Easy Knitting!

You know, when you don't feel too good sitting and doing easy knitting can help. I've spent the last few days getting over the flu and I think I'm almost there. In the meantime, I've read a couple of good books, watched the Food Network (love the Barefoot Contessa-why can't she be my neighbor?), and finished some redwork. The next block of our Sophie BOM will be posted for you to download on Monday. Jeanne is going to get the picture of the red version on our web site tomorrow. So stay tuned! We're almost done and ready to put wall-hanging together.

Here is a hint at what I've been knitting. It's easy knitting-straight garter stitch with scraps of yarn that go together so easy it's almost sinful. And the end result can be the perfect Christmas or hostess or birthday gift for your stitching buddies. We'll be showing the finished product again next week but I thought you'd like these colors today!

Thanks to family and friends for checking in often and helping out with grocery runs, flowers, iced coffee, and movies to watch. Between the chicken soup and the love, we're about to turn the corner to full recovery!

Flu Bug!

Well, the flu bug has hit the Cleveland household. Jeanne is going to drop off home-made chicken dumpling soup later today. Talk about good medicine! I think I may feel good enough later this afternoon to do some work on Sophie. Last night I tried knitting and got my rows goofed up so that ended that.

My grandson, Winston, was over for a fabulous sleepover on the weekend and then the bug hit. From there, it came to my house. I don't I've ever had a joint clinic visit with my husband-not in 28 years of marriage! We did make a cute couple in matching face masks as we sat in the waiting room.

Stay healthy and keep stitching! I'll be back soon.

Knitting and magazine efforts

Thanks for the great suggestions for 2010 Sophie! We're hard at work trying to decide what the theme should be and how to layout the new version. In the meantime, I am starting to do the final stitching on November's final design. Then, sigh-it's so SAD, we will put Sophie together and-TA DA-we will have a complete wall-hanging! Of course, there are a couple of other ideas to share along the way-one for a sweet tote bag that I think may just become the Christmas gift du jour!

I'm also still playing with little bits of yarn as we finalize the instructions for a cute, simple to stitch pin cushion made up of all your left over bits and pieces of yarn. I have 4 done now but want at least 6 for the picture. Hmmm...next, how about chartreuse, violet, hot pink, and teal????? Perhaps, soft bubblegum pink, purple, navy blue, and lavendar????? No matter, though, I CAN'T use orange-did you know Jeanne hates orange?? Not sure why, she won't even tell older sister!

And we are sending off the last little information bits about one of our designs that will be appearing in a quilting magazine in February. We're pretty excited about this as it's a magazine that we have enjoyed reading. More to come when the issue is out!

Thanks for the Sophie suggestions-keep them coming. We want 2010 to be the BEST Sophie ever!

Cupcake for Sophie

Don't you absolutely LOVE this little cupcake? Of course, I love cupcakes more than Jeanne does but I am willing to share this one. I was given a cupcake display tower by a dear friend for my birthday last year and I have used it for almost every special event since. Cupcakes are a great way to enjoy cake-you don't have to feel too bad about the treat and they are just so cute!

Of course, Sophie loves them too! It was fun using the colored floss in my assortment of Sophie colors for this little design. I hope you've enjoyed stitching the October designs and are looking forward to November. We're almost finished with our Sophie wall-hanging and are already thinking about 2010. Any thoughts on what type of free Block of the Month you'd like to see us design?

Web special

Reminder that we are offering a special on our web site. See the site for details but it's pretty simple. Order a pattern and we'll include another free. Please be sure to list the pattern you'd like for free in the comments section of your order. It's simple and a great way to beat the economy!

I'm working on a knitting project right now. Yeah-I know I'm supposed to be doing quilting or at least redwork embroidery! But we have a couple of ideas that we want to get finished up before the Holiday rush starts so my knitting needles are going clickety-clack. Back to redwork by the weekend-promise!

Mid week-Buy One/Get One Free!

No real snow since I mentioned it on Monday-maybe my wish kept it away???

I have posted a great Candy Corn picture that Jeanne took. It always makes me think of Halloween even though I can't stand eating the stuff. Now, give me a Kit Kat and I'm in 7th heaven.

