The Barberry Row Blog: February 2021

AN ARTIST

When you buy
from an independent
artist
you are buying
more than just
a painting or a novel
or a song.

A needlework designer
is also an artist,
therefore you are
purchasing
more than
a needlework design.

You are buying
hours and hours
of experimentation
and hours of changes
which often have involved
removal of stitches
worked and then
reworking them
in a different colour
and/or changing
a stitch position
or choosing
another stitch entirely.

You are buying days,
weeks
and months of time
that has been tinged
with both frustration
and a deep satisfying
peace and contentment.

You aren’t buying
a thing,
you are buying
a piece
of the artist’s heart
and soul,
but also
rewarding them
for the gift of peace,
pleasure, contentment
and relaxation
as you stitch their design.

And
- most importantly -
you are buying the
artist / designer
more time to do
what they love to do
and are
passionate about

- that is -
design and create
beautiful
needlework pieces
for you to stitch.

At the moment
we are in the process
of restoring a
123 year old villa.

This lovely old home
we had moved
(in 3 pieces)
from the city of Hastings
on to a neglected apple orchard
located at Pakowhai -
in the country between the cities
of Hastings & Napier
in the beautiful Hawkes Bay
area of New Zealand.

We have had
a major project
on our hands
as we have
endeavoured
to restore
the old house
to its former glory
and the orchard
into full production
and landscape the property
with trees
and gardens.
Still not completed,
but "getting" there.

An addition
to the house
has begun -
this area to be
a needlework showroom
and product display area,
but until the
new building
has been completed,
the
Needlework Gallery
~ Heirlooms ~
is situated in one
of the rooms
in the house,
plus there are
many finished
needlework pieces
on display
throughout the house.

Visitors are welcome
to wander
through the house
at their leisure.

Six weeks prior
to Christmas,
most rooms
in the house
are decorated
with wonderful Christmas
products to purchase
and with Christmas
needlework pieces
to inspire you to stitch
some pieces
for your own home
or to give as a gift
to someone special.

If it is possible
for you to visit,
you would be
most welcome
and I would
be pleased
to meet you
and spend
some time with you.

A friend or two
would also be most welcome.

Gallery Hours:
Fridays ~ 10am - 4pm
(or By Appointment)

Groups
are specially
catered for
by arrangement.

Morning
Afternoon
or
Evening

As a child I began knitting and sewing - just like my mum - and she taught me how to fancy work (embroider designs that had been traced/printed on to linen) and finish the pieces with crochet edgings. By my early teens I had many finished pieces safely stored in my glorybox in preparation for the day when
I would be married and set up a home.
I was twenty years of age when I married Keith (after almost 5 years of courtship) and by the age of twenty three we had two lovely children - Melissa & Rodney.

Days were spent ideally taking care of my home and family and knitting and sewing all clothes for myself and the children. However, as the children reached their teenage years, they wanted to wear "designer label" clothes and so my hands once again returned to needlework, mainly counted thread work - cross stitch pieces or pieces incorporating decorative stitches with cross stitch. After 17 years of being a stay-at-home mum,
I opened a little shop (naming it Expressions) selling special greeting cards and gifts and after a few months, in a corner of the shop,
I set up a needlework area and began teaching classes.
I can still vividly remember the day
I read a magazine article on the very first Spirit of Cross Stitch Festival that was to be held in the U.S.A. and saying to my husband, Keith, "I'd love to go to that", and in March 1993 my dream became a reality as I attended the Spirit of Cross Stitch Festival in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina.
I had the most wonderful experience and met so many amazing teachers, designers and needlewomen.

On returning to New Zealand, and after owning it for 5 years,
I sold my shop, as from my overseas experience and from my needlework having become a passion,
I knew my life would never be the same. The following year
I attended my first needlework trade show in Charlotte,
North Carolina and began importing and selling prestigious needlework supplies and designs from my home and by mail order and supplying exclusive New Zealand needlework retailers.

Since that first trip
I have attended needlework trade shows in the States almost every year as a retailer.

Also since that first trip I have been privileged to have attended the Spirit of Cross Stitch Festivals at Des Moines, Iowa and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, also Danish American Days at Lichfield, South Carolina
(as the guest of
Pat Carson of Designs
by Gloria & Pat, Inc.) and spent time there with Ginnie & Ken Thompson and their daughter,
Meg Shinall.
Jyette Harbesgaard was the tutor at Danish American Days and since that time, she and her husband have become really special friends. We had a very special time together one Easter weekend when Jytte & Neils were here in New Zealand a few of years ago.

Latterly my needlework
passion has been touched
by the desire
to design and publish
needlework designs
by myself and other
gifted New Zealand
needlewomen.

The beginnings
of this dream
was realised
with the establishment
of Barberry Row.

In 2013, in addition
to attending
the needlework
trade show
as a retailer,
I attended
as a designer
selling my own
needlework designs
to retailers in the States.

Subsequently
I have exhibited
and sold my designs
to students
and customers
attending the
Celebration of Needlework show,
classes and seminars
at St. Charles, Missouri

I am blessed
and surrounded
with friends and
a wonderful family -
husband, children &
their marriage partners,
and six
lovely grandchildren.

For being able
to follow my heart
and my passion
for needlework,
I am thankful
to my Heavenly Father
and to those
who love me
and support me,
especially my
exceptional
husband, Keith,
and my daughter,
Melissa,
who is an accomplished
needlewoman
and has stitched
many of the pieces
of needlework
that are on display
in the Gallery.

I sincerely thank you
for spending time with me.

Sherelyn

Friday, 19 February 2021

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