Swishing, Swapping, Exchanging

Until recently I wasn’t familiar with the expression ‘Swishing’ but everyone seems to be doing it with clothes, books and items they no longer want in return for items they do.

 I believe the popular Radio 4 BBC programme ‘The Archers; held one recently for their village of Ambridge,   Locally in Primrose Hill there was one for children to first dress as their favourite character and swop books. Great fun so I decided to adapt the idea to needlepoint.

 People have long told me how their stash of threads is rapidly resembling a mountain and hate to throw either books or materials out.   I regularly have an ‘Open Day’ to share new designs so bringing their un-loved items to swop was an added attraction - last week was the event.
 

The attendance was encouraging,   The selection of threads people brought in was exciting and definitely is encouraging me to design even more pieces to expressly use up their own threads.  But even more interesting was the number of pristine kits from other designers that were brought in – complete cushion panels as well as small items  

Nice designs, pretty colour schemes – it led me to believe that they had been presents. ‘Recipients who were knows to stitch would LOVE a kit as a present ‘Not so.  I remember doing book signing trips around Britain for my books ‘The Complete Needlepoint Course; and ‘Needlepoint, Stitch by Stitch’ when I was frequently told they had been given a kit by a close friend and they felt obliged to work it even if they didn’t like it or it didn’t fit their décor   Worse still the donor was due sometime soon and would expect to see it finished and in pride of place.

Some Designs Expressly for Using Up Threads

So, please if you have friends who stitch get them a book with designs they can copy, adapt to their own needs or simply put on the ‘coffee table’:  a voucher so they can choose for themselves or a class, especially helpful to someone just starting on the hobby as they will learn good working methods that will stay with them forever.  Perhaps a subscription to a lovey magazine like Giuliana Ricama though new has an exciting range of needlework ideas and techniques (including mine I am delighted with)