What Are You Stitching?

It’s the beautifully stitched, yet oh so practical, work of Christine P. Bishop and Betsy Morgan – featured in All Stitched Up! Issue #174 – that’s inspired the projects we’re featuring this week’s What Are You Stitching? Enjoy the needlework storage ‘tools’ that have been created with the needles and threads of the Inspirations Community…

Glasses Case | Anna Ivanova

‘I live in Finland and have recently stitched June Godwin’s ‘In Plain Sight’ from Inspirations #67. I stitched it on 40 count antique white linen using a selection of my own threads.’

Anna, we love your version of In Plain Sight! It’s beautifully stitched and carefully constructed.

Needlebook | Jennifer Vaughn

‘I stitched this Needbook years ago. It’s one of the few things I’ve stitched that I use frequently, and it’s held up very well. It contains 12 felt pages, measures 5 x 7 inches (12.5 x 18 cm) and holds all of my needles.’

Jennifer, we love your gorgeous needlebook and how often it’s been used across the years. It may just be possible that practical embroidery is the best kind!

One Stop Companion | Liz Shanks

‘This is my most useful embroidery ever!’

‘A lovely lady / teacher / friend who lives in Hanmer Springs, New Zealand – Jane van Keelung – designs and dyes a range of silk and wools using a lot of recycled products. Jane’s business is called ‘Stash Palace’ and is an absolute must for South Island visitors! This piece was machine embroidered by Jane and was destined to be a Knitting Needle Bag, however I opened it out flat, embroidered it with a weird variety of accumulated threads and then thought about what I needed to fit into it to make into my One Stop Grab and Go Companion – and it is indeed just that!’

‘It has travelled the world, it’s not too bulky yet contains everything from protractors, a tiny Coates Book of Embroidery Stitches and of course my lovely Country Bumpkin needles that were given as a gift with my Inspirations subscription many years ago.’

‘I am an original subscriber to Inspirations Magazine and can’t thank everyone involved enough for the inspiration they share. Needlework for me is my saviour – it’s the calm in the day, the solace in the sad times and just good fun. It’s also nice to acknowledge the lovely people that I have met through embroidery – there’s always a laugh shared in class or guild or even with strangers who meet on planes, trains or boats – language might sometimes be a problem, but somehow embroiderers always manage to make themselves understood by each other!’

Liz, we love your most useful embroidery ever, but more than that, we love the richness that needle and thread has brought to your life.

Have your needles and threads stitched something beautiful yet practical? We’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com