Needle Delights Originals

I matted 12 of my Color Delights designs together - I've been wanting to do this for a long time to have a better way to display them in a smaller space. The overall size of the mat is 16x20 and the black really sets off the bright colors.   From top left the colors are  Tangerine, Sunshine, Violet, Purple, Fire, Chartreuse, Cobalt, Magenta, Peppermint, Shamrock, Aqua, and Bubblegum.   I've got everything ready for market and will be packing the car tomorrow. I'm so happy to have my new CRV - it will be so much easier to get everything I need loaded in.   Hope you're stitching - I've actually been getting a few stitches in and of course, am working on something new! It'll be nice this week to have some down time before a crazy busy weekend at market! I can't wait to see all my buddies at the show!   Kathy

All of my new releases for market are done and printed...whew! The last completed was BlackJack and I designed and stitched the whole piece in 12 days! Of course it was in my head for months before coming out on the canvas! There are 324 squares in the piece and 292 unique patterns (36 squares were completely filled with the Jacks and are all the same! I love bright colors so this was a really fun piece for me. It's hard to believe it didn't exist a month ago and now it's here - I feel like it's my new baby! Here's the whole thing...   You can see the rest of the new releases HERE  and read my official NDO newsletter  HERE .   I've joined the faculty of the Shining Needle Society and my first offering is Sherwood Garden - I've shown it to you before and now anyone can take the class. I'm looking forward to doing the online class and having contact with so many stitchers!   I'm taking a break from market prep (having the patterns done ...

A very productive trip to the framer this morning...I'm getting ready for the Nashville market in a few weeks so I picked out mats and frames for two new pieces. I picked up a few mats I had cut with multiple openings to display all my Color Delights and Double Delights in a more efficient manner - when I get the 40 something pieces mounted, I'll show you a picture! I also picked up my friends Tuscan Midnight which she stitched in the Cool Blues colorway listed in the pattern. This picture does not do it justice - the framing turned out fabulous. The mat is a pale blue and the frame is silver shot through with blue - the whole thing just shimmers. This piece is going to live with my until its owner comes down from Michigan in May so I'll get to take it to the tradeshow and let people ooh & aah over it. It'll also be in the trunk show at Nashville Needleworks the last week of Feb - drop by if you're in the neighborhood!   Here's a sneak peek of a large...

  I've been working on Winter Logs which I'll be releasing at the Nashville market at the end of February. I'm thinking this one doesn't need a border but I'll probably chart one anyway. I haven't decided if I'll actually stitch it or not... Here's a sneak peek: Last week I finalized the details for teaching at Nashville Needleworks in Brentwood, TN. The class will be February 26-27 a few days before the tradeshow. It's a two day class - contact  Nashville Needleworks  if you're interested. They also own a B&B and have discounted rates for stitchers! I'm looking forward to spending a few nights there! They'll also have a trunk show of mine on display Feb 26-28 - be sure to visit if you're in the area! Here's a photo of my original piece (Sherwood Garden)  and the pictures that follow are a few additional colorways I've developed.   Bermuda Reef colorway   Camouflage colorway   Peacock colorway ...

2013 is off to a great start. I'm feeling so productive! I finished a project last night and another tonight! My second of four "Logs" patterns is completely stitched and will be one of my releases at the Nashville market at the end of February. This is a bit of a sneak peek of "Spring Logs" -   and here's the last of 12 of my Double Delights - I just put the last stitch in tonight! This is #11 and #12 is already stitched. I'm happy to be done with this series so I can move on to something new... I've made up words for the Double Delights designs - Turple, Tangello, Nolive and a few phrases - most recently, Peach Forest. I'm struggling to name this one - the colors are burgundy (the Waterlily thread I used is Bordeaux and the Watercolour is Umbria) and olive. Leave a name suggestion in the comments and if I use it, you'll get a free pattern when it's released in a week or so.   I can't wait to draw my next design! I'...

to feel a lot like Christmas! I put up my tree this past weekend and actually couldn't fit all my ornaments on it! I finished cleaning out my storage unit and found a box of ornaments I had in the shop that I kept for myself. They really filled up the tree and I had to leave off some things. I may have to get a bigger tree next year! Here's the tree... and just a few of my favorite ornaments.   This cross stitch Santa has legs made of buttons and the pattern was in one of the Just Cross Stitch ornament magazines. I still think he's just darling!   This "Tassel Santa" is needlepointed from a Cheryl Schaffer pattern - even the back is stitched!   This round ornament is the first thing I ever designed and was the beginning of my first set of "Ornaments of the Month". I've thought about releasing them - they do look great on the tree and are simple and quick to stitch! The little Baby's 1st sock was needlepointed when my niece was...

A friend who was in New Hampshire for a wedding wandered into ABC Stitch Therapy and saw this awesome framed Amazing Color. They painted the frame to match the stitching! It's, well, Amazing!