WAS`SUP
FROM MY NEEDLE - JUNE/2020
Having a REALLY good month so far! We're entering STAGE 2, which means our church held services last week - though we didn't do our 'walk-about' (meet & greet), we all stood up and waved at each other, LOL. We also sat apart, and there were no hymns - though the organist serenaded us instead. We actually had another couple over for a bbq after church (since we normally go out to lunch together, but restaurants are still closed), but we sat out in the beautiful screened room Bill and I built during this isolation period,
It's 10x20, with an eating area and a seating area, LOL, so lots of room to stay apart as well. But was lovely to finally get together with people! One of our favorite local restaurants IS open Thurs-Sat (takeout only), so we were also able to get a meal from there - though we had to call early, as they booked up fast!
As for stitching and designing... one of my guild ladies (hi Linda!) wants to do a Hardanger 'alter cloth', but was having trouble getting a pattern she liked, so she came for a visit, we discussed ideas, she went away, LOL, and came back a few days later to see what I came up with. I made some changes (while she waited) to suit what she saw in her mind's eye, and since her fabric had also arrived, she was able to leave with pattern; pearl cotton; and a huge piece of Hardanger fabric! I look forward to seeing the finished project... and since I selected a HEARTS & CROSSES theme, I may end up doing a table runner version - which would be adjustable to enlarge widthwise (so it could hang down on either side of an alter table) - or adjustable to turn into a full tablecloth, with border all the way around... we'll see (wink).
Great news - the CASTLE project is DONE! It will be in the NEXT issue of A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (Issue 53), so be sure to check that out. I actually had the stitching done by the end of May... but I had another stitcher helping me with the second large part of this 6pc design, and the post office took OVER A MONTH to return the project to me! Bill made me a beautiful frame, sized to fit a mat I (luckily) had on hand. The mat is cream with an inner black accent line, so we painted the frame black as well. The hinges (for the 4 window pcs) worked even better than expected, and I was very happy with how the whole thing went together. It IS very thick though - pretty much exactly 1" thick with the mat - which is another reason he made the frame for me!
Also awesome, is how fast my model stitcher worked up the WONDERLAND tribute chart I was telling you about (back in April) - it's already back and finished, so watch for that coming out later this year - I suddenly have my releases early, LOL, rather than biting my nails, hoping something gets back in time to be released!
I mentioned last month that it was almost done, and the EARTH FRACTAL has come home too! This will also be in ANPT, but not until Issue 55 (the other 3 ELEMENTAL FRACTALS will be in the following issues - 56-58). It is very cool (if I do say so myself (wink)), and I'm very pleased with it. These are going to have simple framing, just plain square wood stretcher bars, with foamcore inserted for stability... sort of FRAMELESS FRAMING, though that tends be be glass panels, LOL. Art canvases could also be used, but no one around here has 15" square canvas, which is what I want, so I'll either use stretcher bars, or get Bill to build me something once again (wink).
I have TWO designs that are just waiting to be gathered up to go out to stitchers - that's on the list for this week - and there's one more I'm hoping to get out to a model stitcher by the end of the month (that's only half-designed)
- AND I have a friend waiting for a 3D ELF ornament pattern I made the mistake of telling her about back in Februrary, LOL, so she wants it NOW, so she can do up few DOZEN for Christmas... (whew), so much to do!
But, fInally, for my own stitching, I am back working on the WONDERFUL WORLD blues project (also for ANPT funnily enough - Issue 54). It's a tribute to Louie Armstrong (all in blues of course!), and I've really enjoyed working on it, so I'm glad to be able to get back to it... and that's your PEEK for this month... happy stitching, stay safe, and we'll talk next month!
FROM MY NEEDLE - MAY/2020
Still here...still isolating... still working on the same projects (sigh). This castle project is going to be WAY cool, but wow, quite a project to get done in a hurry! The magazine editor is being quite patient (fortunately), as I'd hoped to have it ready for her by mid-May, and now it's looking like mid-June (gulp).
My stitchers are doing fantastic though - I'm hearing that the EARTH FRACTAL is almost done... a Catherine Simposon AND a Shelley McVittie piece have both come home, so watch for them to be released in the coming months... AND I got a lot of updates done on my website - which you can read all about in my e-newsletter (wink). However, if you ony visit HERE, and don't yet receive the newsletter... check out the website for the following:
MEET THE TEAM - pics and bios of the artists and designers who work with X's & Oh's, and you can also see JUST their works!
