Harvest Hums Along

Stitching weather has arrived and I'm so happy it has. The business of harvesting fruit and getting things ready for their winter sleep is past, the nights are icy, the morning fields are heavy with hoar frost and the foggy mists are thick and enclosing. Definitely my time of year :)

Now it is time for making things with the apples and pears we've stored and making big pots of steaming things for warming the inside. And definitely time when you can cozy up with an afghan and your stitching with a sense of quiet satisfaction.

So Harvest Hum is definitely progressing. Here are a few pics.

This is also a time of inspiration, so I hope to be bringing a few more designs to you. Off to stitch and dream :)

Hope, a New Design

As promised, here is a new design. It is called 'Hope' and is inspired by the poem, Light Shining in Darkness, by William Cowper. Cowper experienced many dark days in his life, and yet he also knew that '..... Sometimes a Light Surprises...' Stitch count 195 x 189.

I designed it in colors of blue and yellow combining both flowing florals and geometric motifs to reflect how emotions can change from dark to light and from hard edges to soft curves.

I'll post my floss choices for the model soon.

It is available as a pdf download on the Patterns for Sale tab above and is now available as leaflets through ICG. It will soon be available through Creative Poppy as pdf chart downloads.

Trust Finish and a New Step in the Design Journey

I finished Trust yesterday and took a quick photo before taking it off the frame and putting Harvest Hum on. I am happy with the choices made in this piece and glad so many of you liked it too. The Tarts Knickers HDF floss in the bittersweet berries is just stellar. I'm going to have to make something else to use it in.

And I have a new step in this design journey to share with you. I had posted that ICG will be selling the leaflets both through their website and wholesale to retailers here in the US, and now I've also signed a contract with Creative Co. in Paris for distribution of my charts in pdf format in Europe. They can also be purchased through their website Creative Poppy.

However, this does mean that I can no longer offer the patterns I list with them for free to readers here on the blog. I will be adding more free patterns in the next few weeks and I hope you'll like the others well enough to purchase them. I will still be able to sell them here and on my website.

I also have a new design that I'll be announcing this weekend. I hope you'll like it and will continue to follow the blog and send me your wonderful emails, even though the large patterns will no longer be free.

Now off to Harvest Hum!

Coromandel Framed and Floss Selections for Harvest Hum

The Frame Guys, see links, have once again provided what I think is just the right frame for a piece. Here is Coromandel in its bronzed wood frame and it gives just the effect I was after. I do like this design a lot, I'm sure there will be similar ones to follow :)

Since Trust is going very fast, I've chosen the floss and fabric for Harvest Hum, since I hate that stitching frame to be empty!

I had a rather good selection of silk floss on hand and happily was able to choose from my stock so nothing has to be ordered. I'll be using an 18 count ivory Aida and the floss will be a combination of silks from Carrie's Creations and Vikki Clayton's HDF.

The conversions are as follows -

DMC 920 Copper md - HDF's Terra Potta 4325
DMC 922 Copper lt - HDF's Terra Potta 4321
DMC 728 Golden Yellow - HDF's Liquid Gold 4177
DMC 3821 Straw - HDF's Yellow Spice 4163
DMC 3362 Pine Green dk - Carrie's Valley Green
DMC 3363 Pine Green Lt - Carrie's Garden Green
DMC 504 Blue Green Lt - HDF's Jadeite 2461
DMC 368 Pistachio Lt - HDF's Yerba Mate 3135
DMC 718 Plum - Carrie's Plum Passion
DMC 154 Grape - Carrie's Purple
DMC 552 Violet med - Carrie's Violet
DMC 781 Topaz - HDF's Rum Scullion
DMC 434 Brown Lt - HDF's Bird Feathers 4107
DMC 869 Hazel Nut Brown vy lt - HDF's Jackalope
DMC 3820 Straw Dk - HDF's Carveza 45

I think the DMC I chose while charting will work well, as would the conversions to Anchor. I just love working with silk floss and that is why it is what I choose for stitching the pieces myself.

Harvest Hum, New Design

Gracewood's orchard is ripe unto harvest and the apples and pears are so heavy on the braches some are about to break. The local beekeepers are also harvesting their first gallons of honey and bringing them to the local farmers markets. In honor of this beautiful time of year I bring you another box sampler titled Harvest Hum.

I will be listing this design with ICG soon, so if you are interested in a free pdf chart, please email me soon.

contact me with your request in the next few days.

I've also added a new permanently free pattern called Home By the Range, I hope you'll enjoy the latest additions!

Trust Pattern & Tips on Creating Covers for Publication

Here are two photos of Trust, one camera setting shows it very true to the royal blue fabric I'm using, and the other setting made the fabric more purple but since some may like it with that background I thought I'd share both.

When I was contemplating creating leaflets of my patterns for ICG to publish I knew it was time to find software to create something professional looking for the covers.

Image editing software, with the exception of simple things like Irfanview or Paint, are just too complicated for me to enjoy using and after doing some extensive research I went with Microsoft Publisher 2010. Since I'd not used anything like it before, I also signed up for a month's worth of online classes at Lynda.com and I highly recommend this site for all sorts of practical instructions for many types of programs.

If you page down a bit you can see how the new leaflets look. I'm slowly transferring my designs to the PCStitch Pro 9 software and as I finish each I'm creating the new leaflets and listing them with ICG.

Since I know that there are no corrections for Trust's pattern I'll be moving it to the for sale section in a few days. If you want a free copy please contact me soon.

I'll be introducing a new fall themed design in a few days as well.

Coromandel Finish

I'm going to finish the Coromandel model with four squares for a number of reasons. First, I think it looks good at four and lends itself to whatever number of squares you want to stich for your project.

Another reason I'm only stitching four is that I am listing my designs with the Independent Creative Group so that they will be available as leaflets for purchase and sale by retailers. So you can now ask your local shop to carry Gracewood Stitches designs :)

Coromandel will be one of those I'm listing with ICG and so it will be moving to the for sale section this weekend.

It has been a challenge finding the right software simple enough for a non computer savvy gal like me to be able to make some professional looking leaflets. I'll tell you more about that journey, next post!