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!

Finished - A Day at the Beach (and Some New Frames, Too!)

Hello, readers, and welcome to AUTUMN!

I finally finished my last summer-themed cross stitch piece for the year, and it's about time!  Here is "A Day at the Beach," designed by Nikki Leeman.

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

Close-up of seagulls

Close-up of seashells

Close-up of seashore panel

Close-up of sailboat panel

I stitched this piece over two threads on tan 28-count Monaco fabric.  It measures 6" x 11.5" (15.2 cm x 29.2 cm).  The panels were stitched with three different kinds of embroidery floss: DMC floss, hand-dyed Crescent colors floss, and hand-dyed floss by The Gentle Art.  The hand-dyed threads are variegated, so they give the stitching wonderful depth.  The pattern and floss are available from Stoney Creek.  It may be a little late to start this one this year, but if you are looking for a fun summer piece for 2013, I recommend this one because it stitches up so quickly, and it has a very charming, nautical feel.

I was a busy bee this weekend; I also framed some pieces I had finished previously!  I used the method I posted on Daily Dose of Handmade a while back.  The framed pieces give my Etsy shop a very finished look; it is probably easier to sell something that is "ready to display," as opposed to selling something that people have to frame themselves before it can be hung.  Here is an "after" shot of each piece.

"Twilight Angel"

"Bee-Wildered Cat"

"Butterflies on Nine Patches"

Each of these frames was only $1 from Goodwill, and they are solid pine and include mounting fixtures.  The last piece I had custom mounted and framed cost almost $30, and it was only about 6" x 12".  If you are framing a piece that is a standard size (4" x 6", 5" x 7", 8" x 10", etc.), it is really worth it to track down an inexpensive frame and frame it yourself.  Unfortunately, "A Day at the Beach" is not a standard size, so I will probably have to make a frame for it myself.  But that is a blog entry for another day...

Until next time, happy crafting!  Thank you for reading and for commenting.

-Erin

Quick weekend trip to Tucson, AZ - for a Western wedding!

Hello, readers!  I hope you had a great weekend.  Here is what I have been doing – it has been a trip!

I have been traveling SO MUCH lately.  This weekend, I went on a quick (Friday-Sunday) trip to Arizona for my aunt’s wedding.  My fiancé was supposed to meet me in Tucson, but unfortunately, his flight was cancelled because AA is having labor issues with its pilots.  :(  It was still good to see my parents and my sister, though!  :) It was such a beautiful ceremony – my aunt and her new husband held the ceremony at his stepmother’s house.  The wedding was country Western-themed, so all of the wedding party wore vests, denim, and cowboy boots.  The happy couple got married standing on a platform overlooking the lagoon-style swimming pool amidst a background of desert, mountains, and saguaro cacti.  Here is one of my favorite shots from the ceremony:

My aunt's country Western-themed wedding in Tucson, AZ

So, now, I am sitting in the Detroit airport waiting for my flight back to Boston.  I have been quite busy stitching, of course.  “A Day at the Beach” is coming along very quickly – I only have two panels left to stitch.  Here is a shot of how it is coming:

"A Day at the Beach" - only two panels left!

I am going to try to finish it in the next week or so!  It will be nice to get my last summer piece out of the way so I can get started on Christmas projects.

I have been trying a new thread organization trick lately.  See, one of the things I hate most about needlework is continually threading needles and winding thread bits back onto bobbins when I switch colors – especially when tweeding or metallic threads are used.  I have been trying instead to keep a stock of needles pre-threaded with each of colors I use.  I store the needles in a scrap piece of fabric, and I label the scrap with the name/number and symbol of each of the thread colors.  Here is what I mean:

New needlework trick - keep one needle pre-threaded for each color

Label the colors with their chart symbols

I also found these cute little plastic organizers at Michaels.  They are just the perfect size to hold about 9 or 10 floss bobbins, and they are great for traveling with your projects!  I think they were about 3 for $4 or something.  They are very sturdy and snap tightly closed!

Tiny little floss bobbin container!  So cute, and perfect for traveling.

Finally, I have one last bit of good news.  On Friday, I presented my thesis project proposal and passed my oral qualification exam for my PhD!  This means that my advisor is officially committing to fund my research until I am done with my degree.  I am going to be studying gene mutations in liver and colon tumors in mice.  It is a HUGE relief to have the proposal out of the way, and I am looking forward to having a little less stress in my life, at least until the research picks up.

Thanks for stopping by and for your very thoughtful comments!  I really appreciate the time you take to let me know what you think.

-Erin

Freebie Friday - Mini Apple Cross Stitch Pattern

Hello, readers!  It has been awhile since I posted a free pattern for everyone, so here is a shiny, bright red apple!  It can either be stitched with or without the script at the top.

Free apple cross stitch pattern. For personal use only.  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

Key (DMC colors):
+     320
E     829
X    349
*     350
-      blanc

Stitch all cross stitches using two strands.  For "Apple" writing, use 1 strand DMC 349.