WE HAD TO BUY ... EXTRA'S - this is a brand new option that lists a few of the things I have on hand which I don't normally carry. I often special order for customers (especially my local guild ladies), but sometimes I have to purchase 3 of something the stticher may only want 1 of. Not normally a problem, as these extras disappear quickly at tradeshows and events throughout the year... BUT with the pandemic, and the cancellation of many shows, I'm looking for different ways to let YOU know what I have, that you might want (wink). While these are mainly beads and bead kits (at the moment), there are also some TERESA WENTZLER patterns, and DRAGON DREAMS patterns, as well as back issues of A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD magazines. Note that only the most recent issues are shown on the website, but get in touch if you're looking for an older issue, as I have quite a few older issues too!
WE ALSO CARRY - (on the RIGHT side bar) are 4 designers I print or publish or distribute, who are NOT X's & Oh's, but whose charts you can purchase from us!
FLOSS / BRAID etc.... (on the LEFT side bar) is another category we've been working on - a recent upgrade limited the number of items per page to 30, which meant we had to break the floss out into several pages. There is still some work to do here, as the DMC pages are missing some floss (not sure why!), and the PEARL COTTONS are still under construction... but I'm getting there!!
So, that's it for me this month, still plugging away! Eagerly waiting for Stage 2, when we can start getting out a bit more... stay safe - and HAPPY STITCHING!
FROM MY NEEDLE - APR/2020
Well, the world is taking a beating at the moment, and a lot of people are worried and frightened about what comes next. Hopefully you and your loved ones are safe, and taking care of each other!
I am fortunate enough to work from my home - so I'm always self-isolating, LOL. We did have to cancel our trip to England, but have spoken with our children / granchildren almost daily, and so far all are safe and well. Bill got home JUST before this all became a huge deal, and it was he that pulled the plug on our trip ... which turned out to be a good thing, as we would have been in England when all the restrictions started happening!
And after a few weeks home, he was notified that they are closing the gold mine he works at (in Nunavut), until the crisis passes... so it appears he now has the summer off!
I also had a very quiet birthday (near the end of March), as we couldn't go out to dinner or anything... but thanx to Amazon he got a gift delivered, and he also gave me a subscription to an inspirational magazine I had mentioned enjoying ... and I spent the day stitching and watching movies - two of my favorite things - so it was a good day.
It's also fortunate that we brought home almost a suitcase full of books on our latest trip to Florida (we check out second-hand book stores wherever we travel), and I still have about half of them left to read... so I'm good for a couple weeks (wink).
Actually, I've been getting quite a bit done - my year end bookkeeping is FINISHED (FINALLY - HURRAH), and I've been stitching away on my CASTLE face, and got it done as of April 16th... and now I've started working on the EIGHT window panels... I DID ship the second (smaller) back level of the Castle design off to a model stitcher, 'cause the magazine wants the design NOW, and even with help it will take till mid-May to get this one done!
In addition, the first FRACTAL inspired ELEMENTAL design I told you about last month, has gone out to a model stitcher as well. She's going to stitch all four (EARTH; AIR; WATER and FIRE), and I'll be shipping her the second design pretty soon - all four will be in A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (ANPT) over the next year.
The current issue of ANPT (available shortly), should have my FLAMINGO HOLIDAY card designs in - so much fun, LOL. The NEXT issue (after that) will have my castle (which stitching as fast as I can - really!)...
The one after THAT will be another in my FACES & QUOTES series - the Louis Armstrong design that is looking absolutely stunning - THEN we'll start the four fractal inspired pieces, with EARTH, then AIR... Louis is about 3/4 stitched, but had to be set aside for the Castle... I hope to get back to him in May, and give you a PEEK then (wink).
EARTH (the first Fractal inspired design) has a spiral of branches, which I fractalled (is that a word, LOL?); with a smaller pinwheel branch fractal in the centre. It's warm browns, with a green leaf in one corner, symbolizing earth. Here's a peek at a snippet of the design (wink):
Each design will also have a corner symbol... and I'll tell you about AIR next month!
