The first thing we need to tell you about this week’s issue of All Stitched Up! is that it’s jam packed. We’ve got so much to get through it might be a good idea to pop the kettle on and bust out some lovely biscuits or maybe even a scone or two.

Or, if you’re reading this at night, why not pour yourself a glass of nice wine to enjoy with a cheese platter.

Whichever your preference, you’re probably going to want some sustenance, so head over the kitchen, get what you need and we’ll wait for you…

Ready? Ok, now here’s what’s instore…

We have two feature projects to review, one by Lorna Bateman from Inspirations magazine #121 and another by Nicola Jarvis from her book Life in Seasons | Winter & Spring. The astute among you will have realised by now that both Nicola and Lorna are highly talented and respected artisans from the UK, so you can expect some spectacular designs that are very English in nature.

We’re also solving a hard-to-source problem for you before it even happens, explaining why one of the French thread manufacturers is so famous, keeping you up to date on all things social media and getting you ready for March. Too soon?

Issue #415 is away…

Can you ever have too many flowers in your life? Whether it’s the joy of cut flowers to brighten up your home, aromatic blooms to enhance the fragrance of your garden, or floral motifs on your clothing to elevate one’s wardrobe, flowers are a beautiful artform in and of themselves.

When it comes to the art of re-creating flowers using needle and thread, there are few as talented or prolific in their work as English designer Lorna Bateman.

You can get a feel for her gorgeous floral aesthetic just by browsing the range of her projects we have published HERE.

Lorna explains a little of the back story behind this piece:

‘Surrounded by the wildflowers that grow in the fields all around where I live, I was inspired to re-create some of these in miniature form onto a pincushion, sitting atop an oak base.

A variety of thread types adds a textured dimension to the piece and the colours I’ve used reflect the specific wildflowers that grow in my area.’

Fleurs Sauvages is a French phrase that translates to Wild Flowers.

In this piece Lorna has created a joyful circlet of wildflowers that includes viola, forget-me-not, thistle, primrose, chives, wild rose, cow parsley, daisy, campanula, clover, poppy, gypsophila and even a fern.

Upon closer inspection you will also find a little colony of bees buzzing in and around the flowers, thoroughly enjoying this wonderfully diverse bouquet.

All this, plus a gorgeous palette of materials and stitches at play, from silk and cotton threads, to ribbons and more. And yes, for existing fans of Lorna’s work, as you would expect there are plenty of bullion and French knots to enjoy.

When completed, this handy pincushion measures 11cm (4 ¼") in diameter and is sure to bring a smile to the face of all those who stitch it and anyone who uses it.

PS – The beautiful wooden pincushion base that Lorna has used is included in our Fleurs Sauvage Ready-to-Stitch kit below, and is also available to purchase separately HERE.

We have all the materials you need to re-create this project yourself, from easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to a Ready-to-Stitch kit with everything sourced for you, including the wooden base.

In a Country Garden by Lorna Bateman from the Handpicked Collection is a charming trio of scissor sheath, needle minder and scissor stand sprinkled with dainty flowers.

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

It’s no secret that within the pages of Inspirations magazine you will find projects from some of the most talented and creative needlework artisans the world over.

Along with that privilege comes the challenge of trying to source some of the amazing materials they use, particularly when it comes to how the finished piece is displayed.

In anticipation of this very problem, when releasing Lorna Bateman’s new project 'Fleurs Sauvage' from Inspirations issue #121, we have sourced the same base she used and added it to our website.

This stunning hand-turned, oak pincushion base with three wooden feet includes the cushion area already built for you, all you need to do is cover it with either the 'Fleurs Sauvage' embroidery or any design of your choosing.

This base is suitable for any project with a finished stitching area measuring 10cm (4") in diameter.

If you’re looking for other projects that also use a pincushion base, below are a few suggestions from the Inspirations magazine library. Just remember, not all of them will have a finished size that matches the base we’re selling above, so you may need to scale the design up or down to suit.

There is a reason why Au Ver à Soie threads are so famous. It’s not because they’ve been around since 1820. Nor it is because they are still owned and operated by the same family, now into their fifth generation. And technically it’s not even because the quality is so good.

Au Ver à Soie threads are famous because of their reputation.

Their fame is brought about by the thousands of stitchers who use their products every day, absolutely loving them and in turn telling everyone else how good they are.

If not, we have a range of different thread packs to choose from, including a discovery pack specifically created so you can experiment with five of their most popular thread types.

For those familiar with this gorgeous product, now is a great time to click the link below to see if any of your stash needs topping up!

Project: Crowning Glory
Publication: Inspirations magazine issue #116
Designer: Helen M. Stevens

By the time next week’s issue of All Stitched Up! comes out, it will be the 1st of March. That means for all of us who have the 2024 Inspirations wall calendar, it’s that exciting time when we get to reveal a new project.

For March it’s all about Crowning Glory by Helen M. Stevens.

You can read all about this beautiful piece in the feature project article HERE and we even have a few Ready-to-Stitch kits available for purchase below as well.

Every month, we highlight some amazing work created with needle and thread that we’ve come across on social media! Here are the February highlights:

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.

In ASU #411, Jane shared her story about travelling to Canada with her folding scissors in her hand luggage. Cathy was amused by this and wanted to share that when she travels, she takes her inexpensive scissors in a little cross stitch case.

