Ink Circles: Pens and Needles

Those Little Details

2012-01-11T10:03:00.000-08:00

When reading a book, I find those little details the author has woven in essential to transporting me to that other world. It's never enough just to have a decent story line or interesting, developed characters. Good authors thoroughly research their topics and sprinkle in enough authenticity to bring the reader along on their ride.

Many stitchers have run across books by author Monica Ferris, particularly her series of mysteries starting with Crewel World revolving around various forms of needlework in the clues and crimes. Monica's latest book Theadbare hit the streets just before Christmas:

Turns out that Monica had visited Nordic Needle in Fargo as part of the research for this book. She just happened to spot the chart my Mum designed called Fjord Ponies during her visit.

And somehow, this happened...right there in black and white on page 247.

We didn't know ahead of time. I think better than any surprise I could have arranged for Mum. So, of course, I had to get a special copy for my Mum for Christmas. Monica was so sweet to work with. She autographed a copy for us. I know my Mum will treasure this forever. (It's her Andy Warhol moment.)

So pick up a copy and enjoy the mystery and all of its little details.

Put it in a box - I'll take it

2012-01-06T09:46:00.000-08:00

I was so delighted to see the Ashley in Louisiana chose an Olde Colonial box to finish up her Quiddity piece. She stitched it using Belle Soie Mango and Caron Waterlilies Indigo silks on 36 count Edinburgh linen in Antique Gold. It's going to be a gift for her Mom, and I know she will just treasure it.

If you've not used one of these boxes before, you should definitely check them out. They come in all sorts of standard sizes and can be special ordered to a custom size. Also several different molding options. The top piece is like an open frame. You mount your stitching on foam core or mat board and insert it from underneath. Use small tacks or a framing staple gun to secure it in the window. Then cover the inside of that top with some pretty paper (from your scrapbooking stash) to give the inside a complete finished look. The bottom part of the box is already lined with a nice velvety something.

Again, lovely job, Ashley. Your Mom raised you well.

Music to My Ears

2011-12-29T18:42:00.000-08:00

I just loved hearing about the projects you stitchers cooked up for holiday gifts.

Letty O. shared these photos of musical clefs that she stitched then mounted to a cigar box. What a neat finishing idea! As you can see, she changed the clef colors on First Bass to match the Treble (you're allowed to do things like that , you know!), then extended the staff line, as would be done on sheet music. How cool is that. Wouldn't you love to see that under your tree? Letty, thanks for sharing this great idea and your lovely work.

Here's another shot of some Ink Circles Christmas love- this time with the happy recipient in the pic. This is Max and his 99 sampler. Max likes beer and even brews his own. (I've seen the hop plants he has growing!) Have a Merry Christmas, Max! This special moment was brought to you courtesy of stitcher Sue in Pendleton, Max's mom.

Thanks everybody for the wonderful support and fun in 2011. I wish you all the most spectacular fantabulous 2012!

Cheers,
Tracy

Geeky Tools for Geeky Socks

2011-12-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

If you subscribe to Knitty.com, you already know they have a wide variety of fun knitting patterns for free. You have to learn to knit, after all, you can't really cross stitch it near total darkness or when your eyes are wonky.

May I direct your attention to these fun filled socks by Heatherly Walker (aka Yarn Yenta). Now, aside from acknowledging they are very cool socks and wondering whether a sock designer's real name is "Walker," you may also be wondering why I'm posting about them.

Well, if you scroll down in the pattern, you will see that Heatherly is a happy Ink Circles customer and used some wonderfully appropriate stitch markers that I made for her.

Wow, I feel so famous now. Should you want to order your very own set of geeky stitch markers made from capacitors, resistors, light bulbs and other leftovers from my engineering days, I have a number of sets over in my Etsy shop.

I know you'll want to download her pattern if you haven't already: Microprocessor Socks. I think I will make mine in green and silver.

Very cool additional note: Heather has just told me that her socks (complete with the circuit board and resistors display) have been selected to be part of an exhibit on science influencing crafts. Is it still cool to say awesomesauce?!?

Rubber Meets the Road

2011-10-31T17:28:00.000-07:00

The first steps down a new path for Ink Circles have been taken. A lot of you know how much I love ink work, and many of you have heard me explain, "Sorry - this new drawing I did just won't convert well over to cross stitch." We could go into the basic 17 types of symmetry and which ones would convert nicely and for which order (fold) they would work, but we'll save that for the math blogs.

A friend convinced me that my non-stitchable designs, however, WOULD be pretty cool as rubber stamped images. So, here is a peek at a few prototypes. I wanted to have a few in hand to play with before ordering up the etched metal plates and investing lots of moolah. I found a company that would make up a one off using a LASER to etch the design into real rubber. Simon Stamp seems to have done a nice job, with the design printed on the back of the wood block - nice professional touch. This won't be the same company the final ones will be from, as I'll be switching over to a company that's business model is to economically make bulk quantities.

The designs are 4" across. It's my thought that it should give a big enough motif to be the main design on a card or something. Anything smaller and it might be too hard to color or layer. I'm hoping to offer both wood-mounted and cling-style.

Below is my original painted version of the right-hand stamp. I hope that crafters will find these fun to make and color. Tomorrow they are going to be sent off to my friend Diane in Virginia. I can't wait to see what she does with them. She makes amazingly awesome layered and embellished things and has promised to make up some samples to show them off and explore some different ways to use them. She'll also be able to confirm whether image size and level of detail is optimal.

Initially, I'll be focusing on mandalas, but might dabble in Celtic or ...

I'll be sure to share more with you as I move along the path and definitely a heads up when they are available for sale.

I'm anxious to hear from you what you think regarding anything from mount types to images to sizes. And, if any of you have any experience making/selling stamps I would love to hear any input you have from that angle.

WYSI-NOT-WYG

2011-10-20T13:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, I'm done freaking out about this. A few days ago I showed you Metamorphosis. The picture was taken in my front garden in diffuse daylight. I thought it looked pretty good on the screen with the light orangish fabric (somewhat overexposed) and the sweet purple asters. I tootled over to the print shop later that afternoon to review the final proofs (truly a just-in-time job to make the online show deadline.) I was horrified.

Those flowers - BLACK background with gaudy dark smudges. The fabric had become a creepy yellow color. Everything was dark and ugly. No can print. You can read all you want about subtractive colors and additive colors that translates to the pictures that look nice on your screen usually suck when you print them. I hadn't ever seen one of mine come out quite this bad.

An amazing thing, I was going to take a picture to show how unlike the screen photo the hard copy was. I had the screen and the print in my camera viewfinder and damned it the two colors hadn't changed yet still - the print actually looking more appropriately orange and rich than the screen. Oooh, mind games.

I have since retaken photos in just about every light setting, using every camera setting, every photoshop tweak I knew, every publishing program adjustment, and I still struggled. Maybe it's just harder with the more saturated colors. I want the printed photo on the chart to be accurate enough in color that if someone were to order the same fabric, they wouldn't be surprised when the parcel arrives. It might be a touch more orange than you like! Now it looks super-orange on the screen, particularly with the new backdrop, but it prints so much better than the first.

Well, the online show has officially opened - I can tell, because "interesting things" have started showing up in my inbox. I'm waiting for my printer to call that the charts are ready for pickup. I have about 2 TB of garbage photo attempts to clear off my hard drive. I think it's time for a cup of tea.

Changing Time

2011-10-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just a few more days before the Online Needlework Show starts up (October 20-25.) In my last post, I showed you the new Love Letters that I had finished up. Here is another preview for your perusal. I give you...
Metamorphosis. Below, it presents a bit of an optical illusion to me - it looks like the photo is crooked, tilting down on the right. It also presents a bit of a challenge chart-wise. Like Namaste, 81/2 x 11" paper is not optimal for displaying long skinny things without lots of blank page.

This is the first in a series of charts where I’ve used Quaker motifs to illustrate a particular concept, in this case the transformation from one form into another. In seven steps the pot of flowers motif morphs into an octagonal design. Seven shades of Gentle Art Sampler Threads also gently transition as the motifs change.

I was going to call this Evolution, but didn't really want to get into any creationism-sparked arguments nor did I want to defend that an octagonal motif was somehow fitter than a pot of flowers. So I leaned back on my initial inspiration, which was more Escher-like than anything, and settled with Metamorphosis.

If you get my newsletter (that was just mailed this afternoon) you got to see a sneak peek of a third new offering that I'll have for the Online Show. It's a piece by my Mum and is a bit different than your typical Ink Circles style, so we are releasing under her business name Norsk Needlework. If you didn't get the newsletter, you'll just have to sign yourself up for such things so you don't miss anything. Meanwhile, the design in it's entirety will be revealed at the show, along with all sorts of other cool thing from many designers.

Just a reminder that the Online Show is open only to Local and Online Needlework Shops. We still invite the public to view and provide input to their shop owners. In this economy, we're seeing a lot more of shops ordering only when nudged by their customers. So make your wish lists heard!

Love Letters

2011-10-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

After some initial confusion on assembling the metal frame (I only had three parts left over) I think it worked out even easier than the wooden ones. This is a new piece that will be available next week at the Online Needlework Show.

This is the second piece in a series called Love Letters. Each is a small sampler with an alphabet and a heart motif done in a particular style. This one is Art Nouveau. It's stitched up on Picture This Plus linen 32 count Mello with Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.

You may recall Love Letters - Celtic:

The next one I'm working on is Fraktur. Then what???

That Third Dimension

2011-09-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

It looks like the JCS 2011 Ornament issue is arriving in peoples mailboxes and in the shops. I haven't got my copy yet, but I saw a picture of ornament I did for it. I wasn't sure how well the single photo would convey what it was, so I've got a few more pictures to show you.

It's a book. The red fabric "Tango" from Picture This Plus reminded me of the faded red leather of old books. I used Belle Soie to emboss a little pattern into my leather, then finished it with some felt pages. The back has the same border as the front with my initials and date, and a dainty pattern on the spine.

Brute force method

2011-08-24T15:13:00.000-07:00

I tried to share a photo of the awesome version of Growth Rings that Jenn made by forwarding her link. Sometimes Facebook thwarts me. This is worth sharing, so I've resorted to a more direct posting of the photo. Thanks to Jenn (@jenn_ay_em on Twitter) - happy dancing with you!

Has anybody found a use for these yet?

2011-08-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

I love them. I make them. You love them. You make them. But when somebody asks what its purpose is, we all start to falter. Yeah, they look great in a little basket... I suppose it could be a pincushion... They're perfect gifts (for friends who then get to figure out what to do with them.)

Ah, the biscornu. As I said, we love them, make them, share them.

