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Embroidery stitch dictionary app

yvette — Fri, 18 May 2012 21:19:10 +0000

Yesterday I introduced the idea of a smartphone app based on my two books The Left-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion and The Right-Handed Embroiderer’s Companion. I also put it on my personal Facebook page (to which anyone can subscribe to my public updates), and my Vetty Creations Facebook page. Because of this, I’ve had feedback streaming in from everywhere.

Thank you to everyone who has commented, offered suggestions, and just generally encouraged me with this idea. You’ve convinced me that now is the time to do this, and because of that I will now put this app into development!

However I realise that there is a good chunk of my readership who are not interested in any smartphone app – its a whole other world for you?! – so I don’t want to keep banging on about it and boring you to tears. Therefore I’d like to return to “regular programming” as soon as possible.

So that I can do this, I’d like to ask if any of those who ARE interested in my app would like to join an email focus group for the app? I’d like the opportunity to bounce ideas off you, and you’d get the opportunity to have input into the app (though I can’t guarantee that your particular ideas will be adopted) to make it what you want it to be.

If you’re interested in joining this email focus group list, please drop me a line at yvette at vettycreations dot com dot au (changing the words to symbols where appropriate). Thanks!

I won’t be bombarding the email list with messages. Just occasionally there might be something I’d like to ask others about. And if it all becomes too much you can simply let me know at any point that you’d like to be removed from the list. I won’t be offended at all!

I’d also like to assure everyone that Vetty Creations will not be going all brave new worldish. I will STILL be writing and publishing real hard copy books, and not moving completely into the digital world. I love books, and I will keep publishing books with real paper!

considerations

yvette — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 20:35:29 +0000

I think I told you a little while ago that I had made a provisional decision on what book to write next, just so that I had something to get on with. I didn’t really see the point in sitting around for the next six months just wondering about which one to do next. And so I was decisive, and got started.

However, I’m thinking of changing my mind about which book to write next, and doing a different one than the one I had previously slotted in to my schedule. This is because of conversations I had with students and others in Adelaide, at Beating Around the Bush.

The one I had already started on won’t be wasted. These things never are. I’m sure it can be recycled into something else.

I’m also considering another project, which is quite a new idea, and is right outside of my comfort zone. Its still a needlework focus, but has a different style of delivery than a book. Its a bit cutting edge, but I think it is something that the market might appreciate.

Watch this space…!

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!

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!)

Advance copies are here!

yvette — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:36:37 +0000

The advance copies of Portuguese Whitework: Bullion Embroidery from Guimarães by Yvette Stanton have arrived!

The book really and truly exists now! We just have to be patient for the rest of them to arrive at their destinations so that you can have your very own copy!

Don’t forget that you can pre-order your copy from Vetty Creations today, so that it is posted as soon as our shipment arrives here at the end of April.

For orders from your local needlework shop, give them the ISBN (978-0-9757677-5-7) and ask them to order it in for you. Our European distributor is Search Press. Our US distributor is Dinky Dyes. Our Australian distributors are Craftbook Wholesalers and Ristal Threads. Our New Zealand distributor is David Bateman.

For all those of you who think something is missing from the photo, yes, I forgot to put my glasses on! I’m not being vain, I just forgot, as I often don’t wear my glasses at home. Oh, and as of yesterday I have quite a lot less hair – new haircut – so that’s missing also!

Advance copies on their way

yvette — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:35:23 +0000

When you have a book printed, there is the option of having what are called “Advance copies” sent. This means pretty much what you might think it would mean – some copies are sent in advance of the main shipment. Two copies are the usual quantity.

I got an email from my printers last night to let me know that my advance copies are on their way from Hong Kong. While there was one occasion that I received a parcel from Hong Kong the day after it was sent (and was QUITE amazed!) I am not actually expecting that they will arrive today, as I think tomorrow is more likely.

Whenever they arrive, this is terribly exciting! It will be the very first time I have held this book in my hands! I had forgotten about the advance copies, and was only anticipating the actual shipment itself, so this is a lovely surprise.

the next book

yvette — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:43:29 +0000

I think I have decided on what the next book is going to be. I’m not going to say what it is yet, because the decision could change. But I figured it was better to get started on something, rather than just sitting around for months pondering what my decision should be.

Someone very wise once said to me that it is better to be moving than stationary. If you’re moving, the direction can change, but if you’re stationary, it takes a lot more effort to get started to do anything.

I even created a new QuarkXpress (the graphic design layout program that I use for laying out my books) file yesterday, to start putting things on pages. While up at the local shops waiting for the car to be serviced, I purchased a notebook and went to the library and started making notes and jotting down ideas.

When starting a new book, sometimes I find it useful to start off by writing the blurb for the back of the book. It helps me to crystallise what the book is going to be about. If I can explain it to someone else, it means that I have a good idea where I’m heading with it. So I had a go at the blurb yesterday, and eventually came up with one that I think captures what I’m trying to achieve.

Onwards and upwards!

the next book

yvette — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 20:17:01 +0000

I’m turning ideas over in my head for what book to write next. I could write another Hardanger book, a book of Mountmellick projects, another merezhka book, another stitch dictionary or two, or…

I have heaps of ideas, but figuring out which one to do next is the difficulty!

Do you have any preferences? Is there anything you WISH I would write just for you?!

bits and bobs

yvette — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:39:09 +0000

Over the last few days I feel like I’ve been doing a bit of everything! Last Thursday, when I was at the Powerhouse Museum with Lisa the colour proofs of my book arrived.

I’ve spent the last few days checking them, finding more mistakes (most of which were my doing!) and fixing the mistakes. When I had confirmation yesterday that the one problem that wasn’t caused by me, was ok, I sent the proofs back to the printers in Hong Kong for them to continue the printing process.

I also received a phone call late last week inviting me to teach on a needlework cruise next year! Woohoo! After a fair amount of consideration to make sure I could get the classes to work under the conditions that will be placed upon me, I’ve accepted. The idea of the cruise itself didn’t take much getting used to. Watch this space for more news!

And so I’ve been working on class preparations for the cruise and other classes that are upcoming, costing kits, and making samples. Written instructions come much later in the process. I still have more making to do today, so hopefully I’ll finally get back to my website revisions later this week.

And here’s a picture of me and Lisa in the Lace Study Room at the Powerhouse Museum last week.

I love my printer

yvette — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 21:07:20 +0000

I got an email very late last night from the printing company that’s printing my book, querying four pages where they had found problems. One of the problems I had checked for already, so I’m not sure how it slipped through, but obviously it did!

The other 3 problems were things that I had not noticed and am very pleased that they picked up.

I love having such thorough printers. While I don’t want to have to rely on them to pick up problems like these, I am glad that I can!

The pages have been corrected and are currently resending.