Friends, As young children we were encouraged to use our imagination and be creative. You can remember back to sitting on your mother or grandmother’s lap as they taught you to use a sewing machine. Perhaps they also taught you to knit, crochet, or hand embroidery on tea towels.
Looking back on those moments comes with memories of appreciation of the blessings we had. It was a time when we lived in the moment of the creative process enjoying each step along the way.
Fast forward to today and we are bombarded with the facets of life which often times pull us in multiple directions at once. Our spouses need us. Our children and grandchildren need us. Coworkers and bosses need us. Church groups and other organizations we belong to need us. And then, of course, our home needs us with its constant cleaning, laundry and never ending meals all pulling for our attention.
It’s no wonder we’ve lost some of our creative mojo and appreciation of the little blessings of life. For many of us, when we are creating, all the needs in our lives are floating around in the back of our heads nudging us to be doing something else and keeping us from truly enjoying the creative process that we once used to take for granted.
The intent of this series is to help bring back some of those feelings we had of enjoying and appreciating those creative moments as well as the beauty and blessings around us. It is about not letting those needs interfere with the enjoyment of the creative process.
Get ready for A New Year, A Creative New You. This free blog series begins January 1st. To get yourself ready you will want to have a notebook and calendar or day planner as we go through the series.
How fun to create embroidered Valentine’s day cards for your children, grandchildren or even yourself to share with loved ones and friends.
The Valentine’s Day Lollipop Holders are stitched on felt and make the perfect Valentine. There are 4 designs in the set and all are made in the 4 x 4 hoop. Step-by-step instructions with photos included. It is great for beginners who have never tried in-the-hoop embroidery before.
Jan’s blog Stitching Adventures gives wonderful tips on embroidery, sewing and quilting. In her Classic Cotton Shop, Jan has some fabric, kits, books and patterns including some exclusive quilting patterns that she has written! Friends, grab yourself a cup of coffee and poke around her blog and shop and you will get some wonderful inspiration. I also just have to add, I think having a sewing/quilting shop would be such great fun!!
Thank you Jan for sharing about Embroidery It on your blog. Friends, if you are a blogger and would like to collaborate with me, just leave me a comment here or reply to any newsletter.
If you are like me, you are busy getting things ready for Christmas around the house. I won’t take up much of your time here but I want to let you know that the Oversized and Regular Sized Letter K sets have been released at the intro price of only $1.00 this week.
The oversized letters are beautiful on pillows, tree skirts, table runners, grill covers, mixer covers and more. Basically they are great for those large items we want to embroider on.
The regular sized letters are perfect for shirts, aprons, purses and more. Please note the exact sizes are listed at this time on the home page of the website as well as in the Etsy store.
If you are like me, you are in the thick of Christmas planning and decorating. I’ve got a sweet Candy Cane Holder just for you. It comes in time to make a basket full to give to friends, neighbors, and to decorate the tree.
Here is the thing. I think it is cute, but my mind is drawing a blank as to come up with a name that fits it. So far, all I’ve got is “Candy Cane Holder.” This design deserves a better name than this. So I’m throwing it out there to all of you.
What would you name this embroidery design?
If you receive my newsletter, just hit “reply” to the newsletter and send me the name you think fits. You can also e-mail me here
nancyjacobs(at)embroideryit(dot)com
I will make my decision by noon Eastern time on Friday December 11th. For the person who’s name idea I select, you will get ANY item of your choice from the Embroidery It Etsy Shop. Plus you will get bragging rights to say you named this design!!
If I receive several of the same names, the winner will be selected by whoever sends it to me first and I will look at the e-mail time stamp.
For now though, you can get this design over in the Etsy store by clicking HERE.
Thank you so much for requesting more of the candy holders. I’m pleased to let you know that the Christmas Candy Holder set has now been released and is available in the Etsy shop.
