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The countdown to the end of 2019 is well and truly on and we don’t know about you, but there are days we’re feeling a tad weary as the hustle and bustle of the year that’s been catches up with us!
Just as we felt the weariness sweep over us, the Sep/Oct issue of Needlepoint Now arrived and in it, Coni Rich’s ‘Down the Rabbit Hole’ article had just the antidote.
Finding she had 11 full days to herself, Coni set about doing what she wanted whenever she wanted to do it. This included eating according to her appetite and putzing about - engaging in inconsequential or unproductive activity - in her apartment wearing clothes that hadn’t seen the light of day in some time. Playing music too loudly, watching romantic comedy movies on an endless loop, but perhaps most importantly stitching into the wee hours each morning.
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This freedom from her everyday got her thinking about what a formalized ‘Stitcherpringa’ or Stitching Retreat would look like.
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After going into endless detail upon detail about the luxury of such an escape, we found ourselves doing a little bit of blue sky dreaming about what our own stitching retreat would look like.
For some of us, it was an overseas affair as we dreamt of stitching for seemingly endless hours in transit on the way to an exotic location. For others, it was a quick weekend getaway where the ‘pressure’ of just a couple of days to indulge our love of needle and thread would keep us focused on the task at hand. Whilst for several of us, it was simply setting aside a time and place at home we could retreat to each and every day to indulge our passion, no matter the whirlwind circling around us.
What about you, what is your ideal stitching sanctuary? No matter how practical or fanciful it may be, email news@inspirationsstudios.com, we can’t wait to hear from you! |
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World Needlework Convention | Hawaii 2021
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It’s no secret that at Inspirations Studios we’re all about publishing the world’s most beautiful needlework. It’s also no secret that at Needlework Tours, run by Simon and Maureen Laughlin, they’re all about taking people who love needlework to some of the most beautiful locations in the world to stitch.
Imagine what would happen if both companies partnered to take some of the world’s most beautiful needlework to some of the world’s most beautiful places in the world, and you could join them?!
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In 2021 that’s exactly what’s happening, and it’s called the World Needlework Convention.
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We’d love you to be part of history as together we meet in Hawaii for the inaugural World Needlework Convention 25th April to 3rd May 2021.
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What can you expect?
Hosted over 9 wonderful days and based out of the fabulous 5-star Prince Hotel in beautiful downtown Waikiki, this will be a truly special event. Needlework Tours are bringing together some of the best tutors from around the world to teach exquisite projects in this exquisite location.
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Prince Waikiki Hotel
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By day we stitch and learn, by night we are treated to presentations by needlework super stars like Michele Carragher, head embroiderer from Game of Thrones, Margaret Lee, ambassador for traditional Chinese & Japanese Embroidery and Fiona Wemyss, authority on historic Scottish & English embroidery.
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Game of Thrones costumes by Michele Carragher
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Then there’s the touring… take in the stunning local sights including Pearl Harbor, the Jurassic Park movie set, Ala Moana – one of the world’s largest shopping centres - and participate in a traditional Hawaiian luau.
Not to mention all the sumptuous food, world class hospitality, luxury accommodation… the list goes on!
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Jurassic Park Movie Set Tour
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Who should attend?
If you love the best of the best in both needlework and travel experiences, the World Needlework Convention was made just for you! For our American friends this is your chance to enjoy some famous Aussie needlework passion and infamous Aussie hospitality first-hand on your own home soil, and for everyone else this is the perfect opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful places in the world.
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Needlework Tours are even offering an optional ‘Convention Extension’ cruise after the convention sailing on the Celebrity Solstice leaving directly from Honolulu onto beautiful Vancouver, BC Canada.
Whether you are travelling by yourself, in a group, with your significant other, or even as a family, there is something for everyone.
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At the heart of the event, the World Needlework Convention is all about taking your love of needle and thread to a whole new level. We’re super excited about it and can’t wait to see you in Hawaii in 2021. For more information and to register, visit www.needleworktours.com.au
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Inspirations Calendar | December Project
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When one adventure ends, it simply means we can look forward to a new one beginning. This week we reveal the final project featured in the 2019 Inspirations calendar, and it’s fitting that we end on a high!
‘Red Robin’ by Helen M. Stevens from Inspirations issue #67 depicts a spectacular scarlet-breasted robin as a centrepiece for a charming garland of foliage and berries. It’s a wonderfully elegant and sophisticated way of celebrating Christmas.
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The eye-catching geometry of a silvery spiderweb forms a delicate bridge between the stems of holly and ivy, with gleaming red berries nestled amongst the holly, echoing the intense colour of the red robin.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Red Robin
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Christmas Gift Pack | White Rose
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This week we’re launching our final Christmas Gift Pack for 2019 and it’s all about simplicity and class.
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There are few things in life that are as stylish and elegant as a white rose.
