Techniques 4

This morning I posted Techniques 4 on my website. Again it is about Bullion Knots and comes from a question I received.
Next time, unless I receive another great question about Bullion Knots, I will move on.

Gay Ann

Techniques 3

I just posted Techniques 3 on my website.
I also posted new colors for Summer Sunshine, colors I wish I had used when I stitched the design.

www.GayAnnRogers.com
for Tecniques click on navigation bar.

for Summer Sunshine's new colors, scroll down on home page and click on the geometric.

It's been fun to do both of these projects!
Gay Ann

Bullion Knots 2 in my Techniques Column

On July 8, as a part of my website's anniversary celebration I began writing a column on needlework techniques I have found helpful over the years. I began with Bullion Knots, fitting I thought because my students have always dubbed me 'The Queen of Bullion Knots'.

This morning I posted 'Bullion Knots, Part 2'.
Enjoy! And remember, the secret to making a Bullion Knot is not a mystery; it is simple practice.

Gay Ann

12 Stitches a Day: I've Completed Week 4

I just posted my progress for week 4 of 12 Stitches a Day on my website.

I am surprised again by my progress, particularly when I look at where I started and where I am now. I have hardly spent any time on this program. Admittedly I have done it every day, but I have stitched on it in little minutes I probably would have wasted, like time spent waiting for DH when we are going somewhere, minutes like that.

The secret is leaving the project out and set to go so that I sit down and take 5 or 6 stitches instead of twiddling my thumbs.

If you go to see my progress, you will see that I have now completed two of the four little pieces and am quite far on the two others.

www.GayAnnRogers.com
and click on 12 Stitches.

Happy Sunday!
Gay Ann

A Surprise Column Coming Tomorrow

As my week of Anniversary Celebrations concludes, my last surprise is a new column. It will be an ongoing column on my website and I saved it for last because I hope it will carry us into Year Two.

I will publish it first thing in the morning.

And if you haven't stopped by to check out a video of one of needlework's most popular teachers, do so!
www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 'Surprise Video'.

Gay Ann

Posted on my Website: Video of My 'Surprise Guest'

My video is in place on my website and working.
Just hit the movie controller button and let it load.
If it doesn't start automatically, hit the button a second time.

It's a silly interview!
I enjoyed making it, although shooting it and interviewing someone at the same time is difficult for those of us who can do only one task at a time.

Still, my interviewee's charm overcomes my video-making inadequacies!

Gay Ann

www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 'Surprise Video' on the navigation bar

A Surprise Video Tomorrow Morning!

As a part of my week-long celebration of my website's anniversary, I am posting tomorrow morning a 2.5 minute video of one of needlepoint's favorite people!

Who is it?

To find out you will have to go and see:
www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 'Surprise Video on the navigation bar.
And enjoy someone with a spicy sense of humor.

Gay Ann

A Week of Celebrating My Website's Anniversary

I am indeed celebrating my website's first anniversary.

Here is the new design I posted on my website 2 days ago, a geometric called Summer Sunshine. This is the first time I have sold the pattern.

Yesterday I posted an ornament from last year, the very first thing I sold on my website. I brought it back for sale in 'Small Designs'.

Today I posted a story about my year at Apple and about my first tutor there, Brian.

Tomorrow I will post my progress on 12 Stitches a Day. At the end of three weeks I have made some genuine progress, in fact I am in line tomorrow morning to finish one of the little pieces of the sewing case.

Then Monday comes a surprise! A little video which lasts for 2.5 minutes. I shot it at EGA's Regional Seminar last June and I just love it if I do say so! Am I a wonderful movie maker? Absolutely not! But my subject makes the video!

So here I am, celebrating my website's anniversary and having a great time doing it!
Gay ann

Online Anniversary!

Today is a big day in my online life for it was a year ago that I began managing my website. With this in mind I think a celebration is in order and some new treats.

Coming soon:
a new design (one I have never sold before),
a new video (a favorite)
a new game
a new column
a new story.

They will unfold over the next few days.

Gay Ann

12 Stitches a Day: I've Completed Week 2

I just posted a photo of my progress at the end of Week 2 of 12 Stitches a Day on my website.

