Book Sale Ending Soon

  Just a quick reminder to everyone that my book is on sale in my Etsy shoppe right now...but will go back to a normal price soon. Amazon is carrying it also, at $20.52 so the $14.00 shop price is a really good deal...better get off the fence is you've been considering it.

Hugs!
 

CQJP Blocks - May/June

Today, I finished up two more blocks on my shower curtain project. These, and about a dozen more circles will become a new shower curtain for my bath. Each circle is stitched/beaded based on one of the seams in my Embellishing Crazy Quilts Workbook.

These circles are six inches each. Others are also larger or smaller to create the entire project. Not sure if I'll be done at year's end...as I have a stack of circles still to embroidery...so this year's Crazy Quilt Journal Project might have to encompass next year's project too!
These two circles contain seams #10, #12, #18, #31 and #47. Changes might have been made to the original seam design to fit such a small circle's space limitations. These will be my May and June entries for the CQJP2013 Challenge.

A little embroidery done...

Last week was wonderful...this week...not so much. I have a terrible head full of "well let's not say"...and it's slowly moving into broncils and lungs. I'm coughing, sneezing, and drowning. Hopefully, it won't be for many more days...the allergies are really stirred up! Last week, I managed to do a little embroidery piece. This is the motif on page 142 of Embellishing Crazy Quilts if you have the book. I just combined all of the circles into a long curved blossum of french knots, the leaves are fly stitch, and the stem is well...stem stitch. There is a tutorial on making the leaves on the blog...just check the tutorial page.  

  I did manage to get a little stitching done this week on Erma's block for the HGTV Round Robin that I'm in...a tree in the center of the block. More to do on this, then I'll post another photo for you. The tree is also from the ECQ book partly...the limbs and trunk are on page 143.  

800 Followers! Let's Celebrate!

I love having you visit with me each week, and can hardly believe that there are now 800 followers!  That milestone calls for a celebration! Usually we give some little something away...but instead of one person receiving I'm going to have some fun with the number "8". For the next eight days (or until they are gone)...I'll be have a special sale on my Etsy Shop. My crazy quilt workbook "Embellishing Crazy Quilts" will be on sale for $8.00!!! That a huge discount from the normal $19.95 on my Etsy page, and the $28.95 on Amazon MSRP! I'm loading Eight books...so the first eight folks (limit one per customer at this price) will get them. Shipping will be priority in the U.S. at around $7.00 and true cost for international (shipping charged after the sale but before the shipping international).   Edited to Add: 6/12/2013 Well, that didn't take long! Less than two days, and the eight books are spoken for! The last order will mail out in the morning. Congrats to those that took advantage of the Eight Buck Deal! 

CQJP2013 - March Block Completed

My challenge to myself this year for the Crazy Quilt Journal Project is to create a large panel with many circles with crazy quilt seams only. The seams will document the designs in Embellishing Crazy Quilts, and provide me a way to showcase those seams...other than the long linear sampler I first stitched as the seams were designed. Some seams have additional beads, or changes to fit the space of the circle. Eventually, the project will be a shower curtain cover in my bath I'm thinking....in front of the plastic liner so it won't get wet of course.   Here are the seams by number used in this block:  

Seam #18  

 Seam #21  

Seam #25  

Seam #35  

Seam #55  

Seam #69  

Seam #114  

Seam #137

Design Ideas

Do you have ideas for silk ribbon designs, or seam treatments?

 ...Or just general project that you want to accomplish? Thanks to my muse...my head just overflows with them at times.Usually, when I'm no where near my computer or sewing room! And, sometimes...after I have written them down...I can't locate the paper I wrote them on when I need it!So, I decided that all the odd scraps of paper, steno pads, and note cards just had to go. I needed to get more organized!But what would keep everything I wanted to remember in one place? It needed to be large enough to be usable...but small enough to put in my BOHO bag. Then it would need be "at ready" when sitting and waiting for an appointment (or on the bus/train commute? baseball game? ballet class?)AND, since I can't draw a straight line without a ruler...the pages jut had to be "graph paper" style; BUT not printed so dark that I could not see what I did draw...just barely showing,  a guide to help me draw my "artistic" ideas neatly.

 Plus, an area for notes would be needed! To remind me of what project my sketch goes with; or where I saw this cool seam treatment (so I can give credit for the inspiration, if I ever used the seam)...

 "Could others use this type of sketch book too?" my muse asks.Well, could they? I think so... So, viola! The "My Crazy Ideas Sketch Book" was born.

 It is over 120 pages of grid paper w/note sections...and has some pages at the front with instruction on how to start sketching your own ideas.

 So, if you are looking for a great little sketch book..that YOU are the author of...and you don't want to spend a lot of money on it...I hope you will consider ordering a Sketch Book from ShawklDesigns. These also make great little gifts...and can be used by folks who don't even do Crazy Quilts...any notes can be included...crazy or not! At $8.40 they are priced well enough to get more than one. I have one that is only for CQ Seams...and another for Project Ideas and Motifs.And, if my muse doesn't slow down and take a few naps...I might have an entire "library" of these filled up before long!
 

Taking Pre-Orders for Autographed Books!!

My first book is about to come off the presses! We just spend 3 days in re-write and revision. The books should reach me in just a few days...and I'll autograph on a first come basis. So, if you want a great book for your library...jump on over to my Studio and check it out!

 Here's the new cover front...I like the blue much better than that wine color. The book includes charts for all of the TDiTM stitches and more...150 in total. They are also shown in 3 different scales. Four pages of templates are included...plus...104 monograms! ...plus...over 60 embroidery motifs. Want to see some sample pages? Thought so...I can only do screen print images...so they aren't the best...but here goes....
Here are how the stitch charts will be...

And...monograms. There are four completely different alphabets...

And embroidery motifs!

I have enjoyed working on this book...and it has taken months to get to this stage. My head is full of more ideas...a shadow applique book, a quilt pattern book, and more crazy quilt motifs of course!

But first...back to get some stitching done!

Woot! Woot! I'm so Excited...

My very first book is in the proof stage! Here is the image of the back/front cover!!

 

Actually it's the second book I've written...but the first one is still in production...and this one just flew right through that phase...and jumped in front of the other one! How great!

All of the TDiTM stitch charts...and more will be in this...in three different scales! And four complete sets of monograms...104 total! And more than 50 embroidery motifs (I'm getting really good with Illustrator!!)

I'm so excited...the book proof is supposed to be in my hands next week. I have to make sure all the content is correct...and the print quality is good...and a hundred little details. Then, it goes to full production!! I hope to have it for retail by the end of February or March!! Yeah!!!

So celebrate with me!! Woot! Woot!