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April01, 2007 - The Needlework Nutshell >> |
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The Needlework Nutshell—March 1, 2007 Volume 3, Issue 3 March 1, 2007 <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> THE NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL Needlework news, musings, tips, contests, and what’s happening now at FUNK & WEBER DESIGNS <*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*> Editor: Jen Funk Weber Mail to: mailto:mail@funkandweber.com Web site: http://www.funkandweber.com Your privacy is important to us. Our subscriber list is NOT made available to others. *********************************************************** IN THIS ISSUE *********************************************************** 1. Needlework Musings 2. Tips and Tricks and Brilliant Ideas 3. What’s New at Funk & Weber Designs 4. Make It Yours! 5. Readers Ask 6. Puzzle Contest 7. Contact/Subscribe/Unsubscribe *********************************************************** 1. NEEDLEWORK MUSINGS *********************************************************** I'm deep into the Spiderwick activity book project and will have it finished before the next newsletter is published. I also learned that both of my proposed classes for the TNNA wholesale trade show in June were accepted, so add class prep to my To Do list. I have an online trade show April 18-23, a slide show at BushMountain Stitchery on April 23, 1--possibly 2--writers' conferences in April, my first author visit to a school in May, and 4 new pattern designs to stitch. Plus day-to-day business obligations and all the regularly scheduled activities. Whew. Oh, and taxes to prepare. Bleh. That's a good bit to juggle, and I do find it stressful at times, but there's a part of me that enjoys it, too. Being super-busy makes me super-efficient, and I love being that productive. Having new patterns to stitch is an important part of such a schedule. For at least a couple of hours every day, I relax into the repetitive motion of stitching. We know stitching slows the heart rate and relaxes muscles, and that's an important part of stress reduction. It can also be a mind-clearing time. I haven't been listening to podcasts or movies lately, but rather stitching in silence. I practice my presentations in my head, ponder puzzle ideas, and think through the details of my obligations, getting them organized and myself prepared. It's a quiet, meditative, restoring time. It's true that needlework is my business so I have to stitch, but it's a great thing to do for anyone who is busy and a little stressed out. It may seem like work compared to flopping in front of the TV, but I suspect it's actually *more* relaxing and restoring for the unwinding it offers. TV may not seem to require energy to watch, but does it unwind you? Does it give you a sense of accomplishment when you're through in the evening? A sense of accomplishment is invigorating. Keep the projects going, and have something simple to pick up when you're tired and stressed. We already know this. Let's make sure we do it! *********************************************************** 2. TIPS AND TRICKS AND BRILLIANT IDEAS *********************************************************** We have two reader-inspired Brilliant Ideas this month. The first comes from Marilyn in Palmer, AK, who shares another way to use overdyed floss: "...there is another variation for stitching with overdyes: the swirl. At least that's what I call it. You put a stitch in then center then start stitching at one corner of the X and work your way around in a circle--it looks really cool. I used this method when stitching flowers." Wonderful! We could go around and around for larger flowers, or spread the "circles" out for a spiral or pinwheel effect. And while we're at it, what about other patterns: waves, zig-zags, radiating rays? Imagine waves of color delineated by the overdyed thread, used to depict the sea, a lake, or some body of water. It would be somewhat stylized, but completely appropriate and (I believe) interesting. How about tea in a teacup? A tempest in a tea cup! I'm going to have to try this. The second Brilliant Idea comes from Chrissie, in NY, who hates actually using needle and thread, but reads the Nutshell anyway. (Hey, we welcome all nuts in this Nutshell!) She noted that her favorite picture in the Overdyed Thread Tutorial was the one of the *back*, the one most stitchers would consider "messy." She loves the "randomness" of it. You know what? So do I! Years ago, I played with this very idea. Check it out: http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/tree.html I highly recommend Embroidery Free-For-Alls. Want to try a tree of your own? I'll provide a tree outline to get you started; the rest is up to you. I'd love to see some results! (Nudge, nudge.) And no, this isn't the tree pattern I used--I probably didn't use a pattern--but it's similar. http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/nutshell/tree.pdf Next month, I'll tell you how I finished my ornament. *********************************************************** 3. WHAT’S NEW AT FUNK & WEBER *********************************************************** The fun channel here is stuck on Spiderwick activity books. Deadlines were pushed back to March 15 and March 25. It's going well and is tons of fun, but there's still a lot to do. http://spiderwick.com ~~~~~~~~~~ If you're anywhere near Montoursville, PA, visit us at BushMountain Stitchery on April 23, 2007, for an Alaska slide show and a behind-the-scenes look at Funk & Weber Designs. http://www.bushmountain.com ~~~~~~~~~~ Visit The Needlework Show online, April 18-23. While this is a wholesale trade show, Everyone is invited to browse and participate in the games and giveaways. Shop owners are available to take consumer orders, so if you don't have a local needlework shop, this is a good time to find a not-so-local one! http://www.needleworkshow.com ~~~~~~~~~~ The first Needle & Th*READ* bookmark is designed! Not stitched, but designed. Here's how the process went. I sketched the idea on the computer, which is to say that I drew what I had in mind. I have to admit that I was pretty pleased with it, though I knew Mike would make it better. He did. He altered the shape, and added more details. It's still a simple image, but he made it much, much better. I added text and a little frill. We chose colors, then admitted we weren't crazy about one particular element. I tried a dozen different