Deborah Jesseman

‘I have been sewing, quilting and embroidering since I was young and still have the first sampler I made for my mother when I was 10. It wasn't until I retired 7 years ago that I really focused on surface embroidery and design.’

‘I just completed embroidery on a white denim jacket. I spent quite a bit of time 'practising' the flowers from Lorna Bateman's ‘Embroidered Country Gardens’ to determine what flowers and colors would work best together. I also used the hedgehog from Trish Burr's ‘The Kew Book of Nature Samplers’.’

‘To take a bit of a break from the flower garden, I decided to design and create some Manatees - since I live near the Manatee Care Center in Tampa and love these animals.

They are listed as 'threatened' under the Endangered Species Act. I started with basic outlines on two designs, then filled the next one with long/short stitches.

Finally, I painted the background with watercolors, embroidered the manatee, then added silk ribbon to the sea grass.

That was the first time I used silk ribbon and felt it definitely added to the picture.’

Your very first sampler is such a treasured piece of your childhood, Deborah, and a beautiful harbinger for the wonderful stitching you would go on to complete. The way you’ve taken elements from both books and created your own unique design is fantastic, and wearing your jacket is such a fun way to incorporate embroidery into your everyday life. Your manatees are adorable and a terrific combination of stitching and painting. Your love for both what you’re stitching, and your artistic process shines through in your embroidery; keep up the excellent work.

Birgit Waldeck

‘Here are some of my embroideries. Since retiring, I have a lot of time for embroidery and I am enjoying it very much. There are so many beautiful projects to make, especially in Inspirations magazine. These photos show some of my completed projects.’

‘These are the three pincushions from the ‘Put a Pin in It Gift pack’ I purchased which featured Anna Scott’s Fragments, Victoria Lane’s Sweet Strawberry and Betsy Morgan’s Bargello & Blackwork. In the pincushion by Betsy Morgan I substituted most green colors with red.’

‘This is the Schwalm cushion From the Heart by Luzine Happel from Inspirations issue #117. To this one, I added two hems with darning hemstitch, which I like.’

‘And this is Laurence Lieblich’s Floral Symphony cushion from Inspirations issue #115, where I substituted the green piping for a piping with an orange pattern.’

Birgit, we love seeing our wonderful community recreating the incredible designs featured in our magazine, and these are no exception. Your stitching is terrific, and the small changes and personal touches you’ve added make these designs unique and personalised. Thank you for sharing these with us; we hope to continue to provide you with inspiration for many years to come.

Rae Walker

‘Below are two photos of my Blue Bead Box. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with my completed embroidery until a friend suggested it would go well in the lid of a box.’

‘A new challenge for my husband Clive, he made the box at The Men’s Shed. It is made from Red Gum.’

What a terrific collaborative project, Rae! Your re-creation of Tatiana Popova’s The Blue Bead from Inspirations magazine #119 is fabulous and your stitching is excellent. Your friend’s suggestion was spot on, and your husband’s handiwork leaves nothing to be desired. You should both be very pleased with the outcome; thank you for sharing this with us.

Have you combined elements of other designs to create something uniquely yours? Do you enjoy adding your own personal touches to projects you make? Or have you collaborated on a project?

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