This past Saturday I spent a wonderful day in Capac, Michigan along with about 70 other stitchers, quilters, and embroiderers at the Michigan Stitchers Spring Gathering.
The doors opened at 9:00 AM where I was able to get settled into my seat and visit with the ladies as they arrived.
I spoke about Embroidery It and the Embroidery Bee Club and showed a variety of Embroidery Bee designs.
There were two shops displaying a variety of items for sale who also spoke.
The first showed a hexagon acrylic ruler and how you could make these hexagon bowls.
She also showed how the hexagon could be made into a quilt.
Another project for us was an IPad lap holder that was stuffed with rice.
In the other shop, the lady had a Brother Scan N Cut.
Although she didn’t demonstrate the Scan N Cut, she did show projects which could be made with it. Here, the flowers in the quilt blocks were cut with the Scan N Cut.
******* OK, I have to ask ****** Do you have an electronic fabric cutter such as the Scan N Cut or some other brand like the Silhouette or Cricket. Or other brand? If you do, would you please let me know what you like or don’t like about it. I must say I was quite fascinated by this and am interested in what is good or bad about the different ones out there. THANK YOU!!
Before lunch, show-and-tell began and was then finished after lunch. There were so many beautiful projects shown by everyone. Here is a handful of items.
The bottom of this purse was made from Cork Fabric!
Just look at this vintage Singer sewing machine!
This is just a small sampling of what was shown at the event.
I want to say the next part correctly so if anyone has something to add here, please let me know so I may correct the following. The Michigan Stitchers operate through the Mitten State Stitchers Yahoo Group that you may find HERE. So if you are local, you may wish to check them out.
Happy Stitching Everyone, and don’t forget to leave a comment about your electronic cutting machine. Thanks!! 🙂
Thank you for your response and excitement about this set. I’m excited too. 🙂
The designs are all going to fit in your 4 x 4 hoop. I know some of you have been concerned about that. Never fear! It also matches nicely with the banner add ons that have been made for the previous banner. However some of the add on’s do NOT fit the 4 x 4 hoop so be sure to read the sizes in the descriptions.
It is a double applique which means you can let your imagination run wild with the color combinations. How fun to make banners for birthdays and other holidays.
Each letter will be released for free for one week. After that it will be available for sale in the Embroidery It Zibbet shop.
Be sure to sign up for the Embroidery It newsletter so you will be notified of each new letter as it is released. Also, add Embroidery It to your “safe senders” so it won’t end up in your junk folder.
To easily get to these letters just go to the HOME page and scroll down to the bottom where you will see it.
So excited to share with you the new free alphabet machine embroidery design set which begins this Wednesday.
It is an in the hoop double applique banner alphabet. It matches the same size as the previous banner letters so the additional pieces will coordinate perfectly.
Thank you for letting your embroidery friends know about this both so they can find Embroidery It as well as get in on the very beginning and not miss a single letter.
A new line of free standing lace jewelry has started today. Each letter will be sold individually and you can make all three designs in just one hooping, two earrings and a necklace.
The earrings are the perfect size for a charm on a bracelet or ankle bracelet.
These designs are released at intro pricing for one week at only $1.50. Regular price will be $2.99 so be sure to grab it while it’s on sale!
Now you can make jewelry in any color to match any outfit.
Find it here in the Embroidery It Etsy shop and Zibbet Store
Michigan was hit with a huge wind storm on Wednesday leaving hundreds of thousands without power. We were one of them. No electricity, not internet or cell phone service. Thankfully as soon as hubby got home he was able to connect a small generator we have to run enough electricity for the refrigerator, deep freeze and well pump so we could have water. . We had a couple of large trees fall, one hitting our daughter’s boyfriend’s car. We will take care of that. Trust. Now I’m a country mouse through and through, but little hiccups like these throw me for a loop. Trust.
Friends, since I chose the word “Trust” at the end of last year, that word has come into my mind every single day. I don’t understand why that one simple action of trust is so hard for me. I think about it and pray. Alot. You can read my initial blog post on trust HERE.
I think and pray about the littlest of things. I try a new recipe and I hope it turns out and is not a waste of time and money. I’ve misplaced my car keys. My weight. Trust.
