Hi <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Embroidery News Issue 24.

When you think about it, as stitchers we have so much to be thankful for. While everyone has their own set of unique life challenges to navigate through, and when one considers the unrest and uncertainly in our world today, how comforting and reassuring is it to have needlework to lose ourselves in. Cathartic, creative, calming, even sometimes crazy – it has everything we need to centre ourselves or just escape for while in the divine delights of the needle and thread. Not everyone has discovered the secrets of stitching like we have… so don’t hide your light under a bushel. Pick up your needles and stitch! Stitch a gift for someone in need, stitch something practical for yourself so that every time you use it you remember how clever you are, or just stitch to bring more beauty into the world. Spread the joy of needlework as we continue to embrace the theme of the current issue of Inspirations ‘celebrate’.

This week we celebrate a wedding, celebrate a very special someone in the needlework world, Jane Nicholas and continue celebrating Christmas. Enjoy…

The Inspirations & Stitch.ology offices have been so crazy busy in recent months, we haven’t even had the chance to include any news about what we’ve been up to.

Now while this is not our news as such, we wanted to give a special shout out to long term advertisers and sponsors of Inspirations, Mark and Nadine Roger who celebrated their wedding recently. Mark and Nadine operate The Alpine Experience chalet where you can take needlework classes from Lorna Batemen, Nicola Jarvis, Jenny Aiden-Christie just to name a few, against the majestic backdrop of the French Alps. You can probably recognise their adverts from Inspirations shown here.

Mark & Nadine Roger at St Andrews Harbour, Scotland

We were so excited to hear about their wedding, we asked Mark and Nadine for some photos to include in Embroidery News, to which they graciously obliged, plus Nadine told us all about their exquisite ring cushion:

‘Here are some photos of the lovely wedding ring cushion that Mark’s mother Jackie made for us. Jackie worked with Patricia Girolami on it and even went to Perugia in Italy to spend time with Patricia to learn about the Reticello Embroidery. We think it looks amazing with both our names as well as the words ‘Love’ and ‘Amour’ embroidered on it. The colour is champagne, the same as my wedding dress.’

Congratulations to you both on getting married and kudos to Mark’s mum Jackie (who we had the pleasure of meeting at Beating Around The Bush last year) on her dedication in learning the fine art of Reticello Embroidery. The ring cushion is just stunning!

‘With This Ring’ – Inspirations 74

If you love this ring cushion as much as we do, we have some great news…. In Inspirations issue 74, we featured the project ‘With This Ring’ by Patricia Girolami which is very similar to the design Jackie made for Mark and Nadine. You can now purchase this projects as a digital download here.

In last week’s ‘Can You Help’ we finished our conversation about ‘Destination Travel Japan’ and posted our final instalment of ways to remove rust from fabric. So this week we launch two new conversations that, again, we’d love you to be a part of! But before we get there, a thank you . . . You may remember Kate Miller from Issue 18 of Embroidery News started a conversation asking about an app she’d seen in a YouTube clip. As usual, our Embroidery News Community were able to point Kate in the right direction when they recognized the app as ‘GoodReader’ by Good.iWare and here is a lovely email we received from Kate she has asked us to share:

‘Thank you so very much for answering my question about the iPad app used for tracking stitches. You cannot imagine how wonderful it is for me to have this app! It has changed how I am stitching as I am stitching so much faster now. I will be able to finish a Teresa Wentzler piece I have been working on for two years in just a matter of months. Anyone with dyslexia, like me, should seek out this app - it is world changing! Thank you so much and I'll send you a picture as soon as I'm finished!’

One of Teresa Wentzler’s pieces – ‘Carousel’.

Kate, it is always a pleasure to support our Embroidery News Community by answering their ‘Can You Help?’ questions. We look forward to seeing your completed piece in the near future.

Now to launch our two new ‘Can You Help?’ conversations . . .

by koekoek via etsy.com

Rachael Willis, who is an avid reader of Embroidery News and has every copy of Inspirations Magazine, has been inspired by our destination travel conversations and now wants to travel the world just to visit the many embroidery shops that have been highlighted in Embroidery News! To get her ‘destination world travel dream’ started, she is heading to Singapore in early December and is hoping to hear from anyone who may be able to point her in the direction of embroidery and/or textile places of interest where she can gather supplies, inspiration and get a feel for the local craft and embroidery scene.

You may have seen our next ‘Can You Help?’ cry for help posted on the Inspiration’s Facebook page, but for those of you who haven’t yet seen it, Catherine Gererdson’s mum has a needle threader they can’t figure out how to use. It was made in West Germany from plastic and has a centre button that pushes down albeit rather stiffly. They are hoping someone in the Embroidery News Community can assist them with some instructions on how it operates!

