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Generosity speaks to the qualities of plenty and kindness. It communicates abundance and a willingness to share what we have with others.
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For us, the love of needle and thread and generosity are synonymous with each other.
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Time and time again we wonder at the generosity of detail, colour and texture that we find in things created with needle and thread. We read with interest of the generosity the needlework community offers as they so willingly share of their craft and lives with those around them. We marvel at the hours people pour into plying their trade to create something from the work of their hands for someone else.
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Generosity requires us to be selfless as we give of our time, talent or treasure and we see that in spades as we engage with our tribe!
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We count ourselves blessed to share in the passion for needle and thread with you, the Inspirations Community, and love that our days are spent surrounded by the generosity that is found in engaging with you!
We’d love to hear of the generosities you’ve found through needle and thread and from the tribe you now call home. Email us at news@inspirationsstudios.com
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The following is an extract from an article published in Inspirations issue #83, written by Yvette Stanton.
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The Velvet Weavers of Venice
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A quiet campiello just off the Grand Canal in Venice is home to a small family run business that specialises in high end silk fabrics. Luigi Bevilacqua is one of perhaps only two businesses in the world still making soprarizzo velvet.
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Soprarizzo velvet, also known as cesellato (or chiselled) is unique amongst velvets because of its combination of both cut and uncut pile. The resulting three levels of relief (ground fabric, uncut pile, and cut pile) are used to
create sumptuous, elegant, patterned and textured fabrics.
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This fabric made the velvet weavers of Venice famous in the 1700s, and due to the expense of the silks and dyes used to make it, was only available to the most wealthy.
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The Bevilacqua family have been weaving in Venice since the 1700s. In the past they have made a wide range of luxury fabrics including damasks, lampases, brocades, satins, and velvets. They now focus on production of soprarizzo velvet, by both hand and mechanised weaving processes.
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The 25 hand looms in the Venetian factory date from the 1800s and are operated by six skilled weavers, assisted by one technician. They were selected from a Venetian school of art and were trained by highly skilled weavers who had been with the company for fifty years, before they retired.
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In this way, the skills and traditions of soprarizzo velvet weaving
are being passed down to a new generation.
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The mechanised weaving takes place on the mainland near Venice. The mechanised looms are much wider than the hand looms, allowing widths
of 130cm instead of the 60cm width that the hand looms can produce.
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The designs are first graphed out on paper. In the past these designs were
hand drawn and coloured. Today, they use computers for this process. Once the design has been graphed, it is then translated onto punched cards. Each card contains the pattern for just millimetres of woven fabric. The cards are joined together in a very long line and are in essence a very early form of computer. They are fed into the loom and indicate to the loom the pattern of the velvet.
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The hand-woven velvet process used today is the same as was used in the 1700s. It creates velvet fabric with three levels of relief: the flat woven background with a beautiful silk sheen; the slightly higher level, which is the looped, uncut pile; and finally, the highest level with the cut velvet pile.
The cut ends of the velvet pile often look darker than the rest, as the light does not reflect off the ends in the same way that it does off the two lower levels of fabric. The velvet not only creates interesting pattern and texture, but also plays with the light.
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Luigi Bevilacqua is not a store where you can just walk in and pick up some new curtain or upholstery fabric to take home with you. Customers choose what they want, and it is made to order. However, even those of us who find it out of our price range can admire it and be pleased that such wonderful fabric and skills still exist
You can visit Luigi Bevilacqua at Santa Croce, 1320, 30135 Venice, Italy. |
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Inspirations Calendar | November Project
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A recent study into gardening revealed that people are most likely to engage in horticulture at the point when flowers are present. Which makes sense when you consider most of us are drawn into any pursuit when the wonder and beauty of the floral world abounds.
And so it is with ‘Elizabethan Botanicals’, featured as the November pin up project in the Inspirations Calendar.
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This stunning threadpainted and stumpwork piece, by Susan O'Connor from Inspirations issue #52, is inspired by the Elizabethan era, a period when the pursuit of opulent, magnificent floral embroidery was legendary.
‘Elizabethan Botanicals’ is one of the most popular projects to feature in Inspirations over the years and is available to purchase as a digital pattern.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Elizabethan Botanicals
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Inspirations 2020 Calendar
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Make the beginning of each month a special occasion as you turn the pages of the Inspirations Calendar and reveal more of the world’s most beautiful needlework.
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The Inspirations 2020 Calendar is a perfect Christmas gift for friends and family, but just make sure it’s on your Christmas gift list as well, we wouldn’t want you to miss out!
