Halloweenie!!

Everywhere I go the shops are full of autumn and Halloween stuff..and it suddenly looks fantastic!! Isn't it weird how every year I suddenly crave ORANGE in my house? Not normally a color I want to sprinkle around the house, but every fall it just seems irresistible to plop pumpkins and leaves everywhere.

I'm equally seduced by designing Halloween stuff. I thought I was "done for the season". But then I  had an opportunity to participate in a cross stitch "Harvest Market Hop" event, and decided to do one MORE Halloween design. And it was so much FUN!!!

Here's a sneak peek photo of our new "Halloweenie" kit. Yea, didn't have any brilliant inspirations for a name and "Halloweenie" kept running through my head, so I went with it.

"Halloweenie" Limited Edition kit includes 2 quickie little projects: pillow (left peek) and bitty fob (right peek). I love adding fun little bonus fobs to my designs. I might even have to use one for MYSELF sometime instead of sending them on the road in my trunk shows! I have a couple sweet fobs that were gifts, and those keep my scissors handy, but never use my own designs...weird.

Our "Halloweenie" Limited Edition kit is debuting at a new online event September 10-12. It's called Harvest Market Hop and it's a "virtual" market for needlework retailers to shop from a bunch of designers. Sorry, this event is not for consumers. It's "filling in" for an actual fall market this year. 

But...you can view the Harvest Market Hop Facebook page NOW and see a lot of sneak peek photos from designers that are participating. Check it out! More designers are posting sneak peeks daily.

If you'd like "Halloweenie" to visit/haunt your autumn home, let your favorite needlework retailer know to place their orders at the Harvest Market Hop from Sept. 10-12. Those retailers ordering during the online show will get "first chance" at this Limited Edition kit. 

Here's what we're including in Halloweenie Limited Edition Kit:

* 28 ct. Amber linen for pillow

* Orange/black polka dot fabric for pillow finishing

* Funky green/orange rick rack for pillow finishing

* 2 sets of googly eyes (1 for pillow, 1 for fob)

* Complete finishing instructions for pillow and fob

You supply a bit of fabric from your stash to stitch the bitty fob. You can do something match like we did, or have fun and try something crazy and fun...just like Halloween!

At the L*K office (and at home!) we're busy prepping for this kit. We're going a little batty seeing DOTS as we cut the finishing fabric for the kit. These orange/black dots are so cute and cheerful, it's worth the effort.

The rick rack is also super fun. It's slimy limey green with some orange doodahs, and it's the perfect accent to the Halloweenie pillow. 

Several years ago I ordered a boatload of tiny yellow buttons for a Flip-it series...then changed my mind, and ended up using different embellishments. We're diving into the yellow button bag for this kit, and using them to make googly eyes - fun and easy!

Happy Halloweenie, everyone...it's coming before we know it!

Summer is almost gone!

I KNOW...say it isn't so!

But Labor Day is looming a couple weeks ahead, and I guess that's the official end of summer, especially for those of us who aren't sending kids back to school. I don't send KIDS back to school, I "send" my daughter/teacher, Sarah, back to school. Shout out to Sarah as she returns to teach high school art in Chicago Public Schools for her 4th year. Woohoo...Go Lane Tech!

At L*K, Labor Day is also the official "retire" day of our Limited Edition kit, Sweet Summer. Alas, the "Sweet Summer" of 2015 is coming to an end...sigh.

We're busy making up one more big batch of kits to fill the anticipated last minute flurry of orders. I'm cutting and sacking little shell trim (love this charming stuff) and winding that tricky iridescent thread into little bundles and wrestling it in little zip bags. I love the way the iridescent threads look, but they sure are a pain to work with.

We will make up kits with the remainder of our linen fabric on hand and then Sweet Summer (K81) is GONE for good.

If you need one more dose of Sweet Summer K81, let your favorite needlework shop know ASAP so they can order. Summer comes around every year, so whether you stitch it this year or next, you'll be ready for Sweet Summer again!

Here's a little picture of me enjoying my Sweet Summer, kayaking in the lake in our back yard. I got permission from the ortho doc to get back in the lake (yes!) after knee surgery. 

And here's a pic my husband took during his early AM/daybreak kayak excursion. He keeps inviting his guy friends over to kayak and watch the sun come up. He tortures them with an early alarm, but the view is rewarding...and maybe the cinnamon rolls I feed them afterwards.

