Quality Needlework Supplies

Circumstances are difficult now, for everyone and just about everything. One of the things that has been a hurdle much of the time is getting supplies via internet. Let's face it, for many of us ordering on the world wide web is usually what we have done in the past for many of our needleworking supplies. I do not have a local needlework shop and sometimes have to rely on big box stores like Michaels and Hobby Lobby. The problem is they do not stock a very comprehensive supply of needlework supplies like they used to. Typically they are down to half an aisle at best. I used to go to them all the time for my fabrics in the 80's but now my best bet is to shop online for them. I use larger pieces of 14 ct. Aida and most places do not stock it. I have noticed that online shops do not stock it like they used to either and those that do are usually sold out of it, especially now. Many times you are not even sure about the manufacturer since they don't list it. I asked to be notified recently of a sold out large size 14 ct. Aida. I was notified alright, but it seems hundreds of others were on that list because when I checked my email that same day and went to order it, guess what, it was already sold out! 

So, I can opt for a much larger piece than what I need and pay a hefty price for it or I can keep hoping and praying that suppliers will start making sure that we have good quality supplies available when we need them. I understand there are delays due to COVID19 and we are all in the same boat when it comes to shipping. Believe me I get it because I am always waiting on something to be delivered in 4 or 5 weeks that used to take one. But there is a bigger issue here that concerns me. What kind of quality are stitchers getting in their supplies? Why has there been such a slowly diminishing pool of them, especially with retailers?

I'll be honest, I personally don't see a shortage of stitchers, especially counted embroidery. When I shop online, even before the pandemic hit, many things were always sold out and you had to wait on them on reorder. Social media platforms have no lack of cross stitch sites and designers with thousands of followers. So what's up? I know there are lots of great small businesses that have sprung up that dye their own fabric, but I'm just looking for plain old white 14 ct. Aida. And who knows who makes it and what kind of quality it is. Charles Craft, Wichelt, Zweigart and MCG were the go to companies but Charles Craft has been absorbed by DMC and MCG is no longer in the counted cloth business. Here is what I found when just trying to get a high quality black 14 ct. Aida. If you don't think there are differences, think again, this should change your mind.

Here are 3 different pieces of 14 ct. black Aida.
As you can see, the darkest black is on the right. 
That piece was made by MCG and I was lucky to
have it in my stash, otherwise I would have to
settle for the others. So why can't I get a truly
black piece of black Aida? 

My question is simple. Why aren't manufacturers giving us the best quality for our money? Why should we settle for varying degrees of gray when we actually need black? Counted embroidery is important, I don't care if it is an ornament for grandma or a museum collector piece, and deserves the high quality you would find in paints, sculptures, ceramics, basket weaving, etc.. Our ingredients determine the quality of the product we produce and we need high quality. 

My goal is to not only produce my own artistic interpretation of counted embroidery but to also make people aware that this is a serious art form. Whatever label you want to attach to it, Fine Art Craft or Fine Craft, it is Art and it is about time it is given the place it deserves in the art world. Right this minute, we have thousands of people, men and women, doing cross stitch. They may not ever want to do more than stitch ready-made patterns and kits. But there are others that are going to expand on what they have learned and decide to do more with it, and those others deserve to have a place in the world where they can show what this art is all about. The difference between paint by number and fine art is no different than stitching a kit versus making a piece of original counted embroidery art. Give us the tools we need to make it so and let us thrive. Let others enjoy the beauty we create and let our fellow stitchers cheer us on in this journey. What I do now I hope will make a difference for everyone else that follows and that is worth the fight. In the meantime, what do we do now to make suppliers realize it and produce what we need? 

Happy Fall to All and a First Look at "Star Maiden"

So here we are again in the fall season and I don't know about you but I am glad to see the end of 2020 getting nearer. What a crazed filled year it has been and I look forward to 2021 with hopeful expectations.

Right now I am going through some transitions with my art and art career. I decided last September that I was going to step away from my column on Mr. X Stitch and devote my full time attention to creating art work. So far I have completed two pieces (one of which is at the framer's) and working on the third which is in its final phase. The work at the framer's is not part of the series, it is a stand alone piece that I started then stopped quite a few years ago. I revised the fibers and their colors and started fresh with it. The title is "La Petite Fleurs". I'll get to that in future posts. 

I decided to work in a series I call The Maiden Series. The first was "Iron Maiden", the second is "Star Maiden" and the third is "Flower Maiden". These works have been in progress, design wise, for years, so it was about time to get it down on paper and stitch them up. Now here's the thing about needlework art, speaking exclusively to cross stitch, it is slow going. That means only a handful of pieces can be produced in a year. I have found that in making my own work, and doing it the right way, is a back and forth of design changes, fiber changes, and fabric changes. Some designs, such as "Star Maiden" that I am working on now, is a difficult one because my stitches have to lay all one way, yet my design is sideways and upside down. It is also on black Aida which is extremely difficult for me since the holes are near impossible to see and that means stitching by feel of where the needle goes more than seeing it. Oftentimes the needle finds the wrong hole and it has to be redone. Sometimes more than once. Very time consuming indeed. The struggle is very real.

Speaking of the black Aida, I went through three different kinds of black Aida before I found one that was truly black, which of course took about two weeks since I had to order them. The best pick was by MCG, which I had in my stash all along and was very fortuitous since they stopped making it two years ago. If I ever have to use black again, and I am hoping I never do, I will probably have to dye black Aida even blacker. That's crazy, but that is what I have to do in order to keep quality standards high. So be warned that black Aida is not that black with most manufacturers now. 

This brings up another topic I will address more in future blogs, that of quality supplies for cross stitch.

I will update soon on the project and posting more on important subjects of needlework art in the future so stay tuned!

Progress so far of "Star Maiden"

Framed and matted "Iron Maiden"