‘Never once in my travels, domestically or to the US, UK and Europe have I had my scissors questioned or confiscated. But in November, before boarding the plane from Melbourne to Auckland, the border security agent confiscated my folding scissors. I had to act quickly because he was going to throw out my scissor case as well. I insisted that he allow me to undo the case from the ribbon. He was hesitant at first but then he realised I wasn't trying to take the scissors back.

As it turns out, he did me a favour as those scissors weren’t cutting well anymore, I didn't have the heart to part with them though. Since the decision to throw them out was taken out of my hands, I was happy to start using a reserve pair that are sharp and cut like a dream!’

Helen was compelled to write in after seeing the article about the RSN International Summer School 2024. Particularly, she was interested to see that Helen McCook is to teach a re-creation of the iconic 1953 Coronation Sampler.

She wanted to share the extremely well-worn version her late mother made at the time. ‘I was fortunate enough a few years ago to track down an unused transfer. Unfortunately, I do not have the instructions to go with it, but I have every intention of trying to re-create it. I see that the original colours were much more vivid - I am sure the embroidery has faded substantially.’

We were sent a link by Robin, who thought we might find an 18th Century needlework kit interesting. Robin was right, we did! The kit is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and online HERE.

‘I love the idea of the difficult parts - the hands and faces - being worked professionally and then sold to the user who could have fun completing the less challenging portions!’

Jackie, a self-confessed compulsive needlewoman, wanted to draw everyone’s attention to World Embroidery Day on 30th July, 2024. She reminds us that July may seem a long way off, but when it comes to needlework, as we know, time can fly by and events need time to be planned as well as executed.

‘I hope our readers can give time and thought to this, perhaps in memory of a member of their own congregation/family. Let it be a day of celebration!’

And a recipe from Jane…

Easy Beaded Image Recipe

‘Have you admired beaded images but thought they must be very challenging? They can be easy to construct and hard to stop making using this recipe.’ Materials - Beads - Beading thread - Fabric backed with a medium weight iron on interfacing - Marking pen - Hoop - Stencil or coloured picture of the image you are beading - Light box or bright window to trace - Watercolour paints Method 1. Trace your image on the right side of your fabric (you will be covering all the drawn lines). Outline different coloured areas after the main outline is traced. 2. Bead the smaller coloured areas first. Larger coloured areas second. Often for larger areas you can thread six or more beads on at a time and couch the beads around the area. 3. If the piece won’t be laundered, you can use water colours to paint the fabric as this will not colour the beads.

Anyone who has been reading this newsletter over the past few weeks will be familiar with our latest book release, Life in Seasons | Winter & Spring by Nicola Jarvis.

You will also be aware that one of the reasons this book is so impactful is due to the layers of art and storytelling that have been intertwined in and around the spectacular embroidery.

In fact, you don’t even need to take our word for it… in case you missed Mary Corbet’s review of Life in Seasons, you can check it out HERE and Gary and Beth from the famous podcast Fiber Talk interviewed Nicola to discuss her journey creating Life in Seasons, which you can listen to HERE.

The first is the majestic project The Allotment Basket and the second is Nicola’s poetry.

We’re not even going to tell you too much about The Allotment Basket, other than it centres around an abundant, home-grown harvest of flowers and berries filling a basket that is visited by a trio of stumpwork moths worked with metal threads, beads, and textured stitches.

It truly is one of the most stunning pieces featured in the book.

As for the poetry, well you may not have realised that throughout the book Nicola has written her own bespoke poems to help heighten the sentiment and emotion behind each piece. Nicola crafts superb imagery using words to complement her embroidery.

The Allotment Basket is quickly becoming one of the most popular projects from Life in Seasons, so it’s definitely worth considering when adding designs to your To Stitch List.

We’ll leave you now with the poem that Nicola wrote specifically to accompany The Allotment Basket:

Against the warm evening sky
Sweet pea tendrils tangle around the canes
And berries hang heavy on their stems.
I breathe in the scent of meadow grass,
Laced with the fragile perfume of briar rose
And old-fashioned fragrance of frilly pea flowers.
Around these heady blooms tiny wings flutter in the dimming light,
Subtle patterns of powdery moths sipping the nectar.
Velvet brocade marbled with umber and ivory.
A miniature Persian carpet woven with carmine and charcoal threads.
Pale iridescent wings shimmer
Against deep purple and scarlet sweet William flowers,
Here,
Then gone.

We have all the materials you need to re-create this project yourself, from easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions to a Ready-to-Stitch kit with everything sourced for you.

Fieldflowers in a Bowl by Margaret Light from the book A Fine Tradition 2 features vibrant sunflowers, poppy and cornflowers, enhanced with raised embroidery techniques, displayed in a ceramic bowl.

Wood Anemones by Di van Niekerk from the book A Passion for Needlework 4 | The Whitehouse Daylesford is a stunning arrangement of flowers and leaves in dynamic ribbon embroidery to enhance a printed panel.

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For all the Jenny McWhinney fans out there, we bring good news - we’ve just taken delivery of more kits! Jenny’s adorable characters and cute-as-pie designs are highly sought after and her kits are in short supply.

Constable Country by Helen M. Stevens is beautiful landscape embroidery of a view across country fields.

For a list of upcoming needlework events, click HERE.