Obligations are often seen as something that we are required to do and can sometimes leave us feeling constrained as we believe our freedoms are limited by them.

For some, their obligation might be seen in a never-ending laundry pile or a table waiting to be plated up with yet another meal. Whilst for others, it might be a task at work they can never seem to quite get on top of or a relative who requires more care than they feel they’re able to provide. Whatever it may be, there’s no doubt we’d all be able to list the numerous obligations in our lives.

The truth is that obligations can also be felt in our time with needle and thread. Perhaps they’re seen in overlocking the edge of ground fabric, transferring a pattern, binding the edge of a quilt, or backing a blanket. Whatever it is for you, we’re sure there’s something your time with needle and thread ‘requires’ you to do that you feel takes up valuable stitching time!

A recent email from James Clear helped us reframe how we saw obligations and we think the idea he shared might just help point us in the right direction the next time we’re faced with a stitching ‘requirement’.

James acknowledged that whilst we often see our obligations as things that need to be completed, they’re not moments that should be dismissed. His simple suggestion was that if we’re able to devote the appropriate amount of attention to each of our obligations and ensure they’re ‘done with care rather than rushed to completion’ as we ‘bulldoze through them on the way to the next task’, we might just find some fulfillment in completing them.

Whilst we’re not suggesting it will be an instant fix, James got us thinking that maybe, just maybe, there is some fulfilment to be found in the ‘requirements’ of our time with needle and thread. So, we’re off to find the beauty and joy in our next stitching obligation as, after all, they’re still part of our passion for all things needle and thread. A passion, we’re sure you’ll agree, doesn’t deserve to be rushed to completion.

When you come from ‘a land down under’ there are certain times of the year that help you understand why Australia is given that name.

Take for example Christmas. A celebration synonymous with winter and dashing through the snow, thanks to the fact that over 85% of the world’s population live in the northern hemisphere. If someone, therefore, starts telling you about spending Christmas day having a BBQ at the beach, it all sounds very different and a little upside down compared to what most people are accustomed to.

Australian needlework designer and teacher, Ana Mallah knows a thing or two about living in a land down under. Ana lives in Melbourne, a city awarded as one of the most liveable in the world and a fabulous melting pot of different cultures, styles and ambitions with a topography and a climate that offers a little something for everyone.

It is also a city that, as Ana says, is ‘known for four seasons in one day, so we are equally as likely to have Christmas by the beach or by a fireplace. One can never quite tell what we’ll get!’

This delicate floral wreath from our latest book, The Design Collective | Christmas, combines two floras: a hydrangea representing summer and a fruiting snow berry as a nod to the winter Christmas experience.

As Ana mentioned, in Melbourne you’re just as likely to have either hemisphere represented on Christmas Day, so her project A Summer Christmas successfully caters for both possibilities!

Gorgeous stumpwork petals finished in beautifully soft hues sit atop a surface embroidered wreath, complete with a dimensional stem and wrapped beads for the berries.

Whether you are looking for a nod to Christmas that represents both halves of the world in one design, or a simply stunning piece that can be on display all year round, A Summer Christmas is all that and more.

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

A Summer Christmas by Ana Mallah is a wreath with softly shaded hydrangeas and berries.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for A Summer Christmas includes everything* you need to re-create this delicate garland: Fabrics (unprinted), wires, wool felt balls, embroidery threads, beads and needle.

Angel's Breath by Taetia McEwen from Inspirations issue #111 features pretty ribbon and velvet flowers, combined to decorate a lampshade and wreath.

Les Jardins by Lorna Bateman from Inspirations issue #78 is a glorious floral wreath in silk ribbon.

Last week we announced the beginning of our celebrations commemorating Inspirations Magazine turning 30.

We referenced the fact that, everything we do here at Inspirations is in celebration of the beauty and wonder of, not just the art of stitching, but the outworking and daily impartation of needlework through and in our lives.

And that too is worth celebrating, along with the fact your favourite embroidery magazine is turning 30.

For our birthday celebration this week, we’re making it easy for you to catch up on any issues of Inspirations magazine that may be missing from your collection. In fact, we’re giving you 15% off ALL printed magazines and even all our printed patterns.

Here’s the fine print for this week – 30BDAYWEEK2 coupon is applicable for all printed copies of Inspirations and AS&E magazines plus printed patterns, excluding Inspirations issue #120. Any orders placed without using the coupon code at time of purchase may not be eligible for a retrospective discount. Coupon expires 12am 5th October.

If you need help using the coupon, check out our FAQ page HERE or email us HERE.

Happy birthday Inspirations Magazine and happy discounted printed magazine and pattern shopping!

We’ve added yet another delightful Corinne Lapierre kit to our repertoire, and this one may be our favourite yet!

Inside the box you’ll find all the materials to bring to life your very own mouse parents along with their two children.

All the characters are created using quality wool mix felt and this endearing mouse family kit is perfect for those new to stitching, or anyone looking for a creative gift.

What adventures will your new mouse family get up to in your home?

The Nurge Hoop Stem is here to help revolutionise how you use seat paddles and floor stands.

If your current system only allows you to use the hoop it came with, you can now have the flexibility to affix any embroidery hoop you like!

The way it works is, you remove the existing fixed hoop from your stand and in its place insert the Nurge Hoop Stem.

The stem has an adjustable clamp on the end that gives you the flexibility of easily attaching hoops in a range of different diameters and depths.

The other benefit is you can also easily switch between projects as you interchange as many hoops as you like, which is great for those of us who have various designs hooped up at any one time.

If you’re looking for a more versatile stitching experience, the Nurge Hoop Stem is perfect for you! Now available on our website, along with a wide range of high-quality Nurge Hoops.

