Milady's Needle

2011-12-24T03:30:00.000-06:00

Holiday Greetings Friends,

Well, the boxes are slowly getting unpacked and it's beginning to look more like home. We still have a ways to go, but there is light ahead in that long tunnel of boxes. Thanks to all for hanging in here with me and being patient with orders and drawing prize deliveries. I am grateful to have such wonderful stitching friends.

Christmas is just a day away and I am not going to Minnesota this year. With all the hubbub of the move and the need to look ahead to the market in February, I was feeling on the fence anyway. I fly on passes since my husband used to work for the airlines and the lack of availability of flights made the decision for me. So, I will be at home for our first Christmas in Arizona.

Since most rooms are in disarray, we will not be having a tree this year, but will hang the stockings on the fireplace and have a fire instead. On Christmas Eve we usually have a nice dinner, watch a Christmas movie and drive around to look at the lights in the neighborhood. Then we unwrap presents. Our new home is our present this year, but since we can't wrap that. :) ..there will be a couple of books and DVD's by the fire place too. I plan to stitch as much as I can over the holidays and enjoy time with family here. My aunt and uncle are here for the winter, so Christmas day we will be having dinner with them. It won't be the same without the company of my four sisters, but we decided to SKYPE during the holidays and that will be fun.

I am wishing all of you a wonderful time with family and friends, peaceful cozy nights and lots of stitching time during the holidays. Merry Christmas to all of you and I will see you in the New Year!

Blessings,

Gloria

Moving On & Online Needlework Show Draw

2011-11-12T08:59:00.001-06:00

Good Afternoon All,

Moving is just not fun!! Here we are amidst boxes sky high and in all the wrong rooms. We did not have a pleasant experience with our moving company and needless to say our review will not be favorable. We have been here about three weeks and it's been a real mess.
We have been buried under boxes and trying to find the stuff we need to live day to day without much success. I did get some of the company boxes unpacked and was able to mail out shop orders last week. It doesn't help at all when you have two knees that just won't let you work as fast as you would like.

Anyway, I was finally able to get all the email addresses into the random numbers generator (including those sent to my email address) and so we have three winners of the Online Needlework Show drawing. They are:

1st: conniebobyk@gmail.com
2nd: fancyfiddler@aol.com
3rd: diana.h@comcast.net

If you three will contact me with your snail mail addresses, I can get your prize out to you this week.   So sorry this took so long, but as I said...moving is a real... Well...you know what I mean.

On to future projects:

I am working on two new sets of pendants. They will be sampler pendants and here is a sneak peak at one of the pendants.

I think they will be a fun stitch. There are two different patterns with four pendants in each. They will be released at the Nashville Trade Show in February. I hope they will be well received. I had fun designing these petite treasures.

I am still working on the reproduction sampler and hope to have it finished soon. I think the hardest part of reproducing a sampler is getting the colors right. I am sure many of you have had experience choosing replacement fibers for a project you want to do. Well, picture this process with attempts to match the colors from the back of a sampler a few hundred years old!!  Then when you think you have the colors just right, you start to stitch and the colors can still not look the way you would like them too. So any reproduction you stitch is the designer's best guess at matching colors. The whole thing usually comes out fine in the end, but it is a bit of a challenge as you are doing it.

Thanks for your patience as we get settled into our new home. Hopefully we will be able to get a Christmas Tree up in our new home before the actual festivities. Hope those of you who are stitching gifts for Christmas will have everything finished by Christmas Eve. I will be lucky to get Christmas Cards out this year. It won't be the same this year for my family. This will be the first Christmas without my dad. I am sure we will have many memories to think and talk about, but it will be a bit tough the first time around.

May your Thanksgiving be a blessed time with loved ones and drive safe.

Until Next Time...stitch to your hearts delight.

Gloria

October Online Needlework Show Starts Today

2011-10-20T01:04:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

Well, it's that time again. The October Online Needlework Show starts later today and Milady's Needle is again participating. For this show I decided to focus on Christmas, so my entire ornament collection is listed in the show. Oldies but goodies are listed as well as the latest designs. Browse and make a list to give to your local needlework store so that they will order them during the show.

Here is my first design.
It was a joy to stitch.

One of my favorites is Christmas Elegance.
I love the look of one color.

There will be a drawing again for this show. By now you know the drill...tell me what's on your wish list and I will send you one or two of your favorites. There will be three winners. However, you must either leave me your email address in your post or have your email address visible in your account settings so that I can contact you if you win. In April, I was unable to get a hold of one of the winners, because I couldn't find an email. Don't miss out simply because I don't have a way to get a hold of you.

Although we are on the road this weekend...the move to Arizona is finally happening...I will be checking in on the blog to see what's up. I arrive in Arizona on the 24th and the show ends on the 25th so be patient while I open boxes of product to fill orders and announce the winners of the drawing.

Thank-you all for hanging in with Milady's Needle while we have been on sabbatical this year. We are looking forward to our return to markets starting February at Nashville. Look for a new reproduction sampler or two, more pendants, pin cushions and whatever else comes out of the design closet.

Till Next Time...Enjoy a stitch or two.

Gloria

Missing the Baltimore Market

2011-08-14T23:59:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

I am so missing the Baltimore Market!! Although it is over now, I am sure that everyone that attended had a grand time!!! Wish I could have been there to catch up with all of the many great shop owners who attend the markets, but I am currently on the road to Arizona for the first part of the move. I would have loved to see all my designer friends and get a closer look at all their new designs. Of course I would have loved to have had my own new designs completed and ready for market too, but that's how life works out sometimes.

I hope that all of you are having a good stitching summer. I would love to start posting more of your Milady's Needle Designs finishes, so please send your photos to me at the address in my profile. I love to see the creative abilities that I know all of you have. The changes made to make a design your own are very fun to see and sometimes I get ideas for finishing just by seeing what others are doing with my designs.

I am still working on the new reproduction, although right this minute things have slowed due to the incredible amount of packing I have been doing. When I get further along, I will post another picture.

