Hello and welcome to all.
I know almost everything involves Covid and its related problems these days, but I would like to shine a light on something worth considering: Needlework.
Are you finding yourself at home with nothing to do? Maybe you’ve already watched every show available, ate far more food than you ever thought you could – all out of pure boredom.
Well, I’m pulling an oldie but a goodie out of the closet.
Needlework has a lot going for it: it’s easy to get started (try a kit for your first project), it keeps your hands busy (and you can’t be stuffing food in your face at the same time), it’s in the “creative” category (and it happily includes those of us who don’t think we have a creative bone in our body), you will have something to be proud of when you’re finished (and they make great gifts, too), there’s lots of different kinds of needlework to choose from, too, like cross stitch, crewel, needlepoint, petit point, embroidery, hardanger, silk ribbon embroidery and more. Look for beginner projects and give one a try.
WARNING: NEEDLEWORK CAN BECOME ADDICTIVE
I can actually swear to all of this as I once owned a brick & mortar needlework shop. I started my passion with a $5 cross stitch kit and I was hooked!
I recently hit an Estate Sale that had an impressive collection of rare and retired crewel and cross stitch kits, factory sealed in mint condition. It took me about two minutes to realize that these lovely kits could do very well in my shop Old Raven on Etsy.
Gorgeous Heron “Enchanted April” Kit
This is a crewel kit, and this particular kit is like finding a unicorn. It’s been out of production for quite some time but is highly sought after – I mean look at it – it’s absolutely beautiful! (Yeah, this one’s expensive because of its rarity, but most kits are much, much lower.)
Both of these are crewel kits – perfect sportsman/man cave decor.
Duck Decoy This one is from a company many will go “I remember them” – The Creative Circle. Isn’t this cute, though?
Fire & Ice Now we’re going to switch over to my favorite type of needlework – cross stitch. Isn’t this a dramatic piece?
Tracks This is one of the most beautifully detailed patterns/kits I’ve seen. This company is owned and operated by a Native American tribe and you can clearly see and feel the connection to their heritage here.
Tiger Pool In a word “stunning”. Large cats, especially tigers, are just so amazingly beautiful and look at the detail on this piece – wow.
Curious I love the scene captured here. And, for those of you who like a ‘full-coverage’ project – this is it. Every bit of blank fabric is covered with a stitch on this one!
Mountain Reflection This is another Full Coverage kit. This one reminds me of my favorite range here in Idaho – The Sawtooths. This project will keep you very busy, indeed.
The End of a Perfect Day This one is well named…and it’s a Thomas Kinkade. Remember, most of these finished pieces are shown as framed but you can also turn them into decorative pillows, runners, chair or ottoman covers, etc.
Set To Go What can I say…lab puppies have the sweetest faces. This company (Bucilla) is responsible for getting thousands upon thousands of folks hooked on needlework.
Trout ‘Good Things’ This is a kit I would recommend to a beginner who wants to try something just a bit larger this time. I would also like to mention – probably half of these kits cover photos were projects stitched by men. Stitchers are equal opportunity crafters.
Centennial Bridal Bouquet This one is a bit different…this is a Pattern only in opposed to a kit like all the rest were. The kits all come with a pattern included as well as fabric and floss (or fiber), etc. But you can also purchase just patterns.
This pattern is by The Silver Lining and was made to celebrate their 100th design. The pattern was almost immediately retired guaranteeing it’s rarity.
I’ll certainly be adding more patterns to my shop as I find unique ones.
Now that I’ve opened a new category in my shop “Needlework Supplies” I’m going to start actively tracking down rare, quality, hard to find and retired items to build up a very nice selection for those interested in unique needlework items.
I hope you give needlework a chance…it might just get you through with your sanity intact.
Until next time…Kriss
Old Raven Creates 