Blue Manor--Final Design for 2013

Hi Everyone!
I guess everyone is making their final preparations for the holiday!  We have been experiencing unusually cold temperatures here in South Texas.  It makes it seem more like Christmas when it is chilly outside....but this poor transplant from the east coast has turned into a sissy and has a hard time dealing with the cold!  So I've been stitching a little more lately.  I think I mentioned in my last post that I have been re-watching previous seasons of Downton Abbey, preparing for the first episode of the season...I believe on January 5th.  My new designs was inspired by all that episode watching over the last few weeks.  I hope you like it.  I'm packaging right now and hope to have them to Norden and Hoffman Distributing within the next week.  It should be available for purchase at your local needlework store in a couple of weeks.

I've had a great time designing this past year and thank you for purchasing my designs.  I have seen my sales grow over the year and appreciate all the encouragement and e-mails that I get from all my new friends.  And remember if you ever have a question about a pattern, please don't hesitate to e-mail me.  I try to always make sure charts are correct but things do get by me as hard as I try....

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to you all!

Gayle....Abby Rose Designs

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you are enjoying your day!  I am thankful for so many things...a warm place to live...too much to eat...a great family...my health...a wonderful job...my design company....I could go on for pages.  I'm especially thankful this year because last year I had health issues around this time and was about to endure surgery.  This year the holidays will be even sweeter!  It's good to reflect. It makes you humble...that's not a bad thing!

This past week Faye from the Carolina Stitcher posted a new finish for my latest design, Merry Christmas Too Thee.  She was the also the original finisher for the pillow. She made the cutest ornament and you've got to see it.  carolinastitcher.blogspot.com.  I'd post the picture here but I'm having technical difficulties :).   Faye's work is beautiful and we'll be doing some things together again soon.

I'm finishing up my new design....poor thing doesn't have a name yet.  I've been re-watching the earlier seasons of Downton Abby so it reminds me of that era. And a couple of weeks ago I purchased another antique sampler and have already charted it.  Just need to stitch it up.

It came from an estate in Connecticut and has it's original Birdseye maple frame.  The glass is still intact and it appears to be the old waves type of glass.  Although it is not dated, my guess would be around 1830's.  It seems to have some of the same motifs and type of linen as my earlier sampler Ann Merchant.

My latest Trunk Show with The Crafty Ewe in Ohio just ended and my babies arrived home a few days ago.  Thank you to Carol for taking such good care of them.  And thank you everyone who purchased a design chart!

I'll be posting again soon with a peek of my newest design.  Happy Thanksgiving....and I hope you saved a little time to stitch today.

Gayle

Even Designers Frog!!!!

Hi Everyone! 
This weekend I planned to stitch.  Sometimes life gets in the way of stitching and that is what has happened to me lately.  As much as I LOVE stitching, designing....it is not my full time job.  In my other life I am an Executive Director for a non-profit.  I LOVE it too!  So some times I don't get to design and stitch as much as I'd like to....Back to the planning to stitch this weekend....  I live in South Texas and it is HOT most of the time.  So to my further enjoyment, we had a small, I'm going to say cool front, not cold front.  But it did get into the upper 50's at night :)!  Anyway, Saturday morning I got up with big plans to finish half of my new design and then it happened!  I noticed the top part of my border seemed to be out of wack. After further review, I realized I would have to take out most of the top portion of the border.  So I frogged and frogged.....finally finished.  Now to start re-stitching....re-stitched the top, then off to the left side, stitched half of that border.  It was late when I finished on Saturday night...my eyes were tired.  Sitting in one place with minor breaks for a practically a day is hard work!  I thought I'll finish this to tomorrow.

Sunday morning....the sun is shining, it is cool and I finish up  a few things around the house and get ready to tackle my new design.....I pick up the piece and realize that I have stitch the entire border in the wrong color of green!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Needless to say, I spent the afternoon frogging again.....I couldn't live with the new color green!  When this piece is complete and framed, I know I will forget the pain it has caused me.... because this is not the first time I have frogged! 

Hope you have a great week!  Maybe next post, I'll be able to show you some fruits of my labor. 

Gayle

Correction!!!!! Boo Boo Fixed!

Good Afternoon Everyone! 
I have a correction to make to the  "Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework".  If you have a chart that has all $ signs on the flower border, please note that the top row of the border should a have white flower on the fourth flower facing down, then on the right side the second flower facing out should be white, the bottom row should have a white flower facing up on the fourth flower, and finally the left border, fourth flower facing in should also be white.  The white used was Weeks Dye Work White Wash and the symbol is a 4.
I don't think all charts were affected but there may be a few out there.  If you have any problems, please e-mail me at gaylereger@aol.com.

