Celebrate National Embroidery Month

Febuary is National Embroidery Month!  Aurifil would like to kick off this month of celebration with beautiful embroidery works created by Sheena Norquay and a giveaway of her unique hand embroidery Aurifil collection!  Embroidery is part of history in every corner of the world and includes Redwork, Candlewick, Crewel, Cross Stitch, Sashiko, and Blackwork.   This wonderful art form can be seen on quilts, clothing, leather, bags and many other places. It is a task that can be taken with you easily and can be a quick project when needed. Embroidery can also be a a fun time passer for teens or older children. Please join us in celebrating the joy of embroidery!

 

PicMonkey Collage

 

Unknown  Sheena is well known for her natural approach to design with her inspirations coming from the shapes, lines and colors of her surroundings.      Sheena teaches numerous workshops in the art of quilting.  ” I am also interested in using quilted lines to create graceful movement, sculptural shapes and decorative patterns. Inspiration comes from relief sculpture, circles, patterns in nature, man made patterns and decoration on other textiles. Most of the lines are free machine quilted, a technique which is my specialty. It is fascinating how the surface of the quilt comes alive with the quilting.”

Along with her expertise in teaching, Sheena has three previous Aurifil thread collections filled with the most delightful color combinations!  Autumn Collection, Seascape Collection and Zingy are all  50wt thread and perfect for all piecing and quilting projects.

 

 

 

Her newest thread collection Linen and Lace is a combination of different thread weights and materials offered on small spools perfect for hand work both at home and on the go.  “Linen and Lace collection was inspired by vintage embroideries. It has a limited colour palette but gives the hand stitcher a chance to try 4 types of threads. I have used the cotton floss mainly for embroidery and in some of the samples I have blended 2 or 3 colours together, using 6 strands at a time. The cotton no. 12, linen and wool have been used for embroidery but also for quilting.”

 

 

Sheena cover

 

 

 

Sheena in box

 

 

Included in this collection:

Ten small spools:  Three Cotton 12wt,  three Linen , three six strand embroidery floss, and one wool 12wt

Colors:
Cotton    1231 – 5021 – 2021
Floss       1231 – 2024 – 1320
Linen     2024 – 5011 – 1320
Wool      8021

 

These artworks were created by Sheena from her collection Linen and Lace.  “Most of the following samples are smaller size and can be stitched during train journeys or watching TV – great fun to do.”  The different threads provide a beautiful texture to your embroidery. They also produce visually exciting stitching from the variations in the sheen of the threads that can be described as a matte ( wool 12wt and linen), eggshell ( floss) and satin ( cotton 12wt).

4.Three, Linen Flowers

 

 

Sheena bird quilt

 

The giveaway will include one Aurifil Linen and Lace Collection to one winner!

To enter for your chance to win, leave a comment  answering  the question, “Where is your favourite place to find inspiration?”

This giveaway opportunity is open to international entries.  This giveaway will close February 10, 2015  at 11PM  EST.  A random winner be chosen and announced on or about  Feb 12 on this original post.  If you are a no reply blogger please leave your email in one of your comments ( do not add an additional comment).  Good luck!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

179 comments

  1. My favorite place to find inspiration is looking at antique quilts. Sometimes it is fun to try to recreate an entire piece, or sometimes just a small part of one. I also like to check websites of other quilt designers and bloggers who take inspiration from antique quilts.

    1. I find inspiration from my favorite quilters. Beautiful women with talent and love for quilting. MaryJean

  2. I find nature with its colors and contrasts a constant source of inspiration! Who hasn’t marvelled over a vibrant sunset or a brooding sea?!

  3. I find inspiration in the architecture of the buildings at my work. There is a mix of old and new, ornate and modern. It’s inspiring to walk around and look at the features of each building. I see something new every time I do!

  4. By the fireplace or (weather permitting) on the porch – reveling in the peace and quiet. I love it, but don’t get enough of it. kathleendotlutzatcomcastdotnet

  5. My inspiration comes from looking at the art of other embroiderers — from all eras! Some of the handwork in museums is so amazing, and then I see something made just yesterday and it also inspires…so much to see 🙂

  6. To be honest I find a lot of inspiration from quilting and crafting blogs and fabric designers. I’m pretty new to the sewing world and I’m learning so many possibilities and it’s helped me be more creative. YouTube is where I learned how to actually quilt, those videos are priceless! Thanks so much for the giveaway, I have been wanting to learn embroidery also!

    tdkcarpenoctem@hotmail.com

  7. Most of my inspiration comes from fabrics that I love. Istart with a fabric and then decide what to make with it.

  8. I get my inspiration by leaving the city and getting out in the country. The open spaces and natural. Life feeds my soul. Thanks for sharing.

