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Once upon a stitch
31 January 2007
Almost ready
Topic: Cross Stitch

With just 4 more days to go, I am trying to get as much done before I leave as possible. This weekend I finished the Drawn Thread workshop and even though I am not very fond of stitching lazy daisy flowers, I like how the project turned out. Drawn thread is such a wonderful technique. Below you can see a picture of the workshop, this is Wildflower Drawn Thread by Linda Driskell.

 

And on Saturday evening I stitched on And A Forest Grew as planned. Once I got started it was so hard to stop! I stitched till midnight and am done with section 14. I think the chart would be easier to read if it had overlapping columns, but apart from that, it is a pleasure to stitch on. AAFG will be in the drawer though for a while as I don’t fancy carrying my box with 100+ Venus threads in my suitcase. So once the show in Zwolle is over, AAFG will be back in rotation.

 

And as this is another workshop, I started a new project on Sunday. This is a project I have been looking forward to for quite a while. It is The Queen’s Regalia by Quieter Moments. I changed the threads to Tentakulum threads and 100/3 silk. The colors are quite bold, but I love it. And the design is breathtaking. It is hard to imagine you can stitch so many different stitches, flowers, stripes with basically a back stitch that varies in length and direction. I think I will bring this with my to Dallas, it is too addictive to leave at home.

 

News about Nashville releases is coming in bits and pieces. It promises to become a very interesting market and I can hardly wait to see all the new goodies. I promised myself that if JBW Designs comes out with a new French Country series design, I can start it right away. After all, there’s Weeks Dye Works at market too, so I can pick up a skein of whatever color I need.

 

I hope to have some finished projects when I am back. I will be bringing along my letter A, a santa canvas, a Sous Mon Arbre design that is half finished and of course Stop and Stitch the Flower. Betty, you were right about this one.


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 10:33 PM CET
24 January 2007
Oh La La!
Topic: Cross Stitch

No, this is no picture of my secret stitching, this is a picture of the upcoming releases from The Cat's Whisper. I am completely in love with the stitching chair. What a clever idea and how lovely does it look. Think of all the fun you can have with selecting threads and fabric. The finishing looks a bit intimidating, but I know it will be worth the effort.

There are more new designs on her website, all to be released in Nashville. I have to say from what I have seen or heard so far it seems that Nashville market will be soooooooo exciting. Just 2 weeks and 3 days to go.

 


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 12:24 PM CET
22 January 2007
Happy dances
Topic: Cross Stitch

One of my goals for this year is to finish more pieces that I have already started. Might sound familiair but if I keep up like I do this month, I should be able to get quite a few pieces done. Last week I managed to get the final stitches done on my 1803 Pennsylvanian House by Carriage House Samplings. The house took quite a while to stitch, but I love how it turned out.

The picture is not very good, the sun is shining outside and I think the light in the livingroom is just a bit weird.

Yesterday our little stitching group got together and on the train ride to The Hague I could stitch for 2 hours. It was wonderful, uninterrupted stitching time, it seems like it's been a while since I have been able to stitch that long in one session. We exchanged our ornaments as we didn't have a chance to get together in December. These are the ornaments we stitched.

I stitched the Christmas Chorus in the front, Pam stitched Joy on the right, Ria stitched the strawberry and Candy stitched the Country Cottage Needleworks design over one. I received this ornament and it is just gorgeous. It was funny to notice that we all finished it in different ways.

Then while travelling back home, I finished this piece by Bent Creek that I started last August. Ahum, yes, that's almost 6 months ago. It will be a gift for a dear friend and I hope to get it finished in time. Every now and then I love stitching something on a large count linen. It is sooooooo relaxing.

In the meantime I am still working on the drawn thread workshop, it is progressing nicely, I have 1 more band to do with drawn thread work, three bands of decorative stitches and the top and bottom flowers. I'll share a picture when I'm done.

Now after all these finishes, I really needed LOL to start something new. This design caught my eyes the first time I saw it and I just love it. Now that it arrived in the shop I could not resist starting it. It's a pity that you can't really see in the picture how vibrant the colors are. They remind me so much of spring. Do you have an idea of which design this is?

Now that I finished 2 left over projects from 2006, I need to find another one that will get my attention until it is finished. I think I will do my letter A from Reflets des Soie next. As far as I recall, I don't have that much more stitching to do and it would be nice to get it framed. These letters are really gorgeous.

I will leave for Nashville pretty soon. I am so looking forward to this trip. I will travel with Ria to a dear friend of ours in Dallas, spend a few days with her and her family and then go to market. Little tidbits of information are coming in about what to expect. I set up a page on my shop's website to share that with you. And right after Nashville, we will have a booth at the Handwerkbeurs 2007 in Zwolle. Really, February is always a great month.
 