Coming soon....Merry Christmas To Thee

Happy Saturday Everyone!
It's a hot one here in South Texas today! But we are patiently waiting for our first cool front due in tonight. Tomorrow will be a little crispier and fresher and will finally feel like autumn...at least for a few days!

I am so pleased to present my latest design called Merry Christmas To Thee. If you are like me, you like to stitch up something for dear friends as a keepsake that will remind them every time they see it of the friendship you have enjoyed over time. That was my inspiration for this pillow which can be stitch up quickly and beautifully finished. I am not a finisher!....so I asked my new friend, Faye Riggsbee, you probably know her as "The Carolina Stitcher" to finish my new design. What a beautiful job she did......



Took this photo with my ipad. It is even more beautiful in person! Thank you Faye. You did a beautiful job! The chart will be available at your LNS within the next couple of weeks. --
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Texas

New Design! New Design!

I can never wait to show a new design! It's like showing off a sweet new baby.

I decided to change my usual palette and work in lovely purples and lavenders. It was such fun. If you haven't noticed I'm into houses right now.




Working on my Christmas design now and enjoying a stormy afternoon here in Texas. Hope you are having a great weekend!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Texas

Coming Soon

I'm looking forward to Autumn and Winter! Another month or so and will start to cool down here in South Texas. My mind keeps drifting to beautiful reds and greens of the holiday season. Today I put the last stitch in my latest design...I used a purple,lavender color scheme, not my usual palette of colors. For some reason I needed to get this purple phase out of my system. I am very pleased with the results and hope you will enjoy stitching it too. It will be released in a week or two.



So off to my computer to work on my holiday design! It's already in my head...I just have to get it on a chart, the hard part! If you've ever tried your hand at designing,you'll understand what I mean. Sometimes things change from head to paper!
Hoping you are enjoying your weekend. Happy Stitching!
FYI-Norden crafts will be giving away 3 Abby Rose Designs Charts on Wednesday. Go to their Facebook page for a chance to win!- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:La Feria

Bless This Home

Bless this Home...the title of my new design.  If you enjoyed Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework then you will like Bless This Home!  I designed it to be a companion piece to Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework.  It is the same size and the color palette is similar.  It was stitched on Old Mill Java using Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colours threads.

New Design should be released within the next week or two.

Hope you have a great week and Happy Stitching!

Gayle....Abby Rose Designs

Speak kindly

Norden  Crafts will be featuring my design "Speak Kindly" on Tuesday.  There will be a giveaway of three autographed charts.  For information on how to enter, you can go over to their Facebook page.

Speak kindly

I am out on my patio today enjoying the much needed rain.  The last month has been so dry it's good to hear the far off thunder and see those drops coming down.  Hopefully this will last for a couple of days.  Hope you are having a relaxing weekend.  Just put the last stitches in my new design last night.

It should be released in a couple of weeks.  Those of you who enjoyed stitching "Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework" will enjoy stitching this one also.  It is a companion piece that has the same type of border.  Happy Stitching!            

Where has the Summer Gone?

It's hard to believe it is already August 5th! It seems like yesterday it was June! I'm not crazy about the heat because it does get hot here in Texas but I do love how things slow down a bit. Just enough to catch your breath until Fall and Winter and all that comes with those seasons!
This summer I have been busy designing, stitching models, and preparing for a trunk show.
I am now working on a companion piece to "Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework" which everyone seems to like according to the number of charts I have sent out to my distributors. I have included a peek...I'm still stitching the model so it will be a couple weeks before it's debut.





Last week I received the walnut crystals that I ordered. I haven't tried them yet. But I am preparing to coffee dye some linen so I will use them to age the linen a little more. I do love the look that you get from the crystals and I have noticed that several of the designers are using them now. So I will post later my results. Hope you have a great week full of stitching and fun!

Happy stitching!
Gayle
Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:La Feria, Texas

Happy Monday!

The Norden Crafts contest to win a copy of my Angels Unaware is still going on today until 4 p.m. If you haven't had a chance to do so...you still have time. All you have to do is " like" and "share" my design. I think it is a wonderful thing they are doing...it gives you a chance to win and gives us, designers an opportunity to showcase our work.

