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Mary Corbet

writer and founder

 

I learned to embroider when I was a kid, when everyone was really into cross stitch (remember the '80s?). Eventually, I migrated to surface embroidery, teaching myself with whatever I could get my hands on...read more

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Beam ‘n Read Light Give-Away Winner!

 

Amazon Books

Just a quick little note today to announce the winner of the Beam ‘n Read light give-away!

Beam 'n Read Light

You can find more information on the Beam ‘n Thread light in this review, including where to purchase it if you’re looking for it.

You’ll find further information on the light on the original give-away article, where I shared some feedback on the light from readers who use it.

Thanks to all who participated in the give-away! And to the Beam ‘n Read folks for sponsoring it!

The winner of the light, drawn randomly as usual, is Pam W! Here’s her answer to the question Do you take your needlework with you wherever you go, or are you a stay-at-home embroiderer?

I create with my embroidery whenever and wherever….living room, kitchen, bedroom, even sometimes–in the bathroom…if I’m trying to get things done…sometimes I need all the time I have! and of course I take it with me whenever I don’t have to drive, or sitting and waiting, waiting, waiting…just like waiting for Santa Claus…it’s a must to keep my projects moving along! As I’m getting older a light would be wonderful to have! Thanks a bunch for all you give us through your newsletters and giving.

Congratulations, Pam! Please drop me a line with your mailing address so the light can wing its way to you soon!

Stitching in Public

I’m happily surprised how many folks pack needlework with them wherever they go! So many of you mention stitching while waiting places, commuting, traveling, and so forth.

I’m not really a hermit – I do get out and about, and I will often take needlework with me. But as it works out, I rarely end up actually doing any, unless I’m stuck for a long, long wait somewhere. I’ve stitched in the car a little bit, but I don’t really enjoy doing so. I always feel crowded and disorganized. Plus, I usually end up being The Driver, and that makes it pretty difficult, for obvious reasons!

But what am trying to get at here is this: in all my Days of Being Here or Being There, of coming and going, traveling, waiting in airports, driving, sitting in waiting rooms at the doctor or the dentist, staying in hotels, going to coffee shops, visiting people in hospitals, you name it… I’ve never once seen another person stitching (as in, embroidery or cross stitch with a needle and thread) in public. I’ve seen a few knitters and crocheters, but never a stitcher. It’s great to know that so many people actually do it!

There are some organizations – for example, chapters of the Embroiderers’ Guild of America and of the Embroiderers’ Association of Canada – who actually schedule a Stitch in Public Day each year. I don’t usually hear about it happening until after the fact, but if a Stitch in Public day comes up in 2014 and I know about it ahead of time, I’ll let you know! It’s a great way to make people aware of the needle arts.

Upcoming on Needle ‘n Thread

Next week, I have a little something special for you in the form of a Christmas give-away. I’ll be giving away two copies of The Art of Chinese Embroidery signed by the author, and along with each, a gorgeous full kit, with everything you need to complete one of the projects in the book. That will happen early in the week, before Christmas, and will be announced after Christmas. Think of it as a New Year’s gift!

I’ll be away from the computer more than around it in the next several days, so email response will be limited.

Hope you enjoy your weekend! Here in Kansas, we’re expecting some significant (well, for us, anyway!) snow and ice, which may very well stick around for Christmas.

You know what this means, don’t you?

I can finally stop singing that blasted song! My family will be So Happy!

 
 

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(10) Comments

  1. G’day Mary,
    And congratulations Pam W. A nice Christmas gift for you and hope it’s really handy and a great help to you.
    The Chinese stitching giveaway is exciting Mary and look forward to participating.
    Will take this opportunity to wish you and yours the safest, most peaceful and happiest Christmas ever Mary.
    With Love, Kath.

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  2. Dear Mary

    Congratulations to Pam W You lucky thing and thanks Mary for the opportunity of the give-away. I hope it’s not to cold in Kansas here in North London it’s quite mild considering, I hope you are able embroider over this busy time I’m baking at the moment but I managed to finish the embroidered Robin which is a Christmas present so I can relax a bit and do other Christmas things. Look forward to your posts next week and enjoy the rest of the weekend.

    Regards Anita Simmance

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  3. EGA usually announces a Feb. date for public stitch-ins though chapters can select a time best for them. National Trail Stitchers in Wheeling WV will have a stitch-in at Elmhurst, an assissted living facility on Tuesday Feb. 25 at 7PM. The public is welcome.
    We have had stitch-ins in libraries, at a large craft store and farmers markets, at a wellness center, yearly at a large regional fall festivall, on benches on a walking trail,etc. Even though this has not broight us many new members, we love to spread our enthusiasm for needlework.

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  4. The national EGA “Stitch in Public” is the first Saturday in February. Many EGA chapters will be making plans for stitching somewhere on that day. Some of the EGA chapters here in Florida stitch on that day but I have found that many of the chapters stitch thru out the year in many different venues–town festivals, historic homes or museums espcially during a chapter exhibit, and sometimes in places like Starbucks, Books a Million, etc.

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  5. About Stitch in Public Day — look out in the next few weeks for news about the next one. It’s an annual event in early February, and here’s a link to my EGA Chapter (Princeton NJ)’s last one, great fun to do.

    http://fieldfen.blogspot.com/2013/02/stitch-in-public-day-stitchers-rule.html

    We also have a blog, which I created in September, so Stitch in Public hasn’t made it into there yet, but if you want to follow us, go here: http://princetonembroiderers.blogspot.com

    Cheers!

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  6. Hi Mary, just a further note to the stitching in public :I would like to tell you what some of the ladies and I from our needlwork guild do in the summer, when regular guild meetings have finished for the season… we are lucky enough to live on the shore of Lake Superior (one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world). We meet bi weekly in the evenings (it stays light until 10pm) and sit in big adirondack chairs stitching and visiting! These evenings are heavenly, the scenery is lovely, the company is great, and our guild gets free advertising, as many people stop to chat and see what we are doing! Couldnt ask for more in my opinion!

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  7. Congratulations Pam. I hope you enjoy using your light to make lots of pretty things.

    I thought it sounded pretty good and since I wasn’t the lucky one I looked to buy one. Amazon seem to be about the only stockist around and they will not ship to Australia. As Snoopy (in his Red Baron disguise) says, Curses, foiled again!

    This is no reflection on Mary but it is very disheartening when she tells us of such great little goodies and then we find businesses, especially those as big and tentacular as Amazon won’t ship certain goods outside America. I can understand it with electrical things as the voltage is different, but a battery operated light? Undoubtedly it was made in China or somewhere else and shipped to America without being damaged in transit so why can Amazon not ship it on? Sorry for the rant, I shall get off the soapbox for today.

    To everyone who reads this, and especially to Mary, have a wonderful Christmas or whatever you celebrate. I hope your holiday is safe, healthy, happy and peaceful.

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    1. Pioneer Patchwork in Narellan, New South Wales (4647 3555) ordered some. I don’t know how many they have in stock. ASF Lightware Solutions’ website, readinglight.com, does ship internationally. We do get many orders from Australia. We’ve requested our lights be added to the Amazon US export list.

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