Well, I just wanted to let you know I am still alive and kicking.

Until Next Time,

Gloria

New Reproduction In The Works

2011-07-03T21:45:00.002-05:00

Hello Friends,

Well, it's been awhile since last I posted. If you read my personal blog at www.samplermakerssamplerspot.blogspot.com ; you can see what is keeping me busy thesee days. We have found a new home and Milady's Needle will be moving to Goodyear, Arizona. We hope to be all settled by the end of September.

In the meantime, I want to let all of you know that I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. I couldn't attend the Nashville Needlework Market because of family illness which I previously posted about in Februray. I won't be at the Baltimore Needlework Show because we will be in the midst of a move. So, the next market I will be attending will be in the new year. So, Milady's Needle is basically on a sabatical. If I can I will try to get the new reproduction out before the end of the year. At any rate, Milady's Needle will be back in the swing of things by the new year.

I am working on a reproduction from my collection of antique samplers. This one is called Anne Smith Blockley.

Here is a sneak peak of the reproduction:

Interestingly, there are two dates on the sampler. One is located up in numbers section near the alphabet and indicates the date July 5 1823. The other date is located in the signature line near the bottom of the sampler along with Ann's name with the date of 1834. So, what does this mean? Let have some guesses from all of you. Is the date near the alphabet when she started the sampler and the date near her signature when she completed the sampler? If so, that would mean that Ann worked on her sampler for 11 years. Given the simplicity of the sampler, this seems unlikely. Is the date near the alphabet her birthdate and the date near her signature the year she stitched the sampler? Is the date near the alphabet of family significance? Take a look at the picture of the antique and consider what the significance of this might be.

Here is a peak at the antique.

So post your guess about the two dates and lets see what we can discover!!

I hope you are enjoying your summer and that you are getting lots of stitching done.

Until the next time,

Gloria

Drawing Results

2011-04-25T18:34:00.001-05:00

Hello All,

Thank-you so much for your kind comments about Milady's Needle Designs. I really do appreciate knowing that you like the designs that I have published. Your feedback helps me to know whether I am on the right track with what I am offering the stitcher. Thanks to all who went to their local needlework shop and ordered during the Online Needlework Show.

It was great to see so many people signed up for the drawing!! I put the names or email addresses into the Random Number Generator and the drawing was held today. The winners of the current drawing are:

1st: helenomalley@sympatico.ca

2nd: rbusch43@frontier.com

3rd: tcsean@aol.com

Congratulations!! The next step is to email me with your full name and address so that I can send you you one of your favorite patterns. Please let me hear from you this week so that I can get your pattern mailed before I leave for Arizona on the 30th.

Until Next Time,

Gloria

Online Needlework Show Has Begun

2011-04-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

It's that time of year again...the Spring Online Needlework Show is here! If you have already checked into the show you have seen the new designs. I intended to post prior to the show opening, but I ran out of time before I left early this morning for Minnesota. Not to worry though... I am back in town to fill orders from the show next week.

Anyway...I wanted to post pictures of the new designs for all of you to see up a bit closer. The first design is called in Search of Bliss. The verse reminds us that there really is no place like home.

The second design is a reproduction of a sampler by the sister of Maragaret Brown whose sampler was reproduced and released last year. Sarah Brown's Sampler is pictured below first as the reproduction (designed using the colors from the back of the sampler) and then as the adaptation (designed using the softer faded colors from the front of the sampler.

Sarah H. Brown Reproduction

Sarah H. Brown Adaptation

If you compare Magaret's sampler to Sarah's sampler you will see some differences in the colors used in the large flowers in the vase, the bird motifs other either side of the sampler instead of the Quaker Stars and the number and shapes of the leaves. The borders on these two samplers are so lovely and I really enjoyed stitching both Margaret's and Sarah's samplers.

Now...the Needlework Show Drawing:

Please add your comments to this post so that I can enter you in the Online Needlework Show Drawing. I will pick two winners and they will receive a design from their wishlist. In your comment be sure to post your wish list so that I know which designs from Milady's Needle are you favorites. Don't forget to put your email address somewhere in your post so I know how to get a hold of you to let you know if you have won.

Be sure to contact your local needlework store for the latest designs from Milady's Needle

Till We Stitch Again,

Gloria

Life Is So Fragile

2011-03-02T10:31:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

I was unable to attend Nashville this year due to my father's heart attack on February 9th and subsequent death on Monday February 28th. I flew to Arizona on the 13th of February to be with him and help him in his recovery. Although he bravely fought to get better, the complications of other health issues were just too much for him. He died peacefully with his five daughters at his side. We have lost a very special father and grieve deeply at his passing. There is a special bond between father's and daughters and we will miss him very much.

Forrest (Frosty) Moore

February 9, 1916 - February 28, 2011

I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of Lisa Roswell of Primitive Needle Designs on February 28, 2011. I had dinner with Lisa at the St Charles Market last year and I found her to be a very warm and generous woman who had a great sense of humor. I was looking forward to dinner again in Nashville, but I was unable to attend this year. My heartfelt condolences go out to her family who I know are struggling with the senseless tradgedy surrounding her death. I know that the needlework community has lost a wonderfully creative individual and she will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

Lisa Roswell

May 25, 1959 - Feb. 28, 2011

Life is so fragile. Hold close those dear to you and tell them you love them every day. You never know when they will no longer be with you.

Till next time,

Gloria

Project for Sampler Conservation & Restoration

2011-02-04T19:57:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

Head over to my personal blog for information on a project for Sampler Conservation & Restoration that is being presented by The Tudor Rose Sampler Guild, which is my local guild.

My personal blog is located at: http://samplermakerssamplerspot.blogspot.com/. News about this exciting project can be found there in addition to information about how you can help. Take some time now to visit and find out about this opportunity.

