Three Blue Houses

Hello friends! I thought I would stop by for a quick visit tonight - I have been a little overwhelmed trying to catch up with work obligations and really needed a break from my sewing machine. I have been frantically trying to catch-up with custom sewing orders and finish a couple cross stitch deadlines (two more pieces for Just CrossStitch magazine)...my studio tables are pretty full at the moment and I have been feeling a bit frazzled...so, of course, my husband asks me to whip up a very special baby quilt for someone he works with (you know, in my spare time 😉). My to-do list is nice and full - but I feel extremely blessed to be busy. I have been meaning to stop by and share a couple cross stitch pieces with you - one I stitched for a very dear friend...and one that very dear friend stitched for me...

If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you know, my personal stitching time is close to non-existent these days - when I'm stitching it is almost exclusively one of my own Blue Ribbon Designs. However, I have an extremely special friend that stitches for me often - in fact, my studio is full of pieces that remind me of her and her kind heart...and I knew I wanted to stitch her a piece for Christmas. I actually had something specific in mind, finished a specific way. Since our recent move, I still have a few large studio boxes in the basement to unpack (I know, shocker)...they are labeled quite well and I have just been grabbing things from them, as needed. Well, when searching for that something specific for my original idea, I ran across a small kit with a tiny desktop frame...I didn't care for the pattern, but I really liked the frame...so I quickly switched gears and started looking for a pattern to fit. I do have my charts and patterns unpacked and accessible in my studio, so I grabbed my large basket of cross stitch stash and found an old Ewe & I & Friends chart, that I thought would be perfect...it's called Three Pink Houses. I explain all of this, because I made quite a few changes to make it exactly what I wanted, but it was a great starting point for what I envisioned! Here is a photo of the original chart...

First of all, I left off the border, so it would fit properly. Next I changed the pink houses to blue...and I personalized it with our initials and the year...I'm pretty sure I moved around a few colors too! I used the DMC colors listed...and for the houses, I used Blue Moon from Classic Colorworks. All in all, I was thrilled with the results and it turned out exactly as I had hoped!

Imagine my smile when I opened my gifts from this special friend and she had stitched a beautiful piece for me, as well. This is Antique Scissors & Spools by Shakespeare's Peddler -  a fabulous addition to my studio...and it looks wonderful with the piece she stitched me for my last birthday (Sew Happy by All Through The Night). Right now, they are both displayed on the high-top counter in my studio, until I get some 3M Command Hooks (my husband says no holes in the walls of our new house). Aren't stitchy friends THE BEST?!! I feel so special and loved...

Our first Christmas in the new house was memorable because I have the very best friends (located all across the country)...my circle may be small, but it is mighty!

It's been the longest day and I am off to relax a wee bit before bedtime. Thank you for visiting with me tonight...I'll do my best to stop back again soon!

Sunflower Serenade - A Teaching Piece

Here is a peek at what I have been working on while trying to get over my cold/flu (which is much better now!)...it is called "Sunflower Serenade" and is the sampler for the the Heart's Desire (a needlework shop in Wichita, KS) Cross Stitch Camp held at the Rock Springs 4-H campground near Junction City, KS. This year, the event is being held April 14th-17th. This teaching piece will also have a matching scissor fob, which we will plan to stitch/finish in class...it is stitched on 28-count Jobelan (Bone) with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss. Debbie had asked me about possibly designing something with a Kansas theme (which at first seemed like a HUGE challenge)...so I did one of my signature samplers with a bit of Kansas - after doing some research, I incorporated the state flower (Sunflower), the state bird (Western Meadowlark), the state insect (Honeybee), and a barn representing agriculture (a major industry in KS)...plus a touch of spring, as the camp is being held in April. I am definitely looking forward to this Midwest event in several months! Again, before I get bombarded with questions - this special design will not be available to the general public until at least one year after the retreat is held...so if you can not attend, you need to be patient. Please contact Heart's Desire for more information and details....

This morning, I made a trip out into the winter weather to visit my framer...where I dropped off a pile of pieces including "Sunflower Serenade", "Turn The Page", and "Moonlit Midnight". Then, I spent the afternoon working on my state sales taxes and preparing my 2010 tax documents for my CPA (fun, fun, fun). This evening, I have been working on some of the bookmarks that coordinate with "Turn The Page". I am slowly working through my GIANT to-do list, while trying to stay warm and completely regain my health. I have a couple more teaching designs to prepare, along with two market designs to complete/ready for printing - it is going to be a VERY busy month...

