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.

July 19, 2026 Sunday

I have been packing EAGLES. I finished making the kits and all I have to do is finish the packages and type the shipping labels.  I have my computer guy coming for a long session tomorrow and after that, I will continue packing. My guess is, I will send off the last of my EAGLES on Friday.

WHEW!

Then 5 weeks of stitching non-stop, as the dog days of summer are here. I plan on stitching all day long every day until September 1.  I hope you will join me and post your progress on my Stitchalong Room. I will very much enjoy following along.

More about what I am stitching as my EAGLES fledge.

July 18, 2026 Saturday

Oh my, I've been sorting Eagle Elements. Organization is not my best attribute -- I found an extra handful of Eagle kits in a corner.

So I have opened the sale again -- briefly!   If you wish you had ordered one, now is your chance... yet agaim.

Whereas I am not good at organization, I am (relatively) good at Time Management and I think I will be finished (hopefully) with Eagles by Friday this coming week.

For those of you who have asked, yes, my husband is better. He still has a way to go, but he is more and more each day like himself.. Cross fingers for us that it continues....

July 17, 2026 Friday

MY EAGLE SALE IS CLOSED and it is time for the Eagles to fledge.

I will work all day long today and send off more EAGLES late this afternoon.

I predict it will take me a week to send all EAGLES, then it will be time to stitch. I hope you will join my Facebook Stitchalong Room and post your progress there.

I will stay disciplined about shipping until the last of the EAGLES have fledged, then I have a month to do nothing but stitch! A whole lazy summer month! YAY!

July 15, 2026 Wednesday

I spent early this morning putting threads together and counting how many more kits. To my surprise, even with all my new thread, I think I have enough for 6 more kits.

And I think I am maxed out on what I can ship in a reasonable amount of time. Even as it, it will take me a while I know a number of you have written to me and said, 'take your time.' Thank you, I will need it -- I am busy pasking the computer Gods (no, they aren't Goddesses) to help me and keep my equipment running smoothly.

Is that possible? Not from my experience but hope springs eternal.

Above all else, thank you for your patience.

July 14, 2026 Tuesday

I think I have everything straightened out enough that my sale is under control now. A combinatio of things: my husband is feeling well enough that he can't take any more hovering and Access had the threads I needed for more hearts. Actually, they were colors I use often, so it worked out well.

If I can take a little more  time I will leave the sale open until July 16, order some more instructions, make kits and pack them fast as I can.  I'll make kits and pack for the first 3/4's of each day, then I will quit for the day and stitch....

July 13, 2026 Monday

I am working away. I had to order more sets of instructions and they should be ready later this week. Happily I have all the threads and am busy making more thread packats.

I know a number of you were  disappointed whe I ran out of hearts. I now have a  bit of extra threads and so I thought I would make a few more kits. If you are sorry you missed the Eagle, write to me and I will see what I can do. Back to work I go.

July 11, 2026 Saturday

For those of you who ordered Eagles on July 2: I will finish shipping your Eagles on Monday. This message is for the people who bought and paid for their kits before I ran out of stock.

WAIT LIST people: I was waiting for thread and hooRAY it arrived yesterday! Much luck!  I will finish making your WAIT LIST kits over the weekend and likely start mailing them on Tuesday.

Please notice that my deadline for paying for WAIT LISTED Eagles is July 16.

July 9, 2026 Thursday

I picked up the first batch of Instructioons Booklets for American Eagle Heart and if machinery is working today (it has temperamental days, to say the least), I will drive the first lot down to the post office this afternoon!

For WAIT LIST people: I have ordered the extra thread I need and luck was with me: The distributor had the 3 colors I need and the package is on its way. With how temperamental supplies can be these days, it was indeed a bit of luck.

A good number of WAIT LIST people have completed their sales. As a reminder, the last day to make your payment is July 16, 2026. By then the extra thread should be here and therefore the wait won't be long.