I just finished the colored version of this month's Sophie design. I can probably get a picture taken later today so will try to post it tomorrow. Funny how the smallest little motifs look the cutest sometimes. I think this small flower bouquet would look wonderful enlarged for a pillow centerpiece. Let me know how you think you might use it...

We're starting to see some folks taking advantage of our Buy One Pattern/Get one Free. Be sure to skip over to our web site and check things out. We'd love to send along a free pattern for your stitching delight! You can click here to go directly to the web site.

Also, you'll start to hear more about the ability to purchase some of our patterns as downloads rather than paying for shipping and handling. We'll give you the details next week. Stay tuned!

New week

So I'm sitting here waiting for it to snow. That's right-it's October 13th and it could snow today or tomorrow. Glad I know where my mittens and boots are although we'll probably not have anything stick for a while yet.

Jeanne shared a couple of great pictures today and I thought everyone deserved to see them-plus we had a pretty good session yesterday working on finishing up a new set of towel designs. I'll include a small picture to tease you!

Last Sunflower and Fall Harvest

I stopped at Jeanne's this morning and took one last look around her place. Fall has definitely hit the place. But this one sunflower seems to be hanging around-regardless of all the pumpkins, squash and gourds they have gathered. I got 3 sunflowers yesterday at the Farmer's Market to keep in my office. Funny how much light they seem to reflect back at me!

Cleaning the studio didn't succeed in much besides just stirring up the place. Every time I started on a pile of stuff I found something that I needed to stop and look at. Sigh....talk about two steps foward for one step back! I did find both versions of our Fall Harvest wall hanging and dropped one at Jeanne's so we can each have one of these to hang until it's time for the Christmas decorations to go up.

This was a great pattern to create as I got to really indulge my love for all things fall! I used a lot of fabrics from my stash as the largest pieces of fabric needed are for the borders and backing. Each block is a mish-mash (like the technical term?) of small pieces of fabric. Perfect to indulge your whimsy. I think I will try to dream up a Christmas version of this next.

You can find this Fall Harvest pattern for sale under New Patterns on our web site here. And, remember, it's buy one/get one free where patterns are concerned. Just put the name of your free pattern choice in the comments when you place your order!

Pattern Sale

I've been busy trying to get my sewing studio organized. It's time this weekend to start the final push for the year with 3 new designs in the works AND Christmas presents to finalize. This weekend Jeanne decided that she would take me up on my offer to knit a pair of socks for her husband. Now, I love knitting socks, but I'm not sure how to fit that in with everything else. The first thing I have to do, I decided, is clean my worktable and see what is almost done of my other projects. I'm sure I'll be able to take a few small pictures along the way to share.

Don't forget to check out our web site for our Buy One/Get One Free sale. Just tell us in the comments area of your order which pattern you'd like for free and we'll add it to your order. And how about those cute little Sophie designs?

Buy one/Get one Free and new Sophie!

We can't believe it's October 1st and there are just 84 stitching days left until Christmas! (Of course, that assumes that you will be stitching up to the last minute--like I usually am!) Jeanne and I have been busy looking for bargains that will allow us to spread our gift-giving farther and decided that everyone loves a free pattern.

So check out our website for your favorite pattern AND, when you place your order, add a comment telling us the pattern you'd like for free. We hope this will give you a chance to try something a new pattern and save a little for the holidays. We have also pulled to our frontpage one of our classic St. Nick patterns (Kris Kringle) as well as have featured our Pie Mat pattern using yo yo's which is great with Thanksgiving just around the corner. Sometimes it's easy to forget all the different types of patterns that a design company creates. We're usually associated with our redwork designs, but we've been stretching our wings in 2009. Take a look around our site-you might see something you missed before.

And, not to skip our Block of the Month stitchers, get your free download of the next 2 little motifs for the Sophie wall-hanging. Who doesn't love a bouquet of flowers AND a cupcake on a sweet stand? I'll be posting both the redwork version and the colored version mid month.

We hope October brings you sunshine as the leaves turn colors here in Wisconsin. We're excited to be planning for the holidays although we may need a couple more stitching days along the way to get everything done.