Books in My Library – Light ‘n Lacy, Stimulating Stitches, Needlepoint Stitches, and Borderlines by Jean Hilton

April 27, 2022, 9:13 am
Filed under: Books in My Library, Borderlines by Jean Hilton, Light 'n Lacy by Jean Hilton, Needlepoint Books, Needlepoint Stitches by Jean Hilton, Stimulating Stitches by Jean Hilton

The books by Jean Hilton are presented in order of publication.

Jean experiments with stitches in Needlepoint Stitches (1988) right from the start with the same size Jessica but by shifting just the 1-2 stitch, she creates a small medium and large opening. Mind blowing and that’s just page 2! She explores the Amadeus stitch patterns, Jessicas, Walneto, Elongated Smyrnas, Rhodes, Sprats Heads, Waffles, and a bunch of miscellaneous ones (Bowtie, Mistake stitch, Mistake pinwheel, Helen’s Lace, Hesitation stitch, Hungarian Hearts, wrapped coils, cross and tuck, double tied, Ashland stitch, offset Scotch, tied Mosaic variation, a huge star and superimposed waffle, diagonal weaving, short Mosaic, and spatula). Her wrapped sheaf fit well in my Lady Sybil design. It’ll look better when I stitch it correctly too. I stitched it last night incorrectly, just ripped it out, and will get it correct tonight! That’s why I was writing this post – to find that error.

After using Stimulating Stitches (1992) for years, I just saw the Table of Contents divides the stitches into “motifs where all stitches go over previous ones” and “motifs where the stitches slide under” in all uppercase letters. In just three years, Jean “discovered” variations of stitches discussed in Needlepoint Stitches and revisits Jessicas, wrapped sheaf, Amadeus, and Waffles. Jean gets into crescents, exotic crescents, Fleur-De-Lis crescents, Sprats Heads, Plaited Rays, and Double Fans. I was able to learn how to make them fit the space I had in my Lady Sybil design.

In Borderlines (1994), Jean teaches you how turn a corner. There are borders within borders, narrow borders, dividing borders, straight borders, curving borders, heart borders, diagonal borders, and miscellaneous borders. Her imagination and ability to create these combinations is astounding. And, she describes how she developed them. There is a pattern of squares with 9 empty canvas threads and another with octagons and squares both of which looks like they would be fun to play with. One of her special corner treatments worked out perfectly for my Lady Sybil design although I nested 3 Jessicas. Speaking of Lady Sybil, that piece had something wrong with it and I ripped out a section and is now waiting for me to decide what to try next.

Jean Hilton’s Light ‘n Lacy is a booklet of 30 “Delicate Designs”, name tag designs, and an alphabet consisting of what else other than Smyrnas and Jessicas. This is from 1995 and I only recognize 2 of the 44 contributing stitchers. Reading this Introduction as with her other books is like having Jean sitting nearby talking right to you. These are not complicated designs using cross stitches, Smyrnas, crescents, eyelets, and Rhodes stitches. I got this more to see how she developed designs.