Rhonda Brummel

‘My beginning with embroidery started when I was about 10 years old. My mom made it look effortless, so I asked her to teach me. We started with a cotton tea towel, and she patiently showed me a stitch to make, and it wasn't as easy as she made it look.’

‘I threw it down and said, ‘I don't want to do this’. She picked up the tea towel and said, ‘you are not quitting’. I stabbed the thread into the cloth, but suddenly after many tries, I found it fun and calming.

I’m so glad she did not let me quit. My mom died too young from cancer; I only shared my life with her for 27 years. So, every time I embroider I think of her and the gift she gave me.’

‘All my creations are given away with love. To celebrate our mother’s life, my sister and I exchange ladybug gifts on Mother’s Day. I created this card to celebrate our childhood.’

‘The butterfly was given to a former student who came to visit; the Van Gogh and terrier were given to my friend who is an art teacher and loves her Jack Russell.’

‘The two lovely ladies were given to my granddaughters to celebrate their birthdays. Every stitch I make is full of memories and love.’

What a beautiful stitching origin story Rhonda, and a wonderful memory of your late mother to have. Your projects are so wonderfully creative and diverse in their designs. You have a real talent and the love and care that each piece is made with shines through. We can’t wait to see what you stitch next.

Liz Williams

‘Another finished stitch. I started this in 2018 when Tatiana Popova started her work. The instructions were hand drafted and some of the stitches were foreign to me. As she is from Ukraine and it was part of Russia when she was young, some of the stitches were from that time.

She wrote a book in 2025 ‘Contrast in Crewel’ and in the book was the project ‘Capture in Flora’. I picked back up the project and finished it in 2026.’

This project was certainly a long time coming, Liz, and it was well worth the wait. Vibrant, eye catching and well-stitched, this piece is simply magnificent. The quality of your stitching makes no suggestion that some of the techniques were new to you. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Ann Adams

‘I have always been a cross stitcher, but about 3 years ago I had a go at embroidery and really loved how much ‘freer’ it is. Last September I unfortunately suffered a SCAD Heart Attack, which is quite rare and mainly affects women. This completely rocked my world (and still does). I had to do a lot of resting and so decided I would have a go at the Home Sweet Home work box by Carolyn Pearce.’

‘I had prepared all the fabric, months before my life changing event hoping that one day I would actually get around to working on the project.

I can honestly say this project got me through what has been and still is a very difficult time. It gave me something to keep my hands busy, something to focus on and also challenged me.

I hope you enjoy seeing what I made.’

Ann, what a gorgeous recreation of Carolyn’s stunning project. Though the opportunity for this project came from difficult circumstances, your perspective of finding something enjoyable and productive for your recovery time is admirable, and you now have your very own Home Sweet Home box to show for it. Keep up the terrific work, and we wish you well with your continued recovery.

Do you enjoy stitching designs for your loved ones? Have you recently completed a project that’s been a long time in the making? Or have you embarked on your own recovery 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