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From My Needle - November/2020
I started writing this on Remembrance Day, and I find it sad that so many ceremonies have been cancelled due to Covid. Our minister did a tribute service on Sunday, as she knew our local ceremony was cancelled, and that was quite nice. We should never forget all the sacrifices that have been made for us. We did a minute of silence then, but will observe another one today, in remembrance...
On a brighter note, we have been enjoying sensational weather for the past week - more like May than November! We're going to take our old girl (Mollee) out to the woods of our local conservation area for what may be the last run before the snow flies and we can't drive there (they close the parking lot). Although we DID have snow in October - which is always a shock, no matter how often it happens, LOL.
So far this month, I've been concentrating on finishing up things around my office - tidying, putting away supplies from finished projects, etc. I want to make up some supply kits to go with a new ORT BALL GNOME chart I've created - we are doing our last OPEN HOUSE of the year on the 21st, and I'm giving everyone a free copy of the chart, so they may want the supplies to go with it (wink).
ORTS are the little end of floss that are cut off when you finish stitching, so instead of tossing them out. I sell a clear glass ornament that you can fill with Orts for a decoration... and now I have a Little Leaflet that tells you how to turn it into a GNOME ornament, or a GNOME figurine (the standing gnome has a tall green hat with lights and a star on top, like a Christmas tree, LOL). Although I'm giving away free copies on the 21st, the chart won't be released until next summer, as it's too late to get into shops for this Christmas.
I am also stitching a second version of the OWL HARDANGER BOX I submiited to EAC SEMINAR 2021 (for teaching a class), as I realized when I was assembling the first box that I forgot to allow for some of the foamcore thickness in the lid (!!). Rookie mistake, LOL, and I should have known better - but that's what happens when you rush! Anyway, the fix is pretty simple, and I wanted to make another box up in a second colorway, so that is in my stitching pile for the coming week.
Whenever I have a spare minute, I've been stitching a pair of geometric evening bags... I originalled called them SILVER MAZE and GOLD MAZE, but they aren't actually a maze, but rather boxes of all sizes, filled with shapes. They're coming out quite nicely, and I hope to have them ready for release in January. Silver is stitched, ready to be assembled, and gold is well over half done, so they're coming along well.
Of course, I'm working on my designing too... PUDDLE JUMPERS (based on the artwork of Shelley McVittie) just went off to a SECOND stitcher, as the first one has apparently dropped off the face of the earth (sigh), stealing supplies from several designers and leaving us all in the dark. It's very upsetting when this happens, as it sets the designer behind schedule, and weakens our trust and faith in others. Fortunately I have some WONDERFUL stitchers who are reliable and fun to work with, who are willing to jump in and help out whenever they can. That helps renew our faith in others, lol!
It's now almost the end of November... we had a wonderful time during our OPEN HOUSE on the 21st, and I created a cute ornament design that I gave away FREE to everyone who came to see us. I had little kits made up for those who wanted the materials to make their ornament, and sold quite a few of those as well. This ornament - actually TWO ornaments in one Little Leaflet won't be released until next summer... though if you receive my newsletter then you'll get a sneak peek and early purchase option this month (wink)...
happy stitching, and stay safe!
From My Needle - October/2020
This month's note may not be very long, as I've really only been working on one project - but I do want to mention that the CASTLE NURSERY WINDOW project I told you about a few months ago is in the issue of A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD that is coming out right now. I saw a notice about the issue, so expect my copies to arrive any time... can't wait to see how they laid it out, as it was quite an involved piece. I did see that I got one of the inset boxes on the cover, so that's always exciting.
On to my stitching for this month. As you may remember from last month, I want to submit TWO teaching proposals to EAC Seminar 2022... and they have to be done by the 15th - yikes!
The HOME GNOMES I sneak-peeked last month are one project, and the second is a HARDANGER SEWING BOX, which is coming out beautifully, if I may be excused for saying so myself, LOL. I did an adorable little owl on the top of the box, and a wee bit of lacey buttonhole edging on the flap... each side is decorated with several different stitches, and I have little purse feet to put on the bottom.
