New Years Resolution to post regularily

I want to wish everyone a wonderfully Happy New Year. May it see you and your families healthy and prosperous, while enjoying the things that make you smile throughout the entire year. 

I've made a New Year's resolution this year that I am going to make a priority.  I'm commiting to blog about my stitching efforts on a regular basis (at least weekly, if not more) with the hopes that my blog will be a fun place to visit regularily to see what I'm up to.  My favorite pastimes are still Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery (or BDE),  hand-applique quilting, and crazy quilting......which involves so many techniques.....embroidery of all kinds, applique, beading, and even painting on fabrics.....all things that I enjoy venturing into.

I plan to have three projects going this year until I complete them and will be sharing my progress here.  I'm starting a new large BDE project.  It's a floral wallhanging design from a book by published by Country Bumpkins of Australia.  It was originally intended to be done in wool crewel work, but I'm altering the design to do it in BDE and rayon Edmar threads.  The second project will be a hand-appliqued and embroidered small quilt.  It's a project designed by Carole Samples that I started last year and want to continue with until I finish it.  The third project is a crazy quilted hussif.  If you aren't familiar with what a hussif is,  it is an organizer to hold your stitching supplies....such as scissors, needles, needle threader, thimble (if you use one), etc.  Mine will be very diversified....as I do so many different types of stitching.  Mine will hold my scissors, needles, needle threader, needle puller, my marking pens, marking rulers, some small containers for beads, a pincushion, a bead tray, and anything else I think of.  Maybe it will inspire you to make a hussif for yourself. 

I'm, also, involved in another BDEIG Round Robin for 2010-11 that I will catch you up on and then share my additons with you as I get each new project in the mail.

If you are interested in learning BDE......I highly recommend your joining the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild or BDEIG.  I joined about four years ago and had the opportunity to attend the annual Seminar in Portland last year and met so many wonderful stitchers and had the opportunity to take classes from some very talented teachers.  It was a wonderful experience.  Check out the BDEIG website  http://www.brazilian-dimensional-embroidery.org/ where there is information about the guild, great stitching information, as well as some free patterns to try.

I'd like to invite you to join an online chapter of this organization that I started last Spring.  It's a great place to find out more about BDE,  especially, if you don't have access to other stitchers who do BDE where you live.  We have so many talented BDE stitchers on this group who are more that anxious to help those wanting to learn this needleart.  We have lots of learning activities planned for 2011.  Why not join us?  All you have to do is request to join us at  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BDEIG_Online_Chapter/

Here is a photo of one of my finished projects from Seminar last year.  It needs to be laundered yet to take out the blue design lines, but I thought I'd share it with you now......

It's a design by Rosalie Wakefield of Millefiori Designs called "Cascade Rose".  Rosalie has been such an inspiration to me.  She not only designs BDE patterns, but comes up with fantastic new stitches and flower creations, too!  She's very sharing with her talent .....helping members of our Online BDE chapter with their stitching questions , etc., while encouraging you to stretch yourself, too.  Because of her, I've started designing some patterns myself and have applied to teach at Seminar this year.  I haven't started trying to create new stitches, but am having fun implimenting existing stitches to create my designs.  I'm also going to be offering some of my designs to our members on our Online BDE chapter.......another reason to join it.

Well.....I've rambled enough today.  I'll post some pictures from the BDEIG Round Robin tomorrow to catch you up on that.  So see you then.......

Hugs from very cold and snowy Minnesota!