Not
a few needlework shop owners share a common thread - they launched
their businesses because they could not readily obtain the supplies
they needed. With this realization, a window of opportunity was
opened and a brand new life and career begun. Rosemary Sharman,
(shown in photo right) owner of The Country Cross-Stitcher,
is just such a visionary entrepreneur.
Her own ardor for needlework dates back to her youth at a convent
school. The nuns, who embroidered the altar cloths and vestments,
considered stitching to be an important skill to acquire. As
teachers, they had a reputation for exacting perfection and work
which did not "pass muster," had to be redone. These
strict standards were an asset to Rosemary, because they clearly
revealed her talent with needle and thread. She recalls: "To
be truthful, it was the only subject I ever excelled in."
After Rosemary married and and started a family, her idea of
a good day off, was to attend stitching workshops. She mastered
many techniques and discovered that she reveled in sharing her
skills with others. She was, and still is, an avid gardener.
Her specialty is fuchsias and upon returning home from work,
her first stop is the greenhouse.
Rosemary's
adventure began modestly as a small club in her home where she
offered a range of supplies to fellow stitchers. It was soon
apparent that most of them had been just as frustrated as she
was. In response, Rosemary began to look for a place to open
a bona fide store. The location she chose is a lovely historic
building in the Georgian village of Woburn and The Country Cross-
Stitcher made its official debut in March, 1993. Rosemary intuitively
felt that Woburn was just the right spot; the closest other shop
is over an hour away and the town is a favorite stop for tourists.
It also boasts many other specialty shops and an enticing Antique
Center. An annual event, when the town really comes into its
own, is the Oyster Festival. Trust to the eccentric British to
hold a fair devoted to shellfish in a town 150 miles from the
sea!
When
Rosemary discovered that in the 1800's her shop had been the
home to the village seamstress and that during the Victorian
Era it had functioned as a women's workhouse, her intuition was
confirmed. Her store was right in keeping with tradition. The
space inside is defined by hand-hewn beams of oak and features
a wonderful Inglenook fireplace - a massive open brick hearth
which forms the perfect enclosure for needlework displays. The
store stocks an incredible array of fabrics, threads, books,
charts and items designed to accentuate needlework: pill boxes,
brooches, footstools and even fire screens. Rosemary scours the
globe to unearth whatever is just "that little bit different."
And it is just that little bit that makes all the
difference. Take, for example, her specially themed fabric collection.
For Halloween there were patterns with bats, jack-o-lanterns,
spooks and witches astride their brooms. Especially dramatic
was some material of a deep ink-black hue with an overlay of
silken spider webs interspersed with stars in raised metallic
silver. Another off-beat find is a collection of embellishments
with garden motifs: watering can, horn of plenty, stenciled basket
and flower pots of all sorts. These can be used as buttons or
as other decorative accents where a bit of whimsy is just the
thing.
Using
her natural aptitude for teaching, Rosemary instituted a series
of workshops. Until recently, these were held in the basement,
but they became so popular that Rosemary needed to find a more
commodious space. Fate smiled again and The Woburn School of
Needlework was established in a cottage directly opposite the
shop last fall. Classes taught cover all levels of skill and
strong emphasis is placed on the pleasure of stitching as well
as technique. Rosemary stresses: "Our aim...is to let our
students learn what a joy it is to create something that one
day will be an heirloom." The teaching staff, headed by
Stephanie Burnham, offered 79 different workshops for the Autumn
season alone. Guest teachers are frequent contributors and Rosemary
extends an open invitation to all interested needlework instructors.
Each
Easter, a large marquee is set up on the grounds of the Bell
Hotel. For the gala 1999 exhibition, Rosemary is hosting "The
Best of the British." Exhibitors will include Heritage which
specializes in English wildlife, country scenes and popular landmarks.
Their current best-seller features the Titanic. Brenda Keyes
of The Sampler Company will display her line of traditional 17th
and 18th century band samplers. Carol Tinson Designs (featured
in our Designer Spotlight this month) will introduce her exclusively
commissioned "Millennium Sampler" and Textile Heritage
will offer their unique sets of matching bookmarks, needle and
spectacle cases decorated with lighthouses, London taxis, topiary
gardens and other typically English motifs.
At
last year's show The Country Cross-Stitcher "went Dutch"
and even though floods raged and freezing temperatures prevailed,
the exhibitors' and attendees' enthusiasm carried the day. All
spirits were undiminished except those of Rosemary's husband,
who was enlisted to spend the night of the deluge, under the
canopy, in order to safeguard the stock!
When in the area, Rosemary suggests you check out Woburn Abbey,
the stately ancestral home of the Marquis and Marchioness of
Tavistock. Lady Tavistock is an experienced tapestry stitcher
whose work graces the walls of this resplendent abode. The Abbey
is set in a charming landscape, dotted with lakes, where black
swans glide majestically across the waters. The picturesque parklands
encompass a magnificent rhododendron garden and many rare trees,
providing a habitat for several breeds of deer. The Country Cross-Stitcher
offers a custom designed needlepoint canvas spotlighting the
Abbey and also carries a blackwork piece, The Woburn Sampler,
which depicts the village's cobblestone lanes, enchanting cottages
and decorative ironwork. Both of these designs are exclusive
to the Country Cross Stitcher.
Among her 9 employees Rosemary encourages teamwork. Her exuberant
personality stimulates the lighthearted and harmonious atmosphere
which prevails. Rosemary's current focus is on the shop, occasionally
"pinch-hitting" as teacher. She refers to herself as
the "Ideas Girl." Her favorite projects employ cross
stitch and Florentine (bargello) techniques and she gravitates
toward experimenting with textural fibers and unusual threads
when designing.
The
Country Cross-Stitcher benefits from the involvement of several
other family members. John, her husband, is a prior bank manager
who now oversees their ever expanding mail order business. Son,
David, while studying business at the University, is the family
computer expert and the creator of the shop website, affirming
their commitment to providing anything cross stitch addicts
world-wide, could possibly want. Rounding out the clan is Amanda
who is training as a dietician, and Mark, who has managed to
integrate his job at Mercedes-Benz with his own consuming passion
for cars. Rosemary's children, one and all, concur that they
have never known their mother not to have a needle in
her hand. In response, Rosemary grins sheepishly and succinctly
avows: "I think that says it all about me!"
The Country Cross-Stitcher is located at 19 Bedford Street, Woburn,
Bedfordshire, MK17 9QB
Hours : Monday to Saturday 10:00 am to 5:30 pm and Sunday 11:00
am to 5:30 pm
Phone : 01525-290070
Fax: : 01525-290072
E mail : ccswoburn@btinternet.com
Website: http://ww.btinternet.com/~ccswoburn.web
