Let the Stitching Begin!

As I posted a few days ago, I want to take Stitchnmomma in a new direction for 2013.  That new direction includes me doing as much stitching as possible, which is truly my passion.  I figured some custom pieces will force me to do that stitching.  So here's one my first new listings of 2013.

It will be available in 2 different color combinations.  You can have the silver/black/red combo as shown in this picture:

Or you can have the gold/brown/pinkish-purple combo as shown in this picture: 

And for those of you that like to stitch your own pieces, there will be a DIY Kit available soon (I just need to put the 1st one together and get pics taken).  The DIY kits will NOT have a painted hoop.  They will include the fabric, floss, needle, plain hoop, button and of course your own custom name pattern.

If you're interested in any of these items, just click the photos to go to the individual listings in my Etsy shop. 

Happy Stitching!

It's a WIP Fiesta!

Ok, so really not a fiesta, but I thought it sounded like a good title.  :)

Very rarely do I take pics of all my WIPs on one day and show them all off at the same time.  It's been quite a while since I've shared anything here (I usually keep them updated in my Facebook album) so I figured it was about time for a show & tell.

I'm going to post these in the order I'd like to get them finished, provided my stitching ADD doesn't kick in again.  And for all those serious stitchers out there, you know exactly what I'm talking about...you already have multiple pieces on the go, but you see one more that you just have to start, and then another, and another, and ooooh it's a viscous cycle!

First up is a piece called "Let the Stress Begin".  This will be a wall hanging that will be for sale at The Good Goat Gallery in Lakewood, OH sometime after October 27th.  I'm stitching it on a 18-count Ultra Very Light Dusty Rose aida I hand-dyed myself.

Next up is a round robin piece that is looooong overdue.  It is a Margaret Sherry design and I'm stitching it on a 22-count light blue aida that was hand-dyed by....you guessed it, me!  Oh, and this one is being tent stitched using 2 strands of floss.

The third piece I'm going to show you is my "Crane Silhouette" and this will eventually be a pattern that is released in my shop.  It's not finished yet, but you can get a basic idea of what it's going to look like.  Still more colors to add to it, but not too many as I didn't want to take away from the simplicity of a silhouette.  It's being stitched on 14-count plastic canvas.

Next up is a piece that doesn't get a lot of attention right now, because I only work on it a few minutes at a time, a few days a week.  It's the piece I've been carrying too & from work for my lunch hours.  It's called "Swirled Heart" and is being stitched on 14-count vinyl aida.  The finished piece will be an insert into a mousepad and this is also the model for my own pattern.

This fifth piece is an exclusive I've been working on with Karen Tomlinson from Purple Cats Corner.  It's titled "Black Manx Fairy" and is from one of her paintings.  I'm stitching it on a 16-count hand-dyed lemon yellow aida.  It will eventually be a pattern available in my shop.

And here's another piece that is an exclusive artist collaboration with Jonathan Labbe from What About Photos.  It's titled "Nature's Love" and is from one of his photos.  I haven't worked on this piece in way too long and it's definitely calling at me.  Oh, and for those that are wondering what the other fabric stuff is, it's the grippy liner you can put on shelves & in drawers and it works great to keep your fabric from moving around in your q-snap frames.  It's being stitched on a 28-count Wedgewood evenweave fabric, 2 over 2.  And yes, it will also be a future pattern in my shop.

And you guys won't believe this one...this piece will actually be for ME!!!  This was a piece that I did in a round robin.  I need to finish it off and have it framed to hang in my living room.   Top left is my son Zach, top right is my dog Max (you might recognize him from my avatar picture here on my blog), bottom left is my much missed dog Lobo and bottom right will be my picture.  All of my boys (human & furbabies alike) are the most important thing in my life and it will be awesome to see them all together in an original piece.

The eighth piece is one that will also be a future pattern for my shop (shocking, huh?) and is one that gets attention a couple of times a year.  So sad I don't work on it more.  It's being stitched on a 14-count Polar Blue DMC Fabric (I think that's what it's called).