This week I changed the rules just a bit: I worked 12 stitches on each of the four little pieces of my sewing case.

What I like about this program: it isn't a huge time commitment and I have taken to stitching it in those spare minutes while I am waiting to go somewhere, minutes I probably would have wasted. The trick is always leaving a needle of thread set to go so the prep doesn't take any time.

To see my progress go to www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on 12 Stitches Week 3.

Week 3 starts tomorrow.

Gay Ann

Mail Jail (or when I send out patterns you've ordered)

I have received several inquiries from people about the dates I will mail out patterns they have ordered.
Please note that I always post my Mail Jail progress, ie what dates I mail things, on my website:

www.GayAnnRogers.com, then click on News&Views. Mail Jail report is on the right side of the page.

Gay Ann

12 Stitches a Day: I've Completed a Week

For 7 days I have added 12 Stitches a Day to a sewing case I am making. That's a week's worth of minimal stitching and I am surprised by the progress I have made, just by keeping at it each day.

Mid-week I counted wrong and had to rip out and correct my count. To make sure I was back on track, I ripped, figured out where I was and took about 50 stitches to make sure I was right. That day I spent about 20 minutes; otherwise I spent about 2 minutes a day stitching and an additional minute or so making certain I was set up for the next day. That's hardly a commercial break's time on the television!

When I compared the two photos on my website, I was quite surprised that so nominal amount of stitching time added up to a bit of progress.

Years ago my Mother-in-Law said, if you clean out a drawer a week (which isn't really that much), you will have cleaned out 52 drawers in a year's time. That's what made me try 12 Stitches a Day.

People have commented so far that it is difficult to stop at 12 stitches and they are right, it is. So go on a while if you wish, but not too long. I fear if you overdo one day, you won't return to it the next day, and the point is to work a bit each day.

The other secret I have found is making certain, at the end of one day that you are set up for the next day. Have the needle threaded and set to go.

So tomorrow begins Week 2 of 12 Stitches a Day.

Gay Ann

To see my progress:
www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on "12 Stitches a Day" on the yellow navigation bar.

12 Stitches a Day Challenge starts TODAY!

Amidst all the turmoil in the world, stitching is a bit like meditation. It carts me away and into a little fantasy world of color and texture, if only for a couple of minutes a day. With this in mind, here is a new little challenge: 12 Stitches a Day.

I worked 12 Cross Stitches over 1 Mesh this morning and it took me approximately 2 minutes!
I will keep a little journal and report my progress on my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on '12 Stitches a Day'.

I am hoping you will try it too, just 12 Stitches a Day and report your own progress in my classroom at Shining Needle Society.
To join Shining Needle Society, write to Kate Gaunt (KateGaunt@aol.com). Membership is free.

Gay Ann

A New Idea for Stitching Productivity

In my Shining Needle Society classroom we have started a new program: choose a project, leave it set up, make a commitment to working 12 stitches each day. Always leave a threaded needle for the next day's work.

I am doing it too, right along with people in my classroom. My assignment for the weekend was to find the project and its threads and set it all up. We all start stitching on Monday.

I found my project, took a photo of where I am as I start; I will photograph it each week to see how much progress I make.
So stay tuned.
I will publish photos and my comments on my website.

It will be interesting to see what happens.
Gay Ann

EGA's South Central Region Seminar

I am just home again from EGA's South Central Region Seminar in Dallas (actually in Arlington).

Super time! I posted photos from around the seminar on my website, www.GayAnnRogers.com, then click on Region Seminar.
The photos include an all-time favorite of Kate Gaunt and Marie-Therese Baker as they were standing at their Merchandise Night table right before the crowds descended. They weren't really selling, but were advertising Shining Needle Society and its classes. My, how the organization has grown!

As travel to seminars becomes more of a hassle and more expensive, Shining Needle Society is offering an alternative. As time goes on, and as we learn how to use more and more of the technology available, I wonder if we won't be able to bring the feeling of a seminar right into your computers. If it happens as I suspect it will, you will feel like you are attending a seminar, but you will be at home in your pj's.

