What Are You Stitching?

‘I made this Crazy Cat Lady bag for Noella for her 90th Birthday. She was my landlady when I was 21 and she was 50, when I lived in the UK for a couple of years.’ 

‘We kept in touch, and she had moved to Gibraltar, and had been feeding several stray cats, and a little dog. On deciding to relocate to France, she loaded 13 cats and one little dog into her dilapidated old Renault and drove over the Pyrenees to France, where she settled in Laroque De Fa.

For her 90th birthday, her son organised a huge gathering in Gatwick, England. I flew in from South Africa and she from France, and great fun was had by all. She loved the bag and showed it off to all her French friends.’

‘In 2018 I relocated to England and learned that Noella had a terminal illness, so I went over to France to help her son with her nursing. She didn’t last very long after that but urged me to rescue her bag for my own use. So, it is now back with me – I only have one cat (so far!) but memories of Noella flood back every time I use it.’ 

Lesley, Noella sounds like a truly selfless and caring woman very deserving of your labours of love. The bag you made her is beautiful and we’re sure she loved the truly personal gift you made her. We’re sorry to hear of her passing, but your words of remembrance are very touching and we hope you enjoy using the bag for many years to come.

‘I am delighted with the various butterflies in Inspirations issue 122, there are so many of them flying around! The Papilio Zalmoxis on the cover is especially beautiful.’ 

‘These are some photos of mine, sitting on a hydrangea in my garden. I like to embroider such tiny Richelieu designs.

In ASU issue #428 I saw many different types of bags, these are my embroidered summer bags, I would like to show off.

I sewed these bags in 2012, they are made of natural 100% Polish linen.’

‘Previously, I painted pictures, made macrame, jewellery, cross-stitched, now I knit, but Richelieu embroidery is a wonderful hobby. My mother Joanna has recently been published in Inspirations magazine with her project Richelieu Butterfly. We are trying not to lose this beautiful art, so we promote it in the world. You can check out my Instagram HERE.’

Your Richelieu designs are beautiful, Paulina! The sparkling wings you have created with pearls make your butterflies look especially stunning. And thank you for showing us your bags, they are a delightful shape and colour – with such unique designs like this they are surely a talking point with anyone who sees them. 

‘Here is an embroidered box I made after I attended the online Lady Anne’s Needlework Festival, which was expertly organised by Phillipa and Laura Turnbull during lockdown. The class was ‘Elizabethan Moth’ by Zinaida Kazban.’

‘Since I can’t afford a new house with more walls for hanging things… I decided to use it as a lid for a fabric-covered box. Following the guidance in Heather Lewis’ excellent book RSN: Embroidered Boxes, I ended up with this result.’

Lynn, this is a wonderful solution for showcasing your finished embroidery after running out of wall space! Your embroidered moth is superb and the construction for your box has been expertly done. It looks like you’re all set to store some great treasures.

Have you stitched a gift for a loved one? Have you tried a Richelieu design? Or have you had to come up with construction solutions for lack of wall space?

Whatever you are stitching, we’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com