And finally, last but not least (and I hope you're not all bored yet), is probably the most adventurous piece I've ever decided to stitch.  My first HAED piece Chakra Fae.  It has like 205,000 stitches in it and I think I have like 1,200 done or some pathetic number.  I've put this last because it will take me years & years & years to stitch it.  It's something I'm stitching just for myself, which of course always goes to the bottom of the priority list behind items for my Etsy shop and now items for The Good Goat Gallery.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing pics of what I'm working on, and I'll try to be better about posting updates here and not just on my Facebook page.

Happy Stitching!

My Latest Addiction

As a lot of stitchers do, I like to have the TV on while I'm stitching.  Sometimes I watch & stitch and sometimes I just listen while I stitch.  

One of the downsides of scaling back my cable programming (and bill!) is the limited choices available when you only have around 15 channels.  One night a few weeks ago I was dealing with that exact dilemma; nothing on TV I wanted to watch, no DVDs in the house that I hadn't already seen several times, and nothing too appealing to choose from on Netflix.  I was typing everything I could think of into the search feature on Netflix and everything I wanted to watch was coming up a big goose egg.  As I was sitting there going through my memory banks of possible choices to look for I remembered there is this show on PBS (at least here in the States) that people are just raving over...Downton Abbey.  I typed it into the search and there it was, 7 episodes from Season 1.  I decided I'd give it a go and see what I thought.

The beginning of the show starts with Laura Linney welcoming you to Masterpiece Theater.  I remember my mom watching Masterpiece Theater shows when I was a kid and they were soooooo boring.  I instantly said to my dog, "This isn't going to be good."  Well, with nothing else available I took a deep breath and started watching.  I was instantly hooked after the 1st episode!!!

They put together a great cast for it, which includes one of my favorites, Dame Maggie Smith.  She is a hoot and a half!  She has some of the best one-liners, and always has the best facial expressions to go with them.

My favorite so far inspired this piece..."What is a weekend?"  I feel like that every Monday morning when I have to go back to work and I wonder where the weekend went and what it really is.  Unfortunately, that's not the way that she meant it.  You can see the video clip here where she asks the question.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhfpBW-nUWk

So the bad news is, Netflix only has the first season available.  I've been very impatiently waiting my turn for the Season 2 DVDs that are on reserve at my local library, and then Season 3 doesn't start until January 6th.  What am I going to do until then???  Arrgghh!!!  LOL!

Also, as I was perusing Etsy before I stitched my weekend piece (wanted to make sure no one else had done it), I found a couple of other cross stitch lovers that seem to be as enamored with the show as I am.

This one is a design of the manor house / estate they live in, with all the household staff.

Cross stitch pattern available from Cottage Nest Interiors

And this one is another quote from the Dowager Countess (Dame Maggie Smith's character)

Cross stitch pattern available from Book Pilgrim

I guess I'll have to be a little more patient while I'm waiting for those DVDs and keep stitching away.

P.S.  I've already been asked by one person to sell the pattern for my "What is a weekend" in my shop.  I'm trying to judge interest in it before I print the patterns.  If you'd like one, drop me a comment and let me know.  :)

Relay for Life Fundraiser Items

In case you hadn't heard already, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I think it's great to have a month dedicated to it, however, breast cancer is something that is around every day of the year and we shouldn't forget it.

This picture shows some of the items I've made for an upcoming craft fair.  There is a (l-r) cross stitched pink ribbon key chain, a pink ribbon jumbo paperclip bookmark and a cross stitched pink ribbon magnet. 

All profits will be donated to Relay for Life.  

Also, if you're looking for inexpensive and unique items to sell as a fundraiser for your Relay for Life team, these would be perfect.  I'm already working with one team on their order(s) and am in talks with another.  Just drop me a line for wholesale pricing.

Remember...THINK PINK!  

<3

Buttons, Buttons, Who's Got the Buttons?

I haven't been doing very well this year with one of my few resolutions...releasing one new pattern per month. However, I HAVE been busy.

This picture is a sampling of some of the buttons I've been stitching lately. Some of them are still available in my ArtFire shop and some have found new homes. These are all 1-1/8" buttons. They can be used with the wire shanks left on the back to be sewn onto a project or I sell them for other uses...I can glue magnets to the back, attach them to hairpins, or just about anything else you can think of. I can also stitch them on many different colors of linen fabric.

