Dear Friends, Embroidery It is turning two! A week long celebration coming up beginning June 20th with all new designs at special prices and some fun bonuses thrown in for newsletter subscribers. Wink wink! Be sure to sign up for the newsletter if you haven’t yet. It is a week you won’t want to miss!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Don’t forget to grab the free cross stitch letter “n” . It will be on the home page until Tuesday.
Also….Don’t forget that Embroidery It turns 2 on the 20th. There will be a week long celebration with a few secret surprises thrown in. You are not going to want to miss it. Be sure, if you haven’t yet, to sign up for the newsletter to keep up-to-date on all the Embroidery It happenings.
Make it a great day everyone!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
I’m so excited my little business is turning 2 this month! Thank you so much for all your support and walking with me on this journey. I’m planning a week of celebration fun. If you haven’t yet, please be sure to sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out. The more the merrier so be sure to let your friends know because there will be some secret surprises added in as well. 🙂
I’m truly thankful for each and every one of you and wish I could give you each a hug.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
It seems like word art, phrases and sayings are all the rage these days. You see them on everything. Why not do them with machine embroidery? It is a fun way to add a bit of personalization and decoration to our space.
Every Day I Need comes in 2 sizes. The smaller size fits in your 5 x 7 hoop and the larger size fits your 8″ and larger hoops.
I’ve also included a basting stitch around the design due to the larger size and to help ensure its stabilization. It is removed quickly and easily after the design is stitched. Or if you don’t want it, just advance your machine past the first color stop.
You can frame it in a regular frame or for some added fun, use a regular embroidery hoop and add a pretty bow. You can also make a beautiful pillow with this.
Every Day I Need can be found in the Embroidery It Etsy Shop.
Have fun with this friends!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
I finally received my CPAP machine a week ago. It seems like a long time in getting here and it has been months since my atrial fibrillation episode.
Perhaps I’m giving this machine too much credit but I have hopes it will solve many of my problems. I still have the very rare occasion of what I call my heart popping, which I know are PVC’s and my heart skips a beat. I’m hoping this machine will completely eliminate this. Of course I hope it eliminates my sleep apnea. It was recorded I would have 33 episodes an hour which seems insane to me. Normal is less than 5. After one week of use, each day it has recorded 2 or less episodes per hour! I’m hoping that with improved sleep my blood pressure will improve and that I will have improved weight loss because of having more energy during the day.
So speaking of weight loss. I’m exactly where I was when I started. I went on vacation for two weeks and it put me right back at ground zero. Sigh. Since Katie has moved back home she has literally twisted my arm to go to the gym. I’ve whined like a little child about going, but I’ve gone four times this past week. I’m not overdoing it because of fear of my heart, but I’m at least moving my body. I’m walking just under two miles on the treadmill at 3.5 miles an hour and doing a few strength exercises. Today at the gym I was lucky enough to see a full length side view of me. (not) It is down right disgusting and depressing. Why is it that I have wanted to lose weight for so long that I’m not willing to fight tooth and nail for it? I just don’t understand myself. I try. I keep on trying. I will not stop trying.
Today is a new day. Every minute is a new minute. Every minute is a chance to make a decision to move forward, or backward. Here is to moving forward with good health.
Wishing all of you the best of health today.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Oh how the little cowboys and cowgirls love to put on their boots and hats and strut around. Now you can embroider something to show them just how ‘sweet’ they are to us by embroidering a Cowboy and Cowgirl Lollipop Holder.
Designs are made in your 4 x 4 hoop.
Designs are made with stops to change colors for the words, horseshoe, border and eyelets but if you like, just do them all in one color for a great look.
Requires only 2 pieces of 5 x 5 felt.
Step-by-step instructions with full color photos included.
Cowgirl design has extra eyelets that you can thread with a ribbon to form a bow.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
I have a short 6 minute video that shows you my secret sauce for perfect embroidery design placement on a t-shirt or other item. It is a small inexpensive item that works like a charm.
You can watch the video right here and if you would like more Embroidery It videos, be sure to visit my YouTube channel.
Enjoy!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Good Morning Friends!
Hate spending time while rushing to get ready for work or school and searching for the perfect outfit? Eliminate that morning chaos. Now you or your child can get ready for the week ahead of time and make mornings run just that much more smoothly by having your outfits planned. No more discovering at the last minute that something needs to be pressed or a button sewn on.
Days of the week closet organizer has a Boho-chic feel and contains 8 designs. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and a Blank for your own personalization. Fits closet rods up to 1 3/8″ diameter.
The design fits the 4 x 4 hoop.
Step-by-step instructions with photos included.
The design is stitched on felt and I used a variegated thread for the flower border.
Great for selling at craft shows and is also a lovely gift.
You can find it in the Embroidery It Etsy Shop.
Happy Embroidering,
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Good Morning Friends!
I wish you were here with me this morning as I’m sitting here enjoying a cup of coffee. Would be fun to sit and chat and embroider together!