  9. Color – that is my initial inspiration. Next – pattern. The right combination sends my brain into action… Seeing a finished design.

  10. I love to find inspiration from the world around me…there’s beauty all around us, even in the most humble of places. I love the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi, which essentially is finding beauty in the imperfection. But I also find inspiration from my IG feed and browsing Pinterest boards.

  11. My favorite place for inspiration is while I walk in the outdoors among trees, the beach, gardens etc—-yes a walk in my neighborhood.

  12. A lovely collection of threads! My favourite place of inspiration is outdoors in nature – where it’s visual inspiration or as a place that allows random thoughts to gather 🙂

  13. My inspiration comes from within. As I stitch, quilt, craft, surf the internet, inspiration comes as a whisper. The whispering voice says “what if”, or “how about” or “ah ha, let’s try this” Yes my inspiration comes in many forms, but always from within.

  14. Lately my inspiration has come from the blogs I visit. I love to see all of the beautiful projects people are working on. My original inspiration to learn to embroider was from my grandmother, she did beautiful work.

  15. My favourite place for inspiration is that quiet space somewhere between there and the real world… that little ‘happy place’ that we can sometimes escape to… but inspiration can hit from anywhere really. The trouble sometimes is that I am not ready for it when it does hit!

  16. Inspirations comes from looking out into the garden with beautiful colors from the flowers….judith, Texas

  17. My favorite place to find inspiration is from nature. A walk in the park, on the beach, down a dirt road, or a flower garden sets my mind to sewing possibilities.

  18. My go to resource is books or magazines that feature wonderful photography. The stories that the pictures tell, the wonderful colours, both are inspiring to me.
    Thanks so much for the opportunity to win these wonderful threads!

  19. Fabric is a wonderful inspiration,along with the person I’m giving it to and my surroundings at the time.

  20. I seem to be finding inspiration everywhere I look but the most influential are from nature…skies, trees, water, and grasses. Thanks for offering a giveaway of this thread collection. It is great to see a collection of varied thread types.

  21. I find my inspiration in the past – old textiles, vintage linens, historical clothing, paintings, pottery, mosaics …………. There are beautiful designs to be found everywhere if you keep your eyes open. Translating them into embroidered items is a challenge I love to undertake.

  22. I get my best ideas when I’m on a walk. It clears my head and I can think. But seeing other people’s creativity helps to spur mine on. Thanks.

  23. I find my inspiration on Pinterest. Seeing what other people do gives me hope test maybe I can do it as well.

  24. My inspiration comes from the people I quilt and embroider and sew for. I think about what would delight them. Thanks for sharing this beautiful post. It is inspiring too!

  25. My inspiration comes from the things around me.All you have to do is look at the beautiful sunrise or sunset, the colors of a beautiful flower garden, or even the different colors of the trees. Our Father gave us the most amazing pallet to go by. Thank you so much for the giveaway.

  26. I am inspired by the world around me. I love the colors of my garden and the woodsy area I live in.

  27. These small embroideries are just so sweet. My favorite place to find inspiration is the Graphics Fairy. There are some beautiful images there.

  28. I get inspired when I walk into a quilt store. All the fabrics – the beautiful colours and designs – and I start thinking of projects I’ve been planning to use.

  29. I find inspiration anywhere I can- pinterest, onine turtorials, blogs, zentangling and then I use bits and pieces from different places to create something from my imagination.

  30. I find inspiration everywhere! I love the woods surrounding my house, and driving to the nearby lake, watching the sunset reflected on the water. I find inspiration in the fabrics in my stash, and online, with pattern designers and photos.

  31. My inspiration comes from quilters and designers that I follow in blogland!! Interest is also a great source for ideas!

  32. My inspiration is my backyard. I walk out to the forest at the rear of our property and see nature at it’s finest. I also see some of the things that are deposited there after doing a lot of hard work from my profession. Old trucks and tractors rusting away, sleeping in the grass and trees after a long and useful life.