You're on my newsletter list, right? This is the Celtic Swirls chart that you get when you sign up. Steff used 18 count cream aida and picked shades of brown (anchor thread numbers 308, 310, 360 and 891) for her exchange partner who loves browns. These really do make sweet little gifts and I'm sure her partner was pleased. Nice job, Steff!

So functionality be damned - stitch a biscornu today!

Jiggity Jig

2011-08-16T13:44:00.000-07:00

After a wonderful weekend at the Baltimore TNNA show, I am home again (home again, jiggity jig.)

Hannah and I had a great time visiting with all of the other vendors and shop owners and partaking of the best crab cakes on the planet. We brought six new releases, with the 99 Bottles of Beer probably being the most talked about (perhaps due to the five foot tall inflatable beer bottle we brought along.) This was one of the "hotel-style" shows, where the vendors each set up the parlor room in their suite as a booth. It makes for some interesting improvisation for display. You can see the banners hanging from the railings facing the big open atrium in the center of the hotel.

As always, my head and my suitcases were about to explode on the way back. I also had the chance to visit the Stitching Post, a cross stitch shop local to the area. If anybody ever asks why we need to keep shops in the loop and not just buy everything off the internet, they need to visit places like this LNS. It is so inspiring to be surrounded by all of the threads and fabric, to see models in person, and to chat with folks who are as passionate about the craft as you are. It turned out that they had a feature wall of Ink Circles and Long Dog models stitched by Debbie, a local lady. Impressive, and more so when I tell you that they are all on 28 over 1.

So much to do now that I am back, but I'm trying to convince myself that I can sit and rest for a few minutes and am being "productive" since the washing machine is washing all of our dirty clothes. Right?

Thank you to everyone who attended and to all of those stitchers who support those shops that came.

5 Steps Forward; 2 Steps Back

2011-08-08T13:34:00.000-07:00

I've been asked many times how I finish my flat ornaments, like the clef series. I do use this finish a lot because of how simply it goes together and how nice it usually comes out. I do use glue and double-stick tape, so some of you purists may be put off by this cheating and I give you this chance to avert your eyes.

Gather up your materials and tools. Press your stitched piece. I use acid-free mat board (the blue rectangle), wool felt, Warm & Natural quilt batting, and beads.
.

Cut a piece of mat board to the size you want your linen square. Use double-stick tape to stick on a piece of batting. Trim the batting (after you stick it) to the size of the square. This gives a little poofiness to the stitching.

Place double-stick tape around the perimeter of the back (un-batted) side of the mat board. I find the acid-free super-sticky kind with the red peel-off made for scrapbookers to work very well. Peel off the red backing to expose the sticky side. Trim your stitched piece if you have any long/wide sides.

Center the stitched piece over the batting and press the excess fabric into the tape areas, gently at first until it is lined up and straight. We'll be mitering the corners, so your front and back should like as below.

Now for the glue. I use "Fabri-tac" by Beacon Adhesives. This stuff is stinky (not for people with VOC sensitivity) and super sticky. Try very hard to not get any in places you don't want it. One corner at a time, put a blob inside each miter area and under the wings, then squash it down flat and hold it in place until it stays there. Double-check which side is the top then add a loop of trim for hanging, using the glue to cement it in place. Draw a line of goo in a box about 3/8" inside of the outer edge.

Carefully place it (goo-side down) onto the backing felt. Allow plenty of room on each side. Press it down firmly then leave it alone for an hour or so to dry. I set it outside where the heat not only dries it, but it drives off some of the out-gassing chemicals. Find a color of thread that best matches the backing fabric. I use beading thread; you could also use regular sewing thread. I would not use floss, as it might fray.

Rule 1 for beading -keep the needle out of the glue-y areas. If the glue is 100% dry, it is almost impossible to put the needle through. If the glue is <100% dry, you will gum up your needle beyond where you though possible. So, tie a knot, hide it some where between the two layers and begin by stringing on five beads. Take the needle straight down into the felt exactly where the fifth bead ends. If you are a leftie, you may find it easier to go clockwise.

Bring the needle back to the front side just before the last two beads. Catch one thread of your linen as you come up. This thread you catch should be on the fold. If you do it right, you won't be able to see your stitch after the next step.

Bring the needle BACK through those last two beads.

Repeat those two steps and work your way around the perimeter of the linen. Five beads forwards, back through the last two. This anchors the felt to the stitching without having to have glue out at the edges and hides any gaps where the mitered corners are thicker. The back should have a series of small diagonal stitches visible. When you get back to the beginning of the circle, you will probably not need all 5 beads (80% chance against ;-) so add however many closes the gap. Take the backstitch if you added more than two. Run your needle through the first few beads you added to make a join, then take your needle to the back and tie it off, burying the end in the felt.

Pinking shears are a great investment! I love them. Just be careful to not pink off the ribbon hanger you so carefully added.

Ta da!

I hope you find this technique helpful. You can also use a twisted cord or some other trim instead of the beads. Try it, then show me your finishes using it.

Growth Spurt

2011-07-25T09:40:00.000-07:00

I just love seeing the same piece reinterpreted different ways. Here are three most excellent examples of Growth Rings that have been shared recently.

First up, Mary finished hers using Crescent Colours Cupid for the red, and Weeks Dye Works Noel for the multi. It is stitched on 28 count African Daisy. This came out just lovely and will be even more so when Mary gets it framed. She's planning on having contoured mats to bring out the shape of the design.

Mary also sent in a picture for her friend Christie, who also just finished up the chart. Christie used Threadworks green and purple fibers on 28 count white. What you can see, is that she's outlined all of the sections in backstitching, which gives a look of Assisi embroidery to all of the green areas. What a neat idea!

This last photo shows the synergy that is obtained by combining the design with beautiful stitching talents with the most exquisite of framers, Jill Rensel. (Seriously, how many other framers are a household name to needleworkers?)

This is Christine's version. Absolutely stunning. So, Mary (with the first pic) if you had any doubts whether contour framing would look cool, please rest assured that it certainly does!

I should think all three of these stitchers would be terribly proud of their beautiful work. I am! Thanks so much for sharing your lovelies, ladies.

Size Does Matter

2011-07-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

I've got an inbox full of wonderful things that folks have sent in since I last blogged, but have been kept busy enough that I hadn't shared them. So, over the coming days, I hope to get a bit caught up.

To fully appreciate Nadia's finished piece, I would like you to pick up that pad of Post-Its from the side of your desk. Look closely at the size of the square. Now look at her picture. I know people that don't like to (or can't) stitch on 36 count over 2 --- This was stitched on 36 over 1, and , yes, came out the size of a standard Post-It note. It's not as beautiful of a photo with the ruler in the shot, but I wasn't sure you would believe me without it.

Nadia continues to push the stitching envelope and continues to amaze me with the fabulous projects she completes. Join me in congratulations her on an awesome finish! We can't wait to see what she does next.

This was a special mandala pattern that was only available through the Thread & Eye in London, Ontario. The Stitch Along is over but if you need a copy, they can help you out via mail order. If you are looking for similar designs, I have Kaleidoscope available now, and a series of mandalas for the four seasons that were originally published in four issues of Just Cross Stitch Magazine which will be coming out as a single leaflet in mid-August.

A True Romantic

2011-06-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Jessica has finished up her Alchemical Romance sampler and it could have come out more lovely. She used Vikki Clayton's silks on Picture This Plus "Ancient." She said she took her color inspiration from these antique books.

The swap-out she made in the middle is wonderful. In the center of all the symbols meaning gold, she's added the symbol for lead in an appropriate lead-y color. All I can say it that I wish I had thought of it :o).

Jessica has a very nice blog, if you'd like to see more of her stitching and the wonderful photographs she takes. I'm so happy she shared her finish with us. I hope it turns your morning golden as well.

Five Copies for My Mother

2011-06-15T19:07:00.000-07:00

So who else loves the old Dr. Hook songs?

To circle things back to relevancy... if you spotted the current issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine (July/August 2011) it looks something like this:

Bottom - left. Ink Circles. Get your copy now. 'Nuff said.

Well, it's not the Rolling Stone, but it still makes my mamma happy.

I Love These Letters

2011-06-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is Mel's version of "Love Letters - Celtic." I'm still sort of surprised it wasn't stitched on black, as is her usual MO, but she's picked a fun alternative set of colors. She also stitched it in an alternate format to allow it to fit on her non-black piece of linen (which was long and skinny.) Thanks for sharing your finish, Mel! You did a fantastic job - I love it.

I Do Like Them Sam I Am

2011-05-31T10:05:00.000-07:00

Dr. Seuss never names the grumpy guy that doesn't like the Green Eggs and Ham. We just know that Sam I Am is the one able to knock some sense into him.

For those folks who hadn't been fans, I share with you pictures from a stitcher named Sam who is doing her best to convince you to try an Ink Circles stitch. She stitched Blackstone Fantasy Garden with metallic thread outlining the knot, variegated within, and DMC colors for the blackwork.

And this is Cirque des Carreaux. Again, metallics and variegated threads give this such sparkle and motion. What a great combination.

Thanks for sharing these photos, Sam! What lovely work. I think we can all say we DO like them.

Disclaimer: although stitching on a train is highly recommended, the counter part, "stitching in the rain" is ill advised, particularly when using non-colorfast threads.

Third Pair of Cirques Is a Charm

2011-05-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

Maybe they are like potato chips, and you really can't just stitch one. Or maybe it's just all of the subliminal text printed on the pattern sheets, or perhaps the deeply-addicting, readily-absorbed coating on the paper. It's just an odd coincidence that this is the third post in a row with two Cirques, and it shows once again how truly unique each one is.

In any case, Jill K. in Illinois has shared with me photos of her recent Cirque des Carreaux and Cirque des Cercles finishes. She shops with Cathy and the other good people at the Inspired Needle in Lemont, IL. On my first draft of this post, I had just included the photos with the two framed, but I realized how that limits you in seeing what cool colors she used, so I added the detail shots. Jill did such a nice job and gets bonus points for actually getting them framed up so wonderfully.

Big thanks to Jill for sharing her photos and we join her in a double happy dance!

If you're looking for even more Cirque-ular eye candy, check out this recent post on Jill Rensel's blog. So, are you still here surfing around on the internet? Don't you have something you should be stitching?

Another Pair of Cirques

2011-05-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

It's always fun at the circus! Here are two more Cirque finishes, and what I love best is that I could show you new finishes of these same pieces every day and they would look totally unique because of the wonderful floss and fabric combinations.

