It's amazing fun to watch our embroidery machines turn out whimsical gifts of passing fancy. But when our machines become the artistic instruments for emulating the beautiful hand embroidery traditions of the past, we can see, in the making, treasures that will satisfy the soul.

The new designs this week are inspired by many stitching styles that have been passed down through centuries of skillful needlework tradition.

Trapunto designs, originating from Italy, offer the subtle beauty of high relief work in one-color stitching. Quilters today call this raised or "stuffed" work, and it is very elegant for whole-cloth quilting. Trapunto imparts depth and richness to a quilt, but it is also is a masterful way to dress up apparel -- vests, jackets, belts, even T-shirts!

Candlewicking is a needle art that uses thick cotton yarn (the wick for candles was particularly popular with pioneering women in the American West and Australia). Like chains of pearls, the candlewick-inspired "knot" stitches weave their way through traditional patterns of strawberries, goldfish, and cherries. The designs can be stitched traditionally, in distinctive white on white, or with fashionable accent colors for table linens and apparel like skirts and shawls.

Find your inspiration in a treasured heirloom, and enjoy these new designs!