Needlework Show is open!

Today is the first day of the Fall 2012 Needlework Show! Check out www.needleshow.com to see all of the great offerings, from oodles of vendors, and enter for some fantastic door prizes. This is the first year that my door prize comes with a "comments" section. I have been howling in laughter over some of them (you *know* who you are) and really touched by others. If you haven't visited - go! I have SIX new fobs and a few caffeinated needle threaders. Here are the new froggies, in cobalt scroll, blue sunflower, and PURPLE:

I'm looking forward to the next week being tied to the office. The cold that the munchkin had a couple of weeks ago is now making its rounds through the house. I'm about 10 days into it, and hubby is just hitting the worst of it. She's running around, healthy as a horse. I comforted myself with peanut butter kiss cookies today. Little fluffy peanut butter delights with chocolate - you can't go wrong.

MBT has a new website

If you visit www.MyBigToeDesigns.com you will see a new look! We have updated the site, changed technologies a bit, and are working on making it more tablet and smart phone friendly. The "where to buy" section now has a US map and it will show you with little pins where the shops are located. Very fun! The images are all updated, it's easier to find the designs and accessories, and hopefully you will enjoy it. The gallery section has been updated - but we are still working on getting the details of each image to be in the pop-up. If you have pictures of any of your MBT finishes, and would like them to be added to the gallery, send them to me and I'll get it taken care of. Also, be sure to check out the tutorials and see pics and details of how to make all sorts of stitchy goodies. We have trunk shows out at many shops, have goodies currently at the Tour de Stitch, and will have goodies at the EGA Santa Fe seminar.

That is our big news for this week! I'm still working on inventory for the online show, www.needleshow.com , and I think you'll fall in love with the new accessories and their colors. Hint: purple frog. Okay, so that wasn't stealthy, but he's really cute!

The doodlebug is doing great with her studies and looking forward to an evening with friends. The garden is officially done for the year, the boxes gleaned and cleaned (except for the carrots), and I'm anxious for spring planting to start (already). There's nothing tastier than a fresh picked tomato. I have two grape vines to still clear of fruit, and we have decided that the juice from the merlot vines is the best. No, it's not fermented. It's incredibly rich and sweet, with very little sugar added. This weekend I'll be trimming back all of the berry and grape vines and mowing for the last time - I hope.

Have a wonderful week and enjoy some time with your stitching.

New releases for October 2012

Without further ado, here are the new releases that are currently in stock or available to order from your favorite needlework shop:

MBT-128 Books of the Bible
Stitched on 28 ct. hand dyed linen, "Thyme," with Belle Soie silk threads in Espresso, Herb Garden, and Velvet Rose. Stitch count 145w x 297h.
This project has been a long time in coming. My original plan had been to stitch it on 32 or 36 ct. fabric so it would fit perfectly in the frame of my 11x11 qsnaps and I would be able to stitch straight through the book names, in order. Then I fell in love with the "Thyme" hand dyed fabric. I could no longer fit it all in so I stitched the top border, then down the side and the whole bottom, and went back up and filled in all of the book names and florals. The color is beautiful, it is a perfect match for the Herb Garden thread... so much for my plans! I'm going to stitch the bottom section only for the trunk show and can't wait to be working on the beautiful green fabric again.

MBT-129 I Barely Survived
Stitched on 32 ct. jobelan, "Antique White," with Weeks Dye Works threads in Amber, Blue Jeans, Monkey Grass, Romance, Plum. Stitch count 85w x 53h.
Based on the response to this one at the local ANG meeting - I'm NOT the only one who feels like this some days! This was such a fun project, and it fits a 4x6 standard frame when stitched on 32 ct. fabric. The frame I found at Hobby Lobby, for the perfect price of $7. The single button floral accent is by JABC.

MBT-130 Remember Not
Stitched on 28, 32, 36, and 40 ct. linen, "Flax," with Thread Gather Silk N Colors thread in Aged Plum and Cypress Umber. Stitch count varies, but the main design is 49w x 284h.
This design has selections primarily from Psalms 25. The main design says "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions. According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me for I wait on thee." I wanted to have a long design, but didn't want it to take up a whole wall, so I chose a 40 ct. linen for the main design. Stitching with one strand, over two threads, it was a surprisingly easy project to work on. It also meant that it took only one skein of silk for the entire main project; a delightful splurge. There are three accent pieces to go with the main design: an ornament or pincushion, a scissor fob, and a small 'gift' type design.

MBT-131 Be Strong
Stitched on 32 ct. Belfast linen, "Limestone," with Gentle Art Sampler thread in Carriage Black, Dungarees, and Old Purple Paint (I love this color!). Stitch count 119w x 87h.
My sister-in-law encouraged me on this verse and I am grateful for that. I can see the possibilities in this piece as a gift for a college student going away for the first time, stitched in pinks for a woman battling cancer, for a friend who is struggling. If stitched on 32 ct. fabric it will fit evenly into an 8x10 frame with one inch of fabric showing all the way around.

Now that this batch projects are released, I don't have any other stitchy projects in the works. I hope to have some time to sit down and work on another hymn in the coming weeks. The top priority now is preparing the garden for winter. Tonight we will have our first freeze and we need to pick what we're going to keep, cover what we want to have continue growing, and then get things canned as quickly as possible. I've been working on getting all of the grapes juiced, and it has been a BIG job. I'm not even half way through the vines and we've already done around 40 quarts. It's really yummy, and will be great for making jelly throughout the winter, but I could do without the earwigs that like to hide in the clusters. Ick. We're trying to do an all natural garden, but I'm starting to understand the appeal of something in a spray bottle that will keep those nasty little bugs away.

That's all, for today, folks! If you want to check out the full length and mini fobs for the new Emily Gingher scissor, head on over to www.MyBigToeDesigns.com . Also mark your calendars for the www.NeedleworkShow.com which starts October 18th! We'll have oodles of new accessories in beautiful new colors.