Needlework book distribution in North America

I don't want to be a wet blanket but with all the books one can order online today, just about anything, new or used perhaps that would amount to impossible competition for a smaller outfit.

I do know once you get into importing, exporting etc. there are many hours to be spent form filling and lots of frustration.

I read Sheena's post and agree somewhat with her conclusions.

I would contact Ruth Kern and just be honest about it. Tell her what you've just told us.

I'm wondering which Italian teacher. I know that Stefania was trying to get another teacher's book on drawn thread available in the U.S. I would have loved to get my hands on it.

Dianne

Jean> Before I say anything else, this is NOT meant to be a solicitation of

I agree in part as well - I was thinking though that the Italian techniques would be what sells but she seems to have sprinkled those in with other traditional embroidery techniques. The teacher is Liliana Babbi Cappelletti. I know that Stefania creates the illustrations for her column in RAKAM. Unfortunately Stefi has been offline since last spring due to moving into a new house and is still without a land line for internet access so I can't ask her if this is the same one. Do you know the name by chance Dianne?

Jean> I read Sheena's post and agree somewhat with her conclusions.

I wish I remembered her name. I think it was Marie something or other. That's why I asked. Sorry I can't be of more help. My memory just isn't what it used to be.

I know that I am always looking for quality books on embroidery from their native authorities, or one who has studied thoroughly. Some of these European techniques are "gems" and simply not available to us. It's why I appreciated Yvette's book on Mountmellick, and Fernau's book on Schwalm, which was and is my bible on the subject. I've seen other books from good authorities, but the diagrams leave too much to be desired and are therefore useless to learn from.

Dianne

Jean> I agree in part as well - I was thinking though that the Italian

These books, as I understand it are not "pretty" but very instructional. More for learning than looking. :-)

Many of the books that I have purchased from Italy are as you say, pretty pictures but lacking in the instructions and diagrams. I recently read a debate on this very subject (on an italian message board) and they recognize this. Ethnic embroidery books tend to be pictures of finished work as there are schools available for those who want to learn the techniques in their respective countries. They noted that "English-speaking" countries tend to produce "how-to" books noting everything from choice of fabrics and tools to execution of stitches.

A fellow guild member locally ran into the same thing trying to learn Snutki (a polish technique I believe). The woman she contacted wanted her to sign a document promising that she wouldn't show anyone the instructions sent to her and wouldn't teach the technique to anyone else either - not being properly schooled (in their opinion). There are justifications to this way of thinking (proper technique, loss of revenue, rampant copyright violations, etc.) but it makes it hard to actually learn the techniques if you are not able to travel to the various countries and schools to learn. :-(

I have noticed a few italian embroidery books lately have been either published with a separate booklet in english or have the english (and sometimes french) side-by-side with the italian instructions. Many times however, the english translation isn't the greatest. These books are largely self-published so there isn't much of a budget for extras.

Another barrier is method of payment. Italians don't use credit cards like we do - they use bank transfers. I don't know about in the States, but my bank wants an outrageous sum just to *do* a bank transfer to a European country. Bank drafts or money orders are the compromise but are bothersome to obtain for the buyer and service-charged for cashing at the other end resulting in a higher prices for the book. I don't even want to start talking about shipping!

Whew, didn't mean to go off on a tangent. Anyway - it seems the world grows smaller but not easier. ;-)

I have been meaning to write Stefi a (gasp!) snail mail letter, maybe I'll finally do it and ask about this author. She seems to be advancing quite well in her embroidery career. I see her name (and picture!) in RAKAM often and I believe she's teaching embroidery in Milan.

Jeanine in Canada

Dianne Lewandowski wrote:

I have never had anyone refuse a Money Order which can be obtained at any Canadian bank, nor have I ever heard of a service charge at the other end. I might add I get Money Orders practically every week (for a friend laid low by MS who deals in stamps) and they are quick to obtain and easy for the recipient to cash. If the recipient is being charged for cashing, something is wrong and they should challenge it. Basically, a Money Order is like cash.