I hope your summer has been a Sweet Summer to remember. I know I won't forget the summer of 2015 for a long, long time!

What does XX mean?

Remember studying Roman numerals back in the day in school? Put on your thinking caps, because it's time for a refresher course.

Tiny Tidings XX is here and that means 20 YEARS of Tiny Tidings...and nearly a hundred little holiday designs during the past 20 years!

It also means Lizzie*Kate has been around for almost 20 years...so I must be 20 years older than when this needlework adventure began?!

Here's our batch of 5 holiday goodies for 2015! As always, they're petite designs with lots of fun finishing possibilities. They're all packaged together in one convenient chartpak 172 Tiny Tidings XX.

I wanted to try stitching on the petite dot linen, so used that for several models. It's not necessary to use the dot fabric, just a fun option. On the two lower left designs (Snow and Snowy House), I graphed some snowflakes so you can stitch them, in case you use a solid fabric. If you use the dot linen, you omit the stitched flakes...easy.

There's also a separate embellishment pack if you want all the little buttons, charms, etc. that we used on our 5 models. Ask for E172 Tiny Tidings XX Embellishment Pack. This year I used white and aqua snowflake buttons, tiny red buttons and an antique silver star charm. These items may/may not be decorating the floors around my house...assembly errors!

Need Tiny Tidings XX at your house? We're shipping to shops everywhere today, Wed., August 12. It's our big annual "holiday release" and lots of goodies are leaving L*K headquarters in Wichita, Kansas for destinations around the US and around the world. 

Here's what's shipping NOW!  Scroll back to previous blog posts for photos and details on everything below.

* A Little Mystery Sampler Club - Part Two

* 172 Tiny Tidings XX

* E172 Tiny Tidings XX Embellishment Pack

* S121 Night Before Christmas Sleds (includes embellishments)

* S122 Celebrate! Santa '15 Snippet

* S122E Celebrate! Santa '15 Embellishment Pack

* S123 I Can Drive a Stick Snippet

Hope that keeps everyone busy this late summer and fall. It's always a great time of year to stitch, isn't it?!

****Personal Note: Just returned from 6 week check with my orthopedic surgeon after my total knee replacement. Got a great report on my progress and warnings not to try to do TOO much (have they been spying on me?). Also got permission to get in the lake in my backyard again, and I'm looking forward to a swim/kayak time later today. I'm so thankful for my super talented surgeon and his uber-friendly staff. Both the surgeon and his PA sat down and generously chatted with us this morning...no burying their faces in the computer screen. Isn't it amazing how some quality face-to-face time with your doc improves the whole visit?! It's been a long summer, but my knee and me are happy and improving!

A Little Mystery Part Two Coming SOON!

This summer is flying by! It's hard to believe it's already time for Part Two of our "A Little Mystery" sampler club! 

Next Wednesday, August 12 we'll be shipping Part Two, along with lots of other holiday goodies we've been previewing in recent posts. This is our big "holiday" release of 2015, and we're excited about the Halloween and Christmas goodies coming your way.

Part Two of "A Little Mystery" also includes the BONUS pattern for the "Little" pin pillow shown below. We finished this little square design into a plump pillow, but you can do whatever you like. Right now it's sitting front and center on my desk, along with the other "A Little Mystery" BONUS projects. I'm getting daily inspiration to live each day to it's fullest!

If you haven't joined in on "A Little Mystery" yet, no worries. Just contact your favorite needlework supplier and they can send you both Part One and Part Two, and the optional embellishment pack. 

We called this "A LITTLE Mystery" because it's LITTLE, and it's not super time-consuming. It won't get in the way of your usual summer fun...and it will add another kind of summer fun!

Our faithful office helper, Carmen, is on vacation this week so Alan and I are busy readying ALL of the new releases for shipment next week.

Here's a pic of our sunroom/workshop at home. We schlep things home each night from the L*K office/warehouse and spend time assembling/sacking in the evenings, in the car, whenever/wherever. Last night we took a short road trip to visit friends in a nearby town, and I made 100 Tiny Tidings XX embellishment packs on the way...mission accomplished!

Mission (not Impossible) for tonight: (cue the theme music..."duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh...")

Make MORE "A Little Mystery" Part Two packs!