AND I'M BACK ...............FINALLY!

Well, after many hectic, busy days weeks of multitasking (that should read cleaning, cooking, laundry,cleaning up stink bugs - grrrr, ect., etc.), stitching, shoveling snow and chipping ice, creating copy(ugh!), proofing, babysitting, shoveling snow, printing, RE-printing, shoveling snow, photographing (which is not so great since I couldn't get outside for really good color shots and everything was covered with the very beautiful but bright white stuff anyway), pasting pictures on chart covers, cleaning up stink bugs - STILL, and pushing 2000 chart packs in bags, I'M DONE and ready for the Nashville Needlework market this week! Yeah! Oh yes, and the snow has all but melted and I finally got Christmas decorations put away last week, honest! Embarrassing! My four-year-old grandson could not believe we STILL had the tree up!(it is an artificial one) "No time for such trivial work," I told him - and he just looked at me and shook his head, thinking, I'm sure, that I was really getting old and strange! I had almost decided to just push it in a corner and throw a sheet over it until next  year and call it some sort of sculpture project to anyone who had the audacity to ask what was going on.

I know I had promised in an earlier post to give you stitchers some sneak peeks of what was in the works,but...........that obviously didn't happen! But now you get to see the whole design  - and I hope you like what you see!

This first design, "Plenty and Grace" was created as a wedding sampler for my youngest son and his wife. It may be a wedding sampler for them, but it is also a geneology of sorts as I have put both family's  parent's initials as well as the siblings in both families. Various motifs have significant meanings to both bride and groom which further enhances the special appeal and yet they are part of the overall folk art design to others.It can be anything you want it to be!!!

 

 The next design will look familiar to many, I'm sure. I have had many requests for just this part of the Sarah Elliot Sewing Chest chart pack and since the chest itself is now out of production, I am releasing the chart for the top only under the title, Sarah Elliot's Home Port. The accessories that were in the original Sewing Chest chart pack will be released later in a new format.



 

Third design: "Just For Today" gives us a gentle nudge and reminder each day.....................of things we should all do to make us all feel better! Let's get it going!

Two years ago, I reproduced a similar antique Victorian Motto, "With Joy We Greet You" and this year, I reproduced "Welcome Home" It makes a great companion piece and looks perfect by the front door or in the guest room. It is a snap to stitch on 18ct. Khaki Davos (easy satin stitch and straight stitch) and the wonderful, wonderful cross bar frame gives it the perfect finish. (The source for the frames is listed in the chart pack.)

The last new design, Quaker Pocket Needfuls - A Petite Huswife is the fourth (and final?) piece in the Quaker Pocket Needfuls series. While this "Petite Huswife" can be used to hold small sewing accessories and needful necessaries, I also find it perfect for carrying pieces of jewelry in my suitcase when traveling. It comes with (directions included) its own little matching travel pouch.



I hope you like what you see. Let your local needlework shop know if you are interested in any of my new designs or email me for additional information and contacts.

I will see you all again when I return from Nashville - and I really will try to post more often now that the crush of production is over! Then soon after that, the dog and I will be heading to Cape Cod for a little bit of business and lots of quiet, peace and beautiful ocean and beach! Can't wait!!! (Hope I get snowed in!)

Happy Valentine's Day! Kiss your sweetie and HUG your dog!

Cathy

"Life is a song. Love is the music."

        (author  unknown)