Do I see red????

Red has always been one of my favorite colors-we know I love designing silhouettes.  I am not sure how many times I have said it and will say it.  White on red is just stunning....I have others I have done-but I thought red for the day would work. 

Here is Merry Christams pin pillow.  You can use it on your tree or as a hoiday pin pillow-dough bowl.  Just keep imagining.  I so love to see people jump start off an idea, design or anything that I put out there.  It is so inspiring to share and grow with gifts given by others.

Here we have Mini Drum Christmas ornamnets.  These are a joy to stitch-yes there is over one.  But you can to Tent Stitch and it helps with the stitches bunching up.  These guys are wonderful.  If you do not want to make them into ornaments-then you can use them as pin drums.

This is Believe-a larger Winter Themed Christmas drum.  And yes-I seem to love the word Believe-I have several pieces with that in the name of the design.  I confuse myself at times and trust me that is not hard....

I so hope that you are finding time to enjoy the moment.  It is so hard these days and with the end of the year coming up and plans happening for the new year it is hard to take a moment and to just breath.  It is wonderful to document these moments, but in truth the memories are just as good or better.  The kids and I miss the photo opportunities a lot these past few years.  It seems with traveling in, working-trying to just relax and visit-the photos are the last thing we think of...

I will try to remember to get a photo or two this year.  Especially since if any of you follow me-my photo in Just Cross Stitch Magazine for my Christmas Ornament is not my children with me.  It is random people and I find it amusing.  Maybe next year I will put in a picture of someone else....

Anyway-I am off to do my usual.  Have a Red day-smiling.  Ebeth

 

We have a theme

 

It seems that I am a series starter-and then I get squirrel ADHD or something.  Truly I do not have enough time in the day to keep things on track.  I do have Beth who helps me-but since the holidays I have had jury duty and her schedule has been whacko, so hopefully we can sync up soon.  I NEED THE HELP.  An adult nanny would be the perfect solution  Nanny McPhee I need you....

Here is Fish and Swan the second in a series I started a billion years ago.  It is great for grabbing that small piece of linen and any colors that you want to use if you do not have the ones called for or just feel like a change up.  These are quick and fun and a great gift.  Stitch a few up and have them at the ready to give to your stitching friend.  Or if you have a small family of borrowers living in your house-they may work as cushions for their couch....Yes, I am on form with the bad jokes today...

Another series I started.  Believe it or not the borders for the rest of the series-I just need to stitch and finish them.  The first started in Just Cross Stitch 2021 and went on....we shall see.

Now this Halloween Series is fine-I can add to it or stop.  It really started a billion years ago in a Just Cross Stitch Magazine.  I still sell the first one like crazy.  I am toying with adding a few more....I so love silhouettes.  It is like making a puzzle.  You have to manipulate the positive and negative space to give the image depth and detail....

Well, I am off to get things done-you guys know the drill....items available in my Etsy Shop.

I hope you have enjoyed the little stories....

Ebeth

Just rambling-no pictures

 Just wanted to drop in and thank you for following me.  I know that I can go into hiding at times.  It is hard to do as much as I do....it is sorta hard to define what I do.  

I dye-not only linen, but trim and other fabrics.  I try to squeeze in designing here and there.  I sell wholesale and retail.  I hardly have time to sleep-no kidding.   

I am not sure if you are like me-but since the lockdown-I have been working on getting out there and making my life 'normal'.  That is hard when you work from home.  At first the lockdown was great-no change here.  But then stores changed hours, things got harder to find and time seemed to slip away.  I have learned how to shop at different times, go online more-which, if you have not purchased from a source before can be a little unsettling.  

A few of you might have known-but in March of this year 2022-I fell in my studio and had a fight with a bookcase and it won.  I broke my right shoulder.  With the help of a very good friend and many more-I was able to keep my business going and move through the event.  I was lucky and did not require surgery, but it was over a 9 month long PT event and I still have issues.  It weakened my body core-so I am doing Yoga like crazy and walking is a problem.  Who woulda thunk-that injuring your shoulder would cause so many other issues.  

I learned a lot on having others help me.  It was interesting teaching someone to help me dye, handle cutting linen and trim.  They definately decided there is no glam in this line of business.

The first of this year-I canceled all my events-before my shoulder injury.  I think the universe was telling me something.  I did add on a wonderful class in Texas in October and I managed to walk a show-Houston Quilt show as a buyer and got inspired to venture into other items to sell.  

I have fallen in love with Mister Finch and some other textile artist I have found during this weird times in our world.  I have started doing more textile arts and upcycling items.  I will share some of my mushrooms and other items that I have started doing in my 'spare time'.  

I just want to close this rambling with again, thank you for following me.  I hope to get more lives out there and share my thoughts and knowledge.  Please look for me popping up in a few magazines.  I have some designs coming out in them and am trying to meet a deadline for a personal dyeing article.  It is not to help you be a professional, it is all about starting off, being safe and a few tips to get you excited about trying dyeing.  

