Thursday, January 10, 2013

Happy New Year!

Hello, readers!

Now, I should start this post off by saying that in 2013, I resolve to stitch more.  Toward the end of 2012, I got a little... overwhelmed... with knitting, and I kind of neglected y'all over here because literally ALL I was doing was making brain hats, so... I apologize.  Now that I am caught up on orders, I promise to keep you guys updated with juicy stitching tidbits again!

So, to ring in the new year, I am going to show you my favorite finish of 2012, now that I have had time to get it framed.  Here is "Egyptian Sampler" by Teresa Wentzler!

"Egyptian Sampler" by Teresa Wentzler - finished and framed!
I chose a green and gold frame for this beauty because I liked the way it looks with the papyrus leaf stitching in the border.  I framed this at an awesome shop out in Brookline called The Framers' Workshop.  You take your piece in with you, and the gurus help you pick out a matching frame and matting, etc.  Then, they cut the frame for you, and they show you how to assemble the frame and frame your piece - all by yourself (WAY cheaper than taking it to a traditional frame shop)!  I had a Groupon for $100, so my total for framing two pieces and getting a mat cut for my friend Jenn was about $40 out of pocket ($140 pre-Groupon).

"Two pieces?" you say.  Yes, two - because I also picked out a lovely little whitewashed/distressed frame for "A Day at the Beach."  Here it is!
"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman - also finished and framed!
The Framers' Workshop is really an awesome place to go for framing, and there were also a bunch of "real" artists there getting their work framed, so it's legit.  :)  My only suggestion would be to go on a weekday if possible - we went on a Saturday afternoon and had to wait in line for about an hour and a half because the employees can only help two customers at once.  But if you are reading this, and you are in the Boston/New England area, you should definitely check it out!

I also received my first Etsy order for the year - and I have been commissioned to stitch a beautiful Santa with a few majestic polar bears!  I am super excited to start this piece, so I will post pics as soon as I receive it from my buyer.  Check back for updates and for progress on my other WIPs - 2012 was a great year for my budding little business, and I am looking forward to 2013!

Until later,
-Erin
Less Bitching, More Stitching!

9 comments:

  1. Both pieces are stunning! I love the Egyptian Wentzler...gorgeous and LOTS of work! And a day at the beach...cute as a button!

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  2. Nice work! Best of luck in 2013... It should be a great year for you...is. This your wedding year? That will make it the best year ever!

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  3. WOW!! I've always wanted to stitch a Wentzler but all the specialty stitches and color changes, makes me sweat to think about it, hahaha....
    Your egyptian sampler is simply gorgeous. and the "day at the beach" is BEAUTIFUL! Since I just moved to the beach about 8 months ago, I"m trying to collect alot of beachy stitching patterns. I know I'll never stitch them all, but I like to have them just in case :-)
    Thanks for the nice compliments on my scarves. They are super easy and fun to make.

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  4. Erin -
    Your are loaded in for my Grow Your Blog party. I look forward to your special post on the 19th. I hope you make lots and lots of new friends!
    Vicki

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  5. That Egyptian Sampler is just amazing, how long did it take you to finish? The frame is perfect for it!

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  6. Wow Erin, I can't even imagine how long the Egyptian Sampler took to stitch. That's absolutely amazing to see finished. Beautiful!

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  7. Congrats on both finishes! I hope my Egyptian Sampler will turn out as beautiful as yours did (I'm still working on it).

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  8. Love that Day at the Beach - might have to see if I can find that pattern myself!

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  9. That Egyptian Sampler is insane! I resolve to stitch more too, and I finally got my hands on some 'good' stitching software, I had been using one that would screw up my skien colors with the color pattern! Anywhoo, visiting and snooping around from the Valentine's Blog hop!

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