July 7, 2026

I have been hard at work getting organized for Shipping which I call Mail Jail. First sets of instructions will be available tomorrow afternoon and I will start packing packing on Thursday.

It should be relatively 'do-able.' I say 'relatively' because it always depends on how much struggle my pc and the label printer want to cause.  Let's hope they are getting along well. Remains each day to be seen.

I will send the kits for my first-day customers, then I will start on Paid Wait List Customers.  I have asked that Wait List people complete their sales on or before July 16.

Why am I so conscious of the clock? Because I traditionally start work on gathering ideas for October's EWeek Sale in August.

And with all the long daylight hours, I want to stitch and stitch some more.  Hope you will join me.

July 3, 2026 Friday

My EAGLE HEARTS all disappeared in the first minutes of my sale. I think they lasted somewhere around 15 minutes. Thank you!  I realize it was a short time, and soon as I knew, I posted a message that I will accept WAIT LIST people until July 5, then I will close the sale.

For orders from yesterday: I am guessing the print shop will take a week to print the copies (maybe not quite that long) and I will work on sending the packages as soon as I have the printed copies of the instructions. I have all those kits made and all congress cloth cut and set to go.

For Wait Listed People: I am short 3 of the colors and I ordered them this morning. I should know by early next week if the colors are in stock. I have a substantial number of Wait Listed People now. It will take me a while too make more kits but not forever. If you will give me a month, I'm guessing that will work.

So I'm back in the shipping business. Soon as I have copies of the Instructions I will start.

Thank you everybody who came to the sale.

July 1, 2026 Wednesday

Welcome to July on Queendom Website! And Happy Anniversary Week!  I had hoped to sell all of my Patriotica but it wasn't to be. I simply ran out of time!

But I have my little Eagle Heart kits ready to sell and I will offer them tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. California time.

The sale will be on my home page.

Happy Anniversary!  Happy critter watching, those of you who like to watch birdies and other wild life in your back yard or on the computer.

I love watching our Back Yard Birdies. My favorites are the doves but I like them all. We don't have many raptors -- we do have a hawk family who fly over our canyon looking for breakfast and lunch. At this time of year the youngster often flies with its parents.

Happy Anniversary to all of us! Enjoy the Holiday this year.

June 30, 2026 Tuesday

Within a day or two I will post my Eagle Heart kit for sale here on my website home page. I am planning on a 3 week delivery time, although I hope it won't take that long.

Wish me luck.

June 29, 2026 Monday

As promised, here is a photo of my new Patriotica Heart to celebrate our 250th Anniversary. Why an Eagle? Because they are so beautiful in soaring flight! I know Begjamin Franklin said they are not suitable as our national bird because of their low moral character, etc. I could make a couple of political remarks about now, but I will restrain myself.

'Suffice it to say: I couldn't watch the news any longer.

My husband grows better day by day -- he is tired of me hovering. He told me yesterday "GO Stitch!"

I have all the silks, if I could have till August 1 to mail the kits, I could likely do it.

June 28, 2026 Sunday

Today I will gather supplies and see if I can make kits for my new Patriotic Heart. If so, and if people will give me some time, I will post my latest Patriotic Heart, new as of about a month ago.

Thank you to those of you who sent best wishes for my husband. He is getting stronger, I am happy to report. I think/hope it is just a matter of time.

June 26, 2026 Friday

I have been caring for my husband all these weeks. He is much better, off his strong meds but still sleeping long hours. When he is asleep I've been stitching away. I have a relatively large design going and it takes my attention and makes me relax which is why I am addicted  to needlepoint in the first place.

I think the world is a difficult place right now and here is my advice: turn off the news and picke up your needle. It helps.

June 23, 2026 Tuesday

I stitched most of the day on Sunday (can't escape Husband Chores entirely). I stitched a part of yesterday too, but Husband Chores took over.

Today? Chores for a while, but by late this afternoon I'm hoping to stal a couple of hours. Anybody stitch along with me?

