Back!

I just got back from teaching at EGA SAS 32 in Kingsport TN. We had a blast creating Artist Trading Cards! I brought boxes and boxes of paints, stitching items and more. The class had fun creating and exploring new mediums. The ladies that hosted the event did a wonderful job. I send my heart felt thank yous to them....I tried to post while I was there. But I was in Verison Teritory and I could not get into my accounts. I am packing and getting ready to leave for Shepherd's Needle where I will be teaching the Maritime Sewing Box at the end of the week. If you would like to ghost the piece let Ann know and that can happen. Ebeth

Jumping Cat

Yes, I know it is still hot outside, but when a design comes to you it comes to you. I want to introduce 'Jumping Cat'. He is stitched on 35 count Straw linen by Weeks Dye Works and the fibers are from Weeks Dye Works and The Gentle Art. It was mailed a couple of weeks ago to Hoffman Dist. and Norden Craft. I was told by a little birdie that it was on the Friday Flyer a couple weeks ago. I started the piece in March....then I had Spring Break two pieces to complete for magazines. Then my teaching schedule was wild. Add in the end of the school year for the kids. So, now you get it. That expains my absense. I am leaving tomorrow to teach Artist Trading Cards to the EGA SAS 32. I will post about my next trip this evening or the first of next week. I have a few more things to talk about but that will come with another post....TTFN ebeth Update, 'Jumping Cat' is flying out the door. I want to thank all of my supporters that have purchased this chart. I hope that he will be up on your walls and celebrating the fall holidays with you. Thank you and have a great day stitching. ebeth

New Series-to be released

I hope you have gotten your Just Cross Stitch magazine. I have a new piece that is in the magazine. It is a hornbook and it has Paul Rever on the back of the piece and George Washington and Betsy Ross on the front. When Just Cross Stitch approached me to do a piece for them they requested an Americana piece. I did some research and found out a couple of interesting facts about Paul Rever. After I completed the hornbook, I wanted to extend this theme. I spent sometime thinking about how I would do this. I have a personal rule that I do not repeat elements or themes in my design work. I want each piece to stand on its own and I also like the challenge of creating a new piece from scratch. While I was letting this idea bubble around in the thought process, I remembered that one of my art teachers had encouraged his students to create series of topics, either in the same medium or in different mediums. I found then that I did not like doing this. I thought it was the lazy way out to just move things around and make it slightly differnt. In the creative world, and most other worlds, if you do something that makes you uncomfortable or that will stretch you, you will grow and aquire new skills in that area. So, I am going to go for the uncomfortable at the moment and I am going to see where it takes me. I put on my designing hat and I have come up with a series called "Colonial Figures'. This series will have one figure with a quote and possibly a symbol that can be attributed to them. The bottom and top border will be the same and staying in a certain color range. I am releasing Patrick Henry first. Here is a peak at him. The frame is being built and a proper picture is going to be shot this week. I hope to have him out in the next couple of week. Depending on my travel schedule. I have started on Betsy Ross. George Washington and Paul Rever will be next. I have my research hat on and I am looking for more figures to go with the series. I also have some ideas that are brewing a spin off or two on this series. I am having fun with this, and I have a couple of other ideas brewing in my head. Yes that is a scary thought. As always, please support your local needlework shop. They are there to help and inspire us to create new and wonderful pieces that enhance our lives. Ebeth

Release of Class Piece 'Virtue on Display'

'Virtue on Display' is an orginial design from Dames of the Needle/Finger Work. This is a former class piece that was inspired from the Girlhood Samplers from New England from the 1790's. The verse: Virtue on Display As I sew mark for all to see My virtue is displayed for thee When I am gone and in my grave I hope my bones do misbehave To err a show of mystery I composed the verse with a willful little girl in mind. I imagined her with messy hair and really not interested in her handwork nor was she interested in becoming a prim and proper young lady. I gave her the courage to dare dream that her bones would and her ghost would be able to 'misbehave' and do the things that she was forbidden to do whilst she was held captive in a boarding school. The sampler was stitched on Legacy Linen 34 count Wren Wing from Access Commodities www.accesscommodities.com/. The threads are from The Gentle Art www.thegentleart.com/ and Weeks Dye Works www.weeksdyeworks.com/. The sampler is approximately 7 3/4" x 6 3/4". There are a variety of stitches on the sampler. Counted Stem Stitch, Stem Stitch, Chain Stitch, Fly Stitch, Palastrina Knot over one, Cross Stitch over one and over two, Tent Stitch, Cheque Scotch, Padded Satin, Colonial Knot, Button Hole Stitch Wrapped Bar, Couched Stitch, Long Arm Cross and Alycia Lace over one. The piece combines surface embroidery with counted thread work. The piece will be released by next week by Hoffman Distributing Company www.hoffmandis.com and Norden Craft www.nordencrafts.com/. Please support your local needlework shops for this chart and all your stitching supplies. Ebeth