What Are You Stitching?

Crewel embroidery has long been a favourite among our community. Sometimes crewel designs show a decidedly Jacobean flavour as the technique originated in that era. However, crewel embroidery works beautifully with so many other styles. From the Arts and Crafts movement to modern designs, crewel is one of those delightfully versatile techniques that looks fabulous no matter what you stitch. Here are some examples to prove it.

‘I was reading through All Stitched Up! a little while back and came across the project, Briar Rose & Honeysuckle. I just stopped. My good friend, Joanna Lord, stitched this for me as a gift when I finished my term as Director of the Rocky Mountain Region of the EGA!’

‘I absolutely love it – and her!  I have it in my office where I can gaze at the exquisite stitching. Joanna even had her husband make the box she mounted it in.’

How lucky you are to have such a generous and talented friend, Trudy. What a beautiful project. You must gain endless pleasure from seeing it on your wall every day.

‘This is my first attempt at crewel embroidery. I buy every new issue of Inspirations magazine when it comes out. My Mum gave me all of her past magazines as well, right back to issue #1.’

‘As I’ve gotten older and free of children, I’ve started enjoying different kinds of hand embroidery having been a machinist all my life.’

What a beautiful way to start your crewel embroidery journey, Yolande, with Brenda Sortwell’s design Arcadia from Inspirations #109. We’re so glad you’re enjoying discovering this wonderful technique.

‘This is a quilt that I made for a recent workshop. My granddaughter decided she wants it for a bag, so I created the other side with two patterns from the book A to Z of Crewel Embroidery. I am using the instructions for the Stylish Succulents bag from Inspirations issue #107.’ 

‘Thanks to your talented artists, I am able to put my quilting and handwork together in a satisfying way.’

How wonderful that you can combine two of your passions, Sonja. We hope your granddaughter loves the bag and that you continue to get pleasure out of both your quilting and your embroidery.

Do you love doing crewel embroidery? Do you prefer to stitch using fine wools? Or are you more of a lover of silk or stranded cotton? Perhaps it is the designs characteristic of crewel that you love?

Whatever it is you like to stitch, we’d like to see it. Send us a picture of your work with some information about the project and your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com