Hi <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Embroidery News Issue 17. It’s official… we can’t keep up! Firstly thank you to everyone who supported us by visiting our new website www.stitchology.com.au last week, we’ve had an amazing response. ‘Wow!! Love the new and so improved web pages!’ Belinda Sweeney ‘Fantastic!! Love the new look. Always inspiring.’ Linda Camp Now you can get all our needlework publications in one spot, plus select from over 100 digital patterns for instant download, with more publications being adding every week. If you did email us regarding the new website and are still waiting for a response, thank you for your patience, we promise we’ll get back to you ASAP!

The news Inspirations photographer Andrew Dunbar passing generated some really heart felt responses, so thank you for everyone’s condolences & support during this difficult time, it means a lot.

On a lighter note, Laura, Susan & Jenny have been enjoying hosting all our special guests on the Mekong Masterclass cruise, photos of which will be forthcoming.

The current issue of Inspirations #87 continues to thrill and amaze all our readers – do you have your copy yet? If not you can now order single copies here. Our Christmas Issue #88 will be released in only a short 4 weeks, so we’ll start teasing you with sneak peek images next week.

Our subscription manager Sue is away this week on a well-earned holiday, all the while Ellaine has been crazy busy getting all the step by steps ready for issue #89 photography.

Finally all your cheers of ‘Hooray’ were heard the world over when we announced the reprint of Susan’s book ‘Monograms’. Orders are off and racing, so if you want to ensure you receive this highly praised and sought after book in time for Christmas, reserve your copy here. All this and we haven’t even talked about what’s in this week’s Embroidery News… guess you’ll just have to read on to find out!

Enjoy…

Do you have something you can share with the Inspirations community? We’d love to hear from you, please email us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Our recent ‘Destination Needlework’ conversation went a bit quiet as we were yet to receive some help for Kathy with her upcoming trip to Barcelona, Spain. If you missed her shout out in Embroidery News Issue 15, it’s not too late - we’d love you to join in & tell us your go-to Destination Needlework locations for Barcelona or maybe even Spain in general.

This week Gillian Gavshon is hoping someone will join in on the conversation by suggesting how she can remove creases from a wool cot blanket she recently completed.

Gill’s blanket – ‘The Loved Ones’ by Jan Norman - is from all the way back in Inspirations Issue #09. Even though Gill washed her hands each time she worked on it, she found the edges were a little grubby upon completion. Gill washed the woolen blanket according to the instructions, but even after drying it flat & giving it a light iron, creases remain. We’d love to help Gill restore her blanket to its pristine condition so all her hard work to date can be admired as it should be.

Please email us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au & we’ll pass your suggestions onto not only Gill herself, but also the whole Embroidery News Community as no doubt Gill isn’t the only embroiderer who’s ever experienced such a problem.

Do you have a problem that needs solving? Email us
embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au.

Are you looking for a needlework project to take on that will be hit with the kids? Can’t find the right outfit to sew? The right blanket to stitch? The right toy to create? Well we might have an answer for you- stitched books. Natalie Dupuis from London in the UK explains further…

“I love to sew children books. I just finished one am currently working another, here are some pictures of the books that I have been embroidering - one for each of my young children. It is this project from France - Click here.

The fabric has the images already printed on it and I am embellishing the pictures to make them have a nice texture for the kids to touch when reading them. I had fun trying to imagine which stitches I could use to make the pictures come to life. A great project for a novice like me.

I used lots of satin stitch, whipped back stitch, split back stitch, french knots and a few others as well. The fabric panels for the books come from a shop in France - Click here“

Thank you Natalie, no doubt your kids will love reading these books with you and when they see normal printed books they’ll probably wonder why they aren’t stitched all fancy like yours at home!

Speaking of fancy stitched books, Penguin have a collector’s range of books called ‘Penguin Threads’.

