Temperature Block Sampler

Whenever I see a craft I feel is really interesting, but don't know how to do that technique, I always try to think of a way to convert it to a cross stitched piece.   That's exactly what happened with my Temperature Block Sampler.

Last year on New Year's Eve I was trolling Facebook and found a post about crocheting a temperature blanket.  Because I had yet to teach myself how to crochet, I went into the cross stitch conversion mode.  I instantly left whatever NYE Countdown show I was watching and sat down at my computer with my notepad and started coming up with ideas.   There were a few I sketched and when charting them, they just didn't work for me.   After quite awhile I settled on a block sampler.  By that point in time it was too late into 2016 to release the design.

So, here we are just a few days before the start of 2017 and I'm releasing it in time for people to start a new "thread-a-day" piece.  I already have 3 local stitching friends that will be doing it with me.  I, of course, will be stitching using the suggested DMC colors.  Some of them will be changing colors to use overdyed fibers. 

The photo below is strictly a representation of the layout of the chart, and was based on actual daily high temperatures in Las Vegas, NV for 2015.  The greater fluctuation in your local weather, the more colors you'll have in your design.  As you can tell from this photo, Vegas is pretty consistent in temperature for days on end.

Interested in getting this design for yourself?  If so, head on over to my Etsy shop before January 2, 2017 and save $3.00 off the PDF download price with coupon code TEMPBLOG at checkout.

I'd love to see lots of color variations of this design, so if you DO stitch the design, please feel free to share pics of your WIP and finished piece over on my Facebook page.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Editor's Note 03-06-17:  Below is a photo of the piece I'm creating, with stitching completed through January 26th:

In addition, if you'd like to see what other people's pieces look like, check out the album I've created on my Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/pg/Stitchnmomma/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1350622718292871 

Little Hands, Tiny Feet - Baby Cross Stitch Pattern

Finally!  It's only taken me more than 3-1/2 years to get around to stitching the models for this design I originally released in January 2013.  The pattern contains both colorways, for the boy & girl versions.  It's a relatively quick stitch (especially if you leave of the "dotted" background) and would make a great gift for someone's new baby.

Of course the fantastic finishing was done by Rita at SnowBerry NeedleArts.  And I surprised an old co-worker of mine by sending her the boy version model for her miracle baby, Noah.

If you'd like to get this pattern, just click here for a list of places to purchase from.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Stitch From Stash - June through September 2016 Recaps

OK, I'll make this short, sweet & to the point catching you up on the last 4 months of my stash diet.

Stitch From Stash - June 2016 Recap

Opening Balance = ($53.77)
Finishes = $15.00
Purchases = $10.22
Balance Forward = ($48.99)

Finishes
February Patchwork Pincushion = $5.00
Warholesque Family Piece (Zach) = $5.00 
Little Hands, Tiny Feet (boy version) = $5.00
 
Purchases
Fabric = $10.22
 
I'm actually quite impressed with myself, considering June is the month that my LNS (local needlework shop) has it's anniversary sale, and I managed to keep my spending under control. 
 

Stitch From Stash - July 2016 Recap

Opening Balance = ($48.99)
Finishes = $1.00
Purchases = $1.25
Balance Forward = ($49.24)

Finishes
Christmas Ornament = $1.00
 
Purchases
Floss = $1.25

I did purchase 2 pieces of fabric from the Picture This Plus Christmas in July sale, but that won't count towards purchases until it ships and is charged to my credit card.  I'd better get busy stitching to offset those dollars!!
 

