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As seen in the Sept. 2001 issue of Needle Pointers magazine, a publication of the American Needlepoint Guild, Inc. Written by Sandy Rodgers (see bio below article).

The Countess Collection

The right tools not only make our finished needlepoint look better, they also make our stitching time more enjoyable.

A needle stay, for instance, can keep your needles, threaded or not, in place on your canvas. And while we don't always need a needle threader, sometimes they're just the ticket for avoiding the aggravation of a pesky thread with a mind of its own. A catcher can snag those short tails and help anchor them securely. And as for a thread or stitch counter, they're real lifesavers.

True to its slogan - "Providing the newest innovations in needlework tools - Needleworks! markets tools that are some of the most beautiful, functional, and creative I've ever seen. Their Countess Collection combines precision-made needlepoint tools with exquisite beads and colors.

My set of Countess Collection tools features beads that have a green background with rose and blue-gold cloisonné. The scissor fob has an oblong bead in the cloisonné pattern, then a large round gold bead, a larger and wider oblong bead followed by another round gold one, and at the end is a delightful heart-shaped bead that repeats the cloisonné theme of the other two. Each of the tools in the Countess Collection has a slightly different arrangement of beads, all of which are in matching colors or patterns. For instance, my stitch counter has a green cloisonné oblong bead, a small gold one, and then a larger heart-shaped one. The needle stay is in sterling silver with a green stone. I know, I can just hear some of you. The silver doesn't match the gold of the cloisonné, but, well, I just fell in love with it.

You don't like green cloisonné, you say? Well, how about black cloisonné? Or, for those who don't care for cloisonné, how about beads in blue and aqua? Or perhaps antique gold, pink crystal, or vintage garnet. The list of colors and designs goes on and on.

Needleworks! didn't forget the many male stitchers among us when they created the Countess Collection, either. They have a wonderful brown or turquoise stone collection that has a more masculine look. How about a gift for that special youngster who's just beginning to stitch? Needleworks! has something for them, too. They present a collection of three pieces (needle threader, thread catcher, and scissor fob) in dazzling colors and sized to fit small hands.

Check out the Countess Collection. I think you'll like its tools as much as I do.

Sandy Rodgers is an internationally recognized embroidery teacher, lecturer, designer, author, and judge. She is an ANG Senior Master Teacher, NAN Certified Judge, EGA Certified Teacher, Master Craftsman in Canvas, and the third EGA Graduate Teacher. Author of four nationally acclaimed books, Expanded Edition Silk and Metal Threads on Canvas, The Art of Teaching Embroidery, Needlework Tips for the Novice and Expert, and MORE Needlework Tips for the Novice and Expert, her articles are frequently published in ANG "Needle Pointers," and EGA "Needle Arts," she wrote for EAC's "Embroidery Canada," and she currently writes a regular column in ANG's Needle Pointers. She has written and taught a total of nine correspondence courses for ANG and EGA. Sandy teaches and judges extensively for seminars, chapters, and shops throughout the country, and is highly respected by her students and peers for her embroidery knowledge and teaching skills.