I am already making some to send, how about you. Here is the information to help out!
http://lindeegembroidery.com/sandy-hook-what-can-we-do/

The Sandy Hook Memorial Snowflake

Sandy Hook Memorial Snowflake

As I thought about this design, I wondered how could I send love through this project? Of course, thoughts of love bring the idea of hearts. I doodled for awhile and came up with this design. I wanted to have a heart for each precious new angel who was at the school. The design ended up with 29 hearts, 3 more than the school children and teachers. I leave the remaining 3 for you to decide. Maybe one for the designer (me), one for you, who made it, and one for the universal power of love. Maybe you want to assign one to the shooter’s mother who seems to be left out from the count. What about the brother? He has to be facing some major tough times.
No matter how you divvy them up, there are no names on the hearts and my thought is there can never be too much love!
This design is free-standing lace and is heavier than the Winter Jewels Mock Crochet Snowflakes to make it sturdier. You may want to sew it on nylon organza for more durability. The free download file includes most all formats zipped into a single file. Get yours here.
The design is one color and while a relatively high stitch count, it really won’t take much interaction from you once it starts sewing. You may want to pin it out for drying after removing any stabilizer. Watch this video on the Winter Jewels snowflakes if you aren’t familiar with embroidering FSL.

Where to Send Your Snowflakes

Your snowflake will easily fit inside a greeting card. Postage on these is minimal. Better yet, stitch up a blizzard! This would make a great group project or even store project!
You can read more about the effort at the PTA website here. If you have spare time this holiday season, please make a few snowflakes with this free lace design. Send snowflakes to:

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Parkway
Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

For Those in Other Parts of the World

Unfortunately, this tragedy is not unique. While this one moved me to create this special design, please feel free to make them and spread them around to other places and people who need some love. How about a nursing home? Or a hospital unit? What about the lonely neighbor down the street. Gather your embroidery friends from your sewing guild or your sewing store and have a “blizzard party.” You’ll have fun and you’d be surprised—your vibration is likely to raise even more than the recipient!

I am teaching summer classes to children. Here is my first photo shoot with some of the children.
The classes are American Girl dresses for the doll and for the child. Cooking apron with chef hat. Owl Pillow more class are listed but need to do another photo shoot.

Rylee

Rylee

Ben

Jack

Owl Pillows

New serger for me!

So excited! I just got a new serger and I love the fact that it is a self thread machine. Talk about saving time. It is a Babylock Evolution 8 thread serger.  And here is a couple of things that I just made with this machine. They are scarves made entirely on the serger. It takes alot of practice and patience to complete a scarf.

Fashion Week in Denver, Colorado

Fashion in Denver is growing!
Nox by Jose Duran
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HHPeFS9hvM&feature=youtu.be

Jose Duran has arrived at the scene and he’s putting his fashion foot forward! Drawing inspiration from his knowledge of past surroundings, Jose manipulates various fabrics and color schemes to whisper the words of an unforgettable story. Looking toward the ingrained past of a church massacre, which occurred in Jose’s hometown during the Haitian Revolution, the past behind the works speaks to a greater reality. The ability to take the history and mold it to one’s own vision and perception of both the experience and of the future is an ability Jose clearly exhibits; it is both a skillful art and voiced expression. Try and draw the designer away from his characteristic pieces and he’ll be sure to put up a fight. The pieces have personality and charisma. Not only are they sufficient in edge, their undeniable in the presence of abundant flair.
The talented designer uses a color palette that focuses on a scheme of both bright and airy colors, as well as bold, heavier ones. The wide rang of artistic ability and vision allows for a wide consumer audience. What’s the best part about Jose Duran creations? They’re wearable and eye-catching. Walk down the street it one of Jose’s numbers and there is no doubt all eyes will be upon you.
http://fashionindie.com/designer-discovery-jose-duran/

New experience

I have applied to a TV series. I hope that I am picked. What have I got to lose. :)

The opportunity is with a television show called “Your Dream Life”  presented by Prestigious Production Company, The Hochberg Ebersol Company (THE Company), MysticArt Pictures and America’s #1 cable network. They are searching for men or women with at least 30 years of life experience who at one time in their lives were on a path to pursuing their dream career as a costume designer when life took a turn. This opportunity is a second chance to achieve your dream of becoming a costume designer!

If you answer yes to any of the questions below, the casting department at MysticArt Pictures wants to hear from you:

·        Did you start on the path towards your dream career as a costume designer?

·        Did something derail you years ago and prevent you from pursuing your dream career?

·        Do you have the experience, education and/or qualifications to make your dream a reality?

Remembering Lois Ericson

We just learned that our dear friend Lois Ericson died last week. Lois was a wife and mother, but she also was an author, teacher, and artist. She designed patterns and touched the sewing community like no other. Her books, patterns, classes, and persona opened the door to individual creativity for thousands of sewers. We already miss her spark.

