Monday, February 20, 2012

Classes with Tony

Very exciting needlepoint news!!!! I am taking not one but TWO classes with Tony Mineri this year!!!  I have a small, private, group canvas enhancement class in May in Houston and Back to Basics 1 in Austin at the Needleworks in September!!! I am soooo excited!!!  This is the canvas that I will be stitching in May.


Sorry for the wonky picture, but this was hanging on a wall high above me at the time of the photo.  

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Total Organization!

Elfa sales at the Container Store are very dangerous.   I have been an organizing fool!  One of my needlepoint friends at Chandial was talking about her new Elfa system in her needlepoint room.  Around Christmas, all of us were invited to go to her house for a gathering, and she showed all of us her great needlepoint room!  There were three sets of Elfa shelves with drawers on the bottom half and a rod on the upper half to hang canvases.  My friend's system was perfect!  You could have more shelves or drawers depending on what kinds of canvases you have, and you can always add to the Elfa system.  One of the interesting ideas she had was to put all of the cards in boxes like these.  


They are inserts that go into a plastic box made by the same company.  And they inserts are just the right size for thread cards.  I used to have all of my threads in FlossAway bags on rings by color, but it was getting harder and harder to store them.  I think taking the cards out makes it easier.  When I am thinking of what thread to use in a certain area, I will think of Neon Rays and then go find the color, so this make sense to me to have the thread cards in a separate box.  


All of my threads in a skein are still in FlossAway bags organized by color.  

Next, I had to purchase and assemble the Elfa.  This is where the sale comes in!  I went to the Container Store and designed my system based on my friend's with a designer, and this is what the finished product looks like!


I have not hung my canvases yet, but my stash is actually smaller than I thought.  One set of Elfa shelves is perfect for it.  I have a large 3 runner drawer on the bottom for kits and unfinished projects.  I have a 2 runner drawer for buttons, beads, blank canvas, etc.  Next is a jewelry tray for Kreinik by size and needles.  Then my boxes with thread cards and stretcher bars.  On top of my closet rod, I have all my thread boxes.  I think the next items to organize will be stretcher bars and beads.  





I still go into my craft room to check and see if my Elfa is still there!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Progress on Chewy and Joy

I am so close to finishing "Joy" I can taste it!  Not quite there yet...  I still have to finish the third panel and the lettering.  Emily at Chandail found amazing bling to go on my piece, and I can't wait until I sew it on.  Here is a progress pic.


I have to finish this soon, but I think my progress is a bit slow because I have been double dipping!  I am working on Chewy the alligator as well.  Chewy is a kit from It's a Stitch of Charleston.  I fell in love with Mr. Chewy while I was in Charleston visiting, and of course the needlepoint shops were on the must-see list.


I have had some very good news lately both on the needlepoint front and on the work front.  I have been offered a permanent position at my new company and I am soooooo ecstatic.  It is the best job and the best people and I can't wait!  The needlepoint news will be in another post!  

One of the reasons I have to finish these two pieces soon is because of all of the neat canvases I have in my stash waiting in the wings and because of the new canvases from Market.  I took pictures of a few new Melissa Shirley designs that I loved.  




Until next time!