Jolly Joy Jingle!

JOLLY JOY JINGLE: I've got a new design just in time for Christmas -- my good friend Jennifer stitched this for me and did a fabbo job.  It's a cute one, and has lots of fun Christmas motifs.  The button pack is by Just Another Button Company, and the fabric is 32 count Swamp by Picture This Plus.

And finally October's Angel is here -- I forget how draining monthly series are to create!  But this one was a lot of fun to stitch, and I loved using different purple threads for her outfit.  I didn't want to do an angel witch...that's kind of predictable and odd.  What little girl didn't want to dress up like a princess at some point?  And she's got a purple flower scepter and a treat bag.

Hope y'all are having a wonderful Christmas season so far.  I have been pretty good about getting my shopping done and making preparations, but there's always so much more to do.  We NEED to get the tree up, but I fear I've been putting it off, because once the tree is up...with all those cats in the house...all bets are off, and it's just pandemonium!

Halloween Alphabet

My latest chart...debuted at St. Charles' Celebrations Needlework Show last weekend.  This is available as a chart for $6.00 retail AND I have kits left from the show for $16.00.  The kits are "Make Do's."  With each kit, you get the design with a piece of hand-dyed linen in orange, purple or green AND two skeins of Weeks Dye Works' Okefenokee floss.  YOU SUPPLY your own bright color for filling in the letters.  I used Weeks Dye Works' Pumpkin, but use something you like that you've got laying around....this was fun to stitch, and it worked up really cute!

August's Angel

Here's August's Angel...she was really fun to stitch, and I wish *I* had a swimsuit that was that cute!

And in case you missed her, here's July's Angel -- she's picnicking with her best doggie pal and some butterflies.

Hope you've been having fun stitching these angels.  It's fun to come up with a theme every month.

The Cupcake Tree

Here's a new piece from Raise the Roof Designs ... ME!  I had designed this one a few months ago, and when I got it back from my model stitcher, I didn't like the color I had picked out for the verse.  Knowing I would have to rippit-rippit, I had put off finishing the piece.

But Cecile at Just Another Button Company designed me that cute cupcake stamp, and so I finally picked it up this week, ripped out the old, put in the new, and I'm much happier with it.  It's on Alluring Blue Belfast linen (32 count) with Sampler Threads, one Crescent Color floss, and a few colors of Anchor.  I think it turned out very cute, and that little bird on the left makes me so happy.

June's Angel

She's ready!  I wanted to go with a really neutral color palette for June -- I like tan with yellow...and then there's that little splash of blue in the flowers she's holding.  Here are the threads you'll need to stitch her:

Sampler Threads Heirloom Gold, Espresso Bean, Apricot Blush, Tea Rose, Grasshopper, Roasted Marshmallow, Sable and Ohio Lemon Pie.  The buttons and pins are by Just Another Button Company, and the fabric is R&R Reproduction's Olde Towne Blend(e).

What is love? It's grosser than you think.

Last week, Harrison was complaining a little about his roommate...another young man just starting out in the world.  This roommate is very nice, but not very interested in cleaning.  Their apartment isn't nasy/dirty, but things like the bathroom, the vacuuming and the kitchen dishes either get done by Harrison, or not at all.

I told Harrison that it would make me happy to come help him clean.  He accepted.

He took the bulk of the apartment -- picked up trash, vacuumed, did the bathroom (thank goodness).  I took the kitchen.  And while I was washing dishes in the sink, Harrison asked: Did you put the stopper in the sink?

Yes, I said.  Why?

Oh, he said.  You didn't need to.  The sink won't drain.  We should probably call maintenance.

Well, I finished the dishes, pulled the plug, and of course the water went ... nowhere.  I tried the disposal. Nothing.  So, I s-l-o-w-l-y reached my hand down the drain and felt something terrible down there.  As I was pulling it out, I said to Harrison (who was standing right behind me): Do you know what love is?

I'm watching it right now, he said.

I had yanked out a Brillo scrub pad completely encrusted with food barnacles.  It smelled terrible.  Harrison fetched the garbage, and I threw the dripping mess away.

I put my hand back into the drain ... slowly.

Oh, Harrison said.  Be careful.  There's broken glass in there!

Did you break a glass in the sink? I asked.

Well, I dropped a small glass, and it went down into the drain, but I couldn't see it.  So I turned the disposal on.  (This would explain why the disposal no longer works.)

I pulled out about half a dozen chunks of jagged glass, then smaller pieces.  Then small handfuls of what can only be described as sink poop.  It stank like poop.  It was mucky and yucky and smelly and there were only very small bits of it I could identify (like the tops of carrots.  Thank goodness he's eating all right, I guess.)

Then I washed my hands several times and said I was going to the store for Liquid Draino.  And I came back, and poured the Draino down the sink (making sure to read the directions NOT to drink it.  Good lord.)  And the sink started to drain by later that evening.  Harrison said it's working better, but it might need another go-round with drain cleaner.

And just like I had to tell Graham NOT to pull on fire alarms (after forgetting to tell little Harrison...with horrendous, building-clearing results), I had to tell Graham this week NOT to try to run a glass through the garbage disposal.  Common sense?  Apparently not.

May's Angel

My husband thought rain was more of an April topic...but I did Easter for April, and it rains in May. And what does he know? Actually, he's quite the smarty pants, but that's beside the point. I couldn't resist adding a duck, a few button raindrops, and a purple umbrella. I also used to have a real problem with walking THROUGH puddles. I ruined all my shoes. I TRY not to do it anymore, but sometimes a puddle is hard to resist.

