Carolee Withee

‘We just had a lovely snowstorm here in Maine, USA, and I sat here with my hand sewing and enjoyed the beautiful country scene. An unknown woman 100 years ago, maybe during a similar snowstorm, sat with her tatting, making six shade pulls; early in the last century, shade pulls were not a necessity, but certainly a desired, decorative touch in one’s interior design.’

‘This wall quilt is the latest in my series of ‘Displaying Our Grandmothers’ Needlework’ and features five of those vintage shade pulls. The size is 105cm x 140cm (42” x 55”) and the title is ‘Victorian Windows’.’

‘The Kitchen: I grew up using an old fashioned wood burning cook stove like this one. It is painted with acrylic paint, as is the apple pie on the fabric tablecloth, and all floorboards are coloured with Shiva Paintsticks.’

The Dining Room: The flowers are silk ribbon embroidery, and the pictures on the wall are from my ancestor photos with the gold edgings crocheted and glued on.’

‘The Bedroom: The bedspread is a scrap of crocheted doily over padding, and there is a fabric carpet here instead of exposed floorboards.’

‘The Library: The bookshelf is a mixture of paint, coloured pencils and inks, and the painted rocking chair has a stuffed pillow.’

‘The Sewing Room: The Singer Sewing Machine and the cabinet are painted, then appliqued, the scissors are a purchased trinket and the fabric is rolled.’

The Attic: From the attic window a black cat watches, made with wool felting. Around the attic window and along the roof line are vintage crocheted edgings.’

‘I like the effects of mixed media to create a scene.

Painting on fabric and different embroidery techniques are my favourite tools for creating realistic objects

I love that size relationships and perspectives can be manipulated and can be subordinate to the design. My experiences in Crazy Quilting allow me to stitch a daisy that’s smaller than a ladybug!’

I also like the opportunities to keep adding MORE! Should I embroider a wreath on the door… add a picture on the library wall… maybe some flowers or photos on the bedroom bureau… probably a few more ostrich ferns along the foundation… when do I stop?’

Thank you so much for inspiring us as we continue our stitching journey. There are so many new designs, techniques and colour combinations to learn about, with great enjoyment!’

Carolee, what a beautiful wall quilt with a fascinating historical backstory. Each of your panels is beautifully stitched, and your use of multiple mediums creates a visually striking effect. We have no doubt all the back and forth around when to finally declare a project ‘finished’ will resonate widely with our community. Thank you for inspiring us with your beautiful piece.

Helene Gordon

‘I am self-taught and have been embroidering for years. I hand painted porcelain for many years, have quilted and appliquéd, hand painted on silk and dabbled in watercolour, incorporating some watercolour backgrounds into my embroidery where the design lends itself accordingly.

I often enrol in European Embroidery Academies to ‘learn from scratch’ to arrive at a higher skill level. I find the review and knowledge of the basics very important, and challenging my skills as an embroiderer has helped me vastly improve the quality of my stitching and embroidery.

I wanted to share a piece I recently finished, a canvas purchased through Di van Niekerk. It was purchased after studying the piece, and I decided to focus on the floral and ‘straw’ looking elements of the design using silk thread and ribbons.’

‘Silk ribbon embroidery is one of my favourites, as I love anything silk related.

I will admit, I am a bit like a child in a candy shop when it comes to silk ribbons and textured embellishment thread for my pieces - they’re so much fun!’

I used a ‘straw’ silk for the hat and veggie basket and the flower bouquet string, and while these were all done with the same straw silk, it produced a texture that appears unique to each of the elements. I then used hand-dyed silk ribbons in various sizes for the floral bouquet, the wall of overhanging flowers and the veggies in the basket.’

Your practise across the creative disciplines is on full display here Helene, with beautiful stitching and an impressive skill for using one thread to create multiple textures throughout the piece. Your approach of always wanting to review and build your knowledge is admirable; keep up the terrific work.

Sarah Craig

_‘I made this bag for my mum from a Vervaco Secret Stitch Along I did last year (I didn't know I could fit in so many stitches each week and still live life!). I have been constantly stitching something since I was 16 years old. I love it.’ _

‘This one was done with a Stitch Along in the Love Embroidery magazine. Making gifts for people forces me to think about their interests and practical needs when I am deciding what to make. Then I have to think of something new that fits those criteria. It can be a challenge, but a very enjoyable one.’

‘I had always stuck with canvas work and cross-stitch patterns until more recent years, when I tried embroidery and really loved it. Candlewicking is a style I recommend for people who like seeing results fast, to keep their interest and motivation going. The green bag and hussif are done with candlewicking; I combined multiple patterns from the books I own.’

‘The sympathy card was a collection of embroidery styles I gathered from all over. Rosemary for remembrance, marigold for grief and periwinkle for tender recollections. The pattern for the periwinkles came out of an Inspirations magazine.’

‘I attempted stumpwork last year too, plums on the door wreath for a friend. The photos don't do it justice...’

‘Thank you for printing your wonderful magazine. Living in New Zealand, it is difficult to get good quality craft magazines regularly.’

What a gorgeous collection of pieces, Sarah. Your embroidery is consistently impressive across multiple techniques and projects, and you effortlessly combine patterns and designs to make your own unique pieces. Your creativity and consideration when making gifts for others is incredibly thoughtful; your loved ones are very lucky recipients of your skill and generosity.

Have you stitched a design honouring vintage needlework? Do you have a favourite technique or thread type to work with? Or do you enjoy creating unique and personalised gifts for your loved ones?

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