A recent email from Fine Cell Work had us reflecting on the incredible power of needle and thread.

The email shared Lewis’s journey from the time he picked up needle and thread in prison right through to becoming an apprentice with Fine Cell Work’s ‘Open the Gate Programme’ upon his release.

Lewis found prison to be a place where time stood still. He had too much time on his hands and nothing to help him get through it. Desperate to find something to keep him busy and help pass the time, his curiosity was piqued when he noticed a Fine Cell Work volunteer teaching prisoners to stitch.

Unfortunately, there was a wait list for the classes, but seeing how eager Lewis was to start stitching, the volunteers gave him some material and showed him some basic stitches. Within an hour he was stitching with ease and was so impatient to continue his journey, went to another inmate in the hope he could point him in the direction of his next steps. From there, Lewis’s time in prison was spent with needle and thread.

Whilst Lewis admits he can be a bit of a loner, stitching compelled him to interact with others and he found much satisfaction in working with like-minded people. Needle and thread helped Lewis find purpose during his time in prison.

Upon release however, Lewis once again found himself struggling to fill the time before him and felt ‘something precious had been taken away’. Picking up needle and thread yet again when he joined Fine Cell Work’s ‘Open the Gate Programme’, Lewis found the same sense of calm he’d experienced in prison as not only did he have something useful to do once more, but he was back to doing what made him happy.

Whilst our own journey with needle and thread may not echo the same path as Lewis’s, we found ourselves reflecting on the threads of similarity that exist between the two.

Like Lewis, our time with needle and thread helps us to while away the hours and we too have ‘found hope, healing and restoration’ in the meditative push and pull of needle and thread through fabric. Stitching has also allowed us to connect with others who share our passion, and it has given us a sense of purpose in perhaps the most unexpected of manners.

Such is the universal power of stitching, and after taking the time to reflect on it all over again, we couldn’t be more thankful for it.

This week’s Have Your Say sandwiches a couple of questions in between some comments and a little quip!

Our thoughts on bravery in All Stitched Up! issue #368 resonated with Ann regarding the things she needs to do rather than those she’d like to do.

After completing jobs they were hesitant to start, both Ann and her husband often find themselves remarking ‘well that was a lot easier and/or quicker than I expected it to be’, resolving that next time they have a job to do, they’ll just get on with it. However, they’ve come to realise that rarely works as the next job - whether it be as simple as hanging a picture or tidying their workshop - might just be one of ‘those’ jobs that goes wrong or takes far longer to complete than expected. Hence, they tend to begin each job with a degree of unease.

Ann closed her email her a word of encouragement for Nerys whose Jade Dragon featured in one of our What Are You Stitching? segments.

Being half Welsh, Ann confessed to being a dragon person herself, so Nerys’ stitching struck a particular chord with her. Not only did Ann love the colours of the design and couldn’t see any of the pilling on the cotton perlé Nerys made reference to, it also stirred Ann’s resolve to complete a dragon herself. Having now determined that her dragon will integrate both stitching and needle felting, she just has to complete her water sprite first, as ‘he’s been lying around for years now and will be losing his magnificent physique’!

Clare was struck by Kate’s comments about her stitching journey in ASU #370.

‘Her stitching is beautiful, and I can appreciate the effort that goes into it. I too have ME and struggle with bouts of low energy, which can be so very frustrating. Kate has found a way of coming to terms with that frustration, finding a regime that has enabled her to think outside the square, stitch in peace and produce beautiful work.

Thank you, Kate, for your inspiration.’ 

After sharing Maddie’s ‘disaster’ in ASU #373, Sue wrote in with a remedy in case anyone else in the Inspirations Community should ever suffer the same fate.

‘There is a product in Australia called Colour Catcher. It can be used to prevent colour bleeding from dark to light coloured items in the wash. It can also be used if you have had colour run as Maddie did.

I recently washed a red towel that apparently hadn’t been washed before in a mixed load of laundry. To my dismay, several things turned from white to pink. To fix this, I simply rewashed the pink items with a Colour Catcher sheet and lo and behold the catcher sheet turned pink and my garments were white again!’

Now onto a couple of readers who hope someone in the Inspirations Community can point them in the right direction.

Whilst Alice thought this was a simple quest, she’s since come to realise that some people are disappointed with the ones they buy online, but only after purchasing them! So, she’s hoping someone in the Inspirations Community can speak from their own experience with needle and thread and recommend a hoop stand she won’t be disheartened with.

After having enjoyed the printed catalogues from the Nordic Needle who sold all things needle and thread, Ruth has missed them since they closed some years ago.

Ruth is hoping someone in the Inspirations Community might just know of a needlework store who, like her, recognises there is still place for printed catalogues.

We close with a little quip from Karen who finds herself wanting to spend more time with needle and thread.

