Just popping up from the bluebonnets to say hi! If you’re here from The Needlework Show, post in the comments to be entered into the drawing for free charts! If you’re not here from The Needlework Show, post a comment, then go check out all the cool stuff there!

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When I’m not hiding in the bluebonnets, which smell wonderful, I’m busy working on charting and stitching new designs! Stay tuned for previews!

First, I forgot to post one of the new designs:

I’ll be using this chart to teach a class on different ways of using overdyed threads March 20th at 3 Stitches in Spring, TX.

Here’s a view of the hotel atrium with some of the vendors’ banners visible. The plants make them stick out; I probably should’ve taken this picture from an upper floor!

A view of my room/booth:

Here is Melissa and I hanging out in the booth:

Melissa was an awesome booth buddy!

After the show, the designers can go a little crazy!

(Left to right: Kat from Cross Eyed Kat, Jo from Dinky Dyes, Sandy from Sweetheart Tree and Laura from Enchanting Lair)

And you’ll never know what trouble we get into:

(Left to right: Kat from Cross Eyed Kat, Pam from 3 Stitches, Jo from Dinky Dyes, Sandy from Sweetheart Tree and Laura from Enchanting Lair)

In my post-Nashville recovery, I’m trying to work on some new designs! I’m inspired by having the glow-in-the-dark threads under the blacklights, so my mind is thinking Halloween thoughts! I’m also in love with the new holographic threads from Kreinik. They’re just screaming to be stitced into dragons!!

So, I’ve officially finished all the stitching that needs to get done before Nashville Market. Tonight I hope to get all of my photography done and if I’m really good, all of the chart layouts ready. That probably won’t quite happen, since I need to write up some finishing instructions.

When I get the chart layouts completed, it will be a weekend of printing, printing, printing. Maybe for Valentine’s Day, I’ll get a whole stack of bagged charts! Maybe Mocha will do them while I’m at the day job! Who knows what will happen? I am happy that market isn’t this weekend since the weather has been so bad across the country. I need to get there as an exhibitor, but I also need shop owners to be able to come as buyers!

Are Gingerbread Men Christmassy?
Is a single star too boring?

Sometimes it is hard to work in a square “canvas” space. Also, I’m trying to have a good mix between relatively simple and Kat-crazy-complicated designs.

3 Stitches, an LNS near me was having a raffle through the month of September to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The basket was on display on the counter and filled with stitching goodies and handmade goodies from the gals who work in the shop. I bought my tickets several weeks ago and then kept watch on the basket. Imagine my surprise when coming to the shop for the Stitcher’s Village get-together this weekend, I found out that I won the basket! I was thrilled!

Here’s the basket:

And a peek at some of the contents:

There were two different project bags, several needleroll kits, handmade pincushions and other decorative things, scissors, needlekeepers, a stack of fabric, thread, and gift certificate to the shop! Wow! I think the shop needs to start selling lottery tickets because I feel lucky!

I’m very happy to have five new designs for the Fall show:

Three more Advent Ornaments, bringing the total to twelve for the year (with twelve more coming out next year).
The fourth page in the Briar Rose series.
Ambigram alphabet.

Here are the three newest Advent Ornaments:
“Cookies for Santa”

“Ornaments”

“Christmas Presents”

Each one has a date on the back and is finished as a pocket for treats!

Here’s the newest Briar Rose:

Time for me to get cracking on designing the next page!

And finally, “Ambigram Alphabet”:

This is one chart – the top model was stitched over one on 25 count fabric using DMC and is about 16 inches long and 4 inches high. The bottom model was stitched with two colors of variegated green thread from ThreadWorx over two on a 28 ct hand-dyed fabric from Picture This Plus and is almost 3 feet long!

So what’s an ambigram and what makes this design so cool? Well, let me just rotate the picture and show you:

The alphabet is still the same! Your stitching buddies will be amazed!

I hope you enjoy the new designs as much as I do! Remember to leave a comment with your future design ideas for a chance to win a door prize! I’ll pick winners when the Needlework show ends. Do you twitter? Follow me at: @crosseyedkat and send me your favorite of the new designs in a tweet for an extra chance to win a door prize!

Also, my new funky hibiscus plants started to bloom:

And I went to another crawfish boil:

May means the Giro d’Italia at our house, including fantasy cycling. Three days in, the cat was not only at the top of our league, she was also number one in the whole game! Now we suspect she spends all day watching cycling on TV and the internet.