Here is the rest of the story. http://www.threadsmagazine.com/item/22428/remembering-lois-ericson

Recycled T-shirt

Here is a project I am working on. I created a whole new look t-shirt with t-shirts. I took one t-shirt and added flowers made out of another t-shirt to end up with a shirt that you can find at any store right now.  Here is how I did it. Start with a basic t-shirt that you like the fit and style. I did not want to cut up a t-shirt to make the top, but you can do this with one of your old t-shirts.

Next I cut up an old t-shirt of the color that I liked. You can use many t-shirts if you want more color than what I used. The strips are about 1" to 1 1/2" wide and 10" to 14" long. I went with 14" because I liked the fullness of the flowers better.

Stitch a gather stitch down one side of the strips and then gather them. Once you are done gathering, stitch the base of the flower together to hold it in place.

Your choice on how many flowers you make. I also made templates for leaves that I cut out of the t-shirts.

This is a the t-shirt in the process of being completed. How many flowers and leaves you use is your choice. How to attach them to the shirt is also your choice. This shirt I am stitching them on. You can also glue a broche pin on the back of each flower so you can use the flowers on multiple shirts. Another idea is to put rhinestone pins in the center of each flower for some bling.  

ASG Convention Fashion Show

Every year at Convention the members put on a fashion show of clothing that they have designed and sewn themselves. Here is an example of their handiwork.

Fashion Show

A Child's Christmas in Wales

Here are some of my beginning sketches for the play I am costuming for in December.

New way to look at fashion

I love this idea of creating clothing from paper. Not that you can wear these but the amount of work and creativity it took to make these outfits is fantastic! I got so excited that I want to try doing this for a display.

Paper Fashions

Rocky Mountain Quilt Festival

Wow, that is all I can say... Not really but the volume of quilts and the top quality of workmanship was really fantastic. I met up with some of my business friends while checking out all the fabrics, notions, quilts, machines etc. First I want to share with you some of the pictures that I took of the Hoffman Exhibit.

Started in 1988, the Hoffman Challenge has grown to be a premiere traveling quilt, clothing, and doll collection. The quality of entries and a growing number of exhibit requests have led us to establish additional traveling collections. Currently, twelve collections travel coast-to-coast within the USA and to several Canadian locations.
This year the Hoffman Challenge is celebrating its 24th Anniversary. The Challenge started with 94 enthusiastic quilters, and in some years, the number of entries has grown to more than 700. In addition to the three quilt categories (pieced, appliqué and mixed technique), new categories include clothing (wearable art), accessories, and dolls. While the majority of the entries come from the United States, a wide variety of international entries are received. Each year, the top entries are grouped into traveling collections and visit quilt and fiber shows, seminars, quilt shops and quilt- and doll-makers guilds nationwide and in Canada.

Needless to say, I was truly inspired. I could not find one of the entries that I would love to have sewn or wear.

Now, here is some of the quilts that were in the festival.

None of these quilts were the top winners but they are still absolutely beautiful. I am not a quilter but after going to the festival I am thinking seriously of taking it up. The next group of pictures is not your usual style of quilting and it is very unique.  

And who knew you could do more than make a quilt that is a blanket. You can also make art with quilting. This item is made completely of fabric that has been pieced and quilted.

Here is several items that are felted or felting was used in them. Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibers. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size.

This is a felted piece of artwork. You can buy the felt to make this or you can felt your own. The Finishing touches are embroidery stitches. This store has tons of kits in various sizes for you to try. I love this idea and can't wait to try it.

This is a great example of felted purses with felt applique and embroidery stitches to embellish the purses.

This was an exciting piece of felting. It is a scarf. I loved the use of the vibrant colors.

This was a great example of restyling, reusing, and recycling. Then finished off with Felted applique work.

This is a beautiful sweatshirt that is embellished with felted leaves and a jeweled zipper. Now, where are all my sweatshirts I need to get started.

This is a great idea on what you can use your scrap felt pieces for and practice your embroidery stitches.

Santa needed a felted robe to go out in the cold.

Here is another sweatshirt that is embellished with felting and embroidery.

Ribbon Embroidery

I personally love embroidery, ribbons is a great extention of using embroidery. Here are a few examples to help you get creative in finding ways to use ribbon embroidery.

I love the top with all the ribbon embroidery.

This is a great sampler of stitches that when you are done you can hang on the wall of your house. Great idea!

Tambani Textiles

http://www.tambani.co.za/

This is a job creation project for Venda women in South Africa.Tambani is a quilting and embroidering initiative to set a group of disadvantaged rural African women on a path of self-actualization and economic empowerment. The embroidered folk tales, which are sold as applique blocks and used by quilters, knitters and crafters all over the world, is a practical way of preserving the Venda oral tradition.

I found this style of embroidery fascinating.

Some of the shops that I stopped by and visited with. The first one is J&M Vac & Sew in Fort Collins, CO. I also teach classes in their store.

The next stop was at The Presser Foot of Fort Collins. They were doing a demonstration on the coolest new iron on the market. Steams and you do not burn yourself. You can also use regular sink water and not distilled water. I would love to have one.



The next booth I stopped at was the Sewing Circle. Many of the items on the wall were designed and created by the women who work in the store.

Here Melissa is showing everyone how to do embossing on fabric. She has also designed and created a pattern that will be sold in her store.