This is the PERFECT time for you to use that Embroidery glitter fabric or other fun fabric you have in your stash. Glittery fabric absolutely sparkles on the Christmas tree. Burlap is so popular right now and these ornaments work well with that as well. Also think about stitching on some beads or buttons. How sweet would that be!
These candy holder designs can be used as Christmas ornaments, attached to a package, place settings at the table, hung on doorknobs or hung on garland that spirals up the staircase. Let your imagination go!
A pine tree, wreath and bell are the three designs in the set and all are made in your 4 x 4 hoop. Step-by-step instructions included with many color photos.
Hop on over today and you can whip up a bunch this afternoon for your Christmas decorating.
And because I know many of you will be asking, I got my glitter fabric from BFC-Stash.
Blessings,
Nancy
life is good and precious so be creative daily and live life beautifully
This year for Thanksgiving we are getting to spend it with my brother and his family, my mother and two of our three children. We have so much to be thankful for. Big things, little things, there is goodness and so many blessings all around if we just open our eyes to see it.
Today I’d like to share with you my list of top 10 things I’m thankful for.
10. Living in the Midwest. This is home to me and I am so thankful that my husband’s job has brought us back to the Midwest where life is just a little slower, a little less flashy and beauty that takes my breath away.
9. Our military and emergency personnel who keep us safe and who give so much of themselves to all in need.
8. My health. Any issues I have I am able to live and deal with but generally speaking I am in good health and for that I am truly thankful.
7. Our home, car, hot water, food on the table and all the many tangible blessings and that includes my embroidery machine.
6. My ability to create in all areas of my life. Machine embroidery, crafts, cooking and decorating our home are all ways I can express my creativity and I’m thankful to be able to do so.
5. My business Embroidery It. Let me share that I have wanted my own business for years. Seriously years! The closest I ever came to having my own business before Embroidery It was I belonged to a party plan company for three years. Even though I could schedule my own hours, it was still their business and not truly my own. I longed for my own creative business and I was so scared when I took the leap and went forward with Embroidery It. It may be small, but it is 100% mine and I’m thankful for it each and every day.
4. I’m thankful for YOU. Oh my goodness you are some wonderful people. And dear friends, you are helping me with #7. #6 and #5 on my list so “thank you so much.”
3. Our extended families and our church family.
2. My husband and children and our little old beagle.
1. I am so thankful that Jesus died on the cross for all believers and that he forgives all our weaknesses so that we may have everlasting life with Him.
Wishing each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving today.
Love,
Nancy
ps. In-the-hoop embroidery design is from Embroidery Library
I finished the garden flag I had been working on for my dear brother and Sister-in-law. I embroidered the design onto ogsnaburg fabric which you can find at the store located with the utility fabrics. Then I stitched on the ribbon stripes and finally backed it with duck cloth. When turned right side out I did a bit of topstitching around the edge as well. I didn’t use a pattern, just kind of winged the design myself using an existing garden flag for the approximate size. For the finishing touch I added a bow out of the same ribbon that was made the stripes. I think I need a bit of bow making practice. 🙂
This was the first one I made and have now made a couple more since using burlap which was fun to stitch on. In hindsight, I wish I would have bought some purple Kansas State wildcat fabric to create the monogram letter R. Maybe I will just have to make them another one next year.
The small font was built into my machine but the applique letter “R” is from 8 Claws and a Paw.
I have something special I would like to share with you today. Let me tell you I am so excited because in my last newsletter I asked if there were bloggers who would like to collaborate with me to help spread the word about Embroidery It.
Photo Credit Vintage Barngirl
Vanessa from Vintage Barngirl was one to respond and she stitched out the Fall Gift Box Set. Vanessa, I love the colors you used for the boxes and that red and white bakers twine is adorable!!! Y’all can read her blog post about making these HERE.
Vanessa has a fun blog where she showcases beautiful embroidery, sewing and crafty goodness. She is my kind of girl and I know you are going to love poking around her blog!
Friends if you are a blogger and are interested in collaborating with me, just leave me a comment here or send me an e-mail. A quick and easy way is just to reply to any of my newsletters. I will get back to you with more details.