‘I am 77 and unfortunately my husband is not well, so I find myself having to do all the girl’s work and the boy’s work at home when all I want to do is more needlework. I cannot tell you how much I enjoy seeing everyone’s work in All Stitched Up!, but when do these women get the time to make so many intricate projects?! Do they have maids? Do they get enough sleep? How long does it take them in real time to finish these projects? I mean really, as I have been working on the same needle case for months now!’

Karen, whilst we’re not sure there are many a stitcher who forgoes sleep entirely or has a maid on call, your comments have gotten us pondering how such things might just allow us to find more hours in our day for needle and thread too!

Everyone loves to learn about a secret. It might be a secret ingredient, a secret location, or a secret stitching technique, either way it’s the allure of finding out something few other people know.

When it came time to review this week’s project, Secret Garden by Margaret Light from Inspirations issue #118, we were curious as to what secrets we might uncover within.

If you read the above description before actually seeing the designs, chances are the reveal would be somewhat different to that which you envisaged. This is because Margaret has used some rather advanced and non-traditional design and needlework techniques to produce these striking botanical pieces. That led us to the discovery of the first secret…

Secret 1 – Skeleton Outlines

One of the disruptions to how you might typically anticipate a pair of nasturtiums and geraniums to be presented in stitch is the use of skeleton outlines for several of the design elements.

The purpose of this technique is not to give the impression of something in progress, rather it creates focal points. It’s a tool used to provide contrast and relief from blocks of solid colour. It offers up an airiness or lightness to the design that you wouldn’t achieve by filling everything in.

This is a clever design secret you can use to control your audience’s attention as it creates hot spots of interest and offers but a suggestion rather than providing the obvious.

Secret 2 – Gumnut Yarns

Another secret we came across was the use of Gumnut Yarns, which in and of itself doesn’t sound like much of a secret until you consider the application.

Gumnut Yarns is somewhat unique in their offering thanks to each of their 200 shades being available in exactly the same colour across a variety of different weights and finishes.

This includes fine wool, crewel wool, stranded silk, perlé silk and a silk/wool blend, all hand-dyed to exacting standards.

These are just the first two secrets we’ve discovered along the way; we haven’t mentioned the secret of using napkins as a ground fabric which is a fabulously inventive way to create cushions. Or the secret of using 18 different stitch techniques all of which add to the complexity and depth of the project.

What secrets will you uncover when you create your own Secret Garden?

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Secret Garden by Margaret Light is two large cushions featuring bold red geraniums and sunny orange and yellow nasturtiums.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kits for Secret Garden include everything* you need to re-create these magical cushions: Fabrics (unprinted), sewing threads, embroidery threads and needles.

Hidden Secrets by Angelique Benseghir-Vergnault from Inspirations #61 is a stylish etui that allows you to treat your precious needlework tools with loving care and store them safely.

Sweet Secret by Margaret Light from Inspirations #73 is a practical little pouch adorned with vibrant red pelargoniums.

Some of our favourite stitching accessories are Susan Clarke Originals Charms – they’re small, dainty and perfect for embellishing any embroidery project.

We’re therefore ecstatic to be adding some new charms to our wonderful collection this week.

The two bobbins are new to our range and are available in both pink and blue.

You may recognise the bumble bee and beehive charms from Carolyn Pearce’s project Home Sweet Home, with both charms now available for purchase separately.

Susan Clarke Originals have been manufacturing high quality hand-painted charms, buttons, and embellishments for over 35 years. Our full range of these exquisite charms can be browsed on our website using the link below.

This week, the modern-day lightbox marvel, the LED light pad, is back in stock. Previously sold out due to popularity, this wonderfully practical stitching accessory is your new best friend.

Featuring an angled stand and adjustable illumination, if you’ve never used a light pad before, it’s well worth the investment. Simply place both your fabric and design on the light pad, select the desired brightness and trace the outline with ease.

Having used these light pads in the Inspirations office for many years, we can testify firsthand as to their quality and reliability.

Click on the link below for more info and for customers outside Australia, the power supply is multi-voltage so can be used anywhere in the world, all you need is the appropriate plug adapter from Australian to your own country.

This month’s Calendar project is taking us back to an Inspirations classic from Issue #41, Lavender Reverie by Heather Moody.

This gorgeous lavender filled book stop is the perfect way to add a little luxury into your everyday. We can still remember how popular this project was when it was first released, the kits sold out in no time at all.

To celebrate this classic favourite featuring in the 2023 calendar, our kit team thought it was only fitting to source all the requirements and release a limited number of Ready-to-Stitch kits.

If you don’t have issue #41 at home for the instructions, that’s ok we even have printed copies still in stock, and it’s also available as a digital pattern as well.

With the release of Inspirations issue #118 and Margaret Light’s new book A Fine Tradition 2, we now have all the original projects on display in our retail store, The Bobbin Tree.

