What Are You Stitching?

As a tribe passionate about all things needle and thread, we find our lives are all the richer when we’re able to surround ourselves with everyday items that have been embellished with the work of our own hands. This week we’re sharing the bedding and soft furnishings that are making the lives of those who use them all the richer for their inclusion…

Hendrika Tibbits

‘I really enjoy All Stitched Up! every week – it is my ‘go to’ on Saturday morning with a cup of coffee – thanks Inspirations! I have just completed two more baby blankets. The African blanket has already gone to my granddaughter, Kathleen, and our great grandson, Phoenix. Kathleen wanted something with African animals, and I chose this design from Jan Kerton of Windflower Embroidery.’

‘I changed the design as I thought it needed an Acacia tree for the Giraffe. I looked at images of Acacia trees online and of Giraffes near the trees, then sketched the rough outline of the tree in the size I thought would be appropriate. I used wools from the Appleton’s range as the colours and the thickness appealed to me and would give me the effect I was after’.

‘The second blanket is a delightful design from Jenny McWhinney – her designs are just so full of life! I saw this design at Beating Around the Bush and just fell in love with it. This blanket is going to the Netherlands for my niece Natascha’s first-born baby boy, Quin, who was conceived via IVF.’

‘I have five sisters who all have a few children and I must have made at least 10 blankets; add to those the blankets I have made for my grand and great grandchildren and the tally is at least 15! I have told all my family, ‘from now on only the first born will get a blanket’. I’ll still stitch for the other children, but now it is time to do some other stitching!’

Hendrika, we love the time and talent you’ve poured into so many blankets over the years! Each child’s nursery will have benefitted from the work of your hands and they will become treasured keepsakes for years to come.

Janet Burgess

‘I just finished stitching this cushion with a beautiful Margaret Light design called ‘Nigella and Honesty’. I am ever grateful to the amazing embroidery designers who produce such wonderful pieces for us to stitch. My next project is the beautiful Camellia by Julie Kniedl, a gift for a beloved friend. Where would some of us be without these fabulously talented designers?!’

Janet, Nigella and Honesty is not only a beautiful design that you’ve stitched to perfection but is an exact match for the style and colour of its surrounds! We hope that Julie’s Camellia provides many hours of stitching joy and we look forward to seeing it once its complete. And you’re right, we would be absolutely lost without the fabulously talented designers who so generously share their craft with us!

Melany Port

‘I learnt basic embroidery stitches from my darling Granny Doris and then went on to make my daughter’s and my own clothes, but then put handwork aside for many years. In 2010 I decided to start tapestry work again and then started learning creative embroidery with my late teacher, the talented Sharon Fritelli. I now have classes with the lovely Bridget Price. My favourite style of embroidery is single thread fine work, Jacobean or other classic styles. This cushion took me 11 months to embroider with most stitches being single thread floss.’

Melany, it’s a true labour of love to complete such an elaborate piece with just a single strand of floss! We love the intricate detail and gentle shading you’ve been able to attain with your needle and thread.

Norma Mulligan

‘I have just completed this crazy patchwork cushion. It is such a great embroidery project as there are no rules and you can exercise your creativity, which is totally therapeutic! I made this cushion cover from scraps left over from quilts made in the past.’

Therapy with needle and thread, is there anything better?! Norma not only did your cushion provide a creative outlet and some therapy along the way, but the resulting cushion will be a colourful and whimsical addition to any room.

Ute Donaldson

‘I started this quilt in February 2016 because of my love of threadpainting and native flora, and it was backed and finished by November 2018. The embroidery was all done with single stranded DMC thread on 10-inch (25cm) squares of Twill.

‘A lot of the embroidery was done while caravanning around Australia. I collected quite a few flora books on our travels and before setting out on our trips I would trace flowers onto fabric, choose my threads and get started. The design is my own with the majority of the flowers coming from the book, Key Guide to Australian Wild Flowers.’

Ute, what an incredible labour of love! The quilt is not only gorgeous but serves as a fabulous reminder of your time spent crisscrossing Australia.

Has your life been made all the richer by surrounding yourself with items that have been embellished with the work of your own hands? We’d love to see them! Email photos of what you’ve created along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com