Limited Edition Kits = great (crazed) market

We just drove through 5 states in one day (count 'em...Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Kansas) to get home to the Land of Oz. Our annual needlework market in Nashville was super fun, but...in the immortal words of our girl Dorothy..."there's no place like home"!

Quick background...our annual cash and carry market is held in the Franklin Embassy Suites (a suburb of Nashville). We invade the hotel, occupy several floors, and transform the suites into cross stitch showrooms. We use the front room for our models and inventory, then turn the bedroom into check out area. Yes, Alan does a rendezvous with the needlework ladies in the bedroom!

After months of planning and prep, we were thrilled to finally reveal our 2 special Limited Edition kits. We tried to think of something unique to offer this year, and decided to try some all-inclusive kits. We haven't done this for a few years (remember the O'Hare series bunny series?). 

Linda shopped for cool finishing fabrics and embellishments, and then got to work designing. We pulled everything together in the next few months...cut fabrics (including one trip to the ER with a rotary cutter mishap), made embellishment packs, cut rick rack and lace, assembled thread packs (what were we thinking?) and coordinated the graphic design and printing (the fun part!). Then we had some marathon assembly sessions (cue the Friday Night Lights DVDs and Downtown Abbey), and here are the results!

Song of Spring Limited Edition Kit

Includes pillow design, 32 ct. Lambswool linen, polka dot finishing fabric, antique ivory lace, 3 hand-dyed buttons (love these colors!), antique gold heart charm, dark red beads, Weeks Dye Works overdyed thread pack and needle.

There's also a bonus bunny fob design included, with rick rack trim, mother-of-pearl button and beads. We've included complete finishing instructions for both projects. You supply the scrap of fabric for the bonus project from your stash. It's two projects with the materials and instructions to finish them both JUST like the picture!

Do Your Best Limited Edition Kit

 Taken from a longer sampler verse, we love the simple phrase "Do Your Best." I remember my Mom telling me this, and me (repeating my Mom!) giving my daughters this timeless advice. So simple, yet so meaningful and appropriate.

We were inspired by this darling finishing fabric, with a great antique alphabet motif. There are 4 lovely colors of this fabric, so kits will vary. After looking at the beautiful ivory, avocado, aqua and muted red fabric bolts for months (yes, it takes us months to develop these kits), I can honestly say they're all great on this kit (OK, maybe the red is my personal fave).

Kit includes 30 ct. natural linen for main project, alphabet finishing fabric for front and back (assorted colors), Weeks Dye Works overdyed thread pack, 2 sizes of ivory rick rack, hand-dyed flower button, antique gold stork scissor charm, and needle.

The bonus design is a sweet, skinny strawberry fob. We've included 2 pieces of WDW hand-dyed wool (herringbone and check green) for the berry leaves, rusty red beads and even rustic twine to finish off your berry. There are complete finishing instructions for both projects. You will supply the fabric for the bonus berry project.

We've done this show for 18 years, so I almost forgot to take pics of our room. It's a little deja vu everytime we enter Room 611 and start moving the furniture to set up displays. Warning: if you move furniture in a hotel room, you may uncover mysterious items. Just saying...we've had some interesting finds over the years!

Here's Alan contemplating all the boxes we need to unload. How did the boxes get there? We filled our car, our local needlework shop owner's car and another friend who was coming agreed to schlep boxes for us. Thankfully, the load is much smaller and our car is sufficient on the way home.

Above is our display (in the front window of the suite) of our 2 new Limited Edition kits. The table underneath is the "dining table", with a drop cloth over it. The table stacked on the left is an end table. The right side table is a little folding riser I brought. The models are right at eye level, and inventory is stacked below them. It's self-service in the L*K showroom!

Finally, both of the beds were totally covered with sacks after the Friday night early-bird sales. Shops are always in a rush to grab the newest stuff (and get on to the next urgent room), so we allow them to fill bags, add a label, and return later to pay. Then when they return on Saturday or Sunday, we have a chance to chat and catch up when we're not so busy. 

Need to buy a new kit for your stash? Contact your local needlework shop, or contact L*K for a referral. We have lots of shops listed on the L*K website. Shops all over the US and outside the US have these kits NOW...but when they're gone...they're gone! Sorry...the fun finishing fabrics are discontinued

No rest in L*K ville...time to get to work on the next project!

Cookies for my friend, Judy!

The last few days before we leave for annual needlework market are CRAZY at our house/office. No matter how early we begin preparations, we're always busy until the exact moment we hop in the car and head down the road...Beverly Hillbillies style, that is! (car overflowing with booth props, inventory, luggage and us!).

