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My Needle's Song – Neulani laulu

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Just a Little Behind…

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Yeah, I know. We are off our schedule already. I had really been hoping for a nice, sunny day to take pictures. Well, it is spring here in Western Finland. Spring means lots of rain showers and gloomy, cloudy days. Not good days for photos! But, we do have some sunny days coming up this week, so I am sure we will get them done.

In the meantime, you are welcome to click on the link for the Headquarters to see what items I have available. A full 50% of the sales price will be donated to a shelter you choose or to Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary. If you are here in Finland, of course, I will happily donate to a Finnish shelter or rescue, too. If you need to buy through Etsy, please let me know and I will relist the item for you.

I’ve always posted pictures of the pieces I do for the various charity groups on my personal Facebook timeline, and items for the shops on my Facebook Page. Why hide all the good stuff behind a logon? So, I am changing that up this week. I have a very busy roster of pieces to stitch right now…

8pointstar

First up is doing the outlines and “setting” the colors on this 8 point star that will be headed to Canada Stitches for an injured RCMP officer’s quilt. The colors have several meanings to the various First Nations tribes, and the officer that will receive this quilt is a member of the Mi’kmaqs. It isn’t a difficult design at all, but it will have a good amount of solid cross stitch. This is one of my own charts. It is being done on a 12″x12″ piece of white Aida, using 9 colors of DMC floss. This design can be done in so many color combinations. If you want the chart I am using for this, do feel free to post a message on my Facebook Page.

I do have this in progress as this is published, and will get progress pictures posted on the Facebook page in the next day or so.

cansI have an ongoing project I am working on to make hand cross stitched squares for fallen RCMP officers. Sadly, there always seems to be a need for this.

I’ve seen this one done up before and always loved it. It’s bright, colorful, and yet very appropriate for a memorial quilt, especially for a young, vibrant officer. You can get this chart as an almost instant download from Crosstitch.com (along with so very many others, including Ursula Michael). The design is from Marv Schier.

This one is kitted up, and ready to start. I will be doing this one on 14 count white Aida too. I do use a lot of that fabric!

canada-geeseMy other start this week is this lovely Canada Geese design from the recently retired Canadian designer Lynne Nicoletti. Although her website is now gone, you can still get these designs in many local shops. I ordered this one from Gitta’s in Ontario Canada. They have the best selection of her designs and outstanding service. i’ve always loved this design and have just the perfect place to send it.

I am doing this one on 18 count Aida with one strand of DMC floss. I went with soft blue-greens (think pine trees) for the geese in the background. So far, I have a good portion of the lightest background goose done. I will get scans posted on the Facebook page.

So, outside of that, you can tell it is crazy-busy around here. Is it really any wonder why we didn’t get the pictures done this week?

 

Getting Closer…

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

We actually have set Tuesday as a day to start taking new pictures. I have an idea for the header for the shops. I am hoping we have a sunny day in store so our lighting is better. Looking at the weather, that probably isn’t going to happen, but we will make the best of what we do have. Spring is coming to Western Finland. I see little buds on the birch trees and berry bushes. Our days are getting nice and long now. Before long, it will be summer!

jinglebunny-1

Of course, this is the first weekend of the month, and that means it is time to work on Christmas ornaments. These are from Jean Farish Needlework’s Jingle Babies. I did not do the border or sentiment on this set as I really don’t know how they will be finished yet. I do need to add the beads, but that happens after I wash them. I love the primitive look of these designs.

junglelambThe stitched area on these are about 2×2, so they will be nice additions to any tree. I love smaller ornaments because they fit in so many more places! Most of the ornaments out there are twice this size. The lamb will have bright red beads added to the wreath for a more festive look. This is as charted, though the pictures show either red beads or French Knots. For ornaments, I love using beads. I am thinking of doing a very simple padded ornament finish with a beaded edge.

jingleset1Here’s the full set of 8. These are going to be so cute for the animal lovers out there. I have never seen a beaver on an ornament before, and I have been collecting these for many years! I will be stitching this little set at least once more, but on different fabrics and with different finishes. Both sets will be available soon. I think animals are a refreshing change from the traditional Santa, angel, snowman, and gingerbread ornaments.

This next week will be a busy one, and I am not sure how much real stitching time I will get. Small projects like these are great ways to handle busy weeks because you do get to finish them quickly. Watch the Facebook page for updates!!

Until next week, Happy Stitching!

It’s Almost Here!

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Next month (April, just a week away), I get to finally begin on the overhaul of my shops. It is also almost time to spill the beans on our new direction. I am so excited, and this is something I have wanted to do for a while now. I did drop a hint in the last post. My shops along with Jessie’s Jewels will be teaming up to help animal shelters. Every single sale on both sites will now help our furry friends. You will see more details very soon.

