Cynthia Cassell

‘Last night I completed my first Inspirations kit: Pane Di Casa from issue 106 (purchased quite a while ago)!

It took me maybe about 2 months, start to finish, and along the way I was mostly delighted but sometimes puzzled.

I am an untrained and inexperienced embroiderer - in way over my head!

All of the stitches and techniques were new to me. I really enjoyed trying and practicing them. Thank you for providing such great projects and such trustworthy guidance.’

Congratulations on completing your very first Inspirations project, Cynthia, what an accomplishment! Your Pane di Casa is stunning and your stitching is terrific; we certainly wouldn’t have guessed you’re new to embroidery. Keep up the terrific work; we hope you continue to enjoy the art of embroidery for many years to come.

Susan Tigwell

‘I stitched this cover for my granddaughter to start secondary school and keep her tablet safe. She spent some time in Brunei and loved the sloths she saw there.

The material was printed with sloths, and I embellished them. The lining was leftover material from a dress I made for her when at primary school, as she also loves owls.’

‘Now that I’m disabled and quite weak with ongoing chemotherapy, I’m determined to continue with what I can manage. I attend a Living Well Centre at my local hospice.

The lovely volunteers there help me with all my projects, making them possible by doing the things that I’m unable to do now, such as using a sewing machine.

The satisfaction obtained by doing what I can is what helps me to continue my life’s journey. Thank you for all the lovely projects that I have completed over the years.’

What a beautiful project, Susan; your granddaughter’s tablet case will no doubt be the talk of the classroom and cherished by her for many years. We admire your resilience in finding new ways to keep doing what you love, and we’d love to see what you make next.

Carolyn Webb

‘I recently finished stitching Trish Burr’s Robin. I love the way the shading makes it come to life. Every time I stitch a new project I feel like my technique gets better.

My husband's middle name was Robin and I did it to remind me of him, so I’ve called it Jim's Robin.’

‘We also had the lovely Maria Clara Warschauer come to our guild to teach several months ago. We had a wonderful time and she inspired me to use the pattern for Rana that she designed from Inspirations issue 124 to make several frogs.

I changed the colours and decided to make the back of each of them different so I thought I would share my army of frogs.’

Jim’s Robin is a beautiful name Carolyn, and this is a wonderful way to honour your husband; on top of that, your recreation of Trish’s design is impeccable. And your army of colourful frogs is all too cute - we were so thrilled to see them that they have become the hot topic at Inspirations HQ this week. How fortunate are you to attend a class with the delightful Maria Clara Warschauer! Thank you for sharing these wonderful projects with us.

Have you recently stitched your very first Inspirations project? Do you enjoy creating practical pieces for your loved ones? Or have you stitched your own army of animals?

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