Thursday, October 1, 2020

Betty Broomstick and Vinnie Von Fang are HERE!!!


The wait is finally over! Our favorite spooky Halloween couple are ready to haunt YOUR house...in stitches! 

Click HERE to see Betty and Vinnie

These two originally appeared on the Halloween scene many years ago. Betty Broomstick flew in on her trusty broom in 2008. Vinnie Von Fang joined Betty a year later in 2009. How well I remember cutting yards and yards of fabric, assembling embellishments packs full of goodies, and putting together piles of kits. It was a bit of a Halloween nightmare in our messy office!

**Now Betty and Vinnie are back, and are sold as patterns with embellishments. You can use the fabric we suggest or choose your own. All the fun is still here because we've given both a makeover! We restitched the models and gathered a fantastic collection of embellishments to make them "new and improved"!




Our adorable little witch comes with the pattern, bristly broomstick, sparkly gemstone earrings, gold star buttons, black Estaz for her fuzzy hair, black seed beads, silver ribbon and bell. Complete stand-up finishing instructions are also included.

We stitched Betty on colorful 30 ct. Carrot linen from Weeks Dye Works, using WDW overdyed threads, DMC floss and Kreinik #4 braid (on her snazzy hot pink boots). Finished stitching size is 4" x 7.8" with a stitch count of 61W x 117H. Fabric and fibers may be purchased separately.



Dapper vampire Vinnie Von Fang comes with pattern, sparkly gemstone cufflinks, gold star buttons, googly eyes, black seed beads, silver ribbon and bat button. Stand-up finishing instructions are included.

We stitched our new model on 30 ct. Chartreuse linen (bright!) from Weeks Dye Works, and used WDW overdyed threads, DMC floss and silver braid. Finished stitching size is 4.4" x 7.8" with a stitch count of 66W x 117H. Fabric and fibers may be purchased separately.

***Alan and I are anticipating Halloween this year (maybe without trick or treaters?) by eating our favorite snack size candy bars...respectively Almond Joy and Snickers! I personally think snack size candy bars were a brilliant invention and I want to support the candy companies on a year that might be difficult for them...hey, we do what we can. Next I'm going to buy some Twix for me, and probably Three Musketeers for Alan. We don't agree on candy bars, and I think that's a GOOD thing! If they're gone, I know I'm the one who ate them.


Happy autumn...from my house to yours! My summer pots are still hanging in there. Those gorgeous sweet potato vines won't be around much longer. Meanwhile, Verde the green wonder dog is decked out for fall with his pumpkin necklace. Still looking for a witch hat large enough for his lovable doggie head!




Wednesday, September 9, 2020

Betty Broomstick and Vinnie Von Fang are BACK!!!

Who are Betty and Vinnie? They are our spooky/beloved Halloween stand-ups that mysteriously disappeared from the cross stitch scene many years ago. 

Where have these two colorful characters been? What Halloween mischief have they been up to during their absence? Who knows?! The original models "disappeared under mysterious circumstances". If I had them, I would be getting them ready for autumn display at my house. I confess...I did get out a bit of fall decor over the Labor Day holiday weekend. It's not a full fledged pumpkin invasion but some fall leaves have appeared, and patriotic decor is getting a deserved rest.

But now Betty Broomstick and Vinnie Von Fang are "new and improved". I restitched both of the models using updated fabric and fibers. Then we added a batch of fun embellishments to make them Halloween-ready and super FUN!



Our adorable little witch comes with the pattern, bristly broomstick, sparkly gemstone earrings, gold star buttons, black Estaz for frizzy hair, black seed beads, silver ribbon and bell. Complete stand-up finishing instructions are also included.

The model was stitched on 30 ct. Carrot linen from Weeks Dye Works, using Weeks Dye Works overdyed threads and DMC floss, and Kreinik #4 braid (on her snazzy boots). Finished size is 4" x 7.8" with a stitch count of 61W x 117H. Fabric and fibers may be purchased separately.



Dapper vampire Vinnie Von Fang comes with pattern, sparkly gemstone cuff links, gold star buttons, googly eyes, black seed beads, silver ribbon and bar button. Stand-up finishing instructions are included.