In order to avoid high shipping costs, we're actually packing 3 cars this year. Every year my wonderful local needlework shop owner, Debbie, agrees to let me fill her car. She needs the space on the way home to haul her purchases, but on the way it's full of L*K inventory. 

We had to make an emergency trip to Tulsa a couple weeks ago to repair our virus-infected computer. The only good part about that was the opportunity to detour over to The Silver Needle, and leave them more inventory to schlep to Nashville. Miraculously, we already had some boxes packed...

and we've got more boxes waiting for their journey. The office is so full, these boxes are hanging out in my piano room!

One reason the office is nearly impassable is my "mock market" setup. Before we pack everything, I set up a fake little market display, trying to anticipate everything I'll need for display and inventory. I promise it will look much nicer and neater in my Nashville showroom! No matter how well I prepare, there are always a few lists and emergency trips to Walgreens, Home Depot, etc. for forgotten items when we're setting up. Instead of going next door for a cup of sugar, I pop down the hall to borrow T-pins and tape!

My long-time (never old) friend in the needle biz is Judy Whitman from JBW Designs. Judy and I met many years ago in the lonely exercise room of the Embassy Suites. Let's just agree that the exercise room is much less busy in the mornings than the complimentary breakfast buffet!  Judy and I got acquainted on the elliptical trainers and we've been good friends ever since. Judy even made the trip to KC several years ago for our daughter Sarah's wedding. 

Pic below from left to right: Judy, Connie (Judy's friend and market helper), Jeff and Sarah, my mother-in-law Georgia May.

Judy and I usually attempt to have our rooms next to each other, and run back and forth during the weekend. We've also enjoyed shopping in historic Franklin, exploring lots of yummy Franklin/Nashville restaurants and taking long walks before busy market days.  

One reason Judy's room is so popular with shoppers (and Alan and I!) is her cookie buffet. Yes, multi-talented Judy puts out a delicious smorgasbord of home-baked cookies in her room every year. She even publishes a darling little yearly cookbook with all the recipes. It's quite the collector's item every year!

Sadly, Judy had an accident last week and is now sporting a new hip. She's home recuperating in snowy Michigan, and her faithful friend, Connie, is coming to Nashville to run the popular JBW showroom. For the first time, they won't have cookies in their room...so I decided to pick up the slack (or is that the sugar?).

My freezer is filling with several of our favorite cookies...

and Alan is working on a batch of his famous chocolate chip cookies...a real classic. I still remember the first time he decided to make a batch of cookies "all by himself". When he got to the "shortening" part of the recipe he came to me to ask..."what is shortening?". Thankfully, he bakes unassisted now. The real trick will be getting these sugary treats to market uneaten! Sorry, no cute L*K cookbook.

And while we're talking food...I snapped this pic for my church scrapbook a couple days ago in our beloved church basement kitchen. Alan and I gathered with a few friends (the rare ones who are available on a Friday morning) to cook for the homeless day shelter across the street from our church. We prepared our famous tater tot casserole (think hamburger, onions, mushroom soup, corn, cheese and tater tots), green beans, salad, and peach cobbler for 120. 

Pic below: Jim, Stuart, me, Linda M, and Eddie (dubbed the "top tot")

We experienced a "biblical moment" when the shelter was unusually busy that day, due to our nasty weather. The line just kept coming, and we just kept dishing food (and praying) and we managed to feed 150+ grateful souls that day. It wasn't loaves and fishes, but that magical tater tot casserole seemed to multiply and was sure a hit!

Here's to you, Judy!  We'll miss you at Nashville and promise to eat a cookie (or two or three) and think of you!

Snowy trip to Nashville Market?

It's finally here...SNOW! After an overly dry, nearly snow-less winter, the white stuff has finally arrived. The weather guys got so excited, they cancelled school in advance of any actual snow falling.

We awoke to a mere 1/2" of snow on the ground, but it's been snowing steadily all day. It's a real winter wonderland outside our cozy, snowlit L*K office.

YIKES...our annual trek to Nashville Needlework Market is only a week away. It's always a long drive, but it could be tricky (weatherwise) this year. As always, we'll be loaded down like the Beverly Hillbillies with market goodies taking every square inch where we're not sitting.

We're doing two very special Limited Edition Kits for market this year. Sorry...we're not releasing pictures of the actual projects until market (gotta have a little mystery), but here's some of the process involved in getting our kits ready.