I have been trying to work hard on getting “Octogonal”, the next maze-type design stitched, but I got distracted by a new design idea. Here’s a sneak preview:

This is “Ambigram Alphabet”. Yes, I like doing twists on traditional things (like alphabet samplers); I also like jewel-tone colors!! I’m stitching this over-one on a 25 count fabric. I’m also getting a model stitched (as soon as I mail everything out) over-two on 28 count, but on that one, the stitching will be in just two overdyed threads. This is a big design because this time detail won out in the battle between detail and size. However, it is pretty fast, with a total stitch count of under 2200 stitches. In 14 count, the design will be 28 inches wide, over one on 25 brings it down to 16 inches. It would only be about 10 inches on 40 count silk gauze! There’s lots of versatility in this design. Hopefully I can get it and Octogonal finished soon!

This weekend, the Husband will be riding in the BP MS150 bike ride from Houston to Austin. We’ve both done this ride before, and this year he is going to be a ride marshall. So nothing would be out of the ordinary for the weekend, except that the weather is likely to play havoc with the whole thing. So I would appreciate it if everyone would send dry thoughts to southeast Texas for the weekend. Also, no crashing thoughts!

I had to drop by the LNS this past Tuesday to pick up a doorprize I won from their Easter/Peeps celebration and was tickled to see this:

Those are charts and threadpacks laid out for the evening’s fiber class. This is a year-long class that meets once a month and each month the students learn about using different fibers. It was exciting for me because the Advent Ornament designs are being used as the basis for this class. So that picture is of a full class using Cross Eyed Kat designs! I love to see my designs being stitched!

Somehow I’ve made a bunch of progress on Briar Rose: Page 4 this week. I’m not sure how that happened, especially since I spent one evening reading.

I’m loving how this is turning out and almost can’t wait to backstitch it! How crazy is that. Also, in this not so wonderful picture from my camera phone, the sparkles from the fabric really pop out. I’m stitching this on crystal Legacy linen from Picture This Plus. The Legacy color provides a nice, slightly mottled background and the crystals give it just a touch of fairy-tale-ness.

I had thought to use pebble beads for “ornaments” on the tree, but they are way too big. I briefly debated doing swarovski crystals, but carrying them in inventory would’ve been a pain, so for stitcher’s accessability (look – a business decision influences design), I think I’m going to go with seed beads. Of course, I didn’t leave enough spots open for the smaller seed beads, so I’m going to restitch this tree. If someone was a radical stitcher and ventured off the beaten path, I think it would be fun to stitch the tree with an overdyed thread, then couch down something fun for the tinsel and use crystal beads for ornaments. I’ll add that to my To Do list.

I have also been trying to be diligent and work on Sleeping Beauty’s couch:

Yes, that is the back of the stitching. Can’t give out too many previews, can I?

I also managed to turn a couple of my other doodles into charts for Advent Ornaments. I really like the Advent Ornaments, but the very name has committed me to doing twenty-four designs! (Maybe I should be committed). Additionally, my LNS is using them for a two-year long class, so I have to stay on the ball and get them done. I’ve designed up to Dec. 10, and stitched through Dec. 7, so I’m somewhat ahead of the game for now. I do need to do the finishing work for Dec. 4-6 so that they will be ready at the online Needlework show in April.

This weekend, I’m looking forward to some relaxing time stitching and doing the taxes. What fun!

3:40: Now entering the long-dark-teatime of the tradeshow.

2:54 This was in my blog reader this morning and I really like it. It sums up my approach to this year. This year, I am designing what I like and worrying about what the market likes less. Of course, if I get a null response to the new designs through the year, I may rethink it in the end.

Added: Except that I am thrilled when I run into customers who like my designs!

2:43 Keeping busy chatting with people. Picked up a couple of new shops, which is always good. Also trying to promote the Needle and ThREAD: Stitching for Literacy program. My Aunt came to visit and that was totally awesome!

12:15: Wow how did it get to be after 12? I wouldn’t call it busy here, but lots of inquiries and chatting up the new stuff.

10:44: Already had a couple of sales. Yay! People like the new stuff. Generally the show floor is not that crowded, so I expect things to be about this pace through the day. Time to start thinking about lunch.

9:00: First day of Nashville Market and I will attempt to update this throughout the day. Right now it is slow as shopowners are trying to pick up limited edition designs from other people before they sell out.

Set up went well – only a couple of the hooks holding the curtains (which display the models) came off. It is always interesting trying to work around the hotel furniture and poor lighting.