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February 10, 2008

Table of Contents

• Sewing Circle -- Antiques Roadshow and Pincushion Contest
• To the Point -- Embroidery on Knit or Crochet
• Words of Wisdom
• Find of the Month -- Cross Stitch Morning Glory Afghan Pattern

Sewing Circle
I love to watch Antiques Roadshow on PBS. I fantasize that my handwork will be on there as a valuable treasure in 100 years! They recently aired some episodes taped in Baltimore. I live in Maryland, so it was extra exciting to see what kinds of things other people in the area have. There was an 18th century embroidered vest with an interesting story behind it and a set of beautiful Chinese panels decorated with silk embroidery. Visit the Antiques Roadshow website to search the archives where you can watch the appraisal videos online and read the transcripts to see for yourself!

PieceWork magazine is sponsoring a spring contest for pincushion designs. Anyone can participate. The $10 entry fee includes coverage to ship the pincushion back to you. The pincushions must include at least one of the following techniques: cross-stitch, needlepoint, crochet, knit, lacemaking, tatting, quilting, or embroidery. The grand prize is $500 cash. Each first place category winner will receive $200 worth of products from a sponsor. For the first time, there is a special category called "Next Generation Embroiderer" open to ages 15 to 25 and incorporating embroidery. The deadline is March 1st, so get to work! The rules and entry form are available online as a .pdf file.

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To the Point
Do you knit or crochet in addition to doing embroidery? Like chocolates, most people cannot try just one needle art. If you know how to make an afghan, try doing embroidery on top to decorate it. And if you don't want to make an afghan yourself, pair up with a friend for this project! It's a nice change of pace because large yarn is easier to work with than tiny floss.

For cross-stitch on crochet, it works best to have an afghan done in square stitches. The afghan stitch used in Tunisian crochet is perfect.

To embellish knitting, use the duplicate stitch, a special type of embroidery stitch used on a knit base.

Words of Wisdom
Pobody's Nerfect.

Find of the Month
I found a gorgeous pattern for a cross stitch morning glory afghan designed by Glenda Winkleman for Coats & Clark. The pattern is a .pdf file, so you need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it. You don't have to use the design on an afghan, and you can choose a different color scheme if you like. I think the blue flowers will look nice and match my living room perfectly!

You're Invited: Please share your stitching stories, ideas, words of wisdom, find of the month, or questions. Just reply to this newsletter and tell me what you think! I'd love to hear from you.

The most interesting feedback will be shared in next month's issue!