Inspirations Inspirations Issue 103

BEGINNING A NEW STITCHING PROJECT IS ALWAYS FUN. After due consideration you have made a choice, gathered together the materials that you will need, threads, needles, fabric and hoop, and set aside some time to make a start. You may be familiar with all the stitches that are used or there may be one or two that are new to you or, perhaps your new project involves a technique that you have never tried or tried once or twice but are not too confident about working. If so, it’s probably a good time to take out some spare thread and spend a little time practising. ‘Practice makes perfect’ is a well-used proverb and the belief that the regular exercising of a skill leads to proficiency certainly has merit. Think back to…

Ruth Carter has been a Hollywood costume designer for 30 years, but it is her work on the Black Panther film that made her a household name. She started working in a costume shop in Springfield, Massachusetts, while still in school, and as an intern at Santa Fe Opera while studying before she moved to Los Angeles in 1986. She met Spike Lee when she worked on his second film School Daze and has worked on his films ever since. Her first Oscar nomination in 1993 for her work on Spike Lee’s Malcolm X was followed in 1998 with a nomination for Steven Spielberg’s Amistad. But it was third time lucky this year when her work on Black Panther earned her the Oscar for Best Costume Design. She also won the…

“Women on both sides of my family were big on traditional needlework–I don’t think I ever slept on a pillowcase that did not have embroidered flowers on the end flap.” “When I look back, I see that their work was motivated by practical needs, but it was also an art form. They didn’t just need a pillowcase, they wanted one that was beautiful and unique. They did those things at night after busy days, and that became a model for me.” As an adult, Laura naturally gravitated towards books and craft. It was destiny. She worked as a librarian for many years. “Many books passed through my hands, and I would take home the ones that caught my eye. Those were usually art books, both those that inspired with photos of fine work…

Embroidered Treasures: Birds Dr Annette Collinge | Search Press 2018 | Hard Cover 128pg | ISBN 978-1-78221-132-7 | RRP $49.95 Along with flowers, birds are a universally-loved motif for embroidery and so it is fitting that they receive their own focus in Dr Annette Collinge’s second book showcasing items from the collection of the Embroiderer’s Guild in the UK. Her first book in this series, Embroidered Treasures: Flowers, looked at pieces with floral motifs in the collection. The birds in the second volume have been stitched in a wonderfully diverse range of styles and techniques in pieces from the early 17th century to the 21st. There are also two fragments of weaving from Egypt dated to the 6th century. As with the Flowers book, the bird embroideries are organized into style or technique…

Twinkle, Twinkle DMC have introduced a sparkling new thread to their range called Etoile. Available in 35 shades, this 6-strand, divisible thread, comprised of 73% cotton and 27% lurex, is perfect for those who want to add a subtle twinkle to their stitching. The colour numbering for these threads is consistent with DMC stranded cotton with the addition of a C before the number and it comes packaged in the same 8m pull skeins. Similarities stop there as the thread has a rather crinkly appearance and quite a matte surface. This makes it very easy to separate and it can be used by itself or in conjunction with stranded cotton or other threads. WIN ONE OF TWO ETOILE THREAD PACKS! DMC have generously donated two presentation packs of this lovely new thread and to…

Every sewing kit needs a Point 2 Point Turner and this slender resin wand will help you turn out perfect corners and seams, and can also be used to create sharp, smooth creases in fabric and paper, making it the ideal accessory when making Perfect Love (pg. 40). The Hold It Precision Stiletto will do just that, hold tricky fabric folds so that you can iron accurately without risking a burn. The grey silicone tip not only grips fabric firmly but is heat resistant. The curved, pointed end is not only perfect for positioning threads but is indispensable for any task that requires a deft, precise touch.…