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| Kindle Case Courtesy of Needle Bug in Montgomery* |
Jenny Henry Designs is feeling a bit discouraged. She designs do it yourself needlepoint kits, and thinking about doing some tablet and eReader kits when she was horrified to stumble across the pre-made ones from Lands End. No way can she compete on price!
http://jennyhenrydesigns.wordpress.com/2013/10/09/needlepoint-by-lands-end/
I followed the link to the Lands End website and discovered Christmas stockings, pillows, ornaments, belts, a wallet, and iPad/Kindle cases, all under $50 and most much cheaper than that. The designs are attractive and the tent stitches even. No wonder folks are shocked when they discover how much we pay for our designs and materials! Of course they have never seen one of these next to a hand stitched and embellished Tapestry Tent stocking. If you put them next to each other, quality shows. Show the first and then the second link to any non-needlepointer you know and have them tell you which stocking they would prefer hanging on their chimney.
http://www.landsend.com/shop/search?No=0&Nrpp=24&Ntt=needlepoint&cm_mmc=CJ-_-Lands_End_Home_Generic_DeepLink-_-2617611_3662453-_-Skimlinks&CJSID=skim725X1073142Xfb7b7c6df33f3a5b078cc47af91cefcd
http://www.needlepoint.org/WhatIs/2003/Harrisonstocking.php
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| Canvas by Viola, Leather Case by Lee/Colonial Needle, Beautifully Stitched by Robin B. |
NOTHING beats the work of a skilled craftsman. I hope you will send Jenny a little encouraging note. At least those of us in the know understand that buying quality always pays in the end. Those little Lands End Kindle cases will soon be dirtied and forgotten but a hand made Kindle case like the one Robin stitched above will be treasured forever.
Don't believe me? Then read what Tricia Nguyen has to say about the hand made movement.
http://thistle-threads.blogspot.com/2013/10/niche-markets-sometimes-arent-so-niche.html
Needlepoint is under the radar, just like the drive to make anything by hand. I believe that companies like Lands End know folks admire hand made items and are trying to turn out imitations for the unknowing. Thank goodness we know better!
Now it is our job to show our needlepoint everywhere, to educate non-stitching folks into understanding that a $30 Christmas stocking not only is cheap to buy, it has about as much to do with real needlepoint as a postcard of painting has to do with a real Rembrandt hanging on your wall.
*Sorry I moved the Needle Bug to Atlanta! I know better! Montgomery is a lovely small town, the exact opposite of Atlanta, and a wonderful place to visit. My only regret is that I haven't been there since the Needle Bug moved into town. Forgive me?
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
@ Copyright 2013 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
