Sharon says she spent the weekend drooling over the book. I hope it didn’t get too soggy!

A little excerpt from the review: “Everything is clearly explained. The acid test for me is how well an [...]]]> Just in case you haven’t seen it yet, there’s another wonderful review of Portuguese Whitework today over at Pintangle.

Sharon says she spent the weekend drooling over the book. I hope it didn’t get too soggy!

A little excerpt from the review:
“Everything is clearly explained. The acid test for me is how well an author explains the dreaded bullion knot as many stitchers really fear this stitch. Not only does Yvette Stanton explain how to work them clearly she also trouble shoots problems like lumpy bullions and tapered bullions. I can’t stress enough how well explained everything is.” Sharon Boggon, pintangle.com

So head on over to Pintangle and read the whole review for yourself. Sharon also likes the sampler project – it seems to be a bit of a favourite with people!

I am still plugging away on the tax stuff here. As it has to go off to my tax-man this morning, I’m looking forward to being free of it this afternoon!

For years I had a hard time embroidering and set it aside because it was confusing & frustrating to [...]]]> In the comments sections of Mary Corbet’s last two posts, one a review of my Portuguese Whitework book, and the other about left-handed Schwalm embroidery, there have been lots of lovely things said about my books.

For years I had a hard time embroidering and set it aside because it was confusing & frustrating to embroider right handed. I bought Yvette Stantons Left Handed Embroiderers Companion and fell in love again with embroidery. Now I don’t feel frustrated. Joy Smith

I own Yvette’s amazing book on Mountmellick. Her instructions are amazing as are her designs. I am working on adapting her amazing florals to a 16 x 16 inch cushion design right now. Her books really are lovely. Anastasia

Yvette Stanton’s leftie stitch dictionary goes everywhere with me when I’m stitching. Julia Wild

Yvette’s book looks great. As well as being beautifully presented this compilation about Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães as a traditional needlework style, with information on its origin and instructional details on stitch techniques, is an important preservation of history. As time passes more of the intended original expression and knowledge of early needleworkers, and other information about the art style is lost, then sadly, remaining historical examples are misidentified or just lumped as whitework. Yvette brought us back to Mountmellick embroidery and now another whitework treasure. Lots of work done with love. Well done. I love it too. Thanks! Louisa

Thank you for saying such lovely things about my books!

Some excerpts from Mary’s review: Well, here it is! Yvette Stanton’s new hand embroidery book, Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery [...]]]> Mary Corbet, from Needle’nThread has done it again – a glowing review of my latest book, Portuguese Whitework! Her reviews are so terribly thorough that probably all your questions will have been answered in one go!

Some excerpts from Mary’s review:
Well, here it is! Yvette Stanton’s new hand embroidery book, Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães is out and available. And golly! It is beautiful!

If you’re familiar with Yvette’s other books on various types of lesser-known, beautiful whitework techniques, you won’t be surprised that this one is superb. I have to say, though, out of all her whitework books, so far, this one is my favorite. Perhaps it’s because her books just keep getting better and better, or maybe it’s because I have an affinity for the combination of drawn thread embroidery and surface embroidery. Guimarães embroidery just does this combination so well!

Some more…

Yvette takes the stitcher through every step of each technique, showing you how to turn the corners, how to secure the threads, where to hold your stitches and what’s going on under your fingers while you’re holding them, where and how to start new threads, and so forth. These are the little details that set her books apart – she really covers everything and she doesn’t leave you wondering.

And more…

I probably don’t have to tell you this is a lovely book – you can see that for yourself! If you love whitework, drawn thread embroidery, or regional embroidery techniques from around the world, put this book on your list! It’s a great project book and a great instructional book.

But don’t take it from me, go and read Mary’s entire review over at Needle’nThread.com!

Thank you to Mary for such a wonderful, comprehensive review. You’ve done a sterling job!

So, for those of you who are itching to get started, make sure you take a look at my post on Portuguese Whitework supplies so that you can collect together everything you need from Vetty Creations to get started on your own exploration of Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães.

I’ve known Melody since I was a teenager. We lost contact for some years, then found each other again through craft publishing links. Melody worked for many years as [...]]]> I received a message yesterday from a friend of mine, Melody Lord, saying that she had received the advance copy of her new book Knitting Basics.

I’ve known Melody since I was a teenager. We lost contact for some years, then found each other again through craft publishing links. Melody worked for many years as an editor of craft books, and also did an excellent stint at Australian Homespun magazine as the editor. I’ve worked with Melody on a number of publications. So it was a lovely surprise to learn that she’s now written a book – and a lovely book it looks to be too.

Since writing The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion I’ve had many people ask me for a left-handed knitting book, but despite the fact that I am left-handed, I knit right-handed! So my question for Melody was, “Does it have a section on left-handed knitting?”

Her response: “it has instructions for both English and Continental style (“throwing” and “picking”). Many left-handers prefer the “picking” method because the yarn is controlled by the left hand. Maybe that will help…”

The book will be out in Australia in May, and sometime around then in the UK. Melody is as yet unsure of release dates elsewhere. It looks like a really attractive and useful book, and is sure to be worth seeking out.

Thank you Mary, for such a lovely review!

