It is a beautiful, sunny morning...and after getting both dogs walked, I sat down at my sewing machine to work on client orders of project bags. I am buzzing along on a HUGE order with a plethora of beautiful fabrics - and truth be told, seeing so many lovely prints makes me long for a trip to the local quilt shop to see what is new! My wonderful customers usually send me fabric for their orders and I am blessed to have a large stash, so I rarely get out to purchase fabulous new textiles.
Today's post features beautiful pieces (both needlework finishing and custom sewing) all from one special custmoer...yep, these finishes all shipped back to one talented stitcher. She sent an order for several projects bags, multiple pieces of needlework finishing...and had me work my magic on a very special piece of fabric from Sajou that she acquired when visiting Paris. I really enjoyed each of these projects! For the finishing, she gave me little direction and allowed me to choose fabrics for each of her stitched pieces (which makes me happy and gives me a chance to be creative!)...and she sent the fabric for each of the project bags. So here is the cross stitch and sewing inspiration for today...
I have more needlework finishing and special sewing projects to share with you in the near future...and I have been doing quite a bit of fun "secret" designing, sewing and quilting for AccuQuilt that is now released...so stay tuned - I'll be back soon!
It's been WAY too long without a post...and believe me, I have a month full of fun/creative things to share. Let's start with a general update today with some basic highlights (scroll down for more Garin photos and a video)...then get into some creative posts over the next week...
Our trip to Nashville was a great getaway...this trip proved to be a wonderful sightseeing adventure, even though what I probably needed most was a simple beach or lake vacation with a good book to clear my head. My favorite outings included The Grand Ole Opry Show and Backstage Tour (we got to see Luke Combs perform), Cheekwood Estate and Gardens (https://www.cheekwood.org) and the Belle Meade Plantation tour and wine tasting (https://bellemeadeplantation.com/)….but that is just a small sampling of our journey - we also went to the Nashville Zoo (which was lovely), the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, TN, the Parthenon, and visited an array of other attractions/museums - plus we listened to some incredible live music. Talk about cramming a lot into just five days - we made great use of our time. We drove ten hours each way – so it was a lot of car time too...which was actually nice, because it was some "one on one time" with my husband, who has had an insane travel schedule for over a year. Oh...and how could I forget...we stopped at Hancock's of Paducah in Paducah, KY on the way home...my quilting friends will understand how exciting this was for me...and I only bought four yards! (Click on any image to enlarge...)
Grand Ole Opry - Luke Combs on stage...
Instruments backstage at the Grand Ole Opry
A favorite image from one of the Cheekwood gardens...
Cheekwood - Carell Woodland Scupture Trail - "Crawling Lady Hare"
Cheekwood - "Intrude" Exhibit by Australian Artist Amanda Parer
Cheekwood - "Intrude" Exhibit by Australian Artist Amanda Parer
Belle Meade Plantation
Sampling the good stuff at the Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, TN
A glimpse inside Hancock's of Paducah...
After being home about a week (working round-the-clock on Quilt Market deadlines),
I headed to Lake Summerset, IL for an extended weekend with my mom and Dan. It was another long drive, but there is nothing like time with family. Unfortunately, it stormed quite a bit of the time...but we did manage to get the boat out on the water the first evening and have a campfire (and a s'more!) before the rain started pouring. We also made a special trip to Wisconsin
to the Fireside Dinner Theatre (https://www.firesidetheatre.com/)
for a Saturday matinee dinner and Broadway performance of 42nd
Street – it was WONDERFUL – my mom and Dan have season tickets and were able to
add me to their reservation. The trip seemed too short, but work deadlines were calling my name back in Iowa.
Fireside Dinner Theatre in historic Fort Atkinson, WI
Another FULL week of work and then we were off to Minnesota to pick up Garin from his three months of puppy boot camp. What a joy it was to see him again - he is doing GREAT – etremely well-behaved (for a puppy) – and I am quite impressed with his training - I sure am happy to have him home!! He definitely obeys commands and walks perfectly on heel, but is obviously still a puppy...we work with him daily to keep up with the training and keep him sharp. He knew who we were right away and that made me smile - he is going to be the best companion...and he is very protective of me! It was an all day trip - we left at the crack of dawn to get there by 10:00 AM and got home late into the evening. Here is his graduation video and photo...and if you can't see the video below, you can see it on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/lxp2-zSQKWg.