We have Cirque des Triangles here by Nicole from Northern Expressions Needlework. I don't know how she finds time, given her own gallery of beautiful, original designs but I am totally honored that she does! (Check her blog to see what's coming up next - a lovely band sampler on red.) Nicole used several shades of silk for her triangles, mostly of Gloriana. She stitched it 1 over 1 on 28 count black Jobelan. Believe it or not, she says it is even brighter in real life!! Those colors just sing out on that black fabric. I can imagine it looks like a chest of jewels IRL.

Claudia shared with me this finish of Cirque des Cercles during the online show last fall. My computer died mid-show, and her email was one that was imprisoned in the silicon jail for six months while I sorted things out and recovered. Since I hadn't shared it yet, I thought I would post it now, as these pieces will never go out of style. Claudia is self-proclaimed HDF (Vikki Clayton's silk line) junkie. I haven't met too many folks that have tried HDF and haven't become junkies (although I don't think this is the kind of needle, junkie, or damage that Neil Young was singing about.)

Edited to change out the photo -as time passed, Claudia had framed this and it looks superb!

This is actually the second time Claudia's stitched CdC. The first piece was left in the frame shop and a worker mistook it for trash and tragically threw it away. Edited to explain - it was accidentally dropped somewhere in Michael's when Claudia got an emergency phone call. Whoever found it put it under the counter with the other unclaimed dropped items (you know: Slurpee cups and pacifiers...)- apparently every few days they trash these things. She didn't realize it had been lost for a few days. Sadly nobody unwrapped it enough to see what a treasure it was. It was another one of these stories that just leave you shaking and gasping as you know the amount of time, energy, and money that we stitchers put into our work. Fortunately the solution is MORE CROSS STITCH - it's a stress-relieving therapy, you know!

Thanks go out to Nicole and Claudia for sharing their eye candy with us. Lovely job, Ladies.

Opposites Attract

2011-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Anita sent these pictures of her Cirque des Cercles and Cirque des Carreaux.

The Cercles were stitched over one on black Lugana using Dinky Dyes #98 Silver. Then in a fit of inspiration, the Carreaux were stitched over one on Wedgewood Lugana using some original Needle Necessities #1721 Elaine's Black Tie Affair. She calls them "Opposites Attract".

Her next 'trick' will be to get them framed so that neither one outshines the other -same frame, different mats, same frame, no mats?? The possibilities are headache-inducing but she is thankful to have an amazing needlework framer.

What an elegant pair. Lovely job, Anita. So glad you shared.

Seaing Stars

2011-04-26T18:38:00.000-07:00

Peg sent me this fabulous sea story that (thank goodness) ends most happily. In fact, you could say Peg and her Sea Stars lived happily Rensely after.

Peg had completed Sea Stars quite some time ago with HDF, all in different blues. She ironed it in preparation for taking it to the framer and put it in a Ziploc bag until she could make the trip.

When she was ready to go to the framer she pulled out the piece and to her absolute horror it was simply covered with mold and mildew. The fabric was imbedded with the awful stuff.

She washed and rinsed and washed and rinsed some more and finally got all of the mold out. To her dismay, some of the fibers ran. Her attempts to make it look better only made them run more and she gave up. She thought her once beautiful Sea Stars was destined to languished in the "finished" basket, never to be brought out because she couldn't bear to look at it.

Fast forward to Jubilee last fall. she was going and she wanted to take some pieces to hang in Vikki's booth. She took along Sea Stars just to show her. When she showed Vikki she grabbed it right away, and said she would take it home and see what she could do.

When Peg got the piece back from Vikki she had hand painted the painted the fabric and Peg was astonished to see that you not tell at all the fibers had run. Her Sea Stars was once again beautiful.

So beautiful, in fact, that she sent it to Jill Rensel for framing.

From these photos you can see what both Vikki and Jill Rensel did. (The original was on stark white fabric.) Is the frame not spectacular? Aren't the little engraved mat details outstanding?

Wow, what a story. I just love a happy ending

BTW, I have heard other stories of Vikki Clayton's rescue service being quite successful. If you've had a bad luck, I'd highly recommend a consultation with DV.

What's Black & White and Lucky All Over?

2011-04-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

Cristin sent in this photo of her unique finish of Pot Luck. This is a Hand Dyed Fibers color aptly named Penguin. She stitched with 1 strand of silk over 1 thread of Lugana. What a bold and fun combination. I live vicariously through the floss choices of others ;o)

Cristin has been busy, as she also had finished Twisted Heart recently. She personalized it with initials and a date to make a special treat.

Now, what's red all over? Or maybe I should say who is red all over...That would be an embarrassed me. When Cristin asked if I had received her Twisted Heart photo, I found it along with another finish of hers that I had somehow let slip to the murky depths of the inbox. So, please also join me in a little happy dance for her Smell of Sulfur stitched up with mostly Vikki's HDF on 35 count linen also from HDF.

Now, I'm off to see what else is in my inbox!

Notice a Trend?

2011-03-30T12:45:00.000-07:00

Tara sent me pictures of her finishes so far this year and asked if I could detect a trend. For the record, she does point out that she did not START all of these in 2011.

Hmmmm....

She finished Mother Maya:

And Croakworth:

A little Twisted Heart:

A micro-version of the Ink Circles ornament from the 2010 Just Cross Stitch ornament issue:

And a special mandala that was offered exclusively through her old hometown shop Thread & Eye. I gave a chart with color family information and the participants selected their own colors to use. The pattern is available through them via mail order, if you won't be passing through London, ON in the near future.

So, hats off to Tara and her 5-part Happy Dance. I'm officially awarding her the title of "Super Fan." I'm fortunate to be able to stitch with Tara when I make it over to Portland, and I can say she is as pleasant as she is prolific. Thanks for sharing your photos, Tara, and thanks for being a friend.

Christmas Ornaments

2011-03-24T14:08:00.000-07:00

We here in the designer world have our schedules completely turned around - for your benefit, of course. If I started thinking about Christmas when the Thanksgiving turkey leftovers are all packed up, then the season would be lost.

Today I'm doing the finishing work on a new Christmas ornament for Just Cross Stitch magazine. None too early - it's due next week. After all, they need time to do all of the photography and layout for the mag. Then of course the printing and getting distributed to shops in time for you to get your copy and STILL have enough time to whip out one or two before the holiday. If you're able to stitch on gifts year round, it helps ease some of that crunch for you too.

On a related note, Jenna shared a picture of the Celtic Ice Christmas ornament that I put out as a kit a few years back. Didn't it come out cute? I loved doing a project on that funky windowpane fabric (although I was a bit peeved that the squares were not perfect squares.)

The Celtic Ice kits did sell out, but I have a number of the 2009 ornament kits still available - "Reindeer Games:The Huddle."

Spring has sprung (at least here in the northern hemisphere), the fruit trees and daffodils have started blooming, and it's time for me to get cracking on an Ink Circles kit for Christmas 2011!

Thanks for sharing your finish, Jenna! So, let's keep Christmas in our hearts all year 'round...unless, of course, we are Jewish, Islamic, Hindu, or any one of the tremendous number of people who don't go in for that Christmas thing.

As I wrote that last paragraph, I realize how lopsidedly the cross stitch industry celebrates holidays. On that note, I am canning thoughts of a "Christmas" ornament this year and will make an official Solstice ornament.

Two Cancer Awareness Finishes

2011-03-14T13:33:00.000-07:00

Margo in the Netherlands shared this photo of a pillow she has made, using the pink ribbon color for breast cancer. Jocelyn stitched her version with orange ribbons after her sister in law was diagnosed with leukemia last fall. The poem that Jocelyn included is a very fitting tribute and a reminder for us all. Beautiful jobs by both of them and I thank them both for sharing these emotional pieces.

What Cancer Cannot Do:

Cancer is so limited...
It cannot cripple love.
It cannot shatter hope.
It cannot corrode faith.
It cannot eat away peace.
It cannot destroy confidence.
It cannot kill friendship.
It cannot shut out memories.
It cannot silence courage.
It cannot reduce eternal life.
It cannot quench the spirit.

Author Unknown

Nashville 2011 - pictures

2011-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

Here are a few photos that my Mum took of the Ink Circles booth in Nashville. For those not familiar with the setup, it's held in a big hotel (Embassy Suites.) Each suite opens up to this central atrium. The shops are set up in the front room and you sleep and store things in the bedroom in back. They let us hang banners over the balcony rails so you can see where everyone is.

Nashville 2011

2011-02-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

Just a few more days before I'm leaving on that jet plane. I wish I could say my bags are packed and I'm ready to go, but I so hate lying. It's the big needlework convention in Nashville; this is the time to see in person all of the brand new stitching things and meet with all of the shop owners, designers, fabric and thread people. It's not open to the public, but if you're tuned in to your social media you'll hear and see snippets of activity from all directions.

This is a round-up post, collecting all the pieces from my various leaks and filling in the blanks.

If you're on my newsletter mailing list, I previewed one of a series of three charts called Bite Me. In all, there are a Fur version (middle), a Fins (bottom) version, and a Feathers (top)version.

Here Comes Treble, which incidentally gave me nothing but trouble on every step of the way:

Shy Violet got pulled forward in the release cycle because Treble was threatening to miss the print deadline. I think it came out so sweet - and I'm dying to try other color combos. Yes, Mel, it would look great on black.

Here's a little kit I put together as a special release just for Nashville participants. It's a limited edition, so talk to your shops. It's called Fireweed. I finished it as a box top, and it's shown nestled in a pile of lovely silks.

Last but not least, and technically not a Nashville release since I made it available to shops in January (but I guess everyone assumed it was a Nashville preview) here is a mandala for you to stitch: Just Rosy.

Okay, now I must get back to work. It's a tough job, eh.

Travelling in the Right Cercles

2011-01-31T07:59:00.000-08:00

As I work on filing my state taxes this morning (yes, I know they are due today and that procrastination is bad,) I realize what a small fraction of my business is actually conducted within Washington State. It's truly a wonder of modern technology that I can participate in global commerce. It is also a wonder and a blessing how the language of the craft transcends the language barriers; graph paper filled up with little symbols means the same thing everywhere. I realize that not all stitchers have access to the same materials I used, but it is also true that not all stitchers would choose the same things anyway. That in itself is a beautiful thing.

So let me present to you, two version of Cirque des Cercles completed at far ends of the globe. The first CdC is by Michelle in New Zealand. She used Moonee Ponds silk from Dinky-Dyes. Such a lovely range of blues and purples.

And from Tanya in Kharkov, in the Ukraine, this elegant version done in metallic DMC on 18 count black Aida. The beautiful framing job really makes this one sparkle. I'm not sure about that date in the corner - as I said, I procrastinate - but not THAT much. In any case, I'm so glad she shared it with us.

I offer a full-on Snoopy-style happy dance to Tanya and Michelle for their fabulous finishes. Great job, ladies, and thanks for sharing these pictures!

