Popular Hobbies?

Hi everyone,

I called my local needlework shop yesterday because I do petit point and
I need more 32 ct. silk mesh. I was told that yes, they did have it,
for $.32 per sq. inch. This is on sale as the price will be going up to
$.40 per sq. inch very soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the piece I
want is 10 inches X 12 inches. Is this not 120 sq. inches? This is
going to get pricey! So I called the only other shop within a 40 mile
radius. I was told they don't carry silk mesh as NOBODY does petit
point anymore. I was told it was a dead art. If I want to stitch, I
had better look at cross stitch. This is THE most popular hobby on the
market today. So I pulled my rock over top of me, and contemplated
taking up cross stitch. But I don't want to cross stitch! It's
beautiful work, and has a fascinating history, but I want petit point.
So I threw off the rock and have decided 'LOOK OUT CROSS STITCHERS! I'M
GOING TO DESIGN CHARTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT OTHER PETIT POINT STITCHERS
LIKE ME!!! )) I will probably add cross stitch charts when I get
rolling but I think this is the kick in the proverbial backside I needed
to get going! But this also made me think. Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C.

--
Maureen Miller C.H.

Well, Maureen, this is exactly the argument I was making in the subject
thread "Books at Barnes & Noble." To re-iterate: Are consumers driving
buying, or is business driving consumers? I believe strongly it is the
latter.

Doing half crosses on fine mesh canvases is no more a dying art than is
surface embroidery. The problem is, too few are selling it, designing
for it, or writing books and magazine articles for it. Yes, it appeals
to a smaller audience. But that is a shame, since it is a beautiful
artform.

Actually, it's no different than half crosses on penelope, with tent
stitch (petite point) on finer details by splitting the canvas threads
in those areas (10 mesh penelope becomes 20 mesh in those areas). Mind
you, only Dillmont refers to it in this manner, and I'm a Dillmont fan.
Nobody else will agree with me. But since nobody else can give you a
real definition of "petite point", mine is as good as anyone elses. g

Go for it. Don't be surprised, though, if you don't become
self-sustaining in a year and a half.

Dianne

Russell Miller wrote:

Hi everyone,

I called my local needlework shop yesterday because I do petit point and
I need more 32 ct. silk mesh. I was told that yes, they did have it,
for $.32 per sq. inch. This is on sale as the price will be going up to
$.40 per sq. inch very soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the piece I
want is 10 inches X 12 inches. Is this not 120 sq. inches? This is
going to get pricey! So I called the only other shop within a 40 mile
radius. I was told they don't carry silk mesh as NOBODY does petit
point anymore. I was told it was a dead art. If I want to stitch, I
had better look at cross stitch. This is THE most popular hobby on the
market today. So I pulled my rock over top of me, and contemplated
taking up cross stitch. But I don't want to cross stitch! It's
beautiful work, and has a fascinating history, but I want petit point.
So I threw off the rock and have decided 'LOOK OUT CROSS STITCHERS! I'M
GOING TO DESIGN CHARTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT OTHER PETIT POINT STITCHERS
LIKE ME!!! )) I will probably add cross stitch charts when I get
rolling but I think this is the kick in the proverbial backside I needed
to get going! But this also made me think. Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C.

I need more 32 ct. silk mesh. I was told that yes, they did have it,
for $.32 per sq. inch. This is on sale as the price will be going up to
$.40 per sq. inch very soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the piece I
want is 10 inches X 12 inches. Is this not 120 sq. inches? This is
going to get pricey! So I called the only other shop within a 40 mile
radius. I was told they don't carry silk mesh as NOBODY does petit
point anymore. I was told it was a dead art. If I want to stitch, I
had better look at cross stitch. This is THE most popular hobby on the
market today. So I pulled my rock over top of me, and contemplated
taking up cross stitch. But I don't want to cross stitch! It's
beautiful work, and has a fascinating history, but I want petit point.

You shouldn't have to quit doing it! I went to a Kreinik workshop last week
and I think several of their smaller silk projects are using silk mesh.
Since I wasn't interested in work that small, I didn't check the price, but
for someone to tell you that they don't carry the silk mesh because "nobody
does petit point" is just plain stupid. Good luck in your search.
Liz from Humbug
--

I was told they don't carry silk mesh as NOBODY does petit point anymore. I
was told it was a dead art. If I want to stitch, I had better look at cross
stitch.

Has anybody else changed stitch mode because of what the market dictated?

They're telling you you're nobody? I would take offence at that! No, I
haven't changed my stitching preference because of market dictates, but there
are times when obtaining supplies has been difficult. I like embroidered
household linens, and for a while there the only place I could get real linen
was from church supply catalogues. Also, I only do canvaswork when something
needs to be upholstered, and I do NOT do xs. As far as I am concerned, xs is a
filling stitch to be used within larger outlines on surface embroidery.
(ducking and running for cover!) No, I have no objection to others doing it,
it just isn't my choice. I also do not normally work other people's designs,
as I prefer to design, stitch and finish all my own work. Of course, this
means that I don't have nearly the output some others do, especially as I do
all my own housework, and everything we eat in this house is cooked from
scratch (including the bread), plus I knit sweaters etc. for my family, and
design and make my own dress clothes - as a matter of fact, I just took a
"stretch break" from cutting out a new pattern, and signed on to see what is
happening in the outside world.

