Spring Cleaning Part 1

While we’re patiently waiting for the spring weather to arrive here at Inspirations HQ, the occasional sunny, warm, and breezy days we’ve been lucky enough to enjoy to date, have been just enough to inspire us towards some spring cleaning.

After reading one of the articles we’d written on transferring designs in All Stitched Up! issue #336 Doreen wanted to know if anyone in the Inspirations Community has used a Brother ScanNCut machine for printing onto fabric.

Doreen understands that it’s possible to scan a design, save it to the machine, insert the removable pen and the machine will then simply draw the design onto your chosen fabric.

If you’ve used a Brother ScanNCut, let us know and we’ll be sure to pass your experiences on. Doreen’s hoping the whole process is not too good to be true, as it is the one transfer method she’s wanting to use going forward! 

After reading about our visit to Carrick Hill located here in Adelaide in ASU #334, Melanie, who hails from the UK went to the Carrick Hill website in hope of seeing pictures of the needlework collection we’d referred to. But alas, wasn’t able to find them! If you too tried to find those elusive pictures, elements of the collection we wrote about can be viewed HERE. 

Responding to our ‘There’s Nothing Like a Challenge’ article in ASU #340, Sharon shared what she’d created with needle and thread to answer the challenge ‘Interrupt a Still Life You Admire’.

Sharon chose Van Gogh’s painting of Sunflowers, in empathy with the people of Ukraine enduring the ongoing conflict. She decided to do only a portion of the painting, and after using many different stitches and techniques to create the piece, I think we’d all have to agree it was indeed a fitting salute. We think Van Gogh would be delighted with how Sharon ‘interrupted’ his original!

Recognising how helpful the Inspirations Community can be, Clare’s hoping someone might just be able to point her in the right direction.

If you have any suggestions about as to where Clare might find a solution, email us and we’ll be sure to let her know.

We close this week’s Have Your Say with one of the most heart wrenching emails we’ve ever received. Many of you will know Nina Burnsides from ‘Flights of Fancy’ that was published in Inspirations issue #102, as well as her many inclusions in What Are You Stitching?.

Nina shared with us a project that has been nine months in the making.

‘I started this back in November of last year, but then my husband and I both got COVID. While in the hospital I had two strokes, lost both legs due to blood clots and my husband also passed away from COVID complications.’

‘Because of the strokes I lost some of the feeling in my hands and wasn’t sure I could embroider anymore. Just learning to hold a needle again was a struggle. But I was determined to get back to something I loved. It also helped me mentally to deal with everything that had happened. 

It took two months to hold a needle longer than a few minutes at a time. The first attempted bit of embroidery looked like something I did when I was a little girl, but it slowly got better. 

Now I have this beauty to show for all my struggles. Embroidery helped me get through a very difficult time and will continue to do so as I go forward, it just will take me little longer than in the past.’

Nina, your determination to come through what you’ve experienced, readjust to your new ‘normal’ and get back to your time with needle and thread is an incredible testament to your strength and character. Your piece is indeed proof of the beauty you found in ashes and is an inspiration to each of us to journey each season of our lives with the same courage and grace. 

Over the coming week we’ll continue to dust and declutter so we can share more of the conversations the Inspirations Community have started or continued. Until then, we hope your week provides many an opportunity to indulge your love of all things needle and thread.