Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Custom Family Name Sampler Chart Winners today!!!!

We have a couple lucky winners today for a custom Family Name Sampler chart.......


You will get to choose from red or brick colors......your family name custom printed on your chart with the date!
The winners are:
Kim M    and Babs in Alabama. Congratulations! Please email me with your name and date you would like printed on your chart. nbelgian@aol.com

Thank you all for entering the give-away.

If the weather ever gets warm here I will start dyeing new summer floss colors and have a new give-away for some of those. We are having the coldest spring(which I love) we have ever had in the 19 years I have lived here and we just had the coldest winter in 30 years. I can't take heat so I have enjoyed every minute of it. I know that the extreme heat and humidity will settle in soon so I will enjoy every cool day I can.

Thanks for stopping by....have a great day!
Nancy

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

The Beauty of Spring Sampler Finished


A model stitcher has finished the Beauty of Spring for me. This is the insert.....the smaller part of Welcome Spring Sampler. Of course the title at the top and name of the shop are just printed on this picture....one gal asked me if it was stitched on there....no.......I wanted to do this with two versions and this was the smaller part.

You can see there is quite a difference in the size of these samplers. The smaller one is 10.9" x 14.4". The larger sampler is 14.4 x 19.0".

It will be a while before I have the other model finished as the stitcher has had several delays.
I have two new model stitchers......and always looking for fast stitchers who want to trade for merchandise.


Have a great day!
Nancy

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

New Sampler.....Thy Hearthstone's Steady Glow

Another busy week and another sampler pattern is finished. This will be off to a model stitcher in a few days. I am still looking for model stitchers with lots of time to stitch....I know summer is quickly approaching but if you stitch year round I would love to have you stitch for me. Several of my model stitchers are taking a break from samplers so I am always looking for new stitchers. Right now I am trading my over dyed floss....mostly the 80 skein(1600 yards) 1795 Sampler Floss Collection for stitching. I also have 32ct linen in several hand dyed shades, charts, kits, buttons, charms, trims.....lots of goodies to trade.

Thy Hearthstone's Steady Glow......
At thy hearthstone's steady glow
Precious memories ebb and flow
All thy days this home has blest
Thy busy hands with tenderness

Charted for DMC floss. Pattern size is 175 x 175 stitches. Finished size on 16ct (32ct linen) is 10.9 x 10.9. Fits a 12 x 12 frame and they have some beautiful frames in that size at Hobby Lobby at a very affordable price.

Pattern is $14.99 and will be available in my ebay store later today.

Thanks for stopping by. On to the next sampler pattern.....
Nancy

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! I hope each and every one of you has a wonderful holiday surrounded by loved ones. I know I will be spending time with my family....the best gift of all.
Nancy
 
 
 

Saturday, April 12, 2014

Another model sampler is finished and I am thrilled with it

Preserve My Heart Secure sampler is finished. I just received it today from a model stitcher and I am thrilled with it. This is stitched with DMC on my sage linen. She did a beautiful job stitching for me...I am so lucky to have so many model stitchers with time to spare.
I need to select a frame...maybe one of my antique frames I have (I have a closet full). Now I need to find some time just to frame some of these pieces.
I have been swamped with stitching mottoes for ebay customers...I think I see the light at the end of the tunnel. One more to go after I finish this current one...and there are days I wonder if my hands are going to hold out. I truly have to quit stitching mottoes for customers. I haven't stitched for myself in ages.
Thanks for stopping by....be sure to enter the custom family name sample chart give-away in a previous post.
Nancy

Thursday, April 10, 2014

Custom Family Name Sampler Chart Give-away. Enter Now!

I have completed the Custom Family Name Sampler Chart. An adorable vintage couple stand in the doorway of their little house. It is a nice sized sampler, on 16ct (32ct linen) it is 7x9" and fits any 8x10" frame. Stitch count is 115 x 144.  Shown on cream linen. Lots of colors in this sampler and charted for DMC to make it easy for everyone.
This sampler chart will have your name and date (marriage or other). The font shown with my name (Turner) will fit names with 10 letters. If you have a longer name I will use a slightly smaller font to make it fit. Email me first if you have a very long last name.
A RED variation:
Available in either color combination.
I wanted to make this chart easy . Instead of sending you an alphabet and you have to chart your own name and date in there, I am charting it for you. Your actual chart will be printed with your name and date on it. Does it get any easier than that??
The Custom Family Name chart is $24.99 plus postage. Email nbelgian@aol.com if you would like one.
Lets give one away!!
Rules: You must be a follower and post a comment here. Post on your blog, facebook or your stitching group and get 25 more entries. Send a friend and get another 25 entries.
Drawing to be April 30th to give lots of people time to enter.
Nancy

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

How much do you like to finish on items? I would love to hear from you

I have always like to do finishing on items. I have given away almost everything I have ever made over the years....so finishing is not new to me. I see a lot of people post that they don't like to do their own finishing....so my question is....how much finishing do you like to do on an item? How simple do you like/need it to be?

I have done simple envelope cushions recently for a customer.....all you need to do is place the pieces right sides together and stitch all around and then you just turn the piece right side out and sew on a button. I tried to get her to attempt this simple sewing project.....but I just couldn't convince her to give it a try. It doesn't get any easier than this. I even attached the linen to the border pieces before she stitched her pieces. Do you think that would be a great idea for some kits? Then all the stitcher would have to do is stitch the insert and sew the pieces together. Maybe sew on a charm or two....hanging ribbons....I love the ruffled bias tape ribbons I use. I will show that in a post later this week. I have dyed several colors that I use and maybe I will dye more colors. The ruffled ribbon bow could be tied in the kit too...then you would just have to tack it on. Or I could even tack that on the back too!

What are your finishing skills?  I will be putting kits together this summer and I would like to know how simple I need to make these. Is it the edge trim you find the most difficult part? I am trying to see how much I can do in a kit to make the finishing easy for you. I have always enjoyed hand sewing and find it easy to attach trims to pieces. Then I hear that others don't enjoy this process.....so I am trying to help as much as I can.
How many of you like the wool applique pieces? I see they are popular on some sites. What if the applique was already done on the back of a piece....just thinking out loud here....and that would be incorporated into the price of the kit for a little more. I guess the kit could be offered both ways, for you to finish or the finishing almost done for you and you just sew the two pieces together and turn. No seam to sew closed. Just tack on a button or charm on the overlap seam.
I would love to hear from you.
Nancy

Working on new samplers and lots of spring sales going on

I am working on a couple new samplers at the same time. I work on one.......then get an idea for another so I jot that down.....then go back and forth as new elements for the design come to me. I truly love to put a design on paper and watch it unfold.

A had a couple requests for my next weekend sales.....and I thought I would extend it all through April to help everyone.
Buy 5 packs of chenille trim and you get one free. I have that sale all the time on ebay.
Buy 5 packs of hand dyed ric rac you get one free. Buy 5 packs of hand dyed buttons and get one free.
Buy 5 yards of cluny ric rac trim and get one free.
Free shipping on the 1795 Sampler floss collection. Worldwide! Saves up to $20. Buy through me as the sale is only in America on ebay for this floss collection.
I am clearing out my eyelet trim and listing lots of new colors. I have a couple more rolls I could dye but maybe I will just sell the natural by the yard.
I need to list a lot of small trims that I want to drop from my inventory. I sold the bulk of each set and need to list the extras. I still have a huge inventory of trim I would like to sell before we move in 18 months. I don't want to have to move all those boxes of trims. I am listing some great bargains in my store this week.
Thanks for stopping by.....
Nancy