Thinking Outside the Box

2011-01-19T15:09:00.000-08:00

An overused expression, perhaps, but the target idea is always a welcome one - some fresh way of looking at things. In this case, Becky has been thinking outside of the box, specifically on top of said box's lid.

She's stitched up two of the seasonal mandalas that were featured in Just Cross Stitch last year. She stitched the Summer Mandala (top) on 22 count hardanger fabric and found it fit perfectly into this 4" display black box by Sudberry. Autumn (below) was done on 32 count fabric and fitted into one of their larger oak boxes. Both were stitched up with DMC, which goes to show how nicely something can be made from our favorite ubiquitous cotton floss. Becky says she's finished the Winter Mandala and the JCS Ink Circles Christmas ornament too. Looks like someone has put their JCS subscription to great use this year!

Thanks for sharing these great projects with us, Becky!

A Bead Off

2011-01-07T18:23:00.000-08:00

My mailbox has been overflowing with great photos from stitchers all over the world!

I've been accused of being a bead off on occasion, but this is a whole other category. These two I want to share with you are beaded versions of Cirque des Cercles. I am in total awe of these masterpieces. The upper piece was stitched by Karen, done with 100% beads! The lower model was stitched by Maria, who used some lovely iris-finish beads to accent the motifs done in an overdyed thread.

Here are a few closeup shots:

Let's close this post with my saying how sorry I am I to those people who had just about made up their mind on how THEY were GOING to stitch up their Cirque des Cercles. It's such a double-edged sword - being inspired vs. now more choices to pick from.

Thank you to Maria and Karen for sharing their fabulous photos.

Join Me on a Free Cruise

2010-12-04T10:10:00.000-08:00

Close your eyes and let's take a trip together. We'll be travelling by tall ship, and the weather should be quite tropical, so pack lightly. Bring your stitching, your knitting, and few good books. Our destination?

I had never guessed such a place existed, but my friend Alison Whittington has sent me a map, so therefore it must. She ought to know, after all, she is the Chief Mapmaker for the Interimaginational Institute for Fantastical Exploration & Cartography.

I stumbled across Alison's site when I was doing some research on antique maps for a little cross stitch project (I'll have more on that someday to share.) She draws and paints the most lovely imaginative maps, and I must say this one is more charming in person than I could even have imagined. Alison and I became friends when we recognized that the ink levels in our blood was enough to make you legally drunk in some states. Weapon of choice? Dip pens and India Ink.

With a new baby and I'm certain a large number of Christmas and custom orders, I don't know how she found the time and energy for this gift, but it makes me feel like a Queen in my very own country. Thank you and big hugs, Alison!

BTW, she has some wonderful prints and originals of all sorts of creative maps in her Etsy shop. I can vouch that they make very happy gifts.

Surviving

2010-12-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Minnie shared a picture with me of a pillow she made for her older sister. Sometimes a stitched tribute doesn't make it into the hands of the one we care about, but Minnie and I are happy to report that said sister kicked cancer's butt. Eva has this beautiful pillow to remind her that she is indeed a survivor and also that she has a loving sister.

Minnie did a great job of setting her stitching into a pieced pillow top, making it big enough to be pillow sized. The setting reminds me of a jewel. Eva probably already said something like this to her, but I think Minnie is a treasure. Thanks for sharing your story!

The Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Mandala is a free chart that can be downloaded from my site. It's also fun and useful to note that the ribbon colors are easily interchangeable to represent different awareness causes. If you scroll back through the blog, you can see some lovely examples.

Giving Thanks

2010-11-25T10:41:00.000-08:00

I don't have to struggle too much to recognize how lucky I am. I'm extremely thankful for my family and friends, good jobs, good health, decent jobs, nice house. Knowing that I play a part in helping people make beautiful things is such a rewarding pleasure. I realize that cross-stitching is definitely something that falls in the luxury category, rather than one of life's basic necessities, but it's the type of thing that makes life so much more enjoyable.

I'm thankful that I've been a part of your lives and lift my cup up to you today. I hope the holiday weekend (for those in the US, anyway) brings you a little stitching time.

Tara, my friend in Portland, sent me this pictures of her Bramble and the Rose. She used three colors of Gloriana silk on 40 count Navy Bean linen by Lakeside Linens. This pattern is technically a monochromatic design but it lends itself well to adding additional colors for the flowery and leafy bits. Tara maintains that she just likes "Green and Yellow" and that the Oregon Ducks had nothing to do with color choices.

So, a toast to Tara and to all of you on this day. Go Ducks!

The Show Goes On

2010-11-18T10:50:00.000-08:00

It's been a rough few weeks in the Ink Circles IT department. My main computer suffered what was later diagnosed as a hard drive controller failure while it was repairing/recovering from a pesky virus. The tech I took it to thought the two issues were unrelated, which I hope is true, as hardware eating viruses would be a scary thing. So, I need to send it back to the mothership (Dell) for repair. I couldn't wait weeks to be back online, so I did the thing any other red-blooded American with a Costco card would do. :o)

It was more of a speedbump than a brick wall. Most files and things were recovered from an external hard drive backup, but some things are M.I.A., like the emails in my inbox. So... if any of you stitchers had sent photo finishes that I hadn't posted yet, please accept my apologies and shoot me another copy.

Meanwhile, the band played on. And Cristin stitched. She's sent me this photo of her Twisted Heart finish. She added some initials and a date to personalize it. She used the recommended colors for thread, but worked in on a lovely shade of lilac Belfast linen. Cristin has another version planned that promises to be even more creative and colorful, so I'm standing by!

Thanks again for everyone's patience during these past two weeks. Keep on Stitchin'

Life's a Circus

2010-10-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Or, shall we say, a Cirque!

Here is Cirque des Cercles, as performed by the lovely Beatrice using only Navy Blue Jobelin evenweave, 4072 variegated DMC and her own bare hands! Well, technically she probably used a hoop, a lamp, and a needle, but it sounds much more dramatic the first way.

And now, may I direct your gaze to the ring near the elephant cage. You may remember back in March when the daring Stefanie showed us her Cirque des Cercles and gave us a glimpse of diamonds to come? Let us say the months of hard work and training have paid off. Here, never before seen in its entirety, on this blog: Stefanie's Cirque des Carreaux!

Ladies and Gentlemen, won't you give these two ladies a hand, . Woot Woot! Now, watch as Gregor, the Human Cannonball prepares for this next death-defying feat.

Word Association

2010-10-18T13:16:00.000-07:00

I say Quaker. You say...since you are likely a stitcher if you're reading this...something like "sampler" or "Ackworth". But that's not much of a game, is it? Let's try again with a random non-stitcher.
I say Quaker. You say...

Oatmeal.

Toppings?

Raisins.

Berries?

Strawberries.

Acorns?

Squirrels.

I see the game has kinda gone to pot.

Hungry for the Oatmeal Quaker? Fill your bowl at the Online Needlework Show that starts Thursday the 21st. The show is wholesale only, so you'll need to ask your favorite shop to get a copy for you. ($10 suggested retail price.) It's stitched with 2 skeins of Belle Soie silk in Briar Patch on 32 ct Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens. You'll want to pick some of that up too.

Celtic Needlebook - Freebies in Action

2010-10-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Marianne shows us here that a little ingenuity can lead to a great finish. She used one of the complementary Celtic knot designs from my site, adapting it from a square to a rectangle to suit her needlebook application. I had the chance to meet Marianne during a recent trip to visit the Northwest Sampler Guild in Seattle. What a super friendly and talented group of ladies! Her stitching (and knitting) was exquisite, as you can see in the pictures she shared below. Thanks, Marianne for the inspiring photos.

Now, here is another of my freebie graphs that Cathy in Virgina has stitched. I love those colors on the black, and it's our friendly ubiquitous DMC (variations)! What is your favorite way to finish up a square like this into a small?

Stop Copyright Abuse Now

2010-10-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

You're going to hear a lot more about this - hopefully everywhere you turn.

All I can say is that it sure bums me out to catch wind of one of my patterns posted on one of those sharing sites. My artwork is really crappy when I'm bummed. You don't want crappy designs, do you?

Here is a new website that has sprung up specifically to champion this issue: http://needleworkcopyright.blogspot.com/

Getting to the Point

2010-09-22T12:25:00.000-07:00

And there are a LOT of points on this one. This is Cirque des Triangles, stitched by Nadia in Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fibers - 1 strand of silk over 1 thread of her 27 count black fabric. That silk color just shines out on that black, doesn't it! What a beautiful job, particularly considering the scale and the dark background. It matches her Cirque des Cercles that we got to see earlier. Cirque des Carreaux is in the queue, naturally. Thanks for showing us your picture, Nadia! Your wall must have an amazing wall of finishes.

Moon Juice

2010-09-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

A few thoughts I've collected and wanted to share regarding the new moon charts.

Here is a version of the ornament in the Sept/Oct 2010 JCS issue. This was stitched by Ashley, who had this luscious purpley hand-dyed fabric in her stash. It's Purple Twilight by Youthful Hands.

It would obviously work well for any "sky" colored fabric that wasn't too dark.

Ashley used GAST Pebble for the moon color, and it really brought out some nice depth. That's going to make a lovely ornament - thanks for sharing the pic, Ashley!

My buddy Mel, who likes to stitch all my charts on black, was not phased by the inability to stitch this one on black. She bounced right in with the suggestion of a Glow in the Dark moon. Awesome idea!

Now, if you haven't seen Masquerade yet, it is a new chart that has the same cat/moon thing going on with a new twist. Unfortunately, the pictures on the web are so small and the effect is so subtle, it's hard to tell. So here is another shot that gives a close up of the skim milk and the cream swirling together in the moon. I normally hate pictures so big you can count the stitches, but on some of these things it's either that or try to make you fall in love with a thumbnail.

Charts for this one will be available this weekend to those lucky shops attending market in St. Charles. The real full moon is Thursday and that is the day I start my trip there.

Waya To Go!

2010-09-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

My kids always complain, "That's not fair!" They are quite familiar with my standard reply, which was a gem frequently used by my old XO. He'd say, "You're right. A fair is a place you judge pigs."

BTW, a fair is also a place that they judge cross stitch. And it just so happens that Waya kicked some serious butt at the Tennessee Valley Fair this year. She entered three Ink Circles pieces and took home three ribbons - two of them First Place.

She stitched them all with the charted colors 1-over-2 on 40-count linen. "Growth Rings" won first place for Counted Cross Stitch on Linen. "Tanglewood" won first prize in Counted Cross Stitch, Novelty or Fantasy. "I Still Do" won third place in Counted Cross Stitch, Primarily Flowers.

