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ISSUE 140, June 1 2018
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INSPIRATIONS. ALL Stitched Up!
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Hi There,
There’s something about seeing the work of your hands come to life.

Whether it be in the kitchen, the garden or the sewing room, there’s something about seeing the fruit of your labour, the end result that becomes a tangible expression of the time and talent you’ve poured into a project.

Sometimes the fruit of our labour is fleeting, as is the case in our kitchens when the results of our efforts are often consumed in less time than it took to produce them!
The fruit of our needles and threads, however, is likely to endure far longer than the hours we poured into them.
If you’re a prolific stitcher, the amount of ‘fruit’ you’ve accumulated over your stitching journey may well now exceed the size of the ‘bowl’ you have to store it in!

Now what? It’s time to think outside the frame.

Enjoying the fruit of our stitching by hanging it on our walls is one way, but what about finding practical ways to finish our pieces so we’re able to see the work of our hands brought to life as it makes the everyday items around us more beautiful?

We think that’s exactly what our lives are calling out for and this issue of All Stitched Up! helps point us in the direction of practical ways to use our stitching that will allow us the pleasure of seeing the works of hands regularly as we go about each of our days.
  
World of Needlework
Free Spirit
The following is an extract from the article published in Inspirations Issue 96, written by Ansie van der Walt.

“I love poetry and relate to it, not by quoting lines in my work, but through the inspiration that is offered by the free spirit of poets.” Free spirit describes Tilleke Schwarz’s embroidery perfectly. Whimsical and playful yet intelligent and clever, her work keeps the viewer intrigued and involved. There is always something more to discover and think about.
Tilleke is a Dutch artist with a special affinity for cats, textiles and words, in no particular order. Most of her work includes all three of these elements, and a whole lot more. “I am inspired and influenced by American pop art, Dutch traditional samplers, daily life, cats, flowers, mass media, the FLUXUS art movement, poetry, and the oddities of life. Actually, anything that moves intrigues me.”
Tilleke creates embroidered works of art which grow over the few months it takes her to complete a piece. Her work is a conglomeration of images, words, ideas, doodles and stories collected from the media, nature, art, and... life. She usually selects a few items to start working on and will add more as her work progresses.
“The items I select somehow speak to me because I find them interesting, moving, intriguing or surprising.”
Tilleke’s work always starts with the fabric. She only uses one kind of linen, an evenweave 50-count fabric made in Weddigen, Germany. She works in a range of threads, which she buys on her travels all across the world. Her collection of more than 2000 different threads is neatly organised by colour and consists of silk, cotton, rayon, metal threads, embroidery floss and sewing threads.
She uses mainly simple stitches like cross stitch, couching, running stitch and has recently started adding small pieces of appliqué to her work. Just like her affinity for text and poetry, Tilleke is also drawn to the ordered nature of traditional cross stitch samplers and often includes pieces of more structured counted stitching in her work.
“My work contains a narrative element. Not really complete stories with a beginning, a storyline and an end, but rather narrative structures used as a form of communication with the viewer. The viewer is invited to decipher connections or to create them. By assembling the stories and producing chronological and casual structures, the viewer might step into the role of the author, and it becomes a kind of play between the viewer and the artist.”

Tilleke refers to her artwork as ‘maps of modern life’ that look like finely stitched graffiti. A kind of visual poetry. Maps, graffiti and poetry – the perfect lexicon for a free spirit.
  
Needlework News
Inspirations Calendar – June Project
Take a moment and think back to the goals you had in mind for 2018. Now have a look at the date. Eeeek! Yes, it’s June already, but we have good news for you. Firstly, we’re not quite half way through 2018 yet, so with 4 weeks left before half time, let’s hustle and make June count!
The other good news is the June project on the Inspirations calendar is sure to brighten up your day and spring you into action!

‘Spring Delight’ by Margaret Light from Inspirations #91 is a beautiful dogwood wreath stitched with crewel wools on linen twill and is now available to purchase as a digital pattern.
 
