.

Have you stitched a dragon? Do you like to do mixed media work? Which designers are you drawn to for inspiration in your work?

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!

Paperchase by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #65 is four enchanting, embroidered glass paperweights.

Pen to Paper by Kimberley Servello from Inspirations issue #81 is a superb paperweight featuring a lush silk and gold pomegranate.

Rich Harvest by Di Kirchner is a pincushion with colourful crewel and Bargello designs.

Red Treasure Box by Di Kirchner from Inspirations issue #116 is a beautiful, counted thread etui containing several needlework accessories.

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

~ Nelson Mandela ~

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