Online Needlework Show

Lacey Thread Designs has a featured design at this week's Online Needlework Show! Colleen from Loose Thread Stitchers called me last week and asked if she could feature Sunglow Memories on her page! This is a wonderful resource for stitchers to view dozens of new designs by over 150 designers right in the comfort of your own home! When you find something you really like, give your LNS a call and ask them to order for you!!

You'll find Sunglow Memories at the Loose Thread Stitchers page! Come and visit!

Two New Designs Released

We are excited to announce the release of two new designs at Lacey Thread Designs!

The first one is called Sunglow Memories. Display your favorite pictures in a gorgeous memory frame, using unique and creative corner photo holders. Photos can be easily exchanged as desired without having to reframe each time. Stitched with basic hardanger (NO cutting!), and pulled thread stitches, detailed directions for the corner photo holders are included.

The second design is My Child's Heart. It is an exquisite birth sampler containing hardanger, pulled thread, specialty stitches, and ribbon embroidery. This sampler could also be easily customized as a wedding sampler, or stitched without words as a band sampler. A Mother of Pearl heart bead is included with each leaflet.

These two beautiful designs are available at our website:

www.LaceyThread.com

Lacey Thread Designs is open for business!! All of us are so excited to have finally reached this point!You will find 4 beautiful designs in our design catalog. Feel free to order from us online in our shopping cart, and we have a special section just for Shop Owners!!! We have three more designs to be released by the end of year! Quaker Inspirations, Volume 2 will further develop the Quaker theme with a sweet desk set. My Child's Heart, a sweet birth sampler based on My Heart's Garden, brings in the same elements of hardanger and ribbon embroidery. And our third piece, Sunglow Memories, is another design of kloster blocks and pulled thread in a lucious overdyed silk. It is a unique picture frame that needs no cutting, and pictures are easily exchangeable!! Be watching for these great designs!!

First Four Designs are Published!

We are pleased to announce that our first four designs have been printed and will be available on November 5, 2008!! Here are pictures of the covers of the new designs:

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Be sure and check out our web page www.LaceyThread.com after November 5th!!!

We Keep Plugging Along...

It's coming right along. The first four models are stitched and finished. The photos have been taken and the covers are pretty well in place. They will probably receive their final tweaking next week. (I'm studying for an exam for my general insurance designation, so I have been devoting extra time to that). I went to the post office today and signed up for a post office box. The first publication date is within sight!!!

The first four releases (and some teasers) are as follows:

Hawaiian Memories

Allison's Ring Pillow

Quaker Inspirations

My Heart's Garden

This has been quite an adventure, and not going as quickly as I hoped. That is only because life seems to keep getting in the way....my normal job, studying for my exam, school starting for Lizzie and Alana, etc. It will all get done though. The first time through everything seems awkward and slow. We are anticipating getting into a groove with the second set of releases.

Learning to use a lightbox

Last Saturday DD#1, Amy, and I spent about 8 hours photographing, choosing just the perfect photo, and doing the color front page for the model for "My Heart's Garden". Whew. We learned alot, and I think we are going to work on photographing it again this coming Saturday. We finally got the setting the way we liked, but the lighting was just not perfect. I want to try it again.

I made a very homemade, what supplies I had on hand, type of lightbox. I used a see through plastic container instead of mounting white paper on a cardboard box, and I am pleased how it left no shadows. But I used two regular lightbulbs along with my natural daylight Dazor, and tried every setting on the camera. I think I will try it with the Dazor and two flourescent lights and see what kind of effects we get. This has sure been a learning experience. The next go-round should not take quite so long!

The Beginning...

Welcome to my Lacey Thread Designs blog. I plan on talking about the designs when they are actually published, and in the meantime, sharing with you the process of becoming a full fledged company. It has been quite a learning time for me, having to deal with software with which I am unfamiliar, state laws and local ordinances with which I am totally ignorant about, having to find a web site server that doesn't charge an arm and a leg, having to decide on a layout template that will nicely service all, or most, of my designs.

I have had to learn about drawing stitch diagrams, and dealing with a slightly unstable design software. I have learned that one must do about 10 backups of every little change in a design, and then back it up again by creating a JPEG or PDF. Because, if something can go wrong, it will.

I have learned to buy way more thread than I think I need for a project, like 3 or 4 times the amount I think I will need, because invariably, it will not be enough, and the next time the thread is ordered, it will always be a different dye lot. I have learned to rip out stitches to blend in the new dye lot. and then rip again to blend some more. Take my word for it. It will ALWAYS require more thread than you think, especially, ESPECIALLY, if you are using an overdyed thread!!!!


I have learned that one can start a design business on a shoe string, but it is very difficult. It would be so much easier to find the easy and expensive solution to whatever I need to do. But I am learning that even though it takes me four times as long to get done what needs to be done, it CAN be done with very little start up money. I am going to have to break down and invest in a couple of things. Like a website server. And printing.


I am learning that this is what I love. I have discovered that perhaps my life's journey will not be working for someone else 40 h0urs a week for the rest of my working life. At least I hope not. I long to have the time to invest in this full time.


This will be an interesting journey. Hope you come along for the ride!!!