Inspirations Inspirations issue 102

OUR WORLD IS FULL OF COLOUR – everywhere we go, everything we see, everything we do, we are surrounded by glorious colour. Not just the vibrant hues of a magnificent sunset or the symphony of shades in a glorious summer garden, but also the subtle, understated tones that are found in tree bark or the sea on a stormy day. Colour abounds on television, in magazines, on the computer screen and in everything we wear and eat and stitch. Endless colours in endless combinations! Some of the most astounding are found in nature; the intense, saturated colouration of pansy petals or the incredible iridescence of a peacock or hummingbird feathers, the amazing hues in a rainforest or coral reef, or the delicate nuances of pebbles on a beach. All offer limitless…

Sydney-based NATALIE FISHER stitched her first needlepoint when she was thirteen years old. She instantly fell in love with the tactile nature of the wool and the satisfaction of seeing her work come to life. A few years later, bored with the commercially available kits, she discovered Kaffe Fassett. “His book, Glorious Inspiration, encourages confidence with colours, to experiment with possibilities for needlepoint creations in everyday objects like ceramics, paintings, mosaics, drawings, textiles and nature. I took his advice to heart and discovered my own sense of colour and design.” Honing her skills of observation and colour blending, Natalie worked on a series of nature inspired designs. “I explored the possibilities of portraying a single flower form on a large scale. My intention was to delve into the contradiction of portraying nature’s…

After a decade of friendship and mutual artistic admiration, these two artists have joined forces to create intriguing pieces that juxtapose heavenly lightness and stark rawness. In 2009, textile artist Kyoko left her native Japan to resettle in Paris and learn Lunéville, or tambour, bead embroidery. In her Paris studio, ceramicist Marie has been creating black and white monochrome works for almost two decades using Raku firing, a ceramic process developed in Japan during the 16th century. Raku firings produce unique unpredictable effects while the art of embroidery requires extreme precision, but they met, then most certainly transcended, the challenge to combine these two seemingly contradictory disciplines. Despite their different mediums, fashion was their common ground. Hautecouture has been a long-standing source of inspiration for Marie and a familiar work environment…

Thank you to everyone who participated. We are delighted to announce the following winners: DESIGN DIVA The Design Diva category is where entrants submit original pieces that have been both designed and stitched by their maker. And the winners are… TECHNIQUE: Surface Embroidery 1 WINNER: Jacqueline Weemaels-Michiels from Belgium PROJECT: A Little House in Provence TECHNIQUE: Raised Embroidery 2 WINNER: Chrissie Mann from the UK PROJECT: Stumpwork Figure TECHNIQUE: Counted/Cut/Drawn Thread 3 WINNER: Victoria Laine from Australia PROJECT: Traditional Band Sampler STITCHING UP A STORM The Stitching Up A Storm category is for re-creations of existing designs. And the winners are… TECHNIQUE: Surface Embroidery 4 WINNER: Elma Haley from the USA PROJECT: Partridge and Pear Tree by Sylvia Murariu TECHNIQUE: Raised Embroidery 5 WINNER: Sue Barrows from Australia PROJECT: Elizabethan Casket by Maree Talbot TECHNIQUE: Counted/Cut/Drawn Thread 6 WINNER: Elma Haley from the USA PROJECT: Jewel Box Bag by Carolyn Standing Webb 10…

Embroidered Treasures: Flowers Dr Annette Collinge | Search Press 2018 | Hard Cover 128pg | ISBN 978-1-78221-131-0 | RRP $49.95 Embroiderers’ Guilds play an important role in building and preserving collections of diverse embroidery. Usually accessible to guild members only, much of this amazing work may not be seen by the public. Dr Annette Collinge has attempted to bridge this gap through curating a selection of just over 100 pieces for this book from the, nearly 6000-piece, collection of the UK Embroiderers’ Guild. The pieces are all floral-inspired embroideries in a range of styles and techniques from the 16th to the 21st Centuries, but predominantly from the 19th and 20th. They are grouped into twelve sections based on shared characteristics including embroidery in monochrome, blackwork and whitework, embroidery on evenweave backgrounds, needle lace,…

Cut from a vibrant selection of wool fabrics, each bird body and wing have been appliquéd in place then richly decorated with a range of highly textured stitches to bring them to life. Choose just one to frame, two or three to add some fun to a piece of clothing or stitch them all onto this gorgeous rectangular cushion. before you begin We recommend that you read the complete article and instructions in the pattern download See the pattern download for the templates and cutting layouts All embroidery is worked with ONE strand of thread requirements Fabric 29cm x 37cm wide (11 1/2" x 141/2") piece of indigo wool 23cm x 81.5cm wide (9" x 32") piece of fountain spout wool 10cm x 14cm wide (4" x 5 1/2") piece of wool in the following colours–creamed butter,…