I think and pray about the bigger things. Hubby’s job. Embroidery It. Three college age children. My mom. Trust.
And I think and pray about the biggest of things. Natural disasters. ISIS. Drug trafficking. Trust.
I hear so many people say, “God doesn’t give us any more than we can handle.” Sometimes I think the truth is ‘we handle what God gives us.’
But lately, as I spent time thinking about trust, I’ve had a new perspective about it.
God is so great and he loves us so much, that perhaps we need to trust that when we come through our problems and issues, we will, in some way, become greater or better. God loves each one of us so greatly that he can use the simplest of our problems for His good to improve our lives.
So now as I think of my problems and I think of ‘Trust’, I wonder and think about how I will grow? How will my life become better as I come out on the other side? How is God using this situation in my life? I’m no longer going to just Trust I get through the situation. I’m going to Trust God has something in store for me that is good and wonderful as I get through to the other side of this problem or situation.
I hope you can see my thought process and understand the feelings I’m trying to convey here about Trust. And I trust that these words have in some way been a blessing to you.
For those of you in the Embroidery Bee, the March embroidery designs were available early this morning. You should have received a newsletter in your in-box so be sure to look for it.
This also means the February embroidery designs are now released in the Etsy and Zibbet stores.
The candy holder is a small treat bag, set of 2 designs. As with all club designs, they fit in your 4 x 4 hoop. It is an Easter Treat Bag. One is a bunny and the other an egg which has room for adding a name with a small font. The Tiny Print Alphabet which was also just released fits perfectly inside it.
The Tiny Print Alphabet also includes numbers and four symbols. It is 1/2″ tall and makes a sweet touch on a collar point, a cuff or fits a covered button.
It’s an exciting time as the March Embroidery Bee designs will be delivered to your inbox in just 3 days!! Embroidery club members be sure to watch for them by 9:00 AM Eastern Time Zone.
Members in the Embroidery Bee club receive a candy holder and an alphabet set on the first of each month along with a newsletter full of inspiring ideas.
Here are the designs which were released in January.
You can read how to make these fun ornaments HERE.
Membership to the Embroidery Bee is only $5.00 a month. Designs are great for yourself or gift giving. To find out more about the Embroidery Bee and to join, just click HERE.
Members receive this candy wrapper FREE immediately upon joining.
Have you heard someone say my embroidery machine likes only certain brands of thread?
Today in the Embroidery It newsletter I wrote about why you’ve heard people say this. You know our embroidery machines are just that. Machines. Machines don’t have feelings or preferences but why do some threads work better in our embroidery machines than others?
The reason may be due to how the thread is wound or the ‘twist’ that it has. Some threads come off the spool to the right and some to the left. That little difference in ‘twist’ might be the reason some machines tend to give us fits with certain threads while other threads give us beautiful results making us say, our embroidery machines truly do have a thread preference.
Friends, I want to let you know that at the bottom of each newsletter is a new section called, “Have You Heard?” It will contain just a few sentences of a sewing/embroidery tip or trick, a new tool, or event that you might find of value. I won’t be writing them all here at the blog unless it is something more lengthy.
So be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get valuable embroidery information delivered to your inbox each week.
One more bit of valuable information….Have you heard of all the fun happening over in the Embroidery Bee monthly club? Just click HERE to find out more and join in. At only $5.00 a month you will receive an alphabet set, candy holder and monthly newsletter with inspiring embroidery ideas.
You are my Valentine! In this week’s newsletter there will be a special link for newsletter subscribers to get this free Valentine “Be Mine” snowflake coaster. It is the one way I can share a little love with all of you. Thank you all for your support of Embroidery It.
If you haven’t yet signed up for the newsletter, it’s not too late. Just do so by clicking the link to the right. 🙂 If you do so before Sunday Feb. 12, 2017, you will get the design.
It is super bowl Sunday and I hope your team wins. I must confess though, I’m not a football fan. I’m sure the game will be on in the background, but I’ll be paying more attention to the commercials rather than game itself. 🙂 So if you are like me, you will be spending time at your embroidery or sewing machine and I have a fun new in-the-hoop project just in time for Valentine’s day.
