+ REVIEWS FROM SHOP OWNERS, SCHOLARS, HAPPY CUSTOMERS,
AND TEXTILE PUBLICATIONS +
Regarding Nancy Spies' cross-stitch designs
Your designs are so unique and lovely! Thank you for doing what you do, you really make life exciting! It would be so boring if we didn't have wonderful, exciting patterns like these to be able to stitch. Natalia in Russia
I’m 85 and haven’t stitched much the last few years, but your designs called out to me. I’m looking for my threads and fabric and hope to have several hours of stitching this year. Barbara Couch
Loooooove Arelate's designs. Stephanie Cowans
I love your designs. They are whimsical and clever while retaining a real mediaeval feel. Kathryn Bennet
I think what you've done is just exceptional! I admire you for carrying your interest to a higher level. Your designs are wonderful. Judy Milde
Your designs are so unique and lovely! Marty Cox, Danish Needlework
All charts received and, as my British friend would say, 'I am totally chuffed'. Wow, they are gorgeous! My husband actually loved each of them (how significant is that?). Barbara Mates, Sylvia's Closet
Love your designs! Keep them coming. Becca Lipnick
Your charts are some of the most interesting and fun to stitch of any I have in my shop. I always look forward to your new ones. Carol Nelson, DoubleCross
Your designs are really awesome! I love so many of them. Rebecca Hogren
Thank you for doing what you do, you really make life exciting! It would be so boring if we didn't have wonderful, exciting patterns like these to be able to stitch. It makes life worth living! You are fantastic! Debi Coyle
One of my doctors tried to teach me to "meditate" to help alleviate pain. I find stitching does a much better job. I can honestly stop feeling pain when I'm deeply concentrating on my stitching. So Nancy, keep those wonderful designs coming; you'll provide me and others with hours and hours of relaxing, peaceful enjoyment. A stitcher in Illinois
Regarding HERE BE GRIFFINS
Wow! It's gorgeous! The best one ever! All your hard work shines through. Lea Sears
From the colorful pair of griffins on the front cover to the quotes about griffins on the very last page, the book is beautifully laid out and a delight to the eye. The lovely fish border that frames the Table of Contents as well as the magnificent baldachin-adorned Preface serve as perfect openers to this book. And I was happily surprised and seduced by the lovely introduction to each section by a colored image of one of the charts appearing in it -- a brilliant idea.
There is a stunning number and variety of charts to accommodate every taste. I personally like them all, and know I shall have problems choosing (indeed there are still so many left undone in the first two volumes). But what a luxury to have so many choices at your fingertips! The charts are clear, well-placed on the pages, and easy to work. Liv Cartright
I am REALLY impressed with your book. Fascinating art that you have made accessible using your intrepid search skills and doggedness (even though you have cats!). Barbara Stam
Regarding HERE BE WYVERNS and HERE BE DROLLERIES
Huzzah! A pattern book that all good loom workers, square stitchers, bead embroiderers, or canvas stitchers need to have on their shelves! Jean Campbell, Interweave
There is a tremendous richness in medieval art which has been waiting for a book like this ["Here Be Wyverns"]. … What I love about the designs is how much charm and character can be put into a small design. A chart of an owl shows him caught wide-eyed, probably blinking in the sunlight. A dragon is holding a baby in her mouth. … Spies is noted for her authoritative research on medieval tablet weaving. While this book is not scholarly, it is a wonderful resource of designs for embroiderers of all kinds to adapt to their own work. Janet M. Perry, "Nuts About Needlepoint"
I have a copy of your book, "Here Be Wyverns", which is quite the most wonderful pattern book I have ever found. Your patterns are easy to use and wonderful for making up traditional and historical samplers. Jan Clausen
Every time you plan a sweater, you will find fun inspiration in this book! Nancy has packed this book full of hundreds of patterns that can be used to create borders, overall designs, and embellishment for any knitting project! Kelley Petkun, Knit Picks
One of my favorite aspects of Spies' [pattern] books is her commentaries on the charts. Every chart has a note of its source and the pages are ornamented with relevant quotes from medieval documents. Janet Perry
Regarding ECCLESIASTICAL POMP AND ARISTOCRATIC CIRCUMSTANCE
I hope this astonishing bringing together of so much disparate information and its intelligent interpretation, organization, and presentation will stimulate interest in both academic and hand weaving circles. It certainly should. Peter Collingwood
Ecclesiastical Pomp and Aristocratic Circumstance is a substantial and welcome addition to existing literature on the history and technique of tablet weaving. Nancy Spies' dedication to documenting brocaded tablet weavings is a tour through history ... . Her instructions are thorough and easy to follow. If you have ever looked at a fine, thin, silk band with gold brocaded threads and wondered -- how could this possibly be done -- then this book is for you. You will learn about how it was done, about the cultural context at the time it was made, and finally, how to weave a similar band with today's tools and materials.
