You wished reeaal hard for the wonderful sinewy, sensuous (and sometimes sinister) work of Molly Crabapple to be added to the Sublime Stitching Artist Series and now, your wish has come true! (Mine, too.) 

★ MOLLY CRABAPPLE ★ Embroidery Transfers

In celebration of this new release, I'm also having a HUGE semi-annual (last one for 2010) PATTERN SALE! Go embroidery nuts! It's okay. 

Beach Babes - Birds of Prey - Black Apple -  Bon Voyage - Bowling Betties - Camp Out - Country Cool - Carson Ellis - Chi Chi Fever - Chinatown - Chinese Acrobats - Dainty Days - Darling Dachshunds - Dia de Los Muertos  - Dutch Russian - El Diablo - Garden Variety -  Gnomes and Fairies - I Luv Veggies - Jewish Symbols - Krazy Kitchen - Kurt Halsey - Lucha Libre - Medicine Cabinet - Michael Sieben - Mitch O'Connell - Mod Fashion - Monkey Love - Olde Alphabet - Scooter Babe -
Swanky Decor - Tara McPherson - Tiki Freak - Vintage Lamps - Vital Organs - Zombies & Monsters

♥ From my collection ♥ Something extraordinarily wonderful turned up in my mail. It was a gift from my great friend Faythe Levine -a machine embroidery sampler. It says "Old Time Embroidery" but it looks like it's pretty old already!

"Okay...I'd like my first name in pink and then I'd like my middle initial in blue and then my last name in yellow and can you do a heart? And then I'd like some scrolly bits all around and..." What would you have them embroider for you? Leave in the comments!

I am extremely pleased to announce the WINNERS of the Sublime Stitching Combo Contest! Hoo boy- it was not an easy task. And, I mean that. This has been really tough to judge, seeing all the great work that was done! You people can embroider. A lot. And you were kinda scaring me with your awesomeness. 

There were 60 entries in all to the contest, and the creativity, inspiration and hard work was truly incredible. I saw so many projects I admired for their humor, hard work and obvious love for stitching. How I wish I could have picked them all! I couldn't possibly! So I asked these kind folks to be your judges instead! Phew.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...

1st Prize WINNER IS THE INDISPUTABLE

Keith said:"Looks amazing...unicorns usually look so prissy. This one is bad-a**! First place."

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VEDDY SPECIAL HONOURABLE MENTION to Stuffed01 

Jamie said: "...watermelon, bacon, spaceship, cupcake -naturally!"

And also..The Garden of Unearthly Delights and Rock On Robbie are totally getting props (and prizes).

Please let us now convene to the Embroidery Gallery for cookies and Hi-C so we can enjoy all of the awesome embroidery projects that were entered! I'll be commenting (and you can too) on other favorites. I have a lot of them.

Emily posted on her Craftily blog some really wonderful things she's made with my patterns! My dorky thrills at seeing what people stitch up never abates. These hooped embroideries (patterns from the Sublime Stitching Book)
are displayed over her kitchen window. I especially like how she added the curly-cues from another section of the book to create steam coming from the tea-pot. But check this out:

Soooo pretty! Dia de Los Muertos patterns mixed with sugar skulls and flowered vines from Embroidered Effects on a zippered pillowcase. Those kinds of creative re-workings are juuust what I like to see with my patterns. Mmhm. I sure do!

While in Seattle for CCE this past weekend, I spied these machine-stitched cards by Kate Grenier at Nancy in Seattle (next door to Schmancy and Fancy).

Okay, it's not talk like a pirate day, and I am going to summon all my will to not type this post in pirate-speak. I just want to bring your attention to a new section of the website called "The Coupon Clipper" (geddit?). Think of it as the far corner of the shop that you head to first to see what's on sale. Linked at the bottom corner of every page on the site! Ye never know what treasure she holds...(argh, I couldn't help it). </piratetalk>

♥ From My Collection ♥ Okay, so this is my grandma's embroidery! This cross-stitch was worked by my Grandma Hart who was born in 1896 (yes, you read that right). She lived next door to us from 1979 until 1996 (reaching the age of 99 1/2). She had been a Nebraska farm-wife and probably stitched this in the 20's or 30's. It sits on my desk, right in front of me.

I have always loved the bright, rainbow colors she used. But it's the message and knowing who made it that I cherish the most.

This weekend, I'll be speaking on a panel at the first Conference of Creative Entrepreneurs
in Seattle. Can't blog now -must pack!

CCE Speakers

CCE Schedule

CCE TICKETS!

★ Congratulations ★ Sylvia Schaefer of Athens, GA who won my La Petite Embroidery Kit in the BurdaStyle / Sublime Stitching giveaway! Yay! (You, don't pout. Don't you know about the Combo Contest going on?)