Out model was stitched on 30 ct. Chartreuse linen (bright!) from Weeks Dye Works, using Weeks Dye Works overdyed threads, DMC floss and silver braid. Finished size is 4.4" x 7.8" with a stitch count of 66W x 117H. These supplies are available to purchase separately. 

We're waiting for all the supplies for Betty and Vinnie to arrive now, but you can see their pics and get order info on the links above. Meanwhile, munch some Halloween candy (it's already in our stores!) while you anticipate the scary duo's dramatic reappearance.

Happy Halloween Stitching!





Tuesday, August 18, 2020

Strawberry Time

Hi Stitch Friends,

I have another freebie to share with you! Thanks to those who requested this to be posted. It's an oldie, but a goodie...and just perfect for some "yummy" summer stitching.

I have listed the original colors we used, but you are welcome to choose whatever fruity colors, and fabric, that you have in your stash.

Enjoy the berries!





Wednesday, July 1, 2020

Patriotic Freebies!

It's JULY and we're all still staying home...stitching, reading, baking (that's me!), doing whatever we're doing to be happy and well!

I remembered today that I've done several patriotic freebies over the years, and thought I'd share them. I know it's only a few days until July 4th, but our favorite red/white/blue holiday rolls around every year in the middle of the summer.

I wish you all a very happy and safe 4th of July celebration!









*I originally stitched POP on red fabric, but if you want to choose another color, you might want to add some red to your stitching (maybe the border or a stripe on the firecracker) so you have classic red/white/blue color scheme.




Tuesday, April 7, 2020

Be Kind Be Happy Be Well FREEBIE!!!

Every once in a while my husband give me an idea for a designs...unsolicited!

Usually my response is a polite "hmmm...interesting idea" or "maybe sometimes later", or some other non-committal comment. Because you know....some of his ideas are "unusual".

But a couple weeks ago we were discussing the COVID19 world in which we suddenly find ourselves, and we talked about the comforting power of cross stitching. Then he suddenly says he has a saying in mind "Be kind, be happy, be well".

And I said "I really LIKE that idea!". He was probably surprised, but I really did like the saying. So here it is...straight from BOTH of us!

Be Kind Be Happy Be Well FREEBIE!


Choose your favorite fabric...something that makes you happy. Use the colors we've suggested or do your own creative thing. 

Here's my idea (below) of being happy and being well. After recovering from surgery I got the doc's OK to get in my kayak (carefully to avoid cold water) and enjoy the lake in our backyard. Our temp is supposed to be 83 degrees this afternoon, so you can find me on the lake (after physical therapy this afternoon). Today I will trade the down vest for a big sun hat.


Be kind, Be happy, Be well, my friends!






Saturday, March 28, 2020

Celebrate Spring Freebie!

What an interesting time in our lives...right?

In the past few weeks I've read so many thoughtful and memorable blogs, and Instagram posts about life with COVID 19. I've watched numerous inspiring stories on TV (being "old" I still watch TV, not just my computer).

I've prayed for family and friends near and far, and prayed more than ever for health professionals around the world.

I don't have any wise words to offer that haven't been said. But I do want to acknowledge the healing power of doing something you love. With that in mind, here's a little Spring freebie to keep your hands and hearts busy.



Click here for Celebrate Spring
Stitch Count is 28W x 41H

I've listed some selected colors, but you are welcome to customize and use whatever you have from your stash. You can also vary the background color...you choose what makes your spring heart happy.

In the days ahead, I'll look forward to seeing your pictures of finished Celebrate Spring projects on our Facebook project sharing page - I Love Stitching Lizzie Kate Designs.

Click here for I Love Stitching Lizzie Kate Designs Facebook page

If you're not already a member of this group, visit and click JOIN and become a part of the celebration.

Our daughter Ali in Barcelona

***I've had a lot of inquiries about our daughter Ali and husband Barclay living in Barcelona. I'm happy to report they and their 2 dogs Henry and Fiona are doing well quarantined in their apartment. If you want to read and see more, click on link to Ali's food blog Gimme Some Oven.

