dipping my toe ...

Getting back out there is going to be a slow, 

steady process.

The flying part was stressful. 

Just no two ways about it.

The teaching part, 

FELT SO GOOD!!

I had a small class of socially distanced students.

The class was a complete departure from the norm.

Why NOT? You could say I'm just rolling with it! 

I presented the idea of a 

"Choose Your Own Journey" 

class platform to the owners of 

The Needle Works

last February and I'm infinitely glad for it.

The perimeters were that each student 

choose a piece from my line available through 

Bedecked and Beadazzled.

Each student came to class with 

their own set of questions. 

I was there for three days to work 

through all of them 

with each student. 

Total immersion!

They loved it! 

They loved setting the pace! 

As a result,

the pace was casual and

they all learned from each other.

If I'd taught a project class... 

Completely different, 

I have a schedule of what needs to 

be covered during class time, 

when best to do it and

how long we'll spend on each section. 

Which is great and 

the way I am use to teaching. 

Now, I have two

ways to teach and I am 

a happy camper doing both!

The Needle Works 

is thread heaven!

Fabulous classroom, this was taken

before opening, it was so well

organized and peaceful.

I had to document it.

Any of you that have worked one of my painted

canvas guided designs... 

well, you know I love texture.

Which I often accomplish with beautiful 

BULLIONS!!

One of my students focused completely on 

this for most of the first day.

Her piece had three different bullions with 

three different threads.

Above is her practice canvas, 

this woman was determined!

By George, I think she's got it!

ALL OF IT!!

They are all smiling under those mask!!

Some of the stitches taught were,

pulled work needle weaving, sequin application, 

string art, ribbon embroidery, 

applique, copper mesh wings,

and BULLIONS!

I also showed them how I finish and frame.

Keep an eye out for a repeat of this 

class platform next year.

Back home and after taking Mum for her 

second covid shot and finally getting an

appointment for my first ...

I have resumed work on my painting

for the 

FLOWERS! Florida in Art show 

coming up.

Opening will be June 11.

[I'll post again before then]

Every line of my Passion Flower

is fine line brush work. One of my

favorite ways to ART!

Design your own ...

With just a few simple stitches,

beautiful thread 

and some crazy real metal, 

you can create your very own 

wearable art pin!

Come join us at

The Black Sheep Shop

November 11th

for this truly fun design class.

"Many Moons"©

When I started in the needle work industry it was with just
three charted designs for wearable art pins.  
David McCaskill bought my first designs for Club Stitch
in San Francisco and I was on cloud nine!
I had my work on both coasts! 

Wow! Times have certainly changed. 
David is now rightfully retired though
 still an inspiration to many in the industry. 
I've obviously never forgotten the push he gave me!

In this class I'll lead you down a path of adventure.
Come join me and help sprinkle a little pixie dust 
over your canvas.  We'll freely shake out a bit of
magic here there and everywhere!
Call Anne to sign up soon!
407 . 894 . 0444

I've added new pages to the blog!

See upper left side of page ...

if you can't see them, switch your 

screen view to 'web version'

Voila!

Rendered in Thread shows my 

free form one of a kind 

contemporary needle art

presently available for purchase.

Giclee Reproductions is just that

reproductions of my original art 

also available for purchase.

Guess what??!!

I am very excited to announce that
I've been asked to come teach my
'Blossom' design for
Chandail
in Houston, Texas!!

"Blossom"
a Kimberly design©2014
This design is full of fun stitching.
We'll certainly fill up two class days with a lot color, technique, and texture!  I've used beautiful ribbon, a few beads, Memory Wire, silks silks and more silks, of course there is a little sparkle too with metallics and some new to even me thread!  

We'll explore bullions, cast on, couching, and even blackwork. 
We'll layer, loop, and French knot our way through this design!

Come join us at Chandail 
May 30 & 31
[click here for more details]
this will take you to Chandail's home page,
click on classes & workshops,
scroll down...
there I am! 

...broccoli, a brain, really?

Introducing 

'Blossom'

a Kimberly design©

I think all of you know my favorite stitch is Basketweave.

However...

I have other favorites too.

