Have Your Say

This week we’re catching up on some of the conversations that have been inspired by recent issues of the newsletter…

‘In response to the introduction of All Stitched Up! issue #208 titled ‘Unstoppable’ you might be interested to hear that the tutor at my Monday morning craft class does not believe in us saying we cannot do something. As she will not take that as an answer, before we know it, we can do exactly that which we thought we could not!’

‘I have been after a copy of Inspirations issue #85 forever and I couldn’t believe it when I opened my newsletter recently and found you had a back issue hidden away. As there was only one available when I went to purchase it, you wouldn’t believe the panic I was in getting my order through in case it disappeared before my eyes! 

My association with Inspirations started in the 1980s when I supervised a store in Mt Gambier, South Australia. I always broke the long drive down from Adelaide with a short stop at the very original Inspirations shop (known as Country Bumpkin back then), run by Margie Bauer, in Keith. I still treasure her first plain paper publication, Australian Smocking as well as a Country Bumpkin Catalogue from about the same time. I was thrilled when the establishment moved closer to home and set up in North Adelaide all those years ago. 

I started buying Inspirations magazine from issue #01, then after a few years my wonderful mother-in-law bought me an annual subscription for my birthday every year.

Despite her protestations, her home was clean and mostly tidy but more importantly it was comfortable, inviting and full of the most beautiful handmade things. Sadly, she passed away in 2008 but her inspiration lives on and I have many examples of her beautiful hand work. I had let my subscription lapse when Dorothy died, buying magazines as they came out to support my local newsagent, but somehow I missed issue #85. It is such a joy to have found it at last!’

‘Thank you for your wonderful magazine and the opportunity to purchase digital patterns from you. I have been hand sewing since I was three years old and am now nearing my 68th birthday and still love to sit with needle and thread in hand. It has been many years since I have done any hand sewing as I have mostly been doing machine sewing and embroidery for my family. 

I have recently stitched Christmas stockings which I further embellished with beads, trims, laces, faux fur and embroidery. 

Thank you!’

‘I am an ardent reader of your weekly newsletter and as a novice embroiderer am hoping you could help me with a query. I recently found the image below on Pinterest but can only find reference to it in a foreign language and haven’t been able to find a pattern or any instructions.’

‘I’m hoping you may be able to offer a suggestion where I can acquire what I’d need to recreate this Hardanger piece. Any assistance you can offer would be greatly appreciated.’

‘My 13-year-old grandson had just spent the day making an apron for his own use when he said he had an interest in doing embroidery. I had the hoop, the thread and the fabric to put together a kit for his use. He started immediately and was well on his way when we parted after the weekend. I just wanted you to know that stitchery is alive with the new generation and I couldn’t be happier!’

Beryl, Faye, Linda, Margaret and Sonja, we love that you joined in on the conversation. If you have something to say or can point Margaret in the direction for the pattern she’s hoping to find, we’d love to hear from you! Email news@inspirationsstudios.com