Whilst Catherine may not have been able to figure out how to use the needle threader just yet, she has obviously been busy threading her own needles as she has already completed Julie Kniedl’s ‘Christmas Bouquet’ project from issue #88! No doubt it will be well-received when her daughter, who is currently living overseas, receives it as her Christmas present.

Now it’s over to you Embroidery News Community – we’d love to hear from you at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au with your ‘Destination Travel Singapore’ suggestions as well as your guide to using our mystery needle threader!

‘Rejoice’ – Inspirations #47                                   ‘Jingle Bells’ – Inspirations #60

The past couple of weeks, Sue has chosen some really beautiful Christmas projects. This week she is revisiting Inspirations #60 but this time with a delightful Jane Nicholas project which is a perfect Christmas gift for someone special in your life, or even as special gift for yourself. Here’s Sue with her thoughts on ‘Nature’s Larder’:

‘When I think about the project ‘Nature’s Larder’ by Jane Nicholas I remember everyone always saying ‘Oh those berries look good enough to eat’!’ Jane has such an amazing talent to bring everyday things to life using the needle and thread. This is one of those really pretty designs which makes for an amazing gift – the headline used in the magazine at the time was ‘give a little love encouraging readers to make it as a present, but I know there were a few stitchers who once finished, grew too attached to it and kept it for themselves!

With two different designs included in the same project, ‘Nature’s Larder’ really nicely combines the use of both surface embroidery and stumpwork which are two of the more popular techniques. Once you have finished, you can use them as a brooch or a compact or whatever other clever ideas our wonderful stitching community come up with.’

Yet another great pick Sue… those berries are making us hungry! More information about Inspirations #60 is below, including details on how to purchase printed copies of this bumper issue.

Purchase your printed copy of Inspirations issue #60 today. This fabulous issue includes the following projects:

Inspirations issue #60 Order online now by clicking here.

Sealed with A Loving Stitch – fun needlework ‘Mail Art’ Tetouan Sachet embroidered Moroccan sachet Infinity superbly elegant cushion For Love of Knitting stunning needle cases Hungarian Bouquet Kalocsa style doily Gone Fishing Amazing thread painted blanket Natures Larder Exquisite stumpwork brooch and pot Jingle Bells joyful Christmas stocking A Bush Christmas cute koala Christmas decorations Bundles Of Joy two adorable baby bags.

This week we pick up right where we left off last from last week with some more ‘Christmas Stitching Spectacular’ pieces to share.  Denise Golding from the seaside township of Victor Harbor in South Australia gets us started by spoiling a special young man in her life who goes by the name Jamison, with his very own personalised Christmas stocking:

Hi, this is a stocking I made for my great grandson for his first Christmas. It is done is cross stitch on blue Aida cloth. It took me quite a few months to complete but I enjoyed working on it every spare moment I had.  No doubt after Christmas there will be lots of new projects to work on from around the world.  I just love reading the newsletter and seeing what everyone from all over is embroidering.  I wish everyone a merry and healthy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.  Best wishes, Denise.

Thanks Denise, that is a beautiful stocking you made for Jamison – he might have to name his own son Jamison in honour of your needlework so it can get passed down to the next generation! 

Our next Christmas piece is also from South Australia, this time from Christine Barnes in Ethelton:

‘These are my latest stitching projects. I began cross stitch embroidery in 2000 then in 2003 discovered the Mill Hill/Jim Shore range. I have now completed approximately 40, some for myself and others as presents for family and friends. I am totally addicted to cross stitch. Since I retired in 2008 rarely does a day go by without a needle in my hand.  I just love it and completely lose myself in it. Thank you to you all for your wonderful Inspirations magazine and newsletters they are a credit to all your hard work and a joy to receive.  I am so looking forward to BATB 2016. Attended in 2014 for the first time and had a wonderful time.   I would like to wish you all a very merry Xmas and a happy new year.  Cheers, Christine.’

They are gorgeous Christine, we love them.  Superb choice of frames as well.  Speaking of Beating Around The Bush, we have a special announcement coming up below… and you may remember last week Vicky Jackson from the UK who is planning on coming to BATB for her 80th, sent in some of her delightful Christmas projects and this week we have a magnificent butterfly she created to share:

‘I am an enthusiastic subscriber to your wonderful magazine and belong to a very small group of embroiderers in Hartley Wintney, UK.  Recently a member suggested we tackle the butterfly from Inspirations issue 82.  I made mine into a 3D piece using wire as a cordonet.  It seemed rather lonely, so I stitched some hydrangea flowers and added a few cut-out petals studded with white beads.  Finally it became a birthday card for my sister.’

Wow Vicky… you have done such an amazing job with this, what a spectacular birthday card to receive!  Your sister must have loved it.