 

 


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 2:40 PM CET
8 January 2007
First finish of 2007
Topic: Cross Stitch

Yesterday I managed to get my first project done in 2007. It is Winter Mandala by Der Feine Faden which is our workshop for January. It is all done in petit point and like I said previously, I just LOVED it. When I can next start a new project I know I will be doing a Pat Thode santa in petit point with Blomsterthreads as well.

Then last week my friend Pamela surprised me with a new shopmodel. She stitched this superfast and my mom framed it in a ready bought frame. Even the mat was exactly the right size. This is Patch Rouge no. 1 by DHC Dessin. It is stitched on 40 count Newcastle no. 52 with Soie 100/3. I don't recall the exact number but it is a very deep purple.

And we also got another one of Pam's stitching framed. This is Friendship in all Seasons by The Trilogy. Pam used a combination of threads on again 40 count Newcastle no. 52. I really like this design and can't wait for the companion piece to arrive in the shop.

Now my Happy Bunny, Bunny Day is also framed, but it wasn't in the shop when I had the camera there. It is great to use all those ready made frames that we have in stock for these pieces.

As for stitching I am working on 3 projects at the moment. First of all, I made good progress on 1803 Pennsylvanian House from Carriage House Samplings. Then I need to start an ornament this week as we will exchange our ornaments on Jan 21st. I picked a sweet design and found some silks and an overdyed Lakeside Linen that will work fine together. And finally, I am working on my drawn thread workshop. I hope to be able to post a few pictures at the end of this week.



 


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 9:07 PM CET
5 January 2007
A new love

Well, actually I have two new loves. The first is petit point and the second is our new Blomsterthread. I have converted a design by Der Feine Faden to Blomsterthread and am stitching it over one in petit point. It is such a pleasure to work on. I love how it it feels and how it looks. It really covers the linen wonderfully, you don't see any linen at all. Blomsterthread is not as "shiny" as regular cotton floss but with this design it just works great. The picture is a bit blurry, I will try to get a better one when I have finished it.

I also finished my Happy Bunny Bunny Day.  It took a moment to find the buttons, but they were in a most logical place. My mom is working hard to get it framed for me.

The Trilogy - Happy Bunny, Bunny Day/ Threads - recommended Weeks Dye Works and Sampler Threads/ Fabric - 32 count Belfast Summer Kahki

And this was my last finish in 2006. My mom helped me putting it together, she did the sewing part LOL. I think it really turned out cute. This will be the first ornament for our Christmas ornaments club in 2007. I can't wait to stitch more of these strawberries.


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 8:25 PM CET
Updated: 5 January 2007 8:28 PM CET
28 December 2006
Christmas stitching
Topic: Cross Stitch

It's been quite a while since I updated my weblog, but the last weeks before Christmas were just too busy. I hope to have another update on my trip to Ackworth up this week as well.

One of the things that kept me from blogging was my stitching on my parents'  Christmas gift. And even though we decided to get together a day earlier than planned, I managed to get it done in time.

This is the Quaker Santa from The Workbasket, stitched with 1 strand Gloriana Cranberry and Needlepoint Silk 991 on 40 count Newcastle Flax. I just loved stitchting this guy. It took quite a bit of time and silk as his coat is pretty solid stitching. We went to the framers'  today and selected a wonderful frame. I'll hope to remember to post another picture once he is framed.

Usually on Christmas I start a new Christmas project, which I hope to have finished by the following Christmas. Last year I started a needlepoint canvas by Pat Thode and since it is long from being finished, I decided not to give in to temptation. I instead started a new project from The Trilogy LOL. I really love this bunny and since I don't have a lot of spring/Easter projects stitched up, thought it was perfect. It is called Happy Bunny Bunny Day. I used the recommended Weeks Dye Works and Sampler Threads on 32 count Summer Khaki Belfast. This is how far I got.

 

I started Pat Thode's ornament from the Just Cross Stitch Christmas issue and just need to stitch the stars and the text. I want to change the word Merry to Kerst (Dutch for Christmas). Then I need to go and check which of her ornaments I haven't stitched yet. I know I didn't do the 2005 one but there are more. I haven't decided yet how to finish them. It might be that I will just frame them and put them in my hallway. Or make a wallhanging out of the first 10.  

Miss Murphy is really enjoying my presence these weeks. She's curled up on the couch or on one of the chairs most of the time, purring away. I really love it when she has her nose turned up like this.

As 2006 is close to an end, I am trying to make a list of what needs to be stitched in 2007 and what needs to be finished. I am determined to finish at least one large piece in 2007. Whether that will be And a Forest Grew or Moulin Rouge, I don't know yet. Then I have some smaller projects that need a few more hours and they're done. But first I need to make sure all the workshops for 2007 get stitched. I am already working on the drawn thread one and on a surprise one. It will take a while to get those out of the way, but they sure will be fun to stitch.

