What Are You Stitching?
1st December 2023
Sometimes the projects we stitch are inspired by photos or memories of times past. The stitchers in today’s What Are You Stitching? have used their talents to capture important memories with needle and thread.
Bonnie White
‘I took a photo, several years ago, of the back deck at my niece’s first home with her husband. I loved the balance of grey decking, bright chairs and a graceful plumeria tree in between. I came across the photo every now and then and would think ‘I need to do something with that!’.’
‘Last year I was casting about for a new project, and I remembered the photo and thought ‘Oh, that would be a fun Christmas gift for my niece and her husband. They have moved house since I took the photo so I thought it would be a nice keepsake of their first home.’
‘Christmas came and went, as did most of the spring. Replicating the gravel in the photo was super time-consuming! Let’s just say I got extremely proficient at the French knot. Along with some straight stitches and randomly placed beads, they gave me the depth and definition I was after.’
‘My favourite part of this piece was going wild with free form leaves and vines for the greenery at the edge.
It took longer to finish than I anticipated and it certainly isn’t perfect, but it was a fun project and, most importantly, my niece and her husband loved it when I finally gave it to them!’
Indeed, this is a fabulous composition, Bonnie and you have re-created it in stitch beautifully. All your perseverance and time working on elements like the gravel has really paid off, so well done for sticking with it! It is such a thoughtful gift and a wonderful keepsake for them – they are very fortunate to have you as their aunt.
Anne Hefford
‘My favourite technique is stumpwork. I particularly like doing leaves (a dear friend thinks I have a bit of a foliage fetish) so most of my landscape pieces include a tree of sorts. Many have been inspired by Kay Dennis.’
‘This piece was based on a photo taken at Akaroa on the Banks Peninsular in New Zealand. You can see that I tinkered with the layout somewhat. The tree is a pohutakawa, known as the NZ Christmas tree.’
‘The next one is my favourite scene in the English Lake District – Wastwater and the fells around it.’
‘For this one I joined two photos together, removed the people and added a Rowan tree and some Herdwick sheep.’
Well, Anne, we can see why you like stitching leaves… you’re a natural at it! You have chosen two visually striking landscapes and brought them to life with stitch. We also love all the little details you have added, like the sheep faces. Well done!
Elizabeth Braun
‘I thought I would share my recent canvas project with you.’
‘Since September 2021 I’ve been working towards the RSN’s Certificate thanks to the opening of the online programme and this is the piece I completed for the Canvas Stitches module.’
‘It’s called ‘The House That Grandad Built’ and is based on photos and memories of the bungalow near the sea that my grandfather built back in 1963.’
‘The bungalow has recently fallen into a poor state, so the last time I visited I decided I would restore it to its former glory in stitch. The RSN Certificate module gave me the both the perfect opportunity and motivation to do just that!’
Wow, Elizabeth, your canvas piece is remarkable. Your bungalow looks absolutely idyllic with flourishing garden beds of flowers and wonderful large windows with sheer curtains waiting to be gently swayed by a sea breeze. Beautiful work!
Have the architectural features of a building influenced your stitching? Or design elements from history? Or perhaps monuments visited on travels have inspired your work?
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