Inspirations #117 Out Now!

The first issue of Inspirations magazine for 2023 is officially Out Now!

Let’s begin by welcoming one of our long-time favourites back to the stage, Deborah Love. It’s been several years since we last enjoyed Deb’s work, so we’re thrilled to bring you her new sachet ‘Between the Lines’, which Deb created using a selection of withdrawn thread techniques.

Another welcome back goes to Susan O’Connor our very own Editor-in-Chief who makes a special cameo in this issue (her first since issue #91) with ‘Off the Hook’ a pair of magnificent paperweights featuring incredibly decorative and intricate fishing flies stitched using surface embroidery that are a real treat to behold.

Our third welcome back for this issue goes to Luzine Happel who last appeared back in issue #69 and is returning with her cushion ‘From the Heart’ that uses Schwalm whitework to depict a pretty, floral bouquet.

While we’re doing our welcomes, American designer Kathy Andrews joins us for the very first time with her regal cushion ‘The Queen’s Pomegranate’ that Kathy has stitched using rich woollen threads in crewel embroidery to create a beautifully detailed ruby red pomegranate. Welcome to Inspirations Kathy!

Di Kirchner has created ‘Rich Harvest’, a colourful grapevine inspired pincushion with Bargello designs worked in crewel embroidery.

Ana Mallah has spoiled us this issue by including two stunning pieces in the one project with ‘Rose & Daisies’, an exquisite three-dimensional bouquet of embroidered flowers. And in case you were wondering, yes, that is her piece ‘Daisies’ featured on the cover of this issue.

While we’re on the subject of flowers, ‘Rare Bloom’ by Hazel Blomkamp is an ornate flower that combines surface embroidery and needlelace.

Rounding out our projects in this issue is Kim Beamish who has created the wonderfully elegant table mat ‘Good Morning’ using pulled thread techniques.

But wait, that’s not all folks… thanks to our roving reporter Anise van der Walt keeping us up to date with all her fabulous finds from around the globe, we have three fascinating needlework articles for you to read.

Changing Lanes discovers the meandering path Sharon Peoples followed to launch herself as an accomplished artist, beginning when her cousins visited one day wearing jeans covered in colourful Mexican embroidery.

In Natural Remedies we meet Aimee Estcourt who stitches purely for pleasure and has developed a very unique style of amplifying specific colour pallets in her designs. 

Stitching to The Edge is Carol Cooke’s story on how a decision late in life to attend university as a mature age student freed her inner artist and led to a new career as a textile/multimedia artist and author.

Now that, Ladies and Gentlemen, is one action packed magazine and we haven’t even mentioned Ansie’s Loose Threads article ‘Mindful Creations’ or our book reviews, so if you are not a subscriber and are yet to purchase your copy of the magazine, click on the link below to avoid missing out on all the fun.