late again (again!)
I placed a few last minute Christmas Ornament orders today (August 30 already).
I have specified I can only buy what’s currently in stock. I can’t do the 6 week order time that Hand Painted designs take.
I have dropped the ball (again!). I began to notice I was selling quite of few of my small stock of Ornaments but I was in the middle of the (latest) move.
Now that I have recently re-surfaced (go towards the light) I realized how late it is in the year. For Holiday needlepoint anyway.
So….I am waiting for my supplier to get back to me about what they have now (the late person’s “just-in-time” inventory arrangement).
I have replaced a few that I sold and picked some new ones too.
I have also added a few Ornaments to my already massive Patt & Lee order
and this one
Now this has me puzzled. Below is one of Patt & Lee’s Scrap Thread Ornament. I have had them all year. I can’t seem to keep the Scrap Threads canvases in stock, they sell so quickly but no ones seems interested in these.
I have this design in 2 colorways but I only have listed this one. It has been marked down to $18.00 (including shipping) and still no interest.
I have always visualized these as stitched with lots of sparkly metallic threads plus silk & velvet threads.
Maybe I am making a mistake marketing them as “Scrap Threads”?
Maybe I should kit the canvases up with lots of sparkle and lush unusual threads and see what happens?
I think I will do that tomorrow.
I found a Laurel Burch Cat & Bird canvas I had forgotten about tucked in with some unrelated canvases. I never did list it.
The Laurel Burch designs have also been good sellers for me so this is a pleasant surprise.
So, that it for me for now, Opinions wanted about the Scrap Threads Ornament.
Don’t forget to vote in The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog’s *which Patt & Lee canvas shall Jane stitch* contest.
I should not tell you this but Jane & I have a puny little bet on which one wins.
Judy’s Boo Boo Snips a No Go
I know I mentioned that I am currently stitching one of Eileen Best’s designs that I had had for sale on NewNeedlepoint.com.
I had a problem at the beginning (or I could say I made a bad choice). The canvas is 18 mesh, I thought it would look *richer* if I stitched it using my wonderful DMC & Anchor #8 Perle Cotton Floss with a doubled strand.
In fact, I often recommended people do a small test area on 18 mesh to see which they prefer, single strand or doubled.
Well, it seems I have been giving lousy advice (go figure) I know I have stitched 18 mesh with a doubled strand of #8 floss before and it has been fine. (and I have gone back over my listings and removed the bad advice)
Then I realized, for almost the whole of last year I was stitching Bargello Needlepoint samples (needless to say I have some lovely ones, currently not being used for anything). Most of them were 18 mesh, that or 16.
Bargello on 18 mesh needs 2 strands. Bargello on 16 mesh needs 2 strands of #5 Perle Cotton Floss.
But needlepoint on 18 mesh canvas using #8 Perle Cotton Floss does not. Unless you prefer a very dense stitch (and some people do).
I got a lot of the black outlining done and the 2 small sections of color in the upper left hand corner done.
The outlines looked fine but I was 1/2 way through the deep red, having done the ultra pale beige/pink when I realized I did not like how the doubled floss looked.
I like my stitches to be clearly stitches, not mushed together color. As much as I love color (and I do) I did not like the look.
(Yes, there is a point to this story, I am getting there……..slowly)
So, I began pulling out my doubled stitches on 18 mesh.
AWK, AWK, AWK (how about that, a triple awk)
It was hard, slow going and difficult. Then I remembered I had just taken delivery of a pair of Judy’s Boo Boo Scissors which had been designed for exactly this.
OK, I had just listed them but I figured I could get more of them fast enough so I opened the package.
They seemed fine, they had a cute little yellow rubber tip protector on them. I thought, they must be sharp. They have a bend to the them and I assumed this would let you lift your stitches a bit for easy and safer cutting.
Judy’s Boo Boo Snips are useless. They did not help at all, they maybe even made it harder then a nice sharp pair of Gingher embroidery scissors would have.
The scissor blades are too thick, they do not “slide” under the stitches. They are not sharp, They could barely trim the backside mess as I was pulling out the threads (I bet you all know what I mean about the mess).
I tested them to see if they could cut the #8 floss off the ball. They could but I would not trust them to cut Paternayan Yarn or a heavier thread cleanly.
So, The Boo Boo Snips are history. The listing is gone and all that remains is a barely sharp lump in my trash and the memory of the name, which was apparantly the only good thing about them.
Once again, I save my NewNeedlepoint customers from the heartbreak of lousy tools.
I was going to close my Claire Sanchez bags category this weekend.
There are only 5 bags remaining. Oddly enough the 2 Silver & charcoal gray reversible mini-dot bags, in the tote & shoulder bag sizes, are unsold.
I am surprised by that. They have the older style handles and I think look great. I have 2 of them. The gold on gold reversible tote and the silver mini-dots on black tote. I love them.
Anyway, I just was too lazy and did not get to them this weekend then today (Sunday) I sold another.
I wondered why I was in such a lather to close the category. It is no work to keep it open, there is no extra cost involved. Why not just let it be and see what happens.
I do want to remind you that there will be no further markdowns (I am indeed repeating myself)
What else? It was a beautiful weekend. Saturday morning we went to the weekly Farmer’s Market they here in Lititz. It was small and nice, baked good, home canned james and veggies and condiments, local grown fruits and veggies.
