Today, I read on Gail's blog.... Big Horn Mountain Creations - quilting and crafts, about her disappointment with not being able to effectively sell her wares. I want to first say that I really understand where she is coming from! It hurts to hear that something you have worked so hard on is of little dollar value to someone. That said, I believe its symptomatic of the economy, which here in the West is rather tight AND its really important to display our creations in the correct venue. The audience and timing is everything. So.... Gail.... Please hang in there and keep at it! You WILL find your niche and things will work out! Just keep up the faith in yourself and your abilities! It takes time to develop everything! This is an issue I have struggled with for quite awhile, even within my commercial embroidery business as well. Theres always someone out there willing to sell "themselves" for less than you. I have actually done that occassionally just to keep the machine going, but have rather evolved past that of late because the customers themselves are more demanding than the little bit of money I get EVER begins to be worth. It skews the pricing for other embroiders too which defeats the purpose of being in business. So, I fired one of them this week.... graciously....but they have moved on and I can't say i'm sad about it. It frees me up to do what I need to do creatively!
I "think" i'm evolving into what I am meant to be doing, which is using more of my creativity in special projects for folks rather than the run of the mill, 100 shirts with the same logo embroidered on them. I am content to puddle along and experiment with new things as money allows. I'm challenging myself with new ways of doing things and operating under the "pay it forward" type philosophy. Its been amazing what comes back! It feels SOOO good to give of yourself with no expectations.
With that in mind, I have headed up a project for mini quiltlets to be made into a wall hanging for the brain cancer ward of the Childrens Hospital. Why this specific choice? Well, i've been working with a friend for the last several years who participates in the "Ride For Kids". This charity is for children that have been diagnosed with brain cancer. This year, she collected over $11,000.00!!! WOW!!! I am soooooo impressed! And... she said that she is actually seeing that the donations are making a difference for the kids. Many are now in remission and finally enjoying better lives! As a result, I thought that it would be a nice treat for these kids to have a visual wonderland to look at and perhaps help take their minds briefly off their pain and the treatments they are under going and came up with this idea. At first I wanted to be able to give a quiltlet to each child, :(not dissimilar to what Pat Winters wanted to do with her Comfort Doll project) but that would restrict what we are able to put on them, so the project morphed into a wall hanging. Each quiltlet will be attached to the others with free standing fish i'll embroider on my machine. Sounds fun, I think!!! Anywhoo, I would like to invite anyone who might be interested in making one to join in! The theme is Under The Sea. 
These are my two nekkid blocks that will be formed into quiltlets. If you are interested in perhaps joining in...please let me know and I will HAPPILY send you the guidelines. Dependent on the response, I may extend the deadline that is currently set for September 30. Heck, if this goes well, maybe we'll make this an on going project and donate wall hangings to other Childrens Hospitals! The more quiltlets created in love for these courageous kids the better!! I can't WAIT to see their smiles when its delivered!! Thanks for reading and listening. Off I go to get some things done!!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Late Night Musings and Charity
Its In My Bag swap project
This is the first time that I have participated in the Its In My Bag Swap! It was interesting....even tho I stressed a bit. You see, i'm not a planner. If I get an idea I sort of dive in and work things out as I go. Now, had I planned this would have been a bit less challenging, BUT I learned a lot and truly hope that Clairee enjoys her purse. I am NOT a great seamstress and Clairee is, sooo, i'm still waiting to hear her scream!!! LOL!!! Seriously tho, I am over all pretty pleased with it and am THRILLED to be able to finally show it!!!The front of the bag, pictured above, is fabric manipulation techniques. I created some mountains for her to enjoy with some flowers of ALL kinds tucked in at the base. There are some SRE, some brazilian and some basic embroidered flowers there. Along with another mongram for her enjoyment. I added her charms up at the top. The flap closure has more lace embroidered onto it and the inside is completely lined with a zippered pocket in the middle separating the purse into two sections.
This is the back of the purse. I decided to make it more flat so it would withstand brushing up against her body. There were furry fibers included in the baggie so I decided to play around a bit and VOILA, a willow emerged from the fibers!!! Theres a little nest on one of the limbs with some eggs and a bird I made out of fimo to match the purse. I also added her monogram and a pansy....i'm suspicious that she likes pansies! LOL!! You can just see the handle at the top. I machine embroidered some lace patterns on it to give it some extra zing! Next challenge will be to make some of that free standing to put on some blocks!
These are some extra goodies I added for Clairee. I made an ultrasuede pansy pin with picot beaded edging on it. I also sent along some of the fimo doo dads that I had made...the top one is made into a pin as well. Sooooo.....another project bites the dust! LOL!!! On to the next adventure!!!
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
You Are Sunrise!
| You Are Sunrise |
 You enjoy living a slow, fulfilling life. You enjoy living every moment, no matter how ordinary. You are a person of reflection and meditation. You start and end every day by looking inward. Caring and giving, you enjoy making people happy. You're often cooking for friends or buying them gifts. All in all, you know how to love life for what it is - not for how it should be. |
Monday, August 06, 2007
SBDYB Bonnie
This is Bonnies block from the Summer Breeze round robin. Funky button and bead flowers, a cabbage rose (beaded)... her initial....and the design outlined with beads on the lower corner. The fan is from Carole Samples book...and then the herringbone cretan stitch combos at the top. Hope ya like it Bonnie!!
seasontoseason block
This is my nekkid block for a swap that I joined! A little funky.....but... kind of like me, I guess!!! LOL!!! I have to embroider half, send it off and then someone else will embroidery the other half and send it back! Should be interesting, eh? Mooooorrrreeee later!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
BB coat epaulet
Not a great pic, but I couldn't fight with this coat anymore! LOL!! This is a colonel epaulet. This was machine embroidered then hand stitched onto the leather.
