Audrey Lauriston

‘I am beyond excited to share a threadpainting project I completed recently. My piece is of a mourning dove, a bird whose soft, moody song I find incredibly soothing and reminiscent of a cozy, rainy day.

In Southern Quebec, we have many lovely mourning doves around our home, and their presence always brings me a sense of peace.’

‘I began by creating a coloured pencil drawing, loosely based on a photograph by Alan Wilson (Nature's Pics Online), which I used with the author's permission. From this drawing, I developed a pattern suitable for stitching and determined the colours I would need.’

‘I carefully selected many shades of grey in cotton and silk to ensure depth to the bird's feathers.

I even dyed some thread myself to get the perfect deep, neutral charcoal shade!

I spent several months, on and off, working on my dove. Now that he's finished, I kind of miss him! I plan on stitching a branch for him to stand on and a leafy background someday...’

‘I truly appreciate the chance to share my creation with the Inspirations needlework community and hope that in some small way I can help to motivate and inspire them!'

Audrey, your dove is exquisite and the quality of the finish you have achieved, in particular the detail in your shading, is testament to the time and effort you poured into it. Your creative process is very impressive, especially your commitment to dying your own thread to get the perfect hues. Well done!

Letizia Ferrario

‘I inherited my passion from my mum who was good at all things stitching, knitting, crochet, and in turn I started stitching during my pregnancy due to forced rest.

I did cross stitch for many years until I discovered Diana Lampe's ‘Embroidery for All the Seasons’ and fell in love with free stitching. At the same time, I discovered Inspirations Magazine and Elisabetta Sforza's books, which were further sources of inspiration.’

‘I have a very demanding job but do my best to stitch a little bit every evening. I am looking forward to retirement and having proper time for stitching. I have a huge collection of embroidery books from all over the world and so many projects in mind!’

Isn’t it amazing how often our passion for needlework has either been inherited from a previous generation or sparked by a family member. Letizia, your piece is beautiful and your commitment to needlework, even in small doses, is admirable. We can’t wait to see more pieces from you - keep up the great work.

Kerry Koops

‘About five years ago, after being inspired by our artistic Mildura Branch member, Alice Gove, who won the judges’ awards at the EGV exhibitions in 2023 and 2024, I began embroidering.’

‘Designing my own compositions and playing with threads are my favourite aspects of textile work. I joined classes in Crewel and Silk Shading with the talented Christine Burton, who encouraged me to design pieces and use threads in my own way, while teaching much-needed techniques.’

‘Since then, I’ve completed original designs in Japanese Kogin, Stitchery on Rusted and Eco-dyed canvas (inspired by the late Grace Cross, Naracoopa Gallery), Surface Stitcheries on hand-dyed silk and satin canvas, Spiderwebs on felt circles (inspired by Sue Spargo), Layered Landscape with Tyvek Rocks (inspired by textile artist Alice Clague, Castlemaine), Steampunk, Hyperbolic Crochet, Embroidered Gourds, ‘Liberated’ Canvaswork (the last four inspired by Alice Gove during our Summer School workshops).’

‘I was moved to stitch ‘Hand-in-hand’ after snapping a photo of my grandchildren holding my daughter’s hands while they walked along the beach at Horseshoe Bay in Queensland here in Australia.

Using fabric, thread and Tyvek on a blank background, I endeavoured to capture the sweet simplicity and timelessness of the moment.

Currently, I am challenged and excited by stitching a piece that is referencing a photo of my other daughter and grandchildren walking in the dry bush near Mildura in Victoria.’

What a pleasure it is to read about how many wonderful artists have inspired you, Kerry. Your talent is evident within each piece reflecting the skill, time and care you have invested. We particularly enjoyed your embroidered photograph, thank you for taking the time to share your journey with us.

Have you recently completed a piece honouring wildlife? Has your passion for embroidery come from your mother, a grandmother or perhaps another family member? Are your projects inspired by other wonderful artists?

Whatever you are stitching, we’d love to see it! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com