Saturday, May 2, 2026

Two Loretta Charts on eBay

Fireside Stitchery has an auction on eBay that includes two Loretta Spears charts, as well as a Michael Boren design and a small Jean Hilton piece.  Currently the week-long auction bidding is at $3.25 plus $8 for US post office shipping.

The designs from Loretta are:

her Antique Thread Winder Sampler kit, which includes the mother-of-pearl thread winder, and the threads.  No canvas is included.  Loretta recommends a 10x12 inch piece of white Congress cloth and...

...her January 1993 Christmas Heirloom ornament, including rose needlepoint canvas and threads.  

*****************************************

Sunday, June 22, 2025

Christmas Heirlooms April 1992 Egg

Christmas Heirlooms April 1992



Thanks to Fireside Stitchery's eBay stash sales, I have a brand new Loretta Spears design to show--her April 1992 Christmas Heirlooms. This is an egg-shaped ornament in what appears to be reds and purples.


*****************************************


Materials List:

7 x 7 inch square of 18 count canvas in French blue
Needle Necessities overdyed floss 193 "Anemone" (substitute Threadworx 1152 "Very Berry")
Overdyed Rachel 274
Lacquered Jewels 415 "Ruby"

Friday, September 4, 2020

Watching Florentine Fantasy Grow




The Needleart Nut blog is stitching one of the pieces from Loretta's chart "Florentine Fantasy"
and posting progress photos on her blog.  I'll post updates (latest on the bottom) as she stitches.  By the way, she is stitching this on linen, not needlepoint canvas.

*****************************************

She will do the long Bargello piece on blue canvas.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/08/jsome-counted-work.html

The first band on the sampler is in position.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-first-band.html

The second motif is cotton floss and Kreinik metallic.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-second-design.html

http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/moving-along.html

Now the third motif is introduced.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/starting-section-c.html

The third motif is done and so is the star.
https://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/star-and-some-stripes.html

The curvy Bargello stripe is next.
http://needleartnut.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-bargello-stripe.html

And now the Bargello stripe curves are done.

Flame stitch is next.

A four-way Bargello flower shape is the next-to-the-last motif.

And the Bargello spot sampler is done!

Personally, I am not a sampler person or a fan of Bargello, but I think this is lovely.

Sunday, February 16, 2020

My Pocket (Loretta Spears Designs)

My Pocket


My Pocket, a Loretta Spears Design chart, turned up on eBay this week in an auction with a group of Loretta charts.  The date this was published is unknown.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-Needlepoint-Pattern-MyPocket-VictorianHeart-XmasHeirloom-SparklingPlaid-PN538/333511094265?hash=item4da6cf6ff9:g:GX4AAOSwEj5eQbIx

Apparently this is a pocket style with an opening at the top.




It is stitched using gold Kreinik metallic and two shades of Anchor Matlitt on white canvas.   The threads appear to be silver and white.





*****************************************

Materials List:

white canvas
Marlitt #
Marlitt #