I got all the stitching done yesterday, and today I planned the assembly and cut the foam core stiffener inserts... then I took time away from the project to let it perculate while I did my newsletters and this blog... and tomorrow I hope to put it all together!
The project will require students to be familiar with the main 6 Hardanger stitches (Kloster Blocks; Buttonhole/Blanket edging stitch; dove's eyes; wrapped and woven bars; Algerian and Diamond eyelets, and of course cutting), then I will teach them TWENTY (20) other stitches - and I did a lot of research and found stitches I wasn't familiar with, so I'm sure to have SOME they don't know. We'll also look at 3D techniques, and how to assemble the box etc.
I won't expect them to finish in class... in fact, we'll probably do 'learn-a-stitch' on a sample piece of fabric, and they can work on the box at their leisure... and if I don't get picked to teach, I think I'll break this project into 12 pieces, and do a one-year stitch-along! No pics this month, as the box isn't assembled yet... though I may come back later in the month and update this posting, so stay tuned
From My Needle - September/2020
Wow, it's hard to believe the summer is almost over! We seem to be really busy around here these days... with Bill being laid off (due to Covid of course), he has a lot of time on his hands and is diving into finishing home reno projects - so the walk-in shower in our master bathroom, which was torn out down to the studs and floor joists is now back together, and will never ever ever leak again, LOL. I did most of the tiling (Bill cut, I glued and grouted), and we even re-did the river stone floor we liked so much in our old shower.
AND we finally got the gorgeous barn door I made him for Christmas hung. My fault really, I measured the double-width door to the master bedroom... but I never measured the wall BESIDE the door, LOL. So we had to make the door opening a bit narrower, and take 9" off the door so it fit AND could open, ROFLOL.
On top of THAT, we had our first joint STUDIO TOUR / OPEN HOUSE with my friend Christine Allan (Chritine's Swedish Weaving), and it was a blast! So much fun we're going to try it again in October, though I'm not sure how successful the second event will be as I'm up to my eyeballs with things that HAVE to get done, and won't have time to promote it as much as I did the first one...
AND the weekend after the open house, I hosted a 65th anniversary party for my parents!! Thanx to Covid, it went from a trip to New Brunswick in August, where we could have had a celebration with most of my dad's siblings (all 8 of whom are still alive - I come from very good stock, LOL)... travel banned to a drop by type open house at their church (which was to be a surprise)... which then got Covid downsized TWO DAYS before the event, to a family bbq (no more than 10 people) at our house!! Turned out to be a lot of fun, but what a lot of confusion as well!!
ANYWAY, what I've been stitching this month, is an adorable pair I'm calling HOME GNOMES (GBG). One is knitting and the other one is stitching - they're 3D, so free standing, not a picture. These are one of the projects I'm submitting to EAC for Seminar 2022...Here's a peek at one of their faces:
Isn't the curly beard great? I have another project to work on (also for Seminar) which I'll tell you about in October (wink). Till then... stay safe!
FROM MY NEEDLE - AUGUST / 2020
I am happy (and relieved) to say that we are STILL Covid free in this area. People are being really good about the masks, and distancing, so I think we're going to beat this thing!
It's been a heck of a month for getting work done too - as I mentioned last month, I had two pieces stitched and ready to go to a magazine, but they needed to be framed. Fortunately, I had purchased a frame and mat for one of them (Wonderful World) before the epidemic hit, so just had to lace that one onto some foam core board, and it was ready to go. The other one (Earth Fractal) is one of a set of four, so however I finished it had to be something I could recreate when the rest were done.
But this is when it's good to have a helpful hubby! Bill made me FOUR matching stretcher bar type frames, which I covered one side of with foam core board. Then I did some 'frameless framing', lacing the back, so the black fabric showed around the sides. It came out really well, and I finished by covering the back (where the lacing is) with brown paper, so it also looks very professional (wink). I sent them off to the publisher, and got a note back, saying they were two of the best pieces I've ever done for her, so I'm quite pleased about that, I can tell you!
