Tuesday, December 08, 2009

Update before Christmas



I feel like the I'm the person in the sled in the above postcard. I'm careening down the hill towards Christmas and it's been a fun ride this year, I just hope my sled doesn't overturn. Busy is not even the word to describe the past month and the next few weeks ahead.

Our son, Nick arrived home from Savannah at the end of his fall quarter in time for Thanksgiving which we spent in Mexico with my husband's sister,her husband and my mother-in-law. Here's my husband, David, fishing on Thanksgiving Day:


Maggie wasn't with us this year and spent her first Thanksgiving away from home in Seattle.After that nice peaceful Thanksgiving we arrived home to do a dedicated purging of clutter,excess junk,clothes and assorted you-name-its that always seem to get put aside "in case we need it someday". Well someday arrived and we didn't need any of it and probably 30 bags later, Goodwill was happy with us. The garbage men weren't. I have to say that even though cleaning is not high on my priority list, the results make me realize how worthwhile it is. It's like a new lease on life.

Maggie will be home in a week with her boyfriend,Noel,for winter break. He is also a Japanese major, like her, and we think they make for a really cute couple and are excited to meet him. We are planning another 2 night trip to Mexico and all the usual Tucson tourist attractions such as San Xavier Mission and a whirlwind tour of Maggie's childhood places (should take 30 minutes tops), preschool, grade school, high school, dance studio? 19 years worth in record time.


I was asked to design a piece for Mother's Day for Just Cross Stitch and I'm almost done stitching it. I was having a designing block and it was just the inspiration I needed to get going again. Now I have ideas for a few more things but they'll have to wait until after New Year's since I am devoting the rest of the month to family and kids. Having my children gone has been one of the hardest episodes in my life but also one of the happiest to see them blossom and grow.

I want to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and hope you have a blessed New Year. Oh, thought you might enjoy a photo of the state park near our home.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Some more designs

Me & You Sampler


Her Majesty


Gentle Thoughts 2 (next 2 designs in one chart)



Heart's Peace

Question?



And a close-up...



Does anyone have an interest in my releasing this design? I call it "Seven Sins & Seven Virtues". It's stuck on the hard drive of my old computer and I can retrieve it but I don't know if it is worth the hassle. Let me know if this is a design that you might collect or even stitch. Thanks!

Wednesday, November 04, 2009

WOW!







I'll say it again, wow! Olga has these and more photos posted in her blog here

This is my Stitching Treasures piece from the October issue of The Gift of Stitching magazine. I think the pink gingham fabric was inspired, sure wish I had thought of it and I love the little sunflower pincushion. Thanks Olga so much for sharing, you did a fabulous job!

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Two new designs











The above are 2 new designs. The first 2 are in one chart packet and I'm calling them "Gentle Thoughts". They use 32 ct Antique Ivory linen. The scans look different but in person they are the same fabric.

The 2nd design is the "Singing Bird Stitching Pocket", once again finished by the fabulous Deb Hunter of Artistic Needle. Instructions for assembly are included and the threads are from The Threadgatherer's Silk 'n Colors line. This piece uses 32 ct Antique White linen.

I have a couple more designs to release (including Gentle Thoughts 2) plus the promised family record sampler. It's totally ridiculous that I have stalled on getting that piece finished and it's all due to stitching my dad's name under the willow tree. I seem to be having a mental block about doing that but it will be done very soon, just have to bite the bullet and get stitching.

Friday, October 23, 2009

These are fun






I saw these recently and thought they were fun. I wonder if it was common for cross stitch to be used on postcards? I imagine these are early 20th Century. Anyone want to stitch one?

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Stitching Treasures



I'd completely forgotten about this until I got my email this morning. It looks like Kirsten did a great job with the finishing, I'm so please with how it turned out and the step by step photos for the finishing job are great.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Joy



This was my design for the Just Cross Stitch annual Christmas Ornament issue this year. Now I'm trying to think of ideas for next year. If you have any, just leave a comment, thanks!

I found this and am not sure who stitched it but it's my design from the 2008 issue, I love how Deb finished this piece.

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Vintage needlework graphics




I love these.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Antique Sampler Verses


I've collected sampler verses for quite a while now and thought I'd share a few. Do I know where they came from or what year or what sampler, no I don't. I just collect the verses and not the particulars. Enjoy!

"Fragrant the rose is but it fades in time. The violet sweet but quickly past the prime. White lilies hang their heads and soon decay and whiter snow in minutes melts away. You whose fond wishes do to heaven aspire who make those blest abodes your sole desire. If you are wise and hope that blest to gain...use well your time live not an hour in vain. Let not the morrow your vain thoughts employ...But think this day the last you shall enjoy."

"His Purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour,
The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower."


"The Lord is just in all his ways
And holy is his works each one
He is near to all that on him call
Who call in truth on him alone"


"All our gaity is vain
All our laughter is but pain
Lasting only and divine
Is an innocence like thine."


"Do you wish to be rich: be industrious and frugal
Do you wish to be healthy: be active, sober, and temperate
Do you wish to be happy both here and hereafter: study
your Bible and do what it teaches you. God is my friend
My son if sinners entice thee, consent thou not."

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Sampler theme box of drawers



This is an idea I was excited to try though in the end my execution of it is only so-so.

This is a Countdown Calendar from Karen Foster Design You can do a google search to find a place to buy one if you are at all interested in doing something like this. They are about $20 but I've seen them a bit lower on some websites. I have seen these made for with Christmas and Halloween themes to help children countdown to the holiday. You can insert little treats and trinkets in the drawers.

