The Girl Indie Blog Feature

What an exciting honor to be featured on this wonderful blog!





This blog features some awesome artists and designers. It's written by nine wonderful women who take the time out of their day to write about and feature "chick owned businesses." Go take a peek!

My Designs Featured in Quilting Arts Gift Issue!

Yippie!!!! 

Woohoo!!!!

Hooray!!!! 

I can't find one word to describe my excitement

I have been keeping this announcement a secret for such a long time!!! My embroidered cuffs are going to be featured in the special Gift issue of Quilting Arts magazine. I have subscribed to this magazine since it first launched. When this magazine and Cloth Paper Scissors arrives I stop what I'm doing and devour every single page. I am so excited and honored to be chosen to be a part of this issue --it's a dream come true...and hopefully just the beginning.

When my cuffs were chosen I was so excited I asked if I could announce it on my blog...but I was told, "no, wait just a little longer." I'm sure the editors are very use to this question and know how hard it is to wait. I sent my cuffs in and looked at my email everyday thereafter to see if there was an email that said, GO! I got an email that they were getting ready to be photographed, then I got an email that my cuffs were returning to me, then I finally got an email that said I could make the announcement. They must have known how close I was to bursting... Now, I'm on pins and needles waiting to see my cuffs professionally photographed (finally) in a beautiful setting for the holidays.

I also have to thank many of you for your encouragement and wonderful comments regarding my cuffs. And, to those of you who have purchased one --thank you. You may see your cuff (not the exact same one) in the magazine. I will be developing a website soon and will let you know when it is up and running. I hope to do some other exciting things there, that I can't achieve on this blog.

This Gift issue will be on newsstands on September 16, or you can pre-order and received 10% off on the Quilting Arts website. If you currently do not subscribe to this magazine, you should consider it if you enjoy high quality fiber and paper magazines.


...I'll leave it a surprise as to which cuffs are featured...

Deep, Deep Red

I just finished a new felt cuff. It's a lovely red...deep, deep red. I used black and shades of grey to embroider the flowers, scrolls and leaves. It has a really sophisticated look and would look great with jeans or a great suit. I finished the inside so that if you are allergic to wool it won't make you itchy! 

 

In the next couple of days I'm going to start a series on embroidery....embroidery 101. With a few basic stitches you can make beautiful accessories, or embellish some of your own items. I am now bleary-eyed...and think I'll go rest my eyes!

Felt Connoisseur

Most of the items in my shop currently are made with felt. Rather than being a connoisseur of wine, I'm a connoisseur of felt! (See this Wikipedia article for everything you ever wanted to know about felt) I'm always on the hunt for really nice felt. I have found Spanish wool, wool, hand-dyed, made with recycled plastics, and craft felt. Of course there is also the felt that you can make from wool garments... I found yards and yards of felt at a local thrift shop, but I'm going to use that when I get around to making paper --to absorb the excess water between layers of felt. Don't hold your breath for paper in my shop, it could be years before I get around to that project!

While traveling the Pacific Coast Highway last fall, I stopped at a quilt shop, Forget-me-Knots, in Brandon, Or., and found the felt that graces the cuffs that are in my Etsy shop, Waterrose.etsy.com . It is hand-dyed and absolutely beautiful! My current felt discovery was found in an Etsy shop, MissSewItAll.etsy.com . Her shop carries beautiful fabrics from some of the major designers. You can see by this picture she also has (only one collection left!) some beautiful felt. It's sitting on my design table at the moment. As I pass it I have to reach out and touch it...the colors are rich and just waiting to be made into something beautiful. I have to stay away from this shop...it is a fabriholics worst nightmare! When you talk with Miss Sew It All...you can tell that you would love to have her as your next door neighbor if you collect fabric --not only is she funny, but I'm sure she knows the best tactics for getting fabric into the house without anyone knowing....except the dog!

I love making the cuffs that I began designing a month ago. I haven't been embroidering much over the last year, at least not until I began making the embroidered rings. I've been busy with the quilt that I posted about earlier this week. I'm also working on a book that I've been writing for quite a while about quilting. 

So, when I began sitting down to embroider these cuffs the design ideas came pouring out of my brain. I had to sit and draw some of them, since I can't make them as fast as I think them up. So, if I don't stop playing on etsy ...I'll never get around to making them all! With that...I will bid the computer adieu and get busy making some new cuffs for your enjoyment!