I find rainy weather to be most enjoyable -- I love feeling all snug and protected inside with my stitching projects when it's raining away outside. And, I recently purchased a RAINBOW umbrella. It's the coolest thing, and it's big enough for two people underneath (or one person and a duck.)

I'll be sending these charts off to the distributors next week, and you can order the charts and kits through my web site at www.shakespearespeddler.com. Enjoy!

Peek at The Cupcake Tree

This picture stinks, but it was just a quick snapshot of a new piece I have that'll be coming out soon...The Cupcake Tree! It's on "Alluring Blue" Belfast (ooh...alluring...so fancy.) It's just a Zweigart standard color. BUT, this would be a fun piece to stitch on some sky-colored hand-dyed fabric you've got laying around, too.

Cecile at Just Another Button Company is designing me a cupcake stamp button to go on this piece, and I'm playing with some other buttons...some bumblebees and hearts, I think. It's stitched in a variety of threads, and I am pleased at how it looks so far.

Of course, once I get it in a frame, it'll look so much more presentable.

But you like sneak peeks, don't you?

New market releases!

I don't have time to get all cutesy-wootsy with what I have to say about the following. These are some new things I'll have for market. All are graphs, except for the Quilted Spring piece, which is a kit (that's the piece that's in a blue frame that looks like a quilt, Einstein.)

I have another piece that's being stitched by my cousin Carri that will be released soon called "The Cupcake Tree." I'm releasing ten new things at market, so I didn't want to...you know...over-do it.

Go to my other blog at www.shakespearespeddler.blogspot.com to see my other crap. (wink!)

March's Angel

March's Angel is done, and she's so cute -- I am not a HUGE fan of St. Patrick's Day as a holiday (nothing against it...I'm just not Irish at all.) But I do love the color green and springtime themes, so I made this little angel look a little Irish with her orange hair and her country clothes. She's got a basket of flowers, a spool of green thread, and the shamrocks are blowing by in a March breeze. Don't forget her little lamb friend (there will be an animal friend on every angel this year.)

I'm VERY busy getting ready for market. You can't imagine. Well, maybe you can. But I advise against it. Wish me luck. I'll post more as it comes together.

Hello! An important announcement and an angel

Hey gang -- el bloggo-posto numero uno (that's as far as my high school Spanish can get me these days.) Getting my Raise the Roof Designs web site updated always seems to be on the back burner, so I figured I'd start a blog. Much easier to maintain and update regularly. Soon, that web site will just be a link to the blog here. I also hope to open up a Raise the Roof Designs Facebook page. And I hope to eat chocolate ice cream for dinner. One can always hope.

The impetus for starting this blog and making the web site change is a major change to Raise the Roof Designs. Sue Rainer and I started RTR Designs in 2003 in a hotel parking lot on a whim. Together, in eight years, we've designed about a hundred different charts, a number of kits, and taught a few classes along the way. Sue has decided to retire from designing. But don't worry! It's all good. Sue and I continue to be wonderful friends, and she will continue stitching, quilting, crafting and being generally nuts.

If you've stitched some of our designs, you probably have stitched something of Sue's -- some of her most popular pieces have been Dry Turkey, Words to Live By, the "Wrong Side of the Tracks" series, and of course her wonderful seasonal fences. Sue was often willing to take risks I was not...the "Warmth of a Good Friend" graph was my idea...but she was the one with the guts to design and release it. We've had a ton of fun over the years, and I am very fortunate to call Sue my good, good friend.

Here is Sue's Statement:

"After much soul searching, I would like to announce that I am officially retiring as a designer with Raise the Roof Designs. Theresa and I started our business in July of 2003 and I am very proud of all we have accomplished together. My reason for retiring from designing is mainly more time for me and more time to spend with my family. I have always worked full-time as a Respiratory Therapist in addition to designing with Raise the Roof and have enjoyed both of my careers immensely. Recently, however, it just feels like I have been stretching myself a bit too thin. It is time to simplify and I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life. I feel incredibly blessed that I was able to be a part of this industry for eight years and I treasure the friends I have made. Please know that this is NOT the end of Raise the Roof Designs, however, and Theresa will continue to create patterns in her fun and quirky style. For me, the hardest part of moving on is knowing that I won’t have an excuse to get together with Theresa twice a year for needlework events (and martinis). Thanks to you all for a terrific eight years!"

If you'd like to send Sue a note, her e-mail address is peasinapod@meltel.net.

I'm busy-busy getting ready for Nashville Needlework market. In addition to all of the samplers I've been designing and reproducing for Shakespeare's Peddler, I am working on new Raise the Roof Designs offerings, including a series of monthly angels. Angels were really popular 15-20 years ago when I really started stitching like crazy, and I feel like it's time they made a come-back (don't you?) Each of these will fit in a 6 by 6 square, and the graphs come with finishing instructions, to boot. Ask your local shop to get these in for you, or you can order them on an automatic program from me every month, either as a kit or as a graph.

Every chart will work two "Just Pins" from Just Another Button Company into the design. I've made this one look like this little dear is holding two flowers. These are so easy to add by just poking them through the front of the design. (I could take them out if I really needed a pin for something.)

I also have designed a REALLY cute (how could it not be?) piece called "The Cupcake Tree." I'll post updates here as I can....yes, you'll get sneaky-peeks.

In the meantime, if you want, you can check out my other blog at www.shakespearespeddler.blogspot.com or find me online at www.shakespearespeddler.com.