  33. My favorite place to find insipration and creative perfection is my granddaughter’s art work. ♥ Also get of a lot of help in that department from being out and about enjoying Mother Nature. ☺ Thanks a bunch for the chance to win this awesome giveaway! 🙂

  34. I live on a dairy farm in a beautiful valley called Morrison’s Cove. When I walk up near the top fields on our farm, I can see other farms and houses, fields of crops in different colors. We have birds and migratory ducks coming and going, Other little creatures and our beautiful herd of tan Jersey cows with their big dark eyes outlined with white that looks like they are wearing makeup. It’s a beautiful world around me. Another place that inspires me is my local quilt shops. There are so many pretty colors and prints to see, how could one not be inspired by them. Thank you for giving me a chance to win your generous giveaway!

  35. My inspiration comes from looking at the beautiful mountains and arroyos that surround our city and our home. Beautiful colors, both bright and subtle, as well as lots of natural texture in the rocks and brush. Thank you for featuring Sheena’s embroidery and offering a chance to win!

  36. lately I’ve found inspiration right out my back door. We have a conservation area adjacent to our property and the animals and birds are migrating. The cardinals are singing and chasing each other around the trees and nesting. A family of racoons are making the home and a baby owl was flying low last night. I love to see the new leaves budding and flowers blossoming.

    1. My inspiration comes from the heart, thinking back about how my Grandmother and Great Grandmother would have quilted things. Thinking of being up in the Great Smoky Mountains early morning, on an autum day, with all the many beautiful colors to see from all the beauty around you. It would be such a beautiful day to sit on the front porch swing and just quilt looking at all mother nature has to offer. Yes, it was my sweet Grandmother who showed me how to quilt, but the Internet has a lot of very knowledgeable tutorials also today. But my true inspiration comes from my sweet Grandma, I hope my quilting has made her proud as she smiles down from Heaven on us all. 👼

  37. I get inspiration from my garden and from the stand of native bush on our property. I also love studying my great grandmothers embroidered pieces, which I am lucky enough to own.

  38. I find inspiration at the beach. The time of day and the weather affect the colors and mood of each visit to our shoreline. I also like to watch my grandsons explore everything. Each day is a new adventure with them. I like taking them to the park and letting them explore everything from the dandelions to the swings..

  39. wonderful post. sincerely enjoy the inspiration found here. Pinterest gets my creative juices flowing. My all time avorite place for inspiration is still a cozy magazine with a cup of tea.

  40. I find inspiration on theinternet…lots of examples, tons of photos, you can leave your home and travel the world by computer! mumbird3(at)gmail(dot)com

  41. I get inspiration from my back yard and the woods behind our house–the colors and textures of foliage, grass, vines…beautiful. Thanks for the opportunity!

  42. Wow, all of the above! There are so many things I see that I want to do, with the colors I see outdoors, creating the feeling of a gentle wind, and I see examples in galleries, shows, online, at my guild….. So many stitches, so little time…..

  43. I love the shores of the Great Lakes, but I am far away from them now. Where I live now, in the English countryside, I am inspired by the varied tones of the fields, hedgerows and trees that change with the seasons.

  44. I’m inspired by everything….nature, magazines, the person I’m making the quilt for, blogs, people I quilt with. You can find inspiration everywhere you look.

  45. I’m inspired by my surroundings. Whether I’m driving or walking, if something catches my eye, I’ll stop and get a picture of it for later ideas.

  46. My favorite place to find inspiration is online, if I can be so broad. Though I definitely love pulling from nature, the immensely varied and brilliant works and curated streams of culture and art brought to me by my online friends and readers provides me with such an amazing variety of inspirational material that I forget much more than I can act on. 🙂

  47. Mother Nature is my favorite inspiring source; she does it all! A quick walk around my garden is usually all I need, but sometimes a drive to the local canyon will clear the cobwebs and inspire me to start something creative.

  48. I find my inspiration everywhere, but a lot of it is from nature. Always have my eyes and mind open to the color, texture, and patterns I see.

  49. I find inspiration everywhere! I love to embroider so much that I don’t need much prompting to stitch all the things!

  50. I gain inspiration mostly from living on our family farm. I love everything about nature and see so many possibilities from everyday things that surround us. Beautiful collection of threads!

