What does a designer do in the long stretches of time between trade shows? Do we take that time off? I wish! Sometimes, the “down time” between trade shows is our busiest time, because that’s when we work on new designs, focus on things that we can’t when we’re pushed for trade show new releases and generally retool the business.
During my “down time”, I’m working on class projects and designs for publications. Just a tiny word about publication work – every year I’m approached by several publications for designs, and I try to do as many as I can. It’s not always possible to work these in, but I’m trying to arrange my schedule to allow for this. So on my horizon I have design work for 3 publications, which I’ll release here when I’m able. But, I can let you know that I have an ornament in the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue, which is already out and available now in your local needlework shop and a lot of book stores, and a design in A Cross-Stitch Christmas A Heartwarming Holiday book, published by Craftways. This hard-bound book is also available now as well; my design of counted canvas gift boxes is on page 98.
This year we decided to add some exclusive teaching projects into our line. What this means is we will have projects that are only available as teaching projects, not available for sale as stand alone charts. You may see these as a cyberclass, or offered through a chapter or guild. We haven’t quite decided what we will do with these projects, just that I will be developing these as an addition to our line of charts that we sell through needlework shops.
I’ve already taught Shell Game 2 for the Cyberpointers chapter of ANG, and will be teaching Double Crossed for a local chapter in just a couple of weeks. I’m nearing completion on a third project, Explorations, and will share details about that soon. Of course we’ll keep our retailers informed about these, and I hope to be teaching these myself in one form or another during the coming year. More classes will be joining the line-up as I get them ready.
We’re excited about the possibilities of adding an exclusive teaching line to our offerings, while continuing to add new designs that we hope stitchers will love and want to stitch.