Hi <<First Name>>, Welcome to 2017 - it’s so great to be back together with you all again!  We are super excited about what 2017 has in store and it’s going to be an awesome year.  How do we know?  Well anytime spent celebrating the world’s most beautiful needlework is a guaranteed good time! Here’s some of what you can look forward to 2017: over 30 stunning new projects featured across 4 issues of Inspirations Magazine, more of your favourite books coming back in print, another 100+ digital patterns to be added and more spectacular ready to stitch kits on their way.  That’s not all… we’re also working on a brand new website and a brand new book, both of which are coming soon.  Plus the Beating Around The Bush 2018 catalogue will be released later in the year. There’ll be plenty more along the way - for example some of you may remember the ‘Learn’ needlework series which were bonus mini booklets attached to the front cover of Inspirations issue #50 to #55, well this week we are re-releasing them as digital downloads (see below). For now, we trust you will enjoy the first issue of Embroidery News for 2017 and may long live the world’s most beautiful needlework. Share your needlework journey with us at news@inspirationsstudios.com

Stock of the Inspirations 2017 wall calendar is still available, but be quick… it’s only available for purchase until Feb 9th – after then you’ll have to wait a whole year before the next one!

> Purchase your copy of the Inspirations 2017 Wall Calendar HERE.

THE ‘LEARN’ BOOKLET SERIES

It’s no secret many of us in the needlework community are not as young as we once were, but there is a perhaps a secret as to how needlework can contribute to longevity of life.  Most stitchers possess a keen willingness to learn a new technique, a new stitch, or just try something new to advance their skills, and science has now proven that continual learning, especially in our latter years, leads to healthy, active brains, and from there flows a plethora of physical health benefits.

So when was the last time you tried something new?  This week we have re-released the extremely popular ‘Learn’ mini booklets as digital downloads, which first appeared as a bonus attachment on the covers of Inspirations issues #50 through #55. 

With 5 booklets in the series, each one is designed to teach you the basics of the featured technique and includes comprehensive step-by-step diagrams and a fabulous mini project to get you started.

1) Learn Ribbon Embroidery
2) Learn to stitch Fabulous Insects
3) Learn Crewel Embroidery
4) Learn Stumpwork
5) Learn Bead Embroidery

Over the coming weeks we’ll take a look at each booklet and the associated technique, starting right now with the first in the series – Learn Ribbon Embroidery.

If you have ever admired a beautiful bouquet of flowers re-created using flowing silk ribbons, you’ll appreciate the magic of ribbon embroidery.

‘Still Life With Flowers’ by Helen Eriksson – Inspirations #89

Despite the complex appearance of a finished piece, ribbon embroidery is actually a terrific beginner technique due to the combination of relatively straight forward stitches involved and the ‘instant gratification’ effect of covering a lot of ground in a short period of time, compared to some of the finer techniques.

The booklet ‘Learn Ribbon Embroidery’ takes you step by step through the basics starting with how to thread the needle, through to the stunning ‘folded ribbon rose’ technique.

The lesson centres around the gorgeous project ‘Petites Fleurs’ by Monique Johnston with the design and embroidery key included with the booklet.

For those more experienced stitchers who are yet to try ribbon embroidery, adding a ribbon rosebud or ribbon petals can really bring an additional element of wow! to a surface embroidered project, so it’s definitely worth trying your hand at.

LEARN RIBBON EMBROIDERY – DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

Learn Ribbon Embroidery Booklet now available as a digital download.

Featuring the project ‘Petites Fleurs’ by Monique Johnston, this sweet little design uses some of the most effective ribbon embroidery stitches and makes for an excellent project for those new to ribbon embroidery.

> Purchase Learn Ribbon Embroidery HERE

> Browse Complete ‘Learn’ Collection HERE

LOOKING FOR MORE RIBBON EMBROIDERY?

Inspirations has featured some spectacular ribbon embroidery projects over the years from talented designers such are Anne Davies, Carolyn Pearce and Helen Eriksson just to name a few.  Here are some of their beautiful projects to inspire you…

‘Spellbound’ by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #19 | Dusky mauve ribbon roses are worked on an aromatic lavender bag.

> Digital Pattern for ‘Spellbound’ available HERE

‘Busy Bee’ by Anne Davies – Inspirations #68 | Gorgeous tasselled scissor fob embroidered with vibrant silk ribbon blooms.

