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Guimarães: European Capital of Culture 2012

yvette — Tue, 15 May 2012 09:38:13 +0000

Guimarães is the town from which the style of embroidery that is featured in my new book Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães comes. It is in the north of Portugal, and if you know where Porto is on the coast, Guimarães is inland from there. It is not a tourist area, though actually all of the parts of Portugal that we went to weren’t overly crowded with tourists. (We didn’t go to the southern coastal areas!)

It is known as the birthplace of Portugal, as in the twelfth century the region was given to the family that created the country, with Afonso I as the first king of the new kingdom. The historic centre of Guimarães is a Unesco World Heritage Listed site (the list is something my husband uses to plan our holidays. I think he has a personal goal to visit as many of them as possible!)

When we visited Guimarães, I wanted to take some photos of the old town. As my parents used to be in a camera club, I know that dawn and dusk are excellent times of the day to take photos. So one morning during our stay, I rose very early, and set out on the short walk to the walled part of the old town. It was very quiet, and hardly anyone was around. As is my custom, I tried to look as little like a tourist as possible, but I probably stuck out like a sore thumb!

It was magical, making my way through the streets of a town waking to a new day. Seeing the sun catching on the facades of the beautiful old buildings in the town square for the first time that day was something I’m not likely to forget in a hurry. It was a lovely experience.

This year, Guimarães has been designated a European Capital of Culture. Throughout the year there will be cultural events in and around Guimarães. What better way to celebrate the rich culture of such a beautiful city, than by learning the exquisite embroidery that originates from Guimarães?

Left-handed Schwalm project

yvette — Wed, 09 May 2012 20:47:49 +0000

Exciting news! I was one of the three readers of Mary Corbet’s Needle’nThread selected to test Luzine Happel‘s left-handed schwalm embroidery instructions. I’m thrilled!

This comes at the perfect time for me, as I am between books, and haven’t got any embroidery projects on the go at the moment.

If you’re one of the other three embroiderers also chosen, please do not feel intimidated by me being one of the other testers. I am just like you – I have never done this style of embroidery either. We will each come up with different feedback for Luzine, and that is exactly the idea – to help her in any way we can with improving and correcting her instructions.

What fun! Thanks Luzine and Mary!

Another lovely review of Portuguese Whitework

yvette — Tue, 08 May 2012 21:04:28 +0000

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!

Win a copy of Portuguese Whitework

yvette — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:06:05 +0000

If you haven’t yet been caught up in the excitement of my new book, head on over to the website of one of my biggest US fans – that would be Mary Corbet’s Needle’nThread! – and get yourself on the list to possibly win a copy of my new book “Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães”!

I’ve just had a lovely little while reading through all the comments from all the people who want to win the book, and why they want to win it.

I’ve been intrigued by the fact that at least one woman remembers her grandmother doing something like it. I’ve been greatly encouraged by people who say that on the basis of the excellence of other books by me that they own, that they know this one will also be excellent.

I seem to have given some people the horrors by putting cupcakes on one of the pieces of needlework in one of the photos! Many people love the small projects – particularly the ornaments. Can you remember when I was thinking through those ornaments and wondered here on the blog whether to present them as single ornaments or as a swag? Just think – if you commented on that post, YOU had a hand in helping me to create the book! (Thank you!)

And then others love the fact that there are large projects such as the tablecloth. Do you think we should let them know that that particular project nearly killed me?! (Only because I thought it was never going to end!)

It is wonderfully gratifying to think that there are so many people who would love to win the book. I am so pleased that my book has introduced them to something new, and inspired so many to try it. Many seem to be particularly taken by the image on the front of the book – for which I am glad, because the cover of a book *should* attract people!

Thanks to everyone for your encouragement of me. So much affirmation first thing in the morning should make for a great start to the day, especially as I am working on the drudge of preparing my tax for the tax-man…

I spent yesterday cleaning out my office searching for any bits of paperwork that I might need for my tax, and actually found it to be not such a bad experience as I had expected. You see, I kept finding skeins of thread throughout, underneath, on top of and behind all the mess! As soon as I’ve finished preparing the tax stuff, I’ll hopefully be able to get started on a project utilising some of those threads!

Mary’s Portuguese Whitework review

yvette — Fri, 04 May 2012 21:04:54 +0000

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.

Whitework leftie opportunity

yvette — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:47:12 +0000

If you’re a left-hander (and somehow I suspect that a few might congregate around here…!) and you enjoy whitework (I suspect that we might have a few of them too…!) there’s an opportunity afoot for you.

Mary Corbet of Needle’nThread.com has presented an opportunity for English-speaking left-handers who’ve never tried Schwalm embroidery to work through Luzine Happel’s Schwalm instructions to create a beautiful Schwalm project. In return, you provide Luzine with feedback on her English-language left-handed instructions.

