They're HERE!

 

  Just look what the UPS guy brought me today!   

  I've been stuffing envelopes getting them ready to ship.  

  The the postman will pick up tomorrow (after I carry these two heavy boxes downstairs and put them on Mom's front porch). Only have the five International Orders to take to the post office...whew!
There are a handful still in the Etsy shop...so if you want one at that 31% discount...get it soon. When they are sold out, you'll need to go to Amazon.com for them. BTW, Amazon (US and EUR) should have the book listed on their sites now as well.
Hugs!  

Latest Book - UPDATE

  Look what arrived yesterday! My book PROOF copy. It a printed copy of what will be printed...and it "always" needs corrections...things I just don't notice looking at the computer screen...but jump out at me when I see it on actual paper.   I have finished all of the changes and sent the new files back to the printer for their review. With a little luck...I can order books next week for shipment to everyone that has placed a Pre-Order Sale Price of 31% Off MSRP at Amazon. If the books come really early, I'll order a group...mail out and then catch any other orders that come in between then and 3 July.   Thought you might enjoy a few sneak peaks at some of the inside pages, so I'll show you some of the things that I found "to change"....ha!  

The front of the book has some seam designs aligned on strips of "faux fabric". There are also 3 inside pages like this but the fabrics are solid strips of color. Here, at the top of one of these pages...the top seam is all but "cut off". So, had to go adjust the bleed for the pages...realign and reduce some strips, then reposition the seams.

  Here, the Table of Contents didn't have all of the bullets lined up. I had checked the spelling...but did not pay attention to the indents. (Maryanne, I should have not tried to do this edit on my own...even though it is only a handful of pages...I am apparently ill-equiped to catch the small things. Ha!)  

 

In this bottom seam on Page #25, I'm thinking "where did that red ball come from?". Well, it should have been a stack of sequins...so had to go into Illustrator and redraw (then let that link into the InDesign master file) and finally export into the Adobe PDF file which the printer asks for.  

 

Here on page 73, the last seam of that page was "chopped off". Had to go in and move the entire group of seams up a smidge on that page.  

 

On page 94, these seams were "dancing cheek to cheek" as they all tried to crowd into the space. Went in and shifed the entire page group up/down to give these center ones some more room.  

 

Found on this page, the sequin groups in the top seam were "marching off the page". So, went in and re-aligned them in the proper space.   Hope you have enjoyed a little peek behind the curtain of creating a book; when you are acting as author and creator of the artwork.   Hugs!
 

Fancy Seam Designs available for Pre-Order Price at 31% Savings!

My next book is at the printer! It is available on my Etsy Shop for a few days...at a 31% savings! Crazy Quilting-Volume III: Fancy Seam Designs. You will love this book!   Unlike book pre-sales in the past, I will only be ordering the EXACT number of books to be delivered from my Etsy Shop. So, if you do not get your order in by the deadline (midnight 2 July); you will have to get your copy at Amazon.com at the full MSRP of $31.95.    I really think you will enjoy this book. It includes 500-full color seam designs. These designs include thread embroidery and elements of Silk Ribbon Embroidery, Beads, Buttons, Sequins and more. You can use templates to create the base seam design (shown as black in these seams) or free-hand stitch these designs.
I do give you the template designs for scanning at the back of the book. But, I'm also going to create a free download document in the next few days for everyone that purchases a book from the Etsy shop so you can just download it and print directly to your vellum paper IF you are going to use templates for these designs.
You don't need the templates, just offering because that is MY own preferred method to create seams.
I'm super excited about this book...and know you will love it too!   Notes:   International Sales: if you are interested in this sales price; contact me so we can discuss. I have not authorized international sales on my Etsy Shop Site because the postage amounts are so un-realistic for international shipments in the past.

Book Series: the prior "thinking" about this continuing series was to introduce more patterns for embroidery motifs next; but they are taking months to create...so I pushed the seam book to the front. No worries, the motifs are still coming...just taking a huge amount of effort to get each illustration converted to vector drawings. Perhaps later this year, or next year...hugs!

Floral & Roses RR, Lydia's Block...Completed

My progress was slowed by a couple of days as I managed to pull my back out...just getting up from a chair. I mean really, WHO DOES THAT! But, today I seem to be all better (crossing my fingers)...so managed to put the beads on Lydia's Block. It is now ready to mail to the next lady in the Round Robin (Floral & Roses Traditional). Here are some close-up photos of the areas:

On the Blanket Stitch seam, I added some sequins and 3mm Swarovski bicone crystals to the prongs.

On the Straight Stitch seam, I added some of the little yellow striped beads that Lydia sent around with her block, thought they were so cute. Also, some sequins, 3mm Swarovski bicone crystals, and pearl rice beads.

On the little blue metalic Straight Stitch Seam, I added some sequins, sead beads, 3mm Swarovski bicone crystals, tiny bugle beads, and sead beads. I also added a wee little ribbon butterfly to the fantasy silk ribbon flower seam and a lace butterfly in the space between seams.

Lastly I added some lime green sead beads to the pink lace seam and created a button cluster for the doily area with buttons, glass leaves, porcelain roses, sequins, crystals, Swarovski crystal bicones, and metallic beads (these last were also from Lydia's furnished beads).

This block was so much fun, it was really hard to quit! I had "plans" in my head for the entire block...just had to make myself stop so the other ladies would have some space to work as well.

 

Floral & Roses RR, Lydia's Block...Day 2

 Got a little more stitching in late yesterday, so silk ribbon is complete. Next, on to beads-buttons-sequins!  

So, here is the "big picture" of what has been accomplished so far...

Close up view of a little fantasy flower design...using some pretty beads that Lydia included with her block...in just the right shade of purple/pink/silver of her block colors.

More fantasy flowers on this seam, just waiting for beads and sequins!

Had to include some roses...hence the name of the swap. This seam is also going to get beads and sequins next. :)

Last, added some lace leaves to the doily area...where the bead/button cluster will go.

Hope to get more stitching done today...but expecting company...so might have to skip a day. :)

 

Floral & Roses RR, Lydia's Block...Day One

So far, last month was nuts with so many appointments...and this month has begun the same way. But, none today...yea! Gives me time to work on Lydia's block...here is the beginning.    

The day is very overcast...so a lamp is needed, even though there is sunshine coming in the windows behind me.

  Thought I'd do a few seams, and a button cluster in the corner on the bottom left. So, I begin with my base seams along the sewn seam lines. Next, add some lace along the curved seam and a crochet piece on the curved patch.

Isn't the little doily pretty...it was a gift but I can't remember from who. It has been in my lace drawer. The floral lace piece is also a gift from Nicki Lee...who has the best dyed lace!

Lastly, here are the base seams. Not very fancy yet...but that will come with more layers of "pretty" added. So, enough for today...back at this tomorrow (after yet another appointment).
Hugs,