Candace Crockett
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! YES, it's worth buying! It has documentation, pictures of the Real Thing, sketches of the Real Thing in some cases, instructions on how to do the different types of tablet weaving, and tons of patterns of medieval tabletwoven bands. If I had to toss all my weaving books and only keep one, this is the one I would keep. Mary Jenkins (known as Mistress Ealasaid nic Suibhne in the Society for Creative Anachronism)
This book is far more interesting than the title would suggest. … The brocaded tabletwoven bands, many with charming patterns, which Nancy Spies discusses and analyses are at the upper end of what must have been a substantial market. She has been indefatigable in searching out and studying as many surviving European examples as possible, dating from the 6th to the 16th century. Linda Woolley, Textile Department, Victoria & Albert Museum
The book arrived in perfect shape and I had it bound by Staples. I have read the first two chapters and am about to start the third. I am thrilled with the book. It reads like a novel that I can't put down. Usually I fall asleep reading but not with this book! Your writing style is exceptional and the research you accomplished is astonishing. I am a very visual person - I learned early on in engineering school that "a picture is worth a thousand words". The drawings and diagrams that accompany the text really solidify your words in my mind. Thank you so much for making this book available electronically. Sara Blauman
AND TEXTILE PUBLICATIONS +
Regarding Nancy Spies' cross-stitch designs
Your designs are so unique and lovely! Thank you for doing what you do, you really make life exciting! It would be so boring if we didn't have wonderful, exciting patterns like these to be able to stitch. Natalia in Russia
I’m 85 and haven’t stitched much the last few years, but your designs called out to me. I’m looking for my threads and fabric and hope to have several hours of stitching this year. Barbara Couch
Loooooove Arelate's designs. Stephanie Cowans
I love your designs. They are whimsical and clever while retaining a real mediaeval feel. Kathryn Bennet
I think what you've done is just exceptional! I admire you for carrying your interest to a higher level. Your designs are wonderful. Judy Milde
Your designs are so unique and lovely! Marty Cox, Danish Needlework
All charts received and, as my British friend would say, 'I am totally chuffed'. Wow, they are gorgeous! My husband actually loved each of them (how significant is that?). Barbara Mates, Sylvia's Closet
Love your designs! Keep them coming. Becca Lipnick
Your charts are some of the most interesting and fun to stitch of any I have in my shop. I always look forward to your new ones. Carol Nelson, DoubleCross
Your designs are really awesome! I love so many of them. Rebecca Hogren
Thank you for doing what you do, you really make life exciting! It would be so boring if we didn't have wonderful, exciting patterns like these to be able to stitch. It makes life worth living! You are fantastic! Debi Coyle
One of my doctors tried to teach me to "meditate" to help alleviate pain. I find stitching does a much better job. I can honestly stop feeling pain when I'm deeply concentrating on my stitching. So Nancy, keep those wonderful designs coming; you'll provide me and others with hours and hours of relaxing, peaceful enjoyment. A stitcher in Illinois
Regarding HERE BE GRIFFINS
Wow! It's gorgeous! The best one ever! All your hard work shines through. Lea Sears
From the colorful pair of griffins on the front cover to the quotes about griffins on the very last page, the book is beautifully laid out and a delight to the eye. The lovely fish border that frames the Table of Contents as well as the magnificent baldachin-adorned Preface serve as perfect openers to this book. And I was happily surprised and seduced by the lovely introduction to each section by a colored image of one of the charts appearing in it -- a brilliant idea.