All I can say is your work is beautiful, Waya. Way to go!

More horses to bet on

2010-08-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody! Have you all met my Mum? (Cindy waves back to you all.) She has been busy designing fabulous Scandinavian-style sweaters, hats and mittens. You can visit her site Norsk Needlework and see them all (and order pdfs for the knitting patterns), but I wanted to share her newest project with my stitching friends.

Her sweater (modeled by the lovely Patti): Wild Blue Horses

And the part you might like even better:

This is "Fjord Ponies" and she's allowed me to release it and sell it as part of the Ink Circles line. It's cross stitch and back-stitching in seven shades of Vikki Clayton's HDF. I'll be bringing both her and the model with me to the TNNA wholesale show in St. Charles next month for the official release party.

By the way, this will make three generations of Ink Circles designers. :o)

Bonnie's Trifecta

2010-08-24T08:35:00.000-07:00

Bonnie was gathering up her recent finishes to take to an open house at her LNS, when she realized that all three pieces were Ink Circles charts. Blackstone Fantasy Garden, Kaleidoscope, and Growth Rings (which just happens to be available for purchase as a stand-alone chart now - it was previously only available in the magazine issue.) What an awesome collection of finishes, Bonnie!

So my final question: Was this Win/Place/Show ticket a coincidence or proof positive of the efficacy of the subliminal messages that are imprinted on every chart?

Taste the Rainbow

2010-07-29T07:08:00.000-07:00

If you thought Kaleidoscope looked nice in 31 shades of DMC, imagine how spectacular it looks in Vikki Clayton's Hand-dyed silk. One of the big HDF advantages is that any pattern written for DMC can be converted directly to HDF. In addition to a whole array of lovely variegated floss colors, there is a direct match up for all of the DMC shades.

Juliette shares a photo of her chromatic masterpiece done with Vikki's silk on 36 count antique white linen with us here. Wow - that is beautiful. Thanks for brightening my day, Juliette, and congrats on the spectacular finish.

Love Triangle Exposed

2010-07-28T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I love this chart. Toni loved this chart. Some of you probably love it too. Is that not a Love of Triangles?

Toni took the monochromatic Cirque des Triangles chart and used a beautiful fall palette to color the individual triangles. Look at that symmetric gold to yellow shading in the center. Is that not exquisite? What a beautiful balance of colors and shapes. Thanks so much for sharing your photo finish with us, Toni!

A Gentle Bouquet

2010-07-21T13:27:00.000-07:00

This is Karen's first Ink Circles design, Bloomers. Let's join her in a little happy dance, then nod our heads solemnly and acknowledge the path of addiction that she has willfully stepped onto.

Just a note from me on how I had to scan my catalog page 3 times before finding Bloomers on it because the contrast in colors/fabric were so different than my version. Gotta love them all! Don't be shy about customizing.

BTW, if anyone wants to make the joke that they can see Karen's Bloomers - feel free. :o)

Thanks for sharing, Karen! May you find many more little x's in your future.

A Tribute for James

2010-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

Natalya won't have the chance to give her loving tribute to her fiance James. He had been battling leukemia since 2002. After three rounds of fighting the cancer with courage and determination, he lost his battle to an infection that his weakened immune system just couldn't shake. When James passed away seven months before their planned wedding day, his body was cancer-free, a small consolation to them both.

Orange is the awareness ribbon color for leukemia and lymphoma. Against the black fabric, these bright colors just ring with a vibrancy and energy that must have reflected their life together. Natalya used the time working on this biscornu as a chance for her to reflect on what had happened and how she could continue on. James is now her own personal angel and we hope to use his example to continue the fight for a cure.

This chart is available for free here. I am honored to be connected in this small way to such stories of caring and strength. Thank you for sharing your story, Natalya.

Are you aware?

2010-07-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

It's never easy to know what to say to a friend who has recently been diagnosed with cancer or some other major life-affecting problem. I think everyone has heard of the pink ribbon used for breast cancer awareness, but were you aware how many other ribbon colors have been adopted by various cause support groups? I've been unable to pull up a single website that is all encompassing in it's table, but a little Googling will lead you to the color for which you are looking.

Sometimes a stitched token is a perfect gesture of understanding and caring. Christine's cousin was recently diagnosed with lung cancer, which is represented by a "pearl" ribbon. Christine had already worked this chart with the pink ribbons in the original design and a second time with yellow ribbons, so she knew how perfectly it adapts to other ribbon colors. This chart is a freebie I posted a few years back - you can download it here.

She worked with her LNS owner (Gitta's) to come up with this knockout combination. She stitched it 2 over 2 on 32 count Belfast linen (cobblestone) using Anchor variegated 1302 for the lacework, and Anchor 276 and Kreinik 032 #4 braid (1 'strand') for the ribbons. The ribbon borders were done in Mill Hill Petite Glass Beads #42027 (pink metallic) and 40123 (pearl).

Christine did a beautiful job on this most personal masterpiece that her cousin will cherish as a special treasure. Thanks for sharing the picture of your finish, Christine. I send my wishes to your cousin for strength and recovery.

Sandy Still Does

2010-07-10T09:36:00.000-07:00

Sandy and Larry sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G.

Fifty years ago, Sandy told Larry, "I Do." Coming up later this year, the happy couple will celebrate their golden anniversary. Finishing this sampler was a rather big accomplishment, although it pales next to that of finding the right guy and hanging on to him through the ups and downs that fifty years of life together will bring.

This anniversary sampler is called "I Still Do." I stitched it for my own 20th anniversary, but it can be easily customised for any dates and color schemes that work for your special year. The chart also includes a non-anniversary motif layout.

Sandy used a variety of Vikki Clayton's hand-dyed silks in shades of reds for the motifs with gold silks for the numbers on a 36 count linen from R&R. To finish up this beautiful tribute in an equally beautiful way, Sandy enlisted the framing services of the one and only Jill Rensel.

Congratulations, Sandy, on finishing this wonderful piece - it it exquisite. And on a bigger note, congratulations to you and Larry.

Membership Has Its Privileges

2010-07-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

Or so the old ad copy read. Ink Circles has a mailing list that I use to update folks when new things are coming their way, events coming up, and sometimes to share a little love. In a recent mailing I included a free cross stitch chart called Celtic Swirls. The chart is still available to download for newcomer folks when they sign up for the newsletter (see the Ink Circles home page.)

Julia stitched her version up quickly using silks from a D-Bag (detritus = left overs, end bits, unlabeled, and other mish mosh) of Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Fiber. This type of pattern is a perfect way to use up some of those little extra bits of fiber. Once stitched, a small square like this can be finished up as a biscornu, an ornament, a needle book or a number of other goodies. Thanks, Julia, for sharing your photo. It looks great!

Just a reminder for stitchers in Australia, the design will need to be reversed such that the spirals go in the other direction. Cheers.

Don't Eat The Stitching

2010-06-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

Mmmm... the fibers used for this one make me want to whip up a batch of my favorite Marbled Chocolate Buttermilk Scones.

To stitch this version of Cirque des Carreaux, Em used 28 count Buttermilk Lugana fabric with Carrie's Thread in Chocolates. It came out positively yummy! Thanks for sharing the finish.

St. Charles Ho!

2010-06-04T12:44:00.000-07:00

(As, in "Westward, Ho" not in reference to street walking ladies from Missouri, and actually, it is a trip eastward for me.)

I've taken the plunge and am planning to have an Ink Circles booth at the TNNA St. Charles, MO show in September. This is one of the big trade shows for the industry. Lots of logistics to work out, but I am quite excited after having walked the Nashville show in February.

One thing that dawned on me, was that I didn't have my own stitched model of Cirque des Cercles. I know I don't have to/can't bring models for everything I've ever done, but that is the first thing many people think of when they hear "Ink Circles." I had made arrangements to use Marc Davis's for the leaflet cover and there was no looking back. I've been working on this version now. It's on R&R antique cotton 40 count linen using a limited edition blue/black Carrie's Silk. I would normally never stitch a model with an LE, but this is a monochrome and has been on the market long enough that everybody has probably seen some version of it. The color is way off - the linen is really quite golden. Hoping someday to have my own done...

Pillow Talk

2010-06-03T09:59:00.000-07:00

Judy is a repeat offender and the evidence is right there in her bedroom.

She's stitched the Cirque des Cercles pattern three different colorways and has fitted them out as these lovely pillows. Some friends have called her crazy for stitching the same design over and over. Those with a proclivity toward making bad puns might even go so far as to say that she has made her bedroom into a three ring cirque.

I personally think she did a brilliant job! I know how difficult it is to pick color combinations for monochromes like these. I change my mind and have second guesses every time I see someone's amazing personal version. With these charts, it almost becomes a different design when you change colors around. So, why settle for stitching it once? As an aside, from the looks and scale of things, I would guess the little guy on the right is stitched over one thread and is stitched on black. Wow to all three!

Fortunately, we don't have to justify to anybody. Besides, Judy, your friends don't really think you are crazy - they are just jealous. :o)

Awesomeness Overload

2010-05-06T09:24:00.000-07:00

I've gotten behind in sharing the wonderful photos you've sent me. Rather than delay further and dribble these out one at a time, I'm going to blast you with a full salvo of awesomeness.

Robyn finished her Namaste bell pull. She found a lovely heart shaped end piece with a crystal in it. People laughed when I had to admit that the "special findings" I used were actually just pieces from a cannibalized necklace from Pier 1. I'm still wanting to put one of these chakra mandalas on a t-shirt using waste canvas.

Carol was already a big HDF fan, so she did her Growth Rings in the recommended HDF colors then had this beautiful round frame added. She entered the piece in her guild's Annual Juried Show. She was tickled to find that the piece won a Judge's choice blue ribbon. Later she learned it also won the Stitcher's Choice Award! What an honor to be recognized by both the ANG certified jurors as well as here guild peers. Congrats, Carol!

Tanya just got her Cirque des Cercles framed up. It came out beautifully with the Hydrangea thread from Threadworx. She used Ocean Depths fabric by Sparklies. I've not heard of that fabric company before ==> sounds like a mission! I'll bet the combination is even more amazing in real life. Great work Tanya!

And this is the second time in a week that I've heard of people using Sulky thread for cross stitch. As you can see, it works great!!! This is Cirque des Carreaux by Lynn. She used Blendable 30 wt American Antique on Antique White 25 ct Lugana. It is one over one. If you click the biggify button, you can see just how lovely the thread variations came out. Definitely a spectacular finish, Lynn!
Congrats and thanks for sharing.

Now, Christine finished her Growth Rings and it takes on a wonderful new look in her choice of colors. It's so much fun to see the same pieces done up differently. She used DMC variegated 4240 (dark blue - purple) and Anchor variegated 1325 (pink - purple), on antique white linen 36 count, 2 over 2. Big happy dances with Christine!