They said the apple harvest has begun early then usual this year so there were some apples. There were varieties I had never heard of before so I bought several kinds (don’t ask, I don’t remember what kinds I bought or which is which)
I really am falling in love with this lovely small town. Keith works at the chocolate factory right in the center of town. There is a real community feel here, all the small stores and cafes. Even the post office is friendly and welcoming.
Keith would prefer, of course, to live up on the side of some mountain with a view to eternity and no neighbors but I loved when we lived in the historic district of Savannah, downtown.
I walked everywhere, everyday. I was happy doing that, I talked to the people I encountered and found my “regular places” where I did shopping and errands.
In fact, that is where I first found the Claire Sanchez tote bags, I bought several for carrying the things I bought on my walks and bringing home the mail from our P. O. Box weekdays.
Anyway, I want that again and Lititz is the right kind of place for me to have that again.
So, we have compromised, not right downtown on main street (in one of the gorgeous old stone houses) but on one of the streets nearby and a big enough yard for us to feel private (the downtown houses have front doors right on the sidewalk and no yards to speak of, just porches).
House prices here are amazing, low and naturally the inventory is high.
We have both become interested with a very unusual cut stone house. It needs work. The yard needs clearing up and planting (K & I do that together), it needs cosmetic indoor (me, telling K what to do and where).
However, it has a 3 car garage (K is elated, a real big man cave) and central air already. it is an old house and we will probably need to do electric. Keith can do plumbing but it is tricky to do electric yourself.
If you do and something bad happens (like a fire) the insurance co will not honor your claim because you did not use a licensed electrician. Go figure.
Anyway, it is dirt cheap and I am excited. Holding my breath we will get an offer on the Florida house. It is being shown a lot.
I am considering placing an offer on the house with a closing 9 months from now (next spring). That way I just have to pay the Purchase & Sale deposit and can wait until the Florida Real Estate “Market” begins (Octoberish to Februaryish).
What to do, what to do?
As I mentioned ( non-stop but who is counting?) I have lowered all the needlepoint prices on NewNeedlepoint.com
I have not changed the book or the tool prices, there is not much profit in them (especially the books) and with free shipping, I can’t price them lower.
However, all the needlepoint, canvases & kits, are much less expensive (can I say cheaper?).
I have not changed anything about them, still kitted with my usual lavish over supply of threads or yarn. Still with my detailed color placement charts, as needed. Still with the right size needle and free shipping.
And the bigger canvases will still be shipped in a 4 inch across mailing tube, never folded. Smaller canvases & kits are shipped in bubble cushioned envelopes with a piece of rigid cardboard in there to prevent anyone bending or folding the envelope.
Patt (of Patt & Lee Designs) & I still shake our heads over the mail delivery person who took a large envelope full of canvases I had ordered and folded it up then shoved it in my mailbox. This happened more then once.
That is when I came up with the cardboard idea.
It is with some pride that I tell you that my web store sales are steadily increasing. Of course, I am making a minuscule profit now, with the needlepoint priced as it is but many minuscules do eventually add up to something.
I am still reading The Other Queen by Phillipa Gregory. I know it is fictionalized history but I wonder how close to real it is, how close to real it could be. No one can know what was in the minds of The Earl of Shrewsbery, his wife, Bess, and Mary Queen of Scots, not really.
There is an old song “The Beat Goes On”. I forget by who or when it was released but it is going around and around in my head. That is how I feel right now *The Beat Goes On*.
m drones on
Before I begin to bore you all silly with my usual stuff I want to announce (Ta Da) that I have lowered all the needlepoint canvas and needlepoint kit prices on NewNeedlepoint.com
I have lowered them a lot. As I was doing it I was groaning & moaning but I did it.
I do not want to tell you what my profit margin is now. If I did one (or more) of you would come here and kick me (hard) .
I know, I need a good swift kick but I have to move this stagnant inventory. These are wonderful Needlepoint designs but I have to make room (and money) for some new ones to freshen my stock.
Mixed in with them are some closeout prices, canvases & kits priced at my wholesale cost. It should not be too hard to see which are which but I will give you a hint. The very oldest of my Patt & Lee designs (with some exceptions) are marked way down as are any remaining canvases that were my own.
I particularly need to make some room in the P & L categories. I have new designs of theirs and more on order.
I know I have talked a lot lately about the Patt & Lee Canvases I have not listed although I have had them since May.
I had not even kitted them. You will understand how extra foolish this is when I tell you that Patt rushed to get me some of the new canvases she was debuting at the June TNNA show.
I was to have them and list them before they were available to the stores to buy. Talk about dropping the ball.
Well, it is the end of August now and I finally have them hemmed (or taped) kitted and photographed. I will list them in the next few days.
These are some of the canvases I have been *sitting on* (no, no not literally……jeez).
I love this lady and her hat. The colors Patt used for the hat are unusual but I think quite wonderful.
Next is another design from the Quilt Design Series. I almost listed this as a Scrap Threads Design. Actually, if you buy the canvas alone, it can be a Scrap Thread canvas. Then again, you can buy my lovely kit. I do have to admit, however, I had trouble with the purples, I fudged them a bit in the kit.
I love this Art Nouveau Influenced Sampler design. The colors in this canvas and in this kit work beautifully. I think this is a lovely design.
I love these guys, each one of them has a different expression on his face, ranging from delight to “I’m not sure I want to do this”.
I call this one the Kanji Rose. I looked up the possible Kanji symbols for rose or roses and this is not even close however it does balance out a lovely design and no one (hardly) can actually read Kanjis.
I have just 4 more new books to list. That will get done in the next few days while I list the P & L new stuff.
