06.23.10

Where do you go for Advice and Help?

Posted in General at 3:04 pm by deRomilly

I’ve been writing on another site a lot about Help files, and reading the manual, and learning new software. It got me to thinking about how and where I go for help with needlework these days.

Now that we have fewer and fewer local needlework stores around, I wonder, what are people doing when they have a problem, or can’t figure something out in a chart?

My response was, for many years, find an expert. And I could usually pop over to the local needlework store, where there was an entire staff and customer base of experts. Sometimes they were confused by the strange things I asked (I was never into doing things the “normal” way: usually I wanted information on medieval or 18th century techniques, and there weren’t as many resources then as now…), but I never had a time where by brainstorming between a group of us we couldn’t come up with a solution. Now, though?

Where do I go to solve problems or learn something totally new?

• My local EGA chapter, which, unfortunately, has also been dwindling in size. It’s time to renew my membership – I’ve been away too long.
• A group of friends who also stitch – if one of us can’t figure it out, usually someone else, or all ofus together can.
• Workshops. This usually entails travel these days, and a lot of the lovely big conventions are gone (CATS comes to mind…)
• But you know, I also still go hang out at the needlepoint shop, even though I rarely do canvas work (I DO clean them out of threads regularly, though!) And I’m starting to think I need to make the 40 mile trek to my only remaining not-so local cross stitch store more often.

What do you do for needlework companionship and help these days?

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