Valentine’s Day Candy Bar Wrappers
There are three designs in the set and are made in your 5 x 7 hoop.
You’re So Tweet
Happy Valentine’s Day
All You Need is Love and a Little Chocolate
You can whip up a bunch of these for all the sweet Valentines in your life and you can have them all done before the football game is over.
You may find them here in the Embroidery It Etsy shop or Zibbet store.
I’m sure most of you know this, but for those of you who have just discovered Embroidery It, There is a free machine embroidery design each week. Currently we are going through the alphabet and are up to the letter T.
This embroidery design is made in the hoop and if you use vinyl, it makes for a great key chain, luggage tag identifier and so much more.
Just scroll down to the bottom of the home page here at Embroidery It and grab it for instant download. While you are here, don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter. This way, you won’t miss out on any of the new designs.
Have a great day stitching at your embroidery machine today and if you are like me, up north, stay warm. It is frigid here in Michigan this week.
Here is a fun use for the Valentine Mason Jar Lid Alphabet set. The design fits perfectly inside those plastic ornaments which open in half. I got mine at Hobby Lobby and they sell them year round. Guessing they are at the other craft stores as well.
Stitch the design on a lightweight cotton fabric using a light weight stabilizer. I used tear-away. Once the design is stitched out and stabilizer removed, open the ornament and center the design. Then just close the ornament with the other half of it and trim excess fabric away.
Place a small bead of glue around the two halves and add a bit of lace or ribbon. This will hide where the halves meet plus keep it from accidentally popping open.
Add a hanger and bow. Consider adding a sprinkle of glitter or flocking inside the ornament before closing it up. Super cute for gift giving.
Believe me when I tell you the photos don’t do this justice. It turned out adorable.
Have fun with this little project!
Here is another use for the design. Perfect monogram on an infant or child’s shirt. Just add a bow for flair!
Friends, this was the January alphabet set for the Embroidery Bee members. Don’t miss out. Find out more about the monthly club by clicking HERE.
The design is now available for all in the Embroidery It Etsy store and Zibbet shop.
If you’ve been reading my blog for some time, you know I struggle with losing weight. It is a constant battle. Come this past January 1st, I was 30 pounds overweight. Ugh!
I had read about Whole 30 off and on for a couple of years now. When I was at at a craft show this past fall, it was held at a school and along with the craft show, there was a book sale. At the book sale was the Whole 30 book so I snatched it up for just $1. And I read it. And I thought about it.
I don’t feel like I have food allergies or intolerances but I have been addicted to sugar. I needed something to get me back on track with healthy eating.
So 30 days of clean eating. That is not a lifetime. That is only 30 days. I could do this.
I started January 1st and finished yesterday. I did it! I will confess, I did it perfectly with the one exception of my husband’s birthday. We went out for a nice dinner and I had a few bites of his dessert. It was so hard. I wanted a bit of sweets more than you can imagine, but that one meal was my only exception.
The results….I lost 9 pounds! Woot woot! The other thing was I’ve genuinely had improved energy.
I also have been back at the gym and moving my body. I go for 30 minutes and I’m happy with that. If I have to go for an hour, I just won’t go.
So now that the Whole 30 is over, I’m slowly reintroducing some of the foods that were removed over the past 30 days. Today I’ve added dairy and oh the half and half in my coffee was sooooo good. I’m going to slowly add back in healthy grains. But the sweets, sigh….Those need to be saved for special occasions and not a daily snack.
I haven’t written much about my weight lately because I find it to be such a struggle. Also, I was afraid of failing once again. But 9 pounds over 30 days, I’m happy with that and I hope to see it continue.
I’m not affiliated with Whole 30 in any way. I just wanted to share my experience with you and share a bit of embroidery inspiration.
Make it a great day friends and let’s treat our bodies well.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
And if you would like to read more about my struggle with weight loss you can read it HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. You are not alone.
In my neck of the woods, the ground is covered in snow and everything is just white, gray and brown. With the Christmas decorations all put away now it all feels so plain. Getting into the studio is like a breath of fresh air as it is full of color and stitching for Valentine’s day is simply cheerful.