Gloria

New Years Greetings

2011-01-25T12:46:00.000-06:00

Hello All,

The holiday season has come and gone much more quickly than I would like. It seems like the year just flew by!! The older I get the faster it goes. Our family is truly blessed. My husband and I both have jobs, we have health care, we have food to eat and we have family who love us. What else is there really! We approach the new year with grateful hearts and hope the new year will bring blessings to our world.

A quick recap of December is in order since I didn't blog for over a month!! For Shame!!

My friend Kim and I hosted the traditional guild Christmas party this year and the house was packed with 25 people and the food was wonderful! Seems like everyone but me is a great cook! My husband was in heaven with all the great varieties of food and commented on what great cooks we had in the guild. I think that was a nudge to me to consider developing that skill!!

Anyway, here are pictures of our Milady's Needle Christmas Tree and our Cross Stitch Gift Tree which is made up of gifts I have received at the guild ornament exchanges over the years and from friends. I do like the little trees and they were a life saver this year due to the number of guests at the Christmas party. I do miss my big tree and may put it up again next year.

I have also started a new blog....that blog will be a more personal blog with a focus on my life, my stitching projects, what I am reading and what I am thinking. You can access the new blog page by following the link in my profile to A Samplermaker's Sampler Spot at http://samplermakerssamplerspot.blogspot.com/. If you want to follow that blog too, be sure to click on the follow button and finish the sign up process.

I received several wonderful gifts from friends and family. Of course the handmade things and stitching things are always the best. Take a quick look at my personal blog and you will see what I have been working on and stitching gifts I have been given.

Well, I am off to prepare for market. There are several new releases and I will let you know about them very soon.

Until Next Time,

Gloria

Drawing Results (Drum Roll)

2010-11-06T01:05:00.000-05:00

Hello Friends,

Well, the best laid plans are always interrupted by life. Thanks for your patience in hearing the results of the drawing.

I decided to wait a few more days for updates from those of you who didn't have your email addresses in your post or profile. I got a few responses, but unfortunately about a third of you did not leave me this information. Since I try to get everything taken care of with in a few weeks of the show, no email address means I can't get a hold of you in a timely manner to let you know if you win. So, I really do need those email addresses in your profile or post when you enter a drawing. Then this week I discovered that Flu shots are not always inactive. I am up and about now, so on to the results.

The results were tabulated through a random draw organization online. So, I do have the final results of the drawing. The winners will recieve one item from their wish list which will be sent to them when I receive an email from them with their name and address.

Without further fanfare the winners are:

1. Requilt: requilt@yahoo.com
2. Susan: Sioux_zan1@yahoo.com

Please contact me at the email address listed on my profile. When I hear from you I can send you your wishlist item.

Thanks to all of you for participating in the Online Needlework Show Drawing. Another drawing will be held in April of 2011.

Enjoy the upcoming holiday!!

Gloria

Online Needlework Show Drawing

2010-10-29T17:03:00.000-05:00

Hello Ladies,

Thank-you so much for all your kind comments regarding Milady's Needle Designs. Again, I must be on the right track design wise, since so many of you have such wonderful wish lists. The drawing will take place this weekend, but I can't put you in the drawing unless you either have an email address in your profile or an email address in your post. Please...check your post for the drawing and see if you have one of these possibilities for getting in touch with you. If you don't then please post to this current post with that information. I appreciate your help with this. I will need to receive this information by Sunday as that is when the draw takes place.

The Online Needlework Show was a great success. Just to let you know...there is only one of the Cottage Charm Pockets left for a shop to purchase. They will no longer be available after that one is gone. So if this is on your wish list and you don't win the drawing, be sure to get in touch with your local needlework shop to purchase this before they are gone forever.

I will be back to post the winners on Sunday evening. Keep on stitching!!

Til Next Time,

Gloria

Online Needlework Show Opens Soon

2010-10-21T04:28:00.001-05:00

Hi Friends,

Well, the Online Needlework Show opens today. I hope you will stop by and see my booth which will contain all the releases from the St. Charles Needlework Market including the new Yuletide Hornbooks only available through Milady's Needle. Also there will be two Christmas Ornaments which were previously only available in magazines.

Spot of Christmas

Christmas Tree Farm

So, please come by and make a list to forward to your favorite Needlework Store. In addition be sure to sign up for the drawing from your wish list. Read the instructions on how to enter. Simply add your comment to this post along with your wish list and you will be entered in the drawing. Make sure your profile has your email address so I can get a hold of you if you win.

On another note...be sure to see Milady's Needle ornament in the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue this year. The ornament issue is always so fun to browse through and read other designers recipes or stories. No stories or recipes for me this year. Time just simply got away from me!

Regal Red Christmas

That's about all the news for now. Enjoy the Online Needlework Show and I will be back after the show to let you know the winners of the drawing. Be sure to check back to see if you won.

Till next time...keep those needles moving.

Gloria

Whew!! What a great market!!

2010-10-08T13:48:00.007-05:00

Hello Friends,

Well, I am back home again from the market and we had a wonderful time as well as selling quite a few goodies to your local needlework store. Be sure to check with them for new products.

First, here is a peek at our suite during the market.

Models Top Row:

Faithful Friends

Sarah Brown (Margaret's Sister's Sampler)

The Bird's & The Bees

Models Top Left:

Margaret Brown (Reproduction)

Margaret Brown (Adaptation)

Margaret Brown (Orginal)

Models Top Left:

Christmas Tree Farm

Spot of Christmas

Models on Table:

Christmas Blessings
Yuletide Hornbooks

Another view of the new releases

Yet another view of Margaret Brown

Models On The Table:

Milady's Quaker Pendants I & II

Quaker Pin Cushions

Precious Pin Cushions

Floss Tag-A Longs

ABC Come Stitch With Me

Now on to individual pictures of the new releases at St. Charles:

Faithful Friends

The Birds & The Bees

Margaret Brown (Reproduction)

Margaret Brown (Adaptation)

Margaret Brown (Original)

Yuletide Hornbooks

I hope you like the new releases!! And with that I will close for today. I still have a lot to do before the October Online Needlework Show. I hope that some of you will stop by the show to learn how to enter for a chance to win a door prize. Keep on stitching!