What makes these books special is the creative director of Penguin had this idea of re-creating some of their classic titles with new cover artwork using Embroidery. The project was commissioned and each cover was beautifully hand stitched which really brings the designs life in a new dimension and gives them an amazing rich texture.

You can read more about the ‘Penguin Threads’ series here and there is even a video which explains more of the story behind the project.

Still on the subject of stitched books, Lisa Leggett won a prize in the Feeling Stitchy website ‘Covered in Stitches’ contest. Lisa did an amazing job recreating the cover of the book ‘Wynken, Blynken and Nod’ using her needle and thread plus some applique along the way, and the end result is terrific. Thanks to www.feelingstitchy.com for the images.

If these projects have inspired you to try your hand at stitching a book, Jenny McWhinney has two children book projects which have been featured in Inspirations over the years. The first was in issue 39 and is called ‘Des Fleurs Pour Grandmere’ (Flowers for Grandmother).

‘Des Fleurs Pour Grandmere’ by Jenny McWhinney – Inspirations 39

The second is from issue 51 and is called ‘Monet et le Papier Jaune’ (Monet and the Yellow Paper). This project was also featured in Embroidery News Issue 13 (click here) where Beryl Ambler from South Yorkshire, UK sent in photos of her Monet book in the making.

‘Monet et le Papier Jaune’ by Jenny McWhinney – Inspirations 51

How To Purchase ‘Des Fleurs Pour Grandmere’

While Inspirations issue 39 is no longer available in print, one of the great features of our new Stitch.ology website is we can add patterns as instant digital downloads. We are working on adding ‘Des Fleurs Pour Grandmere’ (Flowers for Grandmother) shortly, so if you would like to purchase this project as a PDF file for AUD$9.99, register your interest at orders@stitchology.com.au.

How To Purchase ‘Monet et le Papier Jaune’ Printed copies of Inspirations issue 51 featuring ‘Monet et le Papier Jaune’ (Monet and the Yellow Paper) and 11 other stunning projects are still available for purchase and can be delivered anywhere in the world. Order your print copy of this magazine here.

5,000 Poppies – Federation Square, Melbourne Australia.

Last week we featured a project based on the Magnolia flower and this week we have a project which showcases poppies.

2015 was a big year for this flower as the poppy was used to celebrate the Australian ANZAC Centenary in an extraordinary project called ‘5,000 Poppies’ where a dedicated group of volunteers coordinated to have 5,000 woollen crochet poppies stitched together for a breathtaking installation in Melbourne, Australia back in April. You can read all about the project here

Susan O’Connor’s stunning project ‘Poppy’ was featured on the front cover of Inspirations Issue #85. Eleven shades of red, from the palest strawberry to the darkest ashes of roses, are used to stitch the petals of the vibrant poppies decorating the front of this superb evening bag. Worked with a single strand of silk thread onto silk satin, the vivid red forms a dynamic contrast against the black markings.

‘Poppy’ by Susan O’Connor – Inspirations 85

Adele Davis from Graceville Queensland in Australia, has also decided that 2015 is a good year to stitch some poppies. She has created a delightful project incorporating a poppy design borrowed from another Susan O’Connor piece.

Adele shares with us her back story: “The small group I belong to has be invited to fill the front display window at the Mt Ommaney Library in November. We have made small pieces with poppies to display. I borrowed two of Susan's poppies from her project ‘Elizabethan Botanicals’ from Inspirations issue 52. I am in love with issue 87 and would love to do all the things in it! Kind Regards Adele.”

Thanks Adele for both sending in your beautiful needlework and for also reminding us about Susan’s project from Inspirations issue 52 featuring poppies. Susan’s ‘Elizabethan Botanicals’ featured two thread painted masterpieces, one called ‘Pomegranate & Cornflower’ and the other ‘Poppy & Peas’. If you are interested in stitching these glorious red poppies, you can still order printed copies of Inspirations 52 here. Issue 52 contains both ‘Elizabethan Botanicals’, as well as 9 other projects.