Once Garin was home safely, we headed to Boone, Iowa the next morning to run the Gladiator Assault Challenge (a mud run with with a bunch of challenging muddy obstacles) with a small team from our local gym (http://www.gladiatorassault.com/). I was a bit concerned when we pulled up and could see some of the course from the Jeep...but yet, I persevered. It was definitely out of my comfort zone - I got SUPER muddy, soaking wet, and winded...and I finished!! It was actually a great experience and I would definitely do it again (with more cardio training!). Several weeks before the event, I had started running each day after lifting to train for mountainous inclines, and now I am motivated to keep running. I feel healthy - I feel good.
So May was gone in a flash - seriously, where did it go?! I think I crammed something into just about every minute of every day. The good news is, I met all my big work deadlines (I can't wait to share some of the projects with you!) and I am now back to making TONS of project bags and completing piles and piles of needlework finishing...my studio counter is covered in organized piles for some very patient customers! I will be back soon to start sharing some of my recent creative finishes...there are A LOT of them...so many in fact, that I made a list of things to share so I wouldn't forget anything. Make sure to stop back in the next few days to see some gorgeous needlework pieces, several quilting projects, and a plethora of custom sewing projects...
Things have been buzzing along in my studio again this week...and I have a bunch of new finishes to share with you today. I have been working on more projects bags and needlework finishing for customers...along with designing a few more pieces for AccuQuilt and working on layouts for some cross stitch designs...it's been hectic, but so creatively rewarding.
A quick catch-up... The weather is starting to (finally) warm up and I have spring fever...I am looking forward to spending more time outside (I'm hoping the weekend forecast is exaggerated and the snow will be non-existent)! In other news, Garin (our German Shepherd puppy) is doing well at his formal training and has passed the halfway mark in his 12-week puppy boot camp...I can't wait until we can pick him up at the end of May - I'm really missing him. My husband and I celebrated our 18-year anniversary last week - I pulled out the wedding/reception photos out for the first time in years - I can't believe one of the babies in attendance is graduating from high school this year - that was grounding. We had a lovely evening out, but our real celebration will be in Nashville, TN in a couple weeks (and believe me, that vacation can't get here soon enough). I was able to spend a couple hours with my dear friend Mary last Friday - a "friendship Friday" was just what I needed! It's been a fun and productive week and I hope the productivity continues, as I prepare for our upcoming trip...
Here is a small photo walk of just a few of my finishes from this last week....enjoy...
Shepherd's Bush - "Hold Hope"
Little House Needleworks - "Faith"
From the Heart - "Friendship Garden"
Threadwork Primitives - "Civil War Needlebook"
Just Nan - "Rosebud Tweet"
Blue Ribbon Designs - "Little Blue Bungalow"
It's time to walk Miss Schatzi, and then more needlework finishing - I have a couple more large orders to tackle this week. Thanks for visiting my little corner in blogland - I look forward to chatting with you again soon!
It is late Wednesday morning and I thought I stop by for a visit, before sitting down at the sewing machine. It has been a productive few weeks and I am steadily working through needlework finishing and project bag orders before taking a vacation towards the end of the month.
I have been continuously ordering supplies and finishing materials to keep up with demand - placing a monster order of DMC Embroidery Floss that I use for making twisted cord earlier this week (I was almost completely out of all reds and greens, as Christmas ornaments embellished with twisted cord are always a favorite). I'm waiting on more comic book backing boards and archival double-stick tape. I also received a couple INCREDIBLE packages from Lady Dot Creates - lots of luscious hand-dyed trims, chenille and velveteen...if you finish your own needlework and have not ordered from her, you are missing out - gorgeous, consistent colors and high quality products. You can find her website by visiting: http://ladydotcreates.com or shop in her Etsy Store by visiting: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ladydotcreates...
So, here is a peek at a few of the finished items that have been shipped off to their respective homes...lots of ornaments, bags, and Stitch Starter Ruler sets....
This afternoon I will be busy with needlework finishing...I have an abundance of gorgeous stitched pieces to complete for a handful of customers - starting with a hanging pillow backed in velveteen with perimeter pom pom trim and a small pin pillow with chenille trim. It's going to be a creative afternoon! Thank you for stopping by and we will visit again soon...