Till next time,

Gloria

To Market, To Market to buy lots of charts!!

2010-09-13T02:31:00.007-05:00

Hello Stitching Friends,

July and August flew by without my posting the news. Of course there wasn't much to post as I was very busy with work related tasks...one of which is coming in just a few days. The St. Charles Market is a week away and I am tying up loose ends so that I can hit the road on Wednesday the 22nd of September. Much still to do, but I wanted to take just a second and give you a couple of sneak peeks at what will soon arrive at your local needlework shop.

The first sneak perk is of the new Yuletide Hornbooks design which is kitted with two designs, silks, fabric and hornbook. You will get full view of this pattern after market on this blog. I really enjoyed designing these and hope you will like them too.

The second sneak peek is of my second reproduction sampler. It is an American Quaker Sampler stitched by Margaret Brown and dated 1838. Included with the pattern is a brief history of Margaret's life and pictures of the original sampler by Margaret. Also included is a picture of Margaret's sister Sara's original sampler, which may or may not also be reproduced in the future.

How many of you out there would actually stitch a second sampler by a sister of the first sampler maker which is very similar to the one already published? If there is enough interest I will reproduce Sara's Sampler.

Here is the sneak peek.

There are two more designs which will be debuted at the St. Charles Market, but they are out being framed as I type and I don't have a sneak peek for you right now.

The Bird's & The Bees is a part of the Sampler Motifs and Meanings series with motifs starting with the letter B. The meaning of the motifs is stitched into the sampler.

Faithful Friends is a sampler which could be used as a memorial sampler for pets. It's a cute sampler with a nice verse, so you don't need to include the name of your pet if you don't want to. I put the name of a friend's pet that recently passed away on the model. The verse on the sampler is part of a poem called "The Rainbow Bridge" written by an unknown author. The poem is often used in reference to beloved animals who have left their owners all too soon.

I am looking forward to the market as I always do, despite the craziness before every market. I will post more pictures after I return home.

Until after the market,

Gloria

What lovely work all of you do!!

2010-06-21T13:08:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

I have been receiving pictures from some of you who have stitched Milady's Needle Designs. I wanted to post some of these so that others can see your beautiful work.

Peta from New Zealand stitched up the Quaker Christmas Smalls and finished them as small booklets. What a very unique idea!! Aren't they sweet!

Annemiek Koning from the Netherlands finished Christmas Elegance as a gift for her parents. The frame accents this piece quite nicely!

Gabi stitched up Christmas Blessings adding some metallics in the border for a very nice effect.

Karen changed the color on her Quaker Christmas Ornament so that it complements her pink Christmas Tree.

Carol finished her Quaker Christmas Ornaments in a very unique way. How cute is that!!

Andrea from the UK stitched Christmas Blessings for a friend. Look at her gorgeous finishing.

Finally Sabo from Japan has a lovely finish of the Needles & Pin design. What a great idea!!

Please send me your pictures of your finished work! I love to see what you have done with Milady's Needle designs.

Keep those needles swiftly moving in and out of your linen. Enjoy each moment of the time you have to stitch!

Gloria

Update on Weeks Dye Works Retirement of Colors

2010-05-06T22:54:00.002-05:00

Thanks to you Anne for clearing up the information that I received from a needlework news source regarding WDW color retirement. If you read Anne's response to the last post, she indicated that WDW responded to her email and informed her that colors are never discontinued. Apparently they retire colors and move them to the back of the order form in an attempt to keep their order forms to one page.  Colors are still available for order even if they are retired. Very interesting.... but that's good news!! In the past I have pieces that were designed with particular colors of overdyed floss and now those particular colors are no longer being dyed by that company. That can be frustrating for a designer as well as the stitcher.

Sorry if I posted this information incorrectly.  The information I received was from a source that I thought was reliable.

Have a wonderful day full of stitching!

Gloria

Weeks Retires Some Colors

2010-04-30T13:08:00.002-05:00

Hi Stitching Friends,

I just wanted to let you know that Weeks Dye Works is discontinuing some of their colors and one of them on the list is used for a couple of Milady's Needle Patterns. Both Sampler Bands Rule and Beauty From My Needle use the color Okefenokee #3940. So, if you have one of these patterns, you might want to obtain this color from your local needlework shop before their supplies are gone. There is no match for this color in DMC or Anchor, so you will need this color for this design.

Beauty From My Needle

Sampler Bands Rule

As a precaution, you might want to check their website at http://www.weeksdyeworks.com/store/storefront.cfm for colors that have been discontinued and inventory your patterns that use these colors.

Have a great stitching weekend.

Gloria

Winners of The Online Needlework Show Drawing

2010-04-24T00:15:00.000-05:00

The Online Needlework Show is over now and almost all the orders went out to the shops this week. So, if you asked your local needlework shop to order something for you, thank-you! Contact them later next week and they should have it in stock.

Now...drum roll...the winners of the consumer drawing are as follows:

Barb (omashee aka Barb)
Marjorie
Kathy

I have emailed a couple of you, but don't have access to an email address for the third. Please email me and let me know you have received your email notifying you that you won the drawing. Congratulations to all of you!! The next drawing will be at the Online Needlework Show in October.

Thanks too for all your wish lists. It looks as though I am on track in designing what you seem to like to stitch. That's good news as am working on some new designs for the St. Charles Show. I am making some changes in how my business is run, and hopefully that result in more designs throughout the year, rather than just at major shows.

I hope you have been getting in some quality stitching time. There are always so many wonderful designs out there to stitch. I wish I had more time to stitch on designs that are not my own. This year I finally decided that I would set aside some personal stitching time on the weekends and it has been very relaxing to not worry about a deadline or correcting mistakes on a chart. I signed up for my sampler guild's MAGIC program...which for those of you who don't know stands for My Anual Good Intentions Contract. I chose a couple of things I would like to get done before the end of the year and if all goes well, I think I might just make it.