Much beautiful work here, Ladies! Thanks for sharing it all.

She's All Heart

2010-04-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

When Chelsea needed a double-lung and heart transplant in January, her friends on the Love2Stitch Bulletin Board knew that she was going to have a little down time while she recuperated. They put together an amazing care package filled with all of their best wishes and some cross stitch goodies.

When Chelsea was ready to stitch again after the operation, she said she selected This Heart of Mine (THOM) from their package to work on because of the title and because there weren't any color changes. She picked Gloriana silk in Midnight on some Crossed Wing 28 ct linen, 2 over 2. Chelsea did an amazing job, especially being shaky and weak (and likely experiencing better living through chemistry.)

It wasn't until she got home that she saw the heart hidden in the motifs. I can imagine that she had a whole lot on her mind during that time. We all understand also that sometimes it's nice just to make one x. Then another. Then another. The bigger picture eventually comes into focus.

Chelsea, I'm not sure if the physical therapists allow happy dances, so we will energetically dance one on your behalf while you continue in your recovery. That is a fantastic and inspiring story - thank you for sharing it with us all.

Online Show Wrap-Up

2010-04-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

And thus concludes another edition of the Online Needlework Show. Ink Circles had four new designs hit the streets. Turkish Delight came out just beautifully - I've posted a giant picture on my main website so you can see how amazing the Belle Soie thread colors worked. I was humming Blue Rondo a la Turk the whole time I was designing this.

This is what it looks like should you decide to stitch it and hang it in portrait mode. You are allowed to do that, you know.

My Daughter's project, The Pretty Little Dust Collector seems to have been well received. We're donating 50% of the profits to our local no-kill animal adoption organization Pet Over-Population Prevention. She is excited to be able to take a check with her during her next volunteering day.

The new stuff will be showing up in shops this week, then at the distributors shortly. I won't be adding them up on my site for direct orders until mid-May in attempts to encourage you to shop at your LNS.

Door Prizes - Yeah!

The following lucky ducks got the big prizes: Marlene Ackerman, Tara Fidler, Rachel Morton, Judy Royan, Cari Smith, Bonnie Coleman, Cheryl Ann Peterson, and Faith Nichols. Everybody else who entered should have received by email a new complementary Ink Spot design. If you didn't get yours, check your spam box or drop me a note.

Just for the record, our favorite color is overwhelmingly BLUE, followed by Purple, then green. We are fascinated by newborns of any species and the intricacies of flowers and birds. And there are a lot of Monty Python fans out there. If you didn't get that last comment, you didn't get it earlier either - don't worry.

When the Saints came marching in

2010-04-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Ashley in Baton Rouge is a big Saints fan and knew on first glimpse of Fleur d'Orleans that she had to make a black and gold version to celebrate her team. She's been stitching a long time and commented that it is a perfect relaxing but creative way to end a tiring day. So, with her GAST Classy Copper and Wrought Iron thread and a piece of Weeks 30 count Cappuccino linen, she set out to work.

And just as the Saints went on for a fabulous win at the Superbowl, Ashley has her own fabulous win in this framed piece. And we all know, folks from Louisiana know how to Happy Dance! Nice job, Ashley, and thanks for sharing your finish.

A Quackin' and a BoINKin'

2010-04-09T13:49:00.000-07:00

Tara's just gotten this one back from the framers. Quackworth is a Quaker sampler with a little play on the Ackworth School samplers that we hear so much about. The Quackworth School is a school for local waterfowl. There is a companion piece from the Croakworth School available. If you biggefy the picture, you can see the fun color of floss she used - it was a limited edition silk Pumpkins and Black Cats. The mat colors really make this piece lovely. I understand her folks in Ontario are the lucky recipients.

Tara's other finish is the Book of Ink Circles (BoINK). I'll be lucky enough to see Tara and the finished BoINK in person in a week (gosh, only one week away now!!!) and I can't wait. BoINK was a free multi-part mystery that we did a while back. The chart is still posted on my site, if you are interested in stitching the piece. Tara said she may even frame this one for herself, rather than put it in the trunk with the other finishes she has kept.

So, for how many else of you does this hold true: The pieces that you give away get framed and your own keepers sit unframed? I'm guilty of that too, and how I interpret it is thus. Stitching makes us happy. Sometimes the focus is about having that finished item to give as a gift, but often it is just the process of making something that we really enjoy.

Thanks for sharing these, Tara! May you all enjoy your stitching. BTW -You might be happy to hear I am working on a new free mystery project. The Portland GTG crew may even get a sneak peek.

Project 99

2010-04-07T11:56:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek at my new project, a contest, and a plea for your help. Grab a beer and join me at: http://www.inkcircles.com/html/Project99.html.

Starfish don't die when you cut them in half

2010-04-07T10:53:00.000-07:00

And in a nearby ocean, Chris was inspired to do a little rearranging to put some of her favorite Sea Stars motifs onto this nice piece of lugana. The whole sampler wouldn't fit as charted onto her fabric, but Chris was able to use bits and pieces to create this custom runner.

I love this type of innovation and I really think the majority of Ink Circles patterns are very suitable to be adjusted in just such ways. If you've ever seen my cupboard where I store my supplies, you would see countless little snips of linen (such as the trimmed sidebars from larger finished pieces) and every partial skein of floss all waiting for the perfect innovation. So pick your favorite color thread, a motif or two, and follow in Chris's footsteps to make something cool and unique.

Jill Rensel-ified

2010-03-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Here is another one you are going to love shared by Lori A. (as opposed to Lori D. who just wowed us with that Whiskey colored Quaker Floral Puzzle.) Lori completed Blackstone Fantasy Garden on 28 count Lugana Opal Sahara Flair by Enchanted Fabrics. She used the Carrie's colors called for everything except she put in a little Fall Splendour in place of the Elk Snout.

As you can see, that would have been beautiful just to have stopped there, but Lori hooked up with Jill Rensel for the finishing. Hers is a name and a style that is instantly recognizable to anyone who has seen the Shepherd's Bush kits. Jill's trademarks are wonderfully artistically-cut mats and hand-painted details. As you can see, Jill helped Lori hit this one out of the park.

Thanks for sharing this one Lori! Y'all can put your jaws back in their regular positions now.

Gold Medal Winner

2010-03-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

Lori's version of Quaker Floral Puzzle is pure gold. Well, technically it's pure Whiskey, by Weeks Dye Works. She stitched this as a monochrome on 25 ct black lugana, 1 over 1. I think I'd need to be drinking whiskey to undertake over 1 on 25 count black, but Lori appears to have a natural knack with such things. Wow - that is elegant.

I've had so many stitchers tell me that they love to see the creative versions that everyone comes up with. In some ways it makes the decisions harder when it comes time to stitch your own, but I'm sure you can handle it.

I'd like to be...

2010-03-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Under the sea, in an Octopus's Garden in the shade. Honestly, who doesn't love that Beatles' song? This is one of the earliest Ink Circles designs, and I'm hoping some of you love it too. I can't say the song was the inspiration, but it sure came to mind when I needed a name for the chart.

Kate took a brief visit to their garden and sends us this snapshot. She did a lovely job and now probably will have that earworm stuck in her head for the rest of the week. To cap off with a bad pun, I congratulate Kate on her fine job - she did swimmingly. (Does anybody besides me use that word?)

Sneak Peek

2010-03-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

Things have been quiet, so I thought I'd perk things up with a peek at some of the smalls that go with a new design coming out soon. My biggest conundrum is how to photograph a biscornu. It seems that no single camera shot can do them justice.

Joining the Circus

2010-03-03T15:26:00.000-08:00

It's not really practical for most of us to run away and join the circus, but we highly encourage you to join the Cirque craze!

Stefanie started her Cirques circuit with Cirque des Cercles using Sassys Fabbys Bluebell 32ct lugana and a custom color HDF Single strand premium over 2 (2329/5141/5300). This came out so beautifully!

After such a beautiful finish, she has moved on to Cirque des Careaux (CDCx) and shared this picture of her WIP. She is using Sassys Fabbys Angel Dust 32ct lugana with another custom HDF single strand premium over 2 (6119/5141/5300). This silk is such an amazing color, and it matches so well with that fabric. Stefanie is going to have a lovely Ink Circles wall.

Thank you, Stefanie, for sharing your fab photos!

On a personal note, it became clear to me that if I intended to take the Ink Circles show to Nashville next year, that I would clearly be remiss if I didn't have a stitched model of Cercles myself. The gold on black beauty on the leaflet cover was stitched by Marc Davis, who generously let me use his photograph. So, I'm stitching up my version. Let me just say that you [stitchers at large] made picking a color combo sooooooo hard. I have seen so many fabulous combinations paraded in front of me that I was almost paralyzed with options. More on that later...

A Quick Read

2010-02-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Well, actually you don't "read" a needlebook, but they are quick little projects to make up. Every stitcher should have a needlebook or two tucked into all their different project bags. It's a good idea to trade out needles frequently and this is a nice way to keep a few extras on hand.

Needlebooks also make great gifts and exchange projects. This is the treasure that Nicole made for Stacey for an exchange recently. The Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon Mandala was a free chart I offered a few years back. Nicole's exchange was themed "BeCause it's Pink." Depending on how you pick your thread colors, you can actually customise this ribbon mandala to support any cause. Nicole used DMC Variations 3350 with DMC solids 961, 962, and 225 on 32 ct. mushroom Lugana.

Can you believe this is the first needlebook Nicole has ever made? I think she did an amazing job. And - she has created a beautiful and useful gift for her friend. Why not give one a try?

Love Is Blind

2010-02-14T18:52:00.000-08:00

Here is a new freebie for you. It's more of a project for you to compose, as I am only providing the raw template and the information. You get to create whatever message you want, and then to use it in whatever format you like. You can make a pillow or a sign, put your initials on something... use your imagination. And share a picture with us if you make something cool.

Dowload the pattern here. It includes the template plus the Braille alphabet. Can you read what I wrote?

Are you noticing a trend?

2010-02-03T13:12:00.000-08:00

I guess Black is the new Black! This makes a perfect Hat Trick of brights on black by Ink Circles stitchers this week. Without further adieu, I present the Bramble and the Rose by Sharon. Now, anyone can see it's black fabric, but you might not have guessed (or be able to tell at this resolution) that it is 1 over 1 on 28 count! You might also have guessed the silk is HDF. Which it is, Hibiscus to be precise.

This came out simply stunning; thank you for letting me post your picture here, Sharon - it is an inspiration. My hat is off to all who can stitch on black fabric. Three cheers for black! Three cheers for not being afraid of colors! Three cheers for actually FINISHING your WIP.
Hip Hip Hooray!