  51. My inspiration is everywhere around my home. We live in the country with woods around us and if you walk thru the woods you come to the river. So much too see!

  52. Life itself gives me inspiration. When you take the time to look or I should say see what you are looking at it will give you inspiration. Just like right now as I am typing this I am looking and seeing the frost on the upper part of the window, which has a beautiful design and at the bottom of the window is another design created by the moisture which is melting from the frost which means that we are getting some heat from the beautiful sunshine!

  53. My inspiration comes from the internet. All the designers, quilters, and crafters with all their great talent. They inspire me to do more, try new things, and to escape from my comfort zone.

  54. I find much of my inspiration in the world around me. The endless beauty and mystery of the natural world, especially when seen up close, is the purest form of inspiration for me. The colors, the texture, the unpredictable detail… astoundingly beautiful and inspiring.

  55. I find inspiration, when you least expect it… Driving to work on a dark, winter’s morning, and suddenly the sunrise bursts over the horizon. Sometimes you may walk (or drive) past a place a thousand times, and then there’s that one day when you spot a thing of beauty or inspiration which stops you in your tracks, and suddenly the brain goes into overdrive.
    Out comes the camera/sketchbook, fabric and threads!

  56. My favorite place for inspiration is in parks, looking at the many colors outside. I love to look at old quilts, antique furniture and the many different colors in homes. There are so many places to look and sometimes just looki n g at fabric will bring a inspiration.

  57. For some reason I have had a lot of my best ideas cooking and eating with friends! I think it’s because I am so relaxed with them, my creative juices just start flowing.

  58. My favorite places for inspiration are in parks, looking at the many colors outside. I like to look at old quilts, antique furniture and the many different colors in homes. There are so many places to look and sometimes just a piece of fabric will bring inspiration to my mind.

  59. I find inspiration in the beauty of nature. The gorgeous colours of flowers and the true blue of a summer sky.
    pippirose59 at gmail dot com

  60. My favorite place to find inspiration is throughout my day. Where ever I find myself, I see different designs, concepts and ideas sparked from nature to architecture to even hearing children talk not to mention any vistas seen. Ideas are continuously sparked. I love this color combo and the idea that there are different thread weights is a huge plus in my book. Way to go Aurifil!

  61. I find inspiration at the beach. Love the lines and changes in the water and the sand. Sunrises and sunsets. Every second a new scene!

  62. I find a lot of my inspiration in nature. And some in museums, there’s so much discover,
    Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful package,

  63. I find inspiration everywhere but mostly from nature. I think you have to be aware of your surroundings and be open to what may inspire. If I’m stuck on a project I’ve learnt that I must be patient and the solution will come in the most unlikely place and time and usually it’s just what it needed!

  64. My inspiration is the shoreline of North wales, it’s beaches, estuaries, mud flats and marshes, especially in winter

  65. Recently, I found inspiration for quilts at my son’s college campus. There are great patterns in the buildings, walkways and gardens.

  66. I find inspiration everywhere, but especially in nature. Sheena’s work is beautiful! Thank you for sharing.

  67. Mostly I find inspiration in books and magazines, but I’m discovering the wonderfulness of the blogging world. Lurking on stitching or quilting blogs has provided hours of crafting stimulation. I would be so happy to be able to embroider half as well as Sheena.
    swalker287 (at) aol (dot) com

  68. My greatest inspiration is other quilts. Sometimes I want to make them exactly as I see them, but often I see something that I want to change to make it more personal, to make it easier, etc. Thanks for the chance to win some lovely goodness!! 🙂

  69. HI, I find inspiration mostly from Nature, on long walks. I do Watercolor Painting so sometimes a painting or even a sketch will provide a new idea. Thanks for your wonderful threads+a giveaway too!

  70. I would have to say my surroundings. That could be a beautiful sky or a bird stopping to eat in my garden. While I sew I can look out the window into my backyard garden.

  71. I find inspiration in the fibre art guilds I belong to. They (I belong to 4) cross pollinate nicely.

  72. I look to nature for creative inspiration – for design and colour combinations especially – Mother Nature is always right. I like to look at blogs too and quilting books. Fabric is very inspirational to me I often see a fabric and know exactly what to do with it. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity – embroidery is very peaceful and soothing to me – I love handwork of all kinds.
    Pauline
    perry94022 at hotmail dot com

  73. I find my inspiration from my sons’s eyes. Many of my best ideas have come from my son or from seeing the world through his eyes.

