Hi <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Embroidery News Issue 16.

We have two big announcements to share with you this week in Embroidery News. They are big because they have both been a long time coming and now finally, the wait is over!

NEW WEBSITE FINALLY ONLINE

Our brand new website has just been launched – stitchology.com.au, and will bring everything we do together in one online store.

Stitch.ology = beautiful needlework.

Not only can you now order any available issues of Inspirations, Australian Smocking & Embroidery and Stitch Craft Create AU/NZ in print from us direct, we have also been hard at work creating a brand new library of Digital Downloads. Featuring over 100 digital patterns, for the first time ever stitchology.com.au enables you to purchase selected patterns across our entire range of magazines and books as downloadable PDF files. Over the coming months our digital library will continue to grow and you can even request a specific project or publication to be added.

Visit stitchology.com.au now and start exploring the world of beautiful needlework.

MONOGRAMS – BACK IN PRINT

What better way to utilise the new stitchology.com.au website than to pre-order your copy of Susan O’Connor’s long awaited re-print of Monograms. In Embroidery News issue 10 we hinted at a special project Susan was working on and yes, many of you guessed right! Monograms has been refreshed with a fantastic new cover and copies will be available for purchase through us direct for shipping anywhere in the world. Monograms is arriving just in time for Christmas, so, why not order online and reserve your copy today. While you’re there, why not order one for that special needleworker in your life as copies will be dispatched in early November and will make unforgettable Christmas gift. Click here to order now.

To show you just how long everyone has been waiting for Monograms to be reprinted, Mary Corbett reviewed the book last year in the hope it was to be back in stock shortly there-after.

You can read Mary’s always detailed and insightful review of the book here.

So a big thank you for everyone’s patience in waiting for this official and long overdue announcement. We promise you that it will have been worth the wait!

In the coming weeks as we count down to the release, Susan herself will give us some insight as to why she thinks this book has been so popular and share with us her favourite projects and techniques from the book.

If you haven’t received the current issue of Inspirations #87 pictured here, either your subscription has expired or maybe you haven’t joined us yet! With no minimum commitments and a simple pay per issue subscription system, you’ve got nothing to lose except beautiful. So don’t let beautiful pass you by… become a subscriber today.

Past Subscriber? If it’s been a while since you have purchased a copy of the magazine, we’d love to have you back. Inspirations continues to evolve and push the boundaries of needlework and we don’t want anyone to miss out on the stitching revolution! Why not buy a copy and see if we can entice you back?

READY TO SUBSCRIBE OR RENEW?

> Option 1 PRINT SUBSCRIPTION Simply fill in our secure online form with your details. It’s so easy and quick, you’ll be done in 5 minutes. Click Here > Option 2 DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION To purchase a digital copy of Inspirations you can buy it either through Zinio direct here or you can purchase it through the Inspirations APP which can be downloaded via the iTunes or Google Play stores, by searching ‘Inspirations Magazine’.

Current Issue - #87

> Option 3 – BY PHONE
Call us within Australia on 08 8293 8600 or from outside Australia +61 8 8293 8600 anytime and if the office is unattended, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Otherwise email anytime us at subs@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

KITS REMINDER! – If you plan on purchasing any kits from Inspirations #87, just a reminder that several of the kits were only available in limited quantities and the Meadow Bloom kit has already sold out, so to avoid disappointment purchase your kits this week by clicking here.  

15% OFF - As a subscriber you receive a 15% discount on all Inspirations kits. Don’t have the discount code?  Email us at subs@inspirationsmagazine.com.au and we’ll send it to you!

Depending on where you live and what change of season you are currently experiencing, you may be lucky enough to be enjoying Magnolia’s in bloom.

If ever there was a needle artisan who knows how to capture the beauty and stunning elegance of a Magnolia in thread, it is Trish Burr. Trish has an innate ability to create some of the world’s finest embroidered flowers and it is well worth visiting her website here to admire her work.

This week Sheila Bennett from Bowral NSW, Australia gets ‘What Are You Stitching?’ started by sharing with us her Trish Burr Magnolia project.

"This is a piece of embroidery I have just finished, it is from Trish Burr’s book ‘Finest Flowers’. I really enjoy all of her work and I can't wait to start the next piece. I have been buying your magazine since it first came out I can't wait for each new issue. Regards, Sheila Bennett"

Thank you Sheila, your version of Trish’s ‘Magnolia’ is beautiful, you have done a terrific job. If you are interested in stitching this project yourself, Trish’s ‘Magnolia’ was featured in Inspirations issue 68 and you can now purchase this pattern as a Digital Download here.

Also we have some printed copies of Issue 68 available for sale, if you are interested in buying a copy please email us at info@inspirationsmagazine.com.au Alternatively you can buy Trish’s book online here.

Magnolia by Trish Burr, Inspirations Issue #68 now available here

Another popular application for Magnolia’s other than inspiration for needlework, is as wedding flowers. Rosemary Dare from Adelaide, South Australia had a family wedding recently and shares her story about an embroidery project she took on for this special occasion:

“My project earlier this year was to design and embroider a wedding ring cushion for my son’s wedding in April. As the wedding was by the sea, I decided not to be too formal with the design. I used a piece of the fabric from the bridal dress and stitched in tone on tone: pale cafe latte.

The design included a wave for my son as he likes to surf, a spray for his wife as she is a very good single ski water skier, a dolphin as my son surfs with dolphins, a fairy penguin as they nest on an island off Victor Harbour where the wedding was held, a whale as the reception was at Whaler’s Inn and a crayfish as the bride’s father catches, cooks and gives me crayfish. The rings were secured with ribbons and I kept telling myself that 'less is more'. We were so lucky that the weather was perfect. Thank you for encouraging creative stitchers from all around the world to share what they are doing."