If there's something you're looking for and you don't see it in my shop, just drop me a line and I can create a custom listing just for you.


Happy Stitching!
:)

P.S. Don't forget, for the entire month of March 2011 all of my FABRIC COVERED BUTTONS (excludes hand stitched buttons) are on sale in my ArtFire shop when you use coupon code BUTTONS20 at checkout.

Stitching, Stitching, Stitching...

I've been busily stitching and trying to keep up with my Crazy January Challenge 2011 along with custom orders and an occasional new item for my ArtFire shop here and there.

So far I'm 2 for 2 with starting a new WIP on the first of each month. This is the piece I started on February 1st. It will be titled "A Sunset Stroll". Unfortunately I don't want to show the pattern that I'm stitching it from because it will be a gift for someone that may possibly see my blog posts. I didn't get as much done on it as I would have liked, but if you keep reading, you'll see I've made progress on quite a few other items. I'm stitching this on what I'm calling a "butter yellow" linen. The fabric was part of a linen destash given to me, so I'm not sure of the exact name of it.

I showed you this piece in my WIP post last month. Needless to say, it's done completed as I had hoped, however I have made some progress on it and love the way it's coming along. Since this will be the next pattern released in my shop, I'm still keeping it a bit of a secret as to what it is. I had a guess last month of ocean waves, but that's not it.
This next piece isn't a WIP, but is a custom order I just finished last week. It's a photo of a brown bear that has been stitched into a 3" x 3" magnet. This is currently a reserved listing, but I can always stitch up another if someone is interested in it.

And last but not least, I just finished this piece today, and just in time for National Flag Day in Canada, which is February 15th. It IS for sale in my ArtFire shop.
Hopefully by the time I do my next WIP post next month I'll have my blue mousepad / secret pattern finished along with more goodies that will be for sale in my ArtFire shop. Until then...Happy Stitching! :)

Work In Progress Wednesday - 1/12/2011

OK, I know today is technically Thursday, but I had all intentions of doing this post last night until I got home and had to spend 90+ minutes shoveling out my driveway (even though I had already done it in the morning before work) and then was too tired & cold to do anything but veg-out in a hot tub and then in my recliner with an afghan.

Today I have 3 different pieces I'm going to share with you.

The first is "Winter Freeze" and this is the first piece I've started as part of my Crazy January Challenge 2011. Once it's finished it will be one of the patterns that I release for sale in both my ArtFire and Etsy shops. It may not look like much, but I did get about 5% of it finished during the 1 week I stitched on it. The stitched area once finished will be 8" x 12". I tried to get the colors as accurate as possible. I'm stitching the piece on Charles Craft Polar Ice Aida cloth. I've had it for awhile and have been waiting for just the right pattern to use it with.

The second piece I'm going to share with you I'm going to leave as a little more of a mystery and not show you what the finished piece will look like. I'm currently stitching this as a mousepad that will be for sale and I will also release the pattern to go with it. I'm hoping to have it completed and listed within the next 30 days.

The third piece isn't a WIP, but it is a completed custom item. I'm so happy with the way this giraffe magnet turned out that I just needed to share it with everyone. This is a reserved item, but if it's something you'd like to buy, just drop me a line through my blog or ArtFire shop and I can do a custom listing and then get stitching one just for you. :)

I hope you've enjoyed looking at my WIPs and I promise to be a better blogger in 2011 and keep you posted on the patterns I'm working on, etc.

Happy Stitching!

My Private Collection

I've had many discussions on various forum threads regarding the pieces I've stitched for myself that are currently hanging in my home. Some of these have taken me YEARS to complete, in between working on various other projects. Today I thought I would finally share them with you. None of these are for sale, as they all mean something to me. The price would definitely have to be right for me to ever part with them, and there aren't too many collectors that are willing to pay HUNDREDS of dollars for a framed cross stitch.

Please excuse the quality of the photos. Once a piece has been framed and is behind glass it becomes more difficult to photograph.

