Anna Pearson's Needlepoint Blog

While, as I have said in the past I love travelling, seeing new places, meeting interesting   people and getting some truly wonderful inspiration for my needlepoint designs I have to admit that it would appear that some terrible things have happened almost immediately after we have left a country. This has been brought to mind with the destruction and bulldozing of the ancient Assyria capital of Nimrud and the great concern for the future by Unesco the United Nations cultural agency. I well remember the excitement of visiting the Riace bronzes in Reggio di Calabria, more than 2000 years old and discovered in the sea of the coast of Italy – I wrote about them in a blog of the …… when we had been on one of our Italian stitching trips However some of the buildings and architectural detail that have inspired me have resulted in lovely designs.    There are two from Christchurch Cathedral on the South Island New Zeeland; Christchurch Tiles on the left and Cathedral Tile...

Been so busy the last few days;  Valentine's Day last week and three family birthdays, Shrove Tuesday with delicious pancakes yesterday and Chinese New Year yesterday (19 February).  Have also finishing off an additional colour way for the Tudor design - although the backgrounds are skip stitches rather than solid basketweave they still seem to take for ever! Saffie's 1st Birthday present stitched in Myanmar Each Lunar New Year has a special animal with a 12 year cycle, Rat, Cow, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey Chicken Dog ad Pig.  The upcoming year is the year of the Goat and my Myanmar newspapers told me that red underwear (especialy bought for you as a gift) would be extremely lucky.  I shall have to visit Keturah Brown, the lovely lingerie shop in Primrose Hill where I know she has some particulary pretty red items! As needlepoint designs some would work far better than others and I as a 'Rat' would defini...

As I have always admitted, travelling to new places meeting new people, enjoying their way of life and, in particular seeing their crafts is one of my greatest joys.   Our trip to Myanmar, Burma that was until their independence in 1948, was no exception. The people were so helpful to us and always had a smile;   the countryside that we visited was green and lush with many lakes, the great Ayeyarwady River which acted as the   main artery for transportation of goods and of course the magnificent temples all over the countryside but particularly in Bagan. Myanmar has borders with Thailand, China and India so the food is a great mix of these cuisines, coupled with the extremely rich soil that produces the most wonderful selection of both fruit and vegetables.   I couldn’t resist a photo of a road side vegetable stall, a vibrant cacophony of colour, smell and variety in a village we passed through However, as always I particularly love seeing the crafts th...

Travelling is one of my passions, I love to visit different countries, meet their people and often I am fortunate to get ideas for new needle point designs!  But on my trips I always take some stitching with me, in fact being seen to stitch often starts an interesting conversation with local people and fellow travellers The following suggestions are for family holidays not for needlepoint retreats or specific courses when one can expect good light,, calm surroundings and uninterrupted stitching time, when of course one takes more demanding designs and one's full battery of equipment! Over time I hope I have learnt some important does and don'ts especially having just returned from Myanmar where I was able to make these notes Do let me know of tips you might like to share! Plan in good time! Allow time for any standard kit to arrive, longer for one with special colours or threads requested. If taking instructions only, allow time to get the right coloured canvas and threads tog...

I have always admitted that travel was a passion second only to my needlepoint and that, over the years, many, many of my designs are inspired by traditional designs, colours, architecture, all things that I have been fortunate to see on my various travels. Private Tea Room With Group Vienna, where I went shortly before Christmas was no exception; it was my first visit and I was lucky enough to be with a small group that were particularly art/architecture orientated.   While it was only four days we had an excellent guide and packed in masses – including coffee and Sacher-Torte at the famous Café Sacher! Sacher Torte Packing delights in, we went straight from the airport to the Museum Hundertwasser, probably the most exciting and unique ‘village’ I have ever seen.   Friedensreich Hundertwasser (1928 - 2000) was an artist architect and here is a cross section of examples of his ecological commitment.   The floor tiles undulate as though there has just b...

I almost called this blog 'Christmas Presents' however I thought you would believe I had made a typo and won't bother to read it!  However with strong memories of the panic of finding suitable presents for friends and family I truly believe that getting organised early is both sensible and practical. Believe or not, tomorrow I have a small group who are starting on Christmas tree ornaments. So often, far too late in the day, the idea of making our own greetings card from one of my designs, presents itself; why oh why don't I do something about it in late summer? A popular New Year's resolution is to use up some of the ever growing stash of threads, couple this with stitching small projects, spec cases, needle cases, Kindle  and iPad covers, lavender bags - the list is endless.   These designs have two pluses, one each item can have the recipient's initial(s)  to make them extra special and second they are small enough to keep in your bag for the odd s...

My classes have finished, all the finishing projects have been delivered and even some new kits and special orders have been prepared for those optimistic people who hope they will have some stitching time over the holidays! However I find it a wonderful time to try and catch up.  The Spring Class programme is available, including two new courses - a two day Jacobean embroidery class and a Lettering class.  The  Lettering class is a repeat as it was such fun with everyone planning and working their own ideas.   Plans for the 2015 Italian trip are almost sorted, it will be June.  Like before the total cost will include everything except the travel to the closest Italian airport.  This means that people can join us from their own area and possibly add on side trips.  A stop over in London is good as is adding on Rome, Florence or the island of Sicily.  Do ask me if you need suggestions! I am also finishing up some ...