I’m getting ready to spend some time with family over Thanksgiving and I won’t be seeing them over Christmas so I need to have their gifts ready yesterday! I really should have done these a few weeks ago.
I got a couple of blank totes at a place called The Christmas Tree Shoppe in Shelby Township while I was there teaching at the Michigan Embroiderers Fall Fest. The Christmas Tree Shoppe reminds me of a store I’m more familiar with called Big Lots. Do you know that one? A friend of mine used to call it Big Lots of Junk. HA! Seriously though, both of those places are fun to poke around in and the prices are pretty unbeatable.
The picture at the top of the post is for my sweet Sister-in-law. Then the second picture shows a tote bag I made for mom. I was using the camera feature on my 10 needle to center the design. It still got a bit off center. I’ll need to try it again to see if the camera really is off or if it was user error. I’m betting it was the latter.
The fonts, frame and flower design were all built into my machine. Like I said, I wanted to do something Q-U-I-C-K!
Are any of you working on Christmas gifts? Handmade is best you know!
Just a reminder that the letter I is intro priced this week in the Embroidery It Etsy Shop. The oversized design comes in 3 sizes designed to fit the 6 x 10 hoop and larger. The regular size fits the 5 x 7 and 4 x 4 hoops.
The Let’s Celebrate Pennant Letter M Machine Embroidery Design is available free this week at the bottom of the home page. Be sure to grab it now because it is here for one week only!
If you are a blogger and enjoy machine embroidery, consider collaborating with me. I’m looking for bloggers to help share the news about Embroidery It in exchange for designs as well as links to your website. Please send me an e-mail and I will get back to you with the specifics. I promise it will be a fun and creative win-win for both of us!
It was last Tuesday when my father went peacefully to be with Jesus. Many of you have been following my journey for some time and for those of you who are new, my dad has had cancer for many years. In fact he was diagnosed when our Emily, back row left, was just a newborn and she is 20 now.
He was uncomfortable but never in much pain and his last 40 hours were at spent at the Hospice house with us at his side.
I arrived in Kansas the Saturday before and was able to spend some precious time with both mom and dad. Dad was alert until the end.
Thank you all for the many prayers we have received over the years for him. Even though my life feels so upside down at the moment I know God is right at my side. My dear friend Michelle says that Dad just made it to the party before we did and she is so right. Someday we will join him at the best party of all.
I love each and every one of you who are here reading this and if you ever need a prayer, just leave a comment with your prayer request and know that I will be praying for you. God is great.
If you haven’t grabbed it yet, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the home page to get this week’s free letter. It will be available through Wednesday.
Gender reveal candy bar wrapper is perfect for gender reveal parties, birth announcements, baby showers, hospital visitor gifts, and more. Use in place of the congratulatory cigar.
These adorable wraps are made in one 5 x 7 hooping and are stitched on soft felt and are filled with a regular size Hershey candy bar.
Just a reminder here to watch your inbox tomorrow for the Embroidery It newsletter. It will contain the links to the free Halloween Lollipop Holder designs. The links will not be posted here on the website.
These two designs are so much fun and super easy to make. They are done in the 4 x 4 hoop, stitched on felt, and the designs come with photo instructions. You can whip up a bunch in very little time.
Thank you all for sharing about Embroidery It with your friends.
This past Saturday I drove over to the East side of the state to teach a class for the Michigan Embroiderers Fall Fest. My class was about embroidery on jeans and I will be writing a blog post about that within the next few days.
For now though, enjoy a few pictures of the day and may it inspire you to create something.
Just want to remind you that the Oversized Letter F and the Regular sizes are only $1.00 this week in the Etsy shop. Both sets contain 3 different sizes. Please see the description for the exact sizes. The oversized letters are made in the 6 x 10 hoop and larger and the regular sizes are made in the 5 x 7 and 4 x 4 hoops.
And of course we all know what F stands for…Machine Embroidery FUN!