For anyone planning on visiting Adelaide or for the locals among us, it’s well worth a visit to see these exquisite projects up close and personal.

With over 20 stitched masterpieces on display and an entire treasure trove of needlework wonderment in store to capture your attention, it’s worth travelling from far and wide to visit.

We look forward to seeing you there!

As it gets colder here in Adelaide, Australia, we will soon have to surrender to the weather and get out our winter jumpers. While our wardrobes get a makeover, our social feeds could do with a top up too. It’s not winter yet, but we will need a few projects ready to huddle up with when it arrives.

@ootsubu.no.eda: The brilliantly coloured and textured pieces created by this artist from Japan are harmonious perfection.

@lindenacresdesign: This clever artist, Lindsay, creates these unique book sculptures with an enchanting allure. Stitched vines, moss, mushrooms and wild strawberries hold the pages of these otherwise deteriorating Shakespeare volumes back together.

@h.h.hooks: Hanna Eidson creates pop art inspired rugs, wall hangings and soft sculptures with a tufting machine. What fun!

@kristisnarsky: This one is for the interior lovers. Kristi Snarsky ‘vintage home’ wouldn’t be complete without her collection of crewel work. Every piece is styled and hung with the utmost care and is looking absolutely fabulous.

Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to receive your daily dose of the world’s most beautiful needlework from all over the world wide web.

An embroidered footstool is sometimes seen as an oxymoron. That uncomfortable tension between spending hours creating a beautiful piece of art versus its intended utilitarian purpose of resting one’s feet.

The solution of-course is to apply the term ‘decorative’ and let everyone know your precious footstool is for looking at only, no feet please!

When Margaret Light set out to create her wonderful project ‘Moorish Necessaire’ from her book A Fine Tradition 2, she was very specific about its intended purpose and planned for it to be as utilitarian as it could in every way possible! The decorative part was never going to stop that.

When open, the finished necessaire measures 57cm x 32cm wide (22 ¾” x 12 ¾”) or 20 cm x 32 cm (8” x 12 ¾”) when closed, so you can see it’s really is as much about function as it is about form.

Moorish refers to Margaret’s source of inspiration for the motifs that came to her during a visit to the great mosque or Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain.

After seeing the spectacular Roman Byzantine style mosaics of the ribbed domes, Margaret adapted the stylised vegetal and floral designs to create enchanting embroidered elements to embellish her necessaire.

Featuring three floral emblems, the proportions of each matching the substantial nature of the necessaire itself, there is great joy to be found in working with over 20 different stitches across a restrained palette of 13 colours of Gumnut Yarns.

Replete with a pocket, a zipped enclosure, built in pincushion, thread rings and secured with buttons and thread loops, this is one necessaire that is bold and confident about its purpose and an unashamed piece of utilitarian art.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Moorish Necessaire by Margaret Light is a necessaire with storage for threads and needlework tools embroidered with scrolling stems and stylised flowers.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Moorish Necessaire includes everything* you need to re-create this substantial stitching necessaire: Fabrics (unprinted), wool felt, wadding, zip, ricrac, cotton tape, metal rings, buttons, wool wadding, card, sewing thread, embroidery threads and needles.

Strawberry Fayre by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations issue #95 is a fabulous heart-shaped necessaire with pretty surface embroidery.

All this talk about our new book, A Fine Tradition 2, has us in a wonderful Margaret Light bubble. So much so, this week’s What Are You Stitching? is all about the projects stitched by the Inspirations community designed by the talented artist herself.

‘It looked so pretty when I had finished it, I just had to display it and found a charity shop frame that suited it perfectly.’

A trial run that turned out to be just as exquisite as the original project! This is beautifully finished, Jennifer. The frame you’ve found works superbly.

‘This is where I am up to, I’ve been working on the bird this evening. When it’s finished, I’ll send a photo of the whole thing (that might be a while yet)!’

Sue, this is a wonderful way to approach your stitching that will help you focus on practise rather than unpicking. We hope it has been keeping you busy and we are looking forward to seeing it finished!

A very enviable jacket, Yolande! We’re sure Margaret Light would be thrilled you choose one of her designs for this amazing piece.

Have you stitched any designs by Margaret Light? Do you do a stitch trial before attempting a design? Or have you stitched on a jacket before?

Whatever you are stitching, 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

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Victoria Matthewson’s wonderful book ‘Needlepainted Plants and Pollinators’ features nine beautifully intricate embroideries.

Buttercup & Thick-legged Flower Beetle by Victoria Matthewson is a superb silk embroidery study of a beetle and blossom.

Bumblebee by Trish Burr from the Handpicked Collection is a striking bumblebee, worked in Trish’s unique ‘Whitework with Colour’ technique.

A treasure for embroiderers and lovers of Japanese culture alike, with projects featuring a charming array of motifs including butterflies and other insects, Japanese plants and flowers.

~ Eckhardt Tolle ~

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