. pages of highlights, creativity and fresh ideas WorkboxBe inspired! Following the success ‘of our first annual last ‘yar, itis my pleasure to welcome youto the second annual from ‘the world of Workbox. Last year, we gave youatome of creative articles, innovations ‘and stunning textile ‘raft this year, we've ‘gone one better and delivered our greatest magnum opus to date; bursting with 90 pages of brand new, previously tunseen material and more inspiration than you ‘can shake a crochet hook at- its one not to miss. Workboxisa bimonthly magazine dedicated to textile and needle crafts and in its third decade, is probably one ofthe most collectable magazines ‘on the market: I regularly receive email from dedicated followers ofthe magazine who still pour ‘over the very first issues. inthis Volume, you will find snippets ofthe best bits from the magazine inthe last year, plusa stunning textile gallery eaturing pieces weve drooled over; we hope you enjoy a glimpse back through some of our best features of 2013. For the most part however, the following pages are comparable toa great big present waiting to be unvirapped ~ beautifully presented, emptingly unknown and hand-picked just for you. Here you will finda medley of textile and needlecraft gems divided into the following Creations Thissectionisa glowing celebration ofthe magnificent texte and needecrat creations many ‘of you have made. Take The Bourne Mil Bannefor ‘example the commendable efforts and wonderful Shilo the members from the Colne and Colchester Embroidrers Guild have resulted na plece that willbe appreciated now forthe alent that has ‘gone into production and revered by future ‘Senerations forthe knowledge and glimpse ofthe Pastt contain. ‘Whether ts Elizabeth Starley’s plethora of work, Joan Prowse’ extraordinary felt painting or Lauren Shanley’ visionary fashion, this section willeave you reeling with wonder and excitement Inspirations Tam Constantly fascinated by the subjects that inspite the exemplary enthusiasts who are featured inWorkbox and this elton of Inspired. A Savoy cabbage may be among my veg of choice asa side toa hearty Sunday roast but fever think to ‘make one out of fabric but ran Holmes did and the esis are really quite impresive Workbox favourite, aly Sparks, has been off on her aves again and takes us on trip trough her dary on 2 isto the Galapagos, during which she became transfixed bythe pricy pear What fllowsis an ineate body of work that proves how inspiration an sping fom the most unlikely of places. Innovations Inthis section, feast your eyes on some ofthe most beautifalmachine embroidery Ive ever seen a3 Arthur Ridley ets us into is secrets of combining transfer printing and free motion embroidery. Ann Batchelor takes ‘thing to whole new level with her hand woven baskets and the glorious Natalia Manley brings us an exiting combination of panting and needlework to delight and enthral you. And Carol Sydney goes back n time to piece together the patterns that make her the texte ast she i today Projects Why not have ago at one of our super projects in this section? We bring you 5 exciting opportunites te channel our satin nto eave piece OF course, projects are only just the star really; ‘go where your creative juices take you and tell Usall about the results! We hope you relly wil ‘Be inspired’ by this second volume; for a regular dose of inspiration, why not subscribe to Workbox ‘magazine and join the crowd of enthusiasts eagerly ‘waiting by their lettesboxes? Find our subscription form on page 128. So, take a deep breath and dive in -let the Inspiration commence! Mey Workbox- inspired by enthusiasts Mary Bennellick, Editor ‘mary@workboxmag.comWorkbox Gallery Subscribe to Workbox The Bourne Mill Banner bby The Colne and Colchester Branch of the Embroiderers Guild Elizabeth Starley —AWoman for all Seasons by DiPowell The Portraits of a Lady by Joan Prowse An Interview with a Visionary by Mary Bennelick AStep into the Unknown by Barbara Bexley Inspirational Cabbages by Eloise Walton Extreme Weather Patterns = Amber Warning! by Chrisie Heath Why The Prickly Pear? It’s such an Ugly Plant by Sly Spats Inspired to Stitch byign Trinity — A Triumvirate of Love by Léonie Hartley-HooverContents Be Inspiredby Workbox