For those of you who’ve read many an issue of All Stitched Up!, you might recall an oft-used phrase of ours, ‘along with a few details about your stitching journey’.

While stitching journeys are something we often ask and write about in this very newsletter, it was an article by Andrea Santiamo in Needlepoint Now magazine that brought them front of mind once again.

Andrea was reflecting on her own journey with needle and thread over the 50+ years since it first began, and as a ‘needlepointer’ Andrea reminisced about the changes she’d seen over those years.

Continental Stitch was ‘the’ needlepoint stitch at the time, stitching was done in hand as bars were nowhere to be seen, and decorative or open stitches that allowed the canvas to peek through were rarely used. Along with changes that were technique wide, Andrea also noted some of the many changes that have occurred throughout the journey that were personal to her.

Although Andrea had always loved ‘having a canvas come to life’, as her journey with needle and thread progressed, she realised she wanted more from her canvases and so added to her repertoire of stitches, learned more about the technique of needlepoint, and began adding embellishments to her canvases to ‘make them pop’.

The way in which she completes her projects has also changed. At first, Andrea would see each piece she began through to completion, but once she realised her stitching was mood based, now chooses between different canvases each day depending on how she feels. Decorative and open stitches are now prevalent in her work, and floral or seasonal canvases, once never to be seen, are now part of her ever-growing stash.

Andrea has even reached a point in her journey with needle and thread where she’s recognised that if a project requires a large amount of basketweave, it’s simply not for her. And sometimes, those eighteen mesh canvases are set aside while her eyes are given a break on a thirteen-count canvas!

Like Andrea, each of us have our own personal journeys with needle and thread. Some are linear whilst others zigzag their way from the beginning to where they now find us. No matter the path your journey has followed, they say a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and so it is with each of our journeys with needle and thread, they all began with a single stitch.

Can you recall the first stitch you ever laid?

Every mouth-watering meal starts with the right ingredients, and this week’s Have Your Say is no exception. We’re starting with a conversation about ingredients and ending with a ‘meal’ of canvas stitch!

In response to our Welcome in All Stitched Up! issue #377, both Betsy and Ann continued the conversation we started about how the ‘ingredients’ we use in our time with needle and thread are paramount to the final product.

When Betsy Morgan - yes, ‘the’ Betsy Morgan! - finished reading ASU #377, she was reminded of something she frequently said to her students, ‘My feeling about stitching is the same as my feeling about cooking, and I’ve always loved to cook.

To Betsy, some of those ingredients include silk threads, silk lining fabrics and the best linen that she can find - ‘yummy’!

Ann found herself intrigued by the ingredients we listed for some projects from the second volume in our Design Collective series, ‘Zips, feathers, paper covered wire and even PVC piping?!

Ann also agreed about not taking any shortcuts in her time with needle and thread and reminded us of what Pippin says in Lord of the Rings, ‘Short cuts make long delays’.

As Ann so eloquently went onto to say, ‘If we try to take short cuts, we’ll almost certainly find that what we were trying to do hasn’t worked out as we’d hoped and will need to be redone’. Perhaps a lesson some of us have learned the hard way?!

From ingredients to a recipe for a Canvas Stitch Sampler… Once again, Jane has taken the time to share one of her many recipes for needle and thread.

‘This is a project that frees you to lay out the design as you stitch and take notes about your stitch choices and threads. There is no right or wrong placement, and not only will you practise canvas stitches and have a great piece to look at, but it will also become a reference to help you choose stitches and threads for future projects.’

Canvas Stitch Sampler

Materials

- Choose a variety of threads to see how they work together. (‘I chose cottons and silks in solids, hand-dyed, and variegated threads.’)

- A canvas with the outside perimeter marked.

- Books, magazines, or websites that depict canvas stitches and motif patterns.

Method

1. Pick a variety of different motifs to incorporate in your sampler. (‘I chose trees and birds.’)

2. Stitch the motifs and/or text first, then enclose them in rectangles using different border stitches.

3. Stitch groups of different canvas stitches in the empty areas around your rectangles. (‘I like experimenting with variegated threads in these areas.’)

4. Use compensating stitches to fill your sampler to your outlined perimeter.

5. Note in your journal the names of the stitches and threads you enjoyed using in case you want to refer to them for your next project.

Just like Jane, we too ‘hope this practise sampler encourages you to try more challenging projects and helps you choose stitches and threads for your next project with canvas, needle and thread.’

It barely feels like we’ve started 2023, and yet here we are already introducing the 2024 Inspirations calendar!

For those of you who are keen on planning ahead and organisation, now is the perfect time to pre-order your calendar, whether to tick it off your list, start crossing Christmas gifts off early, or just to make sure you get in before they sell out.

The 12-month wall calendar features projects chosen for their popularity, beauty and stunning embroidery. The large format print of the calendar means each image is enjoyed in remarkably fine detail, in fact it’s the only publication we release where you can get this up close and personal to the designs with the open measurement coming in at 60cm x 30cm wide (24" x 12").

Click below to pre-order your calendar today and just a reminder that when placing a pre-order/backorder, any additional items you purchase on the same order will ship all together as soon as the calendar is released.

Cohana and Tulip are two of the most popular brands sold on our website, known and loved for their craftsmanship and considered product design.

Try as we might these products are often hard to keep in stock, so you’ll be thrilled to know we’ve just received a new order of numerous Cohana and Tulip products.

Tulip Needles and Gift Sets plus Cohana stitching accessories are the perfect addition to your stitching toolbox, or as a gift for a fellow stitcher.

If you missed out last time, now’s your chance to secure these highly coveted accessories. The superior quality alone will make you wonder why you ever settled for less.