Here is the Candy Hearts Coasters which double as a wall decor project. They are made in the 4 x 4 hoop. To turn them into a decor project, just glue them onto ribbon and add a bow. Instructions on this along with lots of photos are included. 4 designs are in the set.
Make them in all different colors so when using as a coaster, each person can easily identify their glass.
Today is the most important of all the days in this series. It is about enjoying and appreciating every moment that is given to us. It is our final day in the series and I am throwing colorful virtual confetti! Thank you so much for being with me this week. If you missed a day, you can find it here. Day 1 Day 2Day 3Day 4 Day 5
I’ve written on the previous days about scheduling and planning what we need to create, so before I get started with today’s blog post, I want to just mention that I ran across a list of free calendars that you can print off which are absolutely beautiful. If you run across this post at a later time, I don’t know if this list will still be available, but for now, you can get to it HERE.
Let’s briefly revisit day 1 for a moment. We wrote down what did and didn’t work for us during 2016. If you found your list of things that didn’t work well for you to be longer than you like, or if you are looking for ways to improve those situations so they are not repeated, I have a list of suggestions that may be of help.
Begin each day with a statement of gratitude. “Thank you God for this beautiful day.” “Today is going to be a great day.” What we place in our minds first thing sets the tone for how our day will be. It may be cold and raining outside but if we wake up and say, “this is a beautiful day,” our mind will find things throughout the day that are beautiful.
Write 3 things down each day that you appreciate. Of course you appreciate your family and your home, but look for the little things in life like seeing that perfect six pointed snowflake, the creaminess and sweetness of your morning coffee, or the crisp look of your freshly made bed. This little exercise takes only a minute and will train your brain to see beauty even in our darkest days.
Keep your creative calendar that we have been making handy and schedule in specific creative time for yourself. During this time the focus is only on you and enjoying the creative moment.
Look for little 15 to 20 minute pockets of time in which you can be creative. Take along some knitting or hand embroidery to the doctor’s office to work on while you are in the waiting room. Those little pockets of time really add up and it is surprising how many projects can be completed by just working on them in short chunks.
Limit the negative thoughts that come into your head. Turn off the doom and gloom news. You can get all the important information just be scanning the headlines of news on your computer. You can do that in 2 minutes vs 30 minutes of news on the TV.
Learn to focus and not multi-task. Learn to really give your attention to one thing at a time and not be distracted to the e-mail and text messaging bells and beeps.
Take a walk outdoors. Even if it is just to the end of your driveway and back. Deep breaths of fresh air and a simple change of scenery can do wonders for our soul.
Find the enjoyment and creativity in all things. Appreciate the beauty of a freshly dusted shelf and add to it something seasonal. Enjoy the process of cooking a healthy meal and the beauty of the food we eat. Find ways to infuse creativity into work outside the home, even if the only way you can is by wearing a special necklace or setting a plant on your desk.
Finally, Smile.
I hope you have enjoyed this series and that it helps bring to you a very beautiful and creative 2017. May it be your most creative year ever!
Welcome in joining me on day 5 of Make it a Creative New Year. If you have just joined me, you can find the previous days here. Day 1, Day 2,Day 3, and Day 4
Today we discuss when we lack motivation to create. You can read last year’s post on this HERE. Last year’s post gives some great suggestions of ways to re-inspire you and I’m going to recap them here plus add a few additional ways I’ve discovered.
Give your creative space a good cleaning or a face lift with a fresh coat of paint. Maybe new shelves or other organizational systems are needed.
Turn on some favorite tunes or listen to a podcast to give you company.
Watch a creative webinar or YouTube video.
Join a guild or a club (Like the Embroidery Bee) to have new regular inspiration.
Take a class at your local sewing or craft shop.
Try a new embroidery technique.
Try a new craft all together.
Buy a new magazine or visit the library and scour the latest crafting books.
Spend some time on Pinterest.
Share what you make on Facebook and Yahoo groups.
Invite a friend or two to come and sew/embroider with you.
Volunteer to make something for a worthy charity. I belong to a local group called Crafters with a Cause and my group quilts blankets for preemie babies. Others will make stuffed animals for children going through surgery, knitted caps, prayer shawls and a host of other needed and appreciated items that go to our local hospitals.