 

 

 


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 12:29 PM CET
7 December 2006
Pay it Forward

I read about this idea on several weblogs and finally decided to join. I joined Katrina's Pay it Forward challenge. Here is how it goes. I will send out a stitched gift (the challenge is for a crafted gift, but since I do stitching best, it will be stitched) to 5 recipients. You can sign up by leaving a comment on this post, just make sure I have your email addy to get in touch.

The only thing I ask is that you put this challenge on your weblog as well and pay the gift of a crafted surprise forward to another 5 persons.

It will be fun to select the projects and to decide on the method of finishing. Not to mention that I really like the idea that this will go around and around. So who's up for the challenge?


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 10:59 PM CET
Yes, I have been stitching
Topic: Cross Stitch

It has been really long since I updated my weblog, but now that the opening is over and life is almost getting back to normal, it is time to post a stitching update. I have been able to work on some projects over the past weeks. Especially in busy times I find that stitching is so relaxing for me. Just an hour of quiet time and a busy needle makes me a happy person.

The first project I worked on was a workshop I taught last Saturday. It is one of Jeannette Douglas Designs' Take Time to.. series. This time it was Take Time to Quilt (Autumn). I love how the colors show up and the variety of stitches is really amazing. Jeannette is such a talented designer and these Take time to series are really wonderful to stitch. You get a silk thread pack along with the design and Jeannette makes sure you have more than enough silks. Sorry for the blurry picture, it's the best I could do.

Then I thought I needed to start something new LOL. For some reason the trees and animals from AAFG aren't shouting loud enough for me to hear. So I picked up one of Little House Needleworks' new threadpacks. I choose Pumpkins as I really love this design and thought it was very fitting for the time of year. Included with the design are 5 skeins of Crescent Colours. This is another overdyed thread and I really like how it works. The colors for this design have subtle color changes which I prefer. I choose Belfast flax as fabric.

And then another new start. It's Celtic Birds from The Sunflower Seed. I am stitching this on 5cm raw linen banding over one thread with Gloriana Poinsettia. Originally I wanted to use a darker color of silk but couldn't find one that worked with the banding. I am planning on finishing this as a bookmark.

As the end of the year is getting closer I am thinking about which projects I would like to get finished before New Year's Eve. I know there are several unfinished projects that I could get done and then there are some that will take longer (AAFG and Moulin Rouge come to mind).

And this guy I definitely want to finish before the year is over. It's the ornament by Pat Thode in the Christmas issue of Just Cross Stitch. I really love Pat's santa's and this guy is just another great example. Below the santa it reads Merry on the chart, but I want to change that to Kerst (Dutch word for Christmas). I think I can make it fit.

And the very last picture is of a very dear project. This is what I call "emergency" stitching. Something that is very important to do, has a strict deadline and you only have little time to accomplish it. This little angel of hope is accompanying a very special person who has to undergo severe treatment. I hope that it will give her some hope when she needs it.

It's the ornament by Brightneedle in the JCS Christmas issue of this year. I stitched it, my mom sewed it and I attached the cording. It was stitched on 28 count Lugana.

Well, this has become quite a long update. I am about to leave for England for a few days for a special retreat at the Ackworth School in West Yorkshire. Once I am back, I will share pictures and stories here.


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 8:05 PM CET
Updated: 7 December 2006 10:58 PM CET
6 November 2006
The shop is open!
Topic: Cross Stitch

We got everything (well, almost everything) done in time to open the shop last Thursday. And of course I am totally unbiased LOL but I think it looks really nice. I just love our "wall of thread", so that you can see all the colors easily and I think it is very inspiring. And it was so heartwarming to see so many customers over the past couple of days. And every day it was a pleasure to open the mailbox to find more cards. Below are some pictures I took on Friday I think.

This was taken from the entrance of the shop towards the back.

This is our wall of silk threads. We didn't have all the Gloriana colors in stock, but I will take a new picture when the wall is really full.

This is opposite from the counter. On the far right, on the door are all the workshops posted.

More threads towards the end of the shop, here you will find Blomsterthreads, Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works and Needle Necessities.

This was taken from a pretty awkward angle. Here you find two of our drawers with fabric. In the front you see all the venus threads and in the back of the picture our Petite Treasure braids from Rainbow Gallery as well as the Wildflowers (though you can't see them).

Now that the shop is open, life goes back to being as normal as it usually is. We will try to mail out orders on Friday as much as possible so that you receive your stash on Saturday. Nothing like some good stash to start the weekend with a happy face.

Yesterday I was able to finally get some stitching done. I had been working on Prairie Schooler's Autumn Leaves for a while and never got to finish it. So I sat down and stitched all that brown at the top of the design. I changed the words to Herfst instead of Autumn. I really enjoy stitching PS designs, I love the colors and the details.

Then a while back I also started a secret workshop project. I can't share it until the workshop is over (November 18th). It is a very special workshop, organized by 2 ladies who are celebrating their 50th birthday with a group of friends by doing the workshop. I thougth that was an excellent idea to celebrate such a special birthday.

And since I promised myself that I could start a new project once I had finished Fall Leaves, I did put in the first stitches for my parents' Christmas gift. Last year I didn't start until early December and I nearly didn't get it done in time. So, a little wiser this year, I decided to start in time. It is a French design, with 2 colors of green. I think it will be fun to stitch. I changed the threads from DMC to silk and love how it comes along.

I am sure that some of my readers will wonder what is happening to my And A Forest Grew. Well, I hope to pick it up this week. There are just a few more motifs to do and then the first page is stitched. I hope that over the next weeks I have a wee bit more time to stitch and this will definitely be in my rotation.


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 3:15 PM CET
Updated: 6 November 2006 8:28 PM CET
9 October 2006
Hamburg: where treasures can be found.

This last weekend went by really quick. On Friday and Saturday we had the last shopdays in my parents farmhouse. It is so wonderful to meet new customers and see old friends coming in. We had the last pan of soup (well, except for a few workshops) and the last sandwiches. We are, hoever, so much looking forward to the new location and it looks as a lot of customers are excited with us. More about the new shoplocation later on.

Then yesterday my mom and I got up at 5:30am and left for Hamburg at 6:30am. Last year we went to this tradeshow for the first time and liked it enough to go back this year. Getting there takes about 3.5 hrs but we managed to miss a turn and it took us an hour longer. Good thing we had enough coffee left to drink another cup before we headed off to the show.

At the show we went to visit Tentakulum first. They offer a new range of spacedyed silk threads that we wanted to check out. Mom and I were both so impressed by the colors and the possibilities that we will order these new and exciting threads for the new shop. Below you can see the different threads they have.

After that we went to hunt for Danish Blomstergarn. This looks a bit like the DMC flowerthread and has wonderful colors. I don't think I have seen an online colorcatalogue, but we got one at the booth and I will see if I can scan it. I just used these threads in Fingerhut's Ajour Country Living and fell in love with them. Their mat/soft finishing is perfect. We found a good supplier and think we'll have in before we open the new shop.

On to Vaupel & Heilenbeck for more books and more banding. Their booth is always so impressive with finished models. It's a great place to get inspiration for new ways of finishing. We ordered the new Christmas book from Acufactum, a book with hysterical cats, some more MWI Stickgalerie books, some leaflets from designers that I didn't know before and the leaflet to stitch a 1 meter (approximately, I am pretty bad in guessing heights) Christmas tree. I was so impressed with this. Below you can see a picture of this wonderful tree. Once you are done stitching this, you don't need another Christmas tree in your house LOL.

We took a break for a cup of coffee and some lunch and went on to Zweigart. They had the best news ever. As of last Friday they have darkblue Belfast linen!!! Yes, that is linen!!! I am really excited about this. The story was/is that it was really hard to get linen dyed in a good dark blue color. And this is the best dark blue color you can imagine. Think of DMC 823. In the normal Zweigart quality. I can't wait to get this linen in the shop. We also ordered another new color Belfast which is hard to describe, it is a yellow/green color. And Newcastle is now available in no. 53 natural/raw as well. And we got a new Cashel color that is a soft buttery color. Very, very, very nice. And finally we picked up a new linen that is sort of pre-finished. It's Cashel linen, 48cm wide and has a hemstitch finishing around the long end with a seam. This will be perfect to make tablecloths or even bags. It will be available in 101 (antique white) and 53 (natural/raw).

After all that buying we went home really happy with all our new products. They still have to arrive in the shop, I will update the website as they come in. We have some exciting plans for the linen banding as well.

And as promised here is another pic of the new shop. I don't know if it is clear what these boards will be used for :). They will be used to hang all of our wonderful threads.

I love the grey/green color we used for the frames. We have used it on the doorposts as well and I am sure it will turn up at other places as well. We thought about painting some smaller frames too so that we can put needlework in it. The ceiling is supposed to go in this week, as soon as I have pics of that I will post them. Just a little more of a week to get most of the rough work done. After that we will use the last week to put everything in place.
 

 


Posted by dehandwerkboetiek at 9:43 AM MEST
Updated: 12 October 2006 9:47 PM MEST

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