What Are You Stitching?

After choosing the projects for this week’s What Are You Stitching? segment, it would seem we subconsciously created our own stitching wish list for the holiday season that’s all but upon us at Inspirations HQ! 

Christmas Stockings we wished we’d completed for Christmas this year, a thread wallet we might just need if we find the time to tidy our stash over the festive season, a bookmark that will help keep our place as we read our way through lazy summer afternoons, and some tiny hearts that encouraged us once again to use our needle and thread to stitch it forward.

‘These are five crazy quilted Christmas stockings I’ve stitched since December 2021, which were in addition to the four I stitched the previous year.’

‘I learned to embroider, crochet, knit, cross stitch, bead and sew from the age of eight and I’ve always felt I spent my early years apprenticing for crazy quilting!’

‘Now each member of my family has a fancy Christmas stocking. Each stocking is made to reflect the interests of the recipient.’

‘These are for my great-granddaughter, granddaughter, daughter, myself, and my husband. I previously drafted the pattern and pieced and embellished stockings for my son, daughter-in-law and two grandsons. I enjoyed the process but am very happy they’re now finished!’

What an incredible labour of love, Grovenore! Not only have you poured your time and talent into making nine Christmas stockings, but you’ve thought about each recipient as you stitched them. Each one is incredibly unique and personal.

‘I so enjoy reading your weekly newsletter and viewing the embroidery the community share, it’s so encouraging.’

‘I spend a couple of hours each night quietly stitching and one of the projects I’ve completed this year was designed by Lesley McConnell of Faeries in my Garden.’

Ann, what a sublime way to store your Cottage Garden thread collection! It’s an enchanting design that was enhanced by the colour and pattern palette you chose to use. It must be such a joy to use.

‘Firstly, I want to thank you for the newsletter I receive each Friday evening – it is always something I look forward to as it gives me food for thought. Secondly, I wanted to share with you an idea my husband Ian gave me when I was tasked with choosing what thread to make a bookmark tassel from.’

‘The kit I followed, a vintage V&A kit for an Emperor based on their Oriental collection, simply suggested to choose my own colour. I was thinking about which minor colour to pick out and was choosing between the white and purple only to discover there wasn’t enough of either thread left to make a thick enough tassel.

I did what he suggested and was delighted with the result! Since then, I’ve made more bookmarks and it is now my habit to use a mix of all the remaining threads to make the tassel. 

It solves the problem not only of what to do with those left-over threads but also ensures the tassel is an exact match to the bookmark. I thought you might enjoy hearing of this example of thinking outside the square as it ties in a with the theme from ASU issue #338.’

Jackie, we absolutely enjoyed hearing about how Ian thought outside the square! Sometimes it’s the simplest of ideas and solutions that remain with us over time and often leave us wondering why it took us so long to discover them. The colours of the tassel are a lovely addition to the bookmark and, as you said, provide the perfect match to your stitching.

‘I was so inspired by the 1000 Hearts project you highlighted in ASU #279 that I have not been able to stop making little felt hearts! I gave them my own tweak with the addition of Tibetan silver dragonfly charms.’

Jane, we love that you were inspired to stitch it forward after reading about Sarah’s kindness project. Seeing the hearts you’ve so beautifully stitched and embellished, and revisiting the 1000 hearts website all over again has inspired us to put aside the time to stitch some hearts ourselves! 

If you’d like to find out how to become a ‘heartist’ like Jane, simply click HERE for more information.