New March Pattern

I've been in a joyfully productive springtime mood these last few weeks and am happy to show you my newest spring design called LONG SPRING PANEL:

This happy springtime piece uses little bits of stitched ribbons to divide the four different floral patterns that make up this new long panel. I couldn't decide which pastel variegated thread to use, so I've included two different colorways on the pattern  (plus I list the thread types used, for stitchers who want to create their own color palettes).

One colorway is a "cool pink" palette (the model shown above) that is stitched on sage green 18 ct. canvas. It features Watercolours 064 "Pale Lilac" and weaves a touch of lavender throughout the piece. The other colorway is a "warm pink/coral" palette that can be stitched on eggshell canvas and uses Watercolours 053 "Coral Blush" as its inspiration. Here's a snippet of the warmer pink version for you to see up close:

It's such a fun and easy piece to stitch up (I finished the first model in a week) that as soon as I completed the first version, I started to work on the second one... and am enjoying stitching it just as much as the first!

When I got the first model finished, I had planned to just add beads, but in a burst of springy inspiration, I realized that the tiny ribbon flowers are exactly the right size to hold a few small buttons. I went looking through my old button bag and came up with a few good buttons, but I also visited the local fabric store and found these adorable shell flower buttons that were perfect for the piece:

They add a very charming vintage springtime touch, don't you think? 

So if you have a collection of small buttons you'd like to add to a stitched project or if you're just in the mood for something new and springy  to stitch right about now, please visit my website to see more information on this design. 

Mini Mystery Monday #6, part 3

Did you have fun stitching all your tiny boxes?   Good.

Now we get to fill in all those boxes with cute little elements that really make this design pop.... and you'll be adding a touch of metallic sparkle as well, so get ready for some fun stitching!

And you also get to choose whether or not you'd like to add some beads, because that will dictate HOW you fill your little boxes.

FIRST VERSION: I filled all my boxes with Rhodes Squares, so it looked like this:

Some of the boxes are filled with 1 ply of the variegated Watercolours, some are filled with 1 strand of the dark and medium accent pearl cotton colors, and some are filled with 1 strand of the metallic ribbon color.

So if you like that look, follow this graph:

SECOND VERSION:  If you want to add beads to your piece, you'll have to stitch something different in your little boxes (which are 5 x 5 threads, by the way).  So, because you have an odd-numbered space to fill, you'll have to create an Eyelet variation like this:

And that way you have a center space in which to add your beads. As a guide, use the whole graph shown above, but substitute Eyelets for Rhodes Squares, wherever you want to put them...

You may choose to alternate your fillings in the boxes or mix them up...and you'll have to choose your beads, as well -- that's all up to you!  (And since I didn't stitch a beaded model, you'll have the added surprise of seeing how that finally looks.)

Anyway, when you're finished, I hope you enjoy looking at this little design as much as I do!!  I think the little Rhodes Squares kind of look like gum drops.... and they definitely add a fun texture to this piece.

And psssst, just between you and me, I loved the look of this little piece so much, I started designing a LARGER piece that is built around this sweet little one.  I'm calling it "COTTON CANDY" and here's a sneak peek at it:

It is sooooooo much fun to stitch, I'm planning on stitching it up in a second colorway, too.  So keep an eye out for this fun new quilt pattern that I will release later this Spring...
 

Got Spring Fever?

These past few weeks I've been kept busy printing lots of patterns. Sometimes the orders come in waves with certain designs (usually the newest ones) being the current favorites.  And sometimes the weather gets stitchers in the mood to start new projects and also revisit older designs.  Case in point: I've had a flurry of requests recently for an old floral collage favorite, my BEARDED IRIS COLLAGE... (and I'm guessing there are quite a few stitchers out there with real bad cases of Spring Fever, ahem!):

Actually, I have this piece hanging up in my house right now, because every time I look at it, it makes me smile.  And it's also a gentle reminder that I have my own irises to look forward to in my garden.  A gardening friend gave me some extra irises to plant in my garden last fall, so I can't wait to see if they bloom later this spring.  They're looking very healthy and strong right now, but I have no idea what color they will be... but a very nice surprise for later this spring, I think...

So for now, I'm enjoying this piece in my house, with the warm, soft pastel colors of the Watercolours thread I used here (which is named, ironically, "Harvest").  The soft apricot colors are a yummy match for the dark greens in the borders.  And I've always thought it would look equally "iris-y" to use the same "Harvest" Watercolours, but select a family of soft purples instead of the apricots, and then stitch a purple iris in the center. Wouldn't that be a wonderful springtime project?

Here's an up-close look at the variegated threads....

