Giving Thanks

As a way of saying "Thank You" to everyone 

who's purchased, stitched, and supported my designs,

I've got a sweet little freebie chart for you to print out

and stitch up.

It's called "LITTLE AUTUMN SQUARE" and picks up a few

of the small Autumn elements from my recent

"FALL HARVEST PANEL.

So, print it out, pull some threads,

and start stitching!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving Weekend...

And don't forget to enjoy those yummy turkey leftovers later on!!

A NEW Cyber Class for a New Year!

Want to try a totally different stitching project next year?  Want to step outside your counted canvas comfort zone??  Well, take a look at my next, new cyber class, called PACIFIC TIDE POOL:

I actually designed this project for a stitching seminar 'way back in 2008, and it's been languishing in my TO BE SHARED pile for years!  Anyway, I finally pulled out the piece and after checking that the threads are still available, I'm offering it as a 2017 cyber class. 

Please know this design is NOT counted from a graph, Stitchers!  The design is approx. 6" x 6" on a 12" square of 18 ct. canvas (sandstone with brown marbling).  You start with a blank canvas, with just the basic shapes drawn in (pre-drawn canvas provided in kit)... then you build up the tide pool vignette element by element. 

There's quite a variety of threads used in this piece: solid color and variegated cottons (floss and pearl cotton), plus specialty threads and metallic ribbons  -- all in seaweed greens and amethyst purples -- which give a really rich, textured look to this finished piece.

While the actual stitches aren't complex, I'm rating this project for "experienced intermediate-to-advanced" stitchers, because there are lots and lots and LOTS of Bullion Knots done on this piece, and if you don't know how to make them or don't like doing them, you surely won't enjoy working on this piece!   You'll need to create your purple anemones out of many layers of bullion knots:

The starfish is also made out of Bullions (with some needleweaving done around the center):

And let me tell you, by the time you're done, you'll be thankful that this is a small piece, and not a large one - grin!!  But seriously, Stitchers, once you get a feel for making long loopy bullions, it's not so bad.... and actually rather freeing to make overlapping bullions in different types of threads - just consider it a college course in bullion knot making!

So if you're up for a stitching challenge in the New Year, why not splash on over to my website and check out the details on my new PACIFIC TIDE POOL cyber class?!?

PLEASE NOTE: Recently, my website provider was "updated" and froze my website in a spring 2015 version!  Today I have been able to add my newest items, but I'll have to re-enter all the data for previous patterns, as time permits.  If you're interested in a pattern you don't find on the website, please email me and I'll send you a custom PAYPAL invoice for it.  Thank you for your patience while this issue is being fixed/restored/dealt with.

New Holiday Ornaments!

Due to the popularity of my previous HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS - Series 1 and 2, I decided I needed to create another fun set this year, called HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS, Series 3.

Each ornament design is 5" x 5" on 18 ct canvas (and 3.5" x 3.5" on 24 ct. Congress Cloth). I've stitched my models on the Santa Fe Sage green canvas, but really you can stitch them on any color (you'll stitch solidly on the canvas, so none of the canvas shows).  As you can see in the photo above, I stitched all four designs on one piece of canvas, but you can certainly stitch each one on a separate piece of canvas, or even in a vertical row, for a bellpull effect.

I also consider these cuties as "mix and match" designs, because you can switch out the colors of each border to suit your favorite look.  To show you how they look, I did two of the pieces in red pearl and red metallic borders, but if you prefer, you can stitch ALL four ornaments with a red and white border, for a matching look.  You can also switch out the inner patterns around the tree and stocking to red & white, green & white, or red & green - you choose!  And it sure would be fun to mix two packages with two ornaments in ONE design!  As you can tell, there's a bunch of ways to play with this design, and the stitches are all easy ones, so they really are fun to stitch up. 

MATERIALS NEEDED:  Watercolours 025 - "holiday" with DMC #5 304 (2 skeins), 890 (2 skeins), 3345 (1 sk), white (2 skeins)... along with YLI Ribbon Floss 148-021 (2 sk.) and 148-039 (2 sk.) - or Kreinik 1/16th Ribbon 002 (3 spools) and 031 (3 spools).  Stitch on four pieces of 8" x 8" 18 ct. canvas or ONE LARGE piece of 14" x 14" canvas for all four designs.

UPDATE, as of Nov. 15th:  I've been able to edit my website today, so you CAN order this fun pattern off the website!  Go check it out!!

PLEASE NOTE -- If you're interested in adding these new designs to your holiday collection: my website is currently frozen in an older 2015 version, thanks to recent "updates" done by my website provider, and I can't edit/add new products. They're working on the problem, but I have NO idea when my website will return to normal.  Sooooo, if you want this new design: please email me with your order request, and I'll send you a custom PAYPAL invoice, and we can do business that way!
   
HAPPY FRIDAY, STITCHERS!