Check This Out!

Several months ago, I got a phone call from an enthusiastic guy called Mark Lipinski. He was calling because he had been visiting The Country Sampler in Papillion, Nebraska and bought several of my needlework quilt patterns there. He is also the publisher/editor/owner of a fun new quilting magazine called QUILTER'S HOME, that specializes in all things quilting.

He wanted to show off some of my quilt patterns and asked if he could write an article about my designs.
Of course I said YES! (I'm always tickled pink to have my designs noticed by quilters, since our interests are so similar in many ways.) We chatted some more, and he promised it would appear sometime in the fall. Well, here it is!! Check out the November/December issue of Mark Lipinski's Quilter Home magazine to see the wonderful writeup he gave to my counted canvas quilt patterns.

And you don't have to be a quilter to enjoy this magazine. It's full of really fun articles about fabric, food,and lots of other things that will make you smile and probably laugh a lot, too. (His witty and insightful articles about all types of quilting/fabric/crafty/creative obsessions can also apply to us stitchers as well - you know what I'm talking about...)

Anyway, if you see this magazine in the store, give it a look -- you may find it downright irresistable!

Yankee Pride!

It's been a while, but here's the newest design in my American Quilt Collection.
It's called YANKEE PRIDE, which is actually the real name of the quilt block that inspired it.

I immediately loved the name of the quilt block, and as I stitched this model up, I thought about how many ways the title could be interpreted.

Yankee Pride actually represents all of us, as Americans. It also refers more specifically to the New England area and the Yankees of that particular region. (The rope twist border is a tribute to that sea-faring, ship-building tradition). I chose to use blues and golds as my color scheme in this pattern because Yankee Pride also reminded me of the Federal Army colors (those "damn Yankees") during the Civil War. And those same blue and gold colors evoke for me today the spirit of "the land of the free, and the home of the brave" military men and women of today. (The zig zag chevron border is another tribute to the military bars and stripes found on uniforms.)


And here's the original photo that inspired this design. I found it while flipping through a home decorating magazine. I kept returning over and over to this page, to stare at the quilt. I could immediately see it as a stitched quilt. Well, the rest is history, as they say....

So if you're itchin' to show off some of your own YANKEE PRIDE, grab this pattern and start stitching! (... And while you're stitching, why not give some thought to your own meanings for the phrase "Yankee Pride"...)

It's a Stash Thing...

In order to finish the VINEYARD BOUQUET I showed you yesterday, I needed to go to the local stitchery store to find just the right beads to finish the grape clusters. Not only did I find some beads, but I found some other threads as well. Surprise, surprise. Here's the bag full of goodies I came home with:


You can see the bead assortment I found (for burgundy, gold, pink, and green grapes). Then notice the other threads: a handful of luscious Wildflowers and Waterlilies in teals, blues, orchids and purples....with matching silk Splendor colors.

That's usually how I get started on a new design...I find a bunch of thread types and colors that excite me and match the vision I have in my head. Then I set to work stitching with the different threads, adding or subtracting thread colors and types as I see the design develop on the canvas. For this particular design idea, I wanted more monochromatic threads, and the piece will eventually be done in just one (monochromatic) color, such as teal, blue, orchid or purple.

For now I'll put this pile of threads in a plastic bag for future reference, so when I'm ready to start stitching, all the threads I selected will be ready for me to use. And as you might guess, I have all sorts of stashes of thread bags hidden away in baskets, tins, boxes....the trick is to remember WHERE I put which thread for which project! But you know how it is...it's just a stash thing.

And what makes my "need" for more thread a little bit crazy (even to me) is that my kitchen table is currently covered in piles of hand-dyed threads, like this:


Skeins of pearl cotton threads in size 5, 8, and 12....that I've hand-dyed in lots of yummy colors....because you never can tell - I might just need some more thread one of these days!

...Well, what can I say? It's a stash thing....

Here's What I'm Working On...

Here's a little sneak peek at something I'm trying to finish up this week.

I'm calling it VINEYARD BOUQUET. I wanted to get back to doing some blackwork again, but do it on 18 ct. canvas this time. I've used a variegated thread (of course) in a autumnal colorway, with burgundy, green and gold accents.

I'm planning to include a few other color choices: a chardonnay version (golds) and a zinfandel version (pinks), because this design would definitely look great in other color combinations. And although I wanted to work on the "old" brown canvas to give it a vintage look, it can also be stitched up on sandstone or eggshell canvas, for a brighter, sunnier look. There are places for beads, too - especially for the grapes....I just don't know how many to add - that'll come at the very end, after all the stitching is done.

And I'm especially pleased with the borders on this one! The rippling ribbon effect is soooo easy and fun to stitch....And the satin ribbon accents that "wrap" the green outer border add a subtle sheen to the plain outer border, making it look rather elegant, plus give it a little extra dimension. And speaking of dimensions, the overall size of this piece is 10.5" x 10.5" on 18 ct. mono canvas.

I'm really lovin' the look of this design, thus far! So I think I'll get back to work on it....Later, Stitchers!!

Are You Ready???

Do you have all your Halloween decorations out?
Have you bought plenty of Halloween candy?
Do you have a costume yet?

