“This is a cross stitch piece I did by Linda Myers. As you can see, I haven’t framed it yet. I love reading your e-mail newsletters.”

Written by: Ryan

Dear Nordic Needle,

You have so many great people who write to you about how they got started doing this needle work or that. I do not have such a story. I first became interested in reversible pattern weaving or darning and how great the geometry of the weaving worked. There is not a lot on line about it but the American Needlepoint Guild does have a great article.

From there I went to Huck Weaving, once again for its beauty in simple geometric patterns. I have fallen in love with this art form and have started collecting many “older patterns” from antique stores. I have enclosed a few photos to share with you my successes.

Thank you for caring such patterns and materials.I appreciate your caring on the traditions

Written by: Ryan

Trish works in the shipping department with primary responsibility for shipping foreign orders.

• How long have you been with Nordic Needle?

  Since 2009.

• Favorite needlework technique?

  She does Hardanger embroidery and she won the 23rd annual Needlework Jamboree hosted by Nordic Needle in 2003.

  

• What is your favorite tool, gadget, thread, or other Nordic Needle item?

  My favorite tool is my new Dovo scissors because now it is like cutting butter!

Written by: Ryan

“This is the McKee Bridge Tabletopper I made for a friend whose uncle donated the land upon which the McKee Bridge was built. The covered bridge was built in 1917 and has now been decommissioned and is used for foot traffic only. While owned by Jackson County, Oregon, the Mckee Bridge Society pays to maintain the bridge so that it passes all safety inspections. On each corner of the tabletopper is a yellow “Logtown Rose”, descended from a rose start that my friend’s great aunt carried on the wagon train with her on the Oregon Trail. The rose start was carried in a potato and soaked each night in some of the water set aside from that which ended up in the cooking pot.

More of the story can be read in: “Maryum’s Yellow Rose: Story of a Pioneer Woman” by Evelyn Williams. The rose is now growing along the fence of the Logtown Cemetery outside of Ruch, Oregon. The actual town of Logtown is long gone but the roses are still there, as is the cemetery and many old (for this half of the country, anyway) graves. :-) The idea for the tabletopper came from Claudia Dutcher’s Dutch Treat Designs tabletoppers but the bridge and roses were charted from photographs of the bridge and the roses at the cemetery. In my “spare time”, I have plans to make an actual working chart of the McKee Bridge and of the Logtown Rose, so that those two groups can sell them to raise money for bridge and cemetery upkeep. The tabletopper reminded me, however, that, while stitching is lots of fun, designing can be a real pain!!!!!!! :-)))

For the bridges, I used leftovers of two different “brown” overdyed threads and for the roses, I used a yellow overdyed and started in the middle, spiraling outward until the edges matched the chart I had drawn from the photograph of the rose. The wave around the outside border represents the Applegate River and came from the “who knows where” of water borders. I made the tabletopper back in 2007 & 2008 for the 50th anniversary of my friend and her husband.”

Written by: Ryan

Karen works in the shipping department with the primary responsibility for wholesale and Back Order shipments.

• How long have you been with Nordic Needle?

  Since 2006.

• Favorite needlework technique?

  Karen does beautiful cross stitch, and has stitched each of her granddaughters a Mirabilia fairy.

• Favorite tool, gadget, thread, or other Nordic Needle item?

  Her favorite tool is a needle minder, because she doesn’t have to search all over for dropped needles.

Written by: Ryan

Carol receives, opens, and distributes the incoming mail and packages. Sometimes a large number of boxes arrive on the same day and it looks like we have built a fort around her work area! In addition, Carol handles some of the retail ordering.

• How long have you been with Nordic Needle?

  Since 1990. Almost 21 years.

• Favorite needlework technique?

  She is a marvelous quilter and enjoys taking classes to learn even more quilting techniques.

• What is your favorite tool, gadget, thread, or other Nordic Needle item?

  Dovo Scissors!

Written by: Ryan