What Are You Stitching?

We’re thinking ‘outside the frame’ again this week, as we celebrate the work of needle and thread that’s anything but inside!

Crazy Quilt | Betty Pillsbury

‘October Road is an autumnal crazy quilt I made all by hand, except for sewing on the outer borders.’

‘I live in the northern fringes of the Catskill Mountains in New York and the forests are exceptional here and provided inspiration for the colors in this wall hanging which measures 49″ x 49″ (125 cm x 125 cm). I stitched this while recovering from shattering my ankle while hiking.’

Betty, you certainly put your recovery time to good use! You’ve created a detailed quilt that celebrates the colours of autumn superbly.

Needlecase | Kelvin Martin

‘I was supremely lucky to get a place at Jenny Adin-Christie’s course at the Bath Summer Textile School in August. There, she taught us how to make the Gawthorpe Needlecase.’

‘There were twenty of us in the class and Jenny managed to give us all the time we needed. Her energy and enthusiasm were boundless – she was as chirpy at 5pm as she was at 9am and her kits are just sublime, it’s like Christmas morning when you get one! I so enjoyed stitching it and meeting my classmates, three of whom were from Australia.’

Kelvin, it’s always a treat to be taught by Jenny! You’ve done a beautiful job of recreating her intricate needlecase that will be well used and treasured for years to come. It will always be a lovely reminder of the time you spent in Bath.

Sneakers | Marjolein van Vessem

‘I bought a very cheap pair of sneakers in June as I have always wanted to embroider a pair and now was the time!’

‘I started with the mountains and the houses and slowly the images developed.’

‘They were great fun to stitch and kept me busy during my summer holidays. They even won a prize in a small embroidery competition. So, they make me very happy! I do not know if I will ever wear them, but as always, I love reading your newsletter as it is a true inspiration to me.

Marjolein, your stitched sneakers are simply spectacular! They are absolute works of art and as much as they deserve to be seen, I’m not sure you’d want to risk wearing them in case they were damaged in the process!

Tablecloth | Bernice

‘Having never really enjoyed embroidery, I immersed myself in cross stitch. However, in 2016 I was diagnosed with cancer and found I couldn’t concentrate on the counting involved in cross stitch, so was on the hunt for another project. I decided to give embroidery another chance. I managed to find a picture I liked and so started ‘stitching for sanity’.

Although they are very simplistic and basic tablecloths, I found the simple art of creating helped me get through a very difficult time.

I am now in remission, but the stitching bug has bitten, and I look forward to getting better at it.’

Bernice, we’re so pleased to hear that you’re now in remission and love that stitching became a companion throughout a difficult season. You made the transition from cross stitch to embroidery seamlessly and we look forward to seeing what’s next from your needle and thread.

Have you stitched something that was designed for anything other than sitting inside a frame? We’d love you to email news@inspirationsstudios.com with photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey.