Books I Like and Use

First apologies. I had planned to do a book a month and here it is nearly the end of 2 months since the last post.

When I need to look at a stitch or how a stitch is worked I tend to look in a particular book first -- Mrs. Archibald Christie's Samplers and Stitches. It has been republished many times and is easily available for less than $25. First published in 1920, it has over 240 diagrams and pictures of stitches. Each stitch has a how to diagram and many have a how to use diagram as well. For each stitch she discusses how it was used historically and if there are specific patterns that it works well with, those are mentioned and diagramed as well. It is my "go to" book for stitches.

The one problem I find with the book, is that the stitches are set out in families. If I don't know what family a stitch is in, then I hope that the Index will help me find the stitch. Mostly this works, but I have spent a bit of time searching. Still, when I found the stitch in another book, I still go back and look it up in Christie.

Time Sure Does Fly Fast

It seems that I have done nothing but run fast during the last month. First the EGA Board Meeting. Spun during the meeting since there was lots going on. You can find EGA now on LJ and soon on Facebook. We are looking at doing You Tube and Podcasts too -- we are entering the 21st C. Hurrah!!!!

Then 2010 meetings -- EGA's National Seminar is in San Francisco in 2010. The official seminar is Labor Day through Fri but we will have lots of things happening starting on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend - Sept 4/5 plus 6-10. Save your $$. The class list is -- well let us just say that there are so many wonderful classes that I am going to find a hard time choosing.

Then March Crown. Did manage to get my service project finished in time. I can't show pics because it is a secret until Beltane. Of course I used silk. Of course I used metal thread :)

Aside from the cold wind it was a nice event. The meeting went well. The class on Demystifying Needles and Threads went okay. At least everyone at some point had the clue light go on -- I'll take it. The Arachne's Web meeting was small but then lace is not everyone's thing. Needleworkers and Arachne's Web are cohosting the A&S pavilion at June Crown and I am taking point on this. I have 2 assistants too!

On the needlework front - finally figured out how to do the Swarovski Bead Ball fobs. The instructions I had received were not clear, but finally with some help from looking at a completed one and a online video - I made mine.


Off now to do taxes - blech! I do have a book sitting here for the "book review blog". Hope I can get to it later this week.

Running Fast Again

Here is the pic from the Art Guild newsletter. Guess I need to remake W's and my chains as they look a bit worn :)

Last weekend was all about metal. Went to W's Mom's in Paso Robles to teach at her Art Guild. She had seen some of my Viking Chain Weaving and had gotten all excited. Most of the ladies in the group are jewelers to some degree. We had 13 for the workshop. Some got it fast and some slower. We did a bracelet in single and some did a double. Those on the really fast track tried the wired bead. My MIL brought in her glass bead "rejects" for accent beads and wiring.

This week is all about fiber. Set up the EGA booth at Stitches West and worked the booth last night. Sigh - also shopped - all the fibers yummy!!!!!!! Will work the booth on Sunday too. Meanwhile wove a narrow (1") braid to hang my name tag for the EGA National Board meeting next weekend. My chapter did a program on Sashiko embroidery. There is preprinted Sashiko so picked some up on my way to the booth yesterday so I have something mindless to work on during the 4 days of meetings.

Meanwhile I want to try my hand at knitting a hat. I've done slippers, scarves, and in the round so... Can't wait to start. Need to finish my service needlework first :(

Medieval Garden

The Met has a blog about Medieval Gardens. Entries include information on plants, what they were used for or represented, the medieval calendar of planting, etc.

http://blog.metmuseum.org/cloistersgardens/

Many of the entries have pics of the plants displayed in Books of Hours, tapestries and embroideries, as well as the physical plants themselves. Plan to spend some time browsing.

Books I Like and Use - Introduction to a New Series of Columns

Some people, like SharonB, have great bounds of energy and post fabulous stuff. They also do great needlework. I am finding that with so much of my energy going to administration, I stitch a lot less. I still do crafts and some embroidery, but less. Hence I have less to blog about. I have decided that I can still offer items of interest to the needlework world by doing a series of columns on books. These will be interspersed with my more limited blogging about crafts, ega, etc.

I think one of the the key things any embroiderer, historic or otherwise focused, needs is a good library. It need not be deep, but it needs some key ingredients. This series will try to focus on books that I like and use. Hopefully this will spur some of you to increase your library and/or help you spend your money wisely.

I will try to comment on and provide the following:
-Full name and source information on book
-Summary of book content
-How and when I use the book
-What level of ability will get the most use out of the book

This in now way is designed to replace the West Kingdom Needleworkers Annotated Booklist which can be found here . The annotated list is over 200 books and is designed as a quick reference.

With that introduction, I would like to start with a book that is so useful to me as a historical embroiderer that it sits beside my desk.
A Pictorial History of Embroidery
Schuette, Marie and Müller-Christensen, Sigrid
Frederick A. Praeger, New York, 1964
Over the years it has been reprinted with several different titles and in several different languages. It is currently available for around $200 for the Thames Hudson/Art of Embroidery version. This is the lowest I have seen it in some time.

It is divided into 3 sections. The first is techniques and materials. The second is a history of European needlework from early middle ages through the early 20th C. The third section is a catalog with around 500 pictures, mostly black and white, and details about each piece. The descriptions are not exhaustive, but do provide lots of insight into the construction of each piece. It is one of those books that you read parts of again and again. The pictures reveal more and more with each viewing. The more I learn, the more I return to this book for further insight.

It is not a book for the beginning embroiderer nor for the someone who is not willing to do indepth research. This book is a beginning, a middle, but not the end for research into historical embroidery.