July 9, 2019 Tuesday

The First Day of My Remodeled Website

Permanent Resolutions for Stitchers

1.  Take all the pent-up anxiety about perfection and redirect that energy toward creativity. Open up your minds and think of creative  possibilities you can bring to your needlework, ways that will personalize it and make it distinctly yours.  Here are two ways to start:

Oops you made a mistake and you face a lot of ripping.

Ask yourself, is it really a mistake or a variation?

You do have to rip if you crossed most of your crosses in one direction and suddenly you started crossing them in the other direction, yep no way around that. Why? The real reason for good technique is that it allows all your attention to focus on your design (where it should be).

You don't have to rip if you made a leaf one row bigger than the design called for. This is obsessive behavior that needs redirecting.

You do need to rip if you make something so large it is out of scale with the rest of the design; you do not have to rip if it is barely noticeable.

You do not have to rip if you mixed up colors and the design is not exactly as the designer's model. For heaven's sake, if it looks OK, stop obsessing.

You do have to rip if a color or texture is not in harmony with the rest of the design.

You do not have to throw away a design if you run out of a dye lot.

If it looks like you are headed toward thread shortage, don't use the thread to the last strand, save at least 1/4 of it. Buy some more and decide where and how to introduce the new dyelot. I actually prefer to work with multiple dyelots. If you pay attention to lights and darks etc., they can bring an added depth to your design.

2. In memory of Audrey Francini, my generation's greatest needlewoman, slow down. Needlework is not a speed contest. Audrey was the slowest stitcher I have known. She was also the best. I have a couple of great stories about Audrey and her speed, I'll tell them in the next couple of mornings.

3. Forget about the Needlepoint Police. They don't exist except in their minds. You may meet people who think they know it all. Good for them, I applaude their confidence, but I don't buy into it.

I have probably told this story a dozen times but it is worth telling again and again. Years ago a friend wrote to me and asked, will this Kreinik braid look good with this silk?

I replied, beats me, try it and see.

Friend: whadaya mean you don't know, you're the teacher.

My reply: if the Immortal Artists Of The Western World don't know without trying, how would I, one mere mortal needlework teacher? (There's a bit more to thsi story too, I'll tell the rest another time).

All this goes to say once again, there is no real right and wrong, there are problems of course. The best way to find solutions is to think creatively.

Those are my New Year's Stitching Resolutions for 2021, still good for 2022, 2023 and for 2024.

Reminders for me as well as for all of you.

March 9, 2026, Monday

I am rounding the corner: I have sold most everything in this Wait List Sale. I have a relatively long list of people wanting Dowager in the Evening. My two existing Kits are gone but I discovered some packets of the beads I'd put together and I have the threads, all except one:

I am missing 2 spools for each kit of Kreinik braid #032 pearl white.

Who knows how long the wait for them will be, so I had two ideas: offer another Wait List or Sell the kits at a discounted price so you can use any in your stash.

MAIL JAIL is now back: I have this segment of my Wait List to mail. My goad is to ship everything by Monday afternoon, March 16.

March 8, 2026, Sunday

I have divided the last stage of my sale into parts. First Part: Wait List Kits for Elizabeth 1 Portraits, Hearts of Elizabeth, Echoes I, Echoes II, Dowager in the Evening,

Tudor Rose Square.

So far last time I checked: I have 2 Dowagers in the Evening and 2 Hearts of Elizabeth left.

I will ship these and then I will post for sale patterns only (no beads, no threads, no canvas.  Some are pristine, some are dog-eared and I will knock something off the price for lless-than-pristine ones.

Spring cleaning. Oh would I love to be organized! It won't happen but it is a nice dream....

March 7, 2026, Saturday

EVERYTHING is working right now. It won't last, but it is certainly nice while it does!

I took two days and finished writing my l

March 4, 2026, Wednesday

Adam, my computer helper and an indespensable part of my computer life, was here and had everything up and working. Everything! For now...

But I am looking on the bright side and I will start designing a small sale for the projects I have here.  It will take me a while, as I have one small assignment to do first.

I will tell you about it in a while, soon as I finish it.

Meanwhile, my dream is to pick up my needle sometime soon. It has been a long time!

Let me know how you do with all the patterns you have. Those of you who are working away, we all love seeing your progress. Think of posting on my facebook 'Stitchalong' page.

March 3, 2026, Tuesday

I forever have computer questions/ troubles, etc. My helpmate tells me I use so many different apps that some of it is bound to haunt me, and so it is right now:

My main printer doesn't work. There's something wrong with my three routers and/or my modem. Two of my three computers are having minor troubles.

Today is devoted to fixing the problems. Wish me luck. If everything is up and working again, I will start compiling ones and twos and threes for the next segment of my SALE.

March 1, 2026, Sunday

Welcome to March on Queendom Website.

I am happy to announce that I mailed my last packages on Friday, February 27 and as I sent most by Priority, they should be arriving on your doorsteps this coming week.

Yes, I do have a few more of everything and I will work on it today and tomorrow with the outcome that I will offer the remainders for sale in a short while.

Then it will be time to pick up my needle. I sneaked in a bit of Needle Time -- it had been too long and I chilled out a couple of afternoons and stitched. Happiness indeed!

February 26, 2026, Thursday

Happy Birthday to my DH today! I am taking the day off to celebrate with him -- no packing, no shipping, no work - well, I might take a stitch or two here and there...

I should finish tomorrow -- and over the weekend I will begin eternal clean up. I will see what I have, mostly one of this, two of that, even three Dowagers in the Evening.

I ran short of Elizabeth Hearts, I had to stop and make 3 of them, so I made some extras. There's a good reason I made more of them: it has to do with Henry and Anne Boleyn and I will write about it soon.

And I have an endless pile of dog-eared patterns. I thought, since they are not in pristine shape, I would have an actual sale of them, ie reduce the price a bit. I'll see how old they are and how dented and let that decide.

I begin a new era when I complete this cleanup and I need to create uncluttered space in this house.  I really need two more houses: I need "Needlepoint Inn" and perhaps I need this one even more "Bead Inn."

Due to real estate around here (a garage can cost $1M) it isn't going to happen. Nice thought, but clean up is my only route today....

February 24, 2026, Tuesday

I am nearing the end of my Wait List mailings. I have some smalls to go.  I should finish them by the end of the week.

So what do I have left? One or two of several kits. For example, I have 2 Elizabeth Portraits and 2 Echoes and 3 Dowagers in the Evening. I have beads for more Echoes 1, but I am out of Kreinik braid #8, #002 gold.

I have ordered more (I need it for Armada) but the delivery time is 6 weeks.

What to do now. I will figure it out. Let me finish the Wait List Sale first.

Patriotica coming in 2026 as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

Deadline for reporting mistakes (shortages, etc.) December 15, 2025 or one month from shipping date.