Be sure to grab the letter K this week down at the bottom of the home page. It will be there until Tuesday.
Morning blessings to you all,
Nancy
Dear Friends,
Need a place to set your ice cold glass of sweet tea or fresh watermelon cooler? Now you can stitch up a set of these Summer Citrus Coasters in minutes. Make them different colors so each family members knows whose glass is whose without the confusion. It’s an accent to your table or picnic that shows summer freshness at its best!
Coasters are made with only one color thread and are done completely in-the-hoop using your 4 x 4 hoop. This is a great beginner project. Includes step-by-step instructions.
Friends, I hope all of you are just easing smoothly into summer with all the warmth and beauty it has to offer. Take time to slow your pace and enjoy a refreshing beverage out on your front porch and enjoy the evening fireflies.
Find the Summer Citrus Coasters in the Embroidery It Etsy Shop.
Embroidery Blessings,
Nancy
Dear Friends,
I’m home from vacationing in beautiful Florida the past couple of weeks. I feel so blessed that we got to live there for a year and a half several years ago and made some great friendships. The weather was beautiful and I had twinges of missing living there. That said, it is sure good to be back “home” in Michigan. It is just a slower pace and way of living up here and I thrive on that. 🙂
Amongst doing loads and loads of laundry and getting caught up on e-mails, I’ve been doing a bit of digitizing and stitching and will have a fun new design for you this coming week.
What is on your embroidery hoop this morning? I’d love to hear!
One final word, I will be changing out the cross stitch letters sometime Tuesday. Be sure to grab the current letters if you haven’t already.
Happy Saturday Blessings Everyone,
Nancy
Down 4 pounds!
Dear Friends,
One thing I’m trying hard to do with healthy living is clean eating. But wow, there are so many different ideas as to what clean eating is. Some say no wheat or grain, some say no dairy, some say no meat. Makes my head spin. There are more books on clean eating than you can shake a stick at.
One thing I’ve learned in my life is that most everything should be in moderation. Any time we swing the pendulum to one extreme or the other we are usually asking for problems. Of course there are exceptions to this.
My definition of clean eating is that if it came from God, then it is good for me. I’m all about fruits and vegetables and trying to get more of them in my diet and to make them the majority of what is on my plate. I’m also for meat and dairy products. Finally I am for healthy carbohydrates but in moderation. No more of the food pyramid where we have been encouraged to eat 6 to 11 servings of grains. I’m personally limiting myself to one serving of a healthy carbohydrate a day. I’m also ok with healthy fats and oils but again sparingly or in moderation.
I’m also ok with one cup of coffee a day and stevia as a sweetener in it. Limiting myself to 1 cup, not 1/2 pot due to the atrial fibrillation. Yep, that was me.
I’m ok if my food is not organic. Costco sells quite a bit of organic fruits and vegetables and many times all they offer of a certain food is organic which is fine. I’m just not going out of my way to buy only organic or free range or all those other ‘supposed to be good for me’ foods at twice the price.
What I’m not ok with is sweets. This is an addiction of mine. I’m telling myself I can have one desert a week. Not one after every meal which I had been having. And if that one a week fires up my sweet tooth, I may have to consider eliminating it completely.
I’m not ok with processed or pre-made food with the exception of condiments. I’m not going to the trouble to make my own ketchup, mayonnaise, or barbeque sauce as an example. I am, however, making my own Thousand Island salad dressing. Recipe below as it is easy peasy. I’m also personally ok with milk, yogurt, cheese and butter in moderation.
I’m not ok with deep fried anything. I love French fries so this is another tough one. Boy-oh-boy my eating habits were just out of control.
I think we all need to look at what works best for our own bodies and take that into account when deciding what we will or won’t put on our plate.
And here is my Country Style Thousand Island Recipe I told you about. Just click on the picture to enlarge and then print it out to add to your recipe box.
Make healthy choices friends.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Have you tried machine embroidery on paper? It really is fun and I have a set specifically designed for paper. Of course you can stitch it on fabric as well.
Now you can create your own keepsake embroidered cards and embroider on paper! This set lets you mix and match to create your own one of a kind Graduation and Father’s Day Cards.
Set contains 7 design files: Card, Congratulations, Happy Father’s Day, Large and Small Graduation Cap, and Large and Small Tie. The card design requires a 5 x 7 hoop but the smaller elements may be stitched in the 4 x 4 hoop.
You can mix and match the card elements as desired to make your special card truly one-of-a-kind.
Here’s a tip…Save those needles that are still good yet you change just because you are starting a new project. Use those for stitching on paper. You don’t need to use your brand new good needles.
Graduation and Father’s Day card set is available in the Embroidery It Etsy Shop.
Happy Embroidering!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Be sure you grab the free letter ‘g’ this week at the bottom of the home page to add to you collection. It will be available until next Wednesday.
