Sunday, October 28, 2012

Tootsiebubbles: Pinwheels & Whirligigs

I've promised some photos of Pinwheels and Whirligigs in different colors. Thank you to Irene Ashkenas and Dorothy Lounsbury of San Diego.  They have done an incredible job proofing the last several designs. I truly appreciate their input and expertise. They've also stitched several of the designs and used some great colors. Pinwheels & Whirligigs is one of those designs and I just have to share them.
The photo above is Dorothy's color choice. Doesn't it look great?
This is Irenes.  Looks totally different in the softer colors.  I love the shades of purple.
 
During the online needlework show I received another photo from Helen Klimeck-Jones. She's not finished with it yet, but you can tell it's going to be very dramatic.

 
I have the lists of threads that were used in each of the designs. I would be happy to share them with anyone who contacts me.
Now on to the winners.  If you browsed the Needlework Show online last week you probably saw that there were several contests.
Here are the winners from my contest:
Julie Savard: Lancaster Stars
Kate Rice: Or Nue Evening Star
Cross Stitch Etc from Knowxville TN is stocking their new shop with Flower Patch
Congratulations!
Looks like we'll be having some nasty weather the next few days.  The Governor of PA has advised us to stay home and be safe.  I guess I'll just have to stitch!
 

Sunday, October 21, 2012

It's the Online Needlework Show!

It's that time of year again, the leaves are an incredible palette of orange and red. It's time for hot spiced cider, cold crisp mornings and the scent of woodfires in the air.  It's also time for the Online Needlework Show.  There are tons of new designers (at least new to me) and an incredible array of talent. You really must check it out: www.theneedleworkshow.com
While you are there, check out my booth: Brenda E. Kocher Designs.  I'm fortunate that everything is alphabetical and I'm toward the beginning :-).  Once you've had a chance to look at everything, decide which is your favorite design and email with the name.  I'll enter your name in the contest to win a pattern of your choice.
I've always been fascinated by history and antiques. I love to go antiquing and find unique items that had a very important use in it's time, but now are just an oddity to us.  I love firescreens and designed several of those in the past.  My newest interest is hornbooks.  Did you know that hornbooks have been around since the 1400's?  They were a very important part of a childs education.  A child's first lesson, the ABC's, were written on a piece of parchment.  That was placed on a flat board with a handle.  To protect the parchement, a cow's horn was placed in cold water for several weeks so the horn could be separated from the bone, It was then heated in boiling water and flattened between boards. Now it was translucent and could be placed on top of the parchement and fastened to the board. The first laminating!
Schooltime Memories is a series of three hornbooks, all worked on Congress Cloth that can be framed individually or mounted on hornbooks from Images Stitchery Design.
I decided to design some smaller, quick and easy designs for a change :-)
The next design is also a small one: Hearts in Bloom is approximately 3" x 3" when worked on 18 count canvas.
I think it would be great in Christmas colors.
Now it's time to get started on Christmas gifts!  There's just not enough time in the day to get everything accomplished that I have ideas for. I often joke that I do things in my spare time in the hours between 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning.
Jay's Stocking is almost finished so I hope to get a photo of it up online soon.

If you have a moment, check out this really neat website: www.theknottyquilter.com  Isn't that a great name?  She has gorgeous art quilts that you just have to see for yourself. Prices are super reasonable. If you need ideas for Christmas gifts, this would be a great place to start looking!

In the meantime, I hope everyone is enjoying this incredibly beautiful day that God has given us.