Carol Sylvester

‘Thought you might like to see a project that has been 10+ years in the making. Hedebo Starburst is a kit I purchased from Jette Roy Finley YEARS ago at an EGA seminar. I started it, with the wrong thread, started over, miscounted, started over, couldn't make sense of the directions... put it away.

I picked it up again at the start of 2024 with the intention of finishing it, and after 18 months of focused and almost exclusive work, I can finally say it is done.’

‘Hedebo has elements of pulled thread, drawn thread and Hardanger, so anyone familiar with these techniques should be able to do it. Starburst will be entered in my local county and state fairs, and I have high hopes for ribbons...’

A short while after first submitting this project, Carol provided us with an update:

‘Since I sent my initial email, I'm happy to report that this project won a blue ribbon (first place) and the grand champion ribbon at my county fair, and a blue ribbon and a guild sponsored award as the best drawn/pulled thread project at the Minnesota State Fair.

So my hope for ribbons was achieved!

Now, on to other projects that have been in my stash for years. Maybe it's time to tackle the 25+ year old counted cross stitch project that is sitting on my needlework frame...’

What a fantastic update Carol! All your trial, error and hard work certainly paid off with your stunning finished piece, but your ribbons and awards are certainly the cherry on top. What a wonderful lesson in persistence and the value of revisiting a challenge, with a little more experience behind you.

Marianne Chivell

‘I have included a photo of one of Trish Burr's kits Bumblebee, which is what I am working on at the moment.’

Marianne has since shared the following update:

‘Here is a photo of the finished version of the Bumblebee.’

How wonderful to see your finished piece, Marianne. Your bumblebee came together beautifully, and it’s terrific to see all the work you’ve put in since your progress image. Keep up the excellent work.

Gail Kilian

‘Thought I would share Ophelia my Parham Owl Étui from Enchanted Embroidery! What a fabulous time I had with my friend Jackie Ayres as we created our owls together.

Jenny Adin-Christie has excellent directions and we wondered how it was actually going to be put together, but it ended up being the easiest part of this magical bird!!

Next up on our list is the Peacock Étui. Many thanks to all the creative women who keep our body, minds and hands busy!’

Gail, what a wonderful accomplishment; Ophelia is stunning. You have certainly done Jenny’s magnificent design proud, and we have no doubt your Peacock Etui will be just as gorgeous. We’re so pleased you chose to share this with us and would love to see your Peacock once done.

Have you recently re-attempted a project and found success the second time around? Have you finished a work in progress since it was featured in What Are You Stitching? Or have you recreated any of the magical projects from Enchanted Embroidery?

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