Magazine projects and a winner...

It's not easy keeping a design under wraps for almost a year, but that's what I did.

This week the new issue of Australian Homespun Magazine hit the newsstand with one of my designs featured inside, but blow me down, I had no idea it would make the cover!

Isn't the colouring page format wonderful!? 

But I think you may like to see it stitched, right?

My heart is for home and what nicer way to celebrate home than a trip down memory lane to fresh baked apple pie cooling on the windowsill, and naturally one of my sweet birdies needed a starring role too!

 

 It took me months to decide how best to display the stitchery.

Intent on creating a window frame border I waited for just the right idea to evolve. Patience paid off!

One day I found a big old wooden frame at a bargain store. It was just the right size and after painting it lemon it became the perfect window frame for "Dishing Up the Past"...

This design uses mostly back stitch for the embroidery, but there's also pops of chain stitch, stem stitch, satin stitch, cross stitch, running stitch and a lacy curtain edge made from long lazy daisies...

Australian Homespun is available in newsagents throughout Australia and New Zealand, Spotlight stores, and various suppliers internationally. You can also purchase the digital magazine from Zinio, Apple Newsstand and Google Play.

There's also an interview with me on page 52, and a few stitching tips scattered through the pattern!

IDEA:

Imagine a favourite family recipe written inside the window? Or perhaps you could pin it there? I'm going to pin a photo of Nana and Pop inside my hand stitched window because that's where love for home began in my life.

If you've got this project on your to-do list I hope you enjoy it immensely!

Thank you to everyone who entered my little orphan Tuesday stitchery giveaway.

Your kind words of encouragement in the hundreds of comments were indeed precious.

A winner was drawn yesterday, so imagine a drumroll as I announce her name okay?! 

BRENDA WINKLE, congratulations! 

I'll be emailing you very soon for your postage details, and as well as my orphan stitchery you'll receive a fat quarter of the gorgeous Tilda fabric shown in the photo above. 

Another magazine I was blessed to be featured in recently was Helen's "Bustle & Sew".

It's such a lovely e-mag full of interesting projects, articles, recipes and other marvellous things! 

In the May issue you'll find Helen's interview with me in her e-zine's 'Meet the Maker' section plus one of my designs to stitch. 

Helen and I have been online friends for a number of years and though our styles are quite different we both adore hand embroidery and are encouragers of each others work.

If you would like to read the interview, Helen has kindly allowed me to share it with all of you.

Download the interview HERE 

You may also like to brew a cuppa and head to Helen's website for a browse through all her lovely bits and pieces (she has some really sweet free patterns) which include video tutorials and e-books.

Have you ever wanted to make a softie but not sure how? 

Helen has a free e-book to teach you how!

Visit Bustle & Sew HERE

 

I've been a little quiet on the blog this past week as I damaged my sciatic nerve and sitting for any length of time at my desk is rather painful so while I continue to recover blog posts may be a bit sparse, but I shall still blog as much as I'm able because it's something I love. 

Have a blessed weekend my dear friends and readers, and to all you mothers -

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

on Sunday.

hugs

Making changes and a giveaway...

Have you ever been in the middle of making a project or embroidering a design and thought to yourself, "I'm not really happy with this."

It has happened to me a few times, especially with my own designs.

I'll get about 30-50% of the way through my stitching and put it aside for a day or two, hoping to return with fresh enthusiasm to finish it later. Sometimes that works and all I need do is replace a thread colour and add another element or decorative stitch, but on other occasions no amount of time away from the design will endear me to it so I cut it into pieces and throw it in the bin. 

Pretty soon my creative juices free themselves and I get on with sketching and stitching something I'm much happier with.

A similar scenario played out at Elefantz HQ the other day.

 

At the moment my fingers are busy embroidering the seven days of the week for May's issue of The Stitchery Club. I showed you the first three blocks last week, but over the weekend my mind would not rest about an increasing dissatisfaction I had with the Tuesday design.

Ignoring my feelings I moved on to stitch the Thursday block which I really loved - the strawberries and pot of jam were inspired by afternoons spent making delicious berry jams for my family which they would spread on thick buttered slices of freshly baked bread. 

(Oh goodness, just writing that has made me hungry for a plate of jammy bread...might have to plan a session in the kitchen before the weekend!)

Deeply satisfied with Thursday, I threaded my needle to begin the Friday block.

BUT, I simply couldn't get past those feelings of disappointment with Tuesday, so you know what I did?

I went back to my sketch pad and re-drew the design.

It wasn't that the whole design bothered me as I still like it, especially the overall idea, but it just wasn't fitting in with the other six 'days of the week' designs.

 I needed to assess what I didn't like about it  in order to tweak the idea and restitch it, eventually coming to the conclusion that I needed to remove the sharp angular windowsill and soften the bird. 

OLD Tuesday block...

 

What I loved about the block was the wooden bucket, the flowers and the scroll at the base of the windowsill, so I kept them and changed the rest of the design for this softer, rounder display.

NEW Tuesday block...

See how one Tuesday is sharp and the other is soft and gentle?

I'm really happy with the new Tuesday! It's a 'me' design and one I'm delighted to put my name on. 

It took time away from my already tight stitching schedule, but in the end it was important that I follow through with the best of what I have to offer.

But tell me, which one do YOU prefer, and why?

Here's the first four blocks in "Days of the Week"...

Because I've already shown the original Tuesday as well as the new one, both versions will be inside May's issue of The Stitchery Club for members to follow their own preference. They can stitch the one they like best, the one that suits their style - after all, none of us are exactly the same.

Want to join the Club?

It's simple. All the information is here. 

You'll receive six (sometimes seven) new stitchery patterns delivered to you via email every month plus a free gift for joining!

GIVEAWAY:

I decided not to cut up the first Tuesday stitchery because I thought perhaps one of you might like to have it?

I'll post worldwide so just leave a comment below, one comment only, and I'll draw a winner on May 6th Australian time.

If you're anonymous or a 'no reply blogger' then I will not be able to contact you should your name be drawn, which will make you ineligible. 

To be eligible please leave your name and email in the comment.

I might even include a piece of Tilda fabric...yes, I think I will. 

 Good luck!

hugs