Make sure everything is right in your life, you’re eating well and getting plenty of sleep. Remember the good Lord took a day of rest and sometimes we just need to step back from things for a bit. Do what we did on day one of this series, we reflected. Reflect on what is going on in your life. You need the understanding of this so that you can make the necessary changes to move forward.
One final, yet probably best, suggestion when we lack motivation is to see all that is good and appreciate our blessings. If you find your lack of motivation is because there is something negative going on and you are sad, angry or upset, that must be addressed first. That can halt our creative motivation in its tracks. And to help aid in moving past these feelings, the very best thing we can do is to see the good, see beauty, see our blessings. It won’t change the sad or upsetting situation, but seeing beauty can sometimes lift our spirits enough to move forward again.
Tomorrow we will finish up the series. No matter where you are on your creative journey, I’m honored you are here with me.
Thank you for continuing on through this series with me.
Day 4 is about those Unfinished Projects. You can read the 2016 post on this HERE.
I love starting projects. I love the thrill and the excitement of planning and preparing. I love imagining the finished product.
Then sometimes I stall out. Sometimes there is a reason for this, and other times, I stall for no reason at all and find it so difficult to get back into the project and see it to the finish.
As I mentioned in last year’s post, take inventory of those unfinished projects. Be realistic on if you will finish them or not. It is ok to say yes, I will finish it, but just not now. If this is the case, put the project aside so it isn’t staring you in the face and giving you feelings of guilt for not having completed it. You have it written on your inventory list so you won’t completely forget it.
For projects you still want to complete, give them a target completion date. Look at the steps needed to complete the project and add those steps to your calendar. You will feel so good with the project is finished. Keep those good feelings in mind as you move forward.
Remember, our creative projects should make us happy and having unfinished projects can subconsciously create a lot of negativity. If forcing ourselves to finish a project isn’t making us happy, consider donating the unfinished project. There are other people who will be either happy to finish it, or to re-purpose the materials into something else for them. Look at donating as a chance to bless someone else with something that will make them happy. And for you, to have the project out of the house that you weren’t going to finish just lightens our spirit a bit not having it hang over our heads.
Let’s go back just a moment to the top of this post where I mention that I stall out. I know that happens to many of us. Take a look at your unfinished list of projects and really consider why it was that you didn’t finish it. Did you run out of supplies? Run out of time? Run into a problem with the project? Or did you become bored?
Knowing why you stall out on projects can direct you in your choice of creating moving forward. I personally like a project I can start and finish in an evening. I’ve only made a couple of quilts because they just take too long. But you know what? I’ve started and stalled on 3 of them. When I see a quilt I want to make, it is better for me to talk myself out of doing it before investing money and time in starting something that will sit there unfinished. And then I feel bad about that.
So think friends about what you start on this coming year so that ALL your creative time quality, treasured time.
Thank you for continuing to follow along in this 2017 series. You can catch up on the previous posts.
We are at Day 3 which is Schedule. You can find the 2016 post on this HERE.
You’ve penciled into your calendar some “happy me time” yesterday. Now let’s look at holidays and birthdays.
Make a list of all the holidays and events that you want to make something for. Be sure to include things such as teacher appreciation gifts, expectant mothers, upcoming weddings, and of course birthdays and Christmas and any other holiday you celebrate. On your list, include what you would like to make for each person.
Next schedule in some time a month or two prior to the event or holiday to begin making the project. Be sure to allow yourself plenty of time. This is particularly important for holidays such as Christmas when there are many gifts to give, or if you have several birthdays or other events occurring close together.
A real benefit of having this list is so you can be prepared. For instance, I always like to embroider a shirt for my husband’s birthday. It is on my list so I can watch the sales and when I find a shirt I like on sale, then I can get it.
Don’t stress out here. Remember, creativity is to be our happy time, our health improvement time, not a chore. Scheduling just helps in planning and I’m a planner. I know some of you are a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of gal so this might not work for you. Just use what ideas inspire you and discard the rest.
Tomorrow we are going to take a look at our UFO’s, those UnFinished Objects that we all have in our closets.
To catch up on your reading for this series, you can find:
