Hi <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Embroidery News Issue 53.

Ho! Ho! Ho!  Merry Christmas!  This week we’re celebrating Christmas in July with a selection of festive projects to give you plenty of time to be ready for Christmas 2016!  That’s in just under 24 weeks in case you were wondering… If you ever wondered why we celebrate Christmas in July, it seems no-one really knows for sure, but here is what we can tell you:  In the Northern Hemisphere some extended families only catch up during the summer holidays and are not together in December, so they exchange presents and celebrate Christmas while they are together in July. In the Southern Hemisphere, because it’s summer in December, those who miss out on the romance of a white Christmas try and make up for it in July. Whatever the reason, we’re going to use the opportunity to showcase just some of the gorgeous Christmas projects people send in and maybe get you thinking about what to stitch between now and Dec 25th. We also have a special Inspirations issue #91 update for you and stories from stitchers around the world, so grab some egg nog and enjoy this week’s EN.

Do you have something to share?  We’d love to hear from you!  Email us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au.

Last week we invited you to connect with Natalia Nyrova who is the International Cooperation Project Manager from the Golden Needle Club in Khabarovsk, Russia who was looking to connect with, and live as part of, the global needlework community and some of you did just that!

We heard from Beryl Amber in England who made contact with Natalia. Beryl has forwarded Natalia’s reply onto the other members of The Rockingham Craft and Lace Makers Group as well as The Sheffield Lace Makers both of which are in South Yorkshire, England.

image from www.notonthehighstreet.com

We also heard from an excited Natalia who shared . . .

‘I got several messages from people - all of who were lace makers - from Finland, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. I replied to all of them and we exchanged our opinions and plans. I think that step by step we will be able to achieve something larger. At present I am working on a master class making lace collars.’

We look forward to hearing what will come of these new-found global connections, but in the meantime, we noticed that Natalia has just purchased ‘Kimonos’ as a Digital Download from www.stitchology.com.au - why not purchase your own copy of the pattern which was featured in Issue 95 of Australian Smocking & Embroidery and stitch along with her? I’m sure she’d love you to join her! Click HERE to purchase your copy of Kimonos.

Join Us In October for Beating Around The Bush 2016

> Printed copies of the BATB 2016 catalogue are still available – Order HERE
> Digital PDF of the catalogue available to download for FREE – Click HERE
> Registration is now open, we’d love you to join us. To sign up – Click HERE

This week our magazine subscription and logistics teams have encountered a new found respect for Father Christmas.  Some-how this jolly fellow, with only the help of elves and reindeers, manages to deliver every child across the globe a gift all on the same night. Maybe we should get his help with delivering Inspirations!

As postal services in most countries around the world are undergoing significant changes, we’re working hard to stay on top of it, however in some instances the magazines are taking longer to arrive than we would like so we do appreciate your patience.  If you are a subscriber, we are endeavouring to deliver your copy of issue #91 by July 28th. 

Now drum roll please…. Ladies and gentlemen for your viewing pleasure, please enjoy the front cover of Inspirations issue #91:

We’ll have plenty more to tell you about issue #91 next week, in the meantime read on for exciting news about issue #91 kits…

In anticipation of issue #91 arriving to subscribers in the coming weeks, we have now added all the issue #91 kits to our website and they are available to order as of today.

To browse these new Inspirations kits, click HERE.

Over the last couple of weeks, Can You Help? has been unpacking both Carol and Shirley’s conversations about needle sizes, lights and magnifying glasses, satin stitch success and the annoying lines embroidery hoops can leave on our work and just when we thought we were finished, we heard from a few more members of the Embroidery News Community who had their own tips to add to our ever-growing repertoire of information!

Christine Hetherington shared that, ‘Good lighting is essential when doing embroidery. If you are right handed, have the light coming over your left shoulder, and if left handed, have the light coming over your right shoulder.’ She also went on to add that, ‘To help keep work and fabric clean whilst using a hoop I put a piece of cling wrap over the fabric (and in the hoop) and then cut it away from where I will be stitching that day.’

Anne Lockett from Tasmania in Australia went on to confirm Christine’s cling wrap tip by sharing  . . .

‘I do find the hints and tips section of your newsletter very informative. This week there was an article on ‘marks left on work by hoops - I could add that when I did a workshop at the Royal School of Needlework, one of the tutors explained that she wraps her hoops with cling wrap instead of binding. I find it works beautifully and is very quick to attach.’