OOOHHHH you guys, I'm going to need a bigger Thesaurus so I don't sound like a broken record.

In Full Bloom

2010-02-02T08:40:00.000-08:00

I always thought it a shame that you could only see the growth rings on a tree once it was cut down. These Growth Rings are not quite the same concentric ones we see in a tree trunk, nor does exposing them mean the death of the plant. Every little "cell" of this design is bursting with flowers, leaves, or seed pods.

This is Rosanne's version of Growth Rings. It's done on 25 count black Lugana using Anchor variegated threads 186 and 1345. She used 3 strands of floss to get good coverage given the large fabric count. Given that fabric count, the finished piece is roughly the size of a redwood trunk. I'm not sure of her finishing plans, but table topper might be a good option. It's going to look fabulous no matter what she does.

Thanks for sharing your beautiful finish, Rosanne! You did an exquisite job.

Folks looking for the Growth Rings pattern will need to get their hands on the back issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine (March/April 2009) or wait until later this year when the copyright flips back to me and I can release it as a stand-alone chart.

Three Sides to Every Triangular Story

2010-01-29T19:01:00.000-08:00

This is Vicki's Cirque des Triangles. Isn't it so amazing - the colors just sing on that black! I've had fun watching this one grow in person. Every so often I have the chance to go over the moutains and see friends in Portland. We always meet for a little stitching and Vicki shows me a few more completed triangles. And now it is done.

She's done an outstanding job - I can't wait to see the framed version on my next trip to the wet side. It's so inspirational to see how every single version of these Cirques stitches up so differently depending on the fabric/fiber choices.

Most excellent work, Vicki!

Lucky Penny

2010-01-26T12:29:00.000-08:00

Karen's turn to show off! She's finished up her Cirque des Cercles and it came out just beautiful. She used DMC 4130 on 32 count Copper Penny linen (2 over 2). I think that it must have been Lucky Penny linen that she found, since things came out so well! Thanks so much for sharing your finish . *Insert Happy Dance Here*

Looking for (Frames That I) Love in All the Wrong Places

2010-01-21T19:00:00.000-08:00

I did a double take when Bobbie told me where she found this cool frame for Beau Leggy. I must say it is the absolute perfect match to her choice of fabric (a OOAK from Thread Gatherer)! She chose to leave off the cactus, which would have been a bit unnerving where it was placed anyway.

This was a Christmas gift for her Dad and word is that he was quite pleased.

I must say I was tickled when she told me she had picked one of my patterns to stitch, as she happens to be THE Bobbie of Stitching Bits and Bobs and has access to just about every chart on the planet.

Oh, yeah - the frame came from Tractor Supply!

Santa's Nine Plus the Understudies

2010-01-13T16:03:00.000-08:00

We all know that there was more than one Lassie. It only stands to reason that Santa would have a few reindeer in the back pasture just in case Dancer was off auditioning for Dancing With the Stars. Or perhaps Vixen were to be picked up by the local vice squad for holding down a street corner. And Dasher maintains a fairly busy marathon calendar. Do we need to go on? (Some Twitter buddies and I spent a whole afternoon speculating why there were only 8 reindeer in The Huddle.) Besides, what IS the natural lifespan of a reindeer? I guess there is nothing natural about them, so perhaps that thought is moot.

Kathy gives us good glimpse of Santa's stables. Each ornament has 9 reindeer - she added one to the back of each, along with a grandchild's name. We're not going to tell which reindeer is which, but each kid gets a complete set. Thanks for sharing your picture of your beautiful finishes. They really are a treasure that will be enjoyed each year by those lucky, well-loved kiddos.

She's the Tops

2010-01-12T19:27:00.000-08:00

Vanessa says she's running out of wall space to show off her cross stitch finishes. A common problem, eh? Some of us move up to higher fabric counts to get tinier pieces or give everything away. Others, like Vanessa, opt for more creative, non-framed finishes.

She's made this fantastic table-topper from the Bramble and the Rose pattern. It's stitched on Picture This Plus's Crystal Shale Belfast and fabulous silk from Hand Dyed Fibers in HDF Examplar Black Iris Bud & Bloom. The fringed edge makes this a perfect, elegant addition to the room.

Thanks for sharing your finish, Vanessa! We join in your well-earned Happy Dance... And we forgive you in advance if you become a little militaristic about where visitors set down their wine glasses.

Black Beauty

2010-01-09T20:42:00.000-08:00

Nicole stitched this Cirque des Carreaux over 1 on 28 count black Jobelan with Gloriana's Silk Floss. I just love the mix of solid color pastels with the multi in the same shades, and in such a nice color layout. The colors just sing on that black. What a beautiful job. Hats off and a big happy dance!

She tells me she is working on Triangles next - I can't wait to see!

A Little Hanky Panky

2010-01-09T11:06:00.000-08:00

Anne said she liked the way these different motifs fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Spot samplers like this ARE fun to stitch because things keep changing before you can get bored. This sampler is Hanky Pysanky, inspired by the Ukrainian art used to decorate eggs. She stitched up the full sampler on black 25-ct linen using a variety of silks from Needlepoint Inc and the Fiber Addict. The Fiber Addicts silk was actually marketed as a binder yarn for spinners (think of the strong core that holds mohair yarn together) but that didn't hold back Anne.

Sometimes it's the best fun just to play around with different fibers and color combinations - try new things to see what works and what you like. Stitching "smalls" is a great tool for test driving combos. These are some of the ornaments and tie-ons that Anne made using motifs and improvisation. The smaller ones can actually be worn as pendants - how clever is that!

The sampler is off at the framers and the smalls found their ways to Anne's friends and family. What a wonderful job with a delightful outcome. Thanks for sharing, Anne!

Another Bloomin' Finish

2010-01-02T18:19:00.000-08:00

Shannon picked out alternate colors she knew would match well to her mom's decor, then finished up her Bloomers into this sweet tea tray by Sudberry House. Sudberry makes a number of high quality wood pieces for finishing needlework like boxes and tea trays that are a fun alternative to framing. It's such a cool way to finish a piece after putting so much time and love into it.

Shannon's Christmas gift to her mom will be treasured. And I thank her as well, for sharing such a beautiful finishing idea with us.

So, have you done something nice for your mom lately? Make her a little gifty - I'm sure she will love it!

Four in the Hand

2009-12-22T15:58:00.000-08:00

Mel shows us that "Four in the Bush" is now actually in the hand. She stitched this chart I posted as a Halloween freebie using the Carrie's colors I recommended in silks. Beautiful!

And if you ask me exactly of what there are four, I will reply, "Owl-bats."

For those who have yet to BoInk

2009-12-18T19:20:00.000-08:00

..Don't worry that the mystery is over. Many folks are just starting. Some did finish within hours of the final mystery piece being posted, but people everywhere are working things through at their own pace and some haven't even heard of it yet.

Liz shares her finished Book of Ink Circles, a free mystery project I offered last year which became affectionately known as BoInk. Like many stitchers, she's changed things around a bit to really make it her own piece. This was a great solution for those who didn't really care for the four cats in the corners, despite their authentic Celtic heritage :o) Once the jokes made the rounds about the cats "barfing" out the ribbons, I think they lost a few fans. (But gained a few nicknames: Barfy, Spewey, Ralph, and Chuck)

In addition to the corner knots, Liz chose a unique palette of aquas, browns, and overdyed threads on her own handpainted 18 ct. eggshell canvas. And it's done in needlepoint - you can see that better if you click to biggify. (Did you know that nearly all of the Ink Circles designs convert well to needlepoint? I'm just not big into the specialty and fractional stitches.)

Beautiful job, Liz! Thanks for sharing.

Designs Coming Full Circles

2009-12-15T13:54:00.000-08:00

You'll recognize the two recent cross stitch designs at the heart of this project pair. Both started out as a doodle, got charted out and stitched, and have now come to life in a new medium over the last week. I used two different carving mediums. I liked the pink "speedy stamp" better than the white "mastercarve," but I think I prefer real linoleum to the cuts-like-butter stuff. A fairly successful project & the photos don't need much for explanation.

An Inkling of an Inkling

2009-12-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

I've decided to give a special name to some smaller pieces that I'll be putting out. They're going to be called "Inklings." Twisted Heart would have been one, if I had thought of the name back then. I love doing bigger projects, but it's so nice to have some littler ones to shake things up. The first official one will be Fleur d'Orleans, and this is your sneak peek.

I'm debating between an oval frame and a flat fold. Thoughts? I definitely need to find some Mardi Gras beads for the leaflet photo. I should have the chart ready for release after Christmas, which should leave plenty of time for stitching it up before the King Cake goes in the oven.

Thanks go to Nick Pericone for suggesting I do a fleur de lys design.

Road Report: Watch out for Black Ice

2009-11-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

For anyone doing any holiday (or even in-town) travelling in the colder climes, black ice is a definite road hazard. For anyone who stitched last year's ornament, Celtic Ice, and is prepping for the upcoming holiday, this Black Ice is much less hazardous.

I used Carrie's Threads in: Irish Kiss, Hunter, Masquerade, and Boysenberry on black Belfast linen to make this new version. Since the fabric didn't have "windowpane" stripes on it, I added my own. Also, since I could, I made the squares SQUARE so that the ornament can hang on point without being lopsided. (I was totally depressed when I found last year that my 6 yards of this checked fabric was not symmetrically woven - really, weavers - what's with that!)

Strikingly different than the original, wouldn't you say.

Like Children...

2009-11-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

Every one is special. Every one is beautiful. Every one is unique.

This is Tanya's beautiful baby. She stitched in on black Belfast linen using a Threadworx color called Honky Tonk, 2 over 2.

Won't you join her in her Honky Tonk Happy Dance for this Cirque des Carreaux?

Circling the Globe

2009-11-19T10:56:00.000-08:00

Susan in Melbourne, Australia, reports happily that her Cirque des Cercles is done! It was a Happy Dance heard round the world. She used a variegated DMC on 22 count hardanger fabric.

Did you know that stitchers in the southern hemisphere are required to stitch their Cirque des Cercles rounds in an anti-clockwise direction, whereas we in the northern hemisphere taken them on clockwise? Unless of course, you are a south-paw! The rules are completely reversed for left-handed stitchers. Yup, those are the rules. Seriously, some stitchers think there is a secret list of rules for stitching that include things like only stitching a piece in the colors shown, only stitching the entire piece, no personalization allowed - the list goes on. Spoiler: there is no list; there are no rules.*

This would be a very boring blog and a very boring world without people like Susan to inject a little local color.