Stitch From Stash - August 2016 Recap

Opening Balance = ($49.24)
Finishes = $15.00
Purchases = $4.27
Balance Forward = ($38.51)

Finishes
Irish Wolfhound Silhouette = $5.00
Little Hands, Tiny Feet (girl version) = $5.00
Moose Silhouette = $5.00
 
Purchases
Kreinik braid = $3.17
Floss = $1.10
 

Stitch From Stash - September 2016 Recap

Opening Balance = ($38.51)
Finishes = $1.00
Purchases = $0 !!!
Balance Forward = ($37.51)

Finishes
Leaf button magnets = $1.00

Purchases
Not. One. Single. Thing!  :)









Not the progress I'd like to see, but at least my negative balance is shrinking and not growing.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Moose Silhouette Cross Stitch Pattern

Today I'll be sharing my Moose Silhouette.  This particular design was requested by Shelby, who follows my Facebook page, as something to stitch that would match her kitchen decor.   I stitched my model using DMC #315 on a 25 count Lugana fabric in "Mushroom" by Zweigert. 

If you're interested in this design, you can purchase it at any of these places.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Irish Wolfhound Silhuette Cross Stitch Pattern

I've been remiss in posting here for quite awhile.  My only excuse is after spending all day on the computer at my full-time job, I have zero desire to be on the computer nights and weekends.  I pretty much turn on my laptop at home 2 or maybe 3 times a month anymore.  And since I've released a few new patterns in the past couple of months, I'm going to spread out the posts over several days so I'm not bogging down anyone's email that subscribes to notifications.



Today I'll be sharing my Irish Wolfhound Silhouette.  This particular design was requested by Anita from Stitches From the Heart in San Antonio, TX while I was at their stitching camp in March.  It was a joy to stitch.  I stitched my model using DMC #645 on a 28 count Lugana fabric in "Haven" by Picture This Plus.  I loved this fabric so much, I plan on buying more to use with future designs!

If you're interested in this design, you can purchase it at any of these places.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Stitchnmomma's Shirts - Cross Stitch T-Shirts

In an effort to continue building the Stitchnmomma brand, last weekend I launched a t-shirt shop that will contain quite a few of my stitched designs (Modern Dictionary series & some of my quotes) along with just some other general fun shirts.  Most everything will be related to cross stitch, but there will be some other fun designs.

I plan on adding 2 or 3 new designs each weekend.  In addition, whenever I release a new cross stitch design that can easily be converted to a t-shirt, I will add the shirt to my shop at the same time.

As of Sunday 06/26/16, these are the designs currently available:

Each design will be available in a variety of shirt styles, colors and sizes.  There will also be stickers available to match each design.  If you're interested in getting one or more of these shirts, simply click HERE to go to my shop.

As always, thanks for looking and Happy Stitching!

Patchwork Pin Cushions Cross Stitch Pattern #4

Oh my, I have no clue where my mind was at last weekend.  I released the pattern through all my online venues, and forgot to add it to my blog so everyone would know it's now available.  Sheesh!

This pattern contains January (a winter them) and February (a Valentine theme).
 
The patterns provide the information on the appropriate buttons.  And as an added bonus, the printed copies of the patterns include step-by-step finishing instructions.  Unfortunately there's no way for me to provide those same instructions with the instant download version available through Patterns Online.

If these designs are something that interest you, you can locate a retailer here.   

My work life outside of Stitchnmomma has been extremely busy the pasts several months.  Please don't fear, I did NOT stop this series in the middle.  All 12 months will be done, I'm just running slightly behind.  Or as a fellow designer told me, I'm ahead of schedule for next year, LOL!

If you're stitching any of these lovely pieces, feel free to share pics of them on my Facebook page or even join our group that's also on Facebook, where ladies share their WIP and finished project pics. 

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Stitch & Bitch Club Official Member

In my continued efforts to build the Stitchnmomma "empire" and try to keep up with the big dogs of the cross stitch industry (who will remain nameless), I've decided to create some fun & frivolous t-shirts.  They may be centered around our craft/hobby or they may just be something totally off the wall.

Without further ado, here's the first one...

The t-shirts will only be printed if the minimum order is met.  This option will be available to order for the net 14 days (through July 4th).  If you're interested in getting one, here's the link...
https://teespring.com/stitch-bitch-club-official-m#pid=370&cid=6534&sid=front


Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Stitch From Stash - May 2016 Recap

Oh boy, I could have done better.

