Thursday, September 16, 2021

Thursday Thoughts

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com
Happy Thursday friends! I thought I would stop by for a quick post this morning, before I head out of town for a few days. We are headed to a wedding in Chicago, so it will be a whirlwind weekend...a day of driving to get there and a day of driving to get home. Today is a day of last minute details before we head out on Friday. 

This week, I finished up a couple gifts and worked on charting for my fall cross stitch releases...I also worked on a couple new sewing/quilting patterns and started a needlework finishing order (Robin, your order is in progress). My never-ending to-do list still has sixteen major items on it and I find it hard to take time away...but it will be good to see friends in Chicago this weekend.

One of the gifts I finished up was a small travel toiletries bag. This was a new to me style of boxed bag and took a bit longer than I anticipated. I am happy with the end result, but if I was to make another one, I would definitely tweak the directions/pattern a bit. It is a great size and has a nice stability. I used three coordinating batik fabrics, to give it a more masculine look and have already shipped it off to the recipient.

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

In other news - I also finished setting up my Buy Me a Coffee page this week. In my latest FlossTube video, I mentioned that I have no plans of monetizing or adding ads to my blog or YouTube channel...I received several messages that suggested I should add a Buy Me a Coffee link, so fans of my content could support my work. For those who haven't heard of Buy Me A Coffee before - it is an easy way of supporting your favorite content creator(s) - by visiting a simple link, fans can "buy a coffee" and leave a message (they don’t even have to create an account). When I share a post, a video, a tutorial or a complementary chart/design that you find beneficial or helpful and you would like to help support my content and the time involved, you can visit my link. So, if you’re looking for a unique way to give me a little bit of extra support, feel free to Buy Me a Coffee - there’s absolutely NO obligation or pressure whatsoever, but the link is now available if you’re interested. Thank you to those who mentioned that I should set-up an account...I have always shared my ideas, posts, videos, helpful hints and tutorials completely advertisement/subscription-free because of the passion I have for all things needle and thread - and I will continue to do so!

I am off to get ready for our weekend trip. I have the wedding gift wrapped and I have started packing. I still have to finish up the laundry and do a little house cleaning (I like to return to a clean home). The dogs are packed and ready to go to the farm (boarder) this evening. I have plans to leave my website and Etsy Shop fully operational - any orders or correspondence received after 7:00 PM today will be taken care of on Monday evening...thank you for your patience.

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

For now, I will leave you with two photos I took of the kids yesterday - the first is on their bunkbeds (they have officially switched positions - now that Schatzi is getting older, it is easier for her to use the bottom bunk and our crazy boy Garin is excited to be on the top bunk!) - the second is outside my studio door last night, waiting for me to finish my work (Garin is extra fluffy - yes, he is super-shedding and I have to brush him and vacuum single every day!)…

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Monday, September 13, 2021

Heart Happy

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com
Happy Monday friends! I thought I would stop by for quick visit while I am at my desk this morning (now afternoon - where has my day gone?). I just finished up some correspondence, after spending several hours reporting almost two hundred copyright violations to Pinterest. Yes, I said two hundred. 😔 I could spend time writing about how much it hurts artists and designers when copyrighted charts, patterns, images, videos, etc. are photographed, scanned, shared, and posted illegally - how damaging it is on multiple levels - and how every few weeks when I have to do this I am a heartbroken mess...but instead, I will try to lighten my mood, be as upbeat as I can muster, and share some recent finishes. Like I mentioned in a previous post - I am trying to organize and remove the thousands upon thousands of photos from my iPhone. Today's post includes needlework finishing (not my stitching or designs...just my finishing work and finishing ideas), a couple gifts I created, recent project bag finishes, and some of my quilting. It is a hodgepodge of creative projects that I completed over the last month or so...some happy eye candy to start the week...

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Posting these photos has already made my heart happier and I am ready to get started on my next project this afternoon. After a quick lunch, I have several design ideas to chart out and fabric to cut for my next project. 