June 21, 2026 Sunday

My favorite day of the year, the Summer Solstice, the longest daylight hours -- and I am already stitching.  I don't know that I will make it the whole day with my needle in my hand, but I will try!

Hope you will come join me. It is early here, and the light is good and I have a threaded needle waiting for me....

Happy Summer Solstice!

June 17, 2026 Wednesday

Yesterday: the dentist's office ruled the day, the way the dentist's office can do.  My husband is better but still in need of TLC, so I am paying a lot of attention to him and weilding my needle while he sleeps.  

About a week ago I cut up a piece of canvas and started a big new design. I am punting. I couldn't work out exactly what I wanted to do on some paper so I just decided to start and build the design as I go.

Sometimes I like to do this, just decide as I go and see what I come up with. It usually entails a lot of ripping, but I always do a lot of ripping so nothing new about that.

So how is it going? Too early to tell which is the fun stage: everything is possible, so how do I make the choices what to do? Seat of my pants is the answer.

I have a busy day today but late this afternoon I should have time to sit and stitch, hopefully for a couple of hours.

June 15, 2026 Monday

I didn't realize I have been away from writing on my website for almost a week. As I said a week ago, I have been caring for a sick husband. He is getting better and stronger which is wonderful, but he still has a way to go. I will see what the next week brings.

June 9 2026 Tuesday

I am busy caregiving and stitching. I've been worried about my husband who hasn't been well, but our doctor says he will be fine. I hope so.  

So I've been dispensing pills, etc. and stitching inbetween. The stitching helps. I decided the time had come to start a big new project. I'm not making a lot of headway but it is lovely to hold a needle. For now it is enough.

June 7 2026 Sunday

I have been absent from business; currently I am a caregiver. In short, I have a sick husband and sick husbands need a lot of time. It will be a while, but everything points to his recovery, but for now he is on some heavy duty meds. So my productivity is way down.

Excuse to stitch.

June 1, 2026 Monday

June is here, usually June gloom for us, but I like it that way, not too hot!

I wasn't going to do it but I did: I made a new Patriotic Heart to celebrate our Anniversary: 1776-2026.  Here's a hint: I was greatly influenced by my facebook feed and decided I just had to do it!

So now I have to find a time to offer it. Do I sell just it or do I offer some more Patriotica? Energy and Organization? One item in the sale or can I get it together for more?

Is there a Betsy kit around here? A Betsy Sewing Case? Anthem Hearts? My original Patriotic Heart, now 20 years old?

Next week I will decide. I need a week off first....

May 29, 2026 Thursday

Productive day yesterday as I sorted out some things and planned the coming days. The good news is, I should catch up over the weekend ahead and do my final mailing on Monday or Tuesday.

My major task is taking care of a handful of people who ordered patterns from me and they live outside the U.S. I didn't see their addresses till I was packing last week.

I have a good example of why I have long given up shipping outside the U.S.  I have a goodcustomer who has made it easy for me, but this time the shipping company returned the package to me.

I plan to spend this afternoon on the phone (I will give it 3 hours of robots) and one more trip to the shop.  I have already spent 5 hours on the phone and gone three times down to the shop.

From now on I will double my resolution: the only way I will ship outside the U.S. is for customers to use shipito.com or some other forwarding company. As a single proprietor business, I just don't have hours and hours of time it takes to deal with overseas packages.

May 28, 2026 Thursday

I am back at work parttime and I am finally to the point where I can catch up, I hope. Sick husband is almost well, a bit more time and attention. As I wrote earlier, I am so relieved that it isn't serious. We aren't getting any younger...

Competing with work: vast temptation to pick up my needle and just shove out what needs doing for the day, but I won't do that. I plan to 'earn' an hour at the end of the day. No progress on work, no needle. Any of you ever bargained with yourself this way?

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

My Mail Jail Truck for keeping track of deadlines.