Opening Balance = ($51.66)
Finishes = $5.00
Purchases = $7.11
Balance Forward = ($53.77)


Finishes
March Patchwork Pincushion = $5.00
 
Such a sad state of affairs.  Only one small finish this month.  I have several others that are almost complete, if I could just get my stitching mojo back into full swing.  Oh well, there's always June.

Purchases
Floss = $1.32
Scissors = $5.75
 
My purchases were small, but still more than my finishes.  I had to pick up a couple of skeins of floss for pieces I'm working on.  And then I just had to get these awesome purple stork scissors to put my cute little scissor fob on that was part of my Just Desserts:  Grape Punch design.  They go so perfectly together!

 

I passed on a lot of Memorial Day sales that were going on in the month of May.  June is the annual anniversary sale at my local shop.  As of right now I plan on possibly buying a couple skeins of floss and that's it.  I *need* to start doing better on my stash diet!!!

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Free Money for Shopping...YES PLEASE!

OK, so I normally don't post about non-stitching related stuff on my blog. However, I have to make an exception here.  And technically it can be stitching related.

One of my friends sent me a link to a company called Ebates.  I had heard about it before, but never checked it out.  She's been using it for awhile now and gets money back each quarter.  They have over 2,000 stores linked on their site.  The way it works is those stores pay Ebates to bring them customers.  I figured I was doing some online shopping this morning anyway, so why not give it a try.

I signed up for the Ebates site and used their link for 6% cash back from Kohl's.  While I was on the Kohl's site I was still able to use my 20% off coupon as well as my Kohl's rewards when I checked out.  I waited about 1/2 hour and went back to my Ebates account.  Guess what was there waiting for me...an additional $6.48 in cash back rewards!  Yay!!  

The cash back rewards are paid on a quarterly basis.  So everything I purchase using their site between now and June 30th will get paid into my PayPal account on August 15th (you can also get a check, but too many things get lost in the mail here in LV, so I opted for PayPal).  If you're still skeptical, think about it like earning cash back rewards on your credit card.

And the best part for all us crafters... 
Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's and Michael's are all listed on their site!!  :)   
All you have to do to earn money back on your purchases is to link through your account on the Ebates site.  Can it get any easier than that?  And remember, you can still use all your normal coupons just like if you went straight to the store's site.

If you're interested in giving this a try, I've put a button along the right side bar of my page that will take you to the Ebates site where you can sign up.

Until the next time...Happy shopping & earning FREE money!


Editor's Note 6-5-16:
For those of you that may be skeptical, I got my first payment already via PayPal, and here's a photo of it to prove it.

 I wasn't expecting anything until August, but maybe with PayPal they pay out monthly vs. quarterly for checks.  I'll keep an eye on it and see.  :)

The Great Wilderness Afghan - Block #1 of 20 complete

You may remember back in December I talked about finally getting around to starting my Great Wilderness afghan after it being in my stash for a lifetime.  Well I'm happy to say, this past Tuesday evening I finished the first of 20 blocks.  Woohoo!!

The first block I chose to work on was what we all thought was a sun, until I started looking at the directions on the chart and it says to "backstitch the craters of the moon...", so my moon, 3,200+ stitches of various shades of yellows and creams, is now done.

And since I've made this my Sunday piece, and I'm typing this post on a Sunday for future publication, I'll be starting my next block later this afternoon once I'm done with all my chores.  That block will be the tops of some trees.  So, as the ladies in my Saturday stitching group pointed out yesterday, instead of complaining about all the yellow, now I'll get to complain about all the greens, LOL!  Hopefully with more stitching time on my agenda again, I'll be able to get this next block done quicker than the 4-1/2 months the moon took me to do.

Until the next update...Happy Stitching!

