At least once a year, I get hankering for certain embroidery kits that have been floating in the back of my mind for a while. Alison Cole’s kits have been simmering and calling to me for a few years now. She’s recently revamped her website, Alison Cole Embroidery, and it now includes a regular online ordering system. But better than that, it includes so many photos of so many beautiful goldwork and stumpwork and combined goldwork and stumpwork projects, that it’s just a wonderful website to browse!

If you’re not familiar with Alison Cole, she is an Australian embroiderer who specializes in goldwork and stumpwork embroidery. Several years ago, Alison graciously allowed me to focus on her and her work in a short series of articles here on Needle ‘n Thread, focusing on needlework artists and designers. You can read all about Alison’s needlework background here, and you can read about Alison’s adventures in publishing needlework books here.

There are several beautiful new goldwork and stumpwork kits on Alison’s site, and several have caught my poor, easily-distracted, roving eye. I think Memories of Italy is beautiful. You can click on her pictures on the site to view larger images of each piece, and it’s really worth doing, to see the detail.

And I’m quite twitterpated with the Indian Beetle Wing Shawl. The edge is lovely, and the use of beetle wings in embroidery has fascinated me for a long time.

If you have any time this weekend for some inspirational browsing, check out Alison Cole Embroidery! It’s sure to get the Juices flowing!

Happy Friday – enjoy your weekend!