Then I have a pile of rare (used) books, many of them replacements for books sold. I will do those next and then finally the Hand Painted Designer Canvases I have not made into kits yet or listed.
Wow, then I will be done. (I can’t even imagine done).
I have finally read my way through the 5 book Claudia Dain “Courtesan Series”. Whew. I understand she is currently writing another one.
It is my hope that the terrible lack of editing in her books has not damaged me in any lasting way (maybe that’s going a bit far?)
I am now reading an absorbing book by Phillipa Gregory about Mary, Queen of Scotts called The Other Queen.
It is about her years in England and the plots and secrets that swirled around her. The book is told from 3 viewpoints. The Earl or Shrewsbury who confined/housed and protected her. His wife, Bess of Hardwick, a fascinating woman and Mary herself.
I do have my doubts about some of the thoughts and emotions ascribed to these characters but then again, it is fiction not history.
The movie Mary Queen of Scotts with Glenda Jackson as Queen Elizabeth 1 and a luminous Vanessa Redgrave as Mary. It is a wonderful movie from 1972.
I just read they are doing a remake of the movie with Scarlett Johansson as Mary. While I think Ms Johansson is a fine actress, excellent in The Girl With The Pearl Earring, Vickie Cristina Barcelona and Match Point I do not see her as Mary Queen of Scotts.
She does not have the *stature* and I don’t mean height.
I think I have run out of things to say (how unusual). I even have no pithy last word (how pitiful is that?)
brave new…something
My Needlepoint canvases & kits markdowns will start tonight.
As I said in my last blog (or blabb-a-thon) I am going to cut my profit margin in the hopes that I can sell more of these great designs & kits.
Now, in the service of truthfulness (or maybe just a nod in that direction) I am mostly not doing a “fire-sale” or a “close-out” (disclaimer: exceptions exist). I am trying to build sales by making less from each item but my overall goal is to make some money/sell needlepoint kits & canvases (how else can I buy more and more if they do not sell?)
So……..I have no idea how I am going to approach this yet. Who goes first or what. Since I am a compulsively orderly person, I suppose how I do this will make sense to me (if to no one else).
I have to go through each kit and count the threads used and find the wholesale price for the canvas, etc.
Here is my little teaser. Some of these canvases & kits are going to be priced right next door to “close-out” but I am not going to tell you which ones.
(HA!) now you have to look at them all. Sneaky, aren’t I ?
Ok, this is sort of interesting book stuff.
I have a wonderful, well used copy of Lucinda Ganderton’s book The Stitch Sampler. Years ago Elaine Magnin Needlepoint was giving a copy of this book away with each order over a certain price point.
I was a customer. They often had such interesting designs. I always seemed to want one of the custom order ones, not the in-stock.
This pillow is one I stitched from EM.
This was a while ago, as you can see, I was not too good at shading (not that I am that much better now).
I stitched this small Roses canvas, it just seemed to all come together. If I remember correctly it took me less then 2 weeks.
Anyway I had a few of these books. I (sigh) sold the extras on eBay for chump change.
Then the book was out of print, no longer available. Not too long ago someone asked me if I could get a copy of it new. I could not.
Now I can. This fine book has been re-issued in a glossy paperbound edition of about the same size as the original hard-cover book. I have not taken a picture of it yet. They just came today.
The contents look identical but the cover picture is different.
I ordered 2, I have sold one already (yes, to the person who asked).
Also there is an interesting situation with Iona L. Dettelbach’s book, Creating Contemporary Bargello: A Designer’s Guide.
It seemed to be unavailable even though it was published in 2007. I looked for it new for some time and finally found a source.
I ordered 1. It sold the same day I listed it.
So now I have 5 copies, I just made the listing active again. We shall see.
It really does seem to be a fine Bargello book and there really are so few of them in print. More is good.
So, I am off to slash prices at the new dynamic NewNeedlepoint.com.
I can feel the excitement (I know, who am I kidding?)
long weekends
Saturday August 21st 2010, 10:58 pm
Filed under:
Mostly Books K’s new job has a 4 ten hour day schedule. We have a 3 day weekend every weekend.
In fact, they are OK with him mixing them up and doing a Friday off and the the Monday, as long as he does his 40 per week.
I know it sounds terrific and it is, sort of. He says the 10 hour days are no so hard. Not very much worse then an 8 hour day, of course his work is not demanding physically.
But these 3 days weekends can be hard to fill. K is a restless sort. If he is not working he wants to go, go, go.
We take rides, exploring this gorgeous and amazing area. We go the Farmer’s Markets and roadside stands for our fruit and vegetables.
Side Note: This area seems to be very much into using fresh local ingredients. Since it is Peach season right now, every store and restaurant has Peach Everything, cakes, fabulous pies, jams etc.
Then of course, there is the local Chocolate Fever (K does work a Wilbur Chocolate after all). Even the diners have great chocolate deserts. And all of it homemade. (remember the our Amish baked goods overdose from my 1st Farmer’s market visit?)
Hershey Chocolate is good, very good but I am told Wilbur is better. I can tell you the taste is rich and creamy and the texture is incredibly smooth.
Since eating Wilber, I can now recognize the difference between it and Hershey, Hershey has a “gritty” mouth feel (or slightly so) that Wilber does not.
I am going to get so fat living here (or so much fatter, as a matter of fact).
More unimportant stuff?
They had a regional gem show here this weekend, it is not widely known since it is mostly for the wholesale trade. One of K’s new co-workers does things with gemstones (cuts them etc) as a hobby and he told us about it, gave us a thingie so we could (pay) to get in.