Finished size (14-count): 1.07" (2.7 cm) wide x 1.5" (3.8 cm) tall

Also, I have been stitching along on "A Day at the Beach."  I have finished the center panel and have started on the beach house on the left side of the pattern.  Here is a picture:

"A Day at the Beach" - coming along nicely

My plan is to do a fair amount of stitching this weekend, so I should have another update for you early next week!  Have a fantastic weekend - and thanks for stopping by and commenting!

Cheers,
Erin

Finished - Christmas on the Beach!

Hello, readers!

I have just returned from a stitching trip.  My fiancé and I took a semi-impromptu trip to San Diego, so I had a chance to get some stitching done on the plane.  Good news - I finally finished "Christmas on the Beach!" Here is a photo:

"Christmas on the Beach"

Sometimes, I have mixed feelings after I backstitch something, but in this case, the backstitching really makes the details pop - especially the presents and the ornaments on the tree.  I am really happy with this finished piece!  :)  Now, I just have to motivate myself to frame it so I don't have so many loose seashells sitting around my apartment.

I also made some progress on another beach-themed piece, "A Day at the Beach."  I feel like the last rose of summer trying to finish these things in September, but this one is really cute, and I really like the hand-dyed thread in it.

"A Day at the Beach"

I am making headway on the center panel.  Here is a peek at the model:

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

This pattern uses Crescent Colours hand-dyed floss in Blueberry Tart (blue), Peanut Brittle (tan), and Poblano Pepper (green).  This floss is so smooth - it really glides through the fabric, and there is a bit of an ombre character to the fibers.  Plus, it's from New Albany, Ohio - just on the outskirts of my old stomping grounds in Columbus!  The colors in the picture below aren't the ones in this piece, but the picture shows some of the pretty colors in which you can order this floss.  I think I bought it for about $2.00/skein (5 yards) from Stoney Creek's website.

Crescent Colors hand-dyed embroidery floss

And, to bid you farewell for this entry, here are some photos from my travels to California!

The Lodge at Torrey Pines - La Jolla, California

The Lodge at Torrey Pines - La Jolla, California

The nature preserve at Torrey Pines

The nature preserve at Torrey Pines

Beach - La Jolla, California

Snail on a plant leaf - Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, California

Western fence lizard - La Jolla, California

Thanks for stopping by and for your kind comments - take care!

-Erin

A new James Herriot-inspired veterinary embroidery project!

Well, my last post - the free squirrel monkey pattern - was a rollicking success!  My blog had been averaging anywhere from 20 to 40 page views per day, but on both yesterday and today, I got over 150 page views each day!  A couple of sites, including Ellen Maurer-Stroh's cross stitch forum, picked up the pattern and listed it for their readers, so I got a lot of traffic through those avenues.  Hooray!

So, where does that leave me now?  I think it's time for an update!  I designed a new embroidery pattern inspired by the Anglican hymn "All Things Bright and Beautiful," the lyrics of which were made popular by the James Herriot veterinary books.  It is stitching up pretty quickly, so here is a picture of how it looks right now:

"All Things Bright and Beautiful" embroidery piece.  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

The finished size will be about 8" x 10" (20.3 cm x 25.4 cm).  It is stitched on 28-count white Monaco fabric.  The little orange kitty on the right is the first of six animals surrounding the poem.  Here is a close-up of him.  He was inspired by my own orange kitty, Julius!

The orange kitty from "All Things Bright and Beautiful."  (c) Erin E. Turowski, 2012.

The other animals will include a brown Laborador-type dog, a blue bird, a light brown Jersey cow, a black horse, and a pink pig.  I can't wait to finish it!  It is really hard to find veterinary-themed needlework, so I am glad to finally be making my own.  :)

Naturally, because I have been busy with this piece, I haven't made a terrific amount of progress on "Celestial Dragon."  Nonetheless, I have made some headway - I filled in some dark blue and gold on the dragon's body, and I (mostly) finished his feet and gave him talons.

"Celestial Dragon" by Teresa Wentzler

I had to keep my needlework away from my very delicious and saucy dinner tonight.  I tried a new recipe for cauliflower pizza crust (you know, the one that's all over Pinterest).  The appeal of this recipe is that the whole personal-sized pizza crust has under 150 calories!  I topped mine with red pizza sauce, fresh mozzarella, sliced Roma tomatoes, and fresh basil.  It was delicious!  Here is a picture to whet your appetites.

Cauliflower pizza crust, margherita style!

Now, next week may be a bit slower for my blog.  I am traveling to the Outer Banks with my fiancé, my sisters, their husbands, and my parents.  We are going to spend a whole week with each other - I can't wait! I love my family very much, and as time goes by, we all just get closer and closer.  I am very thankful to have a great relationship with them all.  :)  So, I will try to hijack my fiancé's laptop and post an update or two (maybe some beach pictures!), but if I am a little quiet, please pardon my absence.

Oh, and after reviewing the feedback from my previous entry, I will maintain the current frequency of my e-mail updates for all of you who are subscribed (approximately 2-3 e-mails per week).  Thank you for your subscriptions, including the new readers who joined this week!

I will leave you today with this lovely little piece, "A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman.  I bought it to stitch while I am on the beach!  I am hoping to have it finished by the time I am back in Boston.

"A Day at the Beach" by Nikki Leeman

Thank you all for reading and for your thoughtful comments!  Have a fantastic day!