What Are You Stitching?

Inspired by Carolyn Pearce’s Blue Ribbon blanket as featured in this week’s All Stitched Up!, we were motivated to hunt through our linen press for the linens that have been stitched with the needles and threads of the Inspirations Community…

‘I have been stitching since my mother made me learn when I was about eight years old. I didn’t like it, and by the time I had finished the stitching The Gleaners from an old painting, I was sure I hated it! Needless to say, 50 years or so later, I found that I loved hand stitching.’

‘I now hand quilt and embroider and love it. My embroidery is only basic stem stitch and chain stitch and I can also make Bullion Stitch flowers. I hand stitched and embroidered this bed spread for my Granddaughter about six years ago. I love your magazine and the amazing embroidery that you share with everyone.’

Donna, we love that the seed of stitching your mother planted all those ago grew into a love of hand stitching that produced something as gorgeous and functional as your bed spread. It’s a piece that will be treasured and used for generations to come.

‘I call myself an amateur of modest talent in all of the arts I pursue, embroidery among them! As I get older, having recently turned 72, I am more and more aware of the joy I have been given by generations of women in my family. Through the years, women have passed on their knowledge and skills to their daughters and I have been lucky enough to be one of those. So, I decided to make a crazy quilt that honored the women who went before me.’

‘Three of the blocks focus on one of my foremothers – Great Grandmother, Mother and older sister – and have all been finished, as well as some ‘just for fun blocks’ and one seasonal block which will be one of the cornerstones of my quilt. Thank you for your magazine which serves as an additional inspiration with every issue, I only wish I had discovered it with the first issue!’

Noël, what a beautiful way to honour the tradition of needle and thread that has been passed on from generation to generation! We can’t wait to see the quilt once it’s complete.

‘Crazy Quilting is my favourite technique and I happily teach it both virtually and in person across the USA and write about it on line. I think my favorite aspect of CQ is the no rules rule! Counted work is so not my thing, although I admire pieces done by others. Let my needle roam wherever, stitching down whatever, with whatever thread, dancing over seams and even skipping them all together – that’s my piece of heaven!’

‘My current goal is to complete a CQ art quilt, planned with nine 8” blocks and black sashing. All silk fabrics, both vintage and new for the foundation, Kimono sections from Ichiroya in Japan, generous and wild scraps from the Jerry Garcia tie factory and beautiful leftovers from Quilt and Silk in France plus new dupioni are used. Four blocks are done so far and the fifth is a WIP. Thank you for all the years of beautiful Inspirations.’

Sara, we love your love of the no rules rule! You’re well on you way to completing a beautiful piece and we look forward to seeing it in its entirety.

‘I would like to share my new blanket with you. I worked the poppies on black wool and used Gumnuts and Au Ver à Soie threads. I have friends that do quilting and was lucky to be out with one of them to find the material for the edge. I do look forward to the Friday newsletter which always gives me a great insight into what others are doing.’

Ute, you couldn’t have found a more perfect edging to compliment your stitched poppies! It has a rich colour palette that has resulted in a gorgeous blanket.

Have your needles and threads produced a bed spread, blanket, quilt or similar?! We’d love you to share it with us. Email photos of your bed covering along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com