Diane Hebb

‘Here is my take on Floe the Fairy Penguin by Carolyn Stanton. Using what I already had on hand to complete the project gave me a greater feeling of ownership towards her.’

‘I found Floe was a satisfying and creative activity. I used regular DMC six stranded embroidery floss throughout and substituted no.11 beads for all French knots.’

Diane, it is lovely you were able to find the threads to create your Floe in your stash. Substituting beads for French knots is a very clever creative twist! Your Floe the Fairy Penguin is every bit as beautiful as she is unique.

Sue Osborne

‘I’ve had Carolyn Pearce's book, The Embroidered Patchwork Bear, for a few years, when my 22-year-old granddaughter asked for something made by me for Christmas, I thought this was the perfect thing to make.’

‘I’m really pleased with the result although I found it difficult to fit her limbs on tightly. Eventually I used a doll needle and strong thread. The cotter pins just would not fit tight enough.

I hope this teddy will be in the family for a long time.’

This is such a lovely gift for your granddaughter, Sue! We’re so glad you persevered with his arms and legs to end up with a delightful teddy. Indeed, it will surely be treasured for many years to come.

Jean Broge

‘A few years ago, I had the pleasure of attending a Queen-to-Queen embroidery tour in England with my friend Anna Kuehl. This wonderful experience was sponsored through Needlework Tours.

Neither of us were very familiar with embroidery but loved doing counted cross stitch. We were equally excited and apprehensive about expanding our stitching skills.’

‘Our first class was with Jenny Adin-Christie. The project was The Gawthorpe Needlecase. We weren't sure how we would fair with a class full of experienced embroiders. To our delight we were warmly welcomed and Jenny quickly put our worries at ease as she so expertly guided us as we began this endeavour.

Her beautifully written instructions gave us the confidence to complete this beautiful project once we returned home. I am so excited about her new book Enchanted Embroidery.’

‘We even inspired our friend Julie, who had purchased the kit, to complete it. The above is a picture of her work.’

Jean, it sounds like you and Anna had such a lovely experience learning from Jenny, which does not surprise us at all! We love that Jenny’s guidance made all the difference in your embroidery journey and we hope to see many more projects from you in the near future. It is also lovely to hear your friend Julie joined in on the inspiration – embroidery really does bring us all together.

Have you stitched a Carolyn Stanton design? Have you been asked to stitch a project for a loved one? Or have you attended a class with Jenny Adin-Christie?

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