Jean Hilton patterns

In today's post, I'd like to address a question just posted as a comment. Jody asked where she could find Jean Hilton patterns. The question is much more easily answered now than a few years ago.

(Disclaimer: I have no financial interest whatsoever in the shop described below - or any other shop, other than giving them my money for more stitching goodness!)

Jean is retired now, but still maintains a fairly active presence on one or two of the needlepoint email lists. She retired after teaching Scottlee only once at an EGA (or was it ANG?) seminar. She was encouraged to teach it again this past summer for a group in Arizona, but to my knowledge, that's all she's taught and/or published in recent years.

I (unfortunately) did not take either class of Scottlee with Jean. My chart came from a stitcher who took the class at seminar, finished the piece, and then posted a picture of her finished piece on a message board or something. I've forgotten where I saw it! Anyway, I emailed the stitcher and asked her if I could purchase her chart. This very generous stitcher gave me her chart. Thanks, Claudia, if you ever read this!

So, that chart is very hard to find. Fortunately, though, many of Jean's other charts aren't so elusive. A couple of years ago, Jean posted on a message board that she wanted to sell the copyrights to her self-published charts, because she didn't want to deal with the hassle of distribution anymore, and hadn't been selling any for a few years. I actually very seriously considered taking it on, and even spoke with Jean about it. In the end, I decided not to do so, because it was a considerable amount of money to tie up in inventory when I didn't yet have a means to sell it, and because I was in the middle of an intensive master's degree program!

The bottom line, though, is that these charts were purchased by an Indiana shop called Stitches from the Heart. They have a website, and you can see and purchase most of Jean's patterns there. Also, your LNS might be willing to order these patterns wholesale (from the same shop), and then you can buy them through the LNS.

For the period of time right after Jean retired, but before the charts were again available, I had pretty good success finding some on eBay. Jean's charts are still posted regularly there, but you have to be cautious, because often the starting price and the shipping add up to more than what you'd pay at the shop.

Good luck choosing your favorite pattern! The next ones on my wish list are the Michigan series: Flint, Dowagiac, Lansing, and Eagle Harbor, though I have many of Jean's patterns in my stash to keep me busy without these! :-)

[Edited to remove some incorrect statements after Jean graciously pointed them out! My apologies, Jean!]