There is a stunning number and variety of charts to accommodate every taste. I personally like them all, and know I shall have problems choosing (indeed there are still so many left undone in the first two volumes). But what a luxury to have so many choices at your fingertips! The charts are clear, well-placed on the pages, and easy to work. Liv Cartright
I am REALLY impressed with your book. Fascinating art that you have made accessible using your intrepid search skills and doggedness (even though you have cats!). Barbara Stam
Regarding HERE BE WYVERNS and HERE BE DROLLERIES
Huzzah! A pattern book that all good loom workers, square stitchers, bead embroiderers, or canvas stitchers need to have on their shelves! Jean Campbell, Interweave
There is a tremendous richness in medieval art which has been waiting for a book like this ["Here Be Wyverns"]. … What I love about the designs is how much charm and character can be put into a small design. A chart of an owl shows him caught wide-eyed, probably blinking in the sunlight. A dragon is holding a baby in her mouth. … Spies is noted for her authoritative research on medieval tablet weaving. While this book is not scholarly, it is a wonderful resource of designs for embroiderers of all kinds to adapt to their own work. Janet M. Perry, "Nuts About Needlepoint"
I have a copy of your book, "Here Be Wyverns", which is quite the most wonderful pattern book I have ever found. Your patterns are easy to use and wonderful for making up traditional and historical samplers. Jan Clausen
Every time you plan a sweater, you will find fun inspiration in this book! Nancy has packed this book full of hundreds of patterns that can be used to create borders, overall designs, and embellishment for any knitting project! Kelley Petkun, Knit Picks
One of my favorite aspects of Spies' [pattern] books is her commentaries on the charts. Every chart has a note of its source and the pages are ornamented with relevant quotes from medieval documents. Janet Perry
Regarding ECCLESIASTICAL POMP AND ARISTOCRATIC CIRCUMSTANCE
I hope this astonishing bringing together of so much disparate information and its intelligent interpretation, organization, and presentation will stimulate interest in both academic and hand weaving circles. It certainly should. Peter Collingwood
Ecclesiastical Pomp and Aristocratic Circumstance is a substantial and welcome addition to existing literature on the history and technique of tablet weaving. Nancy Spies' dedication to documenting brocaded tablet weavings is a tour through history ... . Her instructions are thorough and easy to follow. If you have ever looked at a fine, thin, silk band with gold brocaded threads and wondered -- how could this possibly be done -- then this book is for you. You will learn about how it was done, about the cultural context at the time it was made, and finally, how to weave a similar band with today's tools and materials.
Candace Crockett
Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness! YES, it's worth buying! It has documentation, pictures of the Real Thing, sketches of the Real Thing in some cases, instructions on how to do the different types of tablet weaving, and tons of patterns of medieval tabletwoven bands. If I had to toss all my weaving books and only keep one, this is the one I would keep. Mary Jenkins (known as Mistress Ealasaid nic Suibhne in the Society for Creative Anachronism)
This book is far more interesting than the title would suggest. … The brocaded tabletwoven bands, many with charming patterns, which Nancy Spies discusses and analyses are at the upper end of what must have been a substantial market. She has been indefatigable in searching out and studying as many surviving European examples as possible, dating from the 6th to the 16th century. Linda Woolley, Textile Department, Victoria & Albert Museum
The book arrived in perfect shape and I had it bound by Staples. I have read the first two chapters and am about to start the third. I am thrilled with the book. It reads like a novel that I can't put down. Usually I fall asleep reading but not with this book! Your writing style is exceptional and the research you accomplished is astonishing. I am a very visual person - I learned early on in engineering school that "a picture is worth a thousand words". The drawings and diagrams that accompany the text really solidify your words in my mind. Thank you so much for making this book available electronically. Sara Blauman