Blue Jeans and Daisies - Part Two Revealed

Part Two of the Mystery Sampler Club is shipping this week - it shipped to Norden Crafts last week and they started shipping to your favorite needlework shops on Monday! I am so excited for you to see the second installment of "Blue Jeans and Daisies"...

For those of you who are not familiar with the Mystery Sampler Club - let me quickly catch you up to speed...
You have to sign up with your favorite needlework shop (you can only get it through a needlework shop - your shop of choice - LNS or ONS) - they will have all the details for the program...and before you comment/post/email "I don't have a local needlework shop" - contact the shop where you purchase your stitching stash (charts and supplies)...it can be a local shop OR an online needlework shop...OR visit the "Locate" page on my website for a list of shops that will be able to assist you.  There will be three parts to the "mystery sampler" - the first part (featured in a January post) started shipping in January - the second part (featured in this post) is currently shipping - and the third part will be released in March....together all three parts make one large sampler...with a photo of the entire project to be released with the third and final installment (hence the "mystery"). Many of you are familiar with the Lizzie Kate "Very Scary" Mystery Sampler and the With Thy Needle & Thread "Birds of a Feather" Mystery Sampler - this is the very same program.

Now that we have everyone on the same page...here is a look at part two...and a few details...

The mystery sampler is stitched on 30-count Blue Jeans hand-dyed fabric by Weeks Dye Works - this exact fabric is also available in 35-count, should you prefer a higher count linen. It is stitched with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss...and a DMC conversion is provided.

See a complete supply listing on my website: http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/BRD109B%20Specifics.html

Part two uses the following stitches (and yes, diagrams are provided): Cross Stitch over two linen threads, Back Stitch, Rhodes Heart, and Four-Sided Stitch.

The chartpack also includes part two of the Springtime Jumble. Here is a little information about the Springtime Jumble: 

The answer to the springtime jumble will be the password to open a mystery bonus design - this mystery bonus will be revealed on my website (http://www.blueribbondesigns.com) when the third and final mystery sampler installment is released. You will need to collect all three patterns to complete the Springtime Jumble and unlock the mystery bonus. Details can be found inside each package.

Each installment contains a fun finishing idea...and the finishing idea for part two is a pin pillow - finishing instructions are included. Use a motif from part one or part two of the sampler (I used the ladybug bands in the lower section on the sampler - part two) and some fabric and floss from your stash to make a springtime pin pillow (NOTE: the chart explains to use fabric and floss from your stash for the fun finishing idea - if you purchased a kit including linen and threads, it does not include amounts for the fun finishing idea). I chose to add beads around the perimeter of my pin pillow for a special touch...you could add cord - or ribbon - or trim...or leave it plain...be creative!

Specifics for part two (complete supply listings, stitch counts, stitches used, etc.) can be found on my website: 

http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/BRD109B%20Specifics.html

Additional photos of part two can be found on my website:

http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/Blue%20Jeans%20and%20Daisies%20Part%20Two.html

Contact your needlework shop of choice to join in the fun...or if you have questions...they will assist you with obtaining the patterns, the threads, the fabric...and they can answer questions and provide you with alternative sizes and supplies.

I hope you are excited to see part two of this special springtime edition of the Mystery Sampler Club!

Brightening Up Winter

View from my deck door...

I should have never posted I have "spring fever"...because what happens??...it snows for two consecutive days...making my fever increase by several more degrees. I was supposed to visit my dear friend Kimber yesterday - but awoke to 6 inches of fresh snow...and all sorts of weather advisories and traffic accidents...and forecasts for 24+ more hours of snowfall. I promptly (and unhappily) canceled my road trip and made plans to stay safely home - even though I have 4-wheel drive vehicle, I rather be safe than sorry. To deal with the snow, ice, wind, cold temperatures and basic gloom - I decided to surround myself with the beautiful colors of spring. The first thing I did was settle in with a hot cup of tea and one of my absolute favorite magazines - Mollie Makes - it is now available for my Nook Color which thrills me! I also did some planning for some Etsy projects and worked on some class kits. In the afternoon, I did some new cross stitch charting...including an ornament for the 2013 Just CrossStitch Ornament Issue and some fine tuning for the New England Stitcher's Retreat project in progress.

