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Global Schwalm Sampler – Update (17)

Currently, the COVID-19 pandemic has overshadowed the issue of climate change a little, but global warming still looms large.

Today all over the world, many trees are being destroyed from both natural disasters such as storms or floods, fires, and the beetle plague and man-made disasters such as the slashing and burning of large swaths of rain forests.

Australia experienced disastrous forest fires this year as a result of drought and heat.

#52
Ann Kennon from New South Wales, Australia created a small embroidery in response to the bad fire season of her home.

She wrote: “My inspiration of this embroidery is the horrendous period of catastrophic bushfires we experienced in Australia, particularly in my state (New South Wales), over our Spring and Summer. Eucalypts are the iconic Australian forest tree, and the total destruction of eucalypt forest in my state was many millions of hectares, with much of that in national parks. This devastation is very distressing, and although there is regeneration occurring, it will be many years before our forests look once more as they should. As well, there were many millions of animals and birds destroyed as well, which is heart-rending.

In the mid 1990s I created a small embroidery in response to a very bad fire season at that time. The enclosed embroidery is another such response, and is of eucalypt tree leaves and seed pods. Eucalypts, of which there are many species, are known locally as “gum trees” and the seed pods as “Gumnuts”.“

#53

Nicola (Nikki) Fairhurst, from the United Kingdom sent a beautiful, more traditional design with hearts and tulips arranged around a circle. Originally embroidering Canvaswork, she graduated top of her class from the Future Tutor course at the Royal School of Needlework. Schwalm whitework has been added to the subjects that she teaches.

She wrote: “In my design the hearts are linked together around a circle – as we all need to work together around the world to help defeat the Covid pandemic. I included Tulips as a reference to the part of England I spent most of my childhood – South Holland in Lincolnshire. In spring the fields are full of colour because of the tulips and daffodils that are grown commercially in the area.”

You can see more contributions in Update (16).

Global Schwalm Sampler – Update (16)

Elisabeth Erdmann from Germany, with contribution 13, has already contributed a very beautiful, Schwalm-typical embroidery to the Global Schwalm Sampler.
Now she has donated two more appealing pieces. She chose small and particularly tall designs, which she embroidered differently. The special sizes are excellent for assembling the sampler because they make it much easier to connect pieces without gaps.

#50

#51

You can see more contributions in Update (15).

Global Schwalm Sampler – Update (15)

Two more magnificent animal motifs were contributed to the Global Schwalm Sampler – both with a reference to the home of the respective embroiderer.

#48
An embroiderer, who wishes to remain anonymous, has donated an excellently worked contribution to the joint project. She chose a finch as the subject of her piece – the sparrow is a traditional motif of Schwalm white work and symbolizes fertility.

#49
This week’s other contribution comes from Rita Tilbrooke from Australia. She chose to embroider a unique motif to represent her homeland: a cute seahorse. She did an excellent job of converting the pattern into effective embroidery by choosing suitable stitches.

She wrote: “Sea horses are found in the waters around South Australia and we discovered some when on holiday in Port Lincoln a few years ago. They are unusual as it is the male who bears the babies and expels them through the valve on its abdomen.”

You can see more contributions in Update 14.

Today I can present eight new contributions.

#40-45
Six Italian friends who are passionate embroiderers sent their lovely contributions together. Their names are Piera Tavano, Fausta Galantucci, Maria Grazia Callerio, Rosa Cavallaro, Rosaria Coppino, Maura Fragonara.

They all used the same fabric measurement, but some oriented their designs one way and others another way.
They all chose the same main motifs but designed them very differently. The arrangements of stitches are also varied. So six similar, but unique, charming embroideries were established.

#40

#41

Piera wrote – roughly translated: “We are a group of embroiderers, and we live in Novara, a town located in northern Italy.
We are fond of embroidery, and we really like Schwalm whitework because it is very elegant and impressive.
When we read about the project, which was presented in March on Luzine´s blog, we immediately thought to participate.
Despite the difficulties of seeing one another and moving around the city, we managed to find a way to prepare 6 linen pieces to be embroidered and got to work.
We chose a heart motif and filled it with an openwork pattern because we thought to come out of this dark period with emotion and love, and we would find the light again. Tulips have given us faith in God and into the future, while buttercups will eventually give us back the meaning of life beyond pain and suffering.
We hope that our contributions will arrive in time to be included in the beautiful project.”

