Nik Ravenscroft

‘I thought I would share the completed Norwich Friends’ Tapestry for the ‘Palace Reborn' project at Norwich Castle Museum. It is called the Friends’ Tapestry because it was funded by a very generous gift from the Friends of Norwich Museums.

The museum has taken the iconic medieval keep back to what it would have looked like in the 12th century. This entailed ironwork-embellished doors, hand-made furniture and intricate wall painting, as well as textiles to fully furnish the rooms - hangings, curtains, banners, costumes, table- and altar-cloths, etc.’

‘One team that I had the privilege of leading/co-ordinating had the task of producing a wall hanging similar to the Bayeux Tapestry, telling the story of what happened in East Anglia (where the castle is situated) after the invasion of the Normans.

It took almost 8 years to embroider and involved about 40 volunteers, as well as being taken about the county to various events where members of the public could put in a stitch.

We used English crewel wool from Appletons and linen from Chantal James in Bayeux.’

‘The 19.67m hanging was worked in 14 panels which were joined together as they were completed. We very much took the Bayeux Tapestry as our model as did the artist, Fiona Cowan, and used only Bayeux stitch and stem/outline stitch (though one or two French knots were snuck in, I believe... I still haven’t found them!).’

‘It went up finally in time for the opening of the Keep on Thursday 7th August and has already been much admired. Over 25,000 hours of volunteer time has been recorded as being spent on it though we weren’t counting for the first 18 months, and I must admit, if we’d known at the start that it would be such a commitment, we might not have taken it on!’

‘Everyone involved has felt very proud to have taken part, and it is wonderful to see it finally up on the walls of the King’s Chamber - and great fun listening to visitors trying to see where precisely they put their stitch.’

What an epic project, Nik, both to coordinate and to be a part of. The historical elements of this piece are fascinating, and the amount of work that went into the tapestry by yourself, all the volunteers, and everyone who had the opportunity to have a stitch of their own included, can only be described as extraordinary! The finished piece is incredibly impressive and a wonderful pay-off for all the hard work. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share this tremendous project and a huge congratulations to all involved.

Lorraine Weers

‘I recently made the enchanting Snowdrop by Jenny Adin-Christie. It was a lengthy project, especially since I made two, one as a gift. I added a spathe. Not being a fan of unnecessary framing, mine stands free on its little wooden disc, with the wires splayed out under felt.’

What a gorgeous final piece, Lorraine, and an incredible gift for a loved one to receive. Your recreation of Jenny’s design is stunning, and your creativity and innovation in designing an unframed version of this piece is very impressive; thank you sharing this with us.

Renate Speet

‘I’m delighted to share that I finally completed my Grandiflora embroidery project last weekend! This beautiful three-dimensional design first appeared in Inspirations magazine #99 and immediately captured my imagination.’

‘I actually began stitching it back in 2021, when I was still new to dimensional embroidery. It turned out to be more challenging than expected, and after making a few mistakes (the biggest: cutting the wire tails far too short!) I tucked the project away for a while.’

‘Over the past few years, my embroidery skills and confidence have grown. With fresh eyes, I was able to find a way forward and bring the piece back to life. The final step - mounting the petals and leaves on just the right branch - turned out easier than I feared, and the result is something I’m truly proud of. Seeing it bloom in 3D after all this time feels like a real achievement!’

Renate, this is absolutely an incredible achievement. Your finished piece is stunning, barely distinguishable from Julie Kniedl’s original. The time, patience and resilience you dedicated to this project certainly paid off with this gorgeous final piece; keep up the excellent work.

Have you coordinated or been involved in a monumental needlework project? Have you stitched an Inspirations design and modified how it’s displayed? Or have you recently completed a project you’ve come back to?

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