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

4 comments:

Lelia said...

Welcome to blogging! I am excited you are posting. I'm sure you have a lot to share.

Your new mystery sounds interesting. Are you planning this for linen, congress cloth, canvas??

Looking forward to more posts & updates.

old lady said...

Love your website - and LOVE your Cameo Ornament! Where can I purchase your designs??

Gay Ann Rogers said...

Thank you all for leaving comments for me.

Leila: you were the first person who found me.
Thanks!

Zeena: Thanks for your comments!

Ginger: I decided to publicize my new mystery on my website and blog, but to send it by snail. This because I am so new to this. On down the line I will be more adventuresome.

To Shortoldlady (I love your name!):
I will eventually sell designs through my website and blog, but I have to make up my mind how to go about it. I suspect I will offer a single design for a period of time, mostly because I am a sole proprietor business (except when my husband takes pity and helps me). So stay tuned.

In the last week or so people have started finding me and asking for Chloe and dresses. I am selling these at the ANG Tucson merchandise night (Expo). I will post it here if I have any of them left after seminar.

Gay Ann

Thieleane Raecker said...

How very exciting to read the comments on your Blog. I have been so fortunate to have taken classes from Gay Ann. I love all of her piece and look forward to the Mystry Sampler. So much fun reading commints. In Iowa we are working at staying warm, guess we should just keep our fingers moving by stitching. Thanks Gay Ann.