… my first Needlework Market

First, I'm just going to post a bunch of my (long overdue) photo from Needlework Market. . .

(the TNNA Needlework Market neighborhood)

I had visited a couple of  TNNA (The National NeedleArts Assoc.) Needlework Markets,  but I took my time before 'dipping my toes' into the needlework industry. . .

. . . & I'm so happy that I (finally) did!

What a fun time. . . & what a great way to have a trade show market!

For this Market - instead of setting up a booth, the Market is held at an Embassy Suites, & as exhibitors, we simply set up our displays in the living room area of our suite! It makes for such a home-y & comfy setting, with comfy furniture (if needed) & a coffee maker, sink, microwave, & bathroom right there! It's like hanging out in your little house & the shop owners come to visit. . .!

I made up some samples of Betsy's Closet - In Stitches, & Benji's Pockets - In Stitches, for the needlework shop owners to get for their own shop displays, & then I also made some bunting for my window. . . (had to have a little quilt-y pretties in there somewhere!)

The photo's pretty much take you around my suite from when you walk in the door.  You may see a little peek of the fact that I 'slipcovered' the sofa & then covered it with one of my quilts (Opie's Home).(It was a pretty sofa. . . just with a pretty busy print that would have been a bit of a distraction.)

I'm really looking forward to the Nashville Needlework Market (in February), & am already starting on new designs(!)

The (cross stitch) designs I presented at this Market are on the website. . . & they are:

By My Hand

Hill Farm Hydrangea

Vintage Christmas

Amazing Grace

Believe

The other (embroidery) designs I took were:

Betsy's Closet - In Stitches

Benji's Pockets - In Stitches

Floye's Garden

Seasons of the Heart

By My Hand - for stitchery

Stitching Winter Memories

(you can click on the pattern name & see it closer on the website.)

Whew! Long post. . . lots of photos. . . (!) If you hung in there for all of this. . . thanks. :o)

(p.s. . . . the sale is still going on - on the website (including the new designs), but will be ending this week. So, if there's anything you've been thinking about. . .  

Hope you have a great week!  (. . . the last few days of summer!)

♥ Bren

... late summer days . . .

Once again, 

days seem to be passing so quickly! (Hi September.)

. . . I even lose track of what day of the week it is sometimes! (seriously, all day Thursday, I thought it was Wednesday. . .)

Except for working on shipping orders, I've not even at my computer hardly at all, so I decided to try a new app for blogging so that I could blog from my iPad. A while back, I had tried a different blogging app, & wasn't too crazy about it, so we'll see how it goes with this new app with this post.

Okay... so, to catch up... 

The Needlework Market was wonderful! It was so fun meeting needlework shop owners, other designers, & there were even several quilt shop owners who attended (my dream shop! . . . stitchery & quilts!)

I did take some photos & I will post them in my next post.

Upon my return from Needlework Market, my days have been filled with filling orders, & believe it or not, I've been back to quilting!

I've been quilting & binding the smaller version of a new 'farmhouse collection' quilt. It's called 'meriwether', & it's based on a courthouse step block with embroidery (or appliqué in a larger version) around the borders. I'm hoping to have the patterns ready by the end of next week, & good news (!) . . . there will be kits available for the smaller quilt (seen above). I'll let you know as soon as they are ready.

I've been loving getting to sit & bind a quilt... it is one of my favorite things to do. I actually get a little melancholy when I'm almost at the end of finishing the binding! For me, put on a good movie, & I'm a happy camper getting to sit & bind while I 'listen' to the movie.

One little bump in our daily routine has been that little Mr. Bailey has reverted to licking on his front left leg again . Even though he's been such a brave little boy with all the thunderstorms we've had this summer, & I think with my going away for Market, he succumbed to being a little anxious, & reverted back to licking on his leg. So... you guessed it... yesterday the cone had to go back on...

He's being such a good sport about it... He was even wagging his tail when I pulled it off the shelf & was putting it on his collar. It was as if he was saying, "Well hi there buddy!" So, with the addition of  a couple of drops of 'Rescue Remedy (a natural stress relief formula by Bach - Original Flower Remedies) to his water dish, we're taking it day by day with the cone wearing.

So, even thoug it feels like its flying by... life goes on here at home & in the studio... & I'm plugging away & will hopefully have new patterns posted.! Until then, take care, & thank you for caring.

xo, Bren

… countdown . . .

Things have been a little crazy around here.

 I'm getting ready for my first Needlework Market, (exhibiting that is. . . I've attended a couple to check them out), & I feel just like I did when I did my first Quilt Market! 

I'm feeling a bit nervous, wondering if I'm bringing enough patterns, flyers. . . etc.

I find I'm laughing at myself, at how anxious I'm making myself. I know that it will be just fine, & I'm so looking forward to getting to set up my 'booth' in the living area of my hotel suite! The Needlework Markets (for counted cross-stitch & embroidery) are held in an Embassy Suites hotel, & instead of having to go to a convention center, you set up your display in the living room area of your hotel suite, open your door, & everyone comes to you. . . isn't that great!?!  When I have attended a couple of needlework markets in the past, I have loved how comfortable & 'homey' they feel. (. . . & it's so nice to have your own bathroom & kitchenette right there!) 

So, I've been busy finishing my new needlework (counted cross-stitch) designs, deciding which of my existing embroidery patterns to take, picking up new pattern covers, 'stuffing' patterns, making some fun little samples (peeks coming!), printing flyers, . . . you name it, I've been doing it. In the past few days, there have been a couple of times that I have wished that I had everything done already, but then I realized that I would just be getting antsy to leave - so it's good that I have things on my 'to-do' list. (Although. . . that list is getting really small!)

One of the things I am introducing is the beginning of a stitchery collection I'm calling the 'Chalkboard Collection'. I just love chalkboard art, & so this series of designs will be capturing the look. . . but with stitches instead of chalk. I found a wonderful over-dyed linen from Weeks Dye Works that is the perfect dark grey & it looks so much like a well used chalkboard. Then they also had a perfect over-dyed floss that is a white with a touch of grey, that resembles the uneven white you get with chalk on a chalkboard. (. . . & yes - there will be some kits coming!)

I will be showing you all the new stitchery designs in the next week. . . & soon (when I return from Market) they will also be available on the website.

Yesterday, I caught my Dad sitting on the couch, talking with Bailey. . . & they were making 'guy' plans for when I go to Market. . . Those boys!

I'm off to bed. . . tomorrow is filled with more 'to-do's'!

♥ Bren

… a finish. . . & a start. . .

A first for me. . .

My first counted thread design.

I took the last stitches in 'By My Hand'. . . & I had to smile at how backwards I worked with this design that had been spinning around in my head for several years.

Based on my love of samplers, I first used my sketches for the design as the inspiration for the (appliqué) quilt pattern, & then for the embroidery version. . .

. . . & now. . . finally. . . I have stitched the actual sampler!

It is the first of several designs that I am working on for the Fall Needlework Market.

(. . . so yes!. . . it will be charted & a pattern will be available later this summer!)

While a was putting in the last section of stitches in this design,

 my mind was spinning with ideas for some new designs. . .

. . . what a fun journey this is!

For those who have been asking. . . yes, I am still designing quilts! In fact, I have two new designs waiting to be quilted, & one pattern due back from the printers at the beginning of next week.

My goal is to have that design ready for PDF download over the weekend as well. . .

. . . so no worries. . . I still love quilts & designing them!!!

What I am taking a little break from - is designing fabric. I do plan to do it again, when the time is right.

Hoping you have a wonderful week, filled with some great finishes. . . & some fun exciting new 'starts'!

♥ Bren