Sashiko is a traditional Japanese embroidery technique where intricate and ornate patterns are created using running stitch. Recently enjoying a surge in popularity, the tradition of stitching white thread onto navy blue fabric creates a striking effect.

Sashiko Stencils #2 is a collection of nine 3” x 5” stencils, allowing stitchers to transfer the designs onto their own fabric.

Made of durable plastic for easy reuse, Sashiko Stencils #2 also includes an instruction booklet so all you need is needle, thread and fabric and you’ll be creating your very own Sashiko patterns in no time.

We also have some Sashiko kits still available, that our very own kit team have put together, with each one showcasing a different Hitomi Fujita design.

Each kit includes a pre-printed panel on 100% cotton fabric, white Sashiko thread and eight Sashiko needles, ready for you to stitch to your heart’s content!

Click on the links below and get everything you need to start your very own Sashiko project.

It’ll soon be time to turn our Inspirations Calendars to October, where Christine Burton’s exquisite Squarely Check from issue #113 is waiting for us.

This elegant blackwork pincushion is a beautiful, eye-catching design, created with gorgeous flower and star motifs.

Worked onto linen with black thread and embellished with a black tassel on each corner, a simple yet striking aesthetic is achieved.

Inspired by a 17th century German sampler, this delightful pincushion is an ideal introduction to blackwork.

To create your very own Squarely Check, the kit, digital pattern, and issue #113 are all available on our website using the links below.

Each month we highlight a few social media accounts that have caught our attention and we’re pleased to announce that September sure didn’t disappoint! Take a look at our new finds for this month below, and if you come across anyone noteworthy, send us an email - we would love to see them.

@zimeksa: Imagine a pot of shimmering beads displayed at the end of a rainbow. Now take a look at the stitched pieces by Ksenia Zimenko. Were you picturing something like this?

@yardgrl60: Susan Ache loves to stitch and is slowly filling her home with all things needle and thread.

@komadori015: Stitching patterns is this artist’s forte. Sure to brighten your feed with a new design posted each week!

@theurbanacres: Bright and fun punch needled slippers by Sallie Dale. Don’t they look so comfy?!

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

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

There is a reason why some of today’s needlework artisans are as popular as they are.

When we approached Trish Burr to create a project to feature in our new book The Design Collective | Christmas, not only did Trish create a gorgeous Christmas decoration that we would all like hanging on our tree please, Trish also layered into her design process a series of really clever considerations.

Finished with oriental red Mill Hill glass seed beads that appear to dance around the perimeter, it also has a red and white striped ribbon that forms a pretty bow at the base of a hanging loop.

Taking this piece on face value, it’s a wonderful, clean design worked in Trish’s trademark technique that she describes as whitework with colour. It is texturally rich thanks to the use of padded satin stitch to raise up the hero elements, along with a clever selection of surface embroidered finishes to bring interest and variation to each motif.

Beginning with beautiful folk imagery as her base, Trish created a design synonymous with the Scandinavian aesthetic that, thanks to its simplicity, uses less materials to re-create and ticks one of Trish’s design considerations - keeping the cost down.

From there you gain the added benefit of it being a relatively small project to stitch and, as you can quite easily work up several of them, the Folk Art Bird Ornament is a wonderful option to create as Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

Then, for the icing on the cake, Trish restricts her colour palette to a handful of hues – yellow, red, orange, grey and white. How does this help? If you, like Trish, get bored stitching the same project over and over, or you would like to create customised Folk Art Birds for each recipient, you can easily swap colours.

Image if you replaced the yellow, red and orange threads with gradients of blue, or perhaps green, maybe purple or how about pink? Imagine a complete set of Folk Art Bird Ornaments adorning your own tree in a series of different colours. The options are endless…

Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Folk Art Bird Ornament by Trish Burr is a colourful bird with flowers and snowflakes inspired by Scandinavian folk art.

Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Folk Art Bird Ornament includes everything* you need to re-create this hanging ornament: Fabrics (inc. with pre-printed design), wool felt, card, ribbon, white sewing thread, embroidery threads, beads and needle.

Peace Dove by Cynthia Jackson from Inspirations issue #108 is a sparkling ornament worked using silk, silver metal threads and crystals.

True Love by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #68 celebrates the first day of Christmas with this stunning ornament, stitched with lustrous stranded silk threads onto silk satin.

Needle and thread bring joy to so many households across the world. While we may not know where each of us live, there’s every chance quite a few people in your neighbourhood are stitchers themselves. This week, we share the work of stitchers who could just be one of your neighbours!

So many beautiful insects, Lynda, we love them! We definitely think you have captured the fluffiness of the bumblebee with stitch and the colours you’ve used for the shading in your butterflies is spectacular.

My husband spray painted the hoops silver for me and I worked in regular DMC cotton floss. Thanks for always creating a warm and supportive environment!’

Out of this world, Teresa! Challenging yourself and then stitching an amazing outcome would have been so rewarding, you should be so proud. We love how you have created the layering effect across different hoops stacked together, we hope to see more creative projects from you using the same technique, it’s fabulous!

Rayne, your pieces are beautiful, the detail and colours that you have used make them fabulously unique. Also, we love that you have overcome your distance barrier and found a community online to share your passion for needle and thread. We’re so glad you can join us each week and thank you for contributing to All Stitched Up!

Have you stitched any critters recently? Have you tried layering a design with stacked hoops? Do you have another method for creating layers in your work?

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!

Ladies and gentlemen, we present to you The Design Collective 2 | Christmas.

The Nutcracker by Natalie Dupuis is a small panel featuring the beloved Christmas decoration.

Sprig of Holly by Susan O’Connor is an elegant brooch with holly berries and leaves worked with silk threads.

~ James Clear ~

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