Have Your Say

In the Southern Hemisphere, spring has finally sprung – well, aside from the odd day here and there that either feels like the middle of summer or the midst of winter – for the most part the days are warmer, longer and somehow more inviting. So much so, they’ve inspired us to do some Spring Cleaning and over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing the conversations we’ve come across under the ‘dust and clutter’ of our Have Your Say files.

‘I was browsing through your newsletter and started thinking about the how & why I started stitching… in 1994 my house was flooded, and I had to move. I was unable to salvage much and was looking for something to distract me. I spotted a magazine with a free kit attached to its cover for counted cross stitch and that’s what started my passion for needle and thread! I found that concentrating meant that I could put the stresses of being away from home, managing builders and repairs and relax even if just a little bit. This developed into an absorbing hobby and a desire to learn more about stitching. I have gone on to complete various techniques based on the Royal School of Needlework courses and achieved the Foundation Degree in Hand Embroidery with the RSN. I am so glad to have had this opportunity and the pleasures that I and others get from my stitching. It is indeed an absorbing hobby and skill and has ensured that I can put problems into context and deal with them in a more positive way.’

Angela, your passion for needle and thread that stemmed from a difficult time proves that there really is a silver lining in every cloud!

‘Needle and thread bring beauty and a connection to others into my life. It always has and always will. It all began for me at my birth through my great-grandmother’s crochet, my grandmother’s very old treadle Singer sewing machine and my mother with her love of needle and thread in so many ways. Thank you to family and others for adding meaning in my life by a simple needle, many shades of thread and countless beautiful ideas!’

Jo, we love that you have such a rich heritage of needle and thread and that it’s touched your life in so many tangible ways.

‘My stitching story… when I was little, my mother had a small pile of floss. She didn’t embroider much, and I have no idea if it was DMC or Anchor, but I coveted that small pile of floss and one day, I opened the drawer where she kept it and stole it all! It ended up under my bed, my very own secret stash, which I’d take out and stroke every couple of days. I had no idea what I’d ever make with it, but I knew I had to possess it. My mother wasn’t an indulgent person, but she allowed me to keep it and never chastised me for taking it.’ 

Kathleen, it’s amazing to think that your journey with needle and thread all began with coveting floss! We think your mother must have been able to see all the possibilities with needle and thread that lay before you which is why she chose not to chastise you.

It’s back to Spring Cleaning for us, so stay tuned next week as we’re bound to uncover more fascinating conversations in the process! Oh, and we hope you enjoyed our collection of Spring photos courtesy of Inspirations photographer Mike Annese who captured them on location at a recent magazine shoot.