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WARES
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Inspirations 2020 Calendar
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Christmas Gift Packs | Now Available
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This week we’re launching a new range of Christmas Gift Packs to help you spread the Merry Stitchmas cheer these holidays. Each gift pack is based on a different theme so there’s something for everyone, all at very special festive prices.
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These gift packs are perfect for any needlework fan in your life including yourself!
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They even come boxed ready to wrap, making it super easy for a significant other to surprise you, or for you to surprise someone on Christmas Day.
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To get started, we have a gift pack all about getting started… the Simply Stitching Pack!
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Inside the Simply Stitching Gift Pack you will find:
1 x The Embroiderer’s Handbook - the quintessential stitchers guide
1 x Kit for the project ‘Simple Stitches’ with threads, fabrics and needle
1 x Inspirations Magazine issue #96 with instructions for Simple Stitches
1 x Needle Guide to help keep all your needles in order
The value of the individual items in this pack totals more than AU$110 however as a special Christmas gift to you, the Simply Stitching Gift Pack is only AU$55!
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With only 21 packs available, get in quick and start filling your Christmas stockings now!
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Beating Around the Bush 2020 Catalogue Update
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Christmas Spirit by Betsy Morgan
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As we begin the ramp up to the time of year where we enjoy the celebration and occasion of Christmas, we’re also mindful of what happens at the other end when it’s time for the festivities to ramp down and, with a bit of sadness, we pack away all the decorations for another year.
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For us stitchers, packing everything away again is even more difficult as we realise that all those wonderful Christmas-themed embroideries we spent hours and hours creating will be once again boxed up and stored out of sight.
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Wouldn’t it be lovely if we could leave them out all year around?
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Well, there is a town in Alaska called North Pole which maintains its Christmas theme all year around. As well as a current city council member who has legally changed his name to Santa Claus, North Pole boasts Christmas-themed street names, candy cane decorations on street lights and businesses and its main attraction is a gift shop named ‘Santa Claus House’ which even has its own herd of domesticated reindeer.
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Although the town retains the festive spirit all year, as December draws near, the Post Office is swamped by thousands of letters from hopeful children from all over the world, assuring Father Christmas that they’ve been good.
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Betsy Morgan’s gorgeous Christmas Spirit etui, from Inspirations issue #104, reminded us of something you might see in this town. While the etui is decidedly Christmas themed, we feel it’s also something that can be used and enjoyed all year around without the need to be tucked away, waiting for Christmas to return.
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Once completed, the project forms a perfectly constructed box, decorated in Betsy’s characteristic combination of exquisite counted techniques. It also has a scissor fob, needlebook and scissor sheath all of which fit neatly inside and all of which are essentials for embroiderers every month of the year.
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If this is your first Betsy Morgan project, you are in for a treat. As well as having the pleasure of working with the rich, jewelled palette of colours, reminiscent of Christmas trees and sparkling gifts, you’ll be introduced to a range of techniques including Bargello, cross stitch, blackwork and Hardanger.
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Every surface of this project brings new challenges and new surprises, all of which will leave you hankering for more.
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In addition to Betsy’s marvellous stitching, her construction techniques are second to none. Provided in the magazine are detailed instructions to ensure that your construction is as good as your stitching so that once you’ve put it together, this etui can be used whatever the time of year and whatever the weather.
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Capture a little piece of Alaska’s North Pole by opening your etui in July or even August and taking a moment to admire the colours and Christmas themed motifs. You might even hear the faintest jingling of bells and catch the tiniest whiff of pine needles. After all, can one ever enjoy too much Christmas spirit?
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Make Your Own Christmas Spirit
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Christmas Spirit by Betsy Morgan is a delightful counted thread etui with festive motifs in the colours of Christmas.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 104
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Christmas Spirit
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Looking for a Christmas Spirit Kit?
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Due to the popularity of this project, we have currently sold out of Christmas Spirit Ready-to-Stitch kits, however, Sue our Kit Manager is hard at work trying to source enough materials to produce some more stock. If you are interested in purchasing this kit, please email us at orders@inspirationsstudios.com with the subject Christmas Spirit Kit and hopefully we can make a little Christmas miracle happen for you! |
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Looking for More Christmas Spirit?
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White Christmas by Yvette Stanton from Inspirations issue #56 is a beautiful white on white Christmas tree ornament.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 56
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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White Christmas
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Kris Kringle by Heather Scott from Inspirations issue #72 is a pretty Christmas gift bag - the perfect wrapping for any small gift.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Kris Kringle
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Jingle Bells by Jenny McWhinney from Inspirations issue #60 is a joyful Christmas stocking featuring a sweet singing robin perched atop a plum pudding.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Jingle Bells
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Snowflake by Helan Pearce from Inspirations issue #67 is an ornate Christmas stocking and pair of decorative bells.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Snowflake
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There are times when stitching and gifting go hand in hand as we pour our time and talent into something intended for someone else. This week we’re sharing the work of the Inspirations Community who have done just that - they have plied their trade with needle and thread to the benefit of someone close to them.