Stitch From Stash - April 2016 Recap

Phew!  I actually feel I had a "decent" month.  :)

Opening Balance = ($76.66)
Finishes = $25.00
Purchases = $0.00
Balance Forward = ($51.66)


Finishes
Llama Silhouette = $10.00
January Patchwork Pincushion = $5.00
Great Wilderness Afghan Block #1 = $10.00  
 
Now that my life and daily routine are getting back to "normal", I was able to get some stitching done this past month.  I finished the model for my Llama Silhouette (available for purchase), the model for my January Patchwork Pincushion (still be to released) and the first of 20 blocks on my Great Wilderness afghan (a post on that will be forthcoming).

I also finished my secret thread-a-day project, which will be a gift for someone.  Because it's a gift, none of the expense or the finish count in my stash diet.  I will share a picture of it on a future post after the recipient(s) have it.

Purchases
I am very happy to say I didn't spend a single penny on anything that would contribute to my stash.  Woohoo!!


Hopefully I can continue making progress out of the red during the month of May.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!

Llama Silhouette Cross Stitch Silhouette

All you fellow bloggers out there...do you have a day where you KNOW you need to write something, but you just can't wrap your brain around it?  Well, I'm having one of those days.  Instead of sitting here wanting to bang my head against my laptop trying to thinking of something witty to say about my latest silhouette design, I'm going to keep it short, sweet and to the point.

This is my new silhouette design.  It is a llama.  I named him Llarry (yes, with 2 Ls and 2 Rs) while I was stitching him.  He was created using DMC #310 on 28 ct. "DaVinci" by Picture This Plus.

If you like him, you can buy him at any of these places.

Until the next time, when hopefully I'm felling more literary...Happy Stitching!

Stitch From Stash - March 2016 Recap

Oh March, why were you so mean to me?!?!

Opening Balance = ($21.76)
Finishes = $0!!!
Purchases = $54.90
Balance Forward = ($76.66)


Finishes
I have to honestly say, I don't remember when the last time was I had ZERO finishes for a month.  Not even a simple greeting card!  All I can say is work, travel, and the "kids" visiting me here in Vegas for 8 days left me basically no time for stitching.  I'm looking forward to getting back to "normal" in April and having more stitching & creative time again.


Purchases
I honestly don't know what happened.  I went to the Stitches From The Heart stitching camp/retreat in San Antonio and somehow when I got home there were some gorgeous Picture This Plus fabrics in my stitching bag and some money missing from my wallet.  Do you think I could have been sleep purchasing?  LOL!  

Honestly though, I was trying to hold off until the PTP Christmas in July sale for a re-stock, but saw some gorgeous fabrics I just had to have!  I picked up pieces of Orange Creme, Crystal Pickled and Phoenix.  They will be fabulous with future designs!  And to the lovely ladies at PTP...if you ever happen to read my blog, the designer wouldn't mind "sampling" some of your fabrics for you.  *cheesy grin*


Oh well, what can I say...I guess red is my color.  Someday I'll be in the black.  We'll just have to see how quickly I make it.  April is a new month and finishes WILL be completed to offset my spending.

Until the next time...Happy Stitching! 

Design Model Sell-Off

One of the downsides of living in a one-bedroom apartment is not having a lot of closet/storage space.  Couple that with not wanting to have a bunch of "clutter" around (blame that on parents that are hoarders), means I'm running out of room for all my design models.  

I've been holding onto my models for the pasts couple of years in case some retail shop out there wanted to do a trunk show of my designs, but that hasn't happened.  That means good news for any of you that have seen one of the wonderful finishes done by SnowBerry NeedleArts and wanted it for yourself. :)

Yesterday I listed 40 different pieces in my Etsy shop and re-opened it for one week only to try to find new homes for some of them so I'll have room in my closet for new models.  My shop will be open through Sunday April 10th and will be closed (or technically put on "vacation mode") until the next time I do a sell-off.

If you're interested in taking a look, you can find all of them here:

www.stitchnmomma.etsy.com

My First Retreat as a Designer

This past weekend I had the huge honor of attending my first retreat as a designer instead of a "regular person" (as my son put it).  I was invited by Jackie and Sharon, the owners of Stitches From The Heart in San Antonio, TX to join them and a few dozen of their customers at their Spring Stitching Camp.  I have to say, it was an absolute blast!!!