I did the designs last November, before the holiday crunch. I decided to make these really inclusive kits (call me crazy), with all the goodies you'd need to finish and embellish the designs.

So, while I was stitching models, I got to work shopping/researching fun finishing products. When I finalized my lineup of extra goodies, I sent my finished models off to my Mona (finishing guru extraordinaire) so she could work her magic. We consulted a lot...lots of texting images back and forth...to create our finished look.

Then the real work began! I ordered/purchased lots of supplies and they all began arriving in the already crowded L*K office. My upstairs office became a fabric warehouse...

and Alan's office (our warehouse/shipping area) held the other supplies as we readied them for their Nashville debut. Lots of thread packs to cut and assemble...

embellishment packs to put together (one little zip bag at a time!), finishing fabric to cut, iron and fold, yards and yards of rick, lace and hemp twine to cut...

and of course the stitching fabric needed to cut and folded and we inserted a needle, too. Of course, sometime during this process I had a nasty little incident with the rotary cutter and a trip to the ER...hazard pay!

Finally, the printing was delivered (back covers pictured above) and all the kit goodies were ready to put together. We moved some folding tables into our family room and put the assembly line in motion. 

And 4 movies, several episodes of Downtown Abbey, and seasons 4 and 5 of Friday Night Lights later, the 2 kits were assembled and ready to hit the road. Special thanks to Coach Taylor and Tim Riggins for getting me through with a smile on my face (the wonderful men from Friday Night Lights, for those non-watchers).

We promise more sneak peek pics and info on the next post.  Meanwhile...stay warm and keep those needles humming through this snowy February!

2 more inspirational designs

I meant to post these last 2 releases last week, but due to terrible, horrible, no good, very bad computer problems...they're finally here this week.

There's something ironic about wanting to post sweet, inspirational designs while I'm saying naughty words to my non-functioning, totally frustrating computer....right? Thankfully, this week is off to a smooth start.

Let Them Be Small Chartpak

I ran across this saying a few months ago and instantly loved it and knew it needed to be charted for cross stitch.  Why? It's perfect so many of us, no matter what age or stage of life we're in. Just settle into your favorite stitching chair, watch some old home movies and try not to shed a tear on your stitchery!

The Lord is Good Inspiration Boxer kit

I've had SO many stitchers share their favorite scriptures with me, and request them to be charted. But, where to begin? I decided this was a great start (and probably what I needed to remember last Friday when my computer was making me crazy!). This design is so cheerful and a great daily inspiration. Kit includes lovely lambswool linen, bonus project graph, and bead embellishments for both projects.

COMING SOON...sneak peeks for our very special projects we're preparing for Nashville Market in February. Have a great week, y'all!

Spring is here!

...and summer, too!

Yes, we did set a record temp of 70 degrees here in sunny Wichita yesterday (after -5 temps earlier in the week!), but I'm not talking about the weather. I'm talking spring and summer cross stitch!

It's our first seasonal Flip-it series ever, and we're excited to share the 4 Seasons with you in 2014. We're releasing the Spring and Summer Flip-it designs NOW...just shipped them from L*K headquarters yesterday.

The Autumn and Winter Flip-its will be available in early April, so you've got plenty of time to get your first 2 seasons stitched. No stress...the same 4 Seasons roll around each year! Each 4 Seasons Flip-it comes with 3 tiny buttons, aqua for Spring and pink for Summer.

You can stitch them separately and get some great seasonal decor. They're bigger than most Flip-its - 61W x 75H, so they really can stand alone.

We're also providing the option for you to stitch all 4 Seasons together for a lovely, year round heirloom. Just visit our website, www.lizziekate.com to find the template and complete instructions for stitching the 4 Seasons together. Template includes the border and saying "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven."

Here's what the Spring and Summer Flip-its look in their pretty covers. They're all dressed up and and ready to visit your house!

Got SNOW? We do!

When I did some "snowy" designs this year, I had NO IDEA this blizzardly, super-frozen, snow-intensive winter was coming!  I always secretly hope for a little snow, but really...it's not my fault!

We have a little waterfall next to our back patio, which is now a (beautiful) frozen still life. No fear...there's still a trickle of water flowing under that frozen exterior.

And here is a pic of the snowy commute from our back door to the L*K office a week ago. 

We're shipping new products next week, and...you guessed it...we're sending out more "snowy" goodness!

Here's our new Snowy String! It's overflowing with the friendly kind of snow - you don't have to move it or drive through it - you just enjoy the white stuff. 

