Coming Soon - "Botanical Blessings"

I told you I would be back soon with information on two new releases that are shipping in the next few days...and (finally) here I am to tell you about the first one! I have been busy getting new Blue Ribbon Designs ready for release...two new designs will be shipping the first week of August, two the first week of September, and two the first week of October. Shipping to needlework shops later this week are "Botanical Blessings" and "Feathers, Flowers, and Fruit".

Botanical Blessings (BRD-110) is a Shaker-inspired needlework design and the chart includes a framed piece with three coordinating needlework smalls. After visiting the Enfield Shaker Village (for a teaching event) several years ago, I began doing quite a bit of research on the Shaker culture and gift drawings...this design was inspired by my visits to Enfield, NH, Shaker artwork, and my quest for knowledge.

A tiny bit about the Shaker culture:
The Shakers are known for their cleanliness, honesty and frugality - they believed in the value of hard work and kept comfortably busy. All Shaker villages ran farms, using the latest scientific methods in agriculture - they would raise most of their own food...so farming and preserving the produce required to feed them through the winter season were seen as priorities. When not doing farm work, Shaker brethren pursued a variety of trades and hand crafts; when not doing housework, Shaker sisters did likewise, spinning, weaving, sewing, and making sale goods. Many Shaker villages had their own tanneries, sold baskets, brushes, bonnets, brooms, fancy goods, and homespun fabric that was known for high quality...but most communities were more famous for their medicinal herbs, garden seeds, apple-sauce, and knitted garments. The Shakers' dedication to hard work and perfection resulted in a very unique range of architecture, furniture and handicraft styles - they designed their furniture and architecture with care, believing that making something well was in itself, "an act of prayer." Other well-known artifacts of Shaker culture include their spirit (gift) drawings, dances, and songs.

In the few Shaker documents in which gift drawings are mentioned, they are typically referred to as sheets, rolls, signs, notices, tokens of love, presents, rewards, hearts—sometimes prefaced by the adjective sacred. Inspired by visionary experiences, gift drawings bridge the heavenly and the earthly spheres. Many portray beautiful images of heaven intended to demonstrate to Believers, young and old, the rewards that would await them by remaining faithful and living their lives in accordance with the Shaker principles. Many gift drawings depict delicately rendered trees, fruits, flowers, and other natural forms, as well as Shaker meeting houses, furniture, clocks, jewelry, and other human-made structures and objects, rendered more decorative than those common in daily life on earth. Gift drawings portray heaven as an idealized image of the earth and many demonstrate formal similarities with traditionally feminine crafts outside of Shaker culture, such as needlework, quilt making, plate painting, and samplers.

Another interesting fact - although the 1821 Shaker Millennial Laws did not prohibit the display of pictures, the 1845 Laws include the following ruling: "No maps, charts, and no pictures or paintings, shall ever be hung up in your dwelling-rooms, shops, or office. And no pictures or paintings set in frames, with glass before them shall ever be among you." By 1860, the Shakers began to relax the 1845 Laws, but history would suggest the gift drawings were not on display on an everyday basis, but rather kept privately by those to whom they were given or by the spiritual leadership in the Ministry and then shown to Believers on specific occasions.

My latest design, Botanical Blessings, was born after studying/reading about the Shaker spirit/gift drawings and seeing images in history and reference books.

BRD-110 Botanical Blessings

The models are stitched on 30-count Linen hand-dyed fabric from Weeks Dye Works with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss. The sampler (framed design) has a stitch count of 180 W x 180 H and is stitched with beautiful, rich colors...and the needlework smalls include a scissor fob, pin pillow, and needlebook. The chartpack contains charting for the sampler and three needlework smalls, stitching instructions, stitch diagrams, complete finishing instructions for the needlework smalls, and an alphabet/numbers for personalization.

Botanical Blessings - Needlework Smalls Front 

Botanical Blessings - Needlework Smalls Back

Botanical Blessings will start shipping to needlework shops on Friday, August 2nd...and will begin shipping to distributors on Wednesday, August 7th...so look for this design to be available in needlework shops in mid-August.

For more details including a complete supply list, visit: http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/BRD110%20Specifics.html

For additional photos visit: http://www.blueribbondesigns.com/Botanical%20Blessings.html

Please stop back tomorrow when I will share all the details about my other new release BRD-111 Feathers, Flowers, and Fruit...

Excuses, Excuses...

I know I seem to be "missing in action" lately...but I do have a good excuse...here is just a taste of what I have been working on....

....and here is what the floor of my design studio looks like right now...yep, new designs are coming soon! Expect more details over the next several weeks...

New Hampshire with Nataly

Today's post focuses on some beautiful sightseeing I was able to do while in New Hampshire. Between the two retreats, I had a little time off and I was lucky to have Nataly (Nataly's Needle Creations) show me some of the local landscape - she gave me a choice of going shopping or going hiking...and since I can go shopping at home, I chose to hike the trails at The Lost River Gorge and The Flume Gorge...and I am absolutely certain I made the best choice! The autumn leaves were in the midst of changing colors and were gorgeous shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown...the scenery was SPECTACULAR.