Take a little time to work on something that makes your heart happy! 💗

Friday, September 10, 2021

FlossTube Episode Eight: Halloween Designs

Happy Friday friends! My latest FlossTube video has been posted. This video is a summer wrap-up, a general update and puts a spotlight on my latest Halloween cross stitch designs (plus I show/talk about a few of my vintage Halloween designs). Thank you to those who have subscribed to my channel and to those who have liked and commented on my videos - I appreciate the kind words! 

You can find my YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/BelindaKarlsNace and I will post the latest video below:


I am busy organizing my photos this afternoon (I have almost 13,000 photos and videos on my iPhone - true story!)…I am setting aside some of my favorite images to share with you in future posts - both needlework finishing and sewing/quilting. My to-do list has seventeen items on it that need completed in the next week, so I'm hoping for a few productive days before we have some travel plans (a wedding in Chicago). 

We had a relaxing Labor Day out on the water - we packed up lunch and took the boat out to Hillsdale Lake for a long afternoon. It was a postcard day and being out on the boat forced me to take a little time away and just breathe (which I desperately needed). My husband did some fishing, but I just sat back and enjoyed the quiet outdoors.

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

I have some paperwork and some cross stitch design work on my agenda this afternoon...and I have some needlework finishing to start for a client....hopefully I can cross a couple items off my list! Tomorrow, we are headed to a MWK Jeep Club event and a Sporting KC (MLS) soccer game with friends - I'm looking forward to a fun weekend...

Friday, September 3, 2021

New Halloween Cross Stitch Designs & Details

Halloween Releases for September 1, 2021 ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com
Greetings friends - I'm so happy you stopped by for a visit today! Summer months have gotten the best of me and it has been hard to make the time to post on my blog. Of course, I have been creating behind the scenes - working hard to finish up all the client orders I have on hand and finish up new cross stitch and quilting designs. I am down to just a few client orders and I am excited to get them finished up and be able to focus on my own designs and projects for a while - several recent customer orders have stolen my joy and I am ready to work on pieces that make my heart happy! So, for now, I am not taking on any new clients or client orders - I just need a break to refresh and regroup - and when I do start taking on client orders again, it will be extremely limited and with fresh guidelines. I do have quite a few finishing photos to share with you and I will do that soon, but today is all about my new Halloween cross stitch designs! I released four new patterns on September 1st and this post will showcase each one. These four new cross stitch designs are all available for digital download in my Etsy shop...but if you would really like to have a printed paper pattern, please send me an email (I will reply with the details, then send a PayPal invoice and ship them to you - you will be charged a little extra for printing and exact shipping fees). For now, let's get to the fun part - the new designs....

Ghostly Gatherings (BRD-124)

"Happy Boo Day!" features jack-o-lanterns, owls and black birds...while, "Merry Fright Night!" features a haunted house and it's ghosts. This is a two design set - perfect for bowl fillers, small pillows, large ornaments or even small frames. The models were stitched on 28-count Cashel Summer Khaki by Zweigart (but your favorite darker fabric color and count will do - you want to be able to see the ghosts) with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (DMC conversion included). The models use hand-dyed velveteen for the backs and hand-dyed pom pom trim for embellishment - all from Lady Dot Creates. This chartpack comes with charting for both designs (in color and black/white) along with stitching and finishing instructions. These small designs stitch up quickly and are perfect to tuck into your Halloween display!

Ghostly Gatherings ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Ghostly Gatherings ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Holding The Bag (BRD-125)

Created with children in mind, "Holding The Bag" contains charting for a pair of Halloween bags (One for Treats, One for Tricks), four pages of Halloween jokes for the tricks bag and finishing instructions. I thought it would be clever to have both a bag of tricks (jokes and riddles) along with a bag of treats. The chart pack includes four pages of printable Halloween jokes (10 per page) for the bag of tricks - these printed slips are perfect for handing out with treats, placing in a lunchbox or backpack, or adding to a card or package. The models were stitched on 28-count Cashel Platinum (but, again, your favorite darker fabric color and count will do) with The Gentle Art Sampler Threads (DMC conversion included). Finishing instructions are included for making the bags, as shown...I used cotton fabric, wool felt/fabric, and hand dyed rick rack and rayon ribbon from Lady Dot Creates. These Halloween bags will add a bit of whimsy to your holiday decorations...