The rest of my month has been devoted to finishing a set of 6 little elves... I would tell you how adorable they are, but why take my word for it? I have a friend who is taking the pattern pieces as I finish them, and working on SIXTY-ONE ornaments for Christmas presents!! I sent her pics of the final two, and here's what she had to say about them:
"Jo, the cup cake elf is to die for. Each elf just got better as you went along. The block is just too cute. You have given your customers a good variety of poses and outfits to choose from. As well as (interchangeable) faces, legs, and ears to make them their own. These guys are the best ornaments yet - and I honestly never thought you could beat the snowmen - but you have. I’m having so much fun stitching little outfits for these guys. You have made my summer, thank you from the bottom of my heart..."
Aw shucks, LOL. Now that all the stitching is done, and the photography is ALMOST done (I need to re-take pics of one elf, as I changed his legs, LOL), I have to hurry and get the chart corrected, since my distributor just placed an order for 4 dozen of them - yikes, guess I know what I'm doing for the next few days! FYI, these guys will be in NEXT month's newsletter, so you don't have much longer to wait - and you can see the PEEK I put in last month's note...
On top of that, we've been plugging away at our bathroom renovation... we borrowed a friend's tile saw, and have the top half of the big walk-in master shower repaire; and on the bottom half, the back and one end of the replacement walls done. The tile for the other end wall is actually cut, but we had to stop as we realized with all the finiky cuts we probably don't have enough tile to finish the areas around the shower doors.
We ordered more last Friday, and they just phoned to say it was in, so tomorrow a.m. we'll run into town and get that... it will be WONDERFUL to have our master bath back, (GBG), as we've been running down two flights of stairs every morning to shower in my office bathroom! Anyway, I have a list of things I want to get done - including more updates to the website, so I'm going to close now... keep safe, and we'll visit again next month!
FROM MY NEEDLE - JULY/2020
WOW, we're up to STAGE 3, LOL. Kind of a pain wearing masks everywhere, but better safe than sorry! Have had a few people come out to shop, and I'm working on a SHOP HOP by appointment only, for September... and if that goes well, we may repeat in Oct / Nov and Dec. I have a fellow designer / friend, who creates SWEDISH WEAVING, and we're looking at doing this together, so you visit us both (she's about 5 min from me). S/b fun!
But I've also been working my little fingers to the bone, (wink), getting designs done... three projects out being stitched, two to finish 2020, and one for a magazine. Which means there are only TWO pieces of artwork left on my desk, to be converted to needlework, and I have two that are stitched, but need some tweaking before they're released (wink). But speaking of magazines... I have TWO models washed and pressed, just waiting for Bill to make me a stretcher frame (for a kind of frameless framing on one); though I have the frame and mat for the other one, so I have no excuse not to get that one done, LOL.
I am, of course, talking about the designs I've been telling you about for so long - WONDERFUL WORLD (the Louis Armstrong tribute); and EARTH FRACTAL, a fractal inspired circular design that I really like - its a bit different for me! AIR FRACTAL is out being stitched, and all four of these elemental designs will be in A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD, starting with ISSUE 54.
So it's been a busy month ... but what I'm really excited about are the ELF BELLS & BALLS I'm working on now! They will be released to distributors and shops in August, so you guys will see them on my website in Sept... let me tell you, everyone who has seen the sneak peeks has flipped - I'm told they're even cuter than my SNOWBALLS & BELLS, and that's saying something, ROFLOL. Oh, all right, here's a wee peek for you too:
That's just ONE... there are SIX different elves in the chart, with full illustrated assembly instructions!
Well, that's what I've been up to... check out this month's newsletter for more new goodies on the website, and ways to come visit! Talk to you next month... stay safe, and HAPPY STITCHING!