#42

#43

Siamo un gruppo di ricamatrici e abitiamo a Novara, una città che si trova nel Nord Italia.
Siamo appasionate di ricamo e ci piace moltissimo il Ricamo d´Assia perchè è molto elegante ed evocativo.
Quando abbiamo letto del suo progetto che ha presentato a Marzo sul suo blog, abbiamo subito pensato di partecipare.
Nonostante le difficoltà che c´erano di vederci e di spostarci in città, siamo riuscite a trovare il modo per preparare 6 piastrelle da ricamare e ci siamo messe all´opera.
Abbiamo pensato di usare il cuore lavorato a rete perchè con sentimento e amore usciremo da questo periodo buio e ritroveremo la luce. I tulipani ci hanno regalato la fede in Dio e nel futuro mentre i ranuncoli alla fine ci potranno restituire il senso della vita oltre il dolore e la sofferenza.
Speriamo che le nostre piastrelle arrivino in tempo utile per essere incluse nel suo bellissimo progetto.

#44

#45

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Hedwig Clausmeyer from Germany already contributed pieces #7 and #31–#35.

This time she donated two pretty little stars as possible space fillers, but they are too good for that purpose.

You can see more contributions in Update 13.

So many beautiful, unique, imaginative, and lovingly made embroideries have already arrived.

I was once again thrilled to receive four new contributions to the Global Schwalm Sampler last week.

See for yourself.

#36
Fumie Suzuki from Japan designed a gorgeous piece. She runs an exclusive embroidery studio in Shinagawa, Tokyo. I enjoyed visiting her website very much. It was fun to look at the many interesting pictures of her perfect embroideries and to take my time clicking from one subject to the next.

She wrote: “I usually don’t use heart motif when I design for Schwalm embroidery. Because I don’t like my piece being too sweet. However, in the work for this project, I wanted to express the gathering of hearts from many countries and the gathering of love from many countries. So I decided to make a piece only with the heart motif. This was a challenge for me. Many hearts are hidden, please look for them! 
I sincerely hope that the world will be full of love and return to a calm. 
Thank you so much for participating in this project.”

私は普段シュバルム刺繍の図案をデザインするとき、ハートのモチーフを沢山使うことはありません。作品が可愛くなり過ぎてしまうのは自分らしくないと思っているからです。しかし、今回のプロジェクトに参加するにあたって、私は世界中の人々の心、そして世界中の人々の愛が集まることを表現したいと思い、ハートのモチーフだけで作品を作ることを決めました。これは私にとって新たな挑戦でした。作品の中に沢山のハートが隠れているので探してくださいね。
世界中が相手を想う愛に溢れて、穏やかな毎日が戻ることを心から願って。
このプロジェクトに参加できることを感謝します。

#37
Marina Pastushenko from Turkey also contributed a very special and fine embroidery. Of course her tulip will make a nice addition to all the beautiful pieces in the Global Schwalm Sampler.

She wrote: “Since I currently live in Turkey, I took my inspiration from Iznik pottery, traditional Turkish ceramics named after the town Iznik in western Anatolia. I chose the tulip as it is a classic shape in Schwalm embroidery as well as an iconic symbol of Turkey.

I always wanted to stitch an Iznik-style tulip for its beautiful shape and cobalt blue colour. May be one day I will do it in traditional blue but this time I decided to do it white on white. I really enjoyed choosing different patterns from the endless varieties of filling stitches.”

#38
Joy Hakanson from Queensland pictured a koala – next to the kangaroo it is the most widespread symbol of her home country, Australia.

She wrote: “2020 has been a year with a difference. I have spent the time of isolation in my garden and embroidery.
It is with pleasure that I have joined your Covid19 project, I have chosen our Koala, tree living mammal, native to Australia. I have not done a great deal in Schwalm, as you can tell by my stitches. However, I have enjoyed the challenge.”

#39
Marlene Lambert from Australia was inspired to embroider an emblem of New South Wales – a Waratah.

She wrote: “During the lockdown I have walked, talked, gardened, read, cleaned and stitched. I also took time to enjoy my environment and was grateful for more time to embroider and am happy to contribute to your project. I have stitched a small waratah flower. The Waratah ia a native of parts of South Eastern Australia (Telopea Speciosissima). It produces spectacular cones of vivid usually red flowers the leaves are leathery dark green. It is the emblem of the State of New South Wales of Australia. Waratah is an aboriginal word meaning „beautiful“. The botanical name Telopea is derived from the Greek word Telopos meaning “seen from a distance” hence the red colour of the flower stood out in the bush.
Looking forward to seeing the end result if this wonderful idea.”

You can see more contributions in Update 12.