TINY TREASURES REDISCOVERED

[While I am in an enforced rug hooking and tangling "lull" for a while, I've been working with punch needle embroidery because it's quick and most of the pieces are small.  This is a post on rediscovering my first two pieces and on how I learned.]

MY FIRST-EVER PUNCH NEEDLE EMBROIDERY ATTEMPT, PROBABLY CIRCA 2000. EMBROIDERY FLOSS. Design © Linda Repasky, All rights reserved.

Many years ago now--could it have been around the year 2000?--I learned to do punch needle embroidery from a very kind friend and teacher named Linda.  I remember how desperately I wanted to learn when I saw her work!  At the time, we were both visiting Shelburne VT for the Green Mountain Rug Hooking Guild annual show (still a fabulous, classic, not-to-be-missed show; it's huge and always has classes running at the same time).

I begged Linda for a quick tutorial and we met the next morning for breakfast at a now-defunct restaurant in Shelburne.  While we were waiting for our food, she whipped out a sample and taught me in less than ten minutes.  I will be forever grateful.

At the time she was running a small business and writing two books on the topic.  I believe the books (superb) are now out of print but I've heard they may be coming back as e-books for Kindle.  She had a number of patterns for sale and also made frames for punch hooking.  I think some of her adorable patterns may still be available here.  Although you will have to check to be sure.  Fortunately, gripper frames and Morgan Hoops--which both work well for punch needle--are now widely available from other sources if you google them.

The above Crow Pattern--a lapel pin--was the very first punch needle project I ever did, and it's one of Linda's designs.  Here is another one, done around the same time and also one of her designs.  It's also a pin.

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MY SECOND PUNCH NEEDLE EMBROIDERY PROJECT, PROBABLY ALSO DONE AROUND 2000. WOOL THREAD. Design © Linda Repasky, all rights reserved.

Linda's first book was called Miniature Punchneedle Embroidery and her second book was titled A Passion for Punchneedle.  I highly recommend the first book for beginners and the second one for "experienced beginners" and intermediate-to-advanced punchers.  Her directions are clear and well thought-out and you cannot find a better teacher in print.  Secondhand copies of the books are often available.  I would love to see them reprinted but at least the Miniature Punchneedle Embroidery (first book) is available as an ebook here.  The instructions are superb, and it's packed with projects.

Meanwhile, I have continued punching away in spare moments, although my emphasis shifted to punch needle rug hooking for several years.  Happily I reconnected with Linda recently.  She's still punching, and is also a gifted rug hooker and calligrapher.

While I am waiting for a "go" or "no-go" on the Big Project (the one I'm not yet ready to talk about), my attention is scattered and I hesitate to start another rug.  So, I'm working on punch needle projects on a tiny scale.  After finishing several of these I was left with tools and threads in a mess and this morning I began a tidying-up process. 

That's when I found these two pieces above.  These tiny treasures I had completely forgotten popped out of a long-unopened box to delight me. 

Big thanks to Linda for her teaching and friendship over the years.

And now...back to the challenging task of sorting out threads.  Here is just a partial glimpse of what I'm facing.  No wonder I can't find anything...Wish me luck!