> Digital Pattern for ‘Busy Bee’ available HERE
> Printed Copies of Issue #68 available HERE

‘Garden Party’ by Helen Eriksson – Inspirations #70 | A whole garden of beautiful silk ribbon blooms is showcased in this floral sampler.

> Digital Pattern for ‘Garden Party’ available HERE
> Printed Copies of Issue #70 available HERE

‘Still Life With Flowers’ by Helen Eriksson – Inspirations #89 |Sumptuous bowl of flowers worked with silk ribbon.

> Printed Copies of Issue #89 available HERE

WHILE WE’RE ON THE TOPIC OF RIBBON EMBROIDERY…

One of the most downloaded Digital Patterns to date is ‘English Rose – Thimble Holder’ by Carolyn Pearce from Inspirations #76.  Did you know that back in Inspirations #73 Carolyn created a matching English Rose Pin Cushion & Tape Measure Cover? 

The Pin Cushion and Tape Measure Cover project has just been added as a Digital Pattern, so now you can complete the set!

‘English Rose’ by Carolyn Pearce – From Inspirations #73 Pincushion and Tape Measure Cover lavishly embroidered with a profusion of flowers, plus from Inspirations #76 exquisite Thimble Holder richly embroidered with a bouquet of roses.

> Digital Pattern for ‘English Rose,
   Pincushion & Tape Measure Cover’ available HERE
> Printed Copies of Issue #73 available HERE
> Digital Pattern for ‘English Rose | Thimble Holder’ available HERE
> Printed Copies of Issue #76 available HERE

INSPIRATIONS ISSUE #92 KITS – FINAL STOCK

Due to the popularity of kits from issue #92, at times we struggled to keep up with demand – thank you to those who waited so patiently for stock to arrive.  Issue 92 kits still remaining are now our FINAL STOCK, so if you were planning on stitching a project from #92 and need a kit, act now!

> Browse our range of Inspirations Kits HERE

*Please note – quantities of kits available shown above only current at time of newsletter release.

Beautiful Needlework. Sold HERE. 

ARE YOU A SUCKER FOR
EMBROIDERED POMEGRANATES?          

It turns out that Mary Corbet is too! In a recent blog – which can be read HERE, Mary shared her fascination with both the history and stitching of all things pomegranate inspired as she continued her stitching journey of Susan Porter’s project ‘Modern Crewel’ from Inspirations Magazine Issue #90.

Modern Crewel by Susan Porter – Inspirations #90

Mary also shared her stitched version of Margaret Cobleigh’s ‘Golden Pomegranate’ from 2009 that featured in Inspirations Issue #61. To help you follow in Mary’s steps as she contemplates the appeal of the embroidered pomegranate, we’ve just released ‘The Golden Pomegranate’ as a Digital Download.

> Digital Pattern for ‘Golden Pomegranate’ available HERE
> Printed Copies of Issue #61 available HERE

If you’d like to stitch along with Mary and join her on the Modern Crewel project, you’ll need three things:

1/. – Sign up to her newsletter on her website HERE
2/. – Get a copy of Inspirations #90 from HERE
3/. – Purchase the Ready-To-Stitch Kit HERE

In the first ‘What Are You Stitching?’ for 2017, we’re taking the opportunity to look back and highlight some recent projects from Inspirations that the Embroidery News community have brought to life, as well as seeing how Christmas 2016 was celebrated in stitch.

Up first we jump back to Inspirations Issue #91 and see how Dima Santina from Quebec Canada re-created the project ‘Hana’ featured on the front cover by Merrilyn Whittle, and discover how she added her own touch.

‘I wanted to share with you my finished ‘Hana’ beaded fob. I loved stitching it so much that I had decided to make a matching scissor case. This design made a wonderful introduction to Japanese Bead Embroidery. I really enjoyed the technique and have decided to take the first phase at the Japanese Embroidery Centre in April. I'm looking forward to seeing the next Inspiration issue.’

Dima, we love your picture perfect rendition of Hana and applaud your creativity in adapting the design to create your own scissor case! To read more about Dima’s Hana journey check out her blog HERE.