It was fun. Mostly it was for the trade, with uncut and loose stones and unstrung strands of any kind of bead imaginable. There were lots of collectors quality natural & raw stones too.
Some of them are so gorgeous. I kept rubbing the real quartz sphere’s (the crystal balls). They had many of them in so many kinds of stone but the genuine clear quartz drew me (bug to light).
They also had some to-die-for jewelry. Way, way discounted and since I do have a current and festering earring obsession…..you know the outcome of this. Let’s just say there were peridots involved.
My order of new and replacement rare books is beginning to arrive. There are the usual book condition disappointments but nothing on the scale of how it used to be.
I have stopped buying from the one seller who lists them all as “very good” and then sent terrible stuff.
It makes buying these harder, since the unreliable seller lists so much of it at such reasonable prices and there was an occasional fine book in a lot but still……..when I realized 1/3 to 1/2 of each order was not re-salable (at least not be me) it did not seem like such a bargain anymore.
A short and I am sure incomplete list of the used/rare/speical books I have ordered follows:
4 Way Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner I have lost count of how many of these I have sold
2 copies Needlepoint Bargello also by Dorothy Kaestner and ditto for how many sold
Sculptured Needlepoint Stitchery by Ella Projansky. a book I have not read yet.
Mary Norden’s Needlepoint: Fifty Folk Art Projects for the Home. another first buy for me.
Replacing the Gardeners Book of Needlepoint which has 3 authors, all with long names. This was a handsome book with colorful designs.
Needlepoint: The Third Dimension a another newbie for my rare books category
Two copies of Mary Rhodes terrific Ideas for Canvas Work. I think I have sold 4 so far, maybe 5.
2 more copies of TrianglePoint by Shirlee Lantz. This book sells & sells.
2 more copies of Bargello Antics, Dorothy Kaestner’s fine book featuring 4-Way Bargello. this too flies off my shelves
Replacement copy of Needlepoint In America by Hope Hanley. It is as much a book about the history of American Needlepoint as it is a design book.
Barbara Snook’s The Craft of Florentine Embroidery as well as 2 copies of her book Florentine Embroidery. Both of these did not hang around my shelves for very long.
Another copy of Exotic Textiles in Needlepoint: Designs from around the world by Stella Knight
A Passion for Needlepoint by Hayat Palumbo. I do not have much information on this book, yet but I could not resist the title.
Replacing Gay Ann Rodgers fine book Needlepoint Designs from Asia: 30 Exotic Designs from Persia, India, Korea, China & Japan. Excellent as is usual for a Gay Ann Rodgers book.
Needlepoint Rugs by the well-known needlepoint writer and teacher Hope Hanley.
Texture & Color in Needlepoint by MIchele Weal. I bet no one but me remembers, this was one of the first books I listed when I began selling these rare books on NewNeedlepoint.com. It was the 2nd book I sold (the first was Hope Hanley’s Stitch book, go figure)
Replacing Maggie Lane’s More Needlepoint by Design. THis book has the chart and directions for her famous “Turtle Pillow:.
And the great Elsa William’s only other book (that I know of) besides Bargello: Florentine Canvas Work. I had one copy and it sold so….Creative Canvas Work.
I have ordered a few more of Elsa Williams’ Bargello as well. I have only 1 copy left and no gift quality copies. The holidays are coming (sooner then we think)
I even have 1 book from from the UK ordered, a Bargello book I never heard of before. It will not be here until mid-September.
I am down to just 6 Claire Bags. The end of next week is the end of my sale.
However….(this is a big however) I am so blown away by the results of this sale that I am thinking about marking down all the canvases & kits some.
Yes, even you bargain hunters would agree, I do need to make some money but I could (please, I hope) make less on each sale and sell more.
Of course, this flies in the face of established retail practice. We would all be happier if we did not know the mark-ups most stores take. How do you think they pay for all that advertising?
I am stitching two of my NewNeedlepoint Canvases right now. I am coming down the home stretch on my Provencal Rooster canvas, all that is left is border. Next time I take pictures I will show you my progress.
I have quite a bit more done by now than when I took this old picture. I would say the outer borders (plural) are 1/3 done now.
I realize I probably made a mistake not stitching the white #5 Perle Cotton (14 mesh canvas) doubled for better coverage over the yellow. It felt, to me, that there was just too much yellow/gold in the design. Maybe I was wrong.
I thought about going back over what I had already stitched and adding another strand to each stitch but 2 rows of doing that showed me it would be a big mess…so it is as it is.
I am stitching one of the Eileen Best graphic designs. I love this one, I have from the moment I first saw it. It is 18 mesh and I am using a single strand of #8 Perle Cotton in these gorgeous colors
I am stitching one of my own designs, one of my beloved Mae West quotes. I am doing the flower as a carnation in rosy/peachy colors and the background will be some kind of fancy filler stitch. I am using, of course, #5 Perle Cotton.
I do wish the Mae West quote canvases had been more popular (as in no one ever bought one) Oh well.
We watched The Lovely Bones tonight on Pay-Per-View. It was a riveting movie, very well done and amazing performances from everyone, especially Stanley Tucci and Susan Sarandon ( I always love her work).
details, details
Patt, of Patt & Lee Designs, & I have emailed each other a zillion times today. I am placing a huge order for her Scrap Thread Canvases. I am re-stocking some of the ones that have sold and Patt is reviving some earlier Scrap Threads designs as well as doing some new ones.
