So Girly

I've coloured the butterfly ready to turn into a chart. It's so girly. But then I guess that's just me ... I can't help creating things that express my inner fairy.

Satin Roses

Work has been busy, busy, busy again ... 2 more weeks until it slows down (I hope).
But I've managed to get time to do this

Satin Roses is a pillow with orange applique roses at the centre. The applique is sewn down with a machine satin stitch (hence the name Satin Roses).
The briefing was for mint green and pale orange ... I certainly hope I have fulfilled that description.

That's my lounge in the background ... I really like the striped back on it. I was surprised when hubby agreed to it. :)

See you next time
Jennidee

Works In Progress

I've had a very busy weekend with my son's 16th birthday party, but I did a get a chance to work on some designs for up coming magazines.

The rose design will be applique and done in the fabrics you can see behind the blackline designs. They are teh colours requested by Patchwork and Stitching magazine, but it won't be published until 2013. It's not dues until mid October, but I like to get ahead on these things.

The butterfly is for a cross stitch ... finally!!! Of course I still have to colour it, but I'm thinking the magical swirl behind the butterfly will be a rainbow.

There are four more weeks until the school holidays, and after that my work load at the child care center should slow down with the return of one of their regular staff members. I'll be able to get more design work done. But the money has been so welcome. It's almost as if the universe knew our finances would be stretched the past few months and sent us a boon. So thankyou very much divine workings of the powers that be!

Today I need to finish the green quilt for my son. I would have had it done yesterday, but I ran out of the black mateial I'm using for the binding. Today is his actual birthday, so I'll get it done and give it to him tonight. I"ll post a picture of course!

Thanks again for reading
Jennidee

On the cover

Forgive me for not sharing this with you before ... I've been so busy.
The above image shows my quilt "Nouveau Crazy" (the quilt hanging at the back with purple and blue checks around the border) on teh cover of Patchwork and Stitching Magazine. This magazine is the sister mag to Australian Patchwork and Quilting.

I'm hoping that I can contribute to both magazines more in the future.

The center of this quilt uses needle turn applique, which is pretty slow. So I've started using the quicker technique of iron on (fusable) backing applique. I'm currently desinging another quilt with this techniaue (in between getting some work done on items with dealines, including a piece for a wedding whgich is nearly finished and my father in law's 70th birthday quilt which we are presenting tomorrow ... I'll post photos).

Thanks to the new followers who came across from the Crafty Princess Blog. I'll be designing the give away chart in the next day or two.

Busy, busyt, busy.

The Future of Tapestry Moon

Hi there, and sorry for being away for such a long time. I've been sorting out some things which were important for me to continue as a desinger.

I have picked up some casual work at a local after hours child care place. It's only a few hours at the moment, but there is promise of more to come and it's just what I was after really. It means that I will have some regular money coming in to keep finances comfortable, but I'll still have plenty of time to design and create new projects.

The cross stitch magazine I design for is using my designs at a terrific rate, which means I stitch regularly to keep up ... exactly what I need. But it's not enough of an income. And as cross stitching doesn't require many skills, there is no room for teaching workshops in that area.

Luckily for me, one of my other interests is applique and patchwork. I'm gaining more success selling patterns to magazines and I hope very shortly to start producing patterns for sale in shops, online and to spark interest in workshops. An online shop will also be set up for my cross stitch patterns.

The bad news was that the magazine I was producing bead patterns for has folded. I will be winding up that part of my business as a result. So if you are a following me as a beader, I appologise. Beading will only be a rare hobby for me from now on.

The last two weeks has been school holidays here in NSW, Australia, which always means lots of disruptions for me running around with the kids and their busy social schedules. My husband has also been working from home to give hime a break from travel. It's lovely to have them all home, but it does also mean I have a LOT less computer time. And of course that means less time to update blogger, less time to search for inspiration and less time to use my designing programs. But hey! I started knitting a cardigan for myself, and designers have to have holidays and outside hobbies too right. :)

I have had a few patterns come out in magazines that I havent' shared with you yet, due to the reduced computer time. But that means great piccies next entry, so don't forget to come back and check in a few days.

Thanks for all your support,
Jennidee

Circus Pony Finished

After a few weeks of on agina off again stitching on this one, the Circus Pony is done.

The fabric is called Purple Swirl (I can't imagine why) and is available from Sew it all Australia
http://www.sewitall.com.au/shop/
It's not visible on their site, you have to ask for it. I got mine at the Stitches and Craft show in Rosehill.
I have a blue one as well that I'll do somehting nice with later.

