What Are You Stitching?

There are some of us who stitch because, when we’re busy with our needle, it means we’re not sneaking off to the fridge or the cupboard hunting for a snack which we really shouldn’t eat!

This could help explain why food is not commonly featured as a subject matter for our needlework, but you may be surprised at just how artistic food can be.

Here are a few projects which have used food as their subject, with only one risking any potential calorie increase…

Helen Johnstone

‘I purchased the kit for the blackwork strawberry project ‘Delicate Touch’ by Victoria Laine from Inspirations issue #86, however when I got around to stitching it, I discovered I had somehow misplaced the pattern sheet from the magazine.’

‘After making contact with your team, I was grateful for your help in assisting me with a replacement copy and thought you might be interested to see the finished item.’

We’re glad you got in touch and we’re really glad we could help you, Helen. The finished piece is definitely worth all of the effort.

Sue Cork

‘I recently finished my pumpkin and thought you might like to see the end result. It is stitched on cotton fabric that was hand dyed. The leaves were stamped with a mix of acrylic and fabric dye first and the pumpkin embroidered last.’

‘The design was pure imagination and it took just three evenings to stitch. I plan to mount it to be displayed every Autumn and Halloween.’

Well done Sue for such an imaginative design and for the fantastic finish you achieved. To have completed the needlework in just three evenings, they were either long, long nights or you are a very fast stitcher (perhaps a bit of both?!). We love it.

Amina Paruk

‘I’d like to share an amazing creation I received as a gift for my 59**th birthday.’

‘My 22 year old niece created this cake it for me after drawing inspiration from my stitched piece you can see in the background. I embroidered it in 2003 and later gifted it to her mom (my sister). The attention to detail my niece achieved with the icing, all piped with buttercream, is such an achievement.

The way her layered icing resembles the different styles of stitching is uncanny. I think it is her best work yet.

‘I’m so proud and honoured to have this as my birthday cake this year.’

You are right to be proud, Amina. This cake resembles your embroidery so much, it almost seems a shame to eat it! We can imagine that the cutting of the cake ceremony was delayed for quite some time to allow everyone enough time to admire your niece’s handiwork.

Do you prefer to stitch tasty treats rather than eat them yourself? Or do you like to immortalise your favourite foods in needle and thread? Have you ever stitched something that you felt was good enough to eat? Or do you like to keep food and needlework strictly separate, even going so far as to avoid it as a subject?

Whatever your feelings towards it, if you’ve stitched it, we’d like to see it. Send us a picture of your embroidered project with a bit of information about your stitching journey and the project itself to news@inspirationsstudios.com