The project Vicky refers to is from Inspirations 82 called ‘Fragile Beauty’ by Trish Burr.  This miniature thread painting piece is presented as a needle book and coordinating book mark, but as Vicky has demonstrated can be used for many other purposes.

Printed copies of Inspirations #82 are still available and can be purchased here.

Françoise Koenig first appeared in Embroidery News in issue 6 and this week she is back with a super cute key holder.

‘Dear Inspiration, A few weeks ago I bought a special issue from a magazine Quilt Country.  The issue is called ‘Simply Patchwork’ and is full of lovely things (to get an idea have a look at the designer's blog at www.simplypatchwork.blogspot.com).  I could not resist the cat design featured on a pillow. Since my car key badly needed a new holder, I used this cat, about 4 times reduced (which did not help with the appliqué...), on a new one. The bird on the other side is my own drawing. And I used my favourite way to stitch the two sides together with Palestrina stitch, something I learned years ago from an Inspiration project.  Best wishes from autumnal France where I live near Grenoble, Françoise.’

You are right Françoise, that cat is both adorable and irresistible, needless to say you must have the most beautiful key holder in all of France!

To finish up this week, Dipa Suri from Sunnyvale California, USA was inspired by our Julie Kniedl feature in Embroidery News 22 showcasing three dimensional embroidery and has sent in some of her own:

'I love your newsletters and the recent one featuring 3-dimensional embroidery persuaded me to send in some of own work. I too have been trying my hand at something very similar.   The difference is that my embroideries, of necessity, are anchored to the fabric: you can see what I mean by the pictures.  My inspiration came from the works of Lindsay Taylor and Jane Hall.   It was delightful to see a retrospective on Lindsay in one of the Inspirations editions.  If you haven't featured Jane Hall please do as her work is just as exquisite.  While Lindsay does her embroidered art on the machine I find hand embroidery to be most satisfying.   My work is a combination of embroidery and - in a loose sense - fabric manipulation. 
I hope you enjoy these.  Regards Dipa Suri'

Wow Dipa, they are just stunning.  Pieces of needlework art, yet practical at the same time.  You are very talented Dipa and we have thoroughly enjoyed admiring your work, so thank you.

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

All your favourite Inspirations publications are now available in one location.  Download digital patterns & publications instantly, or order printed books and magazines delivered right to your door.  Explore the beautiful world of needlework today at www.stitchology.com.au

As mentioned earlier the theme for Inspirations issue #88 is ‘Celebrate’, however Christmas isn’t the only topic it relates to.  Jane Nicholas is an icon in the needlework industry and her tenure, exceptional skills and incredible attention to detail in all she does are all celebrated in issue 88 as well.

This week we take a look at her two projects ‘Lacewing and Dogwood’ and ‘Beetlemania’ which are both extraordinary works of art in their own right.

‘Lacewing and Dogwood’ – Inspirations #88

Renowned for her intricate studies in both nature and the insect world, Jane has elevated the lacewing dragonfly and diving beetle from the shadows of obscurity to the spotlight of fame and notoriety – well at least in the embroidery world with her latest creations.

When you admire the actual lacewing dragon fly project close up, your natural tendency is to keep a safe distance from it with the expectation that, at any moment, it will fly right off the frame – it is so life-like.  For those of you who would love to not only see this project in real life, but attend a class with Jane to learn how to create your own, she will be teaching this beautiful project at Beating Around The Bush next year.

Beetlemania – Inspirations #88

As for our friend the diving beetle, this guy Jane has created is surely the pin up boy for the species!  Perhaps one of the real marvels about Jane other than her needlework skills, is her ability to take what some of us see as a mundane or even dare we say, ugly insect, and craft it into this magnificent piece of art that we long to see in real life.

Issue 88 not only features both these projects complete with all the instructions and step- by-step how-to guides for you to create yourself, it also includes a ‘Meet Jane Nicholas’ article so you can learn more about this talented needle artisan.

As a little side note, when Jane sent in her projects for us to photograph, she also sent us these incredible ‘Box Of Curiosities’ she hand-made to include in the ‘Meet Jane’ article.  If you thought Jane’s needlework is amazing, these boxes are just astonishing.  When Susan unpacked them and set them on her desk, all productivity in the office ceased as all we could do was marvel at the intricacy and craftsmanship of these boxes.

We’re going to ask Jane to please bring some to BATB, and quite honestly, it’s probably worth flying across the world to attend BATB just to see these incredible boxes in real life for yourself! 

In the studio with Susan O’Connor

Another short side note – special shout out to Fiona for brilliant styling in the Beetlemania project… the tray of beetle specimens in the photographs were borrowed from the local museum with the instructions ‘Handle With Care!’  One can only image if something was to happen to the ‘beetle tray’ how long it would take us to find and capture all those beetles again from all over the world!

