Jenny Bean is at it again

Here's a picture of Jenny's latest creation -- no name yet. Any ideas? This will be released at market. It's being stitched on 40 count Vintage Navy Bean by Lakeside Linens in Sampler Threads (regular line -- no limited editions). I'm finishing it in an Olde Colonial burl wood dowry box, but you can also get just the frame of the lid (and hang it on the wall.) Or use your own creative ideas. I am taking pre-orders now for the chart and/or supplies on my web site. Just send an e-mail, give a call, whatever. (By the way, this is just a gif image from my, um, Jenny's cross stitch software...the piece will look even more fabbo on linen.)

Jenny has a few other things to work on for market, and I just finished two pincushions (for Raise the Roof) that will be released in conjunction with Just Another Button Company at market (shop owners can get the graphs in my booth or in the JABCo booth.) This chart will NOT be given to the distributors, but you can continue to purchase through JABCo or me. These are stitched in Weeks Dye Works on the Weeks Dye Works linens and stuffed with crushed walnut shells.

More stitching to do this weekend -- wish me luck.

A picture and a promise of spring

I finished the cross stitching part of this sampler last night (will be a market release in a few weeks.) I'm waiting for some silk ribbon to do a few ribbon roses, and then this is going off to the finisher. It uses five colors of Silk N Colours and one ribbon by The Thread Gatherer and is stitched on 32 ct. Porcelain Vintage linen by Lakeside Linens.

The quote is from Shakespeare's "As You Like It," and you may also remember it from Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka (he sings this little song while pedaling a bicycle in the inventing room in the "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" movie. The name at the bottom is actually one of William Shakespeare's daughters (she married a Quiney). The date isn't right, of course, but I just thought it'd be fun to "hide" some meaning in there. You can preorder the graph, fabric and/or fiber pack from me (one of the silks is going to be a brand new color at market -- a tealy-green called "Water Nymph."

More on the way -- spring is coming -- I promise! Tonight I'll be finishing (fingers crossed) the two pincushions for Just Another Button Co. VERY CUTE! Can't wait to see what they look like done. Lots of other fun things on the way.

Gearing up for market...

Ooh, I have so many wonderful irons in the fire right now. (Which, frankly, is where I'd LOVE my iron to be -- in the fire, because I hate that thing!) Market is now just a number of weeks away, and I'm going to spend time today stitching on a few market models. Here are some sneaky-peeks (not pictures yet) at what's going on:

One of my model stitchers is making good progress (great progress, actually) on a reproduction sampler of Adam and Eve (check older posts for pictures of the original.)

I finished designing a sampler with silhouettes of skeleton keys this weekend, and I'll be stitching that on Fresco linen by Picture This Plus. I also have been finding lots of antique skeleton keys -- will be doing neat ornaments with those that shops will be able to buy at market, or you can get them through my site when they're done. I am also thinking the new Jenny Bean sampler, which will fit in an Olde Colonial burl wood box top, will have some keys on it, too. Love that theme!

Crescent Colours' model stitcher is stitching Libertyville, a companion piece to Christmasland. This is going to be a series...so keep watching for more seasonal villages in silks. That model will be at market, and the packets will start shipping to shops in March.

I am currently stitching on a spring-time sampler in five different colours of Silk N Colours and one of the Silk N Ribbons. It's got a spring-time Shakespeare quote on it that was ALSO featured in the "Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory" film.

I'm working on two pincushion designs for Just Another Button Co. (to go with their Just Pin sets). VERY cute -- stitched on the hand-dyed Weeks Dye Works Gingham Linen to go with the Lemonade Button pin sets.

And there will be another Jenny Bean pincushion designs...I'm keeping details tight on this one, because I've come up with an "unusual" base for these, and am waiting for them to come in for measurements and all.

That's what I've got going right now...wish y'all could come and stitch with me! Have a great day, and stay warm!!!

And a Happy New Year

Any parent of small children knows how tempting it is to take pictures of the little ones sleeping. They look so sweet, so quiet, so innocent. Here's my little Boo taking a nap in my felting supplies on Christmas. Awwww...

I just finished my first Make Do kit for 2010, and wanted to share a picture of it here, first. The kit will come with a light rose colored linen, hand-dyed silks and cottons, and the graph. The Make-Do part of it, is you have to find a button or charm to put in the lower right corner. Each kit will be "missing" one part, and you have to go through your stash to "make do." You can sign up to get these as they come out -- they will be limited edition kits and only available through my shop.

I hope everyone has a wonderful New Year's Eve and 2010. We're pretty laid back, so we'll most likely watch a movie or two together, eat a good meal, and just enjoy each other. Hope there's much of the same in store for you!

Merry Christmas everybody!

I can't believe we're so close to Christmas already. It's sunshiny today in Hattiesburg, and after a few days of rain and gloom, it's nice to look out the window at the blue sky. I have been stitching off and on this week. I finished stitching two Brightneedle ornaments from 2007 over-one (they were in the Just Cross Stitch pre-ornament and ornament issues). I stitched them on white opalescent Belfast, so the sparkles will be so pretty on the tree. I'll probably finish them this weekend and post a picture soon. But in the meantime, here's a picture of my family taken on Thanksgiving outside. That's Harrison (my college freshman) on the left, me, Graham (he's 13 and holding our 2-year-old cat, "Kitty"), and Steve. I've got a nice big hammock stretched between two pines out back, and you can see, we all fit.

The exciting news this week is I get to spend Friday, Saturday and Sunday with my local friends stitching. We're having our own holiday stitching retreat. It'll be at my house on Saturday, so I'm deciding what to make for food. I'll probably work on the Carriage House Samplings Quaker stocking I started this week. I'm stitching it over-one on cream Belfast with Au Ver a Soie in navy, blue and gold. And then I plan on antiquing it. It's going to be gorgeous! And I feel like I can hang it all year, because it's not Christmas, per se.

I hope whatever you're doing to celebrate the season this year, you're having FUN and not doing things just because you "have to." We'll soon be making cookies, listening to holiday music, lighting candles, spending the day in our slippers, and just enjoying each other. Blessings!

Walking in a winter wonderland

When we moved to the south, we were told it snowed down here once every five or six years or so. Last night was our third snow "storm" here in Hattiesburg. I woke up to white, but it's almost gone. I quick snapped a picture of a Christmas sampler of mine in a snowy bush, while wet slush was falling off the roof above me. This is my Christmas Colors (MD's Sampler) that I released about a year ago. It's not a Christmas sampler, per se, but the colors and motifs, I think, are Christmassy.

We went and saw the Fantastic Mr. Fox last night. VERY good movie (not just for kids...in fact, I think grownups would get more from it.) Lots of great actors and actresses, and the animation was incredible (I love stop-motion photography.)

With all of the white stuff outside this morning, I started to really feel the spirit of the season. I think I'll go home and turn on Sting's new Christmas album (sooo good.) We need to put our ornaments on the tree, too. Have a great weekend!

Sketchy details

I don't usually sketch a design out before I start designing. I typically have something in my mind, and just start going. But earlier this year, I was doodling some ideas, and actually hung onto the doodle. I thought I'd share it here. You can kind of see the process. The finished product was Measure by Measure.

Haven't been stitching much the last ten days or so. Thanksgiving was busy, and work has been busy, and it's just...well, busy. And I kind of got a little burned out with all of the designing/stitching that I did up to and immediately after market this fall. Jenny Bean needs to get started on some new projects for spring, and I will also be designing another series for Crescent Colours. Am also talking to Sharon about doing a thread pack series with her for a band sampler (kind of reproduction style, but an original design.) Hope all is well out there -- stay in touch!