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And when combined with the beauty of whitework and the design brilliance of Jenny Adin-Christie, you have a truly amazing combination.
The White Rose Christmas Gift Pack is centred around the dainty ‘White Rose’ button brooch from Inspirations issue #100 which, when finished, measures 6.5cm (2 ½”) making it the perfect accessory for any outfit or even a home décor item for a dressing table etc.
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Inside the Gift Pack you will find:
1 x Ready-to-Stitch Kit for the project White Rose by Jenny Adin-Christie
1 x Printed Pattern booklet with the instructions to create the kit
1 x Nurge Size 3 (6") hoop required to complete the project
1 x Nurge Size 3 (6") hoop with deep edge also required for the project
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The individual items in this pack total over AU$157 however, as a special Christmas gift to you, the White Rose Gift Pack is only AU$95 which is less than the original price for the kit, giving you 2 x premium quality hoops and the printed pattern effectively for free!
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With only a limited number of White Rose Gift Packs available, may we suggest you get in quick so you don’t miss out?!
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Let’s Try That Again | Stitcher’s Stocking Take 2!
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Last week we got everyone all excited with the release of the Stitcher’s Stocking Gift Pack, only to discover the link we included in the newsletter didn’t work!
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For those who clicked on the Shop Now button and received the error message ‘Oops, we couldn’t find that page’ we’re pleased to report we have since found the page and put it back where it belongs!
Sorry for any frustration we caused, the good news is we still have stock left and this time the link below actually works so you can resume shopping for the Stitcher’s Stocking Gift Pack - the perfect gift for any stitcher at any time of the year, but especially at Christmas.
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Forest Floor by Kay Dennis
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The humble mushroom is a strange thing. Scientists deem it neither a plant nor an animal, rather it exists in a category of its own known as fungi. Humans have loved and feared the mushroom because, although it offers subtle, delicious flavours to the discerning palette, there are species which are so deadly that ingesting only a small amount can kill. Fungi grow on every continent of the world, including Antarctica, but the ‘good’ mushrooms – the ones that we all love to eat- require particular conditions to thrive.
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Which takes us to Paris. Paris is one city which, conscious of environmental issues but also due to cost, congestion and lack of space, has seen a serious reduction in the number of cars owned and driven on its streets.
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During the Parisian building boom in the 1960s, almost every apartment block and building was constructed with an underground car park to cater for the anticipated number of cars that growth would bring. However, in the 21st century, many of these car parks are now abandoned, sitting empty and acting as magnets for crime.
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But what has all this got to do with mushrooms? Well, one urban farm organisation realised that these abandoned spaces were perfect opportunities in waiting. With city council permission, Cyberponics set up their inner-city mushroom farms, rejuvenating these unused underground spaces and turning them into economically successful enterprises.
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Focusing primarily on white button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms, racks upon racks of carefully cultivated fungi are merrily growing in the darkened, underground spaces.
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We would encourage you to consider this amazing versatility and environmental genius when you start stitching Kay Dennis’s glorious stumpwork mushroom piece ‘Forest Floor’ from Inspirations issue #104.
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Kay has chosen to depict her mushrooms growing in the more traditional
location of a forest floor where they appear healthy and robust. It’s amazing to think their Parisian city counterparts can achieve the same results seemingly another world away.
Kay has accompanied her fungi with sparkling, beaded blackberries and lush woodland grass, something you wouldn’t find in the car park farms!
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‘Forest Floor’ incorporates a wonderful range of stitches and techniques sure to delight both the novice and expert stumpworker.
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For example, the collars of the mushrooms are worked in delicate needlelace, giving a lifelike texture.
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The grass is built up with Ghiordes knots or turkey stitch, and the blackberries themselves are realistically rendered using accurately coloured beads topped with needlewoven picots.
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This piece is a pleasure to work as you will never get bored doing the same stitch. Our favourite elements are the slightly dried blackberry leaves worked in a subtly variegated silk.
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The needleweaving, a marginally more complex stitch known as Williamson stitch, gives an almost perfect texture and complements the earthy colours of the mushrooms.
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This beautifully worked stumpwork design seems to escape from its frame when completed, demonstrating that the forest, and in particular, the fungi, can’t ever be completely confined.
Whether growing in the cold of Antarctica, the wildness of the forest or the repurposed dark of subterranean Paris, mushrooms are a fascinating part of the natural world and Kay has done a marvellous job of capturing them in needle and thread.
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Make Your Own Forest Floor
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Step 1 – Purchase Project Instructions
Forest Floor by Kay Dennis is an enchanting stumpwork scene of mushrooms and berries.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 104
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Forest Floor
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Step 2 – Purchase Ready-To-Stitch Kit
The Inspirations Ready-To-Stitch kit for Forest Floor includes everything you need to re-create this charming scene: Fabrics (unprinted), felt, interlining, wire, embroidery threads, beads and needle.
