Midnight Meeting

Can you believe how quickly the summer months have passed?? - I can't believe it is already almost September...where does the time go?! Halloween items are popping up everywhere...and stores are already getting out their Christmas holiday displays...personally, I'd be content to keep the summer months here just a little bit longer...but it is time to start working on Halloween and holiday items, if you want to have them completed in time to display this year...

The current issue of Just CrossStitch Magazine (October 2016) features a Halloween Ornament Spooktacular that includes twelve ornaments to stitch up and decorate your Halloween tree....and yes, you can find Blue Ribbon Designs in this feature. My Halloween ornament this year is titled "Midnight Meeting" and is a fun, quick stitch!  You can locate my ornament and all the details on page 43. The entire ornament is worked in cross stitch...and I used Weeks Dye Works linen (Confederate Gray) and Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (a DMC conversion is also provided). There are TONS of fabulous ways to finish your Halloween ornaments - for this particular ornament, I chose a flat-finish....and I used two-tone twisted cord in gold and black for a special touch. This is the autumn issue, so there are a plethora of fall designs, as well...including Seasons in Chalk Art: Fall (a collaboration by Priscilla Blain and Cathy Habermann of Hands On Design) and Amish Apple Sampler from Nikyscreations. You can find this issue of Just CrossStitch magazine at your favorite needlework shop or on newsstands now...

Stitching, Sewing and Organizing

An original mini quilt in stand - designed and created
 especially for a dear friend's birthday.

Welcome friends! I know it has been a few weeks...and that hasn't been intentional...I've had a lot to share - I've just been on auto-pilot. My workload has been quite heavy since the end of July and I am keeping focused and trying to catch-up on projects before I take a mini vacation in September (I hate to take time away when I have piles on my studio counter). The last few weeks have been filled with customer orders...including countless project and tool bags, stitch starter ruler sleeves, placemats and napkins, machine embroidered Halloween ornaments, even a sampler quilt...several stacks of needlework finishing...a couple birthday gifts...an AccuQuilt blog post project...and a few things I can't share with you quite yet...plus model stitching. I have also been doing some major cleaning/organizing in the studio, thanks to a very dear friend who gifted me bags and bags of FABULOUS quilting and stitching stash. Yep, it has been a busy few weeks and I am feeling accomplished (even though the list is still long). Here are some photos to sum up the last few weeks...

Fabric organization in my studio...

More shelf organizing in my studio...

Project Bag and coordinating Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeve...

Special Order - machine embroidered Halloween ornaments...

Project/Tool Bags

More Project/Tool Bags...

More Project/Tool Bags...

Even more Project/Tool Bags...

Halloween Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeve...

Custom Reversible Cloth Napkins

Needlework Finishing - Pumpkin Ornament with pocket on the back...
(see pocket below)

Needlework Finishing - Pumpkin Ornament back pocket...

Needlework Finishing - Ornament

Pile of Project Bags

...and finally here is a teaser for my August AccuQuilt Blog project...I'll be back to share all about it when it goes live on the AccuQuilt website (just be patient a few more days!)...the blocks you see in the photo are 5" finished...and that cute little tin pincushion was a gift from a dear friend that matched the blocks perfectly...

AccuQuilt August Project sneak peek...

For now, I am back to needlework finishing - I have two large orders almost complete...I have fourteen flat-finish ornaments ready for cord/trim and hangers (which I hand stitch - no glue)...then another order for six project bags is on the list for later this evening...

Thank you for stopping by for a visit today - it was nice to chat with you. Oh...and one final thing...my husband and I will be heading to Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills in South Dakota for a little mini vacation in a few weeks - if you have suggestions for must see/visit places or excursions, please do share - It will be our first time visiting the area and we want to make the most of it...and I am sure you all have some suggestions for us...