31 days to Build a Better Blog, Day 5, Discovery of the Manbroiderer

Dionne    Feel good stuff, Manbroiderers     aubrey longley - cook, contemporary design, gentlemen stitchers, manbroiderer, mr x stitch

Yes, I know.  Those of you who registered back in February would remember my falling off the wagon on day 3!  Oh dear.  Well I have a 66% improvement rating so far.  I have joined a female blogging group, and having to report in appears to have made me somewhat more accountable. 

I have avoided other needlecraft blogs other than the designers we stock in an attempt to develop my own voice rather than become a me too.  However, yesterdays task of analysing another blog in my niche led to the discovery of 3 things, Mr X Stitch, we have an organic search ranking of 4th (OMG I am so excited! especially after only 5 months) and Manbroiderers, who knew that was even a word.  I knew they existed.  It is just that we refer to them as gentlemen stitchers.

Mr X Stitch features some very cool, out there stuff in mixed media, and contemporary design with traditional needlecraft techniques.  They feature amazing work by talented individuals who are “pushing the boundries of the threadiverse; people who make amazing art using the power of stitch”.  Completely outside the boundries of my imagination but I love what they are doing.  I really like the way they are giving contemporary relevance to traditional needlecraft, broadening the appeal to a new generation of stitchers.

Now for my favourite Manbroiderer!  I have not examined the total universe, but my research for yesterday unearthed (thanks to Mr X Stitch) Aubrey Longley – Cook.  Loving Runaway and Running Backwards, not sure which way round I like it best.  Our male partners of stitchers are always a little dubious when asked if they stitch.  They usually straighten up, and are a little pleased with themselves when we inform them that we really don’t ever see bad stitching from men.  It is always very precise, maybe it is due to the mathematical approach men appear to take with stitching.  There does not appear to be one particular type of needlecraft that draws men as a whole, however they usually pick one and excel at their chosen form.  Of course, like every generalisation there are exceptions and some have taken to needlecraft like a duck to water and excel at everything!