We started out first thing in the morning and had an enjoyable ride to The Lost River Gorge - I was quite impressed with this destination - there were fabulous boardwalks that led you through the gorge and along the way there were unbelievable views of the foliage, the river, waterfalls, caves, wildlife, and boulders...it was such a unique experience and far removed from anything I see in Iowa. Here are a few favorite photos:

After a refreshing hike through The Lost River Gorge, we drove to The Flume Gorge at Franconia Notch State Park. The Flume is a natural gorge extending 800 feet at the base of Mount Liberty...and again, there was a fabulous boardwalk that gave us an up close look at the Flume Covered Bridge, the Flume Brook, Avalanche Falls (a 45 foot waterfall), Table Rock, and Glacial Boulders...to say this hike was breathtaking is an understatement - I was speechless as we followed the (seemingly endless) boardwalk to the top of the waterfall - it was incredible! Again, here are just a few of my favorite photos...

It was such an inspiring and relaxing day...and the weather was perfect! Nataly - thank you so much for spending a big part of your day with me and for showing me just a touch of the beauty New Hampshire has to offer - I could not have asked for a better tour guide and friend to show me the sights - you provided me with many fond memories that I will cherish!

I think that about does it for the the sights of New Hampshire and the New England Stitching Retreats...there will be one more post featuring my stash and items I purchased during my visit - and a few of the gifts I received from attendees...and since I had to ship them home, you will have to wait until they arrive (which can't be soon enough for me!). I am hoping to do some sewing before I head to California next week - so new creative posts are headed your way soon, as well...

Thank you for taking this journey with me...

New England Stitcher's Retreat: Events

Meeting new needlework friends is such a joy - I absolutely adore teaching and spending time with fellow stitchers! I always tell my class attendees that they are part of my stitching family and are stuck with me for life (and I mean it!) - each one (in the wise words of Dodie) leaves an imprint on my heart...I feel truly blessed to meet and work with each individual. Below are just a sampling of my photos from the New Stitching Retreat events (I took hundreds) - obviously I can't share every picture in my photo album here, so I apologize if you attended and are not present in this post (it is definitely not intentional)...I did my best to pick an assortment of fun, flattering photos...

I actually taught two separate retreats - this first photo shows the class binder, class kit (in the box - tied with ribbon and maple candy - thank you Nataly for assembling the beautiful boxes!), and the goodie tote bag (filled with charts and stitching items)...these three items were at each place setting in the classroom...

THE FIRST RETREAT

Before the reception on the first night, we had a quick tour of the Enfield Shaker Museum - this photo shows Rosemary wearing a Shaker cloak - these hooded cloaks were made of heavy wool and lined in silk.

Here are a couple photos of the classroom...

Many of the students finished part of the project (either the scissor fob, and/or the chair seat, and/or the pin pillow) in class.

Here is Debbie with her completed chair seat:
Here are Judy and Diane with their completed chair seats:
Friends for 40 years - Linda and Ruth:
Mother and daughter, stitching together - Donna and Stephanie:
...and here is a fabulous photo of Bonnie and Lisa:
Dinners during the retreat were always entertaining...and I try to sit at each and every table during the events to get to know each of the attendees...
On the second day of the retreat, we took a "field trip" to ABC Stitch Therapy for shopping and a lovely tea party. I adore this photo of Sue and Bree at the tea party table - isn't the table setting delightful? There were lots of tasty treats, including homemade scones, macaroons, petit fours, and cookies....and jam that Marie had her sister bring from New Zealand. There were multiple types of tea (including English Breakfast, my favorite) served in fancy vintage teapots...and you got to choose a teacup from a wide assortment...it was a perfect afternoon.

THE SECOND RETREAT

Here are a few classroom photos from the second retreat. I was quite impressed that many (at both retreats) returned to the classroom after dinner to stitch on the project late into the night...

This next photo was taken in the stitching lounge...a little show and tell...
Marilyn and Kathy (from Australia) enjoying a "cuppa tea"...
Debi and Janette discussing a gorgeous piece Debi brought for show and tell:
I'm always excited when class attendees finish a piece to take home...just check out these proud smiles...

Teresa with her finished chair seat:
Lesley with her finished chair seat:
Jackie showing off her finished chair:
Gail with her finished chair seat:

...and Patricia with her finished scissor fob!
...and here is Debi finishing up the cross stitching on her chair seat:

And finally - a photo of the mouthwatering treats at the tea party:

So there you have it - a look inside the two New England Stitching Retreats...can you tell we all had a great time?! I seriously couldn't ask for a better job! To those of you who attended - thank you for making my time in New England extra special - I enjoyed each and every one of you...thank you for the laughs and smiles...and for sharing my passion - it was truly my pleasure to share "Botanical Blessings" with you!