What an amazing amount of thought and effort you put into that ring cushion Rosemary, no doubt the happy couple appreciated the personal touch your project brought to the wedding ceremony. Well done.

From happy beginnings to a sad farewell. Mrs Ute Donaldson from Nuriootpa also in South Australia, lost her beloved German Sheppard of over 14 years and was looking for a way to honour Jager’s life with her needle and thread. This is her resolve:

"Our special mate has finally made it to the footstool. It has taken over 2 years from start to finish.

First I had to get a friend to draw a basic outline of the dog from a photo (I can’t draw very well!), then I had a problem finding the exact colours I needed. He was a labour of love and a very special dog as he was with us for fourteen and a half years. Now I'm working on a Jenny McWhinney design ‘bunnies in my garden’ for our third granddaughter. I’m hoping to get all 12 panels done by her 1st birthday in November. Regards Ute."

Ute we love your creativity in celebrating Jager’s life with your beautifully embroidered footstool. Brilliant job and good on you for persevering to get the job done.

To finish off this week we shift from thread painting to a highly specialised form of raised embroidery. Ann Stalley has sent in this terrific story about her passion for Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery.

Greetings from Lincoln, UK. I am a member of the Lincolnshire Branch of the Embroiderers Guild and the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild (BDEIG). My special interest is dimensional embroidery and about one year ago I enter the amazing world of Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery (BE).

I developed a love for the 'Z' twist Rayon threads manufactured by the EdMar Co. and the beautiful floral designs used in BE. The journey was lonely at the onset as BE is not widely stitched in England. I am self-taught from books and mentorship by members of BDEIG. Over the months I have gained transatlantic friends with the aid of Facebook and Skype.

We stitch together and share experiences and ideas. Locally I have set up a group of ladies who are interested in BE, the addiction is spreading.

I enjoy designing my own work and stitching designs by professional BE designers from the United States of America. My first picture is of an illuminated letter A which was designed by myself and is a hybrid using goldwork, dimensional and Brazilian Dimensional techniques. The second picture, designed and stitched by me, is a pin keep in BE.

My third piece is a Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery called 'Oriental Poppies' worked by me using EdMar Rayon and designed by Jinx Shearer. I hope that this short post demonstrates a few of the types of embroidery that I have been doing and that it will be of interest to you and your readers. Ann Stalley."

Thank you Ann, what an amazing journey you have been on to learn such a niche technique and good on you for using technology to forge a long distance community. We can certainly see that all the hours of hard work have paid off because your Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery is stunning. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Now fellow stitchers… how about sharing with us your story? It might be as epic as Ann or as simple as a small piece for yourself or a friend. However basic or complex, small or large, we’d love to share in the joy of your needlework.

Send us your photos, details about your project, where you live and a little about yourself to: embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Last week we said farewell to our friend and photographer Andrew Dunbar after he lost his battle with cancer. Andrew was the talented photographer who made the pages of Inspirations sing every issue. He first started his journey with Country Bumpkin shooting the many wonderful portraits in Australian Smocking and Embroidery and continued to work on the award winning books and publications including Inspirations right up until only weeks before his passing.

The success of these publications was largely due to the wonderful imagery which was carefully crafted each issue and which Country Bumpkin became renowned for.

It is hard to put into words what a loss Andrew will be to our world.

As well as his commercial work he was a superb artist and was part of creating one of the most well known body art collections 'New Body of Art' with Anthony Chiappin in the early 90's. His body piercing imagery and curating of historic Cuban photographers for a touring exhibition made headlines internationally.

He had an extraordinary generosity of spirit and spent many, many months working on projects that were purely philanthropic including portraits of Kenyan orphans and Elders of the APY Lands. Andrew was a private soul, never taking public thank you's and shying from the limelight, he opened his studio to many young artists and photographers and always had time for them or to sit down and chat. This is what we will miss the most, the time spent with him in the studio and on location and his stories about his adventures all over the world with all the wonderful characters he has met and photographed. He inspired all of us to always strive for perfection, to look at the world differently and most importantly to keep an open mind and heart.

You will be missed Andrew, it was a privilege to work with you and call you our friend. You will live on through your wonderful work and we will continue to be inspired by the amazing legacy of images we all look at every day.

What: The Embroiders’ Art
Where: Estuary Arts Centre – 214A Hibiscus Coast Highway, Orewa, New Zealand
When: 10 to 27 Sep (0900 to 1600 & 27 Sep 0900 to 1400)
Details: ANZEG Northern North Island Regional Biennial Exhibition showcasing over 100 exhibits interpreting the themes ‘Beneath the Surface’ & ‘The Strange Case of the Missing Stitch’.
Contact: trish_hughes@clear.net.nz

What: Nelson Embroiderers’ Guild What a Weekend Embroidery Workshops
When: 25 to 27 Sep
Where: Waimea College, Richmond, New Zealand
Details: Click here

What: Smocking Arts Guild of NSW Monthly Meeting
When: 1 Oct (1st Thursday of each Month, excluding January) @ 10:00 am or 7:00 pm
Where: Dence Park Community Centre – 26 Stanley Road Epping NSW
Details: Click here & Sandra on 0417 431 387

What: The Fabric of India
When: 3 Oct to 10 Jan
Where: Victoria & Albert Museum, London UK
Details: Click here.

What: MAIWA Textile Symposium
Where: Vancouver, BC Canada
When: Sep | Oct | Nov
Details: Click here

Send us details about events, exhibitions and celebrations happening in your place of stitch and we’ll include them in Embroidery News. Contact us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Happy Stitching
The Embroidery News Team