What Are You Stitching?

Flowers have provided inspiration for art and design for centuries. And our love and fascination with recreating the floral world is strong amongst the needlework community. So, this week we wanted to share some of the beautiful floral pieces created by those of us within the Inspirations community.

‘Christmas time is over and even winter seems to be so and I must admit, I’m looking forward to springtime.’

‘I’m an RSN-trained embroiderer but I still love my cross stitch. As you said in a previous newsletter: ‘This is where it all started’ – when I was 5 years old. While I’m travelling by train, I always do some cross stitch.’

‘I just finished a lovely tablecloth with spring-flowers on it. I can’t wait to put it on the table – as soon as the first flowers will be in my garden.’

We love our cross stitch too, Christine, so we really appreciate the time and effort that has gone into this beautiful tablecloth. What a wonderful reminder of spring. It’s sure to give you years of pleasure, whatever the season.

‘I was reading about threadpainting in your newsletter and seeing all the gorgeous projects completed by other members of this wonderful extended family, I was prompted to start the kit I have now recently completed. 

It is a beautiful design by Maggie Gee commemorating the fallen from WWI and produced for the centenary of that terrible conflict.’

‘I had never tackled surface embroidery before, preferring the discipline of counted thread work, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and am determined to do more to improve my skills. It was a great leap of faith for me to step out of my comfort zone and I am reasonably happy with the finished result.

Perhaps I might be brave enough now to tackle more complex designs. There are flaws, but I know what went wrong and next time I hope the results will be better.’

‘However, I know that whatever the finished article looks like I have been on a journey of discovery which has enriched my life. Thank you for the encouragement and inspiration that your newsletter brings with it every Friday morning.’

What a wonderful story Pat and such a fantastic result you have achieved for your first attempt, which we would have to say looks flawless! 

We’re so glad you get inspiration from our newsletter, and in turn our inspiration comes from stories such as yours, so thank you for sharing it with the rest of the Inspirations family.

‘I’ve been stitching for a long time and grew up with a grandmother and aunts who were always stitching so it was just natural for me to take it up.’

‘Quilting and embroidery are my favourites and I’ve been lucky enough to win a blue ribbon at a country show for a quilt I made. A wedding gown that I embellished with silk ribbon roses also won a Golden Gown award.’

‘I live in Cronulla in the southern suburbs of Sydney, Australia and stitching is my relaxation. As long as I have a needle and thread in my hand, I’m happy.’

‘I find it really important to buy magazines like Inspirations and to go to classes and stay connected with fellow stitchers to keep me inspired and challenged to try new designs and techniques.’

Sheila, your ribbon and other floral creations are really lovely and the awards you’ve won are clearly deserved. We couldn’t agree more on the importance of staying connected to the needlework community however and whenever you can, it makes a big difference in all our lives! Thank you for sharing your beautiful work and your story.

‘I love the work of Julie Kniedl and her untimely death was a great loss to the stitching community.’

‘I thought you might like to see my adaptations of the projects ‘Christmas Bouquet’ and ‘Mistletoe Bell’ that were recently featured in Inspirations magazine. I decorated a small wreath with the holly, ivy and Christmas roses and adapted the mistletoe into a bunch, so it looked more like the mistletoe we see in the UK.’

‘Whilst I’m sure you know the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, did you know that you are supposed to remove a berry with each kiss, hence the demand for well berried mistletoe?!’

‘Then, with the skills learnt from Julie’s book I also made a Remembrance Day Poppy.’

Thank you, Philippa – we didn’t know that about mistletoe, how fascinating, we’ll be sure to look for the sprigs with lots of berries from now on! The pieces you have created look beautiful and your poppy is a beautiful homage to Julie’s work, no doubt you’ll wear it with pride every Remembrance Day.

If you’ve been stitching anything botanical, floral or indeed anything at all we’d love to see it! Your needlework and your story could be just what someone needs to help them along in their stitching journey. Email us at news@inspirationsstudios.com

Projects Featured in This Week’s What Are You Stitching? 

If you’ve been inspired by the projects showcased above, the good news is digital patterns, complete with step-by-step instructions, are available for the following designs: