What Are You Stitching?

Sometimes the results of our stitching are on a grand scale, almost larger than life. Whilst at other times the scale is much smaller, just like the Dorset buttons seen in our ‘Featured Project’ this week. Inspired by their diminutive size, this week we share the smaller things that have been created with needle and thread…

Diane Martin | Canada

‘Amongst other things, I have completed a set of bookmarks over the last year. Three of them are Tanja Berlin’s design and kits, and the other three are my own creations. From left to right, my designs are the first, fourth and fifth. Thank you for all the inspiration you give me weekly.’

Diane, we love that you were able to build upon what you learnt from stitching Tanja’s kits by designing your own bookmarks. You are definitely making the items in your world more beautiful one stitch at a time!

Julie-Anne Rogers | Australia

‘Four years ago I was lucky enough to travel to Slovenia and visit a local artists’ co-operative shop. I bought a small piece of bobbin lace that is quite exquisite. It has been kept out of sight until a few weeks ago. I had been very stressed with both family and work issues and a severe lack of time, but on a Sunday I had a block of 30 minutes free and decided to pick up the lace and do something with it. I painted the rose hip from one of my photos, using Inktense block paint mixed with Aloe Vera gel instead of water as this stops the paint from spreading through the material. Later that evening, after it had dried, I did some simple stitching around it. The total piece is 8cm (3”) from side to side.’

'Not only am I very happy with the piece and can now frame and display it, the process relaxed me and made me able to cope with my stresses.'

Julie-Anne, we love that you took the time to stitch your way through your stress and that you were able to create such a personal keepsake from your time in Slovenia.

Lee Harvey | New Zealand

‘At almost 75, I have been stitching and knitting all my life. I learnt tatting and lacemaking at 16 and enjoy stumpwork, goldwork, cross stitch and stitching miniature tapestries and carpets for my dolls houses. The news that Sydney is displaying The Lady and The Unicorn Tapestry has motivated me to send you this photograph of the tapestry I stitched for my dolls house castle.’

‘I stitched it on 46 count silk canvas with one strand of embroidery thread and it measures only 18 x 15 cm (7 x 9”). I love my Inspirations Magazines and enjoy stitching projects out of them.’

Lee, what an incredible amount of detail you’ve been able to include in such a small space. Your dolls houses must be opulent and magical places to call home!

Stephanie St Clair | USA

‘This is my second Trish Burr ‘Whitework with Color’. I’ve been a cross-stitcher for over 30 years, but just picked up embroidery about two years ago.’

‘I’ve fallen in love with hand embroidery so much that I just finished attending the Royal School of Needlework’s first USA Summer School and will be attending the RSN’s Jacobean Crewelwork 2-week intensive certificate course in October!’

Stephanie, we love that you’ve used your needle and thread to create one of the world’s smallest birds in stitch! The detail and colour make it a sight to behold and we look forward to seeing it again when finished.

Have you ‘stitched it small’? We’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread and a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com