* Not to be confused with rules regarding copyright material. There are rules against copying others works and claiming it as your own, photocopying/scanning charts without permission of the author, etc.

Enabling by Example

2009-11-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

So, we have all seen the lovely hand-dyed silks by Vikki Clayton, right? It's been a bit of a recurring theme in this blog. One of the hardest things for a stitcher, can be to visualize what a variegated thread will look like when it's all stitched up. When Vikki decided that an old firehouse in Pennsylvania was going to be a new retail location for her silk business, it was only natural that she needed some examples for the walls.

Carol in Edmonton, AB, stepped in to help her out. This is Ink Circles's Growth Rings (available in the March/April 2009 Just Cross Stitch magazine.) Carol used HDF Indigo Ocean and Ricordia on 28 ct Monaco.

Not that these silks don't sell well on their own, but this sure makes a nice hook.

Carol also made up the Croakworth and Quackworth pieces and finished them as quilted hangings.

These are both fun little pieces that can be done as monochromes or polychromes. They'd be a great way to try a new color or use some of those left over bits of silk, or Detritus Bags (for those like me who collect those HDF carrots.)

So, if you're in the neighborhood gathering silk skeins, you can see Carol's pieces in person!

This Is NOT a Tumbleweed

2009-11-10T08:48:00.000-08:00

Regardless of what my son says, this ornament does not feature a tumbleweed. When I told him to look at the bead in the center, he merely thought my tumbleweed had been decorated - it was, after all, a Christmas ornament.

I do like the fact that it takes the eyes a second or two to process the image. If you are still only seeing tumbleweeds, perhaps the ornament title will help.

This is the new Christmas Ornament Kit available from Ink Circles. I'll be putting it up on my site for sale later today. I'll be offering 3 fabric count choices. It comes with 8 different colors of brown silk by Carrie's Threads and a few little red beads, for Rudolph's nose. $14

Wishes for peace and happiness in this season, regardless of how you choose to celebrate (or not!)

Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

2009-11-05T16:04:00.000-08:00

I cite that old stereotypical line with a bit of caution, because a lot of Ink Circles stitchers are guys. There's something about the bold graphic appeal that really doesn't limit their popularity to just the girls.

But, in this case, the diamonds belong to Peg. This is her version of Cirque des Carreaux. That's French for "Circus of the Diamonds" and it's the third in the series that started out with Cercles, which looked a bit lit a big three-ring circus.

Peg's Carreaux is stitched in variegated Mermaid Blue, which was a custom color of Vikki Clayton's Hand-Dyed Silk. She stitched it on 40 count white Ricamo linen - all the better to show off that amazing blue silk. I salute you, Peg, on this fabulous finish!

A bit more background on the silks: There is a fun and slightly rabid group of silk lovers that play on Vikki's forum, feeding her their wants and wishes and enabling each other. If enough people gang up, I think Vikki could be talked into dying about any you could dream. You should (and can) see the lovely colors and combinations over at her site. Highly recommended.

Needle Show Retail

2009-11-05T13:12:00.000-08:00

Something interesting is happing on a website just around the corner. The folks who produce the Online Needle Show, a twice-a-year wholesale show, are trying out a retail show. Many, many vendors have each set up booths with up to 20 products. Some booths are run by designers and vendors who will sell product directly to you, some are by designers or vendors just as advertisement for their product (Ink Circles is in that group), and others are set up by shops. Check it out HERE before Nov 8th, when it's over.

Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a real brick and mortar store nearby. If so, support them every chance you get! Maybe you've found an online store that carries the things you like and gives you the service you deserve. By all means support them too. If you don't have a LNS or ONS to call your own, use this show as an opportunity to "peek" inside the hundred plus shops there ( I count about 160 booths!). Every shop has it's own personality and it's own style of merchandise. Twenty products won't be enough to see everything, but it should be enough to see if the shop is a good match for you. Each shop has an email address (and probably a phone) where you can ask about availablity of those other things you might need. You may just find your perfect match!

If you need to see which shops carry Ink Circles charts - just ask them, or check out my retailers page on the main site. Charts are available on my website for purchase, as well.

Visit the Ink Circles booth at the show to learn how you can win a swell door prize!

Mel Flashes Her Bloomers in Public!

2009-11-04T13:03:00.000-08:00

The first two questions out of Mel's mouth when I show her a new design, are

What Carrie's Threads would you use?
What would it look like stitched on black?

Some designs end up looking quite awesome on black fabric. This is her Bloomers in Carrie's Thread, on black - almost unrecognizable from the original pastels on brown that I had chosen. Carrie's Threads includes a number of options that are really vibrant and make this piece "pop" on the black. The colors that Mel used are not exactly the same placement as the list on the web I suggest because I was ditzy and forgot to write down what I sent her and floss-tossed it a second time. Consider this Exhibit A to means there are MANY possibilties in any piece and you can relax and pick what colors YOU like. It'll be smashing! Be sure to send me a picture.

Now, that free chart that was posted a few days ago...after considerable playing around with colors, I decided it really didn't look great on black in the five color version. As a monochrome, it looked neat in any of many colors. Not wanting to squelch anyone's attempts, I would love to be proven wrong and be shown a super conversion on black. Meanwhile, I'll just post the answer to Mel's first question. The Carrie's threads I like for this are: Soot, Peach, Pina Colada, Dried Sage, and Garnet. I like the slightly dusky palette on this piece and picked muted shades. It could easily be pepped up to Raven (Black) and a full-on Rainbow for the highlights. It could also be done as a monochrome using a variegated thread. You decide.

Speaking of Colorful...

2009-11-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

EeKoon sent me a picture of her beautiful and vibrant version of Nine Lives. Where I used some boring grays, she chose to really liven things up with this bold Oriental color scheme- which is not hard if you have a bag of HDF silk to inspire you. She used black, a mystery gray, Sea Wrasse (green), Dragon's Blood, and Terra Potta in the centers.

The centers are actually the Chinese character "shou" for long life. She tells me this is one half of her anniversary piece, so we all wish her a long and happy life and marriage. And, we eagerly await the other side of this tapesty, which, I am told, is Perigrination done up in an equally stunning alternate colorway. An unexpected pairing, you might say, but the symbolism is strong and represents their marriage of East to West. Perfect.

Getting Flakey

2009-11-02T18:44:00.000-08:00

The new issue of Gift of Stitching came out today. It includes a flakey new ornament by Ink Circles that was stitched back earlier in the year when our Aussie friends would have actually been seeing snowflakes. Snowflakes are a very popular theme in ornaments - but why are they always silver and white, I asked. When you hold a snowflake up to the sun you can see a whole rainbow of colors. My husband, the physicist, would give a very technical explanation that involved reflection and refraction of light. I prefer to just say, "wow."

Here is my tecnhnicolor snowflake. Get the pattern for "Sherbet Flake" in the November Gift of Stitching magazine.

Four in the Bush

2009-10-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween. Trick or Treat? If you picked treat, you may download this chart for free. It's show in 5 colors, but it actually looks quite cool with just the darkest color stitched. Darkest color requires 2 skeins.

A Tiny Bit of Growth

2009-10-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

Linda Barry stitched this tiny masterpiece on 40 ct. linen over 2. Once again, Vikki Clayton's Hand Dyed Fibers steal the show. What a lovely combo - it's Marque des Cercles and Garnet. This chart is called Growth Rings and is currently only available in the March/April 2009 JCS Magazine issue.

After completing the delicate stitching, Linda cleverly repurposed a framed mirror from Target to create this bold finish. It's always so nice to get such a high-end framing job look without paying through the nose! Any stitcher I know has a few better places to spend their money.

Trivia time: Did you know where the name "Marque des Cercles" came from? Vikki's silks all get such interesting names! This one is a tribute to Marc Davis and his use of DMC 111 in stitching the chart Cirque des Cercles.

Katie Still Does

2009-10-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

Twenty years ago Katie said, "I Do" to JMA. And now, two decades later, they still love each other - even considering her addictive hobby of making endless rows of little x'es on giant pieces of fabric.

To celebrate and commemorate, Katie used assorted DMC and Carrie's Threads on Flax colored 28 count Cashel Linen to stitch I Still Do. Undertaking this project is no namby-pamby event, but neither is marriage. Congratulations on your success in both, Katie!

I'll try to have something equally spectacular from Ink Circles around when they hit their 50th. Meanwhile I send my wishes that they may enjoy each other's company and enjoy having this heirloom on their wall.

My Mum Is a Star

2009-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

This is Garden Stars, as wrought by my Dear Mum. She used an assortment of Carries Threads, adding in a spot or two of color where she felt like it.

Garden Stars was actually one of the first designs published by Ink Circles. Rather than take the year it would have required to get models physically stitched for my first few charts, I took the short cut of using a computer generated picture for the leaflet cover. If I had it to do over, I'd do it the same way, but if I need to have Garden Stars reprinted you can bet that I will upgrade the cover to this beautiful model!

This chart predated my introduction to over-dyed thread so it called for the ubiquitous DMC. Later, developing a conversion from DMC to Carrie's Threads was an entertaining and growing process for both Carrie and me. She had only a handful of greens in her color line at that point, so you can imagine her reaction when I presented this chart with its twenty-odd shades of green. Actually, imagine any individual dyer being asked to do that - can you see their faces turning a bit greenish. At a minimum their hands would be green. Carrie rose to the occasion wonderfully and today her color line reflects those efforts.

This Heart of Barbara's

2009-10-25T12:40:00.000-07:00

Barbara stitched This Heart of Mine using Vikki Clayton's Hand Dyed Silk on 32 ct Bittersweet jobelan fabric. The silk color she picked was Exemplar Flannel Dark.

This is the same color combo used in Growth Rings and it looks just as smashing on this piece.

Lucky Number 7

2009-10-24T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ink Circles is proud to be participating in the Stitch Your Heart Out Campaign. One aspect of this campaign is to have 12 different designers make special charts in a series, to be released once per month. If desired, the projects could then be combined into a special "designer encyclopedia." The lovely month of August, 2010 will be the 7th of 12 installments and will be powered by INK CIRCLES. I am just tickled to have been invited to participate in this first year.

The campaign is designed to promote women's heart health awareness and will directly support a charity called Carol for Heart. More info on Carol for Heart is on that SYHO website.

Stay tuned for updates on this campaign. In addition to the 12 new charts, there will be much fun for stitchers and non-stitchers, as well as a few surprises to be announced.

How We Do It in These Parts

2009-10-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

Michelle is a native Texan, where they know a good cowpoke when they see one. She changed the color scheme a little bit to fit her decor and stitched them on these adorable bandana-trimmed pillows. Meet her custom Beau Leggy and Calamity Pippi!