Needlework System 4 Floor Stand

Well, this year Brian was a little un-inspired about what to get me for my birthday so he asked me. Originally my fist response was a serger. I'm not entirely sure which one though and recent events made me realize I hate sewing here (no room for it and the living room is super uncomfortable for it) so I'd rather wait till we got back to the states to deal with either an upgraded sewing machine or a serger.

So... what to get me, what to get me? I'm admittedly a somewhat hard person to shop for. Normally if I want something I just buy it. There's not a whole lot of stuff I can't afford right away or feel weird dropping so much on all at once. The Janet Arnold book 'Queen Elizabeth's Wardrobe Unlock'D' at $188 USED fits into that particular category. I've never paid more than $40 for a book that wasn't a textbook.

Anyway, I eventually decided on a cross-stitch floor frame. I already own the Sit N Stitch and while it's EXTREMELY well made in my opinion, it's just not conducive to my personal comfort when stitching. I'm very laid back and fold my feet up under me or lay in bed to stitch. The Sit N Stitch is for people that well... sit up... lol. Not really for loungers like me. I also discovered I'm not a huge huge fan of scroll frames either. But for those of you that actually sit up when you stitch and use scroll frames, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the Sit N Stitch. Like I said, well made, the wood is all sanded down and soft so it doesn't scratch you or snag floss and fabric. My only real complaint is that the pattern holder is pretty useless. It didn't really hold single or over-sized pattern sheets very well and only worked with a small paperback pattern book I had. I did think the small magnet to hold stray needles was a nice touch though.

So the quest was on to find a floor frame I liked since lap frames just don't seem to be for me. I wanted something stable and not likely to tip over, easy to adjust but would still hold its place once set in position, nothing that took up a huge amount of space or was easily folded up and put away, one that would work with my new love for Q-Snaps, and on and on and on. Like I said... "picky". ^_^

I came across this blog review on Needle'n Thread.com for the Needlework System 4 Floor Stand and was just amazed at the glowing review and close-up photos and video to back it up. It's seriously P-E-R-F-E-C-T for my needs! A little pricey but nothing we can't handle in the budget (especially for an auspicious occasion like a birthday ;) ). Thanks to a fabulous stitcher who answered my plea for help on figuring out where to buy one on the HAED forum, I found what appears to be a legit website/store willing to ship to me overseas. Brian allowed me to call Pocket Full of Stitches since I was so excited to order it. They were super friendly and helpful over the phone, even with my calling just before closing because of the weird time zone difference between Texas and Italy. They're currently out of stock but have ordered it for me and will ship it out ASAP once they have it.

I'm so giddy-happy to get it and love Brian to tears for allowing me to spend $350+ on what basically amount to a few metal bits welded together. Then again, he just spent $800+ on an SCA helm which is a few metal bits welded together too so maybe he knows how I feel. ^_^

I'll be sure to post more reviews and photos once I get it too.