An assortment of bright and cheery Riley Blake Fabrics I am playing with...
"Sunny Happy" Skies by Bella Blvd.

Mail delivery has been a little "hit or miss" during inclement weather this year, but to my surprise, the mailman delivered a couple cheerful packages today. I received a fabulous birthday package from my dear, dear friend Ruth which was a complete ray of sunshine - it included 72 rolls of bright decorative ribbon, bakers twine, and jute - 24 ribbon spools of each (5-yards per spool)....you should have seen my eyes light up when I saw this fabulous assortment - my jaw hit the floor! The package also included a very fun birthday mug filled with K-cups and specialty hot chocolate packages...and a lovely "sisters" plate with easel. Such a cheerful, thoughtful, and timely package!!

Also in the mail - a little surprise from California - including this adorable fluffy chick...seriously - how cute and "springy" is this??!

Last night, my husband needed me to venture out in the VERY nasty weather to take him to pick up a rental car for a business trip...so we ran some errands and had a nice dinner out (it was actually relaxing - with all the snowfall the city was extremely quiet!)...and we finally went and picked up my new walking shoes! I am so thrilled to have a good pair of shoes for training and I am saving my pennies for a second pair...I am guessing I will need at least two more pairs for my Komen 3-Day journey. What a difference a GOOD pair of shoes make  - and aren't they bright and cheerful?! The color is listed as "Black with Electric Pink and Apple"....and since the walk is for breast cancer, they just *had to* have PINK...

Just a few things that are brightening up my gloomy winter days...if you are in the path of winter weather, I hope you have some bright and cheerful items/colors to lift your spirits...

Spring Fever...

I must admit, I have a case of spring fever...I am definitely ready for sunshine and warmer temperatures. I have been walking on the treadmill this week, as the ground is snow and ice covered...most sidewalks are clear, but the lower temperatures and potential for slipping has kept me indoors....I truly cannot wait to be back outside doing my training walks!

Needing a little sunshine and some flowers in my life, I decided to go through my fabric bins and find some stash fabric that makes me happy...and took to my sewing machine for a few hours on Friday and Saturday. I wanted to try a new small zippered bag with a clear vinyl front...and I have had a cute pattern in my collection for quite some time (Bridget's Bagettes by Atkinson Designs). I decided on the Riley Blake Designs fabric line Hoo's In The Forest by Doohikey Designs - a cheerful fabric collection that I picked up quite some time ago (I believe it is now retired, but you can still find it here and there). I like to work on projects with a bit of a challenge...and this one was fun because I got to use multiple presser feet on my machine...and I used tissue paper with the vinyl to keep it from sticking to my machine/sewing table and then tore it away. I was pretty happy with my first try, but I have a few changes I will make to "streamline" the design a bit - plus, I think I will adjust the size a bit (the one I made is 5"H x 7.5"W)...but overall, I was happy with my first attempt and will put my new tool pouch to good use. I really like the look of the coordinating contrasting fabric on the inside...and I did use fusible fleece to give the pouch some strength and stability. I see more of these cute zippered pouches in my future!

After trying something new, I decided to use the same fabric line (it makes me happy) to do a few more items for my Etsy Shop...so I made several stitching pouches with wool and button embellishments...and several more Stitch Starter Ruler sleeves.

So there you have it - my cure for spring fever...beautiful, cheerful fabrics and some sewing time! I hope you have had a chance to be creative this weekend...

On A Snowy Evening...

The predicted snow storm has definitely hit the Midwest and I am thankful I got all my "running" done beforehand. I moved Simba's grooming appointment up to first thing this morning (instead of this afternoon) - then filled up the Jeep with gas, visited the post office, ran a few errands, and got some last minute grocery shopping done while he was getting his bath and haircut. We arrived home in time to take a good cold walk before the heavy snow started to fall. I am happy to be at home, safe and warm...enjoying the snow from my studio window...

