FANtastic Embroidery

I found a stock design of a fan and thought if I enlarged it and made it as a patch, perhaps it would be a functional fan.  The design was enlarged and embroidered as a patch but it's not sturdy enough for a fan.  However, I'm now thinking that if I glue some popcicle sticks on the back and make another fan for the reverse side, then sew the edges together, that may work.  Sure sounds like a lot of work for a simple fan.  I wonder if I sew one fan as a patch but digitize some slits for the popcicle sticks.  Then before I finish the edges, I turn it over, put the popcicle sticks in the slots and glue the other fan to the back, then put it back into the machine and finish the edges.  Hmmmm, that might work as long as the popcicle sticks don't get in the way.  I may give that a try...later.

Last week when I was at Wal-Mart, I found some pretty cool looking cotton fabric.  It's black and white.  One piece is like a leopard print but in black dots on white fabric.  The other is more of a tiger stripe, again, in black and white.  I've begun with the leopard dot fabric and I'm making some more handkerchiefs.  One was listed at the Etsy store last night.  Another is finished and I hope to list it today.

I need to get back to work on the diaper stacker.  The designs have been purchased but not stitched out.  They are monkey designs and are adorable.  The diaper stacker, itself, has been cut out and the edges serged but that's about it. 

A friend of mine emailed last week asking if we could embroider on boonie hats.  Boonie hats?  What is that?  It turns out that a boonie hat is a military hat with a wide brim.  One side can attach to the crown of the hat like one of those Australian bush hats.  George isn't sure if he can embroider on boonie hats, but surely we can.  We just need to practice.  So, we need to find a practice hat somewhere.

The same friend with the boonie hats has a couple of  shirts for me to embroider her logo.  And yet another friends wants her krewe logo on a couple of shirts.

Does it sound like business is picking up?  It sure does to me.  That's a good thing.

I better get back to work.

C'est toute, mes amis:>)

Here Comes The Holidays

It's another wonderful Wednesday.  The weather has been so cool that yesterday I had to close the windows and put on my warm, fuzzy socks.  This morning the windows are closed because George is cleaning the windows and screens outside.  Since this cool weather has appeared, I cannot keep the man indoors. 

I have to renew my driver's license this month and all of a sudden the Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wants all kinds of original or certified documents, including birth certificate, social security card, marriage certificate, plus 2 documents showing your residential address.  Good gosh!  I guess they are checking for aliens.  Hope I still have this stuff.  We used to have to bring 2 pieces of mail sent to you at your address and we always brought a couple of bills.  Nowadays our bills are paid online and we do not receive paper billing.  I think I'll bring the mail that the Dept. of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sent me in the mail. 

I also have to pay for and get my new vehicle registration and tag.  The price on this bill is almost the value of the car.  Next month we get to pay property taxes.  Oh joy!  I know the economy is down but I wonder if the governments of the people, by the people, and for the people realize that the people are drained.  Shouldn't they go to all of those banks and big businesses that they bailed out and get money from those deep pockets?

Enough of my rantings and ravings.  Have you ever noticed that when it is September, it feels like Christmas is far away, but when it turns into October, all of a sudden Christmas is upon us and we need to get things done?  Last week was September, we were preparing for the festival and Christmas seemed so far away.  We are probably more aware than most about the seasons because the business requires us to stay aware of holidays and such.  This one week has brought on the realization of just how close we are to halloween, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years.  Oh, and don't forget the elections in November -- just a month away.  In fact, I believe you can start voting early this week.

Ever since we started selling napkins, I've wanted to have a beautiful table setting for every season/holiday.  Last year I finally embroidered some nice napkins and a runner for us for Christmas -- in January.  Now I'm working on Halloween.  Yesterday, I made 8 napkins for Halloween.  I had some orange print broadcloth purchased sometime ago when it was on sale.  Perfect!  I re-digitized part of the little witch that was embroidered on one of our tea towels (and sold this past weekend) and embroidered her on each of the napkins.  The edges are serged.  They look stiff now because they still have the sizing in them, but once washed, they will be very soft.  All of my personal napkins are made from broadcloth.  It's just my preference, but I like those the best.  Our Christmas napkins are the store bought, hotel quality napkins that we sell.  Did you know that there are different sized napkins for different occasions?  A dinner napkins should be 20" square.  A cocktail napkin should be 10" square.  I believe a lunch napkin is about 15" square.

Napkins are easy to make.  I cut 20" squares of broadcloth and serge the edges.  Any nice hem would work.  Weave the serger tails into the serged hem and voila!  You have a dinner napkin.  Use different prints and even different fabrics to achieve a new look for every occasion.  Embellish with lace or stitching for something unique and beautiful.  One of our wholesale stores sells napkins made from organza, poplin and satin, as well as cotton, broadcloth and polyesther.  Experiment.  Most of all, enjoy the process.

Of course, if you don't want to make your own napkins, call me.  We love making napkins at Cajun Stitchery.  Either way, please, please, please stop using paper napkins.

Halloween napkins are done.  Now I'm designing a Halloween runner for the table.  I have a piece of nice, black satin that I would like to use.  Maybe I'll trim it in the orange print fabric.  I'm not sure yet.  I wanted to have the little witch design on either end of the runner with a larger haunted house design embroidered in the center.  The haunted house design that I had in mind turned out to be about the same size as the witch and it just didn't excite me.  I have a design that I plan to stitch out with pumpkins and candy corn that I think will end up being the center for the runner.  The colors are much lighter and brighter (oranges, yellows, and white) and will contrast better with the black satin than a dark haunted house.  The little witch on either end will either have her black attire changed to orange or she will be appliqued onto the orange print fabric.  A black witch on black satin isn't going to stand out very well.

Yesterday, I also did another project for us.  I embroidered a couple more of our own pillowcases.  The design is two tigers.  I did the first one in an orange-gold color and the second in black.  They really stitched out well and we are very pleased with them.  This design would look nice on just about any solid color.  The size is about 5 or 6" wide, so, it's a good size design.

We have lots of projects coming up and make sure you check back for Christmas gifts and decorations.

C'est toute, mes amis.

July 5, 2009

The 4th of July at the beach was a blast indeed! Started with socializing and dinner at my friend, Paulette's house and ended up for dessert and fireworks at my friend, Kathi's house -- 3 stories high on the balcony that surrounds her 3rd floor. We were able to see the Pensacola fireworks, as well as the Pensacola Beach fireworks, not to mention the various hotels were having firework displays and the individual homes. It was spectatular.

The traffic was even spectacular -- an hour and a half to get home for a trip that usually takes 20 minutes. Poo yie!

Today is more of a lazy day. We've just hung out at the house and watched movies. George has been out piddling in the garden, while I was inside doing bookkeeping work and learning new programs.

This tiger stitched out nicely but I haven't figured out where to put it. I just love stitching the designs.