Reving up for Market

Time is flying way too fast again.  I have finished all the charting on my designs and they are being stitched as we speak.  Thought I might give you a sneal peak at what I am working on.

This is the "Margaret Brown" American Quaker Sampler dated 1838.  It's a wonderful piece to stitch and I am excited to present it to the shops at the market.  I have some information on the sampler maker and this will be included in the chart. 

I also bought Margaret's Sister's sampler as an investment.  Owning a pair of samplers done by sisters is not all that common, so I am excited to meet Sarah Brown sometime next week.  Although I won't be charting that sampler, pictures of both samplers will be included in the chart and I will be showing both samplers at the market.  It's going to a real treat.

Here is another Sneak peak of the upcoming "Yuletide Hornbooks".   I think these will be fun to stitch.  The chart includes two different designs, two pieces of fabric, silk floss and a hornbook.  They have been fun to stitch and the finishing really shows the design off!  I am hoping this will be very popular with the shops.

I have two other patterns in the works for market and they are not yet ready for a sneak peek.  However, I hope they will be finished soon so I can post pictures of them here. 

For the next several weekends I have friends coming into my home to help me with kitting, proof new patterns, printing and packaging patterns.  I do not know what I would do without the help of these friends.  I can only pay them in stash from Milady's Needle and despite my sometimes very harried and stressed demeanor, they continue to support me in this way.  So I guess this is not just my business, but represents the hard work of many friends.

I am so grateful for my friends!!

Till The Next Time,

Gloria

Financial Clean-up and A Good Book

So, what's happening in my life today?  I am busy with work and straightening out my financial well being.  Mostly focusing on my business as the personal finances are another whole can of worms.  It's been a struggle, but I am succeeding in making some much needed changes.  The goal is to stay current and not have to catch up once a year.  That is really exhausting and simply drives me nuts.  Takes me twice as long too, because I have to think back and try to figure out what I did 12 months ago.  Hoping I can keep up the momentum and not sabotage myself.

Just finishing up a book by William Lashner called Bitter Truth.  Love a good mystery in which the characters have foibles and can work their way out of very human dilemmas.  It adds to the story.  I am definitely not a "tea cosy" mystery type anymore.  But, I do like to return to my youth every once in awhile with an old Nancy Drew mystery.  Anyway, it's a very good book and I recommend Lashner's series to anyone who likes a mystery with complex characters.  Looking forward to starting another book.  I love the books by Kathy Reich, so I will probably start her next one in the series.   

I need to get busy with designing for the next market.  I have several patterns which need to have the finishing touches put on them.  I need to get them to stitcher's this month.  I better get busy  as they are a bit bigger than others I have done.

Till the next time,

Gloria

Beginning Again

So it begins again.  I decided to start over with a personal blog where I can talk about anything that comes to my mind.  Of course since needlework and reading are my two favorite hobbies, I suspect that I will talk about these subjects more than most.  But, I will also use this blog as a way to express myself as freely as I can in this setting. 

Those of you who visit this blog will be invited to post in response to my thinking and dreaming.  I don't know how often I will update this blog and I may even post something, only to edit it later.  So, if a post disappears after you read it, you will know I thought it better to keep what might have been posted in a diary rather than on the internet.  However, the internet is such a convenient way to keep people in the loop of what is happening in my life that I think I will give this a try.

Till Next Time,

Gloria