I wanted to take a moment and share couple creative things with you this evening, before heading to my stitching nest or sewing machine (I haven't decided yet). I received a lovely birthday package from my friend Lorrie this week - she delivered it at the perfect time, as the last couple weeks have been filled with challenges and I needed a little pick-me-up. I was excited to see she included one of her fabric bowls - Lorrie has been experimenting with making fabric bowls after receiving one as a gift (you can read about it/see photos on her blog: http://www.astitcherssnippets.blogspot.com/). I wasted no time in filling my bowl with trims and ribbons I am using for current projects and have it sitting on my sewing table. Several years ago, I was obsessed with making fabric bowls for gifts and found a couple wonderful books - perhaps I should see if Lorrie would like to borrow them....if you are interested in making bowls from fabric, check out "Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Bowls" (2003) and "Fast, Fun & Easy Irresist-A-Bowls" (2005) both by Linda Johansen (C & T Publishing) and are still available. Each book has clear instructions for five reversible bowls - great for beginners with lovely color photographs, diagrams, and details...and wonderful ideas for materials, embellishments, and decorative stitches! (No affiliation, I just enjoy these books...)

The fabric bowl Lorrie gifted me - made from the Blackbird Designs Blueberry Crumb Cake Fabric Collection.

Lorrie spoiled me with other creative gifts as well - including a gorgeous heart fob with my cross stitched initial ("Heart To Heart" - By The Bay Needleart...heart pendant by Nunn Designs) - a BEAUTIFUL cookbook ("The Afternoon Tea Collection" - Metro Books) - along with recipe cards, and the cutest wrought iron bird card holder (see photo top right for detail)...there was even a fun magnetic owl "to-do" list pad and a unique wrought iron daisy. It was such a cheerful and heartfelt package from a very dear friend!

I'm thinking I may need to put the Afternoon Tea cookbook to good use during this storm...I already have a cup of black tea on my desk as I type this...and the recipes all sound scrumptious...perfect for a cold winter day!

Finally - I have been busy working on more items for the Blue Ribbon Designs Etsy Shop - more needlework pouches, stitch starter sleeves, and holiday pieces...there is quite an assortment for St. Patrick's Day...and last night I listed a few spring items...and more will be on the way...I have already cut multiple projects from some gorgeous sampler fabrics that are ready for assembly...but for now, here are some of my current/new listings...

To those of you in the winter storm path - stay safe and warm...

Beautiful Button Box

It is a lovely sunny day here in central Iowa and I am getting ready to do a long walk in the sweet sunshine....by the time I finish this quick post, it should be about 40 degrees and I am ready for some fresh air! Yesterday I walked 6.5 miles in 30 degrees and that was a bit chilly - I had some very rosy cheeks....but today we are supposed to hit 47 degrees and I am excited to do a 10 mile training walk outdoors. I want to do a special thank you to those of you who have made a donation supporting my Komen 3-Day (60 mile) walk in  November - I am almost to $900.00, which is AMAZING (15% of my goal) - and I truly appreciate your support! This is such an important cause and I thank you for your encouragement and very generous hearts...

Today I have a couple fun tings to share with you - I received a lovely birthday package from my dear friend Terri - inside was a gorgeous Shaker button box (and you all know how much I love and treasure my Shaker items). This beautiful button box was filled with tiny wrapped presents (shown top right) - including a wonderful embroidered wool pincushion and some very fancy scissors (which I have never seen before!). I have already started filling the button box with various vintage buttons and trims and have it sitting in a place of prominence in my stitching nook. Terri also included a lovely scarf she knitted herself - isn't it great?! I do not do any knitting or crocheting to speak of, so I feel very blessed to have friends that are so talented and gift their yarn creations to me (again, I'm a very lucky girl)!

