Anna Pearson's Needlepoint Blog

The Open House I held last week was a great success:  for the first time ever we had an early evening session in addition to the mid day one.  It enabled some working girls to come and see the designs and how different they are to what they originally thought of 'tapestry' - Old Master copies and Mermaids! I even reconnected with someone I had seen for at least 25 years which was very special.  Should you and I have ever met do let me know, whether it was at the Mill outside Norwich, here in London or somewhere in the States, I should love to hear from you. Very soon I am taking a small group on a stitching holiday to Italy;  we have been back to the same place 7 times, run by a family who grow all the food and make their own wine.  Nothing could be more perfect than sitting and stitching in such beautiful surroundings.  The 10 day forecast is in the upper 20s (one of the few things beyond my control!) so can't wait. What to take on any trip is a...

This week I have been to two wonderful quilt show, one at the Victoria & Albert Museum, South Kensington and the other at Swiss Cottage Library close to Finchley Road in London. 'Quilts 1700 - 2010' which runs at the V & A until 4th July has I believe already had the most visitors that have ever attended an exhibition in the history of the museum. Starting with a beautiful quilted cot cover for a child's bed dated 1690 - 1720, it traces British quilt and patchwork right up to the modern day when there is a poignant piece made by prison inmates. A very informative booklet is included in the ticket price and there is programme of talks, courses and workshops all associated with the exhibition. The Victoria and Albert Museum has always been my favourite London Museum, a great source of design inspiration and interesting exhibits. The Textile Study rooms are open for study without appointment, good facilities for sketching or making notes for the panels - my own d...

For a long time now, much of my inspiration for new needlepoint designs has come from travel and the rich design heritage of different cultures. I should love to share some of the stories with you and in turn hear what visual stimulus has excited you. I am new to blogging so your comments and suggestions will be gratefully received. Some of you however will already know my books Needlepoint Stitch By Stitch ( UK  /  USA ) and The Complete Needlepoint Course ( UK  /  USA ) are my personal favourites. Others may have attended classes with me either in the UK, USA or Australia. You may have heard of my work with the 'American Needlepoint Guild' or the 'National Trust of Historic Preservation' in the States, or the 'Needlepoint Network', which I set up in the UK. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced stitcher everyone is most welcome to join me in discovering how to see beauty in ordinary every day objects. My aim in creating this blog is...