Both The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion would make excellent Christmas presents to yourself, that friend who enjoys embroidery, or that young person who [...]]]> Yesterday the review we’ve all been waiting for went up on Needle’nThread: Mary Corbet’s review of “The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion”!

Thank you Mary, for such a lovely review!

Both The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion would make excellent Christmas presents to yourself, that friend who enjoys embroidery, or that young person who you’d like to encourage in embroidery.

But don’t take my word for it, take Mary’s!

The most glowing one is from Janet Wright:

Wow!!!! I have finally found the perfect embroidery book. I am [...]]]> Periodically I go to various book-selling websites and check out what people are saying about my books. I had a lovely surprise yesterday when I found three new reviews for The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion on Amazon.com.

The most glowing one is from Janet Wright:

Wow!!!! I have finally found the perfect embroidery book. I am ready to throw away or pass along all of my other books. The illustrations are perfect. This is for right handers. Can you believe??? There is another book specifically for left handers, Great purchase.

Then there is also one from Wendy Parry of Australia:

Having read and admired the “Left Handed..” book I was pleased to get the right handed copy. The diagrams are clear and easy to follow and there are stitches that are not in my other stitch-source books.

And finally from Felicia A Siford:

Best book ever for learning stitches. Illustrations simple and directions clear. I have many other books of this type and this one is indeed the best.

Thank you to Janet, Wendy and Felicia for sharing your thoughts on my books with the world!

This is music to my ears. [...]]]> I heard from the wonderful Barb Suess yesterday that she’d recently been teaching at an EGA seminar and my stitch dictionaries The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion were disappearing very quickly from Ruth Kern Books. (I don’t think she meant that they were being shoplifted, either…)

This is music to my ears.

If you like my books, the nicest thing you can do to encourage me is let other people know how much you like them and why. Putting a review on Amazon, the Nordic Needle website, or submitting one to your favourite needlework shop’s website is something that would make me forever grateful. Putting one on your blog would make me smile all day. If you’re a member of a guild, submitting a review for your newsletter would make me very happy too.

See how easy it is to make me happy? Thanks in anticipation!

I’ve been doing needlework of all types for more than 40 years and this is the best all around handbook I’ve ever seen. Details are wonderful and it [...]]]> Time for a round up of new reviews of my books today. From Amazon US, we have…
Review by Claire Nardone on The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion:

I’ve been doing needlework of all types for more than 40 years and this is the best all around handbook I’ve ever seen. Details are wonderful and it even has a diagram for a lefty.

Review by M. LeMay, on The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion:

Great book to have in a how to library–I’ve had to adapt right handed embroidery instructions over the years to left handed, or embroider right handed–finally a book that shows me. awesome!

From Amazon UK…
Review by Dekka, on The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion:

A gift for my left-handed wife – a 60ish grandmother. She loves it – has been taught (sometimes unsuccessfully) by right-handed people to embroider and knit…..strongly recommended for all ages.

Extract from a review by Brigitte Picart, on Ukrainian Drawn Thread Embroidery:

I was fascinated by drawn thread embroidery and the geometry in Ukrainian style. This book provides a step by step tutorial with both a clear drawing AND a clear photo of every step in the process so you can’t fail.

From Nordic Needle…
Extract from a review by Joy Lodge on Elegant Hardanger Embroidery:

An excellent book for everyone wanting to learn Hardanger. Also has tips to help the more expert …the projects are lovely, filling half of the 62 page book. I’m preparing to start two of them which is an indication of value of owning the book. There are some helpful sections when you have made mistakes with cutting and information about caring for your finished work, often not included with the instructions for the stitching.

Couldn’t find any new reviews of Mountmellick Embroidery: Inspired by Nature, so if you want to write one somewhere public, I’ll be happy to feature it here! In fact I’d be happy to feature reviews of any of my books here! Why not tell us why you love them?

And while that will feel like an achievement of sorts, then I have to embark [...]]]> Yesterday I spent the day trying to finish stitching the drawn thread work base for my Portuguese whitework tablecloth for the book. I really hoped I’d get that part done, but time got away. Maybe I’ll get it done today.

And while that will feel like an achievement of sorts, then I have to embark on the process of working the surface embroidery of mostly bullion stitch. I feel like I have a looong way to go on this tablecloth yet!

Yesterday I also received a lovely message from Paula, a Brazilian teacher of embroidery, which she gave permission for me to share with you:

Now that I use the The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion I am also loved by the lefties even being a right handed teacher! To avoid problems I keep both books in the classroom – really great books!

The books that Paula is talking about are my left and right-handed stitch dictionaries, The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion, and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion.

I wholeheartedly support the idea of teachers having a copy of each of these books in their classrooms when teaching. As a teacher myself, I find that they are invaluable for those moments when I can’t be everywhere at once (no, I still haven’t mastered that…!) as it means that students can get started or sort our their difficulties because the instructions are so clear. I often make my way round a classroom and find that I’m not really needed there, because students are so happily working from the instructions in my books!

Of course, I do understand that some need additional help, perhaps manipulating a needle or getting started, and some just need to be shown. And that’s why I teach classes – because sometimes a real in-the-flesh teacher is what people need.

But for those times when a real in-the-flesh teacher is not available (perhaps even during a class) then The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion, and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion are great to have on hand. If you’re a teacher, just like Paula, your students will love you for it.