Ann McGuchan from Scotland had her own tips to add to our repertoire for satin stitch success - ‘When you are filling a shape with satin stitch always outline first with a split back stitch as this gives you a much better finish to the edge. As to the satin stitch, from my experience it's pretty much all about practice! You need to keep your stitches really close together and quite 'full' especially for your first row. Direction is important and sometimes drawing pencil lines keeps you on the right track. Spaces can be carefully filled by coming up really close to the last stitch.

Split Back Stitch - A to Z Embroidery Stitches

And for those annoying marks from hoops, Ann went to add – ‘This is the reason I stopped using hoops. I use rotating frames whenever possible. If you need all four sides tight then just stretch the fabric with a thread laced round the side bars as long as you don't need to roll the work.’

Lastly, Susan Furca from Utah in the USA suggests Mary Corbett's video on satin stitch which can be seen HERE.

Susan also suggests that to avoid the marks left from embroidery hoops that you can ‘use a donut of muslin to place between the fabric and the embroidery hoop as I've found that very helpful.’

After growing our repertoire of needlework hints and tips over the last few weeks, next week we’ll unpack our next lot of conversation starters and see where they lead us. Until then, why not email us the conversation starter you’d like to unpacked in Can You Help?! You can email us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au.

Inspirations Issue #48 Now Added

‘Santa’s Little Helper’ by Beth Allen issue #48

Printed copies of Inspirations issue #48, featuring this delightful Christmas bear with a sack full of toys, are now available for purchase.

Inspirations issue 48 features a potpourri of projects including a silk dupion cushion with ribbon embroidered blooms, flower carrier embroidered with hydrangeas, flowers to frame, fairy on cashmere blanket, bootees and bib in the traditional French technique boutis, a silk ribbon embroidered coat hanger, Christmas bear and a regal silk Christening gown. To purchase a printed copy of issue #48, click HERE.

Beautiful Needlework.  Sold Here.  www.stitchology.com.au

Last week we reminded everyone that World Embroidery Day is coming up on 30 July and suggested it’s an excellent opportunity to gather with family, friends or even strangers and take our stitching to the world.

For anyone unfamiliar with World Embroidery Day, here is a quick overview of what it’s all about:

In 2011 a local group belonging to ‘Broderiakademin’ (translated means ‘Embroidery Academy’ or otherwise known as ‘Sweden's Embroidery Guild’), took the initiative to plan and create a special day with the sole purpose to celebrate embroidery… and so it was ‘World Embroidery Day’ was born.

Now celebrated annually, the inaugural World Embroidery Day took place in Sweden on July 30th July 2011. It was such an occasion the Swedish Guild created a rather inspiring ‘World Embroidery Day’ manifesto. The key message of which is:

“The importance of embroidery must be made known and World Embroidery Day will spread around the world. Make 30th July a day filled with creativity for the sake of Peace, Freedom and Equality.”

After reading our reminder last week, we heard from June Felt who’s hoping to gather with other members of the Embroidery News Community on the Gold Coast in Australia . . .

‘I am wondering if you have heard of there being a gathering of ladies here on the Gold Coast in Queensland as I have at least three ladies who would like to join with other ladies to celebrate such a wonderful occasion. Thank you for your inspiring newsletter that I look forward to each week. I share it with the ladies that come along to our craft group. Issue 91 of Inspirations Magazine arrived yesterday and thank you for the most inspiring articles and all the lovely work. Where will we start?!’

Perhaps you live on, or near, the Gold Coast & would like to join June on World Embroidery Day. If so, email us and we’ll put you in touch with her.
embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Hopefully June has inspired you to start thinking about what you’ll do to celebrate World Embroidery Day – just don’t forget to let us know what you’re up to!

Christmas is a fantastic time of year for so many reasons.  From a stitchers point of view, it provides a terrific opportunity for us to show love and appreciation to our family and friends by showering them with our hand crafted gifts. Not to mention the bountiful options of decorations and homewares we can make to transform our houses.  It also creates a very tangible deadline for us to work towards and gives us the often needed motivation to break out those needles and stitch!

Projects from Inspirations issue #60

This week we have some amazing Christmas projects for you to enjoy which might just give you some inspiration and motivation to plan a project or two before the Christmas countdown begins in earnest.

