History
Stitches Unlimited has been supplying cross stitch in Durban, South Africa, since 1987. From very humble and small beginnings, the shop has grown and developed to serve the local stitching communities' needs.
I first started selling cross stitch when I realized that it was not available anywhere in Durban. My primary motive, initially, was to get hold of the beautiful Paula Vaughan pictures that I had seen for myself!. I imported a few patterns and word soon got out that I had some supplies which I was selling from a box in my lounge.
Since then, the shop moved to it's own home. And we are thrilled to
still be able to satisfy customers who have been with us from those
early days.
The Shop Today
Since this picture
was taken, the shop has moved. We are now housed in the glass cottage in the grounds of my home but still retain our stock and the days on which we trade.
A Bit About Me
Having trained as a high school mathematics teacher, I was always drawn to composition, symmetry and logic. On giving up my teaching post to have my first child, I came across a friend who had just started stitching. I was visually hooked! The only problem was that there was little or no cross-stitch available. Desperate for supplies, I set out to find them and the rest is history.
I have stitched frantically for the past 14 years progressing from my first aidas to finer and finer linens. As my love for the medium grew, so did my interest in owning the original thing. As my sister lives in London, I was fortunate to be able to travel and there I began my search for antique samplers and books which could tell me more about them. I now own about 15, the earliest of which was a valued find of a 1727 sampler stitched by an 8 year old. The fine work is amazing and having a daughter of 11 years of age, I appreciate the commitment and skill which this young stitcher showed in producing her sampler.
Over the years I was constantly being asked to teach the various sampler stitches, but couldn't find a sampler simple enough but containing enough new stitches to be easily taught. I therefore developed the Band Sampler which contains the traditional sampler colours (dusty blues, reds and greens) and which aside from cross-stitch contains 8 other sampler stitches.
One day, having searched for samplers
in museums in Europe, I decided to see if there was anything available
locally. To my delight I found that there were samplers, but that
they were all in storage. The curator of the museum was fascinated
with my research and kindly allowed me to copy one of the the samplers
there, the Maria Bethell Sampler. Based on my knowledge of samplers,
she also asked me to curate an exhibition of the museum's samplers, but
unfortunately there are no funds at present to allow this to be done. It
took more than a year to bring the Bethell sampler from the point of finding
it to finally producing the kit form. But I was hooked once again.
This time on designing both original and reproduction samplers.
Happy Stitching
Brenda