Early Winter

The new year started as usual with a late Christmas celebration with my side of the family, lovingly dubbed "Newmas". All of my state-side siblings were there with their spouses and kiddos, making for a festive and noisy celebration. We're pretty sure that we're all done with the manufacturing of babies, so it should be coasting from here on out, right?

With only a few rather frosty mornings and one skiff of snow early on, Winter has not seemed like Winter at all this go around. Mild days, not-quite-cold nights. Some days downright warm in our estimation. Rain, but not too much, buds forming early, wildlife getting fat and sassy from the feast at the feeder. A rather unremarkable and disappointingly temperate.

Ladies' Prim Society Sneak Peek!

I can't tell you how excited and nervous I am about designing for this wonderful club in 2015. Organized by Ann and Pat over at Dyeing to Stitch, it is a popular club and I was thrilled and honored when they asked me if I would design for it. And then to learn that I will be paired with Blackbird Designs feels unbelievable to me! This is a completely new experience in my world, and I really hope that all of you who signed up will be thoroughly pleased with what I have come up with for you. If you haven't joined yet and want to, I think there is probably still room. Head over to the Dyeing to Stitch web site to sign up.

I'm up first with a design inspired by love. With Valentine's Day in the near future, I tend to think of my Farmboy and romantic love, but I wanted a design that could easily be translated to represent any kind of love, whether past or present, family or romantic love. And to find out more, you'll have to stay tuned, because this is all I can show you for now...

Studio/Office/Sewing/Work/Guest Room

That room that has at least two dozen names, one for every mood, it would seem, has once again been altered. We finally put the kiddos into a bunk bed, leaving us with a twin bed that needed a home. I was all for storing it in the shop at first, but my more practical other-half, the Farmboy, convinced me to move it to my already over-crowded work room.

Which in turn, forced me to sort, re-organize, and generally work some serious squeezing magic with all of my STUFF.

It works. It really does, and I'm glad the Farmboy is so convincing when he sets his mind to something. And that I'm pretty good at sorting and squeezing the most use out of my space. We make a good team.

How would you like to sleep here (quilt by my big Sister, granny squares by my Grandma, sampler wall by Me)?

Your last glimpse of my sampler was was here. I predict that it will be completely full by this time next year.

The other side of the room has changed slightly, now holding all of my small designs and that little printer that works overtime.

And just for the fun of it, I spliced some photos together to show you the current state of my pincushion collection (a few are living in other locations around the house, so this isn't complete by any means).

100

Its a little hard for me to believe, but I am nearing my 100th distributed design (that number doesn't count free charts or exclusive designs)... and ONE HUNDRED patterns available through my distributors is a pretty big deal to me.

When I first released a batch of six patterns to my ebay customers back in May of 2008, I had not an inkling of what this venture might turn into. I determined in those early days that the best way to establish myself in a market full of talent and saturated with beautiful designs, was to continue to push myself to release at least one pattern per month. And I'm proud to say that even when I thought surely I would run out of ideas six months later, it is now nearly six years, and I'm still going strong. And all because of you and your consistent encouragement and support of my efforts.

As I thought about this up and coming BIG number, I decided to do something equally BIG for that 100th release. So I took a tape measure to a large open wall in my entryway that I've been wanting to fill, and charted a design to fit. A design that takes up 12 pages in order for those tiny symbols to be read.

Its a doozy, my dears. Perhaps not quite as big as the famous Dutch Beauty that so many of you have taken on, but nearly so... it is 435 x 363 stitches, and I'm working my threads into 28 count linen to make it seem as big as possible.

Holding that much linen in my hands feels like a luxury and a burden all at the same time. A project warming my lap while I stitch is a feeling I usually ascribe to crocheting a blanket, not stitching a sampler. And I keep wondering if I'm actually going to be able to finish it in time!

I don't know how many of you will be game for such a large undertaking, but I'm doing it anyway, as a landmark for myself in this needlework design journey. I'll keep you posted as I go.

Lately

Farmboy picking out Apple Trees :: Cacti from my Three Loves :: Kindergarten Math :: London Fog :: Second Grade and Water Dog Entertainment :: Lovely Decay :: Nuts :: Tea in Grandma's mug :: Winter Fruit Bowl :: Kindergarten Sight Word Sentences :: New/Old Snips and Pincushion :: Made with Love (my 30+ year old Grandma-made afghan still providing warmth and comfort) :: Early Bird Wallpaper for you to enjoy on your Computer Desktop