I originally stocked one or 2 of these canvases. I have sold out of almost all, even the ones I had 2 of.
I was rearranging and checking my Patt & Lee stock this afternoon, while we were emailing back & forth about my order and I found another of the Scrap Threads Dogs. I am not sure if I bought 3 or sold just 1. I was sure I had sold 2 of them.
I call it 15 Dogs in 15 Colors.
It’s similar or companion piece is 15 Cats in 15 Colors
Another Surprise, I thought I still had one of the Mona Lisa Cats needlepoint canvases
But I don’t. I have sold them both. I have more on order.
When I first began NewNeedlepoint.com I was just getting to know Zac my extraordinary Web Tech. I had worked directly with the designer as it was being built and then a few random techs in the earliest weeks.
It was a lucky day for me when they assigned Zac The Tech to me. He & I often looked at the canvases I was listing and he made suggestions.
When he saw The Mona Lisa Cats above and the Nothing But Puppies canvas below
he told me to buy more of them. He was right. I should have ordered even more than I did.
I have preliminary designs for the new Scrap Thread designs from Patt & Lee.
They are not on canvas yet but these computer drawings will give you the idea. This one below is a major redesign of the Fans Scrap Thread design. I think it is wonderful and will be very easy to adapt to the threads & colors you have in your stash.
That is, of course, what makes each ST canvas stitches unique, using what you have at that time.
Below is the second design. I see this one as being perfect for someone who has lots & lots of smaller amounts of thread, yarn & floss left. The small amounts will suit this.
I am adding 2 of Patt’s Scrap Thread Star Ornaments as well.
I have listed a few new rare books today, another copy of Needlepoint by America’s Great Quilt Designers and More Needlepoint by America’s Great Quilt Designers both by Mary Kay Davis and Helen Giammattei.
Mary Kay Davis is alos the author of the very useful and interesting book, The Needlepoint Doctor
Check out my extraordinary and very rare copy of the Ridge Needlepointers Chapter’s Fiber Book
Lots of new books. I think a link top the category would be better then linking each book (easier for me, anyway)
So, I seem to be “back in the saddle again”. I have Patt & Lee canvases I will list this coming weeks and my new and rare book orders will begin to trickle in (with media mail trickle is the right word)
Last chance, The Claire Sanchez bags closeout is over the end of next week. There will not be anymore markdowns. Any unsold bags will be sent to the Ohio Woman’s Prison Needlework Project. I know I have mentioned them before. I think it is a terrific idea and support them any way I can.
If you have your eye on one of the remaining Claire bags, this is the time to do it.
M gets noticed
That comment on my last blog by Steve R. the North American Van Lines Social Media Consultant was , to me anyway, pretty amazing. I forget that what I write is *out* there for anyone to read.
A while ago there was an article in The Atlantic Magazine about the cost of living. In it, the author Megan McArdle, singled out needlepoint as being quite expensive.
I commented on that (in what manner you probably already know) on my blog and the next day I had a reply from Ms. McArdle. Amazing!.
Then, a few months later while reading the Sunday New York Times wedding announcements (yes, I read those) I saw that Megan McArdle had married.
Congratulations Megan.
Anyway, the fire sale of my Claire Sanchez bags seems to have set something off.
If, by some chance, you are waiting for additional markdowns, there won’t be any more. (sorry). I am already selling below my cost.
Check out Claire’s own web site if you want to see exactly how marked down I am selling these last few bags.
I have placed I huge order for new & rare used books. Many of them are replacements for the ones that have sold with a few new titles.
It is getting harder to find rare/used books I don’t already have for sale. There is a finite number of them out there. There are a number of books that aren’t worth the paper they are printed on, if you subtract those, the number get much smaller.
As sources for the used books dry up or get very expensive (as the books become rarer) I am finding some new printings of older books, Like Susan Higgenson’s Needlepoint Stitches
And The Bargello Book by Frances Salter.
I have replaced the new Needlepoint & Bargello Needlepoint books I have sold and added some new ones.
The Beginner’s Guide to Blackwork by Lesley Wilkins. Blackwork has always interested me.
The TNNA’s How To Needlepoint from it’s Needlecraft Resource Library. This is more of a large pamphlet and will be priced low. I got 3 of them, thinking it might be the thing to give your friends who express an interest in needlepoint.
Tassel Making by Anna Crutchley. I love tassels on pillows and would love to make them myself from the threads I have stitched with.
And more to come.
I am down to just 3 of Patt & Lee’s wonderful Scrap Threads Canvases. I have lots more on order including a few of her older ST designs and I hope a new one or two.
There is one small advantage to living in a dingy dump, my daily housework (groan) takes very little time. It is mostly pointless to clean the uncleanable but I do my daily best and keep it to (my minimum) standards. It does not take that long.
I am still reading the Claudia Dain series. I am on book 4. I keep waiting for the moment when I cannot read another word of her poorly edited tripe…..but I keep reading.
We went to the enormous and quite famous Lititz, PA Craft Fair last Saturday. It is a big once a year event, they close the whole town down. The estimates were for 30,000. people to attend and judging by the crowds, they did.
The stuff was typical craft fair, some of it quite good, some of it mid-range and some garbage.
K thinks I should do it next year. I can see it would be a good venue for new books and the Patt & Lee ST canvases. I can’t see selling handpainted canvases & kits there but maybe I am being short sighted?
