THANK YOU, ALL YOU WONDERFUL STITCHERS!

I've just received a special "I Love Your Blog" award from Sunflower Crossing.


May I say here that what makes it EXTRA special to me is knowing that cross-stitchers are finding and reading my blog - which is mostly about counted canvaswork (i.e.: needlepoint!). So: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!
It also makes me glad (and proud) to realize that all of us stitchers - no matter what TYPE of stitching we do - are related by a shared passion for our needlework. And no matter how far apart we may be in miles, we are truly close to one another in our hearts and spirits...all because of our love of stitching! Isn't it AMAZING??

We know first-hand how powerful a tiny needle and piece of thread can be, because they have touched and perhaps even changed all our lives, haven't they?

Well, according to the rules of this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

Well, you know how hard THAT is - I love to read all the blogs posted on the right. Most times I just start at the top, and hop down the list, checking in and reading what all those stitchers are doing...So I'm just gonna close my eyes and stab a random seven, because I enjoy them all SOOO much, and they ALL inspire me to smile and keep stitching!

Here's my list (in no particular order):

It's Not Your Grandmother's Needlepoint
Tintock Tap
Spinster Stitcher
Happy Stitcher
Squiggeeland
Create Needlepoint
NeedleArtNut

P.S. to all you Cross-Stitchers (and you know who you are!): Thank you for reading my counted canvas blog. I hope it inspires you to try some counting on CANVAS one of these days (if you haven't done it already.) It makes a nice change from making all those little xxxxxxx's, don't you know! ....

February Makes Me Shiver....

Although I've been reading blogs for some time now, I've hemmed and hawed about actually starting my own blog. I've told myself that it's too much extra work; just another chore to add to the long list of stuff to get done every week....

But this last weekend in February has been grey and blustery in Northern California (great stitching weather, actually) and after printing patterns for days and days I needed a break. It was too yucky to go outside and walk the dog, so instead I went for a friendly "walk" around some favorite blog sites, just to get a peek at the stitching projects of others. I'm invariably amazed, delighted, inspired, and energized after reading and seeing what projects others are working on....

"Okay," I said to myself, "Maybe it's really time to start my own blog now, so I can share with other stitchers the projects and ideas that I'm working on." I'm planning to show some of the new projects I'm working on; give you preview "peeks" at new designs in progress, as well as show new releases that will eventually be available on my website. I intend to pass along stitchery contemplations; serendipitous stitching events that occur in my life; and also share some of the many stitching ideas that fill my head. (ah, so many ideas, so little time...and too few hands to get them all stitched fast enough)

Sooooo, here it is....the beginning of my own blog, dedicated to the love and art of stitching, stitching, and MORE STITCHING!

And to celebrate this new beginning for me, I'm sharing with you a photo of the very latest quilt in my American Quilt Collection. It's called, appropriately enough, "MARDI GRAS."

It's meant to celebrate the rebirth of hope & optimism....so, I wanted to do something a little more jazzy, with a feel of sparkling confetti or jewels, with lots of color and movement. It uses Caron Watercolours "African Sunset" - which has a fun mix of purples, pinks and oranges. And I also went a little crazy adding metallic Ribbon Floss (my latest thread addiction) and have actually sprinkled 4 or 5 different soft metallic colors thruout the design. Initially, I decided to put a calming brown border on the design, but after I stitched a good part of it, I realized a purple border would also be really zingy...and so, for you purple lovers out there, I have added that color suggestion/option on the pattern. And for you bead lovers, you can definitely add a variety of beads in the diamond centers, or maybe sprinkle them randomly thruout the overall design....

(FYI: I'll be adding MARDI GRAS to my website very soon....I'm currently printing it and sending it off to my distributors this week. After they have received their copies, I will be adding it on my website.)