I’ve put my hand up, along with MANY others! There are only 3 kits available for this, so Mary’s going to do a draw to allocate the kits. Because I’m between books at the moment, and don’t have a needlework project on the go, I’d love to try Schwalm embroidery. If you are interested, visit Mary’s blog and register your interest!

Portuguese Whitework supplies

yvette — Wed, 02 May 2012 20:37:11 +0000

Now that the book, Portuguese Whitework, is getting out there, people are starting to ask “Where can I get the fabric?” The answer is “RIGHT HERE!”

Over the next day or so I will be adding a complete range of Portuguese Whitework supplies to the Vetty Creations website. I already have the stock, so if you can’t wait, give me a phonecall, and I can take your order over the phone.

We will be stocking 38 count linen, needles, and pearl cotton in white and the other traditional colours. We also stock embroidery hoops, which can be used with the embroidery as well.

(As the products are added to the website, I will create live links in the listing above so that you can go directly there.)

Adelaide book launch

yvette — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 21:24:38 +0000

While in Adelaide, I had the opportunity to launch Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães. Months before, I had talked with Fiona from Country Bumpkin about the possibility of doing this, but I wasn’t sure that it was going to be possible until I knew that the books were here in Australia in my possession, and that I would therefore be able to ship a good number of them to Adelaide in time!

So finally in the week before Beating Around the Bush, I was able to confirm with Fiona and Sally (the event organiser) that I would indeed like to launch Portuguese Whitework.

On the Market Day, Fiona launched the new issue of Inspirations, and CB’s exciting new product range of Margaret Lee’s Chinese embroidery kits. Then it was my turn.

Launching time at Beating Around the Bush market day. (Photo courtesy of Country Bumpkin Publications)

I stood on the stage in front of the crowd and told them about the process of the book being published, how it had gone from me being amazed by a photo of some obscure Portuguese embroidery in a old book, to going to Portugal to research the embroidery, to many hours of hard slog, to being a fully formed book in my hands.

I came down off the stage and was crowded by people telling how much they love my left-handed stitch dictionary. It was quite lovely. Eventually I got away, back to my stand and found Sally there, “holding fort” until I could come back and serve the throngs!

It was a really successful launch, and I was very pleased with how many people were interested in the book. While signing each copy I sold slowed things down a bit, it did make it more special for each of those who purchased the book.

It is not often that I actually get the opportunity to “launch” a book, but it was great that I did on this occasion!

For those who haven’t yet see the book’s video yet, why not pop on over to watch it on the Vetty Creations website? Please share it with your friends!

Portuguese Whitework now available in Europe!

yvette — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 20:42:42 +0000

Portuguese Whitework is now available in Europe!

Its early days yet, so while the big online book retailers (I think you’ll know the ones! Amazon, Book Depository etc.) have it already, it might take a little longer to make it to your favourite needlework store or bookstore. If you want your favourite store to get it in, the easiest way for them to source it will be for you to give them the ISBN (International Standard Book Number): 9780975767757. You can also tell them to contact Customer Service at Search Press, who are our distributors in Europe.

The books should be arriving with our US distributors in the next day or so, and also at our Australian distributors early next week. Its all systems go around here, and I am finally near the bottom of my pile of orders to despatch! Thank you all for your patience.

When you get your copy, please write a review and post it anywhere you can think of: on your blog, on a needlework forum, in a guild magazine, on Amazon, on Book Depository, on Nordic Needle, on your favourite needlework store’s website. I will be forever grateful! Thanks!

the mail out begins

yvette — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 20:59:50 +0000

Now that I am back from Beating Around the Bush, the HUGE mailout begins! Today I will start sending out pre-publication orders of Portuguese Whitework. There is a huge pile of orders to go out – thank you to everyone who pre-ordered! – so it will probably take some days to get through them all.

I am also waiting on the bubblewrap mailing envelopes to be delivered, as I have only a few left in my old box. They should arrive today, but if for some reason, they don’t, the mailing will grind to a halt until they arrive!

So if you’ve ordered a copy of Portuguese Whitework, hopefully you’ll be holding it in your hot little hands quite soon. If you’re not in Australia, the post will take a little longer to get to you, so please continue to be patient.

When you get your copy, I would love to hear what you think of it. If you find any mistakes (I really hope there aren’t any, but it is a fact of life that these things sometimes slip through) please let me know, and I will correct them in the next print run.

It would help me greatly if you could blog about the book, or add your review to websites which accept book reviews, such as Amazon or Nordic Needle. I’d be forever grateful for your assistance with this!

I am not sure when the bulk order will reach my UK/Europe distributors, but it will hopefully be soon. The US stock is supposed to get to my distributors there quite soon as well, so hopefully you will also start to see it out there in the shops very soon.

(I do also have my daughters home from school today, as although the school holidays have ended, they both have pupil-free days where the staff do professional development. This means that I will not be working for the whole day, but combining mothering duties with work!)