Been there, done that...

Needlework Market, that is!

How many times have we gone to market with Lizzie*Kate? Heaven only knows, but every time it's a combination of fun, laughter, and plain old hard WORK! (Definitely not a vacation, except for the "travel" part.)

Speaking of travel and work...here is a pic of my local shopowner and her helper who kindly schlep a bunch of Lizzie*Kate inventory to market for me every year. We've just unloaded their car in front of the Embassy Suites (where our market is) and we're waiting on a rolling cart to get the boxes to our room.

The BEST part about needlework market is seeing all of my friends...shopowners and other designers! Some shops have been supporting L*K since we began 19 years ago. Miraculously, none of us look a day older! I think cross stitch has magical anti-aging properties, or maybe our eyesight is just fading? We also get to make new friends at market every year, which is also wonderful. It's a huge blessing to be around people who understand what we do...and love and appreciate it. We love and appreciate you all, too!

Now that market is over and all the attending shops are busy blasting the new images all over the internet, I can release the photo of our "Market Exclusive" kit - SPOOKY EYES!

SPOOKY EYES kit (K72) includes EEK! hand-dyed linen (faded orange with gray/black swirls), hand-dyed black pom pom trim, kohl WDW overdyed thread, and spooky eyes (2 mother-of-pearl buttons topped with tiny black buttons). 

Here I am on Saturday morning, ready for a busy day in room 601 Lizzie*Kate expo! I brought a roll of black kraft paper along and had fun with chalk making a few impromptu signs. Making the freelance signs was fun, but crawling around the hard floor on my hands and knees with chalk (and no yard stick to keep things straight) seems to be getting harder every year. Alan snapped a pic of me on the floor but I'm not sharing it...TMI.

This was my favorite sign (covering up the mirror over the bar area in our room), announcing our Inspiration Boxer Sale. We brought ALL of the Inspiration Boxers (B33-B48), so there was plenty of inspiration for all!

Part of the challenge in decorating our showroom in the Embassy Suites is the existing decor in the rooms. Everything is positively psychedelic at this hotel...it looks like a 60s party gone wild! The walls are orange (there's orange everywhere!), the sofa is a crazy wild print (designers have all sorts of creative ways to cover these sofas), and the decor has a zillion competing patterns and is very distracting! So if these photos are glowing a bit...

The other "stars" of the party were our other 2 new kits! SNOW DUDES (K71) kit comes with both patterns, fabric for both, and embellishments, including polka dot mushroom cap.

DEAR RUDOLPH (K73) kit includes lambswool linen, snowflake finishing fabric, white rick rack trim, 4 buttons, red and white beads and complete finishing instructions. I always bring along a few fun props for the new stuff, including a favorite Santa mug for this one. Also check out the fun red/green scissors. We sold out on these, so get them while you can!

WHEW! It's been nice taking a break sitting at the computer, but I've got to return to unloading boxes and catching up. 

Note to self: Next time I go to market, take pics with shopowners, designer friends, and try to capture the laughter and fun we have together. Thanks for joining me on this little trip recap!