I've got some pumpkins on the porch, next to several pots of chrysanthemums (gotta have mums around at Halloween...) and I've got an autumnal wreath on the front door. Plenty of candy on hand, too. Although, even though I'm close to the local middle school, I don't get a lot of trick-or-treaters...But I've got plenty of candy (the kind I like, of course, just in case I'm forced to eat it afterwards...ha, ha). And I've even got a bright orange Halloween bandana for my dog Katie to wear, so she can be appropriately dressed for the occasion. (Although the ringing doorbell does start her barking frantically...Who ARE all those STRANGE people coming to the front door?!?...)

And I've got a few Halloween items hanging around the house that I've stitched over the years. It's nice to have another holiday to display our stitchery projects around the house, isn't it? Although I'm missing the HAPPY HALLOWEEN sign shown above. It's currently in New York at a trunk show...so I hope it's making lots of people smile and get in the Halloween spirit. One of the things I forgot to mention in the pattern for HAPPY HALLOWEEN is that the quilt blocks I used in the design are somehow related to the Halloween theme. The block names include: Card Trick, Toad in a Puddle, and Bats in the Belfrey, to name just a few that I can remember...


I do have this other design hanging in my house: HALLOWEEN CATS. Which I think is also very cute. (I've done it on 18 ct canvas, but it can also be worked on Aida cloth or other evenweave fabric.) I meant to send it away as well, but it was the only item I couldn't fit in the box, so I kept it here with me, while the others went winging their way across the country...

Anyway, I hope you're all ready for Halloween...Have a safe and fun evening!

It's Been Crazy Here!

I HAD intended to get more blogging done this fall, but ...OOPS, here it is the end of October and I'm still working at a hand gallop to get lots of other stuff done.

Over the past few weeks I've had to pack up and mail trunk shows to two different needlework shops - at totally different sides of the country. One trunk show is currently displayed at Ladybug Stitches in Bohemia, New York and the other is at Quail Run Needlework in Scottsdale, Arizona. Both shops are primarily painted canvas stores, yet they both requested my designs to show stitchers the fun of doing counted canvaswork.

And I'm pleased to report that the stitchers seem to be enjoying the change of stitching scenery! I've had excited phone calls from both stores saying the patterns are flying out the door. Well, THAT'S what I like to hear....It certainly gives me plenty of satisfaction to know that stitchers are eager to try my designs and maybe find a new needlework passion - in COUNTED CANVASWORK!
I always tell people that counted canvaswork is EASY...I mean, come on, who doesn't know how to count? And that's really all you need to do -- thread your needle, count (carefully!) and then stitch it on your canvas...It's not so scary -- REALLY!

And just to show you I'm not a TOTAL counted-canvaswork-a-holic, I'm showing you a few of the (ahem, many) painted canvases I have hidden away in my personal stash. (Like I have time to stitch these in addition to my own designs...but that's another story....) The top little canvas was a gift from a stitching friend...who surprised a bunch of her stitching friends with a little Halloween treat like this one! Boy, were we all delighted! Alas, I haven't stitched it up in time for this Halloween...but I'm hoping by NEXT year.....


And when I went into my local stitchery store (The Regal Rabbit in Windsor, CA) I fell in love with this gothicly cute Halloween house. I LOVE HOUSES, and this one sorta reminded me of a mini House of Seven Gables...but at first, I couldn't figure out what the gold curvy thing next to the broomstick was.It looked like the Cheshire Cat's smile to me. But then a friend looked at it and said it might be the handle of a garage door. AHA! Now I see it - it's a two-door garage for the witch's broomsticks. Pretty clever, huh? I've only done a bit of stitching on it - just the black crows (in a sparkly black Ribbon Floss) and the house siding (in a suitably gothic Needle Necessities overdyed floss) but I'm hoping I can get more of this stitched in the next few days....(dream on, Laura...)

And isn't that Halloweeny needle holder CUTE??
I love it - it's just perfect for all those Halloween projects. And it's another gift from a stitching buddy. We stitchers do love our stitching goodies, don't we?

Okay...gotta fly!
(Where's that broomstick when you need it?!?)

For All You Ribbon Winners...

this quilt's for you.

It's called STATE FAIR, and I was inspired to design it because of all my stitching friends who enjoy entering their stitchery pieces in the local or state fairs every year.

On the pattern I say that "this quilt was inspired by all of the county and state fairs that take place every year throughout the country. It reminds me of all the ribbons that are handed out to everyone who participates and contributes with their pride and hard work - whether it be in the domestic arts, livestock, or atheletic areas."

I tried to work as many ribbon motifs into the piece as I could. And I used a variegated colorway that has red, blue, green, and gold colors - all ribbon colors. And there's some soft gold metallic ribbon stitches added to give some extra sparkle to the piece. Even the "quilted" border has a ribbon banner look. And it was rather fun to stitch. And if you love to bead, there are certainly places to add a few gold beads in the centers of triangles or diamonds....

I also tried something different in this quilt design: I mixed and matched quilt blocks. Instead of repeating the same block four or nine times, I alternated two different blocks, which gives a more complex and sophisticated look. I'm liking the look of this quilt....and plan to do more of this mixed block technique. So stay tuned for more quilt block adventures for your needle and thread!!