Time for a New Cyber Class!

When I decide which projects to offer for cyber classes, I try to alternate a new class with an old/encore class.  Since the last RIBBONS & MONOGRAM class was an encore presentation, I thought I'd bring out a new design that I haven't shared with you before, "CALIFORNIA GOLD":

I actually taught this as a class 'way back in 2008 up in the Gold Country at Kelsey's Needle Krafts in Placerville, California.  Since then I've MEANT to offer it as a cyber class for other stitchers, but other projects and other classes took up most of my time while the piece languished away in my closet, and the years have just galloped along.  So now, finally, I'm offering it as a class, and you can have the fun of working on a bunch of really bright flowers that bring a smile to your face just looking at them!

What gave me the most pleasure in designing this piece was creating small, medium and large poppies that frankly, were a blast to stitch!  And the large, center poppies are slightly padded for additional texture and surprise... (and yeah, those are bullion knots in the poppy centers!)
Here's a close-up of the different sizes of flowers so you can see how cute those mini poppies are:

This brilliant tapestry piece measures 7.5" x 7.5" on 18 ct. canvas in my favorite Santa Fe Sage green -- which I love to use for floral pieces so the colors really "pop"-- which is certainly the case with this piece and those bright yellows and golds.  The thread palette of this piece uses Watercolours & Waterlilies 076, "Woodlands" another of my favorite green/gold/yellow variegated thread combinations.  A handful of #5 pearl cottons and two metallic threads (one a thick coppery ribbon and one a fine gold braid) make up the rest of the threads. 

So if California poppies are a favorite flower of yours (as they are mine) and you want a fun new project for late summer/early fall, please sashay on over to my website and see the cyber class information.... Happy Weekend Stitching, Folks!!

A Cool Summertime Quilt

Aloha, Summertime Stitchers!
During our California heat wave this summer I was really craving something cool and breezy to stitch.  Not too hard or too complicated. Something fun and bright and tropical....

And I decided to play around with the traditional "pineapple" quilt block and see if I could create a modern looking design using more contemporary colors.  Here's what I came up with - the TROPICAL PINEAPPLE QUILT, using happy turquoise and tangerine colors:

Boy, was this fun to stitch!!
I've stitched a zillion quilts with traditional colors and ecru backgrounds, but it struck me recently that I have never worked a quilt pattern on white 18 ct. canvas with a WHITE background - Sheesh!! So this summer seemed the perfect time to try something new.... and the pineapple block is a perfect way to play with these tropical colors.  I used two variegated threads for the quilt blocks - Watercolours 208, "Tangerine" for the oranges, and Watercolours 331, "Summer Fields" for the tropical mix; then I added a few cool solid color #5 pearls, with two metallic ribbons in blue and orange for a sassy bit of stitchy bling!   Here's another view of those fun and easy pineapple blocks, showing how the interlocking blocks create a dazzling graphic look that's surprisingly modern, especially with the white background:

And as I was stitching with these happy beachy colors, I also was imagining how gorgeous this would look in other colors. Doing it all in reds and whites would be wonderful for a Christmas pillow.  Or how about all in beachy blues, for yet another summertime look?  Lime green and sky blue?  Purple and green??  The possibilities are endless with this cutie, and if you're interested in picking out your own colors, I recommend finding a variegated thread (or two) that you love, then building your thread palette around them.

So, Stitchers, if you're sweltering in your own heat wave summer, and looking for something to keep you cool, please splash on over to my website and see the ordering information on this refreshing new TROPICAL PINEAPPLE QUILT! 

Grand & Glorious Fourth!

Hooray for the red, white and blue today!

I hope you're celebrating Independence Day with a little stitchin  -- mixed in with 

parade-watching, good-food eating,

not to mention just plain lazing, laughing, and fireworks oogling. 

Here are some of my favorite Fourth of July pieces that I bring out every year

 to celebrate our nation's illustrious birthday:

 Sandra Gilmore's LIBERTY

 INDEPENDENCE DAY 

  RED, WHITE & BLUE PANEL

  Sandra Gilmore's PATRIOTIC

 LIBERTY STAR

INDEPENDENCE INN

And this year I'll add the new PATRIOT'S WREATH to the collection:

Enjoy your Fouth of July celebrations, everyone!!

A Little Red, White & Blue Ornament!

WOO HOO....

I whipped up a little U.S.A. ornament as a free Independence Day treat for you:

Yessiree.... It's fast and fun and

you can use ANY red, white, blue and gold threads

you have available in your stash.... beads, too,

if you are a beading fan.

CELEBRATE OUR INDEPENDENCE!!