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Blog > Back from BATB and other news...
Latest news and new kits and books...
Hello, stitching world! Hope you're having a good day today. I am back from teaching at BATB in Australia and what a fabulous time I had. Worked hard, but loved every minute of it! Thank you to every student who attended my workshops and thanks to those who travelled from so far to attend. I hope you enjoyed the classes as much as I did. The BATB team was incredible. The organisation, the planning was extraordinary. The event this year was the best one I have experienced and I look forward to seeing everyone again in the future!
The tutors at BATB 2018
It was lovely to meet up and spend time with the very best tutors in their field: Jane Nicholas, Susan O'Connor, Gail Doane, Phillipa Turnbull, Alison Cole, Jo Butcher, Margaret Light, Anna Scott, Karen Torrisi, Christine P. Bishop, Margaret Lee, Jenny McWhinney, Jenny Adin-Christie, Nicola Jarvis, Catherine Laurençon, Betsy Morgan and Hazel Blomkamp. I am privileged to know them.
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Fabulous Talent
I saw all the entries for the Inspirations Stitch Your Heart Out competition and I had goosebumps when seeing some of the entries up close. Congratulations to every winner - you certainly deserved to win! Click on the images to enlarge...
Design Diva | Raised Embroidery is Chrissie-Mann-from-the-UK-–-Stumpwork-Figure.
The winner of the Stitch Your Heart Out Grand Prize for 2018 is: Susan Davis of Australia – Or Nué Paisley Motif
Design Diva | Surface Embroidery is Jacqueline Weemaels-Michiels from Belgium - A Little House in Provence
♥ Have a look at Inspirations Magazine's newsletter for pictures of other talented winners' pieces and to read more about BATB 2018.
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Highly recommended
We stayed at the Stamford Grand at Glenelg and it is right on the beach. The views were glorious and the food even better. It's close to shops and restaurants and I recommend it highly to anyone who is visiting Adelaide. A few of us went to Port Willunga and had lunch at The Star of Greece. It was simply delicious! And the beach walk, I enjoyed that very much.
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New Book Launch
Our new Mandala book was launched at BATB! I am so proud of this book and I have received good feedback on it. Would love to know what you think of it! See the books page on my website for where to buy the book. Click on each book to be taken to different places depending on where you are in this world. It is also available from Inspirations here.
To order the panels (in full colour) you are welcome to read more about them here.
Free gift: If you order the book from here, I will include a lovely free linen or cotton panel with the Daisy Chain designed by the well-known artist, Monique Day-Wilde. It's ready to insert into a hoop to embroider with simple or advanced stitches. Whatever you choose to do with it, it's sure to be stunning once completed. Enjoy!
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The workshops and new kits, colour schemes
The bracelet and embroidered buttons...
The classes at BATB went well and every single medallion bracelet turned out beautifully! One student changed her colours from the usual autumn shades to pink and green and it was gorgeous.
Did you know? You are welcome to change the medallion rose bracelet colours to whatever you like.
When ordering, leave an instruction in the comment box as you check out.
The Medallion Bracelet Kit can be found here.
**AND this month's special (while stocks last) with every Medallion Rose Bracelet kit that you order (will be just in time for a fabulous Christmas gift!) you will receive a free Rose Button kit. Now you can make your very own embroidered buttons!
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Fuchsias
The Fuchsia workshop was great. I took some small Fuchsia packs for the workshop and they were extremely popular and so I added the "Two Fuchsias Kit" for those who wish to make just the Fuchsia flowers with a few green leaves.
From this new kit, you will be able to make two fabulous Fuchsias with the beautiful silk ribbons included in the kit. Choose Salmon pink or Plum shades.
One of the ladies from New Zealand came up with the idea of a scissor fob and it turned out beautifully! Of course, you can turn a Fuchsia into a brooch or use them to adorn a straw hat, embellish a gorgeous handbag or key tassel or whatever else takes your fancy. I like the idea of Fuchsia ornaments for my mum's Christmas tree.
Choose from plum/berry shades (above) or Salmon pinks (below) or lilac/plum shades.
Adorn a straw or raffia hat, or a handbag or make a key tassel or scissor fob. The possibilities are endless...
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Countryside Flowers and a Little Sunbird
The Countryside Flowers and a Sunbird workshop was fabulous. I really enjoyed teaching all the elements in this design and I think my students did so too! I am busy making a storybook with my samples and having lots of fun. I cut up the throw/blanket into smaller squares and it's working so well. I can stitch on smaller squares whenever I feel like it and will turn them into a book for (hopefully) a grandchild one day! Turn the blanket into pages for a storybook...
The second page
I will leave every second page blank to write the story afterwards when my grandchild is old enough to make his/her own story...
Liz went home to Canberra to teach 6-year-old Aston (her grandson) how to make the Sunbird and here is his version! Once he has cut it out, he is going to make the orange wild Dagga flowers and he plans to make the spider web too.
Well done Aston! Looking forward to seeing your creation.
Thank you, Liz, for sharing this with us.
And the latest update... Aston finished his spiderweb tonight with Nanna placing the needle and Aston pulling it through. Next up is the Wild Dagga.
... and today, 19 November I received this photograph from Liz. She wrote: Aston did his Wild Dagga this evening. He managed the two needles quite easily and enjoyed twisting the ribbon.
The felted cushion kit with a spider web and a Poppy, Forget-me-nots, Lavender and a Daffodil...
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In the pipeline...
Pink Delight panel. Learn how to embroider a landscape, step-by-step, free online tutorials.
The Pink Rose Tree kit
This pretty kit was a sellout at BATB. Very popular indeed. We have made more kits and included are the step-by-step instructions and detailed photography and it's suitable for a beginner. Makes a lovely gift too!
From this one kit, you will be able to make two rose trees if you trace your own pot onto a piece of linen or cotton fabric. Otherwise, use the second panel inside the kit and make the pot with that. Enjoy!
Until next time, enjoy your embroidery!
Love
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