Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Springtime 1992, a New Christmas Heirloom (Needle Adventures)

Springtime 1992, Courtesy of Pjeclipse

Springtime 1992 has turned up on eBay.  This is a Needle Adventures publication I have not seen before. The month this was published is not listed anywhere in the chart, by the way.  The seller describes Springtime this way--"This 1992 Needle Adventures by Loretta Spears SPRINGTIME ornament uses the pinwheel stitch, continental stitch, bead cup stitch, large dimpled scotch, and dimpled alternating scotch stitch."  Here is the eBay auction link.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=191036805531



Another View with Overdye and Canvas, Courtesy of Pjeclipse


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Lavendula Canvas, NN Overdye 178, and Balger

As you can see from the photo of several of the threads and the canvas recommended for this piece, the photos of Springtime from the cover of the chart are not true to the actual colors.

Materials List:
18 count Lavendula mono canvas 7" x 7" (in photo above)
Needle Necessities overdye floss - "Coventry Garden" #178 (in photo above)
Balger blending filament #013 - beige
Mill Hill beads #02209

Needle Necessities is no long in business.  Substitute ThreadworX cotton floss #11311 "Summer Flowers"
Balger threads are now sold under the name Krenik - substitute Kreinik blending filament #013 "Beige"

Many thanks to pjeclipse for permission to reuse photos and auction information!

Sunday, January 12, 2014

1974 Photograph of Loretta Spears in Fiesta Needleart

Loretta in Her Shop, Courtesy of Lexibell-racing
Two new eBay sales of photographs of Loretta Spears have come to light, thanks to the sharp eyes of LH.  This photograph is dated October 16, 1974 and is 10x8 inches.   Loretta herself is in a ruffled blouse and standing bending over the table, looking at the latch hook rug.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-Carpets-And-Rugs-Mrs-Audrey-Lyons-Press-Photo-/390461336901?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item5ae94f2d45

Information on Back of Denver Post Photograph

The back of the photograph reads "OCT 16 1974 Yarn Shop Owner Consults With Instructor Mrs. Loretta Spears, standing, owner of the Fiesta Yarn Shop, discusses hooked rug with Mrs. Audrey Lyons, new instructor-sales man for shop at 5752 Wadsworth Blvd." Credit: Denver Post.

The photos above are courtesy of the eBay seller Lexibell-racing.  As always I have no financial interest in the outcome of any eBay sale of Loretta's work.

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1979 Photograph of Loretta Spears

Loretta Spears Holding Finished Needlework
Two new eBay sales of photographs of Loretta Spears have come to light, thanks to the sharp eyes of LH.  This photograph is dated July, 1979 and shows Loretta holding a piece of what looks like crewel with other finished framed pieces on the table in front of her.  I think this is probably an interior photograph taken in her shop, Fiesta Needleart, which was located in Arvada, Colorado.  This is an 8x10 inch photograph taken for the Denver Post.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/1979-Embroidery-Fiesta-Yarn-Press-Photo-/390473993539?pt=Art_Photo_Images&hash=item5aea104d43

Information on Back of Denver Post Photograph

The back of the photograph reads "JUL 13 1979, JUL 25 1979 Loretta Spears of Fiesta Yarn Shop Examines Exhibit Work. She holds "Irises" worked on hardanger fabric by Dee Hill of Arvada." Credit: Denver Post.

The photographs are courtesy of the eBay seller Lexibell-racing.

As always, I have no financial interest in the outcome of any eBay auction.

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Saturday, January 11, 2014

The Cross

The Cross, Photo Courtesy of CCC-Consign

Thanks to an eBay auction, we have a photograph of The Cross, published in 1996 by Loretta Spears Designs, probably in December, as the instructions say this "completes the 1996 series of Heirloom Designs."  The design is numbered 1296 at the top, which also makes me think it was published in December 1996.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/390742765349?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1426.l2648

By the way, the auction starts at $5.95 plus $3.25 for "standard shipping." It also includes the charted version of Antique Heart (which I thought only existed as a publication in the Feb. 1993 issue of Needlepoint Plus; the seller says the publication date for the chart of Antique Heart, published as a Needle Adventures publication, is 1989) and the August 1992 Christmas Heirlooms ornament, published under the Loretta Spears Designs name.

It looks as if there is a diagram of the stitch for The Cross stapled to the instruction sheet but this chart has lost its cover page.  Many thanks to CCC-Consign for details and the reuse of the photo above.

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Materials List:
6x6 eggshell Congress cloth
Marlitt #1212
Marlitt #872
Kreinik cord #102C

Friday, January 10, 2014

Three Charts (One UNKNOWN!) on eBay UPDATED

A consignment seller on eBay has three of Loretta's ornament charts together for sale.  The auction has a beginning bid of $5.95 plus $3.25 "standard shipping."
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Loretta-Spears-Antique-Heart-Heirlooms-Cross-charted-needlepoint-patterns-/390742765349?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5afa156f25

The charts include a unknown photograph for "The Cross" which was published in (December?) 1996.  Apparently this was the last of the Christmas Heirloom series for that year.  I will be contacting the seller for more information and permission to reuse their photograph here.

The second chart in Antique Heart, published as a Needle Adventures chart in 1989.  This was also published in Needlepoint Plus magazine, the Feb. 1993 issue.  I did not know this was also published in chart form.
http://lorettaspears.blogspot.com/2012/01/antique-heart.html

The third chart is the August 1992 Christmas Heirlooms piece, published under the Loretta Spears Designs name.
http://lorettaspears.blogspot.com/2012/11/christmas-heirlooms-august-1992-needle.html

UPDATE:  The auction is over with a winning bid of $6.45 plus shipping.  Someone got a nice deal!

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