I thought I'd make one with a sampler theme and maybe keep charms and buttons and any other small item in the drawers. So here are my warnings if you decide to try this yourself.

First, the box is made of slick white cardboard. It took me 3 days to get the piece painted because unlike regular flat cardboard, the paint needed many layers of coverage. Very frustrating when you want to get onto the fun part. The tiny edges in between the drawers do not take paint well at all and I finally said "enough with this, it will have to do". Thus the coverage isn't perfect.

Second you need to paint the drawer fronts or else have a bit bigger template for the paper coverings as the white will show if you don't paint them. The drawers are equally as frustrating to paint as the box.

Third, you need to notch the paper to bend it around the half circle drawer pulls. I was advised to buy a circle punch but unfortunately it is very, very difficult to figure out where exactly to place the punch so that a half circle forms rather than a full circle so I ditched the punch and did the notching. However, gluing the little ends of paper to the back proved difficult as there wasn't much to work with. I would cut the top of the paper larger next time in order to have more to work with in order to make the half circles more regular.

I plan to try another little box piece but using small matchboxes, 8 sets of 3 stacked in a pattern and I will post it when/if I get it done. I do know the regular cheap matchboxes take the paint much, much better than the slick surface of the countdown calendar. My other thought for the calendar is to cover the side and back surfaces with paper instead of paint but that could present a whole new set of problems.
Good luck, I would love to see any that you might produce!

Friday, September 18, 2009

Teach Me Samplers











I love comparing antique samplers that have the same verse. The samplers above all are stitched with "Teach me to feel another's woe To hide the fault I see That mercy I to others show That mercy show to me".

It's interesting to see how each stitcher illustrated a verse to their own liking. If you like looking at old samplers be sure and visit Needlework Antiques where they have a gallery of antique samplers.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

~Good luck Nick~



Just wanted to say good luck to my son who has gone to Savannah to finish up his BFA as a transfer student at Savannah College of Art and Design. We are so proud of him but will miss him very much. He thinks he'll like the humidity after years of the Arizona "dry heat" but I think the next picture makes me wonder about that assertion, he looks a tad bit miserable,lol.





On another note, how would you like to have an historic lighthouse in your backyard? This is the front of the house, you can see the base of the lighthouse through the trees.


And look what you see going around to the back of the house. Those trees are in their backyard. Unfortunately, it is not a lighthouse open to the public and is surrounded by a fence on US Coast Guard property. This is Amelia Island in Florida and we stayed there a couple days for a little getaway. It's a lovely little place with an historic downtown.

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

A small preview



I thought I'd show you a small piece (and the only over one part) of my new Family Record Sampler. I've done it all in pale greens/browns with a hint of pale pink, purple and yellow. It has a house, a willow tree, birds, some flowers and of course an area to write in all your family info, names, birth dates etc. I've made it without an elaborate border so that it can be adjusted to fit as many names and dates as you wish. I have a very small amount left to stitch and then I plan to release it. Thanks for looking!

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Blessed Harvest




Here's another new release, Blessed Harvest. Well, as you can see by the date, it's not THAT new, in fact, I've had nothing but problems releasing this in a timely manner the past few years. I couldn't seem to coordinate it with a fall release or else I'd forget about having it on hold. So finally, it's out with a corrected date on the actual chart.

We've been busy this past month taking DD to Seattle to start her freshman year of college. She seems to be adjusting very well (knock on wood) and we were impressed with the city, it was gorgeous and we loved the fact that getting into a car didn't involve getting burned on a steering wheel or driving miles before it would get cool inside.


Nest week it's Savannah to deposit our son and then empty nest reigns! So far, so good.

Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Cottage Pinkeep Sampler



First I would like to say thank you to all who have participated in the Angel in my Pocket project as seen below. I so appreciate each and everyone's donation. I have not yet sent everything off to Peggy yet but will be doing so this week.

Next, I have another new sampler I'm calling Cottage Pinkeep Sampler. Bascially, each of the 9 squares in this sampler can be made into a little pinkeep as seen above. The piece uses 32 ct Antique White and all Anchor threads. I hope you enjoy it.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Simple Pleasures and Friendship Pocket



The above is Simple Pleasures stitched on 32 ct Antique Ivory from Zweigart. Below is Friendship Pocket on 40 ct Vintage Examplar from Lakeside Linens. They are off to the distributors this week. Can anyone spot the cat hair? LOL

Saturday, June 20, 2009

2 new designs and more to come



The above design is "Garden Angels" and is stitched on 32 ct Antique Ivory using Gentle Arts floss. The one below is "Strawberries for Ewe" stitched on either 28 or 30 ct Korty's Special Blend from R&R and uses Crescent Colours threads. I'll be sending these out to the distributors next week.



I have several more new designs including new stitching pockets coming out soon. Thank you to all who read my blog, I appreciate all the comments.

Friday, April 24, 2009

A few more offerings








Well, I don't know what got into me but I've been a stitching fiend for the past few weeks and have produced some new designs. The first is hot off the iron as of an hour ago and I don't have a name for it (any ideas?) but I absolutely enjoyed every stitch! It only took me 3 1/2 days to stitch and I love the colors if I do say so myself. I used a bunch of new Gentle Arts Shaker threads.

The second piece was finished for me by Deb Hunter and has the oh-so creative name of "Remember Me Stitching Pocket", lol. Deb always does such a fantastic job of finshing and I highly recommend her. You can contact her at artisticneedle@swbell.net

The third piece I'm calling "A Patriot's Sampler". I like to do a patriotic piece each summer and this one grew and grew, too many good quotes out there! I hope you'll like them and they should be out within a couple weeks.

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