Click here for Ali's blog post about life in Barcelona

Virtual hugs to you all!!!





Tuesday, March 3, 2020

The bunnies are BACK!!!

Our favorite rabbit duo are back!!! We're thrilled to bring Clara and Henry O'Hare back, just in time for spring and Easter stitching. Aren't these pastel colors just a breath of spring air?!

Clara and Henry O'Hare



We've updated Clara and Henry with beautiful new fabrics and updated embellishments and they're as adorable as they can be. These two have been out of print for many years. Interestingly, we think they haven't aged a bit...those clever little bunnies!

Clara O'Hare

Clara O'Hare includes straw hat, basket, tiny carrots, buttons, ribbon, garden tools and whiskers. We stitched Clara on beautiful 30 ct. Blush linen and finished her as a 3 dimensional stand-up. 



Henry O'Hare

Henry O'Hare comes with a large garden tool, buttons, silk flower boutonniere, pocket watch with chain (I love his adorable little silver watch chain!).


Clara and Henry O'Hare are available exclusively through our partnership with 123stitch.com
When we retired in 2018, we discussed making some classic RETIRED L*K designs available again (as well as trying to maintain our ENTIRE L*K catalog of designs).Thankfully, 123stitch.com was willing to put a great amount of effort and resources into L*K, and we are very grateful to their whole team. 

I send extra thanks to Joanne from 123stitch.com for finding all of the darling embellishments that make Clara and Henry O'Hare come to life. Most of the original goodies were no longer available - some suppliers were no longer in business. Alan sends extra thanks to the 123stitch.com team for assembling all of the embellishment packs. We did thousands of these in the past. It was fun, but whew...so tedious. I was happy to stitch the new Henry model!

***I am currently recovering from major surgery 4 weeks ago today (more about that in a future post). I'm so grateful to Alan for his constant care during this period. I am delighted to have these bunnies available at a time I couldn't have accomplished it myself! 

Here's a bit of L*K trivia...
Did you know that Clara O'Hare was the very first stand-up kit L*K ever designed? Back in the day...2003 to be exact...Clara was the new bunny on the block. Bunnies tend to multiply, and our bunny collection grew over the years to include Henry O'Hare (Clara's hubby) and children Paddy and Pansy O'Hare

Alas, all of the bunny kits were eventually retired.. The O'Hares went to that "big rabbit hutch" in the cross stitch sky...until now!

S135 Springtime Sampler


While I was in the springtime (right after Christmas when I was putting away Christmas decor), I designed a little sampler. I collected some of my favorite spring-y motifs and had a fabulous time stitching the model with my favorite spring colors. Can you ever have too many alphabets?!

Here's a link to 123stitch.com blog to read about everything new!


I hope these spring stitches bring a bit of spring to your needle and your house. Enjoy!!!

Thursday, January 23, 2020

Sweet FREEBIE for Valentine's Day

Just in time for the "sweetest" holiday of the year, here's a little freebie. It's a quick and easy stitch with lots of pretty pink and rosy colors.

Be My Valentine Free Chart


If you'd like to see some finishes on this freebie, some "overachievers/speedy stitchers" have already posted finished pics on the I Love Stitching Lizzie*Kate Designs Facebook page. If you're not already part of this very special group, just click JOIN to be a part of our fun stitching community.

On another subject...
do you ever have trouble putting away your FAVORITE Christmas decorations?


This year I made these "tiny" gingerbread houses. They were a set of little bitty cookie cutters. Each house is less than 2" wide. I didn't do a great job - my royal icing was not the right consistency - but I did them anyway. Then I found the most adorable tiny trees on Amazon to complete the scene. Since I have them displayed on a red tray (with Epson salt snow) I decided to leave them out for Valentine's Day. This little village just makes me smile!


The story is the same with these gingerbread hearts. At Christmas they hung on a little tree in my kitchen. When I put the tree away, I moved the hearts to a kitchen wreath. These hearts look like Valentine's Day...right?! Again, they just make me happy, so why not enjoy them a little longer?

Enjoy your Valentine's Day freebie!!!