Snowy String is a companion to all the other string-things...Spring String, Buzzy String, Spooky String, Thankful String, and Merry String. It's quick and fun, and you don't have to bundle up to enjoy it! We do, however, recommend stitching with a steaming cup of your favorite beverage nearby.

We introduced A Little Snow kit right before the holidays. Just like our Snowy String, this snow isn't the messy kind...you don't have to shovel or move it, and it always stays pristine white! 

Kit includes 28 ct. Amber linen (really pretty light brown color), antique gold snowflake charm and white iridescent beads. There's a bonus fob/ornament design tucked inside, too.

Need more SNOW in your life? Just let your favorite needlework vendor know, and we'll ship some SNOW your way!

****In other (completely) unrelated news from Lizzie*Kate....Linda had a mishap with the rotary cutter yesterday (you know, that dastardly, rolling, razor blade thing) and made an unexpected trip to minor ER. She's all glued and taped back together, and learning to type with bandage on the left index finger. (No pics this time...one finger injury post is our limit). 

Have you had a mishap with a rotary cutter that you want to share? I'm sure I'm not the only one, but...geez...I really scared myself this time! After cutting literally thousands of yards of fabric, I had a boo-boo!

New Christmas traditions!

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks? Or old parents, as that may be!

Per requests from our adult children, we added a few new activities to our annual Christmas celebration. The changes began several months ago when they requested (GASP!!!) no presents! Yikes...what happened to my consumer driven teens? I guess they're definitely adults now!

Because I actually love giving gifts, I negotiated to let Santa continue to fill stockings for Christmas morn. Heck, I'd already bought a bunch of stocking stuffers and (extra points for me!) I even knew where I had put them. I also talked them into one big gift for each, and they got to select what they wanted.

Another 2013 request was to do some volunteer activity as a family over the holiday. Alan coordinated a morning for all of us to work at an awesome local ministry, United Methodist Open Door. We're well acquainted with this comprehensive facility, but hadn't been there for awhile.

We showed up yesterday AM and after a brief tour, they put us to work. Ali spent the morning working in the office, helping with intake paperwork and filing for the daily clients. The rest of us kept our sweatshirts on and worked in the food warehouse.

The warehouse manager, Willy, kept finding new jobs for us as we whizzed through different food sacking tasks. We spent the last couple hours putting canned goods in recycled grocery sacks (6 cans of veggies and 2 fruit cans!) and putting them on pallets for future distribution.

Our son-in-law, Jeff, worked up a sweat as a he constantly refreshed our canned good supplies while we sacked, then moved the sacked goods to pallets and wrapped them. Darn...we had hoped to make a bigger dent on the remaining stacks of canned goods in photo below, but we know more volunteers will finish our job. Open Door has only 4 employees and relies on lots of faithful volunteers to serve hundreds of clients.

Ali suggested our other new Christmas activity. This was the inaugural year for Ebright Talks. Yes, they're based on the famous TED talks, but we were the presenters! On our last night together we took turns doing short "educational" talks on the subject of our choice. Fueled by popcorn and wine, we had a great time learning from each other! Whew...teaching is a bit stressful, especially when you're not well prepared (that was me). 

Our art teacher daughter, Sarah, borrowed a lesson from her AP Art History class. She got extra points for bringing photos which we viewed on the TV. We learned about early church architecture, and it was fascinating!

Jeff presented a cool lesson on "brainstorming"...how to do it effectively! He also brought a bunch of power point graphics which we viewed on the TV. Jeff gets extra credit points for using scenes from that famed movie Christmas Vacation as backgrounds on his slides. 

Ali taught us all how to play the piano by chords...no music required. After a brief tutorial, we all took turns at the piano and (miraculously) played Happy Birthday, sans music! We sang along to offer each performer moral support.

I did a presentation on antique samplers (go figure!). I handed out an framed sampler reproduction to everyone for my visual aids. Then we did a brief history of this wonderful folk art form. Alan talked about "legacy" and even gave out little gifts as part of his presentation. 

The most memorable (and laughable) portion of the evening was our guest presentator, Dr. Erin McGonigle. Erin and Sarah have been best friends since middle school, so we invited her to participate. Can you tell what's happening in the pic above? If you guessed "they're birthing a baby!" you would be right. 

Dr. Erin brought along some "interesting" visual aids and taught us all how to (safely) birth a baby...should the need arise! Erin was a great teacher to us medical novices, evidenced in the successful pic below! 

Alas, the adult kids have packed and left and we're back to work...and blogging. But now, we've got lots of fond holiday memories to keep us company!