That's all the news this time around. Take time to stitch and enjoy the coming summer months.

Gloria

Check out Milady's Needle Designs at the Online Needlework Show

2010-04-13T11:16:00.000-05:00

Hello All,

The online needlework show starts on Thursday April 15th so be sure to visit: http://www.needleworkshow.com/ to view Milady's Needle Designs. Let your local needlework shop know which designs you would like to purchase and if they don't carry them, ask them to contact Milady's Needle to order charts. Also...Take time to check out the instructions for entering the drawing during the show. When you post your reply tell me your favorite Milady's Needle Designs in the form of a wish list. If you are one of the lucky winners of the drawing, I will try to make a wish or two from your list come true. Your lists will also tell me which types of designs I need to do more of in the future, so help me out and enter the drawing.

In other news...I will not be attending the summer trade show in Columbus this year. Fewer and fewer cross stitch shops are attending that market, so I will focus my energies on the Nashville and St. Charles Markets. With that in mind...you need to know that due to a number of issues related to the production of our pin cushions, we are currently not taking orders for these. They will primarily be available at trade shows. If you want a pin cushion base, be sure to visit your local needlework store. If they do not have them ask them to pick some up at one of the trade shows.

Spring is near it's end and summer has already come to Texas. Opening the windows is something I don't do as the wind here is pretty strong and the dust just goes everywhere. Makes me wish I was back up North again where I can open the windows and let the breeze come in.

My local sampler guild (Tudor Rose Sampler Guild) is celebrating it's 10th anniversary this next Saturday and we are having a tea party at the Dallas Arboretum. The goody bags are already filled with fun items made by various guild members and many designers have generously donated wonderful door prizes. It will be a wonderful celebration and I am looking forward to spending time with friends whose love is also samplers.

I hope you have a great day and take time to stitch!

Gloria

Back from Nashville

2010-02-24T03:24:00.004-06:00

Hello Friends,

Whew! What a whirlwind of fun and work this year's Nashville market was during the last week. Of course 10 hours of driving both ways is very tiring, but made more fun with my two market helpers and friends Sylvia and Michelle. I couldn't have made it through my preparations with out the many friends I have and I wouldn't have been able to go to the market without my market helpers. Thanks so much to all of you who helped to bring this off!! And special thanks to Sylvia and Michelle for their unending patience and support while at the show!

Now, on to the news. I took pictures of the suite before we took everything down at the end of the show and when I went to download them found that I didn't have a card in the camera to record the pictures. Great!! So, sorry I don't have a picture of the suite for you to see. Though the suite was small, we did fit everything in. From Thursday to Monday we really worked and played hard. We saw old friends and met new ones. I hope that Sylvia and Michelle will tell you about their market experience in their blogs.

There were five new releases at the market...so let's get started. The first one was My Little Bees Ruler Pocket which includes the gold ruler. The design matches the Bees' Rule and the Bee's Rule Accoutrements. Now the only thing left to do is the matching basket.

Bee's Ruler Pocket

Bee's Rule Accoutrements

The second one is ABC Come Stitch With Me and includes patterns for a ruler, floss tag, sewing pocket, needlebook and scissors fob. A pretty two color sceme with Crescent Colours was used, but I would love to see your work if you do it other colors.

ABC Come Stitch With Me

The third and 4th releases are Milady's Quaker Pendants I & II. You get enough fabric and silks to do all four patterns. One pendant is included in the kit and you can get extra pendants from your local needlework store.

Milady's Quaker Pendants I

Milady's Quaker Pendants II

The last release is A Schoolroom Primer and it's a small hornbook design. The kit includs the fabric, floss, a parchment alphabet and the hornbook. One of the parchment alphabets is in the photo. It is attached to the back of the hornbook with glue and then covered with a matte finish.

A Schoolroom Primer

All of these were well received at Nashville and should be at your local shop this week. I hope you like the new things as much as the shops did. Let me know what you think.

Also...as a reminder...please send me photos of any finished Milady's Needle Design. I plan to post them to my blog eventually. It's late here and I should sign off.

Hope you all have a wonderful day stitching to your hearts content.

Gloria

Market is Approaching

2010-01-23T14:11:00.017-06:00

Hello All,

Well, the holidays are over, although you can't tell it by my living room. Here is a picture of my Milady's Needle Ornament Tree. We are just now taking down the Christmas decorations. There is never enough time. My husband says we should just leave them up all year since we don't seem to be able to get them up until the week of Christmas.

I am working away on several new things for the upcoming market. Finally My Little Bees Ruler Pocket is finished and ready to make the trip to Nashville. Yeah!!

Now all that is left of these series are the baskets for the Acorn, Quaker and Bees. There is alot of stitching on them, so I have very few volunteers to stitch these models. I stitched the Strawberries basket and it did take me awhile. Anyone interested in stitching any of the baskets? Here is a picture of the Strawberries basket and accessories. As you can see the basket is stitched on both top and bottom. But I think it's so pretty when it's done. I will probably end up stitching them myself.

I have also finished a stitcher's pocket, needlebook and scissors fob to go with the ABC Come Stitch With Me series that was released in the December 2008 Just Cross Stitch Magazine. So the charts for the ruler, floss tag, stitcher's pocket, needlebook and scissors fob will be all in one pattern. The picture is of the ruler and floss tag that was pictured in the JCS magazine. So, this pattern will also be on it's way to Nashville.

Two new releases will introduce Milady's Needle Pendants. The first two patterns will be quaker designs. They will be stitched over one on 36 count Luna from Lakeside Linens and will be kitted with fabric, silk floss and a jewlery frame. I think these will look quite nice with any clothing you wear as you can purchase extra frames to do more of the designs in any fabric and fibers you like. Accessorize your wardrobe with matching stitched jewelry.