20161Here’s two of the new designs. These are from a perforated plastic kit that turns out big ornaments – almost 5″ at the largest dimension! Personally, I think those are too big and klutzy for a tree! I did these two on 16 count Aida which makes them smaller. They have 6 more friends too. These were done during my February ornament weekend. I rather like them, don’t you? I have an ornament weekend coming up here very soon too.

I really can’t wait to get started on all of this. I have just 3 more promised squares to do and then I can work on this project full time. So, watch for my event posting if you want to join in the fun next weekend, and definitely watch for the new My Needle’s Song shops over the next month!

Until next time, Happy Stitching!

She’s Baaackkk…

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Finally getting caught up around here, enough so that I can start working on the shop again. There will be a lot of changes coming over the next few months as I get things stitched and finished. It’s all good, and it will enable me to do some good as well.

jinglebabiesLast month, I started a regular event on Facebook to help focus on making Christmas ornaments and greeting cards. Basically, the first weekend of every month, I schedule a stitch-along (or craft along). I am really hoping this will help me avoid some of the last minute rush. You don’t have to count stitches or anything else. Just set that WIP aside that has been driving you nuts and work on your Christmas projects! You can find the event posted on my Facebook Page. This month, I will be working on Jean Farish’s Jingle Babies – an adorable collection of 8 animal-themed ornaments. One set will be auctioned off later to benefit Blind Cat Rescue and Sanctuary. If this is a chart you just *have* to have, don’t worry – you can buy and download this from her Etsy Shop.

I will get pictures posted..

Happy Stitching!

 

Yikes!! I haven’t posted in like.. forever!

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Sorry… real life gets in the way at times. I just finished a very intense, very necessary 14 month language school. While my Finnish is greatly improved, I still have a very long way to go. But now, I am back to being able to work on my projects, look at teaching a little, restock the shop and so very much more.

I am still very actively stitching for charity. We are in the middle of doing several special request quilts for 4 priceless little boys (2 are in the quilting stage, the other 2 are still having squares done). They also have a new project where they will be making unique quilts for injured, disabled, and deceased RCMP officers.

ornaments2015On the horizon for my shops – NEW items. Yes… I promise some new goodies are coming. I just got a sewing machine and will be doing some smaller gift items that combine simple quilting with cross stitch. I will also have several ornament designs this year. The Rauha ornaments pictured will be finessed out a bit more and will join the shop later in the year both as finished pieces and probably as downloadable charts. I am thinking of doing them on dark blue… with white letters. I’ve also been experimenting with making my own cording. The blue on the lower ornament was the best, I think.

So, I have not gone away. 2016 is going to be a fantastic year!! I can’t wait to start showing off all the new items!

Guess that means I had better get back to work!

Really? Is She Still Alive?

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Yes, she is still alive, barely. This has been a very busy year so far. I am still in school full time. We also moved a lot closer to the school so we don’t lose so much valuable time driving every day. We are in a very neat older house. It is a little small, but it works for the moment.

Shop wise, I may not get much done this year. I do plan on having several ornaments ready to go, and should have those online by the end of September. If you are looking for something special, please do let me know early!

My charity work continues. Canada Stitches is doing 4 special request quilts as well as helping on the memorial quilts for the RCMP officers that were killed earlier this year. They are also collecting Christmas ornaments to go to our 2 shelters. Whew! I also have other charity projects projects in progress. School will be done in December, so I will have more time to work on such projects while I am job hunting.

Our other new project here at home is Jessie’s Jewels. I have a bunch of beads around here and we decided we needed a new hobby that we could do together. We also wanted to do something to support 2 of our favorite animal shelters. A bit of brainstorming, and Jessie’s Jewels was born. We will be adding more stock and getting everything else in order. Please keep an eye on it – LIKE the Facebook Page, and give us some feedback!

Until the next time (promise sooner!) Happy Stitching!

Where did 2014 go?

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

It is hard to believe it has flown by so very fast! Maybe it is because I am so overextended these days! Sorry if it seems I have neglected my shop or my blog. It is not intentional at all. We moved this year, and I started full time Finnish language classes. The school is a good 40 minutes from our home, so much of my time (and my husband’s!) is taken up by travel and study. Then there is the homework! I try to do 2 to 3 hours a night including doing exercises, watching Finnish language TV, and learning vocabulary. Housework and laundry is a weekend chore.

The shops are pretty well shuttered for the year. Our Finnish postal services has said that the very last absolute day I can send anything to Canada and the US was the 12th of December (and that is Priority Mail!). While we do have overnight shipping available, it is very expensive here. IF there is an ornament you just have to have, please do contact me and we will see if it is possible!

I have already started planning and stitching for next year. We have a 2 week break for Christmas and I intend to use as much of that as possible for stitching! I will have the International Christmas Greetings again next year, and plan to introduce several new designs and words. Who knows? I may even get some designs up for Valentine’s Day!!

