Nuts about Needlepoint » needlepoint in the news

Are Bookmarks Irrelevant? Thoughts from Jen at Funk & Weber

Janet Perry — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 15:40:53 +0000

Design from Funk & Weber

My friend Jen of Funk & weber is simply amazing at making bookmarks. She has a strong passion for the cause of literacy (she developed the Stitching for Literacy program) and has also pioneered education about stitching bookmarks.

While her class is great (I’ve taken it) and she now has an ebook out putting together all her bookmark information, the rise of ebooks has caused her to wonder if bookmarks are irrelevant.

Her ansewer is “NO!” and it’s really worthwhile to read her thoughts.

It’s so good because it addresses not only why we stitch but also ways bookmarks can be used today and on into the digital age.

And while I love both my Kindles and love reading and writing ebooks, the hold list on my account at the library has close to 30 books on it, all needing bookmarks while I read them.

Virtual Show – Woodlawn in Pictures

Janet Perry — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:01:21 +0000

Originally posted 2010-03-18 07:34:46. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Each March Woodlawn Plantation near Washington DC host one of the most highly regarded needlework shows in the country. Put on by a group called Nelly’s Needlers, this show has been held annually for almost 50 years.

I am always slightly jealous that I can never attend. But this year I don’t have to be unhappy or wait for written reports. There is a Flickr show of the First, Second, and Third Place winners. Woodlawn covers more than just needlepoint. There are lovely samplers, including several Quaker ones, Japanese embroidery, and goldwork. You’ll be delighted and inspired by it.

There are over 250 pictures in the slide show, and many pieces also have close-ups. While the designers’ are not listed on the tags, you will see some that are familiar from Laura Perin, Maggie Co, Mindy and others. I just keep thinking that if these are the winners what other wonderful things are there to see.

Sprinkled throughout are pictures of the rooms. Finally, the exhibition program is available on-line as a PDF.

The exhibit is open daily from 10-4 and costs $10. Thanks to Jane from Chilly Hollow who always reports on the show, for letting us know about the gallery.

DIY Needlepoint – Adler-inspired Bargello

Janet Perry — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:01:20 +0000

When I saw these charming Jonathon-Adler needlepointed flask in the December Allure, I know I had to use it as the basis of Bargello. Not only do I love the colors and it’s masculine feel, but I can’t afford the $98 price tag.

So bargello it is, and I’ve put the pattern below (click picture for full-size chart).

On to the colors. Depending on how you’ll be finishing it, go for a single type of thread in these colors: grey, brown, navy, light blue, white, aqua, olive, and yellow. If you like the rose one better, get rid of grey, aqua, and olive, and add taupe, light pink, pink, hot pink, and red. Follow the sequence of colors in the original.

I’m planning mine from wool and putting it into my new Lee’s tote. And, of course, I’m using the pink version using threads from my stash including High Cotton, Vineyard Merino, and three kinds of Ty-Di threads. All of these should wear well. I’m stitching it up right now and it will go into my Lee Needle Arts tote that has a removable area for needlepoint.

If you are looking for more Bargello (and Bargello-ish) inspiration, check out this post on Style Beat (the flask picture came from there).

Looking for a Chance to Pay It Forward? Try This.

Janet Perry — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 14:33:52 +0000

Recently there has been lots of discussion on various needlepoint lists about ways to help those in need. It’s mostly focused around helping those struck by disasters.

But, as the saying goes, need never takes a holiday.

That’s why I’m so excited about Rittenhouse Needlepoint’s wonderful charity program. They are doing something about the needs in their community and could use you help.

The shop teaches a free weekly beginners class in needlepoint and provides materials to those in need from the materials donated by people like you and me. I wrote to them and they are hoping to have a website devoted to this up in the next couple of months.
Rittenhouse, a full-service needlepoint shop located in downtown Philadelphia and on the Internet, is working with several area charities, including Project Home, JEVS (Jewish Educational Vocational Services), and Pennsylvania Prison Society (PPS), specifically half way houses of women coming out of prisons

You can read all about it on their Charity page.

If you send items to include all your information so they can provide a receipt that might be used with their tax preparers, although this is not guaranteed.

Their address is:
Rittenhouse Needlepoint
Attn Charity
1737 Chestnut St #201
Philadelphia, PA 19103
They can also contact us for shipping help if it is a large quantity.

Next week I’m going through my stash and sending off a big box to them. Won’t you help too?

The Joy of Needlepoint & Having Handmade in your home

Janet Perry — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 14:33:47 +0000

Last week Marni Jameson of the Orlando Sentinel posted this lovely article about needlepoint.

Go read it, I’ll wait.

She said some wonderful things that really spoke to my heart, but I want to talk about one of her recommendations: “For every high-tech gadget in your home, have a low-tech one.”

Maybe it’s more a product of upbringing, but this is something I do. My mom’s an artist (and I have more of her watercolors than anyone else), my grandmother was a seamstress, knitter, and inveterate crafter (I still have ornaments she made 40 years ago). My mother-in-law, though not an artist, had many artists as friends and students and she bought their work. An then I needlepoint.

Throughout my house there are paintings, sculptures, needlepoint, hand-thrown pottery, and lots of other low-tech. I simply love the mark of people’s hands and talents on the things they make.