Helen Elliot from Morwell in Victoria Australia, gets us started with her very innovative version of Trish Burr’s 'Winter Song' from Inspirations issue #88:

Hi, I recently had surgery and needed to sit for a 6 weeks. I thought what a better way to rehabilitate myself than to do a project from Inspirations!  I took the project Winter’s Song and made it into a book end.  This is a covered piece of railway sleeper cut diagonally.

I changed the holly leaves from the original design to normal leaves because I wanted him to be on show all year round, and hand beaded an edge around it just to finish it off.

I am a self-taught embroiderer and was in a class at the Neigbourhood House when an opportunity came up for a tutor. I had been stitching for only a few months when I said sure I’ll do it!  I have never looked back and 20 years later am still teaching all kinds of embroidery and at the moment we are crazy on surface or thread painting.  My favourite type of embroidery is stumpwork, I just love using one thread and the smallest needle I can find.

I really enjoy Inspirations and have every issue, can’t wait for the next one!  Helen Elliot xoxoxo

Fabulous innovation Helen, creating a hand stitched book end – we love seeing all the wonderful ways our community takes a design and makes it their own.  Well done! 

Cheryl Elphinstone from Burnie in Tasmania, Australia has also applied her own style and charm to another of Trish Burr’s projects from issue #88, 'Prancer':

I enjoyed stitching Trish Burr's project ‘Prancer’ and instead of doing it  on white I tried dark grey Dupion silk.  Also instead of something else framed on the wall, I have turned it into a Christmas Stocking. I made the tassels from the DMC thread and added beads to the trim.  I hope you like it.  Regards Cheryl.

Wow Cheryl, how magical does that look!?  That has to be one of the most stylish Christmas stockings going round, just divine. Congratulations on a lovely piece, we know Trish will love it when she sees it.

Nermine Gendy from Melbourne in Victoria, Australia has been in a few issues of Embroidery News of late and is back this week with these delightful pieces:

Dear Embroidery News, The heart was my Christmas present for my friends last year.  I made several of them, some in red, green, burgundy, white, crème and also sky blue. I wanted my doors to celebrate Christmas so I decided to anchor a love heart to each door in my house.

This Christmas stocking is one of Helan Pearce’s designs and is pretty easy, simple and best of all Christmassy!  It also makes a nice present to give to others.  It is good when you feel ready for Christmas… Regards, Nermine

Thank you Nermine, great to see more of your lovely work and we couldn’t agree more, it sure is good when you feel ready for Christmas! The trick that is hard to achieve in the hustle and bustle of today’s lifestyle, so you are doing well!

Next, Penny Roberts has sent in pictures of the bauble she just finished from the very popular project ‘Christmas Bouquet’ by Julie Kniedl from issue #88:

Hi, I thought I would send you a picture of my Christmas decoration made for the centre of my Christmas table. I wasn't as brave as Sandra Severin (See EN issue 45 HERE) to do three of them, but thoroughly enjoyed doing this one which will I am sure make an appearance every Christmas somewhere in my home. 

I am presently busy working on the coin purse ‘Small Change’ in issue #90 as a Christmas gift and it has been a challenge as I have never done crewel embroidery before but thoroughly enjoying the challenge.

Thank you for such a beautiful magazine, a subscription I get every year from my dear son Boyd. I also really enjoy Embroidery News. 
Happy stitching to all embroiderers, Regards Penny Roberts.

Your Christmas table centrepiece looks stunning Penny, we love it.  Thanks for sharing it with us, you’ve done well.

Our final ‘Christmas In July’ project for this week is a project we posted on Facebook a few months ago.  Now the last time we checked in with Sue who manages our Facebook page, we celebrated hitting 25,000 likes.  Since then we have skyrocketed to over 35,000 likes, so THANK YOU to everyone who is following us and THANK YOU to Sue for posting such beautiful needlework.  If Inspirations magazine gives you a quarterly fix, Embroidery News a weekly one, then to get a daily needlework fix just like our Facebook HERE.

Sue says: ‘This is just gorgeous, so cute and perfect to get us in the mood for Christmas already!  Gingerbread Tree Etui by Thea Dueck of the Victoria Sampler in Canada.’