The last of the five new releases will be Milady's Schoolroom Primer. It is stitched on 4o Count Vintage Buttercream by Lakeside Linens. The kit will come with a hornbook, fabric, silks, parchment Alphabets, charted design and finishing directions. Both sides of the hornbook will be used for finishing. When you see the final design I think you will be pleased.

Well, that's all the news from the castle. I hope you are getting many long days of stitching this winter.

Gloria

Twas the night before Christmas!

2009-12-24T23:44:00.006-06:00

Merry Christmas,

Here it is 5 minutes before midnight and I am getting ready to hit the hay. Santa had to deliver some stuff first and eat cookies & milk before she could go to bed. :)

I am thinking back on a wonderfully full year with many surprises, challenges and joyful times with friends, family and my extended needlework family. I am grateful for the new friends I have met this year. One can never have too many friends. My thanks go to those of you who have been a great support to me and you know who you are!! I feel very blessed to have you in my life.

Christmas is a time of celebration. Celebration of new life and the possibility of rebirth. I am grateful for the many gifts that have been given to me this year. Besides the many gifts of time, patience, support and love that I have received from friends and family there is the gift of learning that comes with facing new challenges and doing the best that I can to overcome obstacles in my path. Though sometimes the learning can be difficult, I know that in the end it will be for the greater good.

So, with best wishes for a happy and healthy 2010 I bid you goodnight as the clock strikes midnight and Christmas is here!

Keep warm and get some stitching time during the holidays.

Gloria

Time Seems To Fly

2009-11-14T15:52:00.006-06:00

Hello Stitching Friends,

As I grow older it seems as though time just slips away and suddenly it's the end of the year or the beginning of a new one. Why is it that when I was young I couldn't wait for time to fly and now that I am older it's "hey...slow down"!! Guess it's that sense of my own mortality that makes me want to have the days go slower. Maybe it's the time of year. The seasons draw the earth cycle to a close and it's always so beautiful as it ends with the glorious colors of fall. Texas is usually slower than the rest of the country when it comes to fall colors. Although they aren't as brilliant as the northern fall colors, they do change and there are bright spots if you only pause to look at them. So, the last two weeks I have noticed the beauty of the season. Of course the season in Texas is short, so don't blink or you will miss the colors.

This is the ornament I designed for my home guild (Tudor Rose Sampler Guild). I was able to teach the stitches at our November Guild meeting. I think I may offer it as a kit for guilds to use as a teaching piece. It would be a good piece for those in sampler guilds to learn a lot of new stitches. The stitches include: Rice Stitch, Diamond Eyelet, Smyrna Cross, Long-Arm Cross, Alternating Double Back Stitch, Satin Stitch Variations, Montenegrin Stitch, Queen Stitch, Four-sided Stitch, Lora Standish Stitch, Two-Sided Italian Stitch, Ray Stitch, Double Herringbone Stitch, Rhodes Star Stitch, Alternating Mosaic Stitch and Cross Stitch. Stitchers will learn 15 sampler stitches. I received some very nice feedback from guild members and I am grateful for the chance to participate in guild functions with so many wonderful sampler stitchers.

I finally got the printer fixed. It only took a month for the parts to come in! I am finishing up the printing of the final pattern of the year. Of course looking at works in progress for the Nashville Market keeps my designing hat on. However, it's good to feel like I can breathe again as the pin cushions production list is winding down and the final orders are going out within the next few weeks.

I am working on my ornament for our guild Christmas ornament exchange. It's nice to stitch on something other than my own designs. There is so much out there to stitch and I have so little time to stitch on the many beautiful patterns in my stash. I am look forward to the weekly stitching time with friends on Thursday evenings. Stitching friends are really forever friends. We will be losing one of our stitching friends to Germany for two years. Although, she will be missed a great deal, I know that our friendship is strong enough to bridge the distance. Who knows, maybe I will finally get to Europe!!

I hope all of you have had some days or at least a few hours to stitch on your favority projects during the last few weeks of the year. Enjoy those hours of solitude with needle and thread!

Happy Stitching,
Gloria

Winners of the Online Needlework Show Drawning

2009-10-16T00:07:00.004-05:00

Hello All,

I went to my regular Thursday night stitching group and we had a wonderful time laughing, eating and talking. Not much stitching was done and my friend Michelle should have reminded us of her blog title a few days ago ("Less Talkie and More Stitchie") before we got too far into the evening!! We had a great time!! Aren't stitching friends the greatest!!

On my way to meet with my group, I had my friend Kim cut up all the names from the comments section of the blog for the drawing. I had copied all of your comments with the names so that I could use them for the drawing. Near the end of the evening I had each friend draw a name from the container and then narrowed it down from four to one. The winner of the drawing is Elizabeth of Witch of Stitches!! Congratulations Elizabeth!!

But wait...when I arrived home, I found that three of the pieces of paper with names on them that were cut on the way to the meeting had lodged under the drivers seat of my car. Guess Kim got a little crazy with the cutting! So, I decided that I would simply add those names back in and do a second drawing. So you all had a second chance at winning. The second winner is Kellylee! Congratulations to you Kelly!!

It was great to have so many entries for the drawing and the number of you who joined as followers is wonderful! Thank-you all for your lovely comments on my designs. It helps every designer to know that there are more than just her close friends who like what she or he is creating!! :) Please do keep visiting Milady's Blog and keep up with the latest news on the design front. Hopefully my husband and I will be able to get the website into shape this next year and I will let you all know when it's ready to view.

Hope you will have many blessed stitching moments this fall.

Warmly,

Gloria

Milady Goes To The Online Needlework Show

2009-10-04T23:34:00.007-05:00

Hi All,

The online needlework show starts in about 3 days. I have new and not so new items for you to view with quite a few Christmas ornaments in the mix. Of course all the new items from the recent St. Charles Needlework Market are there and in addition there is a new Christmas Ornament that will be released at the online show. "Woodland Christmas" is pictured here. It is finished as a stand-up ornament and the fabric chosen to surround the ornament was just perfect!!