Putting My Perfectionist Gene On Hold...

Today started off perfectly. I had to take Simba to the groomer, so I headed out this morning to the grooming salon in Ankeny - after I dropped him off, I was lucky enough to meet my friend Merry for a little retail therapy at the local quilt shops and then lunch at the marvelous Hickory Park....we had a very fun time (as usual) and I found most of what I needed for some holiday sewing/quilting. My days have been a bit (or should I say WAY) out of control and it was a great way to clear my head for few hours and vent to my dear friend (she's a great listener!). I have been so busy with model work for 2011, I think I am on autopilot - deadlines galore and only so many hours in the day...it felt good to get out of my studio and just breathe. I have been kind of down lately and this trip out and about brought back a little burst of happy energy that I needed desperately! Feeling guilty for being out of the office for several hours today, I rushed home and frantically tried to catch-up with work and correspondence (a battle I can't quite win)....but the time away was more than worth it.

Tonight I had an appointment where I knew I was going to have a long wait - the kind of appointment you take your stitching to because you need something to make the time pass quickly. I really couldn't take my model work with me - it is too involved and needs to much of my concentration...so I took a simple embroidery project that I have had ready to go for over a year. Last year sometime, I finished "Fall" by Mac-A-Doodles (right) - I enjoy it so much, I keep it out year-round....so last autumn I picked up a coordinating design and frame called "Pumpkin Patch" (below)...I liked that the frames matched and thought I would stitch it up right away. Well, a year came and went and it was still in the to-do pile waiting to be done. In a rush to get out the door, I grabbed it and was on my way...and it was the perfect traveling project - I actually finished it in one sitting - came home and framed it in moments....instant gratification...and a nice addition to my Thanksgiving decorating. There is just something special about the Mac-A-Doodles projects, they make me happy - they are primitive, yet whimsical - easy to stitch - and to me, they are comforting...and the bonus, I get to put my perfectionist gene on hold for a bit and just stitch.

So, that was my day...I am finally home (with a newly completed project) and ready to get back to my model work. I hope you find a little time to work on a project that makes you happy!

Frolic In The Foliage

Happy Wednesday! Today I bring to you a sneak peek of "Frolic In the Foliage"....my new autumn design that will be released in September at the TNNA St. Charles Needlework Market. I have been doing the model stitching on this project for the last week - and I must say, I really enjoyed it! It is my first model on the new 40-count overdyed linen from Weeks Dye Works (Beige) and it was very nice to stitch on...very soft and very easy to handle...and for those of you who I know will ask, it is stitched with Weeks Dye Works cotton floss. I will be taking this to my custom framer tomorrow, which is a treat, as she has been getting in all sorts of new frame molding...it makes it so much fun to pick out something both perfect and unique! So here is a preview photo for you, before framing...and (of course) each square is perfect for an ornament, scissor fob, or hook hanger (photo of smalls coming in the future)! Now I am off to start the model stitching for "Halloween With A 'Y'"....I'm keeping busy; there is so much model stitching I want to do...

Shiny New Frames

My Papillon Creations Mystery Sampler is finally ready to display - I was able to pick it yesterday...and just had to share it with you before it went on the wall! What a treat to have this piece finished and framed after starting it years ago. ...and going along with my finishing UFOs and spring cleaning, I decided it was time to frame a couple more pieces in my aging completed pile. I think we all have them....pieces we stitched and put aside to finish or frame at a later date...well in my case, these pieces were stitched years ago, as you see by the "2004" date on one of the pieces. Over the years, I have compiled a pretty good pile of completed pieces waiting to be framed or finished in some way. Slowly, but surely, I have made the decision to get these orphaned pieces out of the needlework safe and into my home! There is one small problem - with a couple hundred framed works already in my home, the challenge is finding creative ways to display them...

Shown below:

Left: "Freedom Flowers" by Just Nan....I remember stitching this design right when it was released...and I loved the over-one stitching (butterflies) and specialty stitches. The fun frame gave it a great new look!

Right: "Truly Thine" by Blackbird Designs (Loose Feathers Number 6). Over the years, I have collected and kitted all the Loose Feathers Club designs...and the first year, I actually stitched all of them. In 2004, I stitched both the heart-shaped pillow with strawberry emery and the sampler design...it just took me until 2010 to get it framed.

It was delightful to see these pieces I worked on years ago in their shiny new frames....and as I continue to rescue old finished pieces from the completed pile, I will be sure to share them with you!