And since this was my first visit to TX (I don't count stopping at a hotel late in the night just to get some sleep and then heading back out first thing in the morning during my cross country move as "visiting" Texas), I just had to have my picture taken with this sweet elderly guy at the airport information center.  

 
The event was held at John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, TX.   Friday night we were treated to a good ole soaking down pour for quite awhile.  It really reminded me of being back in Ohio with a good drenching rain, green grass and green trees.  I've gotten used to little rain, desert-scaping and palm trees in Las Vegas, but still love a good rain.  The grounds were beautiful and the scenery outside our conference room was lovely.

When the attendees arrived at the event, everyone had a spacious area at their table with a name badge for them.  They were made by one of the local stitchers that frequents the shop.  I thought they were really cute.  



Since I was going as the "surprise guest designer" I wanted to do something for all the attendees and the shop owners/employees for supporting me and the Stitchnmomma brand.  Anita at Stitches From the Heart loves my silhouettes and promotes every new one on their Facebook page, so I thought it only appropriate I design a silhouette that was exclusively for the attendees at this event.

Each person that went to the stitching camp received a mini-kit that had the chart, fabric and floss to stitch this little piece.  One lady stitched it the first night and a few others were working on it over the weekend.  I can't wait to see pictures of the various ways they finish them!  :)


 








As I previously mentioned, there were a few dozen people...somewhere in the neighborhood of 40.  I personally think one of the best parts of any stitching retreat is being able to walk around and see what other people are working on, accessories they're using, etc.  Take this picture for example.  In a million years, I would have never thought about using a thread spool rack to hold floss bobbins.  Genius!

Not only was there tons of stitching & chatting going on, but we there were a couple of silent auctions, some basket exchanges and food...tons of great food!


I was told I'm welcome back anytime and certainly plan on going again next Spring!  I have it penciled into my calendar and am already thinking about what the next exclusive piece I can design for them will be.


With any luck, as Stitchnmomma continues to grow, I'll be asked to attend other stitching events around the country and will be able to meet even more wonderful stitchers *hint, hint all you other shop owners and retreat coordinators*.

Me and my table-mate, Pat :)

Until the next time...Happy Stitching! 



Editor's Note 4/5/2016:  I've joined the Stitching the Night Away Blog Hop.  Can't wait to read some more fun & exciting stitching posts this way.  :)

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Blogger Blog Hop:
Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.  

Stitch From Stash - February 2016 Recap

February was another good month for me.  I had 4 finishes that I get "credit" for, and only one purchase!  I'm slowly but surely working my way out of the red.  :)

Opening Balance =  ($31.52)  
Finishes = $12.00 
Purchases = $2.24  
Balance Forward = ($21.76)
 
Finishes
2 greeting cards = $2.00  
EGA Name badge = $5.00  
Secret stitching retreat model = $.500
 
Here's some pics of my finishes.  The only one I can't share at this time is the stitching retreat model, but will be sure to share it on a future post, along with some pics from that retreat where I'll be the secret guest designer.

Both of these greeting cards were made from my stash.  The one with the pitcher of flowers was a cover kit from a magazine.  The other with the pot of flowers is part of a design from a magazine, and I used an aperture card from my stash.  I have probably a couple dozen aperture cards, so I've been going through my magazines and books trying to find smaller designs that will work with all of them.  I have no particular use for the cards in mind.  They're just being placed in my box of cards and will eventually get used when I've run out of store bought cards and need them for some occasion. Not to mention, they're fun little projects when I need a break from my larger models and thread-a-day pieces.
 

This is the name badge I made for my EGA group.  Most of the other ladies were making badges with flowers, etc., but I prefer to be non-traditional.  The design is one of my own that I created with my xstitch software.  I chose the colors based on what I had in my stash that not only did I have enough to stitch the design, but also enough to make the cording.

