Friday, July 21, 2006

My New Mystery and its Progress

Thanks, Zeena, for writing.

Thanks too, Ginger, for the comments on my mystery.

I have finished stitching the mystery and I have only a few more days to go on the instructions. After I finish writing them, I am going to take some time and think how to handle the whole thing. Right now I am inclined to mail everything out, but to post a little photo of each month's mystery window on my website right before the mailing. As I am new to the idea of cyber classes, I think I will back into the idea slowly.

Next week if I make progress on seminar preparations, I will work on the description of the mystery and will post it here.

Again, thanks for your comments.

Gay Ann

Saturday, July 15, 2006

My First Blog Entry

Hello and welcome to my first blog entry,

Laura just made me a blog and I am glad to have a place for questions, opinions, comments, whatever.

Who is Laura? Excellent Laura has made a website for me, www.GayAnnRogers.com.
Thank you Laura!

Who am I? A needlework designer and teacher.

I have been designing needlework projects for 37 years, as close as I can remember. I cut my teeth painting canvases back in the dark ages, then EGA hired me to teach at a national seminar some 20 years ago. I have now taught at more seminars than I am old, if you count EGA and ANG and Callaway and NAN. A scary thought! I exhaust myself just thinking about it.

Now that I have my website, I have to figure out what to do with it, and here's what I think I will do first: a new mystery. I have a history of mysteries: I have done a mystery sampler and two geometric mysteries. Right now, as I write, I am working on a new one: A Redwork Sampler with Lots of Surprises! I have stitched the piece in red Anchor floss on congress cloth, but it could be in any strong color, in silk or floss, and on any ground: congress cloth, linen congress cloth or any linen 24-28 count.

This mystery has a series of dividing bands that create 9 "windows." In the center "window" is a thatched cottage; surrounding the cottage are 8 mystery "windows." Now that it is almost finished, I have to decide how to proceed.

If anyone who reads this has any words of advice for me, I would welcome them.

Meanwhile, if you want to see a redwork design I did a couple of years ago, please go to my website, and under designs/samplers, find "Redwork Cat Sampler."

Thanks!
Gay Ann