VoLIT Innovations 82 Treasures of the Sea 88 Basket Story 92 Patterns in my Life peal 96 Exploring Mixed Media by Natalia Manley 104 Lace That Grows on You by Louise West Projects 110 Collage Project by ane Ged 112 Flower Garden by Kathleen Matthews 116 Christmas Cards bbyVieky Jackson 118 Snowflakes bby Madeleine Milington 120 Needle Lace- White Apple Blossom and Calla Lily by Figen Cakir 124 Pillowcases and Canvas Tote Crochet by Caitlin ainio lweel us www.twitter.com/WorkboxMagazineTen ony erie Prepare to be wowed by our BY LILLE BYALA En aRn nT aa)Noseam Darbey ifyourheartisnotnaled to Cif Hal 2010-Afree machin embroidered sculpture by Naseem Darbey featuredn the Now Dec 13 ss. Inspired by her time at cif Castle Museum Naseem proded a ‘aptnotingcolecion based an letters wniten by ‘Mary Louise Roosevelt Butterfield Burke. The central pleceofthe collection the heart inspired alter Teton by Mary ther husband Henry which begins With "Dear and ungrateful husband..come on Tuesdoy implore you and make me uly hapey — tleatwriteto me fyourhear snot nailed fo Cie Ha and ase results dry and stent: Black Bird Tord Meru from the Stuy Skins After our history lesson, a small planning ‘group considered what elements of the Mills Story should be reflected in our design, & decision was soon made to include relevant history as well as representations ofthe rich flora and fauna that are to be found around the Mil, and members with drawing skills offered their services, The design was to include a central area of six mages surrounded by a border of 30 smaller squares, two of which would accommodate the National Trust logo and the Branch’ ‘name, Both hand and machine stitching ‘Would be used ‘Bourne Mil self rightly occupied the main part ofthe central area, and a member who was recovering from, and incapacitated by a broken leg, offered her machine embroidery shill -luckly it was her left leg that was less than perfect! ‘The design of SirThomas was taken from painting made while he was alive. His Coat of arms proved to be more dificult to depict: the remaining image on the outside ‘ofthe Mill ha been ravaged by time and the elements. Forays through the locally held records ofthe Visitation of Essex, 1612" by the King’s Heralds, who recorded family pedigrees and coats of ams, and avsitto the familys earlier records a Lite Saxham Church in Suffolk, were unable to provide a ‘more detailed image. twas decided then to show the arms in their very weathered aspect ‘asa visitr to the Mil today sees them, ‘t went without saying that the fish in tele ppond should be included as they were the reason for Bourne Mills origin. The ‘mechanics ofthe Mill describing the process ‘of material production, was chosen to be ‘embroidered by our national award-winning ‘member. And finaly the central section included a banqueting scene of 1591, the year in which the lodge was built. Most of these panels were machine stitched, but the men atthe banquet were hand stitched by several members and then pieced to the background by hand, ‘The squares that surround the central section include designs of flowers, birds, insects and elements of the building’ architecture. Unlike the central portion ‘here the colours used reflect the objects depicted, twas decided to keep to black ith the use of gold and one specific red as highlights. This not only echoed the thread constraints in Tudor blackwork, but meant ‘that the borders would have a cohesive feel in spite of being stitched by so many different hands. By mid May, al the pieces were complete and ‘asmall group met to stitch them together, ‘and back them to complete the banner. It proved tobe a trouble free operation ~ all the pieces matched as planned! It looked ‘magnificent and all that remained was fort ‘to haves official recognition. That came on. TstJuly when our local MP, Sir Bob Russell, Unveiled the workin situ at Bourne Mil, Joined by the Mayor of Colchester, National ‘Trust staf local councillors and Guild and Branch members and friends. Since then we have asked David Piper for his, reflections on the Banner initsrew home ‘and he enthused,"When we were shown, ‘workin progress and ofcourse the finished article, t would be safe to say that it blew my mind to ee the exquisite skills