DIGITAL PATTERN
Spring Delight
 
More AS&E #79 & #82
‘Blue Heaven’ by Kathleen Barac– AS&E 79
This week for your stitching and smocking pleasure, we’ve added some more back copies of Australian Smocking & Embroidery magazine to our website.
If you’re looking for some dresses to make that are as pretty as a picture – AS&E 79 is for you. With 3 projects for bubs, 4 projects for little ladies and a project for adults, everyone will be looking picture perfect.
Kids are going to LOVE the projects in AS&E #82, with helicopters for the boys and fairy princesses and dolls for the girls, plus much more.
Embroidering the Great Masters
For much of history, there has been a division between ‘art’ and ‘craft’ with the latter often regarded as the poor cousin. Recently popular and historical ‘art’ by the Great Masters have been re-created in ‘craft’ using the needle and thread.
Self Portrait by Vincent Van Gogh as interpreted by embroidery artist Ezgi Pamir (Source)
These types of translations help to ensure that needleworker and artist can be viewed as one and the same, plus help bridge the art vs craft divide. Could it be in the near future, famous painters re-create our needlework designs with their paintbrush, rather than vice versa?
Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci as embroidered by Jamie Chalmers (Source)
To read more about painted masterpieces reimagined as embroidery, check out the Modern Met piece by Sara Barnes HERE.
Featured Project
Picture This by Elisabetta Sforza
The digital camera has revolutionised the way we capture life here on Earth. There are now more photographs being taken every single day, than existed in total less than 30 years ago. Yet despite this exponential increase in photos, it seems the art of displaying and showing physical prints of our precious memories is being lost… until now.
Elisabetta Sforza has created the most beautiful keepsake for those of us who prefer to admire our photos in print, rather than just on a computer screen.
‘Picture This’ from Inspirations #98 is a wonderfully ornate, hand-crafted and embroidered zig-zag photo album. This ideal home for treasured photographs is made using folded water-colour paper pages stitched together along one edge and book ended with a silk back cover and an exquisite stitched front cover.
Featuring Elisabetta’s trademark raised satin stitch work in combination with some bullion and cast on stitch roses, threadpainted elements and a pulled thread inlay, Picture This is the perfect keepsake for wedding, christening, anniversary photos etc.
We especially like Elisabetta’s use of honeycomb filling stitch to create a wonderfully subtle, elegant background for the high-relief oval.
This pulled thread technique creates a pretty lattice as the tension of the pulled stitching causes the vertical stitches to lie on the diagonal.

To complete the album, twisted cords, finished with decorative tassels, are used to tie it all together at the sides.
The album as shown in the magazine holds 12 prints, 15cm x 10cm (6” x 4”) in size, and as the pages are folded in half and then bound with stitching, you can easily add or remove pages to suit.
If you are looking to create a unique gift for an upcoming special occasion, Picture This is definitely worth considering as the construction is quite straight forward and both the amount of stitching and level of difficulty is not overly onerous.
Who would have thought putting together a photo album would become old fashioned? That said, there are plenty of things the modern era is ‘re-discovering’ and as there is nothing quite like presenting your precious photos in a beautiful hand-crafted album, we think a project like Picture This is new fashion in the making.
Make Your Own Picture This
Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions

Picture This by Elisabetta Sforza is a handmade zigzag photo album featuring a delicate frame with pulled thread embroidery and a spray of roses.
 
PRINTED MAGAZINE
Inspirations Issue 98
 
 
DIGITAL PATTERN
Picture This
 
Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit

The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Picture This includes everything you need to re-create this stunning photo album: Fabrics (unprinted), wadding, water-coloured paper, mount card, embroidery threads and needles.
 
READY-TO-STITCH KIT
Picture This
 
  
Looking for More Elisabetta Sforza or Picture Frames?
Love Letters
Love Letters by Elisabetta Sforza from Inspirations #89 features an elegant floral monogram on a pristine linen cushion.
 
DIGITAL PATTERN
Love Letters
 
Secret Possessions
Secret Possessions by Elisabetta Sforza from A Passion for Needlework is a beautiful monogram surrounded by flowers on a linen sachet.
 
PRINTED BOOK
A Passion for Needlework
 
Forever and Ever
Forever and Ever by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations #26 is a special needlepoint picture frame with surface embroidery.
 
