Tanja

‘I am Ukrainian and have been living in Norway for many years. Over the last two years, I have been working on a project that has required lots of time and patience.’

‘It will be a shirt for a Ukrainian national costume. This shirt along with other clothes were used by women for their weddings and then in their funeral, as a woman would wear the same clothes for both. This one is from west of Ukraine where I was born. I counted 96,496 stitches just on one sleeve. I still have a lot of work to do but I am moving forward.’

What a beautiful design, Tanja; the amount of time and patience poured into this outstanding project will undoubtedly pay off. The detail and intricacy of the design are impressive, and the quality of your stitching is impeccable. Keep up the terrific work, and we’d love to see the shirt again once done.

Emiko Abe

‘I always enjoy reading Inspirations and keeping up with your newsletter from Japan. These pictures are from my collection.’

We love hearing from members of our community all over the world Emiko, and we’re so thrilled you’re joining us each week from Japan. Your designs are so elegant and your stitching is beautiful. Embellishing small coin purses is a terrific way to decorate everyday items with embroidery. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Susan Mills

‘I recently completed this needlepointed eagle Christmas stocking designed by Liz Goodrick Dillon for my 90-year-old father. We gave it to him just before Thanksgiving as my daughters and I decorated my elderly parents’ home with the beautiful holiday décor that my mother created earlier in her life.’

‘It was a lot of fun to reminisce about all the lovely tree ornaments, wreaths, angels, and Santas that my mom hand stitched or painted 2-6 decades ago. My next project is to finish my mother’s needlepoint stocking so that this year there will be a pair to hang! That will surely keep me busy!’

Your mum’s handmade Christmas decorations sound delightful, Susan, and the eagle stocking you made for your dad is terrific. An intricate design very well stitched: this will make a beautiful and unique addition to your family’s collection. We hope you enjoy stitching your mum’s Christmas stocking just as much and we’d love to see the pair once completed.

Have you embellished everyday items with embroidery? Do you enjoy creating traditional garments from your culture? Or are you adding to a family collection of handmade items?

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