Inspirations Inspirations Issue 108

IF THE WORDS MERRY AND BRIGHT bring to mind a familiar Christmas tune, you certainly would not be alone. These words are included in the lyrics of the song, ‘White Christmas’, written by Irving Berlin and first recorded by Bing Crosby for release in July 1942. Seventy-eight years later, it remains popular during the festive season and is, in fact, the world’s best-selling single with more than fifty million copies sold. These words, along with many similar ones, reflect our heartfelt ambitions for this time of year, a time of gathering together to enjoy the company of friends and family, of happiness and laughter, enjoying good food, reflecting on the year gone by and sharing hopes for the year ahead. The changes to our lives over this past year, the unique…

“The mind is diverted from diseases and daily life problems. They see colour in their lives in the form of cloth and threads. It is very therapeutic.” For SIMRAN PREET KAUR , a social worker from Delhi, India, a journey began when she decided to start teaching a few children from a nearby slum neighbourhood. This informal arrangement was something she did to keep them occupied and off the streets, but she soon realised that they went home to poor, uneducated mothers living in sad and unhealthy conditions. That is when she decided to reach out to the mothers as well. These uneducated women from impoverished villages migrated to the cities looking for work and better conditions. Most of them were not successful and ended up in loveless marriages where violence and…

“I am Iraqi by birth, Western in education and upbringing, Arab in spirit and Emirati in passion.” REEM EL MUTWALLI arrived in the UAE in 1968 - the same year oil was discovered – as a young girl of five, when her father started working as economic consultant to Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then the Crown Prince, now the ruler of the UAE. “My childhood was spent in the company of the women and children of the UAE ruling families. In these inner circles of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and friends I was surrounded by love and adoration, as well as with beauty. These memories of female friendship, love and splendour continue to feed my soul and guide my life choices to this day.” Reem’s passion for textiles and clothing started…

Creative Stitching Sue Spargo | Self-published 2017 | Soft-cover with spiral binding 216pg ISBN 978-0-9993902-0-7 | RRP USD$32.00 Stitch guides are almost a dime a dozen, and everyone tends to have a well-worn favourite in their library that they use as a go-to reference. A great addition to anyone’s collection would be this fabulous little book, the second edition of the title, that showcases the vast range of decorative embroidery stitches that Sue Spargo uses in her amazing work. Ideally sized for popping in your sewing bag at 19cm x 15cm wide (7 ½" x 6"), the book has a large spiral binding that allows it to be turned completely back on itself and prevents the pages from closing unexpectedly. The introductory chapter on needles and threads is brief and mainly pertinent to Sue’s…

An exhibition of contemporary needlework by students of Ornamental Embroidery Ornamental Embroidery was delighted to work once again with the Ashmolean Museum (see Inspirations, issue 94), this time in partnership with the Bodleian Library in Oxford, to showcase the work of students in an exhibition entitled The Needles Art. The project grew out of a two-day workshop held in May 2018 and formed part of a continuing series of short courses run through the Museum’s Education Department exploring the history of hand-embroidered textiles and design. The workshop was inspired by an early sixteenth century pattern or ‘model’ book (MS Ashmole 1504), preserved in the collection of Western Medieval Manuscripts at the Bodleian Library. In addition to working on a couple of designs from the volume, we were given an opportunity to…

This elegant interpretation is worked with a variety of metal threads onto a natural background and incorporates traditional goldwork techniques to spectacular effect. Primarily worked with gold threads, the addition of a single red bauble suspended from an antler brings a special touch of magic to this superb image. this design uses Chipping | Couching Purls over string padding before you begin We recommend that you read the complete article See the pattern download for the embroidery design and templates The finished design measures 19cm (7 1/2") square. requirements Fabric 35cm (14") square of natural linen/cotton blend 2cm (¾") square of natural linen/cotton blend Supplies 16cm (6½") square of yellow wool felt Yellow soft string – 2m (2yd 8") 50cm (20") square slate frame mounted with calico Lacing thread Silk pins Dressmaker’s carbon Stylus or spent ballpoint pen Beeswax Goldwork scissors Cutting pad Mellor Blunt-nose tweezers Circle template (optional) Low-tack tape Fine black pen Heavyweight tracing paper Mechanical…