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Forest Floor
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Please Note: To cater for flexibility of purchase, instructions are not included with our kits. For step-by-step directions on how to create this project, please refer to our magazine or printed/digital patterns.
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Looking for More Mushroom & Berries?
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Fairy Dreams by Yvonne McMillan Betts from Inspirations issue #98 is an enchanting blanket for cosy days shared with a fairy friend at her toadstool house.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Fairy Dreams
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 98
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Warm Embrace by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #52 is a
delightful cream wool cashmere blanket, featuring a cuddly bunny surrounded by bright red toadstools.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Warm Embrance
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Winter Love by Lesley Turpin-Delport from Inspirations issue #44 is a stunning ring cushion with a sprig of luscious ripe blackberries.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 44
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Berry Harvest by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #49 is a delightful blanket featuring Mr Pip and Milly collecting delicious summer berries.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Berry Harvest
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Did you know that Velcro was inspired by nature?! After wondering how the tiny hooks of burs were stuck to himself and his dog, Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, invented the hook and loop fastening we’re all familiar with. Whilst they may not be as renowned as Velcro (well not yet anyway!) this week’s What Are You Stitching? contributors have taken their inspiration directly from nature as well.
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‘I have just completed this piece that was inspired by ‘The Nestlings’ from Inspirations issue #76. I completed the blue bird in 2012 on a tiny cushion but never finished it, so it sat without inspiration until recently when I cut it out, appliquéd it to my fabric and the rest then formed itself. I had great fun fashioning the nest!’
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Jane, you’re always one to apply a little creativity, ingenuity and out of the box thinking when it comes to your stitching and this piece is no exception. We love that you went from cushion to framed piece all in one simple appliqué! You’ve combined each of the elements seamlessly.
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‘I have always loved Julie Kniedl’s beautiful three-dimensional embroidery as her workmanship is simply awesome!
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I have completed at least 11 of her projects and plan on completing more.
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I purchased her book, ‘Botanica’ from you folks and it was well worth it.’
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Karen, what a spectacular collection of stitched botanicals! You’ve done an amazing job of recreating nature with needle and thread.
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‘Thought you might like to see my latest completed landscape which combines both hand and free motion machine embroidery as well as piecing.’
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‘It was inspired by a photograph from Alberta, Canada although I took the liberty of adding the Three Sisters mountains to the skyline. I wasn't sure about being able to create the car in a realistic manner, but after much thought and several false starts, it actually ended up looking good!’
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‘Thank you so much for your wonderful weekly newsletter - I always look forward to an enjoyable read and being awestruck by all the wonderful creations.’
Mary Anne, we love the texture and dimension you’ve been able to create with needle and thread. The scene you’ve pieced together is seamless and had we not been told otherwise, would have thought it had come from a single photo.
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‘I used to watch my mother doing embroidery and lots of other crafts but
I didn’t really get into embroidery until I found how de-stressing it was whilst still being present, but in my own little bubble.
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I love thread painting and have worked several birds from photos my husband has taken - it’s a way of joining his passion with mine!
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I stitched this feisty emu from a photo my husband took whilst we were travelling in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.’
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Roma, feisty is the perfect word to describe emus and you’ve captured that lively side of Australia’s largest native bird perfectly. We love that you and your husband have found a way to combine your passions and we look forward to seeing what ‘Team Crowhurst’ produce next!
Have you stitched something inspired by nature? Stitched Velcro anyone?! We’d love to see the work of your hands! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com
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Subscribe to Inspirations Magazine
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Not a Subscriber? Join Today!
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Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!
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Snow Blossom by Catherine Laurençon depicts dainty, white edelweiss in gently-shaded threadpainting.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 104
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Snow Blossom
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Snow Blossom
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Still Life with Flowers by Helen Eriksson from Inspirations issue #89 is a sumptuous bowl of flowers worked with silk ribbon.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Still Life with Flowers
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Reflections by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #69 is a superb floral embroidered mirror frame.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Reflections
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 69
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Simple Pleasures by Maree Moscato from Inspirations issue #19 is a beautiful table runner featuring a tulip, daffodil, bluebells and violets.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Simple Pleasures
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Kakisubata by Margaret Lee from Inspirations issue #74 is an elegant and refined Japanese embroidery study worked in lustrous silk.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Kakisubata
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 74
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How amazing is this?! By Trish Burr
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How much fun would it be to stitch this little guy? Just love the look on his face!
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‘We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.’
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~ Anonymous ~
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Stay informed of upcoming needlework events taking place all around the world in our new What’s On page on the Inspirations Studios Website HERE.
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If you’re holding an event or would like to suggest one to be added, we’d love to hear about it. Email us the details at news@inspirationsstudios.com
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© 2019 Inspirations Studios
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