Inspirations magazine issue #77 was all about trying something new. The collection of featured projects included uncommon combinations of techniques, new applications of traditional techniques and it was the first time the magazine was released digitally!

This week will be the first of two instalments for the release of individual projects as Digital Patterns from issue #77, and it’s the perfect opportunity for you to try a new project or technique you maybe haven’t considered before.

June Godwin’s Garden Sonnet is a stunning needlecase with intricate Jacobean motifs. Muted shades of pink, purple and green are used to create vibrant fruits, flowers and foliage that feature in this exquisite project.

Gentle Romance by our very own Monique Johnston is a graceful silk coathanger adorned with superb florals. Embellished with embroidered golden scrolls, self-piping and a satin bow, there is an added elegance to an otherwise every-day item.

Jenny Adin-Christie’s Highland Beauty is a gorgeous lavender sachet showcasing Jenny’s masterful whitework. Featuring the Scottish thistle, this sachet is sophisticated in its simplicity.

Stay tuned for the second instalment of Digital Patterns from issue #77 next week.

Copies of Australian Smocking & Embroidery magazines are some of the most coveted items in the libraries of smocking enthusiasts the world over.

If you have gaps in your collection or are new to this timeless and beautiful magazine series, you’ll be pleased to hear that today we’ve released more stock from previously sold-out issues.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that most titles only have 1, 2 or 3 copies available.

Whether you’re looking to buy one for yourself or for a friend, make sure you get in quick, – they won’t be around for long!

Next week we’ll be starting a brand-new newsletter specifically for our retail store The Bobbin Tree, located in Adelaide, Australia.

Each month we’ll keep you updated on all things The Bobbin Tree including classes, what’s new in store and the latest product arrivals.

While the Bobbin Tree newsletter will be most relevant for those visiting the store in person, we’ll still keep our global readers informed about the latest happenings at the store from time to time in All Stitched up! so you don’t miss out!

To join our email list for The Bobbin Tree newsletter, click HERE.

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

After a highly celebrated career in embroidery and decades of designing and teaching some of the most exquisite counted thread needlework you have ever seen, Betsy Morgan had announced her retirement.

Or did she…?

Now, for the purpose of full disclosure, Betsy has still retired. However, just like all of us, retirement is code for making more time available for our needle and thread! So, while Betsy is no longer teaching, she is enjoying stitching for pleasure in between looking after her grandchildren.

Lucky for all of us, this means from time to time we can still enjoy a little Betsy Morgan magic and her latest piece is a true delight.

Elizabethan Butterfly is a needlebook with matching scissor fob worked in counted thread embroidery featuring traditional Elizabethan motifs.

The needlebook is adorned with a splendid butterfly worked on the front and back cover with wings that are formed from the negative space created by a golden lattice. The use of negative space as a design technique is common in blackwork or Assisi embroidery and creates a lovely dynamic effect.

Using the negative space as a blank canvas, Betsy proceeds to fill the butterfly wings by adding a series of smaller Elizabethan motifs that, true to tradition, have been created as a series of overtly simplistic and innocent in nature, illustrations.

The scissor fob features a series of stylised flowers on one side and on the other you will find Betsy’s trademark insignia of the owner’s initials along with the year it was stitched.

In the past the majority of Betsy’s projects have featured variegated threads, but here we’re treated to pops of vibrant colour and quite a modern feel with no variegation in sight.

With Gloriana stranded silks now in short supply, Betsy has made the switch to Au ver à Soie threads and you get the feeling she is making great use of having a new range of colours to work with.

How great is it to have Betsy back? She is truly one of the greats and timeless in all she does… just like needlework itself!

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Elizabethan Butterfly by Betsy Morgan is a needlebook and scissor fob embellished with counted thread embroidery.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Elizabethan Butterfly includes everything* you need to re-create this delightful needlebook and scissor fob: Fabric (unprinted), wool felt, interfacings, interlining, buttons, firm card, sewing thread, embroidery threads and needles.

Good for the Goose by Betsy Morgan from Willing Hands 2 is a sturdy, three-sided box inspired by migrating Canada geese.

Virgin Queen's Stitching Wallet by Betsy Morgan from Willing Hands is a folding wallet etui decorated with abundant floral and fruit designs.

Christmas Spirit by Betsy Morgan from Inspirations issue #104 is a delightful, counted thread etui with festive motifs in the colours of Christmas.

Cardinal Pocket by Betsy Morgan from Willing Hands 2 is a captivating pocket designed to be worn as a handy necklace, keeping stitching essentials close by.

Can one have too many stitching accessories? Spoiler alert - the answer is no! As beautiful as they are practical, they make for a wonderfully rewarding project. We had a look in our What Are You Stitching? cupboard and found some glorious accessories we just had to share.

What a lovely project, Leila. A wonderful way to honour your Granddad and something you can reflect on every time you pick up your beautifully stitched needlebook.

‘That is also my suggestion for how to get back to stitching. Make something with someone specific in mind and you won’t be able to stay away from the project!’

Wow, Jane! These are some truly dazzling scissor cases and fobs, what lucky friends you have. Also, a wonderful tip to help all of us get those needles out and working, thank you!

Your Fragile Beauty has been constructed and stitched impeccably, Sue. With time dedicated to embroidery every day we look forward to seeing what you stitch next!

Do you keep your needles in a needlebook? Have you stitched your own accessories? When do you start your Christmas stitching?

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

Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!

Elysium by Ana Mallah is a beautiful whitework design stitched onto a tote bag and cushion.

Fieldflowers in a Bowl by Margaret Light features bold sunflowers, bright poppies and a sky-blue cornflower displayed in a ceramic bowl.

~ Chanda Kochhar ~

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