Looking for a Good Home for Needleworks Supplies and Projects
(Note: Before you get too excited, all supplies have been given a new home. You can still read on if you like.)
I was contacted by Bobbi from New York whose 98 year old mother had moved in with her as we all know is apt to happen when 98 years of age is reached. I had met them both several years ago when they stopped by Byrdcall Studio to pick up yarn to complete a rya rug kit started in 1946! (Click here to go to my October 2014 Newsletter to read about our magical encounter.)
In 2014, I assisted Anne Winston (then 94) get back on track with a rya kit she had purchased in Sweden–her homeland–back in 1946. She is known by her family as “Mormor,” Swedish for mother’s mother–or grandmother.
At that time, I didn’t realize that Anne was an avid needle arts hobbyist. She has a collection of many dozen designs of Swedish origin as well as possibly 50 lbs. of various yarns in unimaginable color ranges for crewel, tapestry, cross-stitch–and more needle arts than I even know about from Sweden. I offered to accept her “abundance of supplies” in light of her inability to use them herself at this point in time. (My mother would have LOVED to have some of these supplies …) My goal is to put all these supplies into the hands of fiber artists who would use and enjoy them.
This is a small fraction of what I received to give to needle crafters.
Last week, I was sitting in the shade on the side patio eating my lunch when my dog kept telling me “Someone is here!” I walked around the side of the house and found a nice lady from the next town placing 4 large boxes on my front door step. She was Mormor’s daughter-in-law who had just received this delivery of Mormor’s needlework supplies and books for me.
Now here is where you come into the picture. These supplies need a home pronto since I do not deal in needlearts supplies–other than rya–and I have no room to store them. I am immediately looking for people who do needlepoint, embroidery, especially in the Scandinavian tradition to come here to my studio and take some of these supplies home to create with. If you live far away, I can mail to you if you can tell me generally what you want and trust my ability to fill a small box for you. All I would ask is to be reimbursed for the postage.
If you know someone who might be interested, please forward this blog posting to them.
If you live within driving distance of Woodbine, Maryland and wish to make an appointment, please call and leave me a message at 410-549-4889. Let me know a few dates that work for you. We have an OPEN STUDIO day on Monday, June 18th–10 AM – 4 PM. Feel free to stop in at that time without an appointment to see what is available. It all needs to go to a good home…maybe yours.
You may be wondering why I am doing this when my life is so hectic in trying to bring my rya book to final completion and I’m still filling rya orders every day. The answer is because I can only imagine being a creative 98 years old and having “so much left to do” in life and realizing that there is no way it will be done in one lifetime. This is a small way I can continue the needle art heritage brought by a Swedish woman to this country over many years of her life.
I received a big bag of graphs, designs, and drawing of patterns. You may need to buy your own canvas though.
If you take some of her supplies or books, I will give you her address and ask that you send her a handwritten little note thanking her. This way she can enjoy the continuation of her goals and legacy through your efforts in the coming years. Maybe teach a child?
Finally, the rya rug Mormor is knotting in the first photo still needs to be completed. The backings woven in the 1940s are a little more difficult to knot than the ones made in recent years. Update: A good friend has offered to take on this big project to be returned to Mormor when complete if she still would like it.
Just look at the subtle differences in these luscious shades of reds!
A typical design. Some have the yarn attached and some you might have to ad-lib
As you can see, there may be some aging on some of the canvas or perhaps a needle rust mark, but hey, it could be 50+ years old.
Note added Saturday, May 19th: As you may guess, the items described below are moving fairly quickly. Sunday afternoon a few more people are coming to see what needle works they can gather for projects.
Note added June 13th: Several more people have come by for fiberarts supplies in the past couple of weeks. More than half the supplies have been picked up. An amazingly generous friend has offered to mend the 1946 rya backing (where it had been folded and warp linen was broken) and she has offered to complete the rya rug for Mormor! The circle of gift giving.
Feel free to comment below.