To see a few more designs not listed in the show, but available for purchase, search the previous posts in my blog and go to my website.

Go to: http://needleworkshow.com/index.html to see the show. See you there!

Gloria

New Releases From St. Charles

2009-09-29T14:42:00.020-05:00

Hi All,

I am home exhausted, but we had a wonderful time at the show!! It is always fun to see what everyone has come up with between shows. Seeing the models makes all the difference. I promised to post the pictures of the new items...so here goes:

Halloween Rules is done both as a ruler and a basket band. It's stitched on 40 count R&R Garden State Java with Weeks Dye Works Threads. The instructions for finishing are included in the chart.

Christmas Elegance is done in both a simple Cross Stitch chart and as Asissi work (where the background is stitched instead of the actual pattern). This changes the look of the finished work. The piece is stitched on 40 count River Willow by Lakeside Linens and 35 count Beige by Weeks Dye Works using Crescent C0lours Silks.

ABC 123 is designed with the quilter/cross stitcher in mind. It is stitched on 30 count Tin Roof by Weeks Dye Works using Gentle Arts Simply Wool. It is mounted on Weeks Dye Works Houndstooth Wool Fabric with the Blanket Stitch. It was fun to stitch.

Winter is Past is stitched on 36 Count Sand Dune by Lakeside Linens Silks using Au Ver A Soie. The lovely bright colors add to the charm.

Trade Show Special: In The Garden. This piece was only offered at the show, so you will find this kit at shops that attended the market. Although this will again be offered at the Nashville Market in 2010, you will probably need to look around to find a needlework shop that carries this cute box. It comes as a complete kit. It is stitched on 40 Count Vintage Butter Cream from Lakeside Linens.

I hope you like the new releases and will ask your shop to carry Milady's Needle Designs.

Till next time...may your stitching bring you many rewards. Gloria

Hello From The St. Charles Market

2009-09-25T23:32:00.005-05:00

Hello All,

Here I am at the St. Charles Needlework Market!! It's been a busy day setting up the booth and getting ready for the influx of customers that we hope will inundate us tomorrow. Sylvia, Kim and I have already been shopping during the early bird shopping hours. They have both put a dent in their wallets, while I have been good so far.

We are excited to see how people will like the new items including Halloween Rules, Christmas Elegance, ABC 123, Winter Is Past and the new Adam & Eve box. I will post pictures as soon as I am able.

I brought my laptop with me and my husband has not downloaded all my pictures so I will have to post them by taking pictures of the pictures I have with me and post them. Hopefully tomorrow night. The light in the hotel room is very yellow, so I am not sure how good the pictures will turn out.

If you want to see the new things before tomorrow go to Sylvia's blog. She took pictures earlier this afternoon and is posting them as we speak. Go to http://runningwithneedles-sylvie.blogspot.com/.

Stitch faster...a lot of new stuff will be calling your name!!

Gloria

Michelle Finished Her Pin Cushion

2009-08-28T01:09:00.003-05:00

Hello All,

Just wanted you to see Michelle's lovely pin cushion using BlackBird Designs bonus pattern from "The Simple Things". You can check out her blog at: http://cozyegg.blogspot.com/.

Market is just around the corner!!

2009-08-28T00:51:00.003-05:00

Hello All,

My house will be a warehouse until after market now. Strung around the living room is fabric, charts, models, embossed boxes, silks and cotton floss all over the place. My husband has given up suggesting that I bring some order into this chaos and if I look in the garage where he is still busy turning pin cushions...I could suggest the same!!

We are busy getting all of our ducks in a row so that packing up for market will be easier than the last time. Every year my coherts in crime say,"we are not going to fit everything into the truck Gloria!!" But, after pushing, shoving, and rearranging, much to the dismay of my associates, everything does fit.

For this market...things will be tight. We still have the Milady's Acorn Box from the last market as some shops did not attend Nashville and will want another chance to purchase this box. We also are bringing a new box called "In the Garden". It is stitched on 40 count Butter Cream linen from Lakeside Linens using both Gentle Arts and Crescent Colours cotton floss. It will include the floss, the fabric to stitch the design, the finishing fabric and the pattern with finishing instructions. Adam and Eve are under that tree surrounded by a flowered vine, a squirrel, a rabbit and of course the alphabet. The snake is there too!! :) We are bringing enough so that hopefully we will not run out like the last market. You wouldn't believe how much room those little boxes take up.

It's late tonight so I will let you know about the other things coming out at market as soon as I can get back here to post again.

Happy Stitching To All!

Gloria

Back In The Saddle

2009-07-26T13:29:00.002-05:00

Hello All,

Well, I have been out of pocket due to surgery, but I am back in the Saddle now and working on new releases for the St. Charles Needlework Market. Coming up are two Christmas patterns (Christmas Elegance & Woodland Christmas), My Little Bees Ruler Pocket, Winter is Past (Sampler), ABC 123 (Sampler), Halloween Rules (Ruler and Basket Liner), In The Garden (Adam & Eve Box with fob) and hopefully Margaret Brown (An American Quaker Reproduction Sampler). If the latter doesn't get done for this market, it will for the Nashville Market. I can't really post pictures now, as I like to keep things under wraps until the Needlework Markets, so the shops have a chance to pick the new items up before you start asking for them. So, please be patient awhile longer. Maybe when I am at the Needlework Market, I can post the pictures.

Rick is still working on the pin cushion orders! The number of orders keeps growing, but he is plugging along doing the best he can to get these done for the shops. If you have ordered a pin cushion from your local shop, don't give up hope...they are coming.

Hope you are all merrily stitching away on something you love stitching.

Gloria

Oops

2009-06-08T09:41:00.005-05:00

Hi All,

Joanne in PA found a mistake on the symbol key of the Acorns Rule Floss Tag and notified me by email. It looks as though I didn't include the symbol for the letter G on the graph. I identified the Weeks Chestnut color as the Acorn Cap Stitch and completely missed the only place on the graph with the symbol X. So, if you are stitching this particular floss tag, simply make a note that the G is done in Chestnut (1269).