I am enjoying the last of summer, real summer, like I am used to and waiting for fall. I have not had a real autumn in 4 years, I am ready.
beware of………
I am all (whew) unpacked and settled in. I have done the BIG move in clean and 1 regular clean. Evertyhing has it’s place and is in it (unless K took it out and left it wherever he was).
Even if it’s place is the basement storage or the movers 2 storage “vaults” I am renting for my good stuff.
Speaking of…..I do not have much fancy-pants furniture. I have one antique chest and mirror I Inherited from my grandfather.
And I have a Stickley Furniture Mission Collection Dining Room set. For many years I did not have a dining room, sort of a big kitchen/eating area. When I finally did have a house with a real dining room I searched for a long time (long time as in years) until I found what I wanted.
It is not antique Mission Oak but it is the same style as much of the old stuff, just made by Stickley today (or as in 12 years ago when I bought it).
It is the “quarter sawed oak” and the traditional construction. I had a light stain put on (most people choose the dark and darker stains, I did not. I used “Limestone”). This is a bad picture of it.
The table is 52 inches across and there are just 4 chairs, upholstered in black leather, one chair has arms. The china cabinet is in 2 pieces. The top has glass shelves, interior lights, leaded glass sides & doors. The bottom is solid oak with enough room to store service for 12 and some crystal. The whole cabinet has copper hardware.
These do come in 3 or 4 door, I just wanted 2. I like the proportions of it (and it just fit into a dining room alcove I had then).
This is a beautiful set. I waited 6 months for it. It is the kind of furniture you pass on. I thought of it as a future heirloom.
Now, I have moved this china cabinet many times, 9 times by my count (those were the years we were flipping houses and then the FL move & back).
My Stickley dining room traveled well, not a scratch in 8 of the moves.
As you know, this last move was the move to end all moves and the movers were the worst…however I did not know how bad the worst was until late last week.
Again, I know I have told you this, we rented this dirty dump , which I have cleaned as much as humanly possible, because it has lots of storage. A good size basement and a 4th bedroom down there (with climate control for the best storage).
The movers moved about half of my stuff into those basement rooms. They piled it very high and very precariously.
I suppose I would have left it like that except they claimed my 3 extra couches (ok, I admit, I have 5 couches) would not go in the doorway to the basement. They dumped them in the garage (on top of each other).
This led to me hiring local movers to take my best stuff to their storage (the 3 chouches, the Stickley, my unhung art and 4 unused area rugs (again I confess, I have 8 area rugs but remember, Florida houses are all hard tile floors).
I already knew the Long Distance movers had hidden anything they broke in the way back, behind the mountain of storage. Not too bad, broken lamp, glass shelf DVD rack, stove in boxes marked fragile (good thing Valerie, Doreen & I are such good packers, nothing in the boxes was broken) but the biggest surprise was waiting for me.
The NA Van Lines movers had left the glass top to my Stickley Chest wrapped in one of their movers “blankets”.
Stupid trusting me just thought that was nice of them.
One side of the top piece, one of the entire narrow side leaded glass walls is completely broken. The glass is shattered and even the leaded frame is ruined & bent. Some of the other glass is cracked as well
They must have piled very heavy boxes on top of it and then left it covered so I would not find it until I moved again, next year or whenever. There are also some gouges in the oak on the front of the bottom cabinet.
What stinkers.
So, I have a claim with North American Van Lines for over $6,000 (the current cost of this piece). I called NA Van lines customer service. I was crying, they were very nice and put the claim through right away. Then I get this snippy, almost nasty email telling me they had hired some local yokel furniture repair service to assess my “alleged claim” and fix the damage.
I emailed them back and told them that this was not something that can or should be fixed. I told them, too, about how this had been hidden from me. I told them I wanted a replacement and they should address me with respect.
OK, we shall see. The claims guy is going over to the storage place to see it. The storage movers offered to pull it out for him to see. I have to say, the moving guy who uncovered it with me, when I first saw the damage, was pretty upset too.
So, more. I guess I have gotten across to you to avoid North American Van Lines and in particular, if Greater Syracuse ( NY) movers show up, send them away.
More warnings. Have any of you ever bought anything on-line from Stacks & Stacks? They have tons of very neat and useful things to organize everything (and I am an obsessive organizer). I bought 2 items from them. A rack to stand over the toilet for extra storage (1 bathroom and a toilet in the basement laundry room) and a covered trash can for the kitchen (my house had a pull out cabinet for that.
The bathroom rack took forever to arrive ( the weakness of drop shipping ). The trash can came fast but it was (and is) all wrong. Yes, it is the size it said, overall, but the actual trash can inside is small trash bag size. Not the tall kitchen bag size I thought I had ordered.
There was no return information on the Stacks & Stacks web site. Not even an address to send it to. They had an email form you are supposed to fill out and they will contact you with the return info.
Well, I did that. In fact I did that 3 times, 3 days in a row. Nothing, Nada, dead silence.
So now I have a $130.00 solid stainless steel covered kitchen trash can that is useless to me.
Great customer service guys.
On to the good stuff. I have listed a few new books and I am on a roll, ready to list more.
So far they are all new books, the used ones are patiently waiting.
June McKNight’s Holiday Stitches for Needlepoint. Copyrighted in 2001, Ms McKNight calls this a book of things to make for celebrations and special occasions.
The next one is also June McKnight. Christmas Stitches for Needlepoint. It was copyrighted in 1991 and I am pretty sure, from the writing, dedication and projects, that if this was not her first book, it was one of the very first.
The Royal School of Needlwork’s book on Embroidery Techniques has been very useful to me, as a needlepointer. Many of the ideas and stitches here are adaptable to NP. Some easily adaptable.
