She doesn’t know it, but Jane Zimmerman was one of the first needlepoint people I heard about when I moved to California in 1980. My house was, providentially for me, just up the street from a needlepoint store called The Crewel World. Jane taught there for many years.
I remember seeing her stunningly gorgeous teaching pieces on display and wishing I had time and money to take them.
Besides being a whiz at stitching, Jane has an encyclopedic knowledge of the history of needlework. I know how much research and detective work this had to encompass because everytime I try it, my eyes cross.
Now she has opened a wonderful website so we can share he knowledge, and enjoy her books and designs.
Jane no longer travels to teach but she is doing Cyberclasses, with one currently available through the Shining Needle Society. You can also buy kits and projects through the site (specials are on the What’s new page).
Are you looking for comprehensive stitch dictionaries? She has the first two volumes of her encyclopedia available to order on the site, with two more volumes still to come.
But where she really shines is in the information she is so generously sharing with the needlework community. She’s beginning her Needlework History with sections on Medieval Or Nué and Medieval Embroidery.
And she will be adding sections on needlework techniques and stitches in the next year. Currently the technique section has some great articles about doing Or Nué today.
And, for a change of pace, it you want to laugh go to Tickle My Fancy and look at the section on over the top grooming. I laughed till I cried.
Thanks, Jane for a great site!
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Without doubt, Jane Zimmerman was an excellent teacher. Was fortunate to have taken some of her needlework classes ages ago, In fact, the first needlepoint and crewel embroidery classes were taken with Jane as the teacher. Sadly read that Jane died several months ago. Her knowledge, books and patience will always be with me.