In Australia, we are fortunate to have an excellent selection of needlework magazines to inspire us. In terms of hand embroidery alone, I can think of Inspirations, Embroidery and Cross Stitch, The Gift of Stitching, Embellish, Homespun, Creating Country Threads, Handmade, Jill Oxton’s Cross Stitch and Beading, Australian Smocking and Embroidery… and there’s more, I’m sure. Then there are also other needlework types, such as machine embroidery, knitting, quilting, crochet… and there’s magazines for all of them too.
I am less familiar with magazines from around the world, so I thought it might be fun for all of us to put together a list of needlework magazines (any type of needlework – one needle, two needles, a hook etc) from around the world, that you read. If you have a website for the magazine, please include that. If you can tell us what type of needlework it focuses on, and what country it comes from, that would be great too. You can even tell us what you love about it. And they don’t have to be only English language publications. I know there are excellent magazines published in the non-English-speaking world.
My idea is that we might be able to firstly encourage each other with how well the needlework world is going, judging by (hopefully) the sheer volume of magazines that are published on the subject. And secondly, we may be able to introduce our favourite magazine to others!
Go for it – I’m really looking forward to reading of all the wonderful different needlework magazines!
White Threads is the blog of Yvette Stanton, the author, designer, publisher behind Vetty Creations' quality needlework books and embroidery products.
I have enjoyed cross-stitch for many years and purchase an American magazine which is Just Cross Stitch. They have a wide variety of different patterns in each issue and also cover holidays such as Christmas extremely well. Their website is http://www.just-crossstitch.com . I wonder how many others enjoy this magazine. I feel we are spoiled for choice with the large variety of magazines available at our local newsagent.
Piecework is a great US mag – as well as a few patterns, each issue focuses on a theme, and contains wonderful historical articles. There are also some freebies from past issues, on the website. It is tricky to find here in Oz in shops, but my embroid guild library subscribes to it, and occasionally I have seen it in Borders. The overseas subscription price is currently US$34 total for 6 issues (1 year).
Interweave Press also produce other craft-related magazines as well.
http://www.interweave.com/needle/piecework_magazine/default.asp
There are three magazines that I enjoy following. I am a subscriber to Inspirations, probably the most beautiful stitching magazine around. The projects and the photos are always gorgeous.
Stitch, published by the Embroiderers’ Guild UK, generally has some really interesting projects, a little more edgy than most magazines. Some projects strike me as quite challenging, and not always quite to my taste. Other projects seem more doable. But the magazine overall is very inspiring. (http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/)
The third magazine on my favorites list is A Needle Pulling Thread. It is a Canadian publication. The topics and projects are also wide ranging, covering embroidery as well as knitting,crochet, quilting and other textile related arts. It feels rather homey in its approach, featuring a good selection of projects. (http://www.aneedlepullingthread.com/)
Thanks for your suggestion Susan! I’m sure there will be other here who enjoy it also.
Michelle, I like Piecework as well. I find that some issues are more interesting than others. Buying by subscription seems to be the way to go though, as I when I saw it the other day at my local Borders, it was about $AU28 for one issue!
Terry, I find Stitch inspirational too. One thing I usually enjoy about it is the amount of colour in the embroideries. I have never heard of A Needle Pulling Thread. Thanks for the introduction – I’ll be off to visit their website!
Dear Yvette
I personally like Stitch and Classic Stitches both from UK I also enjoy even if I can not understand Le Idee de Susanna from Italy I live in Saudi Arabia and it is available here its mostly cross stitch but its not the cross stitch of UK or US they seem to make everything possible in crossstitch quilts curtains tablecloths etc.Even if you don’t cross stitch its ideas can be used for other forms of embroidery. I really miss the Anna Burda magazine as that had many different types of embroidery with instructions on how to do them including Merezhka I don’t think it is still published as its no longer availabe here in Saudi.I also have a subscription for Inspirations Cross STitcher and The Gift of Stitching.
Hi Denise, I’ve heard of most of yours before, but not Le Idee di Susanna http://www.edizioniideadonna.com/coverpage/le-idee-di-susanna. Can you tell me what sorts of needlework are in it, as I’d love to know more!
querida ivette, creo me has adivinado el pensamiento’esto de saber como trabajan en otras latitudes es genial’
en mi pais hay solo una revista dedicada a nuestras labores,Las demas llegan de fuera..La revista que circula aqui es muy buena ,,rescata nuestra identidad,aunque ,trae.material del extranjero”lo que la hace muy interzante es la buena calidad de los trabajos.y la buena relacion entre lector y directora,ella tal como tu ,se preocupa de saber la opinion de sus seguidores
un abrazo
lidia
chile
Dear Lidia, I am glad to hear that you have at least one magazine that is devoted to Chilean work, and that you find it inspiring. What is it called?
I think Oz has the best selection overall.