This first piece is one of the first full cross stitches I've ever completed and the first one to be framed. I'm sure everyone can tell that it was a birth sampler I stitched for my son. I started it when I was pregnant, and we just won't discuss the fact that it wasn't finished until 1996. It used to hang in my son's room until he was about 11 and then decided he was too old for it and took it down. As I have no place to hang it at my new house, I keep it safely boxed with other valuables to one day give back to him when he's married & has kids of his own.
This next piece is the first one I ever designed with my PC program for cross stitch design. As you can tell, it's very simple. I was just trying to learn how to use the program, etc. It may be simple, but the quote from Charles Dickens is one that I try to live by daily. This piece is also one of the patterns I have available for purchase in my Etsy shop. If you click on the picture, it will take you to the shop where you can see much better pics of this piece.
This next piece is one I thought was appropriate not only for my husband, but one I stitched on our vacations at a fishing lodge on the French River in Ontario, Canada. They writing on it says "Early to bed, early to rise. Fish all day and make up lies." Now tell me, what fisherman doesn't that saying not fit?!? One of the things I really liked about this piece is the wood looking frame I chose. It just reminds me of old driftwood you would find on a beach somewhere. Rather appropriate for a fishing theme.

Until this year, I had been a member of the Stan Hywet Needlework Guild. This piece was the 2nd piece I entered into their annual Stitchery Showcase. Needless to say, when I walked down the stairs into the auditorium and found that I had received a blue ribbon, I cried like a little baby! I was completely overwhelmed, as there was approximately 80 entries into my judging category, and I took first place. The title to this piece is Harmony & Tranquility and it currently hangs in my dining room.

When you talk about YEARS to stitch a piece, this is another great example. It took me over 10 years to finish this one. Granted I lost the original set of directions and eventually had to write to the company to get a replacement so I could finish it. I originally started stitching this piece to hang in my bedroom 2 houses ago. I had no clue when I finally got it done it would be the perfect piece to hang above my couch in the living room. When I was in The Guild, they liked for you to have a minimum of one entry per year. This was one of my entries. I was cutting it really close to deadline to have it to the framers. The last thing I had to stitch was some leaves that were done with the lazy daisy stitch, which I had never done before. I took an extra piece of fabric and did them over & over until I felt comfortable with them and they looked like the pictures I had seen. When it came time to do them on my actual piece, it was like I was back to square one and had never made them before. I got to the point I was so frustrated and was out of time, I just took the picture that came with the kit and back-stitched leaves on to look the same. This was one of those times that evidently the judges had never seen this pattern and didn't realize I should have used lazy daisy stitches because I earned a blue ribbon on this piece also!
My last piece I'm going to share with you is also one of the patterns I have available for sale in my shop. I love sunflowers! They are always so bright & happy looking and there is something about them that brings a smile to my face. This piece didn't receive ANY ribbons when I entered it into The Showcase, but that's OK. It hangs at the bottom of my stairs and I see it every morning when I get out of bed. What a way to start the day. If you click on this pic, it will take you to the item in my shop where better pics are also available.
I think this is probably the longest blog post I've ever done. I hope you've enjoyed getting a look at some of the pieces I've enjoyed stitching that hang in my home for me to share with my family & friends on a daily basis.

Store Re-Opening Sneak Peak

I've been getting quite a few questions lately regarding when my Etsy shop will reopen and what I'm going to have for sale. So tonight I thought I would answer those questions for you.

First, my shop will be re-opened no later than June 15th. You can sign up here to be notified when I'm back open for business.

As far as what I'm going to have for sale...well...of course I'll have more magnets as well as other creations that are in the works. This is a sampling of 3 of the magnets I've completed that will be for sale:

While I'm sharing photos, I wanted everyone to see this custom order I completed and shipped out on Saturday. It is a magnet of Super Mario that will be a boy's birthday present. Now hopefully Canada Post will come through and deliver it on time!!


So in the next two weeks I'll have more items I'll be finishing for my shop re-opening, more custom orders I'll be working on (pics of those in a future post) and working on finding the perfect spot to take pics and when to take them in my new house, as I'm still struggling with that.

Looking forward to sharing more items with you, so be sure to check back here and in my shop on June 15th!!
:D

In Memory of Iris

Even though my Etsy shop is currently in vacation mode, I've still been busy stitching away. Yesterday I finished a custom order for an absolutely lovely lady on Etsy named Gleeza.