 
If you are yet to purchase a copy of Inspirations issue #88, single copies are available here or why not become a subscriber and never miss an issue by joining here.

In case you missed it, you are invited to a week with the world’s best tutors, teaching the world’s most beautiful projects, hosted by the world’s most beautiful embroidery magazine. Beating Around The Bush will be held on October 5th – 12th 2016 at Immanuel College in Adelaide, South Australia.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT - CATALOGUE OUT NEXT WEEK!

If you have never heard of, or been to BATB before, here is how it works:  Next week, we will be releasing our catalogue which you can either download as a PDF for free, or order a printed copy which we will ship to you.

The catalogue will list the 50+ projects you can chose from, taught by 20 tutors over a mixture of one, two and three day classes.  Bookings will open in February, where classes will be allocated on a first come basis, so stay tuned to Embroidery News for updates to ensure you are ready to lock in your preferences and we look forward to seeing you next year.

ISSUE #88 KITS | NOW AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Kits are now online here. Kits for the projects featured in Inspirations issue #88 have now been added to our website for pre-order. We are still working through the sourcing and fulfilment delays and we do thank everyone for your patience. At this stage for all orders outside Australia, kits are expected to arrive to you early January 2016. For orders shipped within Australia, we are endeavouring to arrange delivery before Christmas.

Updates will be available each week, so we’ll keep you posted, in the meantime if you have any questions feel free to contact us anytime at
info@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

SINGLE COPY PURCHASES

You can now purchase single copies of Inspirations online in both print and digital formats.

PRINT | To purchase the current issue #88 in print and have it shipped right to your door anywhere in the world, click here

DIGITAL | To purchase digital issues of Inspirations, click here

SUBSCRIPTIONS

If you have been thinking about taking out a subscription to Inspirations, we’d love you to join us. Or if your subscription is no longer current, we’d love to have you back! Join or renew today:

PRINT | For a 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. DIGITAL | For a digital subscription you can purchase it through Zinio direct here or through the Inspirations APP which can be downloaded via the iTunes and Google Play stores, by searching ‘Inspirations Magazine’. CALL US | If you are not sure what option is best for you, have some questions or just like to talk to someone rather than type, we’d love to hear from you. You can call us from anywhere in the world on +61 8 8293 8600 anytime and if we’re not in, leave a message and we’ll get back to you. For anyone within Australia, call us on 08 8293 8600. Otherwise email anytime us at subs@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Inspirations issue 88

Stitch Craft Create AU/NZ – Christmas Issue Out Now!

Our final issue in our ‘Stitch Craft Create AU/NZ’ series has just been released. Issue 05 is the Holiday Issue featuring over 50 festive projects ranging from sewing and stitching, to paper craft, beading, crochet and even cake decorating.

Over the past 18 months it has been our privilege to have released 5 of these brilliant magazines which offer projects that are a perfect introduction to craft for your kids or grandkids. Families have been raving about how much fun it has been working on these easy, quick and extremely popular projects. Check out our website to buy single copies of each issue and to find out more about what’s inside here

Stitch Craft Create NZ/AU Issue 05

12 Days Of Christmas Ornaments

Susan O’Connor has created two gorgeous Christmas ornaments to adorn your tree this year. ‘On The Second’ day has just been released in Inspirations #88 and is the second in the 12 Days Of Christmas series she is working on. ‘True Love’ is the first ornament and is now available for purchase as an instant digital download. Purchase ‘True Love’ here. Purchase a printed single issue of #88 here.

What: The Royal School of Needlework | Exquisite Whitework
Where: Hampton Court Palace
When: to 1 Dec
Details: www.royal-needlework.org.uk

What: Art Quilt Australia Exhibition
Where: National Wool Museum, Geelong Victoria
When: to 11 Dec
Details: www.ozquiltnetwork.or.au & www.geelongaustralia.com.au/nwm

What: Tasmanian Art Quilt Prize Exhibition 2015 | ‘History, Her Story’
Where: Narryna House, Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery @ Battery Point Hobart
When: 6 to 22 Nov
Details: www.tasquilting.org.au

What: ‘Filament’ of the Embroiderers’ Guild of NSW | Landscape Values Exhibition
Where: St Vincent’s Public Hospital in Darlinghurst NSW
When: 26 Nov
Details: www.filament-textileart.blogsport.com.au

What: Albury Wodonga Doll Bear & Hobby Show
Where: Mirambeena Community Centre, North Albury NSW
When : 28 & 29 Nov
Details: www.dollbearhobbyshow.com

What: The Embroiderers’ Guild of Queensland | Christmas Craft Fair
Where: 149 Brunswick Street Fortitude Valley, Queensland Australia
When: 29 Nov
Details: info@embroiderersguildqld.org.au

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