Also to share today - I managed to get quite a bit of sewing done over the last few days - finishing up some fun St. Patrick's Day items! I have been working on wool applique pincushions and several L.U.C.K. pillow sets. These have all been listed in my Etsy shop. I also cut up several yards of special sampler fabrics and I am working on new needlebooks, stitch starter sleeves, and stitching pockets....so look for those to be posted in the next week or so...

For now, I am off to do my lengthy walk...enjoy the rest of your weekend...I hope you have a chance to get outside and/or be creative!

Saint Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day friends, family, and followers!

To celebrate the holiday and let you know how much I love you, I have re-posted a long retired complimentary design on my website "Freebie" page....the design is called "Crowned Heart ~ A Tiny Gift Sampler" (shown right) - and it will only be available for a limited time.

To obtain a copy of this complimentary pattern, simply visit my website: http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/ and click on "Freebie" in the left-hand menu - you will see a photo of the design at the top of the "Freebie" webpage - click on the statement "CLICK HERE FOR CHART" (directly under the photo) - a new window will open containing the design in PDF form (you will need Adobe Reader to view/print the chart). Please remember, this design is protected by copyright law - thank you for respecting my copyright. Enjoy!

A Little Creative Inspiration

Yesterday I mentioned I had a few fun/creative ideas to share with you - a couple stitchy pieces and the most unique pincushion I have ever received. These were all included in birthday packages I received from faraway friends (yes, I know, I am a lucky girl!).

First - here are two gorgeous stitched gifts from my dear, dear friend Robin. I am always in awe when I receive packages from Robin - she has given me the most exquisite stitched presents...and I always feel spoiled when I received her packages filled with wrapped presents! Robin knows me well and I can always tell how much thought and time went into each gift. For my birthday, she sent me two items that she cross stitched...an owl pincushion/pillow ("You're A Hoot!" by Myrtle Grace Motifs), which is the perfect colors - and I adore the finishing...and a fabulous stand-up ("Secret Birdhouse" by The Trilogy)- the finishing is really cool! - I have it laying flat to take the photo, but it is an easel type stand-up (plus I like the way the design looks different from all angles - I have it placed in the photo the way it looks on the cover of the chart). In typical Robin fashion, she enclosed multiple other fun items including a great assortment of fabrics - including two bird fabrics and a squirrel fabric (...and as you all know, "it's all about the squirrel")....

And finally, I just had to share this pincushion - it came from a very special and very talented friend - it truly is the most unique and creative pincushion I have ever received...and the photos don't come close to doing it justice! It is an embellished baby shoe...isn't it adorable??!! I thought this was the cutest idea...and I just adore the "vintage look" floral accents and the beautiful letter "B"...this gift made me smile from ear to ear...it is quite a treasure!

So there you have it - a little "eye candy" - I hope you are inspired by these lovely gifts...and maybe you will feel creative enough to make a little something for a close friend! I have been told I have a few other items that will be arriving in the mail soon - so I am hoping to have more to share with you soon...

Sewing and Celebration

I've been having trouble sleeping lately...so, late last night (or early this morning) I managed to get a little more sewing completed - I have been working on some more St. Patrick's Day items...I finished up six fun wool appliqué pincushions that are filled with crushed walnut shells...and I embroidered up a couple more batches of lace shamrock ornaments to replenish my Etsy shop (the first batches sold almost immediately). I had fun doing the blanket stitch appliqué on the pincushions - using green shamrock cotton fabrics and shades of green wool felt...and I used my AccuQuilt Studio Fabric Cutter to cut the four-leaf clovers and small hearts...a great project to work on when I was wide awake at 3:00 in the morning. I also had time to cut out all the pieces for several sets of L.U.C.K. pillows...I'm hoping to complete them in the next day or two....

