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Download this lovely design (click to enlarge), absolutely free from our website. Click here to see our newsletter or here to subscribe to our newsletter , a great way to stay updated on all the latest free designs and specials.

Friday 05 March
In this issue: More African Sunshine | Specials | Other News | Upcoming Events | What's New

Hout Bay. Embroidered by Emma Kriegler from the original painting by Rita Roscher
Writing from a hot (34C) Cape Town is not always easy – the beach and the forests are much nicer places to spend time dodging the heat — but when I read about the bad wind storms in Europe and I see all the snow in the UK and the USA, I sense that the heat in Cape Town is nothing compared to the weather that you are experiencing overseas. I hope that warmer weather (and cooler weather for us in the Southern hemisphere) will be on its way soon. It has certainly been a long, hard winter and a long, hot summer for many of us.

To brighten up your day, we have a lovely free ribbon embroidery design for you to download for your collection. Painted by Rita Roscher, one of South Africa’s most gifted embroiderers, I hope that you will enjoy this lovely piece. See how the roof is made in long and short stitch, the flowers with simple ribbon stitch and the mountains and the sea in the background are embroidered with tiny straight stitches? By using the completed picture (included with your download) as a guide, you will soon see how easy the stitches are to make. Do give it a try as it is a beauty! Learn how to transfer the design onto fabric on page 16 to 21 of my Monograms and Words / Embroidered Alphabets book , or you could order the printed panel along with the colour picture by clicking here . Have fun!

Click on the image to enlarge
Bruce van Niekerk has sent you this photograph to make your day brighter — a graceful African Leopard cub taking shelter from the blistering African sun. Isn’t he beautiful? Hopefully, this picture will help to warm you up or cool you down.

SPECIALS
We have some lovely specials for you for the month of March and to celebrate the changing of the seasons, here they are:
A Perfect World in ribbon embroidery and stumpwork is a very popular book worldwide. The numerous little creatures and interesting flowers are fun to make and there is a 10% special on the full Perfect World kit which contains the printed panel, all the silk and organza ribbons and the variegated threads. Enjoy!

Click here to order your kit while stocks last
Was R 2855.86 Now R 2570.26 - A super saving of R285.00!

Note: in addition to the printed panel, this kit contains a huge variety of ribbons and threads (A total of 62 packets of ribbon and 39 skeins of thread). There should be more than enough ribbon and thread left over to use in future projects – an ideal way to stock up on ribbons. Or you could share the kit with a friend. For more information about the book, click here.
This lovely Tea Time kit is available at a 15% discount.

Click here to order your kit while stocks last
Was - R 230.00 Now R 195.50

The kit for Tea Time includes the design and all the necessary ribbons and threads to complete this beautiful design. Also includes detailed step-by-step instructions and a colour picture of the completed design. Suitable for both the beginner and the advanced embroiderer.

Tea Time. Embroidered by Rabia Motala from the original by Viv Verdelli. Click on image to enlarge
And the lovely companion piece, Coffee Time, is also available at a 15% discount.

Click here to order your kit while stocks last
Was - R 230.00 Now R 195.50

The kit for Coffee Time includes the design and all the necessary ribbons and threads to complete this beautiful design. Also includes detailed step-by-step instructions and a colour picture of the completed design. Suitable for both the beginner and the advanced embroiderer.

Coffee Time. Embroidered by Rabia Motala from the original by Viv Verdelli. Click on image to enlarge

OTHER NEWS
I was fortunate enough to meet a delightful person, Karen Fraser, when I taught at BATB in Adelaide last year. Karen attended my workshops and was kind enough to help me to teach the silk ribbon embroidery techniques to many of the students in the class. She is a superb embroiderer, a kind teacher with a sense of humour that had us all in stitches! I really enjoyed the time we spent chatting and laughing together. Karen will be starting a series of classes for the RES design at Piecemakers in California. Starting in July 2010, the first classes will be offered on either Saturday, July 10 or Monday, July 12. The cost of each one day class is $60.00 plus supplies.

Karen's description of the class is as follows: The design is done on a silk print created by Di van Niekerk. It is an adventure combining ribbon embroidery and stumpwork to create an exciting dimension. You will be combining ribbon with other embroidery threads such as silk, cotton, rayon and perlé cottons. Learn to create balance and dimension as you work. Come join Karen for an exciting adventure in embroidery. Taught as series, each class will teach 2 or 3 "motifs" until you complete this exquisite project.

Do contact them at classes@piecemakers.com for more info if you are able to attend, there is a lot of interest in Karen's class already and you will enjoy every minute, of that I am sure!

My favourite needles are the Piecemaker’s needles – they are the best needles I have ever worked with. I also love their quilt and wallhanging patterns. Have a look here. Don’t you just love them?

UPCOMING EVENTS
  • I will be at Hobby-X in Johannesburg on Saturday 6th March from 11AM to 3PM for a book signing , so do feel free to bring your books for me to sign.

    Click here to read about it if you will be in the area on the weekend. Looking forward to seeing you there!


  • The annual Cape Argus Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour will take place on Sunday 14th March with the race covering 109 km of glorious scenery across the Cape Peninsula. 35,000 entrants from all over the world are now taking part and all-time cycling great, Lance Armstrong , will participate this year. Good luck to all the participants — I do hope that the wind will behave itself this year and that you will enjoy visiting our beautiful city.


  • With less than 100 days left before South Africa hosts the 2010 Fifa World Cup™ , Cape Town is finalising preparations for this major event. The stadium is exquisite and Cape Town is looking so forward to hosting all the visitors.


  • I have just been in contact with Wendy Wilson of Koala Conventions in Australia. Koala Conventions runs a yearly international embroidery & textile event in Brisbane each July and we are organising the projects that I will be teaching at the 2011 convention. Can’t wait to meet you all! Click here for more about this year’s convention.

WHAT'S NEW?
  • Don’t forget that we have launched Beautiful Roses in ribbon embroidery and stumpwork in Box Full of lessons 4 format. Click here for more information about this gorgeous design.


  • The new weekend miniatures are very popular and are ideal for card making or to make for small projects. Have a look here to order these cute little designs.


  • We have updated the kits section. See kits on the top blue line of our website.


  • Visit our Freebies page for free embroidery patterns to download.


  • A friend sent me the link to this website. Have a look at Camille Allen’s exquisite work.


  • Have a look at this beautiful ad – aren’t they gorgeous?

I do hope that March will be a good month for you. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter or send this newsletter to a friend who may enjoy receiving our latest updates and special treats throughout the year.

We would like the Earthquake Victims of Chile to know that our thoughts and prayers are with them.

Till next time, take good care

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