In general, the Bargello Needlepoint books I list on NewNeedlepoint.com sell very well.  There are not that many titles out there, I buy all that I can find (with a few not-so-good exceptions) and list them in either my   New Bargello Books category or the Rare Bargello Books category.   But this is amazing.

I told you about the order from the lady in Australia, she all but cleaned out my Bargello books.   I do have replacements for some of them but they have to be photographed and the condition described, each book is individual and no 2 are in the exact same condition (having said that, I admit if a replacement book’s condition is close to that of the original, I will not re-photograph it, I will just list it, that does not often happen)

It was a huge order 22 rare/used books, 3 new books, 3 needleholders and 1 DMC travel roll (my last one, I am unsure if I should re-order them or not).  The shipping for the order came to $117, using Global Flat Rate Priority Mail.  I could not fit the last book, Shirlee Lantz’s famous A Pageant of Patterns for Needlepoint Canvas.  That book alone weighs 5 pounds and not only was there no room, there was a 20 pound per-box weight limit.  The USPS wanted $48 more to ship just that 1 book alone so I refunded her payment for that book.

I divided the shipping cost with her, as a token of my free shipping.  I paid about 25%, she paid the rest.

Among the books she bought were

The classic, famous & excellent Bargello: An Explosion in Color by Margaret Boyles

Also The Margaret Boyles Bargello Workbook

Dorothy Phelan’s UK version of her Bargello book called Florentine Canvaswork in Gift Quality condition.  The USA edition is called Traditional Bargello.

TrianglePoint by Shirlee Lantz,  despite it’s age, still a interesting & modern stitch similar to the basic bargello stitches

Barbara Muller’s Florentine Embroidery.  Originally published in German, this is a good translation of a great Bargello book.

Needlepoint & Pattern by Gloria Katzenberg, a steady seller here always

As well as Dorothy Kaestner’s Bargello Antics, 4 Way Bargello & her Bargello Needlepoint.  Both my Barbara Snook Bargello books, of course she bought Elsa William Bargello: Florentine Canvas Work and much more.

For new books she bought The Best Bargello Book by June McKnight

She bought Beautiful Bargello by Joyce Petschek and Bargello Revisited by Janet Perry.  I do not have more copies of either of those, right now.

She also bought both Sally Nicoletti books, Weaving Designs for Needlepoint & Japanese Motifs for Needlepoint, Janet Granger’s Miniature Needlepoint Carpets, Katherine Ireys The Encyclopedia of Needlepoint stitches and of course, Geometric Designs in Needlepoint by Mary Jaene Edmonds

This book is probably the most often sold book I list.

Anyway, I did all the customs forms & shipped them.  Since then I have been having something of a minor run on my remaining Bargello Needlepoint books.

My other copy of Florentine Embroidery by Barbara Muller.  Another 4 Way Bargello by Dorothy Kaestner to a lady in Maryland.   And then, yesterday, the surprise purchase.  

I have had Gigs Stevens’ Free Form Bargello for sale here almost from the very beginning of when I started selling books.  I thought it was (and it is) a fabulous book full of original ideas and contemporary ways to use Bargello.  In fact, I like this book so much I have a copy of it in my own collection.

I had despaired of anyone every buying it.  Bargello Books raced out of my web store constantly while this poor little book just sat there.  It was sad.

Then…TaDa…..a smart woman with great taste in stitchery from Los Angeles bought it.

So, now I have a bunch more replacements to re-list…as if I was not already behind enough.

It is my intention (here I fall over laughing at my own presumption) to begin listing some of the canvases & kits from the Baltimore show this week.  I know it is only Tuesday but I have hopes. However there might be a small problem with my getting anything done this week.

Of course, you don’t know this but I sleep on a wonderful Tempurpedic Memory foam mattress.  This is my 2nd one.  I love it so much that one the first one got funky (after years of use) I bought another.

Well, we were at the Mattress Store on Sunday buying a twin size mattress for the DayBed I set up in the guest room for a spare bed.  With all my photography equipment in there, there was no room for a bigger bed and I figured a day bed would do (more or less).

While I was paying, I saw a remote on the nice salesman’s desk.  It said Tempurpetic.  I grabbed it and asked, hope in my voice  ”does Tempurpedic make an adjustable electric bed now?”  

YES!  They do.

I bought it,  I did not even draw breath, I bought it (well, why not..my son is already through college & grad school…and I am getting older by the second).

So, they deliver & set it up today.  It is 5:53 am.  I have been awake for hours, too excited to sleep.  It may turn out that getting me out of my new fancy pants bed this week might be difficult.

Did I mention that it has head & foot lift, massage?  rolling waves massage?   Did I mention that I am old, old, old.

If you want me, I will be in bed.   Oh yes, I am reading Robert K Massie’s Biography of Catherine the Great.  Interesting book, not the slow slog I was afraid it might be.

Ok, so I will be reading in bed.