Grace Lister

‘On the subject of stitched apples, I thought your readers might like to see my Goldwork Apples stitched by me a few years ago.

At the age of 92 I am still embroidering and designing.

I don't think I could do this project now as the shine on the work would probably be too much for my ancient eyesight.

I have done embroidery since the age of 12 and have had at least 70 of those years involved in working, teaching and demonstrating embroidery so you could say it has been a major part of my life.’

Grace, any of us would be fortunate to enjoy the art of embroidery for as long - and as fully - as you have. What an incredible history of stitching you bring with you. Your experience is evident in the quality of your work, and your persistence and adaptability as your eyesight has changed is a wonderful reminder that where there’s a will, there’s a way. We’re so thrilled you are part of our community, and grateful you chose to share a piece of your stitching legacy with us.

Moira Freimond

‘I have finally finished the Permin cross stitch kit that I started about forty years ago when I lived in South Africa. I finished all the green leaves but left the flowers until last. Then life got in the way and I put it away for another day.’

‘Now living in Australia and aged 71, last year was finally time to finish my ‘work in progress’. Although I have tried many crafts over the years I still enjoy cross stitch the most. I love Inspirations magazine and your weekly newsletter with everyone's beautiful projects.’

Thank you for your kind words, Moira; we’re so pleased you’ll now be joining our list of readers who have contributed beautiful projects for our community to enjoy. This is a stunning and wonderfully vibrant project, we love it. This forty-year, multi-continent work in progress has certainly been worth the effort! Keep up the terrific work.

Mendie Cannon

‘Here is a finished project. Took two years off and on. It’s from 1993 and is called My Stamp Collection by Millefiori. It’s wildflowers across the USA as they were depicted on actual stamps. Fun to stitch and I learned a lot.’

What a fun project, Mendie! Flowers are an incredibly popular subject for embroidery, and this is probably the winner for the most species of flowers in one project. Your variety of techniques is creative and impressive, and this gorgeous, finished piece was certainly worth the consistent effort.

Have you been embroidering for the majority of your life? Have you recently finished a project that’s been in progress across decades or even continents? Or have you been working on a design featuring flowers?

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