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Advertisements - and DetailsI was very interested to read your article 'Take a Letter' and the review of the Designer I machine. They are timely in that although I am currently having to come to terms with a PC in place of the Mac that died, I am also thinking about a new sewing machine (my 1630 is now over five years old and I do work it hard). Your description of the different ways to use the letter A was interesting and, most of all, the photographs were very tempting. However, I do object to the way in which sewing machine manufacturers show dreadful motifs on domestic linen. I don't usually hop onto the feminist bandwagon but this really does downgrade embroidery to the 'good little home-maker' status. I don't doubt that they have done their market research and that the advertisements 'sell' from the pages of some publications but, for all our sakes, can you not persuade them to use something more suitable for your readers?
My other point brings together the article about the Fabrications group with that of Alison King. When I looked at the first three photographs, which gave very readable detail and were very interesting, I wanted to see the whole piece; looking at the size was some help but not enough. Would it be possible, on such occasions, to print a thumb nail photo of the whole? It felt to me that you were leading us into the trap outlined by Alison King when she talked about embroiderers as people who first 'peer closely at the surface'.
Barbara Howell
Henllan, Denbigh
Ed: Barbara is quite right in her final paragraph and I have adapted the commissioning letter to cover it.