alterations before giving up. Then Mike worked his magic and found the perfect solution. I'm all set to stitch, and we'll see what adjustments we might want to make along the way. ~~~~~~~~~~ I am going to follow the DayZ Dozen Blog Hop, March 5-16, on the Lazy Girl Designs blog and talk about it on my own blog. I followed an author's Blog Tour recently (and won a book!), and it was a fun and informative event. Joan Hawley is the Lazy Girl, and she's a quilting designer who specializes in cool bags. I've seen her work and think she's brilliant. The Blog Hop will include behind-the-scenes tales about 12 new quilting patterns from 12 designers, all using fabrics from the new LakeHouse DayZ Deux Collection. I'm interested for a number of reasons. Maybe I can set up a needlework Blog Hop. How fun would that be? Maybe some of the patterns will inspire a needlework twist, or can be used in conjunction with embroidery. Maybe I'll finally commit to making one of Joan's fabulous bags! I know many of us are crossover needleworkers, so I wanted to invite you to join the fun over at Lazy Girl Designs. Check in at my blog for my takes and twists on the patterns. http://www.LazyGirlDesigns.com/blog ~~~~~~~~~~ We're blogging! I have a Team Blog with my online critique group. There are 6 of us, from CT to AK, who have been reading and critiquing each other's work for about 3 years. Pairs of us have met in person a few times, but never have we met face-to-face, all together. We hope to meet in Ohio in April 2007. Our focus, of course, is children's writing. http://6writers1story.blogspot.com/ I have *another* blog on my own. Think I can't possibly have that much to say? Remember, I live in rural Alaska and hate to travel in winter. I go for days and weeks without seeing anyone but Mike. I can pretty much talk anyone's ear off! The question is whether or not I have anything worthwhile to say, but I'm not touching that one. http://JenFunkWeber.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~ Due to exceptional busy-ness next summer, we have decided that the next Alaska Stitch-N-Safari will be scheduled for the summer of 2008. Information about these special stitching tours is available on our web site http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/tour.html *********************************************************** 4. MAKE IT YOURS! *********************************************************** I was going to save this for one of the summer issues, to maybe inspire others to do something similar at a county or state fair. Alas, it's the only project in the Make It Yours queue. (Hint, hint.) Kunni, from Damascus, MD, took the teaching pattern from the July Needlework Nutshell to her county fair last year--and turned it into a demonstration and game! Check it out: http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/make-it-yours-kunni.html ~~~~~~~~~~ Have you adapted a pattern to Make It Yours? Tell us about it! mail@funkandweber.com *********************************************************** 5. READERS ASK *********************************************************** Please e-mail me with questions for this section. mail@funkandweber.com ~~~~~~~~~~ I'm going to lump a number of questions into one this month: How do I make sure that I keep getting The Needlework Nutshell? Even though you had to "doubt opt-in" to subscribe, and even though you've been getting The Needlework Nutshell for some time, unless you put it on your "whitelist," it could wind up in your spam filter unexpectedly. There are all kinds of reasons this happens, and it can happen at any address. It happened to me at a Yahoo address. (Yes, I subscribe to my own newsletter.) To assure that you continue to get the newsletter, whitelist it, or add it to your address book. Take a close look at your email program. Do you see a button labeled "whitelist"? Check the box to the left of the newsletter in your Inbox, then click "whitelist," and follow any instructions that follow. Clicking the button may be all you need to do. If your mail program doesn't have a whitelist option, simply add the newsletter address to your address book. Different programs do this in different ways, too, but oftentimes there is a link next to the FROM address when you open the email. Finally, when you're deleting the newsletter, and any email for that matter, make sure to hit "delete" and not "spam." The buttons are often side-by-side and easily confused. When you report an email as spam, your ISP might block that address for all users. It could mean that one person at AOL who accidentally hits "spam" when deleting the newsletter causes AOL to block the next newsletter so that no one with an AOL address gets it. If you want to stop receiving the newsletter, please unsubscribe. There's a link at the bottom of every newsletter that enables you to do that. Save the spam button for actual spam. In that case, by all means, call a spam a spam! We hate spam, too. And in case you're wondering, "blacklist" is the opposite of "whitelist." Addresses you blacklist are blocked so that you receive no further email from them. *********************************************************** 6. PUZZLE CONTEST *********************************************************** Play with me! Solve this puzzle, and be entered to win a free Funk & Weber Designs pattern! Winners will be randomly selected from all correct entries. E-mail your answer, with “PUZZLE CONTEST” in the subject line. The deadline for this month’s puzzle is midnight (Alaska time, of course) March 7, 2007. The winner will be selected on March 8, 2007 (or shortly thereafter), notified by e-mail, and announced on our web site and in the next NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL. To avoid sending e-mail attachments, contest puzzles will be uploaded to our web site. I will provide a link to the puzzle in THE NEEDLEWORK NUTSHELL. To the puzzle! http://www.funkandweber.com/fw/nutshell/cryptonote.pdf ~~~~~~~~~~ FEBRUARY PUZZLE CONTEST WINNER: Geri, from Lethbridge, AB. The answer: Lugana, Cashel, Vienna. They are all Zweigart needlework fabrics. *********************************************************** 7. CONTACT FUNK & WEBER DESIGNS *********************************************************** SUBSCRIBE: 57410-subscribe@zinester.com UNSUBSCRIBE: 57410-unsubscribe@zinester.com ARCHIVES: http://archives.zinester.com/57410 Jen Funk Weber mail@funkandweber.com http://www.funkandweber.com Copyright 2007, Funk & Weber Designs |
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