Lately I've been asked how I come up with my designs. I guess everyone is interested in the process. For me, and I can't speak for other designers, but I would guess the process is similar, I either see a phrase or quote that I like and design according to the quote or Sometimes I

am in the mood to use certain colors, or I want to try something new....right now I am loving houses so I have to have a house in everything. I love the way the alphabet looks in a sampler so I most always use an alphabet. Angels unaware was the first time I did not use an alphabet and it was all I could do to keep myself from incorporating one into the design.

The other thing is .... I LOVE linen. I like the feel, the look, the smell, especially R&R's coffee dyed linen. I also sometimes age my linen a little more with coffee. I just ordered some walnut crystals to try. Can't wait until they arrive so I can test them out. Finally, I love color...when I was a kid....I am a child of the late 60's early 70's, ( I'll be 52 in a couple weeks.) I loved to color. I always had a new coloring book and I was so happy when my mom would take me down to the store for a fresh new box of 64 crayons. Oh happy day!!! My threads remind me of those crayons. My linen is my coloring book!

What am I working on now? I have a snippet of a reproduction, it's not an exact reproduction. I have taken some artistic liberties on this one. I have brightened the colors but the charting is exactly the same as the original.











Hope you have a great day!

Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:La Feria, Texas

Angels Unaware Chart Give Away

Norden Crafts will feature Abby Rose Designs on Monday and give away 3 free charts.  All you have to do for a chance to win is go to their Facebook page and "like" and "share" my new design, Angels Unaware. Good luck!

Angels Unaware!

Hope your summer has been wonderful!  It's hot out there, that's for sure!  I can't believe we are about to hit August!  The time has flown by... What have I been doing this summer?  A lot of stitching, some genealogy, and trying to stay cool.
History and Genealogy are two of my favorite things.  I guess that is why I enjoy sampler making so much.  This summer I have found out so much about my ancestors and made lists of places I would like to visit someday.  Just to step where their footsteps once went....My husband and I both found Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers in our lines and a surprise....Our ancestors both came from Virginia.  I had already worked a little on my family tree so I knew I had lots of ancestors from Virginia but he had no idea that his made their first stops in Va. after arriving in this country.  Anyway it has been great fun!
This week I have a new design to post.  It should arrive at the distributors by Friday to be released.  I hope you like it.   This is my first scene type of design and it was a challenge, but I am proud of it.

Angels Unaware

30 count R & R Espresso Linen

Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, Weeks Dye Works, and Crescent Colours Thread used in this design.

It is also charted for DMC.

 

Hope you have a great week!     And.....stay cool!

Coming Soon......Angels Unaware!

Hi everyone! Just put the last stitch in this one! It will go off to the framer on Monday! Believe it or not....I stitched this one without adding an alphabet. I love alphabets! Can't wait for you to see it!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:La Feria, Texas

Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework

I'll be attending the Colubus Needlework Market next week and will be releasing my new design.  Home Is Where You Hang Your Needlework II.  I released a design back in 2006 with the same name that has long been retired but I still get requests for that it....so I decided to use the popular phrase in a new design.  I hope you like it.  It will be available at your local needlework store in about a week.

As I mentioned before I will be attending my first needlework market next week and am really looking forward to it.  I spent most of last weekend packing up my designs to take with me and getting items ready set up my booth.   This weekend will be getting me ready and packed!  Hope you are having a great summer and getting lots of stitching done!





New Design! Needlework Market!

Hi Everyone!

Well summer is definitely here in Texas!  It is sunny and very hot!  Good weather to stay in and stitch or design.

I don't have a peak for you this time but will tell you I have updated my old version of "Home is where you hang your needlework."  I mean really updated....it doesn't even look at all like the original I did way back in 2003.  I really like the saying so I used it again.  Not often would I do that...but in this case I thought it was o.k.

This year I will have a booth at TNNA  needlework market in Columbus, Ohio.  This is my first time at a needlework market and I am so excited.  I have been preparing my models for shipping and deciding on how to decorate my booth.  It is all so new to me but very fun.  I can't wait to meet the store owners and to look around at all the other booths.  I promise to take plenty of pictures.  So I am holding my new design to release at the needlework show!  I think you will like it.  I had a great time designing it.  Keep looking...soon I will include it on my blog.

Hoping you have a great summer with lots of stitching!
Gayle

New Design: Fruit of the Spirit-Love

Good Morning to All!

I thought I'd put the new design up since I picked it up from the framer yesterday.  I can never wait when I get one back to share it with someone.  I have heard many designers say that their designs are like their children.  It is very much like that...when you have a new design coming out it is so exciting!  I guess when you no longer get excited about it...it's time to stop designing ;). 

