INDEPENDENT NEEDLEWORK NEWS

Almost every stitcher enjoys admiring the work of other stitchers. Today, I want to share the work of one stitcher for whom I think I can only rightly be defined as a “groupie,” LOL …

Several months ago, I mentioned a darling new (at the time) piece from Twisted Oaks Designs called Coq Au Pins. Well, now that I have seen the entire set stitched, finished, and photographed terrifically well by regular eBay seller Tammy Henshaw (many of you will recognize her as themistymoon), I simply HAD TO share it with you again.

Proving it IS possible to age gracefully, this chick seems perfectly (and rightfully) pleased with her wattle made out of sparkling beads!

This set is simply one of the most charming pieces of needlework I have ever seen — with both a silly character and yet a simple grace at the same time. I am absolutely head over heels for it.

Please make sure you check out Tammy’s auction of the Coq au Pins set for more detailed pictures of these adorable needlework smalls. You won’t be sorry — I promise!

Also, you won’t want to miss the AMAZING faux scrimshaw pieces Tammy has created to go with her version of Merry Cox’s Swan Lake Mending Bag and its lovely set of smalls!

I encourage anyone who might be interested in such a set of faux scrimshaw to post a comment here — or contact Tammy through her auction (although contacting her through her auction could really overwhelm her if there are as many positive responses as I suspect there might be, which is the main reason I suggest people comment here) — just so Tammy can garner some idea what kind of demand there might be for these faux scrimshaw products.

Personally, I think they look fantastic — and since I know what she used to make them, I also know she could conceivably make such items available at a decent profit for herself, but also at a very reasonable price for such artistically challenged beggars as myself.

I will let Tammy decide whether or not to comment here, though, to share her secret for making these. That way, if she decides to make a go of this business idea, I haven’t given away anything on her behalf.

I think it is especially fitting that Tammy has found a way to make a product which looks so much like the scrimshaw we stitchers all know and love — but which so many of us cannot afford. Her eBay nickname, thmistymoon, came from the name of her grandfather’s commercial fishing ship. She writes that The Mistymoon always held a bit of magic for her as a young girl, and she hoped this magic would carry into her business when she chose the name herself as an adult. Although she does not mention her grandfather ever creating any scrimshaw himself, surely he must have known fishermen and sailors who did — it’s good to remember the ties that bind us each to the past are always there, and sometimes revealed.

Meanwhile, Tammy has kept a journal throughout the years to record the journeys of all the needlework pieces she’s finished. They have traveled to their final destinations in locations all over the world including the UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Australia. While Tammy doesn’t expect to be able to travel the world in her lifetime, she does feel as if little pieces of her are still traversing the seas — and if that isn’t magical, I don’t know what is!

Now that you’ve seen a few of Tammy Henshaw’s eBay auctions, I hope you’ll mark her as a favorite and keep an eye out for her auctions. Tammy has wonderful finishing ideas, most of which are also very inexpensive and able to be made with basic supplies from your local craft store. Of course, most require a time investment and some do also require a little bit more artistic talent than many of us really believe we have to begin with — but they’re worth trying at least once, especially when they can save a great deal of money on framing costs. After all, when you least expect it but put in your best effort anyway, you’re bound to achieve success, even if your success looks a lot different than someone else’s success — a situation which only makes your neighbor’s results and your own results both interesting to study! .

Oh, and if you simply must have the Swan Lake Mending Bag and Smalls chart to stitch for your own collection, this extremely hard to find class-only chart is currently available on eBay through another of my favorite, highly recommended eBay sellers (who is also someone I consider both a friend and another admirable stitcher).

Technorati Tags: Tammy Henshaw, Coq au Pins, Twisted Oaks Designs, eBay, cross stitch, needlework, finishing, Merry Cox, scrimshaw, Swan Lake Mending Bag, smalls

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 14th, 2008 at 6:35 am and is filed under Cross Stitch, Designer Information, Enabling (Stash Enhancement), NEEDLEWORK STYLES AND TECHNIQUES. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.