Shading is the major thing I got from this book, how to shade colors, in embroidery or needlepoint (other forms of needlwork as well, I imagine).
I finally listed Creating Contemporary Bargello by Iona L. Dettelbach. This is a comprehensive Bargello needlepoint instruction and project book, taking you from flat beginner to fairly advanced.
Someone emailed me not too long ago asking if I had this book. It was in the middle of the move so I did not know what I had. I am lucky I did not misplace Jack The Cat.
The Redwood Laying Tool is listed now. It was on backorder for 6 months then sitting here another 2 months while I fumbled around.
It is 6 inches long and I find it works easily and well, laying threads.
It is a rich reddish brown, not as dark as my picture.
I feel better having ranted about the movers and drop shippers, then redeemed myself by talking about my new listings.
I hope my stories have not bored you (or put you to sleep)
whee !
Or is it spelled “wee”, you know that fabulous roller coaster feeling of speed and danger? That is the word I am after. Actually, the only time I was on a roller coaster was when I was 16, the old wood one at Nantasket Beach, near Cape Cod.
It was pure terror. I closed my eyes and promised myself that if I survived this, I would never do it again. And I have not.
But what occasioned this “Whee” blog is the amazing run of sales I am currently having on NewNeedlepoint.com. That and the drink I had with my dinner.
We went to Miller’s smorgasbord in Lancaster and K had the whole buffet and I had soup, salad & desert plus a local drink named for the town of Intercourse, PA.
When I ordered it several heads swiveled around but I swear, it was right there on the menu. (needless to say, K would love to live there, just imagine the jokes he could make).
Back to NewNeedlepoint.com. It began with my clearance Sale of Claire Sanchez bags and The Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog’s mention of the sale.
Then it spread. Books are selling, canvases & kits are selling, even some accessories are selling.
I sold one of my 2 big Mighty Bright LED floor lights and 1 of the small ones. Even a Gold Plated Bent Tip Needle sold.
I am happy, jazzed and excited! I have been waiting so long for this.
Ok, enough crowing. I have a few Claire bags left. I am lowering the prices of the remaining bags $5 each (which means I am selling them below cost)
The Gloria is a lovely bag, in a departure from her usual heavy cotton canvas bags, this is a Imported Japanese fabric, fused to another heavier fabric, to give it sufficient strength. I have this in both the Shoulder bag, shown below and the larger Tote bag. It has a leather strap
The Alice bag was a huge seller for Claire this past winter season. She sold out within weeks. (not me). I have this bag in both the shoulder bag and the larger tote bag. Leather strap as well.
The Brooklyn tote is a different color take on the Alice pattern. This is the only one I have, with the leather strap
The Rita Tote with it’s amazing colors. I kept one of these for myself. I only have this tote bag left, with a leather strap
I have the Silver Dot Metallic Fully Reversible bag in both the shoulder bag size and the tote bag size. This bags has the self-fabric double straps
I have the Black Mini Dot Metallic reversible Bag is just the shoulder bag size. it too has the double fabric straps.
The Regan Bag is a full size large tote bag, it has the leather strap. I love this shade of green.
I am surprised I still have the Black Dots on White Shoulder Bag left, with it’s wonderful hot pink lining. I have my eye on this one for myself (although I already have the larger tote bag size in this)
Please save my from myself and buy this.
I am selling a lot of Patt & Lee canvases & kits. I am embarassed to say I have a number of these wonderful designs that I haven’t yet listed as well as more on order.
Patt stitched a sample of this one.
I have the Scrap Thread designs on order, I am almost sold out of those.
I will list them soon, I promise as well as the books that have been waiting for me to get to them.
I have ordered some new books. That can be done quickly, so I did it. The search for the often rare used books takes time, that will be the last of the things I do in the near future. I have many to replace.
There is a new title from June McKnight (at least new to me) called Plants and Animals in Needlepoint. I have ordered it.
Years ago, there was an ad for a consignment/gently used clothing store I saw. The ad said, ” It May Not Be New, But It’s New To You”. That apt phrase stuck with me. (it’s still stuck here).
I have not seen any movies of note, we are deep in Red Sox season and Keith is obsessed. I find that I do my work and then go read, transport myself into another universe and relax. I am still reading the Claudia Dain series. Her writing is pretty bad but her plotting keeps me interested.
One page I read today had 4 paragraphs, one right after the other and each paragraph had the words “of course” in it.
Did no one edit these books?
I am still discovering the area. People here are so friendly. It is a surprise after South Florida (pushy, entitled & rude, or did I just describe New Yorkers? With apologies to the many nice exceptions to this generalization).
Well, now that I have put my foot in my mouth, I guess I am done
Hot or Not?
I know there is a very odd social web site out there with that name: Hot or Not.
On it, people get to rate each other, based on their looks and if I remember correctly you could ask for or suggest a meeting with someone who attracts/interests you.
No, I never have pasted a picture of myself there (or anywhere, for that matter). On facebook I am represented by a needlepoint peony. I have trouble approaching facebook too. I know I am supposed to be doing all this marketing of NewNeedlepoint.com on these social sites but I just do not seem to be able to make myself do it.
I suppose I am not a terribly social person. I am not sorry for that, I enjoy my own company. It took me many years to get that way and I consider it an accomplishment (really!)
BUT (there is always a but) I thought I was Ms Internet Hottie this past weekend. On Friday night I marked down all my Claire Sanchez bags to liquidate them. All of them at cost plus $5 to ship Priority Mail (the actual cost).