The cording was made in our cording and tassel class, and let me tell you, not that I didn't respect and appreciate her work before, but I certainly have a new found respect for my awesome finisher!!  By the time I was done tacking the cording down, I was more than ready to be finished with it.  Talk about a lot of work.  Geesh!  It may not look perfect, but I did it most of it myself (with some instruction) and learned some new things, which is the whole point of being in the guild.  It's all about education and preserving the heritage of needlecraft.  :)

Purchases   
As I mentioned above, I only had 1 purchase this month, woohoo!  I spent a big whopping $2.24 on a package of tapestry needles I thought I needed for our EGA cording and tassel class.  Needless to say, I did NOT need them.  Instead of returning them at the store, I just put them in my stash as I know they'll get used at a later date.
 
Are you on your own "stash diet"?  If so, how are you faring?  Feel free to share in the comments below.  

Until the next time...Happy Stitching! 



P.S.  If the fonts look funny, I apologize.  I'm not sure what is up with blogger, but it keeps posting using different fonts & sizes than what I'm selecting.  You've gotta love technology!

Modern Dictionary: Home Cross Stitch Pattern

The latest in my Modern Dictionary series was done with a certain friend of mine in mind.  She's constantly saying she doesn't want to go out of the house on weekends because it would mean putting on pants.  And if you work full-time outside the house like both she and I do, I'm sure you can completely relate.  I could even do a second version and change "pants" to "a bra", because that is right up there on the list.

This piece was stitched on a 28 count Purple Dot evenweave by Fabric Flair. You can't see it in this photo, but the fabric has little silver sparkles in it.  I kept with my standard black floss, because using any other color just doesn't feel right to me.  Of course the finish was done by Rita over at SnowBerry NeedleArts.

Sometimes choosing the cover photo is the hardest part of the process.  I like one where you can clearly see the piece, but also the gorgeous finish.  This time around I ended up choosing the photo you see above.  However, I just had to share this additional photo of the gorgeous way it was finished...

I just love the overall look of the piece!  I think the large metal key compliments the theme perfectly.  And the little organza bows with buttons...awesome!

This pattern along with the other pieces in this series (which can be found here) is now available for purchase at your local needlework shop or various online retailers.  If you don't want to do a Google search, just click here for a current list of those places.  If you have the opportunity, please support your local needlework shops, as they're a dying breed and we need to keep them around!

If you're a retailer and would like to stock this design, or any of my others, you can purchase them here.  

 

 

And if there's a particular word you'd like to see a fun definition given to, just let me know and I'll gladly add it to my list of designs to create & stitch.   

 

Until the next time...Happy Stitching! :)

T-Rex Silhouette Cross Stitch Pattern

I have a new silhouette today, and it's not a dog!  Woohoo!  

I've been racking my brain for quite awhile trying to figure out what I could stitch for my son's GF.  I used the Green Camo Alphabet model as a gift for Zach and the Pink Camo Alphabet model as a gift for his GF's daughter, but for the life of me couldn't think of what I could stitch that she'd like.  Then one day in early December when I was working on a more extensive list of silhouettes (nothing but dogs was getting boring), the light bulb went off.  And voila...we have a new silhouette in the family!

I stitched it using DMC #310 on a piece of 32 count Belfast linen in "Monster Mash" by Picture This Plus.  And because it was a gift, I went against my norm for silhouettes and sent it off to SnowBerry NeedleArts for a creative finish.  The GF received the pillow this week, so I can finally release the pattern without fear of her seeing it somewhere online.

This pattern along with all my other silhouettes (which can be found here) is now available for purchase at your local needlework shop or various online retailers.  If you don't want to do a Google search, just click here for a current list of those places.  

If you're a retailer and would like to stock this design, or any of my others, you can purchase here.  

 

And if there's a particular dog breed, or something else you're looking for in a silhouette, just let me know and I'll gladly add it to my list of designs to create & stitch.   I currently have a list of 21 more silhouettes I'll be designing & stitching...some are dogs and some are not.  Be sure to stay tuned for what will be releasing in the future.

 

Until the next time...Happy Stitching!