I hope everyone’s had another great Saturday! It’s been gorgeous here today, and I was able to spend a good amount of time outside while I designed. Yup, the designing bug has hit again, and luckily, a creative mind has followed as well. I love it when I get into this mood, and am able to get pen (or mouse) to paper, and actually have some good results come from it. My great motivation this time – stress!

Yes, I’ve finally made the decision to take part in my first “live” wholesale trade show. Next August, Stitchin’spiration will be exhibiting for the first time at the Summer needlework show held for needlework shops. I’ve taken part in the online shows, but this is quite different. It’s definitely time for me to make this move, and I’m very excited about meeting all these wonderful shop owners in person. I feel as if I know many of them already via e-mail, so look forward to putting a name with a face. The task list is quickly growing as I begin to get some planning for it done. But, in the meanwhile, it’s been a good shove to my creativity.

Well, I hear Jim in the kitchen beginning dinner. Better run along…

Happy Saturday everyone!

Well, a common topic here seems to be “not enough time or brain cells”. Think I’ve covered that enough, so I’ll stop at that. It’s not a New Year, but I’m hoping to get a New Year’s resolution going to keep up more with this blog, with the Stitchin’board, and with other things which just seem to keep slipping away from me.

Boy, when this little hobby started getting it’s own life, I never envisioned I’d be here today. I also never envisioned what work it would take as well. I constantly seem to be in a time management development stage. With my real career also busy, it makes for some very interesting juggling. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, as everyone seems to juggle more than they can. It just seems to unfortunately be the norm here in the States. Just today, I even saw an article about a study that was done which proves that children need to have plain old “play time” for themselves. In this world where every second seems to be orchestrated into organized calendars, events, etc. – isn’t it amazing we have to prove through studies that we just need to “schedule” in some unscheduled time…

Have you seen the new designs and notecards? I’m really excited to introduce the other 2 members of the Windowpanes in Knotwork series. I’ve had this series on my design board from my Ebay days, but had never quite finalized them to my liking – until earlier this year. It’s exciting to work at getting designs just to my liking, and getting them out to you stitchers. It’s really what makes all my “juggling” worth it. I’ve been doing quite a bit of planning lately as to what’s coming down the pike – and I KNOW that you’ll be excited about them.

Tomorrow night, I’m going to sit down and give some more attention to my Needlework Building Blocks. I have some many sketches and ideas, and I just need to finalize them – getting them ready for release to you. I’m getting ready to begin working at finalizing some of the retired ones – readying them for sale in shops. Tomorrow though, I’ll be designing and playing – the fun part of it all!!!!! MMMMMMM – what types of freebie blocks would you like to find throughout the Needlework Show????

Speaking of the show – the online Needlework Show opens it’s “doors” on Wednesday night (October 11), and is open until Monday night (October 16).

How great is it to shop in your jammies! Here in Richmond, they will be flannel jammies since the weather’s cooling down quite a bit. We’ll then be heading down to South Carolina for a long weekend at my childhood home with my mom. Have no fear – the computer will never be far away.

Well, I’d better head along. I’ve got a large black lab staring at me with that “it’s time for bed” stare. Imagine that – a dog who keeps a strict bedtime schedule – but cannot do so unless one of his humans is on the same one. Who runs this household you ask?????

Truly, I promise to try to get on here more…

Happy Stitchin’!

It’s just amazing how time flies when you’ve got too much to do……

Since my last post, not only have my wrens had their babies and flew the coop once, they’ve come back for a second go around!!! I seriously understand “empty nest syndrome”. I just happened to be in the office on the day that they pushed the 2 babies out of the nest, and took them on their first outing. Of course, I’m gullible enough to think that they’d be back! After 2 days of them not returning, I finally gave in and realized they’d left me. Oh my, how that got to me. Well, then after about another month, they started working on the nest again. With fingers crossed, I’ve been anxiously waiting. Well, this weekend, I’ve heard the babies again begging for their food. At least now I’m prepared for the empty nest – which will definitely be coming.

What exciting things are in progress for Stitchin’spiration! Most of my attention lately has been getting my “A Blackwork Christmas” series moving along. Wait until you see the designs! My model stitchers are all faithfully working on the models, and all of the charts will be introduced in early September!!!! Have you wanted to find a blackwork stocking? Have you wanted some quick blackwork Christmas ornaments for small gifts? Need to decorate gift jars or towels? Well, you’ll find that and more all in this series. Based on the Needlework Building Blocks series, this series is one to watch out for. This year will be only the first introduction, for a series which I’ll continue to do annually.

Another release of charts is in the works as well. My original plans were to have them out in May, but it will be June when they come out. You’ll find a nice variety of designs – including some additions to our most popular series. I also hope to get another round of Needlework Building Blocks freebies out for you in the next couple of weeks.

Well, I’d better run along to get ready for another week. June’s stacking up to be another busy month.

Hope to get back faster next time.!!!!

Sunday afternoons… you just have to love them. The busy weekend is winding down, and it’s a lovely VA spring day outside. So, I’m asking myself, why am I inside……?????? Jim’s off to church for youth, and Jack’s asleep at my feet. Meaning… it’s nice and quiet in the house. OK, so I’m really a hermit at heart – I admit it.

It’s been a busy weekend, getting the Needlework Building Blocks caught up finally. Note the new addition to your right with the Blog Block of the Day (or really entry) link added. Each time I add to the blog, I’ll post a different block. You’ll have to be quick to catch them!!! Tonight I’m finalizing my decisions on the next release of designs, which will come out at the Needlework Show mid-April. Oh, which ones will be coming to life for you all to find???? What a tough decision that always is! Luckily, I do have quite a few designs ready to go to choose from. I did work on some new designs last night, and can’t wait to see what they grow into.

Designing blackwork – how does it happen? Well, the designs just seem to develop on their own accord. I get an idea, and slowly over time it develops. I’ll play with it right when it comes to me, then it always seems to take a back seat to others. Then, one day it will pop back into my head, and I develop it a little more. Then, after several phases of development, it will all of a sudden come together. In between, various stages of good, and bad, versions try to come to life. It’s always interesting to look back at where it started. Alot of times, my original idea is NOTHING like the finished product. It was just the starting point.

My blackwork fills are, truthly, my doodling coming to life. I’ve always played around with graphics and repeats. Even as a child, my father would give me his engineering graph pads, and I’d spend hours trying this doodle or that out. I clearly remember many of them which I’d repeated sketch out, and some of those have now come to life in my fills. Again, some will develop over time. Once I come up with one – whether I like it then or not – it goes into my library. Some of the ones I actually didn’t like at first, have soon become my favorite when I put it in that perfect design or put it together with others. I love the mix of various fills, and play around with them as I design. Is there a PERFECT way to combine the fills? Probably. But, I believe that perfection in needlework is simply the eye of the stitcher. If they’re happy with their selection of fabrics and threads, then it’s the perfect piece for them.

Well, it’s going to be a busy week here in the Rudkin household. My mom heads into town on Wednesday from SC for Easter, and we’ve not even started getting ready for her. Whew – hope she’s not reading….. Also, it’s a 4 day week at my job (yes, I have a real job AND design), and that ALWAYS means we’ll be squeezing 5 days of work in to 4 days. Whew, just thinking about it tires me out.

Everyone have a wonderful Easter week! I always look forward to our Maundy Thursday Communion service, as it celebrates a very poignant time for Christ. How humbling it is to celebrate communion on the day when He took his own Last Supper!