Hi <<First Name>>,

Welcome to Embroidery News Issue 11.

The Inspirations Magazine team is having a break this week before gearing up for the official release of #87, so we’ve taken the opportunity to make this Embroidery News all about you! Our new ‘Can You Help?’ segment is off to a flying start and we have some of your terrific responses to share, and we have a lovely story about how Embroidery News encouraged a new embroidery group to form in Canada.  Plus, as always, there are lots of your fascinating stories and amazing photos of your work in ‘What Are You Stitching’. Till next time – enjoy just being you!

Do you have something you can share with the Inspirations community?  We’d love to hear from you, please email us at:
embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Reports are still coming in to let us know what everyone did after hearing our call to celebrate World Embroidery Day on July 30th. Today we share this terrific email from Carla in Ontario Canada: ‘A group of five of us celebrated by joining together for a delicious potluck picnic at noon at a lovely little park on the shores on Georgian Bay.  We had a wonderful 'share and show' and then onto some stitching.  For some of us, it was the first time meeting each other, but already we plan to spend time together over the coming year. Our mentor is Peggy Kimble, 91 years young, who now lives in Thornbury.  She invited us back to her home which abounds in beautiful handwork that she has both created and taught over the years.

All agreed - it was a wonderful celebration - and we are inspired to continue learning and exploring many more hand embroidery techniques and projects.  We will mark the date on next year's calendar and celebrate with many more kindred spirits. - Carla Crowther’

Thanks Carla, we love the fact a new stitching community has been formed and we look forward to hearing how you celebrate World Embroidery Day again next year!

If you missed out on learning what World Embroidery Day is all about?  Check out Embroidery News Issue 7 here.

It Is I – The One You Seek!

From time to time a particular project is sent in or a photo is posted online and the original stitcher or designer is not known and therefore not acknowledged. It’s very important for us to always credit the designer and/or the stitcher where possible, so this week we have two great stories as to how a designer and a stitcher come forward and graciously allowed us to identify them.

BLACK WORK ELEPHANT Penny’s Project

Embroidery News Issue 9 featured a blackwork elephant stitched by Penny from the UK who completed her project on World Embroidery Day. Unbeknown to us, the original design Penny worked from was in fact created by Grace Lister who is a prolific ‘embroideress’ and over the years has sold several designs to embroidery magazines.

Blackwork is one of many embroidery techniques she works in and runs her own embroidery group as well as belonging to the Embroiderers' Guild in the UK for over 30 years.

When Grace saw Penny’s elephant in Embroidery News, she sent us in this lovely note:

‘Please would you pass on my congratulations to Penny as her blackwork elephant is my original design and she has made a beautiful job of it. It is great to see my design used again and has made my day. Grace Lister.’

We did indeed pass you on your congratulations Grace, and Penny was honoured that you took the time to write and very proud of the fact you liked her version of the design.

Grace Lister’s Original Design

On July 6 we posted an image of a gorgeous stumpwork lady bird on our Facebook page and asked if anyone knew who created it. Well it generated quite a stir with over 1,000 people viewing it from all over the globe and some commenting on how it might have been created… but alas no-one knew who it belonged to.

As it turned out, Elizabeth Braun from the UK heard about our quest and she reached out to confirm it was hers. Here is some of Elizabeth’s email: ‘I stitched the ladybird piece back in 2007 from an old DMC kit and mounted it in a purple card for my husband on our 8th wedding anniversary. The fabric is just the cheap, thin, calico-style cotton with brown flecks that comes with many kits, rather than linen, as some of the ladies who commented on Facebook thought it may be.’

Thank you for solving the mystery Elizabeth – and in an interesting twist to this story, two weeks before the FB post, we included some of Elizabeth’s other work in Embroidery News Issue 03 – we just had no idea this piece was hers as well!

For those of you who love this ladybird as much as we do, Elizabeth has created many more stumpwork projects just like this and has a terrific blog where she details some step by steps for you to follow Click Here

Barbara Dowling has been a great friend of Inspirations for many, many years and this week her Grandson was kind enough to help her send us photos of some recent Children’s blankets she has finished. For those of you who are not familiar with Barbara’s work, here is a mini biography in her own words: ‘I have been sewing for customers for over 60 years, with nothing but happiness the whole time and am almost 83 years old but still stitching. I used to make smocked dresses, then embroidered night dresses, but now I just love to sit and embroider my baby blankets! I have lots of private customers, and also give them as gifts for new babies. I still supply a lovely shop in Knightsbridge, London, with my work, and have done so since I started!’ One of Barbara’s blankets ‘Down To The Woods’ was featured in our book ‘More Beautiful Embroidered Blankets’ published in 2009 and to give you an idea of how much energy and zest for life Barbara still has at 83, she lives in London, UK yet recently enjoyed a whirlwind 6 day trip with her son to Sydney Australia!

Well done Barbara – you are an amazing Inspiration to us all, and as Norma’s husband would say, just Keep On Stitching!

Karen Fraser from California USA writes to us about a Trish Burr project she just completed:

‘I just returned from the framer. I had this frame for at least 20 years. Finally finished Trish Burr’s Bluebirds and Daisies....loved the way it turned and I love Trish’s work.’

Thanks Karen – your project looks stunning and it’s always a challenge to find just the right frame to compliment one’s masterpiece, so you’ve done well!

A Taste Of Honey by Christine Bishop was an extremely popular project from Inspirations #84. Heather McKeown from Corlette NSW Australia has sent in her recently completed version of the same:

I’m a member of Morpeth & Maitland Embroidery Groups and I saw A Taste of Honey by Christine Bishop in Inspirations #84 and was inspired. I am thrilled with the result, and do hope you enjoy my end results as much as I have! Thank you. Heather'

Heather we have to say you have done a masterful job of recreating this project – when comparing the photos from the magazine to your version, you can hardly tell them apart. No doubt Christine will be equally as impressed as we are when she see this. Well done!

