Work complete!

You know...I think it took less time to design and stitch the pattern than it did to clean it up for publication and put everything together, but...



The pattern for the design I made for Valdani is finally published and now you can stitch it too!

I'm feeling rather accomplished, considering that it seems like so small a thing to get it put together and listed.

Go get it!

Arrrrrrgh! It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Happy Talk Like a Pirate Day, and if you're looking for booty, look no further. Check out this article to find some excellent pirate patterns in honor of TLAP day, including one that's free through September 27th.

Don't be a landlubber. Plunder your stash and craft like a pirate today!

A day late and a dollar short, once again.

I am now signed up for Craft a day September, aka CADS, which means I'll be making something every day. I know it's the 3rd. Fortunately, I'm usually cracking something out almost every day anyway, so I'm not behind.

Go sign up if you're feeling brave!

In other news...recent completions and projects...



One of two towels done for the fall embroidery class I'll be teaching. I wanted halloween patterns for the towels and was running short on time to design my own patterns. However, Quixotic Pixels was kind enough to share some free Halloween embroidery designs which are perfect for my purposes. I think people will like the designs. I know I do!

In other news, still wrestling with the wall quilt, which is bigger than I thought it'd be.



Huge, and yet still not big enough to be anything useful...because it's just a sample and not the full class project.



It's going so slow because I have almost no workspace to do something as large as a quilt. This is maddening and will have to be resolved since I'm quilting more and more often now. I had to roll the top and bottom of this wall quilt panel so I could fit it on the table to tack it down for stitching.

It's now my quilt scroll. The back is brown, so it looks like a giant tootsie roll when it's not opened. Whatever it is I think I see apparently DOES become a tootsie roll to me.



I also pulled out some silk and I've been spinning that up. Unfortunately, I think I'm spinning it up too thick so I'll probably have to fix that.

What will I do with a bunch of skinny silk yarn? Only time will tell, but first on the agenda is dyeing it. I'm counting on instructions at Wormspit to help me with that.

In other news...I've also had a few articles published, if you're interested.

This one is flower pressing 101, with instructions on how to press flowers the old fashioned way and how to make wax paper leaves, in case you've forgotten the details. Perfect crafts for kids, and perfect crafts for fall. Also, surprisingly eco-friendly. Ah, nature...you share so many gifts.

For Halloween lovers, or Tim Burton fans, or Alice in Wonderland fans (I think I've hit the entire population with these categories no?), I also published instructions for making Alice's costume based off the trailer for the upcoming Alice in Wonderland movie, which will be out in March of 2010. Want the costume instructions? No pattern required, ages preschooler through adult. Start now so you won't be late to a very important Halloween Party date. ;)

And, in case you missed it, the Halloween Wall Quilt instructions are up again.

Speaking of quilts, afghans, and other blankets...

Making progress on the store sample. I have to iron it, make the quilt sammich and quilt it all together, and then make bias tape and attach it. Then I'm done. Woohoo!

I also had an article published today. It's a crocheted afghan pattern that's fairly adaptable. If you want to make an afghan this fall, check out my Harvest Afghan. The picture at the top of the article gets larger, and it allows you to look at other pictures I've uploaded. The 3rd picture shows assembly instructions.

Yay free patterns!

Another useful article...

I write an article linking quite a few free hardanger patterns. If you're interested, check out the article and snag them.

If you want it, here it is. Come and get it.

If you liked it and wanted to stitch it, I've released the pattern.

Here's a shot of the detail:



I didn't include instructions for how to do hardanger, but it's not that hard. There are plenty of instructions on the internet.

This pattern is fairly advanced, so feel free to make adjustments to make it a bit easier if you like.

It's free, and on flickr (having an account will make it easier to get it in its original size), so go get it and let me know how you did!



I'd love to see pictures of modifications people have done and colorways they chose, so feel free to come on back.

If you like this design, you'll probably love my other work. Feel free to check out my work on flickr (click any of the pictures above) and if you know of anyone who could use my skills, I could use the work!

Caron

For those who don't know yet, Caron has completely redone their website, and I am so thrilled.

Caron is one of the best-known specialty threads manufacturers in the US, and I've used all of their major product lines. Watercolours, Waterlilies, Wildflowers, and Impressions (a wool/silk blend thread). They've got many impressive colorways which you can now easily see on their site here, and while you're there, check out their lesser-known threads. If you like variegated thread, you'll love Caron. If you like free patterns, well you'll just have to love them twice then. I'm getting ready to do their Byzantine Xmas ornament (needlepoint), and there will be pictures.

Want to compare?

New shipment!

What's this? My new shipment from Valdani! I'm testing colors for my upcoming kits because I want one of them to contain Valdani threads. Being a designer is awesome.

Oh that's right, I probably haven't blogged publicly about my kits.

They're educational kits for my favorite type of embroidery, with some of the best supplies available in the market so that people get a good understanding of what to look for when they're choosing their own supplies in the future. I've tried threads from all over the world and I've done some truly wonderful and awful things to them to make sure that I know which products to recommend to others. 2 of my 4 beginner kits are already being tested. I want the 3rd to have Valdani threads.

Would you like to know which products I've tried and how it turned out? I'm getting ready to write reviews and comparisons on some of my favorites...

But, to focus on what's important here...let's talk about you, my dear readers.



I hope you like purple, because that's what color I'm getting ready to do my new sampler design in. Of course, if you don't like purple, that's okay too...because you get to pick your own supplies.

The pattern will be available here, on my blog, for free. I may even run a contest with it. Anyone interested?