producing a ‘wuly stunning banner. hope that this piece ‘of work will one day be yet another priceless ‘textile which the National Trust and Bourne Mil can cherish. Our visitors love it, and it is ‘a beautiful tol to have to help explain the story behind this beautiful building” ‘Would we do it again? Yes, yes, yes! The co- ‘operation between members generated 9 hhuge buzz for the Branch, and the fact that the Banner can be seen by visitors from the ‘town ~and indeed froma over the world when they visit the Mill adds to the pride and sense of achievement that weal fel Now, who else really should have an original banner created for them by such an enthusiastic team...” LEFT: The completed benner ‘ABOVE: Workin Drogressonthe fish pene Be Inspired by WORKBOX Volume i 2511 Creations 26 Be Inspired by WORKBOX Volume 1 swwneworkboxmagcomBe Inspired by WORKBOX Volume 271 Creations. Figure by EzabethStarey 28 Be Inpired by WORKBOX Volume IIElizabeth Starley —A Woman for all Seasons by Di Powell Reflecting on my first interview with Liz, irying to get the story of her long and creative life clear in my head, I realised [had achieved only a very matter of fact, restrained account of herself and her works, typical of this very modest person. Ithough Liz certainly takes pride in her talents and accomplishments, ats down more to her perfectionism than any self agarandisement. Liz shares these personal qualities with her hhusband of over 40 years, Alan Stare, also 3 {uiet craftsman par excellence Uz has lived and worked in many parts of the UK, from Lincoln where she was born Jn 1928 to Eastbourne where her family eventually settled before WWI Bombing ‘ids led to her school being evacuated North-West to Hereford and then Southport and altogether Liz attended several schools. wondered f these early changes contributed toher becoming the wel organised and self suficent person we know today. Visiting Lizand Alan in theie retirement apartmentin Warwick, one's eyes are Immediately drawn to the walls, crowded with examples of not only their own beautiful pieces but also watercolours painted by Liz's ‘mother. So its no surprise to learn that after the war, Liz was accepted at Eastbourne Art swwworkboxmag.com College, where a number of distinguished artists both studied and taught, including Eric Raviious, But then as now, making alving as an artist was very difficult, so pragmatic Lizleft to take a cookery course \which resulted in obs as live-in cook at two wellknown public schools. Eventually, Liz saved enough money to go off to Canada, working as cook for two families in Ontario and Vancouver; one couple became good friends until the ends oftheir lives. However, although she much enjoyed her stay, the long freezing Ontario winters were abit too cold for comfort, restricting outdoor activity, s0 she decided to come back tothe UK. On her return, ever enterprising, she found work asa resident Assistant Warden withthe YWCA, finally reaching the Coventry Branch, her most momentous move because, at ‘one ofthe popular weekly dances in the city, she met Alan also originally from Sussex but by then an Engineer with Massey Ferguson, “They told me that it was marrying and having their own house that enabled them to take Lp their hobbies and this welcoming house with its lovely garden was theirhome unt they moved to their present accommodation several years ago, ‘After building a garage, Alan was able to setup his workshop in itand began his spare time career'asa much respected ‘model wheelright, while Liz began her ‘own odyssey inher spare’ time after work. She was a keen photographer, taking gorgeous pictures of flowers and plants as, ‘well as recording subjects connected with her research projects- Ive never seen so many photos of horses and carriages taken at various shows around the country! She became interested in historical costume and originally developed this interest by designing and dressing her own felt figures recreating the historic characters featured in famous paintings -from lords and ladies to falconers and their birds and hounds, Li's ‘drawing and stitching sls, plus her eye for detail, enabled her to create figures dressed from the inside out in the cortect clothes >> Be Inspired by WORKBOX Volume i 29