The one element of real seminars that cyber-seminars won't be able to replace: seeing friends face to face. That's the joy of it all and the reason I had such a good time in Arlington!

Gay Ann

Redwork Revisited

For the month of June a new goal: Redwork Projects.

I am hoping people will pull these projects out of their closets and work on them throughout June.

To support the month, I will be leading a month-long Stitch Along in my Shining Needle Society classroom. The goal: a few minutes each day and maybe by the end of the month we will see some completed Mystery Cottages, Redwork Cat Samplers, Friendship Samplers and hearts.

These projects are not expensive to stitch (most use a single color of floss or silk), nor are they difficult. And best of all, they go quickly.

In the last couple of months several people have asked me if I would sell some of my redwork designs, so I have also posted them for sale again.

So here's a kick off for June's month of Redwork!
Gay Ann

Susan Boyle, aka Boylemania, Revisited

I had a great time because I found a 'live stream' video of Britain's Got Talent and watched it in realtime. Amazing!
Sat on my couch, stitched and watched and listened to the whole program. I even exchanged several emails with a Brit friend who was watching and stitching at her house.

It's over. While the dance group 'Diversity' were incredible, my heart belongs to Susan Boyle. She sang her beautiful song better in the final than in her audition. She sang it with a subtlety, a greater depth and a bit of pathos that wasn't there the first time around. Maybe a realization that fame has a sting.

I was disappointed with the results, but then someone gave me a great idea!

I went to Amazon and signed up to be notified when Susan Boyle's first CD comes out.
Then I felt better. Likely this vote will make a greater difference to her life than had I been in the UK and been able to vote for her.

If you want to do the same, click on the URL below.

http://www.amazon.com/New-Release-Susan-Boyle/dp/B0026P3G12/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1243723237&sr=8-1

Gay Ann

Boylemania has hit my little Stitching World

Today is the final for Britain's Got Talent and I am having a little personal Stitch In while I wait by MacSoph (my computer) for ITV to post the YouTubes of the performances and the results later on this afternoon.

I invited my class at Shining Needle Society to join me.

I confess: I am caught up in this one. I have never watched any of these reality talent shows before (I am a news junkie not a reality show junkie), but I got caught up in this one and Boylemania. Anyway, any excuse to stitch!

Gay Ann

Scissors Finale, Part 2 Today

Earlier this morning I posted photographs of the 'house' I created for the scissors I bought on eBay.
I loved making this sewing case, even though the details took such a long time.

I had started the sewing case but hadn't planned the insides of it yet, ie I hadn't decided what tools I would use in it. Then I found an eBay listing for two pairs of scissors; at first I didn't think of them for the sewing case, I simply posted them on my website with the details of the sale. They were a 'Buy it Now' item and I thought they were pretty.

I watched the listing for about a week, all the while stitching on the sewing case. One day I looked at the scissors and thought 'perfect!' and bought them. They were just the right size and I love the way they look in the case and best of all, they are the same age as the house that served as my inspiration for the sewing case.

It is fun to look at eBay listings for antique needlework tools. When I find tools I like, I post notice of the auctions, photos of the tools and the details about the close of the auction and how many people have bid so far.

This morning, for example, I found a listing for a white opaline egg with tiny sewing tools. These eggs were trifles, toys made to delight the 19th century lady, and they are so charming. They are also very collectable and the prices they fetch are often very high.

Even though too high for many collectors' budgets, particularly today, I enjoy seeing them for sale, finding out the details and watching what happens with the auctions. And every once in a while, I find a great bargain! Isn't that always the hope of the collector.

To check eBay listings I have noted on my website, go to www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on eBay listings.
To see my sewing case with its eBay scissors, go to www.GayAnnRogers.com and click on Scissors, then on Scissors 17.

Gay Ann

Scissors Finale on My Website

For the better part of a month I have been posting photos and descriptions of scissors on my website and chatting about them in my Shining Needle Society classroom.

So here we are, toward the end of May and with it, My Scissors Finale.
The Finale is in two parts: today the scissors, tomorrow what I did with them.

To see them and read the story, go to www.GayAnnRogers.com
click on scissors, then on Scissors 16.

I had SUCH a good time with this project!
Gay Ann