Developing a Colorway

I am beginning to develop 3 or colorways for a small design.  It will be offered in November 2016 by Stitch for the Cure.  I will stitch the first colorway and provide colored renditions of the rest.  I am thinking Four Seasons?

There are several approaches to getting started.  This time I thought it would be fun to stitch with rose pinks. Shortly after I found Sue Spargo's collection of Dazzle.  It is rayon with a strand metallic and equivalent to a #8 perle.  It is a beautiful rose(see above middle).  She also has a new colors available in a beautiful perle cotton that comes in 3 sizes.  The color I hope to use is next to the Dazzle thread.  And as most of you know I like to use new threads, beads, markers, etc,.........So I just got all 15 colors of the new Planet Earth Sprinkles ribbon.  Three colors are included in the photo.....they are so cute. Plus, I knew I wanted to include some flat square beads...either Tilas or CzechMates.....see the yellow ones below. Last, but not least, I searched through my stash to see what else might work...so now I have 15 threads.  I need to eliminate at least 5. At this point I think I need to finish graphing the design and then review again.

I will post an update when I get the final palette and a "final" stitch diagram.

Harlequin Hearts and Funky Rose return

We have had many requests for Harlequin Hearts and Funky Rose over the last several years. I kept dragging my feet for one main reason.....I have to set up a work station outside and layer 5 different colors using spray misters and then iron the canvases (as in Harlequin Hearts), or mix pigments with textile medium to make my own washes and apply to the canvas (as in Funky Rose). 

So, whenever I colored them I definitely want to do multiples.  Now with the Copic Sketch markers I can easily color each canvas, or as an option, add an optional marker kit so stitchers can add their own colors.   Here is a photo of a Harleqin Hearts canvaswith the background done with Copic Sketch markers.   Rather fun. I will be putting together a tutorial to include with the instruction books.  Here is a finished Harlequin Hearts: 

And here is Funky Rose.  You can see a lot of the background and this week I'll be working on the new background using the Copic markers, and post a photo.

SO, a few Harlequin Hearts thread, bead and button kits are ready to ship now AND the Funky Rose kits will be ready in about 10 days. It's kit includes lots of thread varieties, lots of beads many sizes, wire, needles, etc.  I will be updating the website ordering for these two shortly, but if you are interested in ordering now, just send me an email.  Both these projects are fun to stitch!

Secret Garden and Kit Inventory

Well, it has been awhile, but I'm now catching up.  Here I have been worried about not feeling well all the time and come to find out I "just" needed some root canals.   So now I feel like stitching again and have finished up the 2nd small geometric design I created using Treenway silk threads.  Secret Garden is only 5" square and was fun to stitch. I used some interesting small new triangle beads in the design. They have the two holes on the top and I could use a heavier perle thread to attach them.  I like the finished look of the heavier thread!

The instruction book, marked canvas and thread kit will be available in about 30 days and I will post an update when they are ready.  If you think you are interested, please comment or otherwise send me a note so I will have some idea how many kits to make.  By the way, it is on 18 count canvas, and is the same size as Autumn Arrows.  

Also,  we have been trying to build up an inventory of complete kits (all threads, ribbons, beads, markers, etc. included).  Here is our current inventory as of 5/8/15:

2 Monet's Garden

4 Mediterranean Squares

4 Harlequin Hearts

1 Leaf Collage

1 Images of India

2 Wild Roses

2 Sahara

2 Safari

6 Whirlygig (ready in approx. 3 weeks)

If you see a design you like listed in Designs and Kits for Sale, and there is not thread kit listed above, please let me know of your interest.