"with a little help from my friends" (getting ready for market!)

We're headed to Nashville Needlework Market soon, but things have been in "high gear" around here since 2015 began. No matter how prepared I think I am, getting a batch of newbies ready for market, in addition to the regular release schedule, is HECTIC (7 days a week & evenings!). 

Here's what's coming SOON to your favorite needlework shop! Some of these projects are Limited Edition, so make sure to pre-order and add to your stash.

K77 Hip Hop Kit

Time for a little Easter fun! We've got lively chicks, lots of eggs, carrot and flowers, all done in cheerful spring colors. Kit includes 30 ct. creamy linen, JABC flower button, super AWESOME finishing fabric, polka dot ribbon and complete finishing instructions. This gorgeous finishing fabric inspired the whole project. There's enough included for front and back. Time to HOP!

K80 Farm Fob Kit (2 sided fob!)

This farm fresh design is our last minute addition to the market mix. Just last week, I was busy stitching and miraculously it came together (with the help of super-finisher, Mona). Kit includes stitching fabric (some assorted pale linens and evenweaves I discovered when we moved our office!), antique gold rick rack and a stash of little rusty beads. Mona wrote some easy-to-follow instructions so your fob can look farm fresh, too!

A Little Gray Hare Limited Edition Kit

This kit was featured in our previous blog post (scroll back for the whole story).  It's full of goodies...hand-dyed WDW seafoam linen, 8 colors of WDW overdyed threads, teeny pink beads, pale pink rick rack, finishing fabric for back, egg template and complete finishing instructions. Get this one now...it's hare today, gone tomorrow!

K78 BUZZ Kit

No, this chopped-off photo it's not a mistake! This one is a surprise - complete photo will be revealed at market (gotta keep some suspense!). I'm still obsessed with BEES, so it's a bee theme (you guessed it). 

I worked with Marilyn at Picture This Plus to design a custom linen for BUZZ. It's called Verdant (definition: green, leafy, luxuriant, lush), and it's an awesome shade of yellow green. Kit includes Verdant 28 ct. linen and 2 mother-of-pearl round buttons. It's bright and fun, yet has some vintage appeal... it's cross stitch fusion!

Marilyn just delivered our gorgeous Verdant linen last Thursday (she made a road trip to Wichita). We were in a time crunch to get this one ready, so we asked for "a little help from our friends". We buckled down and got all the fabric cut, folded and ironed, sacked the buttons and prepared the printing. 

Then last Sunday afternoon, we hosted an impromptu "Open House/Volunteer Day" at the new L*K office. Friends came and went all afternoon, toured our little office, enjoyed a few snacks, and tried their hands at putting together kits.

I meant to take lots of photos (sorry to those not pictured), but stayed busy giving tours, and keeping these talented new kitters busy. We set up a couple extra work tables and the rookies got going. Talking, laughing  and snacking while working were strongly encouraged.  

Before the afternoon was over, the entire batch of BUZZ kits were finished!  Several friends arrived later, and alas, didn't get to slide kits into zipper bags...darn (their loss). 

It was really fun to have my fabulous friends visit the L*K office and try something new. Maybe they'll want to change careers? I was fortunate to have a couple bankers, attorney, elementary librarian, school bus driver, legal secretary, medical receptionist, construction company owner, oil exec, insurance adjuster extraordinaire, college professor, children's author, accountant, retired teacher (and others) and even a wheat farmer helping me out!!! 

YIKES...hope they don't ask me to do their jobs. I told them the only qualification to be a kitter at L*K was to be able to close a zipper bag. Little did I know that sliding the kit contents IN the bags would be challenging for some.

Shout out to my fabulous church friends who keep me inspired (and help me in a pinch!). LOVE you all!

We'll get by...(and get to market)...with a little help from our friends!