Additional details/purchasing information: 
https://www.etsy.com/listing/1063970040/holding-the-bag-brd-125-counted-cross

Holding The Bag ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Holding The Bag ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Holding The Bag ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Holding The Bag ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Hitchin' A Ride (BRD-126)

Introducing the second set of Rick Rack Rounds! Just like Sweet Slice of Liberty, these have a stitch count of 48" x 48" and are stitched on 32-count fabric, measuring 3 1/4" round. I stitched "Hitchin' A Ride" (named for the black cat on the witch's cloak) on 32-count Navy Bean by Lakeside Linens with Sulky 12 Wt. Cotton Petites (DMC equivalents are also provided)…and again, almost any fabric color will work for these autumn beauties. The pattern includes complete finishing instructions for my Rick Rack Rounds - and you can insert pins as I did...or they look great with just the rick rack (or trim of your choice). These make great bowl fillers or could be finished as seasonal ornaments. The pattern comes with a plethora creative ideas! I filmed a comprehensive FlossTube video showing how to do the finishing on these, you can find it here: https://youtu.be/YkBe77naAZI. These Halloween rounds are quick to stitch and easy to finish...and more seasonal Rick Rack Rounds are on the way!

Hitchin' A Ride ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Hitchin' A Ride ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Hitchin' A Ride ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Hitchin' A Ride ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Halloween Haul (BRD-127)

This enchanting wall hanging features two black birds celebrating Halloween with their trick-or-treat candy haul! This happy Halloween design was stitched on 32-count Tarnished Silver (Standard) from Lakeside Linens with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss (DMC Conversions included). The model was finished as a quilted wall hanging and finishing instructions are included...but should you want to frame this design, it will fit perfectly in a standard 8" x 10" frame (when stitched on 32-count fabric). Use your favorite cotton quilting fabrics to complement this design or frame it up for a merry Halloween display - it would also make a fun box topper or spooky addition to a quilted tote bag. This chartpack comes with charting for the design (in color and black/white) along with stitching and finishing instructions. 

Halloween Haul ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

Halloween Haul ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

There you have it - my four latest cross stitch designs. I hope these designs get you excited for Halloween and inspire you to finish your pieces in new, unique ways!

New Halloween Designs September 2021 ©Copyright 2021 Belinda Karls-Nace/Blue Ribbon Designs, LLC http://www.blueribbondesigns.blogspot.com

I have been working on two new sewing/quilting patterns, as well and they will be available in the near future. One is for a retreat mat (small quilt) and one is for a scissor holder/needle case. More details will be posted soon.

I will be filming a FlossTube video featuring the new cross stitch designs in the next day or two, so look for that on my YouTube channel within the next week. I also filmed two additional videos in August - one with the most asked Blue Ribbon Designs questions and answers...and one with storage solutions...these two should be posted in the next month or so, once I make time for editing. I have several hearing impaired viewers, so it takes me quite a while to correct/write all the closed captions (instead of letting YouTube or speech-to-text automatically generate the captions, which most times are not accurate).

I know that was a lot to cover in one post, but I wanted to get you all the latest design information. The last couple months have been a bit hectic here...aside from all the work in my studio, we managed to go see a Sporting KC (MLS) game, a couple Yankees/Royals games at the K, the Garth Brooks concert at Arrowhead Stadium, and a Kansas City NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) game. Yes, Kansas City is finally starting to feel like home! In a couple weeks, we are headed to Chicago for a wedding...then my mom and Dan are coming for a visit...then at the beginning of October, we are headed to Colorado and Utah for our yearly Jeep trip. Busy is a huge blessing and I am looking forward to sharing more with you!

Thank you so much for visiting with me today and for the continued enthusiasm for my designs. I wouldn't be able to pursue my passion without your encouragement, love and support!