Debbee's Designs Blog

I’ve posted before about how much the colors I’m working with affect my ability to motivate myself to stitch. Well, instead of having to motivate myself to stitch with colors I don’t like, I’m now stitching a project with colors I love! And I keep admiring them while I’m stitching, and looking forward to the next motif.

I’ve been designing and stitching a suite of designs based on single Jean Hilton stitches. The first one was Mostly Amadeus.

This is a color scheme I’ve used before, and really enjoy. By the way, all of the designs in this series will be available in ALL of the color ways.

The next one was Mostly Crescents.

This is not the beauty shot we’ll get later, just enough to show. As you can see, this color way is beiges, ecrus and browns. And, I’m showing it horizontally rather than vertically. Someone once told me a good design works in any direction, and hopefully that’s true with this series.

Next I stitched Mostly Jessicas.

This one is at the framers now. I selected a bold color way as well as the grayscale with red, and monochromatic beiges. Not everyone responds to color the same way, and I’m hoping to find something that appeals to everyone.

Now I’m stitching Mostly Walnetos. This is in progress; it will be the same size as the others, 4″ x 12″ on 18 ct. canvas.

I chose a pastel color scheme this time, all pale yellows, blues, pinks and purples, on a dark antique blue canvas. And I’m loving it! Walnetos have always been favorite stitches of mine, and to do a whole project that’s mostly Walnetos is divine.

I’ll post more pictures as I get this one stitched. The last one in the planned series is Fandango – can you guess what will be in that one?

OK, here’s the deal: I have some class kits left over, that I don’t need to keep. So I’m going to make them available for sale!

These are the terms of the sale:

• What is available is what is listed. I will not be making up more kits or printing more books
• Kits include instruction book, canvas and all threads for the project. The book is just the book of instructions
• I will accept only PayPal for this sale. I will send you a PayPal invoice after you let me know which kit or book you want
• You may buy more than one
• Prices do not include shipping. I will ship overseas. Before I send the PayPal invoice I will figure shipping so you will have an accurate invoice

Here’s what I have available:

Ablaze – 2 Blue Blazes kits – $95 each; 4 Embers kits – $95 each; 6 books – $30 each

Blue Blazes color way

Embers color way:

Building Blocks 4 Coral kits, $55 each (cottons, Kreinik); 3 Mardi Gras kits (Treenway and Dinky Dyes silks, Kreinik), $100 each; 4 books, $25 each

Coral color way

Mardi Gras color way

Criss Cross 5 Aqua/Black, $68 each; 3 each Blue/Yellow, Green/Yellow, Purple/Yellow, $64 each; 3 Books, $30 each

Aqua/Black color way

Purple/Yellow color way

Double Crossed 3 each Ecru/Blue and Ecru/Green, 2 each Ecru/Pink, $90 each; 6 Books, $30 each

Shell Game 2 – 1 Kit, Turquoise color way, $50

(Blue color way pictured, Turquoise color way does not have blue threads but turquoise threads in the DMC 3845-46 range)

Email me if you have any questions about what is included in the kits, and I’ll be happy to let you know. DO NOT REPLY IN THE COMMENTS HERE! Please email me, debbie@debbeesdesigns.com. Please do not put any personal information on the website! We’ll handle all the transactions privately.

Remember that when what is available is gone, it’s gone. I will not be making more kits or printing more charts.

Thanks so much for your support – hopefully all these kits can find good homes!

Oh, and one more thing – I will send you the video links for the classes. Not every class has videos, but for the ones that I’ve got I’ll send you the links so you see how to do the more complex stitches.

I just got back from Washington, DC and the ANG National Seminar, where I taught Gilded Cabochons, a four day class. I had a wonderful group for the class, all excellent stitchers, and they all made tremendous progress on their projects!

Gilded Cabochons is just loaded with different stitches. Maybe next year one of my students will enter their piece in the exhibit, and get the Sampler Award for it. Fingers crossed!

This design was inspired by the ceiling of Union Station in Chicago, the Amtrak station. I’ve sat and looked at the ceiling many times, and was struck by the geometric nature of the ceiling, and thought it would be a great needlework project.

Where the ceiling is recessed, I stuffed and padded the elements to bring them forward. I figured it would be too difficult to pad the surrounding areas!

I’m quite pleased with the way the project turned out, and I think the students enjoyed it as well. The design was worked with all ecru threads on eggshell canvas, with a few specialty threads in ecru to add texture and interest. I enjoyed designing this one and stitching the model.

It’s about 8″ x 8″, so not a huge project, but one that provides a lot of texture and variation.

Hey, did you miss me? I’ve been on the go almost non stop since my last post, and finally able to sit and take a breath, and think about my goals for the immediate future.

My first goal for today is to update my teaching pieces on the website, and hopefully where some of them are scheduled. If there’s something you find appealing, and would possibly like to ghost, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the class organizers. Not every venue allows ghosts – for instance, the EGA Regional and ANG National Seminars do not. But usually the local chapters and shops do, and it never hurts to ask.

I’m home now until January, but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy. This is the time of year that I propose for the coming events, and plan new projects. I’ve been busy busy busy working on things I can’t share pictures of, but as soon as I can show what I’ve been doing I will.

Right now I’m stitching on my model for ANG’s Stitch of the Month for 2019. My partners with Needle Arts Mystery Retreat and I will be the featured artists for SOTM 2019, and it will be a mystery – revealed only one month at time. Each of us has selected a color way, but the great thing about SOTM is that you can select your own colors with the guidelines offered (i.e., stitch this with #8 pearl, or 2 strands of floss, etc.).

Speaking of the Needle Arts Mystery Retreat, I can reveal my project for 2018:This year I selected threads that were white, silver and very pale gray, but offered a choice of canvas colors. I stitched mine on blue canvas, and offered hot pink or purple as well. Since these colors are not available for canvas, I spray painted the canvasses to get the colors I wanted.

I picked a sunny dry day, painted the canvases, then hung them on a clothesline to dry. I think those were the last sunny days we had here in Arkansas!

Anyway, I’ll be posting more as I have something to share. Thanks for your patience!

I don’t do this very often but today I’m making a shameless plug for one of my teaching ventures, Canvas.

Canvas is a fabulous event hosted by Julia Snyder and Leigh Miller. I taught for the inaugural event earlier this year, and it was a very well-organized, delightful week of stitching.

For Canvas 2019 I’ll be teaching two classes, Adagio and Circle Dance.

Adagio features a Kitty’s double fan doubled, layered partial Jessicas, ray stitches, and others in a beautiful palette of blues and browns.

I had a lot of fun designing and stitching this class!

My other class is Circle Dance, which begins with students painting their canvases. Every project will look different after it’s completed, when stitchers put their own personal touches on the canvas. Circle Dance features lots of circles (obviously), including detached buttonhole, Jessicas, Rhodes, and other stitches.

I hope you’ll consider joining us for these, and other terrific classes in January!

https://www.canvasaneedlepointadventure.com/registration/

I had so much fun last year that I’m confident you’ll enjoy it too!