Stop by The Bug between 4 and 6pm today to see the Susan Roberts Trunk Show!!

According to German folklore, nutcrackers were given as keepsakes to bring good luck to your family and protect your home. The legend says that a nutcracker represents power and strength and serves like a trusty watch dog guarding your family from evil spirits and danger. A fierce protector, the nutcracker bares its teeth to the evil spirits and serves as the traditional messenger of good luck and goodwill.

“Don’t be afraid, my beard is long, my head is large, my look is grim but that matters not. I won’t bite you. In spite of my big mouth and grim appearance, I look with my heart for your happiness.”

•Nutcrackers embody the ‘Cycle of Life’, As the seed of a nut falls to the ground, it grows into a strong tree, living over hundreds of years nourishing the woodcutters and woodcrafters. The legends tell of a feast celebrated just before harvesting the logs of the Elder trees, where nuts and fruits were eaten as if to pass on the magic and mystery of this eternal cycle . . . and so on to the collectors of these exquisite wooden nutcrackers.

•Nutcrackers reflect ancestral dining customs where amusing or unusual nutcrackers were part of the social setting adding a whimsical conversation piece as guests lingered over the desert course which included sweetmeats such as pecans and hazelnuts.

•Writers, composers and artists sang and danced the praises of the legend of the Nutcracker beginning with the novel “The Nutcracker and the King of Mice,” written sometime between 1776 and 1822, by E.T. Amadeus Hoffman. This novel became the basis for Tchaikovsky’s magnificent “Nutcracker Suite”, which debuted as a ballet in St. Petersburg in 1892 and lives on as a holiday tradition throughout the world.

“If you sit down under one of these trees you might hear the rush and rustle of the tops, telling you about the German legends and the history witnessed by these trees,” says Herr Steinbach.

Susan Roberts Nutcrackers

Susan Roberts Trunk Show is now showing at The Bug through June 28th!!   She has nutcrackers, stockings, pillows, ornaments and much much more!

I have noticed a resurgence in bargello in recent months…not only can it be seen in the needlepoint world, I have noticed it everywhere.  Look around and see if you spot any…a past Chico’s flyer featured a sequin jacket in the flame stitch – the sequins changed colors on each line!  Well,  I scanned my books for any helpful hints for those of you out there working or thinking of working on a bargello piece…I found in my Bargello Stars, Shells and Borders (available at The Bug) these four hints for smooth bargello:

• Always stitch up through empty canvas holes and stitch down through shared canvas holes.
• Alternate the starting side of each stitched row to balance the yarn coverage on the reverse side of the project, thereby increasing the durability of the needlepoint.
• As the tension on each stitch is completed, try to keep the individual Persian yarn threads parallel. Twisted threads do not cover the canvas adequately, and they interrupt the smooth visual appearance of the surface.
• Avoid making stitches that cover only one canvas thread.  As the rows of Bargello meet the project edge the length of the stitches must be compensated by ending directly on the marked line.  Occasionally, when shorter compensating stitches are formed at the edges or design boundaries of the project, a stitch that only covers one canvas thread is required. This is an awkward stitch and should not be used.

Bargello can not only be fun but you can select your favorite colors, pattern and make it a unique coordinate for other designs!