By the way if you find a mistake in any of my patterns, please let me know! I always appreciate a heads up about these kinds of things.

Gloria

New Laptop

2009-06-06T15:43:00.002-05:00

So, my husband ordered me a new laptop from HP. Since he now works for them, we get a discount on our product from them. So here I am getting used to typing on a laptop and using the controls. It will work nicely to have this available now for markets so that I don't have to wait to enter everything at home and discover the errors in adding. I am excited to use this on trips wherever and whenever.

Today Rick is again out turning pin cushions. And I am again acting as quality control. Now if the wood would just cooperate, we could get on a roll with all the pin cushions that need to be finished.

In other news, I am getting a few projects together for my stitchers to get busy on so that I will have some new things to introduce at the next market. Just to give you a taste...there will be a Halloween ruler and basket, at least two Christmas ornaments, a Bees Ruler Pocket, hopefully the next in the sampler motifs and meaning series and finally a new box with an Adam and Eve theme. These are the projects currently in the works. If all goes well, some of them even might be ready to release before market!

I better sign off now. Included the forest picture to remind me to relax and smell the roses. I hope you will all have some stitching time this weekend.

Relax and Enjoy!

Gloria

Loose Feather's Pin Cushion

2009-05-26T20:34:00.000-05:00

I just thought I would post a picture of the pin cushion that I talked about in an earlier post. The lovely Blackbird Designs ladies have used our large walnut pin cushion for their bonus pattern in their recent release. A very cute addition to a stitcher's smalls collection. Back to work now. :)

Stitch to your hearts content!

Gloria

July/August 2009 Just Cross Stitch

2009-05-25T19:02:00.000-05:00

The new Just Cross Stitch Magazine (July/August) is now out and contains an ornament from Milady's Needle. It's called A Spot of Christmas and will be followed by the companion in the Just Cross Stitch Ornament Issue in September. Not sure why they chose to use lime green as a background...but designers don't take the pictures for the magazine spread. Ah well. Hope you like the new ornament.

Today has been a lazy kind of day. Although Rick was busy turning pin cushions, he stopped a bit early so that we could get take out and watch a ball game. I will be stitching on a new design, which is always hush, hush until it's officially released. Shops like to have them in house before customers start to ask for them. I may decide to give a sneak peak when I am further along, but that depends on when it actually gets done. :)

Hope you are all enjoying some time with family and remembering those no longer with us...especially those who have died in the service of our country. Have a safe holiday .

Gloria

A book worth reading!

2009-05-23T14:54:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished reading the book Still Alice by Lisa Genova. I couldn't put it down. My father has been diagnosed with Mild Cognitive Impairment which could move to Alzheimer's Disease in the future. This book gives you an inside look at what it's like from the perspective of the Alzheimer's sufferer rather than the care giver. Even if you don't know someone who has this awful disease, I highly reccommend reading this book! It's moving and eloquent. It will change how you view this disease and your own life.

On another note...we are working on turning pin cushions today. I help with the sanding and buffing when needed. I am also the quality control expert. :) After all the peasant in the workshop needs to turn to Milady's standard! :)

Have a fun day stitching!

Gloria

An orament released at the Online Needlework Show

2009-05-22T17:23:00.001-05:00

Although some of you may collect the Just Cross Stitch ornament issues, there are those that don't purchase this magazine. I have released this ornament from the 2007 JCS ornament issue so that those of you who don't have the magazine might be able to purchase the pattern.

It's called Christmas Blessings

I really enjoyed designing this one and I think you will enjoy the preview issue of the Just Cross Stitch Magazine which came out this month. It has a new ornament in it that will have another ornament in the JCS Ornament Issue that compliments it nicely.

Enjoy your stitching today.

Designs Released at Nashville

2009-05-22T15:11:00.001-05:00

Hi All,

Here are the designs released at Nashville in February 2009:

Milady's Acorn Box:

Floss Tag-Alongs

Le Jardin Accoutrements:

Front

Back

Precious Pin Cushions

I am going to post as many of the designs not posted on the website untill we get that back up and running with all the designs listed. Thanks for your patience.

May your days be filled with stitching pleasure.

Gloria

Latest Designs

2009-05-22T13:17:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

So, I have figured out how to post pictures to this blog!! Yeah!!! I will have my husband put a link on my website to this blog so that those of you who are tired of seeing no new updates there, can see them here. :)

But I just have to put one of my older favorites is Needles & Pins:

I will post my latest designs in my next post.

Happy Stitching,

Gloria

Birthday

2009-05-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

Today is my birthday! I woke up to two bouquets of flowers, two movies, a cake and a ton of cards. I have had calls from well wishers all day. It's nice to be remembered!

I am working on several new designs for the St. Charles Market. I hope to release a few in June, but I am not holding my breath. Lots to do and never enough time.

Hope you got a chance to see the new Loose Feathers pattern by Blackbird Designs. It really is a cute pin cushion. Would love to show you a picture, but I am still trying to figure out how to post a picture. Maybe I can show you one of my designs that was a show special last summer. If I can do that...then maybe I can start posting some pictures.

Happy Birthday to me!

New Blog for Milady's Needle

2009-05-03T21:44:00.000-05:00

Hi All,

I am starting a blog with the hopes that maybe I can update you better by this blog than I can on my website which is woefully behind.

Things are just crazy at Milady's Needle. My time is stretched to the limit as is my husband's so the website had been placed on the back burner in favor of designing new things and hand turning wooden pin cushions. With the release of the new Loose Feathers pattern, the orders for Walnut pin cushion bases has hit the roof, so Rick will be busy until who knows when. So, hopefully I can let you know about new product here. This is an experiment, so be patient while I figure out how to post pictures.

Hope you have a wonderful day stitching.

Gloria