Thank you all for a wonderful 2014, and here’s to an even better 2015!

Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta — Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Mild Rant about Charity Stitching

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

 

frienddoneStitchers are givers in so very many ways. We give our hearts and souls to the recipients of every single piece we work on, whether we give them to family members, keep them for ourselves, or donate the pieces to charity. I have limited wall space, and don’t really have family here in Finland. For many years now I have worked with different volunteer and charity groups. There are some great ones out there that really do an outstanding job helping others, and there are some totally lousy ones that do a great job – at  helping themselves. That’s not to say that helping yourself is a bad thing. It’s only bad if you are not up front about it. I recently got involved with a group that sounded really great in the beginning but turned into a nightmare.

But how do you figure out who the good ones are, and who to stay away from? Here’s my current list of guidelines. If you have others you want to add, please do leave a comment!

    • Target – do your donations go where they should?
      There are horror stories out there of people sending completed panels to be used for hospital donations only to hear later that they were used for fundraising efforts.
    • Communication – do they let you know promptly when your donations arrive? When they are due? Where to send them?
      The good charities post pictures and send you emails when they get your donation. They have active social media groups that tell you clearly where something is to be sent and when. The others? They just leave you guessing. The bad ones won’t even tell you when you ask if your work has been received.
    • Transparency – Do they make all the decisions behind closed doors? Are they open about what has been received and what they have done with it? Do they publish pictures? If so, where?
      This is the big one for me. Who decides where your items go? Do you have a say in what goes where? Many groups do fundraisers or beg for donations of supplies. What do they do with them? For most of these groups, the biggest expenses are postage. Each stitcher provides their own fabric and floss as well as chart, so there really is little need for donation of these items! There are exceptions, of course, but 95% of the time, the volunteers have their own supplies!
    • Hidden Skeletons – Are they a corporation? What kind of perks or salaries to the board members receive?
      This is another minefield. If the group is an organized charity (think Red Cross), they have a board of directors and do have to provide all kinds of reports. They have to employ accountants to do these reports along with filing tax returns. Who pays the salaries? If the group begs for supplies, what happens to them? Are they sent to the volunteers to use for stitching, or do the board members hang on to them and use them for personal gain? What kind of track record to they have? Can you find their record on their website? Do they even have a website?
    • Other aspects – How easy are they to work with? How approachable?
      Many groups today use Facebook or Yahoo Groups to stay in touch. Yahoo can be a bit tricky, but Facebook seems to have taken over. When you ask to join their group, how long does it take for them to respond? If you ask for information, do you have to wait for a week for someone to get around to answering you? How active are they? Do the members seem to be friendly?

 

Please don’t think it is all doom and gloom out there. There are a lot of great groups to work with that benefit every cause you can imagine. There are also more rip-off artists posing as charities that just want your donations for their own personal need and greed.

Christmas Season 2014

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Wow… it is so hard to believe how fast time can fly!! This has been a very very busy year here. My husband and I moved to a new place. We adopted a delightful young cat that had been abandoned by her previous owners. And… I am now a full time student in language school. It does mean a lot less time to stitch as I am away from home and in classes. I do stitch on breaks, but there are just never enough hours in the day.

joulua2

I am just starting on Christmas ornaments for the shops, and have set some of the listings back up. I will definitely be doing the holiday greetings in different languages, and I hope to have a couple of new designs completed for this year. If you have something special you want, please do send me a message on Facebook or through one of the shops. Do expect a few changes to the actual ornaments!

My husband and I are leaving soon for an early anniversary celebration aboard the Viking Grace. We will get to have the Finlanders for entertainment.

The shops are not dead… and there will be new listings very very soon. In the meantime…

Happy Stitching!!

The Holiday Wind-Down

My Needle's Song - Neulani laulu

Wow.. I made it through my first Christmas with online shops. The last day for shipping to the US and Canada was December 13th, and I needed to have anything for friends and family here in Finland to the Posti by the 16th. I only had one last minute crisis with running out of braid. We had to go into town for more. Then we had a winter storm hit and we lost our power. I did make it through, and found out I *can* stitch by candlelight if I have to! Whew!! I can breathe again!!

On the horizon for the shops…. spring, Easter, some items for Valentine’s Day. I do have some charts in the works for more Finnish magnets. The shops will all get a new banner shortly, and new items. Christmas ornaments will be retired from some of the shops, but will be available year round in others. I do work on Christmas pretty much year round, I just don’t always put things in the shops! I do plan on having goodies for Halloween next year too. Just know you will see a lot more of my work, and in more places than before.

I do hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and a safe and Happy New Year. Please do drop by the Facebook Page often. I will try to update a bit more frequently as I add things.

Happy Stitching!

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