The Finishing Touch

Hello friends - I'm back for a quick evening post - it seems this is the quietest/easiest time of day to sit down and visit with you! Our household is on a crazy schedule at the moment and I am finding it a bit of a challenge. I thought I would stop by tonight and share some recent needlework finishes I completed for a favorite customer. This is the last of the needlework finishing for a little while and I will be back to cutting project bags and custom sewing orders later tonight. These needlework pieces were all for one  wonderful customer...and she is GREAT to work with - a box of needlework arrives with the instructions of "do whatever you think" - these are my favorite type of orders that make the time in my studio rewarding and fun. I truly adore orders like these, as I get to choose all the backing fabrics, shapes, and embellishments...and truth be told, that is my favorite part!! I had fun picking coordinating fabrics for the backs, picking trims (thanks to Lady Dot Creates) and making the twisted cord...and, as always, adding the finishing touches...

One piece I should share about is the needlepoint pillow (shown in upper right corner and below). I normally do not finish needlepoint or canvas pieces - they are definitely not my specialty...but this was a unique situation and the piece was in remembrance for a family member. The stitching wasn't quite complete and there were a couple stains - but I got it cleaned up, pressed and blocked the best I could. The original idea was to trim the pillow with piping or cord around the perimeter, but once I had the pillow created, I really liked the look without any edging. I sent photos to the stitcher and we agreed it looked good without. I was quite pleased with the end result. It is always rewarding when something special turns out as imagined.

I hope you enjoy these images...and maybe you will be inspired to pull out your most recent cross stitch piece and do a little needlework finishing yourself. Designers/details are listed with the images when available...fabrics in the photos are used for backing...

Needlepoint Canvas by Bucilla
(I do not have a title or year)

Needlepoint Pillow Back

Let It Snow - Threadwork Primitives

Jingle All The Way - Just Another Button Company (I think)

Jingle All The Way - Ornament Back

Family Mittens by Cricket Collection

Grand Olde Flag by With thy Needle & Thread
My finishing idea - model is flat finished.

Grand Olde Flag Hanging

Summer Stroll by Just Nan

Spell of the Moon by Backbird Designs

Tom Turkey Sampler by Heart in Hand

Love Sampler by Heart in Hand
My finishing idea - valentine/letter holder - model was framed.
I 💗 this!!

I am now headed down to my cutting room to prepare project bags until my husband gets home from work. Yes friends, the sleep schedule is insane here and the struggle is real...my daily routine is completely out of sorts. I'm guessing I have over a hundred bags to cut, so I have plenty to keep me occupied...plus I'm listening to a great book (I LOVE Audible) that will keep me company (along with the dogs - they love the cool basement floor!). I have more creative things to share with you, so I should be back another late night this week...

Humming Along

It's a quiet Friday night and I thought I would take break from a stitching marathon to post an update. I have been working on more cross stitch projects for Just CrossStitch Magazine and a new AccuQuilt design, so things are humming along. I've been trying to clean up my counter of customer projects, so there are piles of project bags cut and ready to sew, along with a couple small quilts and a wall hanging...and multiple piles of needlework finishing, all in various stages of completion...there is also a tray of Stitch Starter Ruler sleeves and several project/tool bags prepped and ready to sew for my Etsy Shop. I'm still trying to find a balance with the puppy requiring quite a bit of attention while my husband is traveling.

...and since when it rains, it pours, there were a few challenges this week. My web host tried to move my website to a new server and (of course) my e-mails are tied to my website, which caused a bit of an issue - no e-mail for a couple days, then it all started pouring in my inbox in large batches...and when a new batch would arrive, the old batch would disappear (poof!) - it seems to be fixed now and I think we recovered everything, but if by chance you sent me a message that needed a response and didn't receive one, please re-send it! I managed to get my 2017 sales taxes completed this week and started preparing our income tax paperwork for the CPA - something I dread all year, even though I am quite organized. It was just one of those super busy weeks where it doesn't seem like anything was accomplished. I got back on track yesterday and the to-do list is starting to look manageable....hopefully this coming week will run smooth (fingers crossed)!

Last Friday, I was able to have lunch with my dear friend Mary - it felt great to get out of the house and just breathe. Since the puppy arrival last October and then the holiday rush, I have been on scheduled autopilot - I really only make it out to go to the gym and to run errands, so "me time" has been pretty much non-existent - to be able to relax, even if only for a couple hours, was pure joy. After lunch, we walked over to a local quilt shop and picked fabrics for a couple small projects....and I felt refreshed and ready to tackle more of what life has been throwing at me. I have been doing quite a bit of needlework finishing for Mary and was able to return some of her beautiful stitching (these photos showcase her stitching and my finishing):

This piece has been getting quite a bit of social media buzz and we are trying
to figure out the designer/title - the consensus is that it was in a magazine,
 but I don't have specific details - if you know, please leave me a comment!

Don't you love it when seams line up perfectly!

This shows the back and the side seams...

...and for those who have been patiently waiting, I was able to get another 50+ Stitch Starter Ruler Sleeve Sets listed in my Etsy shop...they have been selling out very quickly (thank you!!!) and I am always trying to keep them in stock. I have another 50 ready to sew...

Time to get Garin out of the kennel for one more play session with Schatzi before bedtime. Wishing you a creative and productive weekend...