Sylvia Sydney, Movie Star and Needlepointer

Sylvia Sydney is profiled in this fun article by My Pretty Baby Cried She was a Bird.
https://shewasabird.blogspot.com/2011/03/sylvia-sidneys-needlepoint-1968.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR2yX5vb1ziOSiHy6uG0Q3ZlzY9IB7j8qaYE7pCgFXUS9y1Osgs36Pg9n5A

Her Sylvia Sydney Needlepoint Book is my absolute favorite needlepoint book of all time because of the personality in it.  She was something, Miss Sydney.  

We all want to be her when we grow up.

Did I mention she stitched pug pillows for the Duke and Duchess of Windsor?  True story.

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright August 8, 2020 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Another Sylvia Sydney Fan (and eBay Kits)

Looks like I've uncovered another Sylvia Sydney fan.  Hi, Lisa!
http://shewasabird.blogspot.com/2011/03/sylvia-sidneys-needlepoint-1968.html

You really do need to read this book.  It's my favorite needlepoint book of all time.

By the way, I just discovered a Sylvia Sydney needlepoint kit of a lion. Who knew?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Paragon-Sylvia-Sidney-Lion-Pillow-Top-Needlepoint-Kit-Jungle-Animals-/191002991918

Further searching turned up several needlepoint kits from Paragon with the Sylvia Sydney name.  I found two quilt pattern-like pillows...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/PARAGON-SYLVIA-SIDNEY-SMOKY-TOPAZ-PILLOW-TOP-NEEDLEPOINT-KIT-/121605314081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c503dd621

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SYLVIA-SIDNEY-NEEDLEPOINT-KIT-PILLOW-TOP-STAR-RUBY-3D-14X14-PARAGON-/281662949742?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41946b896e

,,,two headband designs--this is the 1970s, remember?--that can also be made into chokers or belts (or all three)...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-70s-Sylvia-Sidney-Paragon-Needlepoint-Kit-Confetti-Headband-Chokers-/251918258397?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3aa77f90dd

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sylvia-Sidney-Needlepoint-Bargello-Headband-Chokers-Kit-Paragon-Needlecraft-/321711187385?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ae77b25b9

...a Bargello belt...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Sylvia-Sidney-Needlepoint-Bargello-Belt-Kit-34-Paragon-Needlecraft-/281661360281?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4194534899

...and a daisy-butterfly wall hanging.  Fun!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Daisy-Flower-Butterfly-Picture-Needlepoint-Kit-Sylvia-Sidney-Picture-NIP-/261854459705?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3cf7bdf739

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright April 19, 2015 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

Sylvia Sidney

I am a big fan of Sylvia Sidney's needlepoint books, so when I found this profile of her life, I wanted to share it.
http://moviemorlocks.com/2009/02/04/sylvia-sidney-paid-by-the-tear/

Here is her first book.  It's the best in my opinion--full of personal charm, not stitch diagrams.
http://www.amazon.com/Sylvia-Sidney-needlepoint-book/dp/0883652552

Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright September 10, 2014 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.

A Unique Voice

For me needlepoint is an escape, an adventure, and a way to expresses and increase my creative voice. I think I've found a blog that expresses my feelings much better than I ever could.  Let me introduce Jean Phillips, writer and stitcher.
http://lovingstitches.typepad.com/a-needlepoint-journal-abo/

I deliberately didn't comment on Jean's blog. My statement to her is going to be all the friends I am sending her way this morning.  Surprise, Jean!  Bet you didn't know you say all the things I feel but can't articulate....


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com

I Found Another Sylvia Sidney Fan

My all time favorite needlepoint book is Sylvia Sidney's, lovingly described here with wonderful photos of her stitching and photographs of her in various acting roles.  The writer didn't mention the pug needlepoints were studies for the pillow that she stitched for the Duchess of Windsor.
http://shewasabird.blogspot.com/2011/03/sylvia-sidneys-needlepoint-1968.html


You can see that pug pillow down at the bottom of the page, 4th photo from the bottom.  See the date and the initials SS?  That stands for Sylvia Sidney and the date the pillow was stitched, not the dog's birth and death dates. You can see a pencil drawing of this pillow in Sylvia's book but she was too discrete to show the actual pillow.  I always wondered what that pillow fetched at Sotheby's when the Duke and Duchesss' things were sold at auction and now I know.
http://www.interiordesignhound.com/2011/08/02/royal-hounds-the-duke-duchess-of-windsor-pack-of-dogs-a-pug-story/

Mary Martin's book on needlepoint is also good but I prefer Sylvia's.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/43756235/mary-martins-needlepoint-vintage

Needlepoint books in the early 1970s were often more personality than charts and diagrams.  Personality was what counted then, not how to do a complex stitch.  How I wish we had a few books like these today!  Not that I don't appreciate all the stitch dictionaries available to us but I miss glimpses of lives where needlepoint played a part.


Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com