What Are YOU Stitching?  We’d love to see it… send your photos, a description of the project and a little about yourself including where you live, to embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au.

Many of the projects featured in ‘What Are You Stitching’ this week are from the 2015 Inspirations Christmas issue #88.   

Winters Song by Trish Burr

Printed copies of issue 88 are still available for purchase HERE. 

Prancer by Trish Burr - Christmas Bouquet by Julie Kniedl

One of our most popular Christmas projects of all time are Susan O’Connor’s
‘On The Second Day’ and ‘True Love’ which are the first in a series of the Twelve Days Of Christmas.

‘True Love’ issue 68 and ‘On The Second Day’ issue #88

‘True Love’ is available as a digital download for purchase HERE.
‘On The Second Day’ is available as a printed copy in issue #88 HERE.

NEW TO INSPIRATIONS? 
WE BRING THE BEAUTIFUL – THE ONLY THING MISSING IS YOU.

Inspirations is the world’s most beautiful needlework magazine.  We bring all the beautiful needlework projects from all over the world together for your viewing pleasure 4 times a year.

So if we bring the beautiful, all you need to do is subscribe and we’ll deliver it right to your door anywhere in the world. 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

Now Available!
Inspirations Brand New 2016/17 Calendar

We have created this gorgeous monthly wall calendar for you to enjoy a stunning Inspirations project every month as it softly calls to you ‘stitch me!’.  Our 16 month wall calendar features:

> Dates for public holidays for Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and Canada
> Open measurement is 60cm x 30cm wide (24" x 12")
> September 2016 through to December 2017

To order your copy and have it shipped directly to your door anywhere in the world, click HERE. 

Inspirations Issue #44 Now Added

‘La Vie en Rose’ by Kris Richards– issue #44

Printed copies of Inspirations issue #44, featuring this elegant cushion with delicate roses by Kris Richards, are now available for purchase.

‘Things are not done beautifully; the beauty is an integral part of their being done – Robert Henri’ Issue 44 is an extra special beautiful issue with a gorgeous evening bag, a cute and cosy blanket perfect for beginners, a goldwork masterclass, and much, much more. To purchase a printed copy of issue #44, click HERE.

NEW DIGITAL PATTERNS RECENTLY ADDED

‘Washing Day’ by Nettie Morris Spectacular thread painted study.		‘Serenade’ by Gisèle Carrières Exquisite embroidered study of flowers and a butterfly.
Click HERE to purchase:		Click HERE to purchase

What: The Embroiderers Guild of WA | Stitch in the City
Where: Woogies Espresso | King’s Square Perth, Western Australia
When: Tuesdays 11:30 to 1:30
Details: Tracey Hollands – niffty@iinet.net.au or 0478 635 850

What: RSN | Peacocks & Pomegranates Exhibition
Where: Hampton Court Palace
When : to 22 Jul
Details: Click HERE

What: 62 Group of Textile Artists Exhibition | Making Spaces
Where: The Silk Museum | Roe Street Macclesfield, UK
When: to 3 Sep
Details: Click HERE

What: Wollongong Group of the NSW Embroiderers’ Guild Exhibition | Through the Eye of the Needle
Where: Wollongong Art Gallery | Burelli Street Wollongong, New South Wales
When: to 11 Sep
Details: Click HERE

What: Shoreline Stitchers’ Showcase | CALL FOR ENTRIES!
Where: South Coast Botanic Garden | 26300 Crenshaw Blvd Palos Verdes Peninsula, California
When: 1 & 2 Oct
Details: Click HERE

What: The New Zealand Embroiderers’ Guilds Inc | ANZEG Biennial Conference
Where: Ellerslie Event Centre | 80 Ascot Avenue Auckland, New Zealand
When: 14 to 21 Jul
Details: Click HERE

What: Smocking Arts Guild of NSW |Annual Open Day
Where: Dence Park Community Centre | 26 Stanley Road Epping, New South Wales
When: 17 Jul | 10:00 to 3:00
Details: Click HERE

What: Making the Australian Quilt: 1800 to 1950
Where: National Galley of Victoria Australia | Federation Square – Flinders Street & Russell Street Melbourne, Victoria
When: 22 Jul to 6 Nov
Details: Click HERE

What: The Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair
Where: Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre | 1 Convention Centre Place South Wharf, Victoria
When: 28 Jul to 31 Jul
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