The order was for 7 blue iris magnets. The magnets will be given to some of her family members in memory of her grandmother, Iris. Iris passed away several months ago after a long, full life. She would have been 90 this May 30th. Not only was her name Iris, but the blue iris was her favorite flower.

I'm extremely honored that Gleeza asked me to make these to help commemorate what would have been her grandmother's 90th birthday. I've included some pictures to share with you all. I'm still working out where & when to take pics at my new house, so unfortunately the pics may not be the greatest.

Here's to Iris!!!
:)

Work in Progress Wednesday - 2/17/10

It's been a few weeks since I've done a WIP post, but have made some significant progress on projects since then.

I FINALLY finished the custom doxie sweatshirt I've been working on for months. My heartfelt thanks go out to the very patient buyer!!!

I've made several different magnets. Some of them were for custom orders and some are available for purchase in my shop. I have more I'm working on. These are much easier to carry to and from the office and work on when I can get 15-30 minutes of stitching time on my lunch than toting around the larger projects.


Here's a blast from the past...the mouse pad I started months ago! It was put on hold for other custom orders and I just pulled it back out 2 days ago. I'm considering it one of my "larger" projects so I've only been stitching it at home in the evenings. Not to mention, it's on my favorite new medium...vinyl aida!! Hopefully by the time my next WIP post rolls around I'll be finished with it and it will be posted in my shop.

I've included links in all the pics that will take you directly to that item in my shop for those that may be interested in getting more information.

Stay tuned as my next WIP Wednesday post will be in the next 2-3 weeks.

In the meantime, feel free to check out my sister's new shop, LisasLivables, that she is working on stocking.

Work In Progress Wednesday - 1/20/10

I know it's been a long time since I've done a post. With the holidays over and life somewhat getting back to normal it's time to resume them.



I decided I would start with a sort-of Work In Progress post. I did a lot of custom items over the holiday and have received several requests to see pics of them, so I'll start with those.



One of my orders was for custom daddy's and mommy's first christmas ornaments. I was so excited to get them packed & shipped I forgot to take a picture of the mommy one. It is similar to the daddy's ornament, just in pink.





I had another order that was for a quantity of a MINIMUM of 6 smiley face magnets. Smiley is currently available in my shop, it was just the quantity that made it custom.

One of my most time consuming orders was a mouse pad of a co-workers dog as a Christmas present for her husband. The picture is of the insert only that goes inside a mouse pad sleeve. I learned two things from this order: 1) I need more time than 17 days to stitch one (I pulled 2 all-nighters in there and went to the office with NO sleep) and 2) I need to charge more money - ended up making $0 after the cost of supplies. But it was still a great project to do and am looking forward to more of them.

I made some conversation heart magnets for my store and ended up getting a custom order for some others. These are fun and I like the fact they are smaller so I can take them to the office and stitch on my lunch hour.

And last, but definitely not least, we have the lovely Hannah! She is the doxie sweatshirt that got put on hold over the holidays (thank you VERY much to the gracious Etsian that is very patiently waiting for it!!!) She is now the focus of all my night time stitching and I'm hoping to have her done this weekend. She has all of her body, including the shading details and now I just need to finish her head. I'll post a picture of her in a future post once she is fully completed.

Sty tuned for more blog posts on a regular basis once again.

Work in Progress Wednesday - 11/11/09

First, let me say HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY to all those in the armed forces past & present that are the reason why I wake up in a free country every day!! Me & my family truly appreciate your service and the sacrifices you have made!!!



My little fingers have been stitching madly the past 2 weeks. I've made what I feel is great progress on both the custom dachshund sweatshirt and the mouse pad I've been working on.

I have also made a couple smiley face magnets for my shop. This item has already been sold & relisted once (click the picture and it will take you to my shop). I have another smiley I want to do, but it comes with a twisted sense of humor. As I can knock those out in a few hours it will probably be in my shop in the next week or so.

As I've been stitching quite a bit lately, by the next WIP post in 2 weeks, the sweatshirt WILL be done (I'll post a pic of the finished product) and I will be working on other custom orders I currently have lined up...Christmas Ornaments and a photo mouse pad. I don't want to give too much away now just so you'll have to come back and look again in 2 weeks...LOL!!


Happy Hump Day everyone!