Rhonda Robertson

‘The task I set for myself was to do an embroidery that my granddaughter could keep forever. After much thinking I decided on blackwork.

This would be a huge challenge for me as I had only ever done a few plain blackwork pieces so shading was going to stretch my limitations.

I am so over the moon with my end result; this is Lyvia getting ready to head off to her first high school ball.’

Wow! What a stunning piece Rhonda. This will absolutely be cherished by your granddaughter for many years to come. There are so many clever creative choices you’ve made here from your stitch selections, thread colours and we love the addition of the red cord to tie the dress. You have totally nailed both the brief and the nuance of shading in blackwork. We all concur - this is a very ‘over the moon’ worthy result. Well done.

Lyn Roberts

‘I rediscovered my joy of stitching when I retired about 7 years ago. Since then I have loved learning new techniques, working together with other stitchers and creating items both challenging and fun. I have particularly liked making things for my granddaughter, with her enthusiastic input - mostly verbal!’

‘The tracing of her hands has become a lovely memento and she loved her denim jacket having chosen the design herself. Alternating these kinds of projects with more sophisticated & difficult ones provides a great balance.’

Lyn, it certainly seems like you’ve had quite the return to the world of stitching! Welcome back. How special that your granddaughter provides input to your designs; she is so lucky to have someone like you in the family. Your designs are wonderfully creative and your techniques and finishes are excellent. Your approach to learning new techniques, valuing collaboration and balancing both fun and more challenging projects is so good to hear about and an encouragement to us all. Keep up the incredible work.

Valerie Ciliberti

‘The background of this piece is a photograph of some cracked sidewalk paving stones that I printed onto cloth using my inkjet printer. I then did my stitching - accentuating the moss and some of the cracks and adding flowers and grasses.’

What a creative piece Valerie, and a wonderful reminder that inspiration is all around us. The way you’ve designed your stitching around the cracks and natural moss adds visual interest and harmony, and your embroidered flowers are nothing short of delightful. This is a wonderful piece, and we’re so pleased you chose to share this with us.

Have you recently stitched a sentimental design? Do you enjoy creating pieces in collaboration with a loved one? Or have you found inspiration in unsuspecting places?

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