I sold 3 Saturday and I thought that was pretty good since I barely sold 3 all of last year. I did a blog entry late Saturday night discussing the bags along with my usual blather.
Then came Sunday and suddenly the Claire Bags were flying out of here. Non-stop sales all day.
Of course, I thought my blog had reached many more people than I ever dreamed of and they were all rushing to NewNeedlepoint.com for the Claire Sanchez Bags and more.
I have sold, along with these bags, one of Patt & Lee’s great Scrap Thread canvases (I am almost sold out of these, I have more on order). I sold some books, one of the Gold Plated Laying Needle and Patt & Lee’s Mona Lisa Cats Needlepoint Kit.
I have 2 of these canvases, so I can sell one but still have the listing up.
I love this design, I also love the similar one with dogs.
So, here I am with things flying out the door (so to speak, which they did when I shipped them today) and I am thinking I am a new Internet God when I get an email from my good friend Patt of Patt & Lee Designs asking me if I saw Jane’s always amazing Chilly Hollow Needlepoint Adventure Blog today.
No, I had not read it yet…so off I went and there was a lovely mention of my web store where Jane’s Blog says the bags are extraordinary, and at this price not to be missed.
Ah, that is so nice of her but it does explain the sudden and amazing influx of visitors and customers. the Chilly Hollow Blog is very popular, it’s even got it’s own stitch.
No Internet God I. Oh well, I suspect being one of those would not “wear well”.
But to digress some, I carry a lot of the Patt & Lee needlepoint canvas with most of them also available as a kit too. I may carry more of Patt’s designs than anyone else on-line.
NewNeedlepoint.com is the exclusive Patt & Lee Designs On-Line store. Some of the doors & windows stores who carry their work also have web sites but no one has as much as I do.
Patt has become a good friend, I first found her when we were both sellers on eBay. I loved her work and bought her The Cat Needs His Coffee needlepoint canvas at auction there.
This sold some time ago, I am leaning towards getting another, this is one that is still in current.
I approached Patt by email about maybe designing some canvases for my soon to be web store. We went back & forth on this for a long time and finally I just began buying the designs she was selling to the LNS (Ok, it took me longer then it should have to figure out that means “local needlepoint store”).
I have some definite favorites here, designs I love. There are some I like very well and some I may not love but I see the merit and the point. After all, as my mother keeps reminding me, I can’t just stock my store with things I love. Other people have other tastes.
Here are some of my most loved and/or admired of the Patt & Lee designs I carry.
I call this one “Patt’s New Cat”. It comes in both kit or canvas alone
He ( he looks like a he to me) is so handsome.
I love these guys, they look ready for treats but would be happy to do some Halloween tricks, too.
This is my own custom NewNeedlepoint.com version of Patt’s popular Geisha Cats This too is a kit or the canvas alone.
The design is my small variation of Patt’s original design. The Kanji in the upper right hand corner of the canvas actually says “Geisha”.
The original’s word was gibberish, no meaning at all.
I love his expression, I know just how he feels. Patt & I adapted this popular design of hers for Beginners and added the text.
We are still in the Patt & Lee Animals category. I have a P & L Graphics category.
I call this one 26 Colors Star Quilt because the design indeed uses 26 colors. I think this is an amazing use of browns & beige with these colors.
I also adore this one, The Blue Star & Morning Glories Quilt Square.
Patt says this one has not done well, I am amazed. How could you not love this gorgeous design?
Then there is Patt & Lee Holidays & Misc. I am very taken with these fine Art Deco Christmas Cats, very stylish.
Look at Patt’s Poppies. So colorful and bright. I made up this kit using colors as close as I could possibly come to the colors Patt used for the canvas. I did, however change the background color. The dark green was not a success, IMO, so I used black for the kit.
Last is the Patt & Lee Scrap Threads Category. As I said before, I think this is an inspired idea. I know I have tons of “leftovers” and hate to think of them going to waste.
I have sold almost everything in this category, I am waiting for replacements. I think my best bet is to link you to the whole category, rather then pick out one or two.
Then again……
The colors are endlessly changeable, you can use whatever you have.
I keep seeing this ornament stitches with lots of Sparkling & Metallic & Glitter left over threads. That would be terrific on any tree.
So, what else am I doing? I cleaned my dumpy duplex today. Woo Hoo!
I have organized the books that still need listing and the canvases. I think I will space the canvases out some, so I can have a stream of new stuff going into the winter.
I would like some more “gift quality” rare books for holiday gifts and I have re-ordered some of the new books which sold fast.
I am on book 2 of the Claudia Dain Regency romance series. I have become immune to the bad (or non-existant) editing and am enjoying these stories.
They are the lightest of fiction, but curled up in my bed under my summer weight down duvet, with Jack The Cat at my feet, it is pure pleasure.
One last unimportant thing. Sunday night I finally got Keith to agree to go out to dinner, with me, to a restaurant called “The Melting Pot”.
I don’t know if any of you have them around where you are. It is basically a fondue restaurant. There is an induction burner built into each table, they bring you everything you need for dipping into the fondues. There are many types of Cheese fondue but I went with the classic swiss cheese.
Many meat & seafood selections but we kept it basic and the desert! We chose pure Milk Chocolate to dip into with fruits & tiny pastries.
Oh My! Keith was prepared to hate it but he came out of there liking it very much which means I get to go there again (and not just with my son).
Good for K, trying something about as far from meat n’ taters as he can get.
