Botanica

About Inspirations Studios

With a rich history forged with needle and thread, Inspirations Studios publishes the world’s most beautiful needlework books and magazines. They are based in Australia; for more information visit www.inspirationsstudios.com.

Crafts Beautiful

Learn how to produce three-dimensional embroideries of flowers, fruit and vegetables inspired by the work of Julie Kniedl. The aim is for realism and Botanica explains how to produce this effect through 12 projects, using simple stitches and a handful of techniques to create elegant interpretations of natural subjects. Each project is captured with stunning photography and detailed instructions are provided for every step. 

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myshelf.com

This beautiful book is a celebration of the work of the late Julie Kniedl, whose remarkably life-like 3D embroideries are both displayed and offered as projects. These impressive pieces are ideal for any embroiderer who relishes a challenge and the chance to make something rather different.

A cauliflower, figs, bunch of cherries, pear and lemonnot the contents of a greengrocers shop but some of the projects in here that look good enough to eat. If flowers are more your thing you can choose from camellias, eglantine, banksias, wattle and succulents. This is another gorgeous, coffee table worthy book from Australian publishers Inspirations Studios and fingers itch to get stitching just gazing at all those glorious photographs. Beginner embroiderers are not the target audience here, but those stitchers who have amassed experience in various techniques and want to try something fairly advanced that will look impressive and professional. All the instructions, staged photographs and diagrams you need are present however, along with several large photographs of each item in various poses. Each project starts with a short description of the fruit or flower and a list of supplies, threads, needles, stitches used and fabric type and size. The instructions take you from transferring the designs (all in a pullout sheet at the back), any foundation work such as making up in felt and stuffing through to the embroidery and assembly. At the front is a short guide to what you need and how it is used; you will need felt for the fruits, stuffing, wire to outline petals and make stalks but nothing too outré or expensive. If it all seems a bit daunting but you still want to have a go, all the projects are available as kits. With instructions as clear as these and all those staged pictures it all seems very doable, and I do hope one day there may be another book filled with this talented embroiderers wonderful works. Highly recommended for both content and user friendly projects.

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Needle 'n Thread

'If you love beautiful books, if you love stumpwork, if you love realistic embroidery of natural subjects, if you love art youll love this book!

Julies work is exquisite. It is so simple in its concept and presentation what is more simple than a flower, a lemon, a bunch grapes or cherries, a little sampling of succulents? yet so artistically rendered to seem complex and out of reach for the average stitcher. Thanks to the clear breakdown of materials and instructions, though, the book makes these three-dimensional embroidered sculptures accessible to all of us.

I can think of no cons. Its a gorgeous book! I love to thumb through it at leisure. I love to show it to other people. I love seeing their reaction when they realize what theyre looking at!'

Read the full review by Mary Corbet here.