‘Poppy & Peas’ by Susan O’Connor – Inspirations 52

The Inspirations team had the pleasure of hosting Lorraine Bradley at Beating Around The Bush in 2014. Lorraine lives in Frankston South, Victoria, Australia and has a few projects from the convention she’s been working on to share.

‘Hello, Just wanted to show you that I have finished Gail Doane's ‘Ring of Roses’ dress and ‘Bunnies ‘n’ Buttons’ jacket from 2014 Beating Around the Bush. I am so pleased with the finished garments.

I have also just now finished the Jenny McWhinney ‘Thank You For Sharing’ bag also from BATB 2014. I really enjoy the classes at BATB as they "push" me to do things I wouldn't normally consider. I learn so much. Hope to see you all at the next BATB in 2016. Thank you – Lorraine'

Terrific work Lorraine – everything looks like is just stepped out of the pages of the Beating Around The Bush catalogue! Well done for finishing all these lovely projects, you certainly made the most of your time at BATB.

HOLD THE DATE – The countdown to Beating Around The Bush 2016 is about to start. We are now only one year away. Lock in October 5th – 12th 2016, Adelaide Australia.

We do indeed hope to see you there Lorraine, along with as many of our fellow stitches as possible. More about BATB 2016 coming soon.

Are you a Gail Doane fan? Check out Gail’s online etsy shop by clicking here. Plus you can purchase her cute three piece hat, top and pants project ‘Sweet Baby Jane’ as an instant digital download here.

Are you a Jenny McWhinney fan? Purchase Jenny’s ‘Thank You For Sharing’ bag as a kit from her website here. Plus you can purchase the adorable ‘The Early Bird’ peg bag as an instant digital download here.

Our final project for this week comes from Peggy Kimble. Peggy has done a sensational job of re-creating one of her early family photos of her children, into an embroidered piece. Peggy fills us in on the story…

“I have embroidered a scene of my children having a garden party from an old 2" x 2" photo taken years ago. The project is embroidered on ecru linen using simple embroidery stitches, needleweaving and trapunto. The finished size is 12" x 13" and mounted on a background of beige suede. I thought you might like to share it in Embroidery News. Peggy.”

Thank you Peggy, your attention to detail in this garden party scene is superb - you have really captured the moment in thread beautifully.

Now here’s the most amazing part - Peggy is 92 years old and her children in the photo just celebrated their 70th, 68th & 66th birthdays. Peggy emailed in all the photos and information to us herself, showing that her age is no barrier in using technology or continuing to master the needle and thread.

Peggy – you are an inspiration to us all!

What are YOU stitching?

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

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!

Our team is thrilled to be bringing Kaffe and Brandon to Canberra on Feb 19th and to Adelaide on Mar 3rd, and to mark the occasion we have put together a fabulous night to remember.

Over his long career Kaffe has breathed new life into knitting, made needlepoint cool and put the passion back into patchwork, all through his unfettered use of extraordinary colour and pattern.  The editor of Inspirations, Susan O’Connor, interviewed Kaffe & Brandon recently and her article will be featured in the upcoming issue of Inspirations #88. Kaffe and Brandon are truly inspiring individuals and this event is one not to be missed.

For more details and to purchase tickets, please click here

We look forward to seeing you there!

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

What: Crewel | Embroidery @ Fed Square
Where: Federation Square, Melbourne Australia
When: 5 Oct
Details: Click here

What: Threaded Treasures Embroidery Exhibition
Where: Cedar Centre - 36 Baker St, Toowoomba Queensland Australia
When: 9 & 10 Oct (10.00 to 15.00)
Contact: Cheryl - cannek113@gmail.com

What: The Como Marina Craft Nook 20th Anniversary
Where: 2 Cremona Road, Como NSW Australia
When: 11th Oct
Contact: Ann - pentecosts@optusnet.com.au

What: Embroiderers’ Guild of ACT Annual Exhibition
Where: Albert Hall, Yarralumla ACT Australia
When: 11 to 12 Oct
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