  74. though inspiration is present everywhere, my favorite would be quilt shows….i love to see how others interpret patterns, art and contemporary quilts and new modern quilts with lots of zingy colors….

  75. If I’m looking at the sky and let the Spirit flow I get my Inspirations for new quilts and embroidery.

  76. I find inspiration looking at floors in churches and cathedrals.
    We were in St Petersburg last year, the marble floor there has inspired me to design my own quilt.

  77. My favorite place for inspiration is looking outside to see the weather! Is is a pretty snow fall, are branches covered in ice? Is it dark and angry or sunny and hot? I find colors in all that, and the beauty…and off I go.

  78. I gain inspiration from one of two places. First, from the fabric I see and then buy. Or from looking at ideas for quilts on the internet or at a quilt show. I usually wind up with an interpretation of what I saw, not the same thing. I take a little of this and a little of that and then apply my skills.

  79. inspiration – nature
    While walking in our state park there are so many beautiful things to inspire me.
    The trees, and then the lake appears through the trees and I see the birds.
    When I walk back into my sewing room I see all of the beautiful fabric that I have collected. So everywhere I look I’m inspired!

  80. My favourite inspiration is walking along the beachfront. The everchanging moods of the sea. The flotsam and jetson washed up on the beach after a storm, the suns rays on the water at sunset

  81. My inspiration comes from the beauty in the world all around me; the shape of a beautiful old tree; lines of buildings; and children playing in a park. There is always something of interest and inspiring as we go about our day.

  82. I find my inspiration from visiting sewing blogs, tutorials, and new fabric collections. Love to browse and dream…then start sewing!

  83. People inspire me! They are colorful, soft, different, exciting, expressive, complicated, simple, intricate, bold, and on and on….. I learn from everyone I meet and value the education. Expressing myself is often validated by their responses to my work! Life is good!

  84. My mother is my inspiration. She is a master of embroidery and her beautiful stitching inspires me to try to learn her art. People often mistake her hand embroidery for machine work in its luscious richness. If I were to win this prize, I would share it with her. She would be so thrilled to use the Linens and Lace threads, as would I.

  85. I find inspiration from nature, books, magazines and my favorite quilt shop. Lots of ideas on the Internet too.

  86. My First inspiration is normally when I walk into a fabric store and see the wonderful fabrics. There is always the one print that grabs my attention more than others and then I design from there.

  87. Hi, I find inspiration in nature and also from friends who are also creative. I look at their work, the fabric they use, their stitches and it releases my inner creativity and different ideas pop into my head. Sometimes I am inspired when I sleep and wake up with different ideas and patterns. I love these colours and would love the opportunity to use the different weights of thread, etc to create something special for the family room that I am renovating (in these colours). Thanks…Babs (batoz@arach.net.au)

  88. I never know what will strike my fancy – a colorful leaf, a flower, a pair of colorful socks! I think it is the color that attracts me first and then I focus in on the details.

  89. My inspiration comes from the fabric store – so many choices. I often find a fabric that I LOVE then go from there. Whatever comes to me at the time!

  90. I’m inspired by anything in nature–a sunny day or a snowstorm, a neighborhood walk or a vacation at the beach, canyons or mountains.

  91. I find inspiration in the beauty that surrounds us. A beautiful blue lake, trees showing their fall colors, tulips in the Spring.

  92. I love children and animals for inspiration because of their unobstructed views and belief in anything is possible and nature because it is limitless.

  93. i find inspiration everywhere, in my dreams, on line (love pinterest), magazines, my friends, my drive to work.

  94. Thanks for all your great giveaways! Thanks for much for the one from Sew and Sow Farm as well as this one!

  95. I’m stopping over from Sew and Sow Farm. Love the addition to the edging pieces (on the bird project) to make the flowers. Very cool!

  96. I find inspiration from all the talented people on the web. There is no shortage of ideas that will push my skills to the next level.

  97. Thank you so much, for such an amazing blog. i enjoyed every single part of it. recently, I saw an Embroidery Digitizing Company named as Digit-it.com. They are providing amazing Embroidery Services at a very reasonable price. Go, must check it out.

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