Leggy Swimmer and Leggy Ballplayer are Heart in Hand's summer releases in the Leggy series of charts. The swimmer, in particular, gives me a giggle with her nifty sunglasses, chic flip flops and eye-catching ensemble of brilliant suit, towel and cap. She is definitely dressed for action! Her ball-playing pal looks equally dashing in his athletic regalia! With his cap jauntily placed, he is sure to have a winning day!
Trilogy's newest series of designs is called Sneak Peek: Halloween. There are five smaller designs that are stitched within an outer border. Quick stitching! Great autumn colors! FUN! Look for other Sneak Peek designs coming later this year.
Going to the beach this summer? Nothing like a lazy late summer journey to the shore. This design brings back memories of trips my family made when I was growing up to Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. Randy and I have enjoyed taking our girls to Hilton Head in recent years. But we also loved Cannon Beach in Oregon with Haystack Rock! Hard to pick a favorite. What's yours? No matter what shore we were visiting, I always want a new piece to stitch while vacationing at the beach. This one is PERFECT! From the flip flops to the stylish sunglasses to the painstakingly built sandcastles, your trip can be memorialized in Secret Beach. The kit comes with chart, linen and embellishments.Check it Out: Chicken is a fun new design from The Trilogy that is a great piece to hang in or near your kitchen. If the colors aren't just right for your kitchen, don't be afraid to change them up a bit and make it work with your decor.
Anxious to share the first in a new series of Heart in Hand Needleart designs called It's a Cinch! This series will be stitched on larger count fabrics. The first, Harvest Jack, is on 18 count linen. I used 6 strands of hand-dyed thread, but you can certainly use wool or pearl cottons if you prefer. The kit includes the chart, linen, and the colorful buttons. This is a great design for a beginner, or to take as you travel. I always want to stitch when I'm out and about but my middleaged eyes can't see 30 and 32 count linens without a magnifier. The solution: It's a Cinch! kits!
Fell in love with the Thoreau quotation featured on the new chart Pumpkin Solitude. Such a great sentiment if you are a pumpkin lover like me! It's a simple design, but I think it matches Thoreau's thought process. I don't know about you, but I'm daydreaming about pumpkin patches these days. I admit to being weary of the weather of summer 2010. I think we've endured more than enough heat and humidity for one season. Bring on the pumpkins!
The Leggy series of designs continues with a Pumpkinhead creature. Carrying his lantern in one hand and a bat-friend in the other, the Pumpkinhead is set for the season!
I truly am starting to look forward to autumn. I know I shouldn't be wishing away the last days of summer, but I've always liked the excitement of late August for school shopping, renewing school friendships, a new class schedule coming in the mail! Even though my girls have outgrown those days and are off in college, there's still a sense of anticipation in the air this time of year. New challenges are ahead with the change of seasons!
One of my challenges will be creating new designs to release in coming months. There are always many on the drawing board. Which ones to concentrate on? How about you? Is it time for a trip to your needlework shop for a new project? Time to search out a new needlework shop in a town a few miles away? Find a friend. Pack a lunch. Delight in touching the fabrics, exploring the new threads. Learn a new stitching technique. Find some new needlework to challenge you. As Bernice Johnson Reagon has said: “Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are.”