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‘Just thought I'd share my latest creation – a Dresden lace quilt. While visiting Fox's Cottage in Foxton, New Zealand I saw a quilt and just knew I had to make it!’
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‘I've used 120 5” (12.5cm) squares to make the Dresden Plates and this quilt is a gift for my elderly mother. Many thanks for such an interesting newsletter.’
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Ann, your mother will be wrapped in the love you stitched into each of your 120 Dresden Plates! Your quilt is colourful and detailed and will be well used and appreciated by your Mum.
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‘Elvis the Bassett Hound was a surprise birthday gift for my daughter who owns the puppy. She was thrilled. I so enjoy bringing a modern twist to a traditional technique!’
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Leigh, your piece has a colourful, modern twist and you’ve captured the characteristic long ears and expressive eyes of the basset hound perfectly. The work you’ve done with needle and thread is the perfect way to celebrate Elvis and the joy and love a puppy brings!
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‘Each week I read with interest what fellow readers are creating and embroidering. I am amazed at the diversity and skill of the creations displayed and thought I would share with you a blanket I recently stitched for a friend’s new granddaughter.’
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‘When I discovered my husband’s best friend’s son and wife were expecting their first child I asked if anyone was creating a blanket for the baby. As no one was doing so I offered to embroider a blanket. I asked the grandmother what theme they may like, and she indicated food was their interest. Food was not what I had expected and I wondered how I would create a blanket using this theme.’
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‘Days later I read that the wonderful children’s book ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ created by Eric Carle was celebrating 50 years since it was first published, and I decided that this was the perfect theme to use!’
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‘I used our 47-year-old, much read copy of the book to create the design. I tried to create in silk and wool threads the images that Eric Carle had created 50 years ago using collage. I finished my blanket the night before I traveled to Adelaide and was delighted that the new parents were thrilled to receive it for their new daughter, Elle.’
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Marlene, just like the copy of the book you used to create the design, the blanket you’ve fashioned will be well used and loved for years to come. You’ve done a remarkable job of recreating the magic of a simple, yet memorable children’s classic.
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‘After completing a Christmas Bouquet ornament by Julie Kniedl, my daughter commented on how much she liked it, but requested some mistletoe instead. Fortunately, I had just received Inspirations issue #100 and now here is my daughter’s Mistletoe Bell!’
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Sharon, Inspirations issue #100 arrived at the perfect time so you could create the perfect gift your daughter! Julie’s Mistletoe Bell will be a welcome addition to your daughter’s Christmas decor each and every year.
Have you plied your trade with needle and thread to create something for someone else? We’d love to see it! Email photos of your stitching along with a few details about your journey with needle and thread to news@inspirationsstudios.com
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Subscribe to Inspirations Magazine
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Not a Subscriber? Join Today!
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Become part of the Inspirations family by subscribing to the magazine... we'd love to have you join us!
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Paisley by Susan Davis is an exquisite piece of Or Nué embroidery; the perfect introduction to this technique.
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 104
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READY-TO-STITCH KIT
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Paisley
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Pure Gold by Hanneke Schoeber from Inspirations issue #76 is an enchanting floral motif created with beautiful metallic gold and silk threads.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Pure Gold
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 76
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The Golden Pomegranate by Margaret Cobleigh from Inspirations issue #61 is a stunning pomegranate, beautifully represented in this richly ornamented goldwork study.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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The Golden Pomegranate
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 61
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Touch of Gold by Lucy Barter from Inspirations issue #99 is a delightful floral study using goldwork and stumpwork techniques.
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DIGITAL PATTERN
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Touch of Gold
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PRINTED MAGAZINE
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Inspirations Issue 99
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A-Z of Goldwork with Silk Embroidery is full of practical expertise on how to create beautiful goldwork embroideries, enhanced with silk embroidery, while conveying the history and tradition of goldwork down the years.
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PRINTED BOOK
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A-Z of Goldwork
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Stitched by the very talented artist Dani Ives
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How Cute! Stitched by Lucky Lala
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‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can. ’
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~ John Wesley ~
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Stay informed of upcoming needlework events taking place all around the world in our new What’s On page on the Inspirations Studios Website HERE.
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If you’re holding an event or would like to suggest one to be added, we’d love to hear about it. Email us the details at news@inspirationsstudios.com
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© 2019 Inspirations Studios
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