What Are You Stitching?

Cushions are not only a fabulous way to display your stitching, they are also a fabulous way of aiding your relaxation, making a room feel warmer and cosier and acting as a wonderfully tactile addition to a favourite sofa or chair. It is little wonder that so many of our readers love making cushions out of their finished embroidery pieces. If you need any inspiration, just take a look at some of these:

Colleen Clarke

‘In my meanderings through second-hand stores, I am always on the lookout for unwanted needlework. Not long ago, I found a piece of crewel done on linen that seemed ready to be made into a pillow. The pattern was interesting but the yarn was dulled. Since I had recently become interested in beading, I decided to make this my practice piece.’

‘To honour the unknown stitcher, I chose not to remove any of her/his threads and simply embellished them.’

‘What started off as a casual trial became a very absorbing project. My bead stash grew as did my skill. In the spirit of Kintsugi, I left my first leaf unchanged even though it is a little crooked. I like seeing the path my beading journey took.’

This is a magnificent project on so many fronts, Colleen. As well as rescuing a previously worked piece, you’ve added your own touch and improved your skills. What a gorgeous result!

Anu Jain

‘I’m writing in from New Delhi, India. I have been passionate about needlework in some form or other for most of my life, be it appliqué, patchwork, cross stitch, threadpainting or surface embroidery.’

‘Amongst many other techniques, I have also learnt some of the traditional embroidery of my country.’

Your skill and versatility show out so beautifully in this Kantha cushion. Thank you for sharing it with us Anu.

Joan Kolar

‘After working on another crewel project, I decided that I had enough confidence to tackle Phillipa Turnbull’s ‘Autumn Gold’, originally published in Inspirations issue #40.’

‘I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent stitching it and was so pleased that I’d decided to do it, as I was so happy with how it turned out.’

It has turned out incredibly well, Joan, and we hope it brings you many relaxed hours of pleasure now that it can sit proudly on your sofa.

Susan Furca

‘In terms of inspiring designers, I’d like to mention Carolyn Barani from tapistree.com. Some of her kits, like the two pictured – Snazzy Dog and Koquette Kitty – are stitch samplers and give clear directions for dozens of different stitches.’

And they’re super cute as well! Thank you for sharing Carolyn’s designs and your finished pieces too, Susan.

Is your sofa piled high with embroidered cushions and do you dive into bed at night beneath a mountain of handmade pillows? Or does your relaxation come from minimalist surroundings, with your gorgeous finished pieces hung strategically on the wall?

Whatever your favourite décor style, if you’ve stitched it, we’d love to see it. Send in pictures of your work and a bit of information about the project and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com