I will admit...I see the broccoli correlation albeit very flowery.

Although...who says a brain can't be full of wonderful 

colorful thoughts. 

New windows, new view. 

I think it meets with his approval. 

Remodel of the front porch, 

soon to be studio space.

Makes this one very happy.

I've been wanting one of these 

for a very long time.

More on this later.

What she said...

Ruth posted a fabulous accounting of my weekend in Baltimore teaching 'Flying Jewels' aka the big bug. Please go look at all the wonderful pictures that were taken with a special 'look back' at the way we were photo posted at the bottom of the blog!!  

Click HERE

Sharon, who was our first distributor when Ruth and I were all about charted needlepoint, picked me up from the airport. Which was a fabulous start to the reunion we had all weekend!

It was waaaay back in the mid nineties when we all met. We've all evolved since then, happily in wonderful creative ways. I would miss the 'old days' more if the 'new days' were not just as awesome!

Cest Fini!
Provence Purse©2014
a Kimberly design©

Our first day of class was devoted to working
the top and bottom border designs.
The second day was all about the 'big bug'
and his magnificent copper mesh wing span.

What a wonderful group of warm hearted
women to have in my class.
I am humbled and honored that you all joined us.
Thank you to Ruth and her amazing staff for putting the kits together and keeping all running smoothly throughout.
All you do is greatly appreciated in case you don't hear it enough,
we LOVE you!

I've got to fly....

and away I went!  

From the humble beginnings of an idea.  I promised a great friend a piece to stitch, something I would design with an amazing dragonfly.  I sketched and for awhile it sat, then I sketched some more.  Then came a chunk of time that I could run with the idea.    

Initial drawing on canvas before painting.  

"Flying Jewels"©2014
a Kimberly design©
Remember the border with the little dragonfly motifs I posted a few weeks ago...It's along the top, along the bottom is the line up ready for take off.  
Here you see it all!!  Hand painted piece measures approximately 12" square on eighteen count canvas 

Voila!  Check out my fabulous dragonfly!!  

This could not have happened without the support of Kreinik Mfg. I was on a tear looking for copper mesh.  I knew it existed but finding it proved to be a daunting task.  I could find ugly gray screen at the hardware store, I explored the net and exchanged emails with someone in China.  

Then I had one of those blinding flashes of brilliance...they do happen! The inner voice shouted at me....'KIMBERLY, YOU NEED METAL, CALL DENA AT KREINIK'.  After all, they have provided me with beautiful metallics to stitch with throughout my career as a designer.  Dena responded within a day that YES! Doug has a source, then Doug emailed, YES, what do you need...I replied, he wrote back, I answered, then asked, 'are you going to carry it', YES!  WOW, I was doing a happy dance! 

Of course, the copper mesh arrived and I had stitched the rest of the canvas to be ready for it.  

But...what if it didn't work, so I stared at it for a couple of days...then dove in.  I cut out the shapes, scored the veins in, edged it with metallic thread, attached the wings and my dragonfly came to life!  Then I stared at it again for awhile, it's just so nice when a plan comes together.  Pretty sure this all occurred late in an evening, pretty sure I was snapping pictures and texting with Ruth to say, 'Hey, look what I did!!'  

They really do come in this awesome color!
Not the greatest picture...crazy bugs move pretty fast.  
I was lucky to get this.  

"Flying Jewels"© is available as a painted canvas
with awesome stitch guide & copper mesh

Have your favorite LNS contact
wholesale  from Ruth Schmuff Designs
or
Bedecked and Beadazzled

Have to add a P.S. here.

I belong to an amazingly talented group on FaceBook with the pin name "Needlepoint Nation".  When I commented on my fruitless treasure hunt for copper mesh one of the members private messaged me to say she had some screen and would send it to me. She was thrilled to lighten her stash and help me out.  Sadly it was too large but the generosity of Andrea truly touched me. Thank you so much for reaching out to help a fellow stitcher in need.  

Oh, and for those who comment, 'wow, that's a dying art', let me tell you that this nation is growing daily.  Last count I saw was 5,350 members with more knocking at the proverbial door!  Talk about a support group!