Have a happy day today doing what you love dear friends.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
It has been quite some time since I have updated you on my health. When it comes to doctors, sometimes it can be a very slow process. As you recall, a few months ago, February 10th, I went to the ER and my heart was in atrial fibrillation. They shocked my heart to get it back in a normal rhythm. You can read about it HERE if you are interested. I think/hope that things are finally coming to a conclusion here.
Since that time I had an echocardiogram and a stress test. Both of which came back normal. Thank you Jesus for that. In fact the cardiologist says my heart is fine. I still on occasion feel my heart ‘pop’ which I know to be a PVC because I watched it on an EKG so I know what that feeling is related to. The doctor is not concerned about the ‘popping’ and it has been occurring less and less. Again, thank you precious Jesus.
What I have been tested for lately is sleep apnea. I go in for another sleep study on the 26th of this month and they are going to fit me for a CPAP machine. Over 50% of people who have atrial fibrillation have sleep apnea and I am one of them. I’m actually looking forward to getting the machine because having the atrial fibrillation was so scary and I NEVER want to go through that again. I’m just praying now that the CPAP machine will forever solve the problem.
Friends. I heard this phrase and it has truly struck a chord with me. “We are not living longer, we are dying longer.” I am not in bad health, but I’m certainly not in excellent health either. I haven’t been to the gym since this heart episode and I still eat some foods that are unhealthy and you know I struggle with my weight. I’m at the point I would love to lose 30 pounds. You may remember reading in the past I wanted to lose 25 pounds. Now look at me.
Since hearing that phrase, “we are not living longer, we are dying longer,” I have had a change of mindset. I will be posting here at least weekly about my journey to better health. My posting here is not to bore you, as is a form of accountability for me. I also hope I may serve as an inspiration to some of you.
I finish off most of my blog posts with “be creative daily and live life beautifully.” Well, caring for ourselves with healthy habits is most certainly one way to live life beautifully. If you are on a journey of improving your health, I’d love to hear your story.
I raise my water glass with a toast, “Here’s to living longer.”
Love,
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Show off your Instagram love with popular Instagram hashtags for baby and kids. Perfect for onesies, ruffle butt diapers, burp clothes, bibs, t-shirts and more. Everyone wants their friends and family to see how #adorable their children and grand children are!
Designs may be found HERE.
Four designs included and made in the 4×4 hoop.
Friends, I absolutely L-O-V-E Instagram. There is so much beautiful eye candy and inspiration over there.
To find me on Instagram, I’m @Embroidery_It.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Hi Friends,
Don’t forget to grab the cross stitch letter f here at the bottom of the home page. It is available free through Wednesday.
I wish you all a truly beautiful Sunday. May it be shared with family and friends.
Blessings,
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
It’s that time of year. My two youngest are both in college and although they are not looking forward to finals, they are looking forward to a break from their studies.
If you have a new graduate in your family or your child/grandchild has a special teacher, here is a quick and easy in-the-hoop project to whip up on your embroidery machine.
Four designs are included in the set and they are made in your 5 x 7 hoop. Step-by-step instructions included.
Wrap up a gift for your special teacher and your favorite graduate. These gift boxes made on your embroidery machine hold several pieces of imported chocolate, a gift card to a favorite place, a handmade bar of scented soap or other small gift.
Happy Embroidering!
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
ps. I have some companionship in the Embroidery It studio this week. We are waiting for mom’s furniture to arrive.
Dear Friends,
Spring is here and that means there is new life and sweet babies all around. Just outside my window I have a family of baby chipmunks and I expect to see baby fawns with their mamas anytime. And it’s not just animals, as I walk through the store there are lots of expecting mamas-to-be. I just love the new life that spring brings.
Perhaps you know someone in your life who is expecting a new bundle of joy. If that’s the case, here are a few embroidery ideas for the new mama or mama-to-be.
New mamas often get clothes in a variety of little sizes. Keep all those tiny clothes organized with the closet organizer.
Is it a “he” or a “she”? Gender reveal parties are what all new parents are doing these days. These gender reveal candy bar wraps whip up in a snap with just a little felt and a regular size Hershey candy bar.
Make treats for everyone at the baby shower with this bunny candy holder. You can order pink or blue M&M’s to fill them with.
And lets not forget about those sweet siblings. How about a t-shirt for the world’s greatest big brother. Available in 2 sizes.
And for the world’s sweetest big sister. Also available in 2 sizes. One for the 4 x 4 hoop and the other for the 5 x 7 hoop.
I hope you are all having a wonderful spring everyone.
Nancy
and don’t forget
be creative daily and live life beautifully
Dear Friends,
Be sure to grab the cross stitch letter e through Wednesday this week. Just scroll down to the bottom of the home page. As you know, cross stitch is pure country charm friends. Use the letters to monogram a tote bag or towel. Collect them all and make them into a sampler quilt as I have done here!
One letter free each week or if you don’t want to wait, you can get the entire set HERE.
Wishing you a wonderful week.
Nancy
be creative daily and live life beautifully
ps. Look what happened last night. And here I thought spring was on its way.
