Third in a Series of Four-Thistle

Here is my third in series of four...

My Wednesday Work in Progresessssssss

Well as I have several things on the brain, I should highlight the three works in progress I am currently fixated upon:

1) You can't publish a design, and sell it, if you can't stitch it first yourself. Or shouldn't. Or so I decided. After the fact. I think its a great way to find (what I would call) design flaws. This is the Wildflowers WIP... you can purchase the pattern for a mere $8.50 CAD at StitchbyRachel Shop link above. Where I can email to you a PDF, PDQ!!!

2) When you have kids you have to prioritize!! I have to prioritize my #toomanywips projects which are featured on my Turtle Trot 2013 List. This SAL, which will be coming to a close in approximately 137 days, has been motivating me to keep my priorities straight. Here is one of the unfinished from the list I can't put down:

3) Officially I have been designing for about a month. In my mind, I have been designing for about a year. It is gushing forth from me. I could just sit at my software and spew forth pattern after pattern. I have full blown carpal tunnel happening because I am spending so much time stitching or designing on my laptop. You should see my laundry piles! They are taking over the house. I am just so focused. Coming Soon: Thistle.

I need sleep badly. Less than 10 hours in the last 48. Too much work makes Jack a dull boy. And this time it is too much.... Ah to be able to quit my day job....

My Next New Pattern...

Bergamot XS...for my favorite cuppa

Wildroses Cross Stitch Pattern is available for sale!

It's official! My first design is for sale~Yippee! 

I like designing so much I am already working on my next one. 

Check out my shop link above.

See us on the Needle and Thread Network

http://needleandthreadnetwork.blogspot.ca/2013/08/wip-wednesday-104-tn.html

Check out my Olioboard

Here is the link to this awesome Oliobobard

NEW SHOP!

I am pleased to announce I have launched the Stitch by Rachel shop! Click on the above link ~~SHOP STITCH BY RACHEL~~ and you can have a look at my first design copyrighted pattern to be released soon!

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Christmas Smalls

Due to the June 2013 Flood in our region, I have three homes in my immediate family that lost everything in their Christmas stash. I have decided to prioritize all my WIPs to work on Christmas ornaments. The crucial thing is to keep it on a low budget. I also have reindeer, snow globe,and a couple of other JBW Designs in my already done pile of patterns.  I am using small AIDA scraps I have, and I am looking for all kids of finishing ideas. This post is focusing on all of the Turtle Trot pieces, my WIPs, and my UFOs that are Christmas themed. If you have an good finishing ideas, that would be great.

Needle and Thread always in my head

Lately, I have been bored with my usual Turtle Trot 13, and I have been trying to get some creative juices flowing. When I went on our coastal family Vacation, I took a lot of floral and textural photos. That did the trick! I thought stitching my own design would also recharge my batteries and boy did it ever! I stitched all weekend long. I know my family is frustrated with me but I needed to do something that was just for me. I hope to have a natural effect when I am completed, and I know it looks "blocky" at the moment, but when I am finished that leaf I will be particularly proud of this one. And for once, I will probably keep it for myself.

Embroidery... the other white meat... #toomanywips

My family and I went on road trip vacation to a lovely coastal spot, hit the Aquarium, and among other things, rode a teeny little passenger ferry. Found some great markets with some great artists, I will further explore on a later post, and spent a lot of time embroidering in the car. 

These pants magically came out of the washing with bleach stains on them. No one will cop to washing with the bleach, so instead of crying over split milk and a loss of pants, I choose a couple of iron on transfers from Sublime Stitching purchase those here, and I went after it. I have been doing a combination of long and short stitch, stem stitch and satin stitch to get this effect. What has happened though? The pants are starting to look unbalanced so I ended up putting together kind of a tattoo concept. Hopefully they will be my "arty" pants and I can get some good weekend use out of them.