I have found that dyeing is like finishing.  After you do it once maybe twice you decide if you are going to go down that rabbit hole again or not.  Trust me both are not for the faint of heart.  I truly wish more designers gave their finishers the credit they deserve.  Being a true finisher is a talent not to be challenged.  It is the most amazing experience to start with nothing and to create a tangible item without any pattern or help.  Lots of times when one is busy creating and moving to the next deadline you deny yourself the moment of happiness and sense of accomplishment-to just sit back and say-I did that.  

Well, I am off to move items around-find missing things, dye, stitch and create.  Look for some pictures of some of my new creations.

Hugs-have a stellar moment-ebeth

Bees may be sleeping now-but their wax is still being used....

 

These are great items to have in your stitching nest or to give as gifts to your stitching friends.  Who does not love the smell of bees wax.  It always is a calming smell.  Here are a few of the wax items I have listed in my Etsy Shop....enjoy browsing...

Thread spool

Hanging Raspberry Waxer-waxer only.

Buttons-sold as a set. 

I have lots more-just slip over and check them out....

Well, off to handle holiday chores and dyeing-enjoy the moment.

Ebeth

Looking for stitching gifts????

Stitchers love to share-here is a from the heart sharing.  These are the last of 2022 Nashville Retailer Cook Books.  These little gems are out of print.  

This book has great recipes and has a smathering of counted designs through out the book.  You can find it in my Etsy Store.  

More items to come-told you that I was moving things around.  

ebeth

Me again....yes loose on the computer

As I am moving things around in the studio....it seems never ending.  A never ending orgaic room.  Never the same twice.  The office and dye area always look like they are ready to explod.  I have finally gotten the open space orgaized and almost presentable.  This year I decorated out in the common area with lights, wreaths, garland, a few nutcrackers and such.  I finally got the tree up in my bedroom.  It is almost complete.  I will post pictures of the holiday decorations later this week.  It was great to have Isa and Miguel help me with the main tree this year.  After the year of the broken shoulder-it has been hard to find the engery to get things done.  Who knew how much one area can affect the whole body....well so much about me.  

As I was digging around and cleaning up-I found these wonderful charts in my Etsy store.  As always you never know what you will find.

This lovely chart is from Thistles and it is so adorable there is no way it would be put up after the holidays.  It can be a constant reminder of giving and celebrating all year.

Who can resist Fairy Wool in the Wood's Ornaments.  They have an edgy classic look.  Too cute.  This is Christmas Tree Ornament 1

Fairy Wool in the Wood hit this one on the nail.  Who does not need a Frosty in their Christmas mix.  

Yes, I have been busy upcycling too.  This wonderfully quirky tree is made of wool and recycled salt cellar with red bead berries.  It is off center (just like me) and can sit out all year mixed with other figurines.  This item is also in my Etsy Shop.

Well, I guess I need to go finish ironing and moving items around.  I have a wonderful mushroom grouping that I hope to be able to debut this week.  It has been fun expanding my mushrooms to a grouping and into a container.  Creating the logistics and display of several mushrooms has been challenging and fun.  I am so inspired by the works of Mister Finch and other textile arist that I have been so lucky to find.  Look for me on my Facebook page Friends Who Like Dames of the Needle/Finger Work again-you never know what you will hear, see or find on this page.

Have a wonderful day-thanks for reading.  Ebeth

 

End of Year Looming 2022-23

Well, here we are in the brown faze.....Petrified Wood Bark-it comes in Chenille and Mini Pom Pom at the moment.  It is a slightly varigated color.  I do not do enough browns....so I added a few.  I am going to play around and see if it will work on other trims....it is always exciting to try new recipies...

Petrified Wood Bark Chenille 3 yard package

Ptrifies Wood Bark Min Pom Pom 1 yard package

These trims are available at your Local Needlework Shops or if you cannot find them there they are listed in my Etsy Shop.  As always my products are listed in Hoffman Distributing Company  They are wholesalers, but you can see what is available and get your local needlework shop to order what you need.

Now we come to a new linen color-yes, another primitive in the browns.  Truffle Pig-love the name.  Truffle pigs in Europe are a lovely shade of brown....some have these faded spots....I have been thinking of how I can have Truffle Pig with spots....Who knows.  But at the moment-just Truffle Pig.

This wonderful way of finding truffles is an art.  There are farmers that force grow truffles.  From what I have read-these forced grown truffles are not quite as good as wild grown truffles.  I just love the pigs-they are cute and smart.  Wonderful color-just look for it in my Etsy or get your local needlework shop to order the color.  It comes in all counts of linen and in Aida.... 

Truffle Pig linen-new color

The awaited release of When the Leaves Fall from Alma of Blackbird Designs.  This is another awe inspiring booklet with projects and finishing techniques to inspire any needlwork person.  It also includes the pattern of out of print Moonlit Garden.  Definately not a dissapointment.  This is also listed in my Etsy.

This little gem was released early this Fall 2022 by Beth Twist of Hearstring Samplery-This delighful booklet has so many projects and ideas-a true must for any sampler loving stitcher.  Beth always delights with her sense of design and adaptations of antique samplers.

Well, I am off to dye and get orders out.  I hope you are spending a few moments to breath and enjoy the season.  It is always bittersweet with the ending of the year and the start of a New Year.  

I will be back.....I have quite a few more items to discuss.

Ebeth