Monday, January 17, 2005

European Stitching Patterns

I've discovered a couple of French designers -- Nimue and La Sylphide Toquee. I have started to collect them. Both feature lovely delicate designs.

La Sylphide Toquee are whimsical designs in bright colors, some with French words. Apparently this is a new designer. Sylphid (in English) means a graceful woman or a being that inhabits the air. Toquee does not translate. Website for La Sylphide Toquee:

http://perso.wanadoo.fr/lasylphidetoquee/

Norden Crafts has pictures of a lot of La Sylphide Toquee patterns:

http://www.nordencrafts.com/CHARTS/LST/lstmain.html

Nimue is one of the names of the Lady of the Lake or Vivien in the Arthurian Legends. These patterns seem to be of nymphs and fairies. I can find no links to Nimue patterns online.

I have also collected some Dutch patterns -- mostly buildings such as houses of Amsterdam -- and some Russian ones.

The European designs seem to be quite different than the ones we have here in the U.S. They are both worth seeking out.

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