Also did some work on the ALICE IN WONDERLAND piece I also talked about last month (wasn't I chatty, (GBG)). In fact, ALICE went to a model stitcher this week too, so I'm doing really well... here's a peek at that one too (GBG):
I'm going to go work on April's newsletter now... so keep each other safe, catch up on your stitching - which will also relieve stress - and we'll talk more next month...
FROM MY NEEDLE - MAR/2020
So often I feel like the Red Queen (Alice in Wonderland), LOL, running as fast as I can just to stay in one place!! Still plodding through the bookkeeping for year end... but only 3 more months to go through, so the end is in sight, (GBG)... I doubt if I'll get it all done before we leave for England, though it shouldn't take long to finish up when we get home.
As I think I mentioned last month, we're making a quick trip over for our granddaughter's 2nd birthday, but won't be gone long. I'm taking my CASTLE project with me to work on, and hope to have the 'top layer' just about done by the time we get home. I'm trying to find a stitcher to do the 'bottom layer' (the 5x7 nursery backdrop)... but I haven't finished graphing it yet - though I do have the drawing done - so if THAT'S going out before we leave on Tuesday, I need to get my bottom moving, LOL.
But I did find some time to work on MORE designs, (GBG), because that never ends! A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (ANPT) sent out the themes for a couple of issues which will come out after the 3 I'm already working on! And funnily enough, I was once again inspired by designs I already had on my drawing board, though they were on the back burner.
The first theme was TREES, and I remembered I had started a series of FRACTAL designs for the elements (you know, EARTH, AIR, WATER, FIRE). Earth happened to feature tree roots - though I wasn't happy with the design and ended up scrapping it and coming up with something else using branches, LOL, but still trees!
The publisher loved the design, and wanted the whole series of four (which nicely takes care of next years designs for her!); so I now have EARTH and AIR just about ready for stitchers, WATER is over half completed, and FIRE has concept drawings, but isn't graphed yet... so I'm doing really well there, and am finally working ahead - hurrah! I also pulled out a 'concept drawing' I had roughed out for an ALICE IN WONDERLAND tribute (working on this probably inspired the red queen quote at the top, LOL). I finalized the drawing, selected fonts and reference pics etc., and laid it out with a set of NINE charms that will be available in a treasure pack for this design.
I may include some motifs to insert in lieu of the charms, but the treasures are what started the whole design idea in the first place, LOL. I have THREE designs I need to get charted and out to model stitchers, to complete this years line up... one is WONDERLAND, another is a cute set of elf ornaments my girlfriend has been looking forward to since I told her about them 2 years ago, LOL, and the last is a conversion of Shelley McVittie's artwork HOMECOMING - and I already have a stitcher waiting for this one, so I have to get moving on these.
Seems like there's hardly any time for actual stitching these days (sigh), but I guess new designs also count as being 'from my needle' to yours! Hoping I have more fun stuff to share next month... happy stitching!
FROM MY NEEDLE - FEB/2020
Well, lol, as I mentioned last month, the new year is off to quite a chaotic start! I suddenly found out I had missed a design for A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (you may already know I am a feature contributor for them, with designs in all 4 issues each year). And I also told you last month, my idea for the CASTLE NURSERY... I took the piece to Florida with me, and got a good quarter of the design stitched... maybe even a bit more. We head for England in March (short trip, only a week), as our youngest grandchild turned two so of course we have to go see her (wink).
Anyway, I'll take the stitching with me there too, and hopefully have the 'top layer' almost done by the time we come home.
And I'm still working away on year end bookkeeping (sigh)... I've been through 6 months, so have finalized half the year, but working on that doesn't leave much time for stitching (sniff sniff).
I keep telling myself that I need to spend 30 minutes at the beginning of every day working on my books, getting things posted and finalized... but there are so many more interesting things to do, (GBG), I just never seem to get to it. Then it's suddenly the end of the year, and I have a mountain to wade through, and all the fun stuff has to be put on hold while I get the work done... ah well, one day I'll learn!
What with travelling and bookkeeping, not much designing is getting done... but I know there are some designs I need to get working on in March, so I'll have more FUN stuff to tell you about next month (wink)... happy stitching until then!