Circus Pony will be published in Embroidery and Cross Stitch Magazine, probably later this year. I'll put up a photo of the magazine photo when it comes out (they always do a fabulous job of presenting the piece).
It comes with the circus alphabet that i have used down the bottom to spell the name of my friend's little girl, Monique. It probably doesn't show up that well in this photo. Monique will get this cross stitch for Christmas. I know her mum will probably appreciate it more though :)

Now I'm working on a Country Angel. I think she's going to be very quick to stitch up. Circus pony took me just under 40 hours. I think the country angel will take maybe 15 hours.
Unfortunately I won't be able to show you a photo of that one as I'm hopin to sell it to a magazine that I havent' dealth with before. Sometimes the editors get annoyed if you show the work before it's published.

Happy Stitching everyone
Jennidee

Circus Pony

Just a little design I'm working on at the moment.

I was going to do a steam punk victorian lady after talking to Miamina. But I'm not sure the magazines would go for that. It might be a bit radical for them. And then I had a dream about horses and had an urge to draw one. So that's how the little circus pony came about.

School Holidays

Firstly a big hello to all my new followers who have come to me through Leibster awards. Thanks for joining. I think that award is a fantastic idea. It's a good way to see more blogs. I'm always surprised that there isn't a way to search for blogs in a certain theme at blogger. We all seem to find one another by following blog trails. Luckily that's fun too.

It's school holidays here in NSW Australia for two weeks. This means I have to to fight for the computer more often than not. I'm typing this at 7:40am when no one else is up .... one of the few times I can be assured of getting any computer time.

Today I'm scrapbooking with a friend who is a high school teacher. So this is one of the few times we can get together all day to indulge in our shared hobby. I don't know if any of you scrapbook as well as beading or stitching, but it takes a lot of time and money and space. So you have to organise a get together when you have plenty of all those things. This particular friend bought me a voucher for my birthday recently and I spent it yesterday on new papers.

As for my beading and stitching; I've made good progress on Viva Las Vegas, even though the Easter break meant lots of distractions. I'm so far into it now that I'm starting to think about the next design. If anyone has any suggestions or preferences, speak now!!! LOL I'm thinking of a pretty witch for Halloween ... or maybe a sexy devil. There are so many ideas to choose from.

I'm still trying to get into the UK magazine market. No luck yet. I'm having to alter my design ideas as I can't compete with Joan Eliott's fairies and lovely ladies. She is in every magazine now. Now I'm trying different themes. The last effort was a beautiful flamingo. Next I think I'll try some flowers in an art nouveau style or some exotic animals like a Lima or a red panda. I try to keep the design in my style (with a bit of a fantasy flair) as that is what I like, and that is what I'd like to be known for. Now that I think about it, I think I remember suggesting to one of my internet friends that I might try a unicorn ... but Joan Elliot has just done one fo those too.

A few weeks ago I thought I'd do a lovely butterfly with a kind of art nouveau flair. And then I picked up the latest issue of Cross Stitching and saw it had a butterfly on the front with a lace border. That's a bit too close to waht I had in mind. Damn! Beaten to the punch again.

Never mind. I'll keep working at it, and doing my fantasy ladies for the Australian mag, who seem more than happy to have them.

I have a beaded piece coming out in this months edition of Beads to Inspire (Express Publications). It's a wired candle collar. I'll post a picture tomorrow.

If you've read this far, you are a wonderful friend and I thank you for your support.
Jennidee.

September Progress

It's Spring!!!!
I bought some violas and potted them in a lovely glazed pot I have, plus a hanging basket that has been sitting sadly empty for at least 8 months. They look lovely and inspired me to weed the garden, water the lawn and check on the worm farm. I just love Spring and the blooms are really inspiring to me.

The little violas with their sweet, colourful faces are bound to inspire a cross stitch card or two.

Speaking of cross stitch cards, there is a local lady who goes to the market in my home town and sells bookmarks and cards that she has cross stitched. She has been doing it for years. In fact I once comissioned her to do a green dragon card for my son's first birthday and he is now 15. I am going to ask her to stitch some of my designs for the magazines as I just don't have time to stitch all the ideas I have. I'll still choose some of my favourites to stitch.

I haven't touched 'Sun' in a week. Instead I've been working on needle turn applique mini quilts. I'm hoping the Patchwork magazine will pick them up.

This afternoon I posted off some projects to Express Publications; 'Moonlight Fairy', 'Moonlight' (the beaded box) and a fairy done in needle turn applique that I've called 'Sparkle'. Fingers crossed, they will go in three different magazines. Eventually I hope to be submitting successfully to four different Australian magazines and three overseas magazines. If all goes well, that should keep the cheques coming in enough to call myself a professional designer.

I'll keep you updated here of course.