You may have to resort to mail order for your supplies, but they ARE out there,
and it is up to you and others like you to keep the art of petit point alive
for future generations. So the mesh is expensive. Considering the tremendous
amount of work and skill you are going to put into it, it is still well worth
it. Perhaps you should pull out the drastic plastic and acquire a "stash"
before the price goes up again. I still have some Irish linen and some Belgian
linen I bought 10 years ago when a fabric shop was going out of business.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

Russell Miller wrote:
Hi everyone,

Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.

I stitch what I wanna stitch, because I want to stitch it. To hell with
what the market dictates. The only constraint I feel is the wallet.

But then, my favorite things to stitch involve metallic threads and
beads. I like applique and quilting too. And I've no personal objection
to mixing my techniques. My ultimate project is going to be a crazy
quilt in velvets with lots of really cool embroidery and beads. And when
I'm old and in the retirement home, all the other old biddies can turn
green with envy over my beautiful lap quilt.

-georg

Maureen,

I got a 9 x 12 piece of 40 count silk gauze from Loving Stitch in Surrey
for $14.04. They carry a few different counts of silk gauze (and black as
well) and they are quite reasonably priced. If you need their address, just
let me know!

NA, yada yada yada,
Mellissa
--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair." ~Kahlil Gibran
My home on the Web: http://www.zillwood.com/muddles
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You go girl!! And when you do a design, please let us know where we can
see it. It's been years since I did petit point and I for one would love to
do it again.
Lucille

"Russell Miller" wrote in message
...
Hi everyone,

I called my local needlework shop yesterday because I do petit point and
I need more 32 ct. silk mesh. I was told that yes, they did have it,
for $.32 per sq. inch. This is on sale as the price will be going up to
$.40 per sq. inch very soon. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the piece I
want is 10 inches X 12 inches. Is this not 120 sq. inches? This is
going to get pricey! So I called the only other shop within a 40 mile
radius. I was told they don't carry silk mesh as NOBODY does petit
point anymore. I was told it was a dead art. If I want to stitch, I
had better look at cross stitch. This is THE most popular hobby on the
market today. So I pulled my rock over top of me, and contemplated
taking up cross stitch. But I don't want to cross stitch! It's
beautiful work, and has a fascinating history, but I want petit point.
So I threw off the rock and have decided 'LOOK OUT CROSS STITCHERS! I'M
GOING TO DESIGN CHARTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT OTHER PETIT POINT STITCHERS
LIKE ME!!! )) I will probably add cross stitch charts when I get
rolling but I think this is the kick in the proverbial backside I needed
to get going! But this also made me think. Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C.

--
Maureen Miller C.H.

Russell Miller wrote:

So I threw off the rock and have decided 'LOOK OUT CROSS STITCHERS! I'M
GOING TO DESIGN CHARTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT OTHER PETIT POINT STITCHERS
LIKE ME!!! )) I will probably add cross stitch charts when I get
rolling but I think this is the kick in the proverbial backside I needed
to get going! But this also made me think. Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.

You go, Maureen! The latest issue of the Nordic Needle catalog has a
petit point kit in it (a gingko from eterna silk), so it can't be that
far out of fashion. I'd say you just stumbled on a truly awful
salesperson and should avoid that shop in the future.

Elizabeth
--
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~living well is the best revenge~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
The most important thing one woman can do for another is to illuminate
and expand her sense of actual possibilities. --Adrienne Rich
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I don't think stitching on silk gauze is out of fashion at all. Maureen
Appleton (The Heart's Content) specializes in this, both on gauze and on
cloth. Crossed Wing Collection has a number of birds on gauze. Kreinik has
put out a number of small kits. And though not petit point, even designers
like MLI use the smaller scale stitching in their designs. Personally, I
just love working in petit point. Stitches up fast, and because the work is
so intricate, you can get some of the finest details.
I hope you do design in petit point, it would be wonderful to see more
designs.

"Dr. Brat" wrote in message
...
Russell Miller wrote:

So I threw off the rock and have decided 'LOOK OUT CROSS STITCHERS! I'M
GOING TO DESIGN CHARTS AIMED SPECIFICALLY AT OTHER PETIT POINT STITCHERS
LIKE ME!!! )) I will probably add cross stitch charts when I get
rolling but I think this is the kick in the proverbial backside I needed
to get going! But this also made me think. Has anybody else changed
stitch mode because of what the market dictated? Or maybe I'm going to
be the only one who wants my charts? LOL.