What Are You Stitching?

Did you know that Velcro was inspired by nature?! After wondering how the tiny hooks of burs were stuck to himself and his dog, Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, invented the hook and loop fastening we’re all familiar with. Whilst they may not be as renowned as Velcro (well not yet anyway!) this week’s What Are You Stitching? contributors have taken their inspiration directly from nature as well.

Jane Page

‘I have just completed this piece that was inspired by ‘The Nestlings’ from Inspirations issue #76. I completed the blue bird in 2012 on a tiny cushion but never finished it, so it sat without inspiration until recently when I cut it out, appliquéd it to my fabric and the rest then formed itself. I had great fun fashioning the nest!’

Jane, you’re always one to apply a little creativity, ingenuity and out of the box thinking when it comes to your stitching and this piece is no exception. We love that you went from cushion to framed piece all in one simple appliqué! You’ve combined each of the elements seamlessly.

Karen Fraser

‘I have always loved Julie Kniedl’s beautiful three-dimensional embroidery as her workmanship is simply awesome!

I have completed at least 11 of her projects and plan on completing more.

I purchased her book, ‘Botanica’ from you folks and it was well worth it.’

Karen, what a spectacular collection of stitched botanicals! You’ve done an amazing job of recreating nature with needle and thread.

Mary Anne Richardson

‘Thought you might like to see my latest completed landscape which combines both hand and free motion machine embroidery as well as piecing.’

‘It was inspired by a photograph from Alberta, Canada although I took the liberty of adding the Three Sisters mountains to the skyline. I wasn’t sure about being able to create the car in a realistic manner, but after much thought and several false starts, it actually ended up looking good!’

‘Thank you so much for your wonderful weekly newsletter – I always look forward to an enjoyable read and being awestruck by all the wonderful creations.’

Mary Anne, we love the texture and dimension you’ve been able to create with needle and thread. The scene you’ve pieced together is seamless and had we not been told otherwise, would have thought it had come from a single photo.

Roma Crowhurst

‘I used to watch my mother doing embroidery and lots of other crafts but I didn’t really get into embroidery until I found how de-stressing it was whilst still being present, but in my own little bubble.

I love thread painting and have worked several birds from photos my husband has taken - it’s a way of joining his passion with mine!

I stitched this feisty emu from a photo my husband took whilst we were travelling in the Flinders Ranges in South Australia.’

Roma, feisty is the perfect word to describe emus and you’ve captured that lively side of Australia’s largest native bird perfectly. We love that you and your husband have found a way to combine your passions and we look forward to seeing what ‘Team Crowhurst’ produce next!

Have you stitched something inspired by nature? Stitched Velcro anyone?! We’d love to see the work of your hands! Email photos of what you’ve created with needle and thread along with a few details about your stitching journey to news@inspirationsstudios.com