I've never had anyone refuse one, just argue about it. Many of the individuals that I've ordered books from (most often it is the author herself) have claimed that they are charged fees for cashing bank drafts. (This is not just a recent claim but one that has dogged me for years) These days I send bank drafts in euros drawn on the Unicredito in Milan (the ONLY bank in Italy on the list of options at the Royal Bank!!) but I still get complaints. Sometimes they ask for Postal orders instead but I've asked at Canada Post and they don't do postal orders in Euros. I gather that they are not received that often (in Italy) nor if you like, are they done that often here. At least at my branch. I average about one a month and I always have to explain to the clerk at the bank how to do it. Maybe they are missing a vital step?!

Jean>>Another barrier is method of payment. Italians don't use credit cards

I do remember one stupidity and that was at Scotiabank locally. I asked the teller (who looked very young and had in fact just started) for a Money Order in Australian Dollars. After some time she returned with a Euro Money Order. I told her that it was of no use to me and she explained that they no longer used Dollars, only Euros. That's when it dropped with me she was thinking Austria - when I asked she said "Well it's all the same isn't it ? Australia/Austria ?" I told her she would be well advised not to say that to an Australian anyway lol

I have had bank drafts made out in Australian funds, which cost $25 in bank fees. I have also wired money, and that cost $40. Depending upon what you are trying to accomplish, it can be difficult and/or expensive. I have had the same complaint in Italy about the high cost of cashing a check/draft.

Dianne

There is also the option of Paypal. While most people pay for Paypal payments through their credit cards, I believe that you can also use your bank account - probably depends on the country you are in though.

You don't need to be operating an auction to accept Paypal payments. You can set it up to work for websites and even emails.

And as an Australian, yes Austrians are lovely people I'm sure, but I am not an Austrian... :-) There is no Vienna Boys Choir in Sydney...

Yvette Stanton Vetty Creations, Australia

of "Elegant Hardanger Embroidery" 2002, 2005 and "MountmellickEmbroidery: Inspired by Nature" 2004

Well I can only reiterate that a Canadian Money Order, drawn on a Canadian bank is virtually cash. The advantage is that it can only be cashed by the person who's name appears on it. Mine cost me nothing, they are part of my banks service and I have never heard of anyone being charged for cashing one.

When I think about it, Italy is about the only country that Ginny has not purchased stamps from, so maybe it has everything to do with them. All I can say is they should protest a fee being levied on a Money Order. I certainly would drop on my bank if it tried to charge me for depositing a Money Order from somewhere else.

I think I sent Pat Porter a Money Order - perhaps she can speak to this and what happened when she cashed it.

Geography in my day meant learning about countries other than your own. What their exports, trades, farming, climate, politics, you name it, were like. You also learned where you would find same country on a map of the world. How long one spent learning about any one country was skewed a bit towards the size and importance, on the world stage, of any country, but it was very thorough. Except for African countries which can change and alter names extremely fast, geography learned in my day still stands me in excellent stead today.

Then again, I don't really give a rat's ass what they call classes today, they seem to change that every year, I just wish they would teach the kids something worthwhile.

That is really too bad. As a teacher of ethnic needlework, I have to spend an incredible amount of time trying to master specific techniques (two years, on average.) IMHO, when information on a technique becomes so protected, the only place it eventually will end up in is a museum.

From my perspective, I'd love to have the techniques I teach become a part of the contemporary needleworker's vocabulary. That's the only way they can live again.

Phyllis Maurer

Could be different policies from one bank to the next. I used to bank somewhere that charged me $10 to deposit a foreign check, even one written in US$. My current bank charges no fee.

The last time I had a money order from Canada, the bank charged me $12 to process it. Since the MO was for $15, it hardly seemed worth it.

Elizabeth

I was in Vienna for 9 months in 1983-84 and quite a bit of my parents' mail to me arrived late and marked "received, Sydney."

Elizabeth