BB coat 2
This is a full jacket back on the same deer skin jacket! I spent a goodly amount of time digitizing a bit of this one....had it at the size the owner said they wanted it at UNTIL they brought it to me....then it changed! LOL!!! Good heavens! Anyway, I will sposedly be doing the beaded version of this jacket, eagle, buffalo, vines, epaulets and all before too long. I just hope it isn't the finished jacket WITH Fringe. Ughhhh.... stuff is a bit difficult to maneuver around! Enought fussing! Off to post a final pic! VBG!
Buffalo Bill Coat
PHEW!!!! Another project done!!! Pics aren't great....taken at ohhhh twelve hundred A.M!!!! This is a deer skin coat WITH fringe.... that was left with me to embroider last friday afternoon! I had to create the flower vines, re-size and make corrections on the buffalo then hold my breath while this things stitched. I don't "think" i've bought myself a jacket yet! BUT....haven't heard from the owner sooooo...STILL holding my breath! LOL! Now, keep in mind, NO design on this jacket is under 20,000 stitches and my machine stitches at a standard 800 stitches per minute. This doesn't take into account for thread changes, breaks, needle changes.... and I have a commercial machine!!! Good HEAVENS I couldn't imagine trying this on a home machine!!! NOT a slam against em.... just couldn't imagine the hourse that would take cuz this took me the whole weekend!!! Tis done tho! YEAHHHH!!!
I have SOOOO got to research and get more designs pre-digitized so I don't have this madness again! Regardless....I think it looks good. Just hoping for kudoos from the owner! G
Friday, July 20, 2007
Hideko's Sampler blocks
Another rr I am participating in, is the Sampler rr! We were asked to create 2 eight inch blocks with loooooonnngggg seams! So we would have plenty of room to practice! I was the first in line and had the herringbone, with the optional detached chain stitch! Watch this spot. I have to get the ol 'puter to cooperate and i'll get closeups loaded for everyone to see! Anywhoo....another one done. Off to embroidery for my re-enactor friends....again....on their deerskin full length jacket. NOOOOOO room for screw up there......sooooo, wish me luck!!!!
SBDYB Jakkie
Second block done in the DYB round robin! This one is for Jakkie! I had a bit of a brain blank and FINALLY at oh zero hundred in the night inspiration came! LOL!! I had some dyed rococo braid that made the foundation of the arbor, the I added sre leaves and roses. Next to that is the sre magnolia tree with beaded flowers and the the wisteria on top. I beaded a cabbage rose up above, and the used a bead treatment to pull out the rose on the other patch that is held down with the herring bone, ribbon woven thru, sequin flowers and then beaded the roses on the lace. I hope she likes it!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Evolution of design cont......
This is the final panel! These are ALL off to their owner for construction now! I hope to get a pic of the completed costume!! I did my best o replicate the original design so that the costume will be authentic. Think I succeeded?
Evolution of design cont.
Almost done! This is one of the panels for the skirt. This is a combination of machine embroidery and hand embroidery! Again, the fabric had to be backed to control the stretch. Approximately 80 hours has been spent in design, digitizing and embroidering this costume.
Evolution of design cont
This is the gaitors. They top gloves in the western costumes....I rather thought that they were cuffs for the jacket. Regardless, they are also entirely hand embroidered with rayon. Thankfully the owner is pleased!
Evolution of design cont
Here is a pic of the collar. This was entirely hand embroidered. The material is a stretch gabardine which was a challenge for me, so I fused a light weight webbing to the fabric to stabilize it. All of the embroidery is done with rayon.
Evolution of design cont.
This is the designs. Hand drawn onto a plastic film that I then placed onto a light box to trace onto the panels.
Evolution of a design
As many have read here, I do a lot of embroidery for a friend that is heavily involved in character re-enactment. The latest project I completed for her is DONE!!! YIPPEEE!!!! I took this pic and then designed the panels on the skirt, collar and gaitors.
Koda
I FINALLLLLLYYYY got this little imp to sit still long enough AWAY from the tree to get a good pic! You'd never know, to look at him that he could wreak such havoc! LOL!!! He brought home kennel cough that swept the house. Thank heavens everyone is finally feeling better!!! After supporting the drug companies for all the antibiotics! LOL!!! He's cute....and DEFINATELY allllll puppy!!! Gooood grief I forgot how busy they can be! LOL!!!
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
New kid on the block!
Looooookkkkk out!!! Here he comes!!! Kona.....THE PESTTTT DOG!!!! LOL!!!! Here's our recent addition.... another "rescue" dog from the pound! All of.... or so they said... 6 months old! ALL energy, pestiness and cute, cute, cute! Still chooses whether or not he'll respond to his name, is ornerier than all get out, but has all the makings of a lover dog! Course.... what four legged doesn't love? I'm sure there will be more pics to come as he continues to grow into those mammoth feet! VBG!!!
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