See that pale purple color in the variegated thread used in the upper left box?  Can you just picture a soft purple iris stitched in those colors? (Maybe that periwinkle family of DMC 333, 341, 340?)  Sigh... I wish I had time to go back and re-stitch this in those purple colors just to see what it would look like, but I have to let it reside in my imagination, while I go on to stitch on a fresh batch of new designs....

But for those of you who are starting to get a bit of spring fever right now, maybe you'd like to stitch up a BEARDED IRIS COLLAGE for YOUR fantasy garden, as a gentle reminder that Spring is indeed just around the corner...

Happy Stitching this weekend!

Mini Mystery Monday #6, part 2

This week you'll need to add a few simple borders, so you can see the full size of this piece.

Follow this graph for the first part of this Monday's installment:

And after you have some of the borders established, start making some small boxes in the body of the design, so you can now follow this graph:

It looks like it's going to be a small traditional quilt design, doesn't it?  Well.... it might be,
but then again it might take another turn entirely and become more geometric and jazzy.....

You'll just have to stay tuned and see what happens next...

Happy Monday Stitching!

Going Back to a Past Season

Remember this?
My LONG AUTUMN PANEL from last year?

I know we've left autumn way, way behind us now, but just this morning I've finished revising a thread palette for a stitcher who really wants to work the LONG AUTUMN PANEL in something without purples or greens in it. And I thought I would go ahead and share the thread combination with all of you too (since I'm sure there are plenty of stitchers out there who don't want to have so much purple or green in their projects either - grin!)

I've created a dusty blue and orange version that uses these threads:

 And it's really quite yummy in a serene blue and orange kind of way...(and notice there is no purple or green in sight, ahem...)

The thread palette I've pulled centers around Watercolours 010 "Fiesta" (2 skeins)
and uses DMC #5 898 (2), 920, 921, 930, 931
with Ribbon Flosses 148-032 (2), 144-005 (2), 148-047 (2)
 and Kreinik #8 Braid 002HL.

So if you're ever in the mood for a blue and orange color scheme, remember these threads - they might be just the combo you've been looking for!

Mini Mystery Monday #6

Recently, I was printing a batch of my STARRY NIGHTS pattern and my eye was taken by a section of the piece that I thought would make a good little ornament.  Here's the section that caught my eye - it's outlined in lime green:

And because I was in a pink & green mode, I pulled these threads:

    Watercolours 058 - "mocha rose" for my variegated thread
    DMC #5 pearl cotton, 936 - dark avocado green (for the borders)
    DMC #5 pearl cotton, 3350 - dark pink (for the brightest accent color)
    DMC #5 pearl cotton, 962 - medium pink (for the medium accent color)
    DMC #5 pearl cotton, 963 (or 818) - light pink (for the lightest accent color)
    Fyre Werks Soft Sheen FT38 - dark pink (for the ribbon metallic accent)

I started doodling around with some stitches and came up with a really sweet little design.
It's only 3.75" x 3.75" in its finished size on 18 ct canvas.  I used a 8" x 8" piece of "rose blush" pink canvas, but really any color will be fine, since you stitch over all the exposed canvas in this piece. Or if you want to pull your own thread colors, just use a canvas color that works with your threads.

And here's the first graph of this design for you to follow:

Start in the center of your canvas and create this off-set star design first:

Please note that this star is created with an ODD number of 9 stitches in each arm, thus the center empty square is a 9 x 9 box.  (Having a 9 x 9 base to work with lets us easily create a checkered border that has 3 x 3 mosaic squares.)  And you can see that I've poked holes in the center area to denote a 5 x 5 square center that we will fill later with something fun and easy and cute.....

But for this first installment of Mini Mystery #6, just complete your checkers with your DARK border color, so you have something that looks like this (but go ahead and add the variegated stitches that give you the second set of arms on your star):

That's all for now.... I'll see you next Monday with the next fun part!!

Floating Hearts

I was reading some blogs today and was charmed by Ann Stradal's posting of her needlepoint heart pillow on THE CAPE STITCHER.  It reminded me of an old design of mine called "HEARTS AFIRE" that stitchers occasionally order from me.  Here's what it looks like:

 I originally stitched it on eggshell canvas that has flecks of gold in it, but it could be stitched on lots of different canvas colors.  Basically,  I was just playing around with filling heart shapes with different compound stitches.  Here's a  close-up of a couple of the hearts:

I used Caron Watercolours 028 - "Confetti" on this model (2 skeins) with a handful of #5 pearl cottons and metallics as well.

I quick added it to my website today in the Sampler Collection, in case any of you are tempted to start a new heart project today -grin!

Or maybe you'd like to start working on my "LITTLE VALENTINE" freebie design, just like Coni is doing on her blog, SPINSTER STITCHER...  If so, here's the graph for you to print out at home (click on the photo, then go to Print Preview and enlarge it to fill the page, then Print. If that still doesn't work, email me and I'll send you the graph via email):

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!