B. Pocketful of Peppermint reciepient: MommyDearest (Connie)
C. Quilted Garden recipient: Tricia
Hello friends! I was thrilled to see my official follower count pass the 500 mark last week - thank you so much for visiting my blog! - and I promised a big giveaway when this happened for those who choose to faithfully follow...I finally have three prizes together and the details ready...and I think (hope) you will be pleased and excited!
The last couple weeks, I have done blog posts on my new designs coming out later this month at the TNNA Fall Needlecraft Market - I have already shown you "Moonlit Midnight" and "Pocketful of Peppermint"...and today the focus is on "Quilted Garden". This design model (which combines two of my favorite things next to needlework: quilting and gardening) is stitched on beautiful Pecan Butter hand-dyed fabric by Lakeside Linens and uses Weeks Dye Works Cotton Floss (DMC equivalents are provided). The entire piece is cross stitch over two linen threads, except the verse and the personalization (initials/year) which are cross stitch over one linen thread. I know some needleworkers will shy away from over-one cross stitches, so the chartpack includes alternative charting for these stitches in back stitch (there is an additional back stitch alphabet/numbers for personalization and an alternate back stitch chart of the verse)...so you can choose to do either over-one cross stitches or back stitch - whichever you feel more comfortable working! This design pack also includes charting and complete finishing instructions for a matching pin pillow and scissor fob. There are many other fun ideas that can be taken from this upcoming design - wouldn't a row of the quilt blocks make a great bookmark?...or you could easily make a needlebook, pinkeep, or floss ring tag using the quilt block motifs...oh - wouldn't the little quilt blocks make great magnets for a quilting friend?! I thoroughly enjoyed working on this design and have some other ideas for new pieces that would incorporate some of the same concepts.
Last week I blogged about the first of three new designs being released in mid-August ("Moonlit Midnight") - today the focus is on "Pocketful of Peppermint". This new release is a companion to the popular "Peppermint Twist" design I released in 2008 - it is a combination of motif boxes that can be stitched collectively for a framed piece or on their own as ornaments or needlework smalls. The pattern contains charting for the entire sampler and detailed finishing instructions for making three types of holiday ornaments:
Now that the new designs have FINALLY shipped and are on their way to a needlework shop near you, last night I had time to finish up the Christmas ornaments for the Stitcher's Hideaway Retreat in October. As most of you know, I really enjoy the finishing work and had a nice time working on these while listening to the Olympics. Poor Sue, I have been promising her a photo of the ornaments and the framed sampler since January - she has been so incredibly patient! The sampler has ten specialty stitches (in addition to basic stitches). The class will cover stitching the sampler, how to work each of the specialty stitches, three types of ornament finishing, adding beads when finishing an ornament, personalizing your ornaments, and making twisted cord. This class has been filling up super fast...and I can't wait to meet the stitchers that are attending (I've read they are a TON of fun!)...I hope to finally put some faces to names and email addresses! And before I get asked this question again, I will answer it - yes, this piece will be available to the general public, but not for at least one year after the class dates. I have never been to New England before, so I am really looking forward to teaching in Enfield, NH in May (photos of class piece can be seen in my January 8th post) and then in Mystic, CT in October!
If you read my blog regularly, then you know I been a little lapse on my posts lately...I have been stitching up a storm, working on two new teaching pieces for 2010. Yesterday, I finished model stitching a Christmas Sampler for the Stitcher's Hideaway needlework retreat I will be teaching in Mystic, CT (October 2010). This retreat has a holiday theme, so I have designed a piece called "Pocketful of Peppermint" that can be stitched as a sampler...and the separate sections can be stitched as ornaments! This pieces has ten specialty stitches (in addition to basic stitches). The class will cover stitching the sampler, how to work each of the specialty stitches, three types of ornament finishing, adding beads when finishing an ornament, personalizing your ornaments, and making twisted cord. I am currently in the process of stitching the ornaments, but I thought you would like to take a little sneak peek at the sampler...before framing, of course. Tomorrow, I will be off to the framer with this design and a new piece for February titled "In My Heart". I will have more fun things to share with you soon...
