Website - a New Look

The website has a new look to it and hopefully flows a little better.  On Monday SquareSpace introduced lots of new templates and a few features I had been waiting for.  So, even though I hadn't planned to make changes right now, I have spent a major part (and more) of my computer time this week, reorganizing the site.  Hope everyone likes it!  If anyone has any problems, questions, or comments, please let me know.  The point is to make it useful and hassle free for anyone visiting any part of the site. 

Now I'm back to making up kits for ANG Seminar in Indian Wells.  My first class is Sept. 6th but kits need to be mailed to the site by August 18th......three weeks. 

A week or two ago I talked about stitching on 18 count linen instead of 18 count canvas.  I stitched and finished a Tea Cozy and Tote Bag.  Above is a closeup of the Tea Cozy stitches.  The stitches are the same on the Tote Bag....just a different colorway.  I used Watercolours and Perle Cottons on both. 

I'm also stitching away on the Bargello/Needlepoint 13 count design.  It should be finished in two weeks or so, but I plan to post an in-progress photo next week. 

Finally, I am thrilled to announce I am currently the Featured Artist on the River Silks website.  Click here to visit.

Wishing everyone a great weekend!

Website Disarray

Just a quick note about the website!  It will be in slight disarray for the next few days to a week.   I did choose a new template as you might have noticed but tried to keep the layout very similar to what had been previously.....with the same banner, etc.  However, I lost a few "buy now" buttons and the gallery of designs available are jumbled. So please excuse the mess if you are trying to locate something. The individual pages are still all there and I will get the buttons back up and running in the next day or so.  There is just no easy way to much such major changes without some things not working together as they should.  I've sent in my "support ticket" and I know the people at SquareSpace are working  long hours to get everything back to working smoothly.

Beginning the Intro to Needlepoint/Bargello Project

We've been having dreary weather here in San Francisco....at least out by the ocean where I live.  The weather forecast every day says "fog in the morning but will burn off around noon".  Not here....just damp and cool.  We ignored the weather today and got out in the back yard anyway to weed and just generally spruce things up a bit.  Always feels good to do that!  Now....next week the front yard. 

Back inside now and getting ready to mount the canvas for the beginning needlepoint/bargello design I've been slowly working on for the last few months.....along with two other designs.  The design is far enough along I can transfer the outline to the canvas and the color palette is firm enough to start stitching.  The design will just be 6" X 6" and stitched on 13 count mono canvas. 

I was thinking about "current" colors to use when the Joggles  Sunday newsletter showed pictures of a new paper collection and several new Kaffe Fassett fabric collections.  They were all similar and reminded me of a clipping I had in my design file.  I tend to clip pictures of new sheet collections and the like.  Then, I went to the button/knitting shop and found a few buttons.  Finally, I knew I wanted to use perle cottons so started pulling from my stash and ordered a few more things. So I'll start with this and see where it leads.  Do you see the great bead right on top?  Love that button.....but I also couldn't pass up another one-of-a-kind button on Etsy, so when it comes things might change again!

The threads so far are DMC perles, Threadworx perle, and DMC Variations perles.  Once I have the design outline transferred onto the canvas and get a little stitching completed I'll post an update photo.

Just a note about possible changes to the website!  SquareSpace, my host of my website and blog is installing a very large update tonight, beginning at 12:30 a.m. EST.  There are supposed to be new templates and many other cool things and I might just have to make some changes.  So don't be surprised.  Have a great week!