If you have missed out on Inspirations Issue #84 as featured in the project above, or need other back issues, copies are still available. Email us at info@inspirationsmagazine.com.au and let us know which issues you are interested in and we’d love to help you out.

What are you stitching?

Send us your photos, details about your project, where you live and a little about yourself to: embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Lots of important subscriber reminders for you this week:

PAY PAL REMINDER!

If you use PayPal for your Inspiration Subscription, please check to ensure you have paid the invoice for issue #87, otherwise your magazine will not arrive and we don’t want you to miss out! 

INSPIRATIONS ISSUE #87 NOW SHIPPING REMINDER

If you have a current subscription with us direct, Inspirations Issue #87 will be shipping to this week and next and should arrive no later than Friday August 28th.

KEEP YOUR FLY SHEET!

Inspirations Subscribers enjoy shopping coupons which are available with each new issue

When you receive a subscriber copy of Inspirations, we include a coupon at the bottom of each fly sheet as shown here.  The coupons have a promotional code which you enter online to save 15% on the purchase of any Inspirations Kit, plus there is also a one off coupon to save 10% off everything else on the Create In Stitch website.

Zinio Subscribers – don’t miss out! 

If you are a Zinio subscriber and would like to benefit from these coupons, please email us at subs@inspriationsmagazine.com.au and we’ll email them to you.

NEW TO INSPIRATIONS OR SUBSCRIPTION NOT CURRENT?

If you haven’t received the current issue of Inspirations #86 pictured below, either your subscription has expired or you might be new!  Join or Renew today!

> Option 1 - RENEW ONLINE Simply fill in our secure online form with your updated details. It’s so easy and quick, you’ll be done in 5 mins! Click Here > Option 2 – RENEW BY PHONE Renew your subscription over the phone by calling us within Australia on 08 8293 8600 or from outside Australia +61 8 8293 8600. You can call us anytime, if the office is unattended, please leave a message and we’ll get back to you ASAP.

Otherwise please email us at subs@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Last week we introduced ‘Can You Help’ where we post questions from our community for you to help answer.  As always our amazing fellow stitchers rose to the occasion and here are some of your responses:

Joan Lessard asked for help as to how she could go about connecting with other stitchers in Ester, Alaska…

Karin Shaw from the San Antonio Needlework Guild suggests connecting with the Greater-Pacific region of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America. The EGA offers great opportunities to get involved with stitching by finding like-minded people in your area. The EGA’s home page is www.egausa.org & the Alaskan Chapter can be found at here Lesley-Anne Read from the Fairfield County / Magnolia Chapters of the EGA let us know that for those people who aren’t able to join a local chapter, they can join the EGA as ‘Members at Large’. Details for Members at Large memberships and the benefits they offer can be found here

Margaret Baxter from Cheshire in the UK and Sharon Shetley from Modesto, California both suggested Facebook as great way to connect with both Embroiderers & Embroidery Groups alike.

Janet from Queensland, Australia suggests joining ‘Virtual Threads’ which is an Online Guild based in Canada. You can find more information about Virtual Threads here

Good luck Joan – we hope this information has been helpful.

Peggy Sturdy’s asked for some recommendations for needlework shops she should visit on her upcoming trip to France…

Colette Reilly says ‘If you are staying near Massena...go to the back of Galeries Lafayette there are a couple of ribbon and yarn shops there.’

Allthreads Embroidery (a terrific store in Queensland Australia) suggest: ‘Having had a recent trip to Southern France, the only shop I was able to find with embroidery products as I recall, was in the Rue de l'Hotel des Postes. It was a craft shop with lots of yarns and a small range of embroidery products ‘

Now as it turned out Peggy’s question has also been echoed by Jenny Nunes and Molly Norris Cooke who also expressed interest in this list, so we’re still on the hunt for more suggestions.

Therefore we’re putting it back to our community again this week and see if some of our French community can help us! Question 1 – List of needlework shops to visit in France, plus suggestions for where one can take a class or two. Question 2 – New question for this week: ‘Hi - Do you know of a group on Long Island New York? I would love to join an embroidery group. THANK YOU Marie.’

Over to you Inspirations Community

Can you help us with any of these answers?
Or do you have something you need help with?

Email us embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

On September 2nd Inspirations Issue #87 will be officially released and to celebrate this new issue, Embroidery News Issue 12 will take you behind the scenes and give you a look at the projects, the kits, the gorgeous photography, some insider secrets and even photos that were omitted from the magazine which will be exclusive to Embroidery News.

Make sure you check back next week…

What: Shoreham Art Gallery Textile Week
When: 25 August to 1 September
Where: Shoreham Art Gallery, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, UK.
Details: Click Here

What: Casual Canvas Work | Embroidery @ Fed Square
Where: Federation Square, Melbourne Australia
When: 7 Sep
Details: Click Here

What: Annual Exhibition of the Embroiderers’ Guild ACT
Where: Albert Hall, Canberra Australia
When: 11 to 13 Sep
Details: Click Here

What: Threads Of Power Exhibition – Rare 16th century tapestries
When: Now – 20 September
Where: The Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria
Details: Click Here
Additional Info : Check out this blog for a detailed review of the exhibition: Click Here

What: MAIWA Textile Symposium
Where: Vancouver, BC Canada
When: Sep | Oct | Nov
Details: Click Here

What Else Is On??

Send us details about events, exhibitions and celebrations happening in your place of stitch and we’ll include them in Embroidery News. Contact us at embroiderynews@inspirationsmagazine.com.au

Happy Stitching
The Embroidery News Team