Did you miss us?!?

Did ya' miss us? I sure hope you did! I was on hiatus/sabbatical/mommy duty for the past few months. For the record, we welcomed a delicious baby boy named Dash to our nest in June and, to be perfectly honest, I couldn't even think about anything else until Christmas!

But we're back in the creative saddle with some exciting new goodies on the way!

I've been doing lots more work in wool....penny rugs, applique, etc.

The hubby has begun making prints from his hand-carved linocuts...some will be hand-tinted with ink or watercolor, and some will be framed/matted or greeting card format.

We're very excited about some new patterns and kits that we will be offerring this spring so check back soon!!!

We'll be here, so join us!!!!

We're changing things up a bit and doing a spring show in 2010!
This one sounds fantastic and I can't wait to be there!

Craft Show Time!!!!

Hello crafty folks!
I'm excited about the next 2 craft shows I'll be at. Come see us at either or both of these!! Finish your holiday decorating and gift shopping with some wonderful handmade goodies.

Paschal High School ~ Fort Worth (Berry & Forest Park)
November 21, 2009 9am-4pm

L. D. Bell High School ~ Hurst (Brown Trail)
December 5, 2009 9am-6pm

Thanks for your support!!

Thank you to all our loyal customers and welcome to all our new friends! We had a great weekend at Trinity Valley Quilt show and it's because of y'all!
I will publish pictures from the show as soon as we recover :p
I'm including a little tidbit/freebie with this newsletter....hope you like it!!

Get your holiday patterns now!!

It's time to start working on those Autumn and Christmas holiday goodies....get your patterns now!

Suggestions?

I found a hand-stitched vintage quilt square made with indigo blue fabrics and muslin the other day, and it just begs to be made into something new....but what?
I'm thinking about adding some wool appliqued flowers or something...maybe in true red? Dunno just yet. Here are a few pictures of what I'm starting with. I'll post pictures of the finished product (whenever that happens!)

Challenge yourself

Those of you who know me personally, know that I am an education junkie. I think an important part of personal development and growth depends on challenging and stimulating our minds. I've voluntarily taken classes for about 18 years now, some craft related and others for a doctoral degree. See? When I say "junkie" I'm not kidding! We're talking "hardcore"! Last spring I suggested that all my readers consider taking some sort of class or workshop to expand their skills. For fun, I took a class in wool applique and fell completely in love with the possibilities! As excited as I am about learning new techniques, I'm also nervous about mastering them. This year I decided I would finally face what I felt to be a really challenging class....needle-turn applique. I seriously wondered if my skills were anywhere close to good enough to manage that one. This is much finer work than I'm comfortable with. Luckily, this class was offered by a dear friend (who doesn't mock a fledgling effort!) and she made everything seem so obvious and simple. Amazing. Well, except the part where the skinny little needle split my finger open and my jaw ached from gritting my teeth in concentration. Honestly, I worked myself up over nothing. Any technique can be learned. Practice makes perfect and whatnot. That's why I suggest finding a class that interests you during this less-hectic time of year. Challenge yourself. Get excited about something new. Add to your repertoire and surprise your friends and customers as holiday time rolls around again. I'm posting a picture of my first needle-turn applique project.......not perfect, but who is?
*Happy Crafting*