If Dima has inspired you to create your own Hana beaded fob, the Ready-To-Stitch kits are still available to purchase on back order:

> For Hana Kit click HERE
> For Instructions Purchase Inspirations Issue #91 HERE

(Are you a fan of bead embroidery?  Want to know a secret?  You can’t tell anyone though… the Inspirations team is currently working on a brand new book and it may or may not have something to do with Japanese Style Bead Embroidery… but you didn’t hear it from us!  Just saying…)

Next, we revisit our most recent issue of Inspirations #92 with Charmaine Goodman from Victoria, Australia.

‘I love crewel work and this is my lamb on the hill from Inspirations 92. I enjoyed every stitch.  I have used cotton and not wool and am very happy with the result.’

Charmaine, not only do we love the creative way you took Barbara Jackson’s ‘Circa 1756’ project and truly made it your own, but we also marveled at the speed of your stitching as you got through not one, but two, lambs on a hill in such a short space of time! Well done.

You too can stitch your own lamb on a hill by purchasing a Circa 1756 Ready To Stitch Kit and a copy of Inspirations Issue #92.

> For Circa 1756 click HERE
> For Instructions Purchase Inspirations Issue #92 HERE

Now back to Christmas 2016 as we look at how two members of the Embroidery New Community celebrated in stitch.  Christiane Michel from Belgium decorated up a storm with her Christmas Baubles!

‘Three years ago I discovered a book about the embroidery of Cilaos and it has become a real favourite, so I decided to decorate my Christmas Tree with balls garnished with this beautiful embroidery. I usually need 4 to 5 hours of work just to make one, but when you love what you do, you do not count the hours!’

Christiane, with such commitment to the cause and attention to detail, your Christmas Tree must have been the most gloriously decorated in Belgium!  How fabulous.

Now to Carolyn Woods, who chose to give the gift of stitch for Christmas….

Carolyn spent many an hour stitching during Switzerland’s winter as she took her intricate embroidery and transformed it into a sewing machine cover for a friend’s Christmas gift.

That is sure to become a gift that will be treasured for years to come! Carolyn, your friend would have delighted in your stitching and no doubt appreciated the many hours you poured into the gift.

After looking back in ‘What Are You Stitching?’ this week, we now look forward to sharing more of your stitching throughout Embroidery News in 2017, so if you have a project to share – either in progress or complete – email the details and photos of your work to news@inspirationsstudios.com.au.  We’d love to see it!

Inspirations Issue #93 Update Inspirations Issue #93 has now left our mailing houses and is on its way to subscribers all over the globe.  Wherever in the world you live, any day now will be that special time that occurs only 4 times a year when your Inspirations Magazine arrives! The general release date for Issue #93 is February 9th.

Not A Subscriber?  Join Today!

Have the world’s most beautiful needlework magazine delivered right to your door 4 times a year,

PRINT | For a print subscription fill in our secure online form with your details HERE.

DIGITAL | Digital subscriptions can be purchase 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 have any questions regarding an Inspirations subscription or just want to have a chat, 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 us anytime at subs@inspirationsstudios.com

HOLD THE DATE – October 3rd to 10th 2018

Save the date and invite your friends for a needlework experience like no other as Inspirations presents Beating Around The Bush 2018.

Join us from October 3rd to 10th 2018 in Adelaide, Australia and help us celebrate 10 years as the world’s most beautiful needlework convention.

Stay tuned to Embroidery News for more information about BATB 2018 coming soon.

What: Opus Anglicanum | Masterpieces of English Medieval Embroidery
Where: Room 38 | Victoria & Albert Museum
When: to 5 Feb
Details: Click HERE

What: Undressed | A Brief History of Underwear
Where: Room 40 | Victoria & Albert Museum
When: to 12 Mar
Details: Click HERE

What: 2017 Scarf Festival | Galaxies – A Textile Journey to Infinity & Beyond
Where: The National Wool Museum | 26 Moorabool Street Geelong, Victoria
When: Entries Close 30 Apr
Details: Click HERE & scarffestival@geelongcity.vic.gov.au

What: Jeanie Baker’s Circle Exhibition
Where: Royal Botanic Gardens | Domain House | Dallas Brooks Drive South Yarra Victoria
When: to 14 May
Details: edserve@rbg.vic.gov.au

What: RSN | Stories in Stitch Exhibition
Where: Hampton Court Palace
When: to 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
news@inspirationsstudios.com

Happy Stitching
The Embroidery News Team