Sarah Kerkin

‘I’m currently very happily adrift in a clockwork universe. I’ve been playing with silks, velvets, goldwork, wires, beads, watch cogs and springs to make steampunk airship brooches.’

‘I’ve had the chance to use all the stumpwork techniques I learned in a recent deep dive course, and have been practising applying metal plate, passing, and purl. I love the idea of repurposing things that aren’t wanted any more. The small scale makes construction challenging at times, but the final result is definitely worth it.’

Sarah, your designs are intricate and eye-catching. Your work clearly shows how much you love the creative process, and it’s wonderful to see your unique pieces. We also love the sentiment of repurposing someone else’s ‘trash’ and making it into your very own treasure; keep up the excellent work.

Paula Wilson

‘Below is a picture of my completed Flowers for Elizabeth Blanket. I purchased Susan O'Connor's book a few years ago and thought I would purchase the materials to make this up.

Time and other projects got in the way, and then in one of the Inspirations All Stitched Up! emails, there was a kit available for purchase, and I simply had to purchase it.’

‘I started working on it sometime last spring and finished it in about September. At first, I thought it was completed much like a quilt with each design being a separate block that was sewn together when they were all completed, however the project is actually done without cutting into the white background fabric, which was a little challenging at first because of the weight.

Transferring the designs to the fabric took some trial and error; luckily, I had some scrap wool in my stash and was able to try several different methods until I found the one that worked best for me, which was powder and pounce.’

I had some questions about a couple of the stitches, and after emailing Susan O'Connor with my queries, she was kind enough to answer me directly. Thank you, Susan, for being so kind and responsive. Right now it hangs on my sewing room wall, as you can see. But I think that one day when I'm very, very old and probably confined to a wheelchair, I'll have the best and prettiest lap blanket of anyone.’

What a wonderful anecdote demonstrating the value of trial and error, Paula. Though it may have taken you some time to find a method that best suited you, your final piece is simply gorgeous. It is clear how much time, hard work and determination to master the stitches (with a little help from Susan herself!) has gone into your work. We have no doubt that one day it will be the ‘prettiest lap blanket of anyone’.

Judi Burr

‘I live in Texas and have been sewing since I was around 9 or 10 years old. My Grandmother's neighbour was teaching her daughter to sew and invited me to join. I made a skirt that summer and that started my sewing journey.

I am now 76 years young and like most of us that learned to sew way back when, mostly made clothes. I am a self-taught crocheter and hand embroiderer, and while I don't crochet very often anymore, I enjoy embellishing with embroidery, hand embroidery and/or machine embroidery.’

‘The Halloween quilt that I am working on has flannel background fabric with wools and cotton fabrics. I did a small wool project and turned it into a pillow and was hooked with wool.

From that pillow project I decided to do the Halloween quilt pattern from P3 Designs, Baltimore Halloween. I call this my retreat quilt as I mostly work on it when at retreats. However, it is rapidly becoming my ‘forever quilt’ as I have worked on it for years!’

‘I am enjoying the journey with this quilt but I also enjoy appliqué in most forms, turned under, raw edge, and collage. I do make quilts that don't have appliqué on them but I enjoy the handwork with appliqué, hand quilting, and hand stitching.’

What a fun project so full of character! Judi, it sounds like you have spent lots of time learning and trying different kinds of sewing and embroidery, and we can see all that experience is coming in handy with your ‘forever quilt’. It is clear through your work how much joy you experience crafting each and every square, and we would love to see the finished project when eventually you complete it.

Does your embroidery incorporate or feature repurposed materials? Have you recently finished a piece after some trial and error? Or do you have a project that’s years in the making?

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