So here she is.....ta da!  Fruit of the Spirit--Love all framed and looking pretty!

 

I'd like to complete the series and do all the Fruits of the Spirit.  We'll see.  I have a couple of other designs that need my attention right now.  So close to finishing them that I just need to sit down and take the time to complete the last few stitches.

 

 

This design was stitched on 30 ct. R & R Espresso.   I used  Crescent Colours: La Tierra, Cloud,  and Old Blue Jeans.  Gentle Arts Sampler Threads used:  Piney Woods, Dried Thyme, and Mustard Seed (one of my new favorite colors).  And finally, Weeks Dye Works:  Baked Apple, Bull Frog, Molasses, Williamsburg Blue, Curry, Madison Rose and Peacoat.  The DMC conversions are included on the chart.  It should be out in the store in a week or so!  





New Design

It's been a while since I last posted something on my poor neglected blog. I've been dealing with some health issues and hopefully I am on the up side and will be able to get back to more stitching.

My new design...Fruit of the Spirit...Love will be out in a few weeks.  It has just gone to the framer. Here's a little peak.

 

I started working on this one way back in the Fall, put it down and then kept picking it up and reworking it.  I am hoping to continue this as a series until I complete all of the Fruits of the Spirit.

I decided when I started designing that I would only design pieces that had a upbeat, positive message.

 

I have also had a request to design some Christmas ornaments, so that will be next on my list.  I still have my antique sampler that I am reproducing....but it is taking a little longer than I expected.  There are several specialty stitches and the stitching tiny, tiny, tiny!  Which I promise you I will not be stitching my sampler that small.  It is a beautiful sampler though and was done my a young girl named Mary Pilgrim.

 

Anyway, I hope you are having a great day.  Down here in South Texas, we are having some very unseasonable weather.  Our usual sunshine and warm (hot) weather has turned gray and cool.  It is very unusual to have 50 and 60 degree weather here in April.  We are all trying to enjoy it because we know we are in for a long hot summer!

 

Wishing you the best day!

 

 





Greetings!

Hi Everyone!  It has been awhile since I posted!

Spring is here in south Texas and we are enjoying temperatures in the 70's and 80's.  This is such a wonderful time of year.  When I walk outside my door the beautiful scent of orange blossoms is the first thing that greets me.  (Along with my two cats, who are always impatiently waiting for breakfast, lunch or dinner :))  I live next to an orange grove!

Although I do not have any finished designs to show you today.  I have been working on serveral, one is still in the design stage and the other two are slowly but surely being stitched by me!
As you have probably noticed by now when you see my designs, I always try to put an encouraging or light hearted message on my designs.  It is something that I decided to do when I first started designing.  I know that you like these messages too because of the number of charts that have sold for Live Simply, Love Generously, Speak Kindly and Care Deeply.  My very first designs continue to do well a year after they were published!  One of my very favorite things are the "Fruits of the Spirit"... Love, Peace, Faithfulness, Joy, Goodness, Gentleness, Patience, Self Control, and Kindness, so I am working on a series of designs that will include these.  As I mentioned before, the first one is still in the design process.

Another project that I have had in my work basket is a small needle and thread case that is being stitched using spring colors with lots of flowers and sampler motifs.  it is almost stitched, but since finishing is not my thing it will have to be sent out to get finished.  I also have an ornament that did not make it to get finished before Christmas that is called " Snow Birds".  I will also send this one out for finishing.  I know some of you stitch ornaments all year long so I am not going to worry that Christmas has long passed...it will be an early start for next year!

And finally, I have another small sampler that uses the alphabet in a very fun way!  Oh to get all of these completed... but that is part of the fun of it all.

I will close this time with a picture and message from my last design!  Hope you have a great week!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone! It's been a while since I posted! A lot has happened in one short month. A week before Christmas, I discovered I needed to have surgery. Not the best time of the year for something so unexpected! Luckily most of my shopping and holiday preparations were already made. It was a scary time, a month of waiting for results of tests and lots of down time recuperating. In the end, all is well and I am fine, just a little slow and sore! One lesson I did learn is to slow down and appreciate every day and all it has to bring! As I continue my recuperation, I'm sure there will be a new design in the near future...I seem to be thinking more about thread, designs, linen as I get stronger. Thank you to those of you who have purchased my designs in 2012. It was a great first year for Abby Rose Designs. I have enjoyed your emails and questions and getting to know you. I hope you have a very blessed 2013 with lots of stitching projects!