Sitting here at my desk, I can see needlepoint pictures I made, two folk art wooden cat sculptures, a hand-made Servite rosary, a hand-carved onyx elephant, a blown-glass paperweight made by my son, a painted Mom from my daughter when she was in Kindergarten, and a wooden box made by my grandfather. Oh and the high-tech stuff of computer, printer, iPod, cellphone, & external hard drive.

Clearly one for one is nowhere near enough for me. But if you don’t do it already start there.

We don’t often think when we stitch something and give it away what affect it will have on the giver, but having the beautiful and hand-made all around us gives us a connection to others, the ones who designed it, made it, and gave it, through that most human of things — touch.

Amazing Stitcher – Joyce O’Brien of Des Moines

Janet Perry — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:28:25 +0000

If you live anywhere near Des Moines go and see the amazing needlepoint by Joyce O’Brien now on exhibit at the Ankeny Art Center. The picture above, a skyline of Des Moines, is one of her pieces. Much of her work focuses on stitched renditions of landmarks in a style called, in art, hyper-realism, where the artist renders something in near photographic exactness.

This piece is HUGE 3 feet by 2 feet and the artist estimates it took her 6000 hours to stitch. Even if you worked on it without doing other projects and stitched 6 hours a day on it — that’s almost three years of work.

She is an artist who switched from paints to needlepoint because it was “more portable.” There is a short article about her in the Des Moines Register. Another article from the same paper has more about her along with information about some other artists who depict local landmarks.

Thanks to Renee Frank from Pepita for pointing this out on her blog.

Fine Cell Work’s Needlework in UK Prisons

Janet Perry — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:08:30 +0000

Originally posted 2010-02-14 07:35:04. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

In the United Kingdom, Fine Cell Work‘s mission is “to rehabilitate prisoners by giving them the opportunity to earn and save money and the chance to reflect on and rebuild their lives through craft and achievement. Prisoners do Fine Cell Work for an average of 3 years: the benefits can therefore be profound.” They want to establish a tradition of skilled craftswork in prisons.

The prisoners work in a variety of techniques, including needlepoint. Currently about 80% of the participants are men, working in 26 prisons. The inmates are taught by volunteer teachers and most classes have waiting lists.

The stitchers spend an average of 20 hours per week doing embroidery in their cells. The highest earners stitch for as long as 40 hours. “It is a way of life that enables them to serve their time with dignity and purpose.” According to one officer, “Fine Cell Work gives these men dignity in work and through this, dignity in life. When a man gains self-respect he may start addressing his offending behaviour.”

The organization was, according to their site, “founded by Lady Anne Tree, who first had the idea in the 1960′s when she was a prison visitor at HMP Holloway. With the help of the Royal School of Needlework she enabled two lifers to make needlepoint carpets which were then sold as collectors items in New York. However, in those days the prisoners were not allowed to receive money for the work. This determined Lady Anne to establish an organisation in which prisoners could learn a skill to the highest level and be paid for their efforts.” Today participants in the program have earned almost 62,000 pounds.

In their shop, they have a wide variety of products including pillows based on DeMorgan tiles, ones from designers like Allegra Hicks, Nina Campbell, and Cath Kidson, pillows based on tatoos, and some with song lyrics. There are rugs, cards, and many other items. I could browse there for ages.

The also accept commissions for custom needlework. These include interior design, ecclesiastical, quilts, and finishing your unfinished needlepoint. On every page of the site you can see lovely examples of their work.

If they had more resources, they could serve more prisons as they have many prisons looking to implement programs and many people wanting to teach. You can support them from a link on their website.

Smash those Misconceptions!

Janet Perry — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:27 +0000

Last week The Washington Post had an short article about needlepoint. There wasn’t much to it. Great for The Point of It All, that got mentioned, but not good for the MANY other shops in the area that were ignored, or for the Woodlawn Exhibit, or (I could go on and on).

Having worked as a journalist I am somewhat sympathetic, it could have been done in a hurry, it needed to be a specific length, and a dozen other reasons why it was so bad.

If any publicity is good publicity, then we should not be unhappy.

But we can, and should, change people’s misconceptions about needlepoint by showing them it is so much more than the article. And the paper is helping us by having an open slideshow of our favorite pieces of needlework. Jane in Chilly Hollow has added some and so have I and many others.

You can add yours too. Go to their Conversations page, register (it’s free) or sign in and upload.

I don’t know how long it will be open, so do it fast. If you get to it and it’s closed for submissions, enjoy a lovely gallery.

No related posts.

One Woman’s Look at Needlepoint

Janet Perry — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:35:59 +0000

Canvas from Needlepoint for Fun

In my blog reading recently, I found this lovely testament to needlepoint by Marni Jameson, a syndicated home design columnist.

Near the end of the article she has some wonderful guidelines for using needlepoint in your home:

For every high-tech gadget in your home, have a low-tech one.
Not too old-fashioned.
Be a patron.
Evaluate quality.
Weave a history.
Appreciate humanity.

Read and enjoy the whole article here.

Bargello – A Major Home Decorating Trend?

Janet Perry — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:32:55 +0000

The New York International Gift Show was held recently and among the other trends pointed out by the blog Trend Bible was chevrons.

Chevrons are, as they showed it, what we’d call Bargello, as you can see in this post’s picture.

I love these pillows. They aren’t the same old Bargello designs but instead you see:”

fresh modern colors (the citrus colored pillow on the left)
more complex lines (the multi-colored pillow in back)
Bargello accents on a “solid” (the pillow in front)
mixing of more than one line (pillow on right)

Think about adapting one or more of these for your next project.