DIGITAL PATTERN
Forever and Ever
 
What Are You Stitching?
The week’s What Are You Stitching? rounds up the work of the stitchers who have indeed thought outside the frame and chosen to display the fruit of their labours in practical, yet beautiful ways!
Bag | Elisabeth Lebedel
‘I live in France near Nantes and I have been embroidering since I was eight years old, having learnt from my grandmother. Although I stopped stitching for a long time as I spent my career teaching, I have now returned to making many different things with needles and thread.’
Elisabeth, the hours you’ve poured into stitching make your bag a worthy addition to anything your wardrobe holds!
Cushion | Heidi Aurich
‘A few months ago, my son chided me for not having a project in process. I do love all kinds of handwork, but there can be long, dry periods between such activities. His phone call was the instigation I needed to start work on ‘Sitting Pretty’ that I had just fallen in love with in my weekly All Stitched Up email!
I didn't need a seat cover, but a throw pillow can always come in handy, so that's what it became. The pattern called for dark blue Aida Cloth, but the tiny shop near me didn't have any, however after some scrounging, I discovered they had one lone piece of even weave natural colored linen, and, with the warm, red Perlé Cotton, the end result fits much better in our home's color scheme.
The Kogin Embroidery works up surprisingly quickly, but the piece sat for a while as I contemplated just how to make the pillow. As is usual with me, it didn't end up looking the way I pictured it, and elements were changed mid-stream, but it is now a comfortable addition to the living room.
Thanks so much for all the inspiration – oh, I guess that's why you have your name!’
Heidi, the phone call from your son inspired precise and beautiful stitching and your finished cushion is the epitome of thinking outside the ‘frame’ - you worked with the materials you could put your hands to, in a colour scheme that suited your home and then finished the piece into something you would find useful.
Firescreen | Tina Pedrick
‘Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you for your very inspiring magazine and newsletter! Like most people I can remember having sewing lessons at school learning the basic stitches of running, chain and blanket stitch and then making a gingham apron.

The next stitching memory I have is doing tapestry kits using tent, long and short stitch that had been given to me as a child. After many years and many stitching experiences, I went to one of the first stitching shows held in London and tried my hand at Bobbin Lace - I was hooked! I have recently finished a peacock worked in silk threads and had it mounted as a fire screen.’
Tina, your peacock is complex and intricate, we love that you found such a creative and unique way to put your many hours of hard work with bobbin and thread to such good use!
Wine Bottle Waistcoat | Tina Pedrick
‘I have recently adapted the wine bag ‘Late Harvest’ from Inspirations #95 into a waistcoat for a bottle of wine.
This came about because many moons ago I made a cross stitched waistcoat for my husband and since then he has always expressed a wish for a waistcoat to go on a bottle of wine. Having reduced the size of the design, it was too small to use crewel wool, so I used embroidery threads instead.’
Tina, we love that you took inspiration from Anna Scott’s Late Harvest and adapted it to make your husband’s wish come true! What a practical and fun way to make use of the time and talent you’ve poured into your stitching.

Have you thought outside the frame and created something practical with your needle and thread? We’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created along with a few details about your stitching journey to date to news@inspirationsstudios.com
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This is very special, look at all the detail.
 
Just beautiful!
  
Quote
Adapt what is useful, reject what is useless and add what is specifically your own.
~ Bruce Lee ~
What's On
NOW TO 24 JUN
The Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries
Art Gallery of NSW | Upper Asian Gallery
Art Gallery Road, The Domain, Sydney
NOW TO 26 AUG
Jan Taminiau | Reflections Exhibition
A major exhibition on the work of Jan Taminiau

Centraal Museum
Agnietenstraat 1, 3512 XA Utrecht, The Netherlands
9 TO 24 JUN
Affinity | Cross Currents
Zig Zag Gallery
50 Railway Road, Kalamunda WA
Glen Hall | 0419 931 676
 
16 TO 23 JUN
50th Anniversary Exhibition
The Embroiderers’ Guild of Queensland
149 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley QLD info@embroiderersguildqld.org.au or 07 3252 8629
 
20 TO 24 JUN | CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Point of Stitch
The Embroiderer’s Guild NSW

Craft and Quilt Fair Sydney 2018
International Convention Centre, Sydney
29 JUN TO 2 JUL
Alice Springs Beanie Festival
INSPIRATIONS
© 2018 Inspirations Studios

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