Post edited 12:36 am – February 10, 2010 by JustDuckyInNE

I'm Juli from Elkhorn, a suburb of Omaha and just joined the forums after lurking for a long time.  I've enjoyed counted thread-work (except Needlepoint which I can appreciate but don't like to stitch the background too.  Seems unfair.) for many years, starting with stamped pillowcases and hankies when I was 7, like so many stitchers.  I still embroider, and do cross-stitch, pulled work, and drawn work and minor Hardanger although I've learned Swedish huck weaving and ribbon embroidery I haven't kept them up.  This is to keep my obsessions from fanning out too widely and I have to buy another house just to store my patterns, fabrics, fibers, and tools.

Some examples of my work are: 

1. Shepherd's Bush stockings for my oldest niece and nephew and other pieces from SB,
2. Just Nan Samplers are always fun because she includes new stitches that make me think about the piece intently,
3. Prairie Schooler pieces in decreasing linen sizes over one to see a comparison between the look and clarity of the pattern,
4. Teresa Wentzler's 'Castle' took me three years to complete although I stitched at every spare moment; gorgeous result with metallics. 

My favorite stitch method is over one on 32-count but as I have become "more experienced"(OK, I'm 53), I have had to resort to 30- and 28-counts or very bright lights.  My favorite type of piece is an antique reproduction or a new sampler that teaches me new stitches.

If I could convince my dog & cat to skip playing or jumping on my lap while I have a piece in hand, I would make better progress.  But I guess they're like kids when you're on the phone!

Post edited Feb 9th to add more detail.

Ryan said:

Ooh, I like that "more experienced".  I'll have to let Chrissy know about that one (she is perpetually 37 years old – she even has the math down for how old she was when she had her kids!  Haha).

Let me tell you – whenever we get a new Antique Needlework magazine in, I drool all over it.  There are so many beautiful things that I wish were still around.  Reproduction pieces are so elegant and timeless.  I wish I had been alive during the time they were creating them in school.  I wish they were still teaching stitching techniques in school!

Oh, me too!  I don't imagine I'd do well as one of Judith Hale's students–her students samplers look so perfect for the most part, they probably did a lot of the frog stitch before completion.  But I love those samplers and the look of Quakers.  Did you see the Spring 2010 issue yet?  The idea that English women who were in prison in the early 20th century worked on needlework is amazing.  I thought English prisons were all too dark and dank for anyone to see well enough to work such tiny stitches.  And the German samplers are wonderful!