...and I have a few fun, creative, and inspiring things to share with you today. As some of you know, I am celebrating my birthday this week (thank you to everyone who has sent me birthday greetings) - my dear friend Mary gave me an early gift bag last week during our road trip with all sorts of goodies, and I just had to share some of them with you...the treasures she gifted me included a couple wonderful books (including Zakka Style which has been on my wish list for quite some time!) - some quilting fabric fat quarters - an adorable owl charm (it is a scrabble tile) - bee magnets - and a wonderful sketch pad portfolio (which is already in use)! I have paged through both books several times and I am quite inspired for some future projects...and one will use the lovely fat quarters (which are definitely my colors). I am so blessed to have friends that spark my creativity every chance they get...I always get the most artistic and inspiring gifts (just wait to see what I have to show you over the next couple days)....

Well, I am hoping to get a little sleep tonight - but if not, I will be playing with all my fabulous birthday pressies in my studio - creating something new! I have some beautiful stitchy gifts to show you in the next day or two...and the most creative pincushion I have ever received - so stay tuned....

Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival

Breakfast this morning was a treat - a Bacon Bloody Mary and Bacon Breakfast Pizza...and the reason for the bacon madness???...today was the highly anticipated 6th Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Festival (Viking Bacon Quest - A Journey To The Land of Fire..and Ice..and Bacon!). Bacon Fest is always the hottest ticket in town...in fact, back on 12/12/2012, they sold out the 8,000 tickets in a record 3 minutes and 22 seconds...how I managed to snag a pair, I really have no idea. The event (which makes national news) was scheduled from 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM and was held at the Varied Industries Building and the Elwell Family Food Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds...we knew it was going to be a crazy day, when traffic was backed up on the Interstate and was extremely slow moving all the way to the entrance - a traffic jam for bacon festival, seriously. We arrived shortly after 10:00, only to wait in line outside for what seemed like a lifetime to get in the doors...but then the fun commenced and it was an entire day dedicated to BACON! We picked up a program and our goodie bags with our T-shirt, beverage koozie, and bacon bucks, and set out on our journey...

There IS a lot to do at Bacon Festival...of course there is food and drink - thousands of pounds of bacon, all sorts of local restaurants serving bacon delicacies, and full bars (this is a 21 and over event)...live music...all sorts of contests and awards - restaurant awards, eating contests, bacon mini golf, song contests, and a bacon queen pageant....there are bacon lectures and classes...and where else would I be able to meet Hacksaw Jim Duggan (professional wrestler)?! Truly the focus is on sampling some of the nation’s best bacon brands - trying unique bacon delicacies - and of course having an adult beverage or two to wash it down. I stuck with Bacon Bloody Marys and bottled water...and tried all sorts of bacon samples (my favorite was Denver Bacon Company)...as far as the specialty bacon dishes, we tried bacon breakfast pizza, bacon stuffed jalapenos, bacon pretzel bites with Maytag Blue Cheese, Bacon Gumbo (loved this!)...and then topped our day off with "Bacon, Maple, Bourbon, and Pecan Ice Cream" - and, oh yes, it was AMAZING! Since our friends had a VIP Table and Passes, I was lucky enough to visit the special VIP Room - where there was a band playing, bacon sweets (maple bacon cupcakes and bacon brownies) and VIP bathrooms with no waiting (this was fabulous!). We even walked over to the Iceland Building (located in the Elwell Family Food Center) where there was more live music, more delicacies, and an ice bar! It was a fabulous day of celebrating all things bacon with great friends...definitely a day to remember! Crossing my fingers I can get tickets again next year...

Here is a quick photo tour for you....

A shot of the crowd....

Me with Hacksaw Jim Duggan (professional wrestler)...

Iceland Building crowd shot...

Me and a friend partying with the Bacon Fest mascots...

The ice bar shot pig...

My husband taking a shot of Maple Crown Royal from
the ice pig at the Ice Bar....

Entering the VIP Room at Bacon Fest...

Bacon Putting Contest

Bacon Fest Treasures - T-Shirt, Beverage Koozie, Bacon Snap Bracelet

Good friends - GREAT TIME!

If you crave more things bacon - check out the photos from our Des Moines Register newspaper here: Bacon Festival Photos

And check out the Des Moines Register Video of the Iowa Culinary Institute cooking 6,000 pounds of bacon: