Sunday, March 24, 2013

Remodeling ....Rooms & Patterns!

Easter Sunday is forcing me to clean.  The relatives are coming!  I figure there will be about hmmm...20 men, women & small childs here so I need to clear out the dining room.

My dining room has become a real mess lately.  We rarely use it for dining anymore.  About 98% of the time, it's used for my business.  My computer & printer are here in the dining room as well as my file cabinet that contain all of my patterns. The worst problem as far as misuse of space is how my walls are now decorated...
"Decorated" isn't exactly a good way to describe my dining room walls though.  I have my finished samples flung over an old washstand, I have them flung over a wall shelf ...basically, I have them flung over anything and everything that will hold them.  I need to create a wall space so that I can display them nicely and with a little more respect.
That's going to be my project for this week and my deadline to finish is this coming Friday.  I will show pictures of the finish and only because the promise to post pictures will force me to get it done!

In other remodeling/redesigning news... My "Blueberry Baskets" pattern has now been redesigned into something better....
  (The re-design is on the top)

Ever since I created this, it bothered me that there was so much empty white space in the design.  It got to the point that I didn't enjoy looking at it because it bothered me so much.  I realized that if "I" didn't enjoy looking at it, most likely my customers would feel the same way so I knew it was time to make it right.

The redesigned version, as you can see is exactly the same baskets and background. I changed the background color, gave it some larger leaves and added some flowers. I also increased the blueberry size a bit.  Each basket contains about 18 blueberries as opposed to about 23-25 in the original design.  This is important because those darn blueberries become tedious to make after about the first two dozen!

 I love this "Blueberry Baskets" design now and will display this proudly on my dining room wall...(once I figure out a good way to display my things this week)

This new design can be purchased from my website http://www.cathspenniesdesigns.com
I have the wool kits available for this too.  Or, if you just need the mottled blue wool for the blueberries, I have that available too.

For those of you who have purchased the original design and would like to make the new design, just email me a picture of your original pattern as proof that you own it, or, to make it easier, just email me the fabric requirement size for the camel colored wool that's used for the baskets.  I'll email the pattern changes to you in PDF form. cathspennies@gmail.com


Monday, March 11, 2013

New Pattern "Penny Posies"

"Penny Posies" is a design that I drew up 3 years ago while trying to contain my boredom during a business course I was taking. 
I saved that drawing ... hung it up on my corkboard to remind me that I need to make it sometime.
I have to give my husband some credit with this one because he's the one that measured, drew and cut out the center scallop for me.  
Before retiring, among other things, he was a machinist.  I was never really sure exactly what was involved with being a machinist but I now know that it involved precise measuring of different things that he had to machine/make.
How perfect for me, because my weakness is precise measuring when it comes to creating the background scallops.  I can spend hours and hours getting those darn scallop shapes exact.  Even then, they tend to be off just a tiniest bit.  
So now, I tell him exactly what I want ... the size and shape.  He sits down with his little precise ruler, his compass and his protractor and within the hour, he has a perfectly drawn shape for me.
He certainly is just priceless.

"Penny Posies" measures 12" across.  It's shown made with wool but this one can easily be done with wool felt to save on expense.  I like the bright colors that I used but I can also imagine it made with other colors too ... lighter, pastel colors would be pretty or perhaps shades of purples/lavenders or shades of yellows.  
(If you buy this and make it with other colors, be sure to send me a picture so that I can show other options!)
If you'd like to purchase the pattern for this, it's available on my website http://www.cathspenniesdesigns.com  or it can be purchased by clicking on the "buy now" button over there on the left sidebar.
Wool kits are also available at a very reasonable price 
http://cathspenniesdesigns.com/item_90/Wool-Kit-for-Penny-Posies.php

As always, I accept personal checks. If you'd rather pay by check, just shoot me an email cathspennies@gmail.com and I'll send you my mailing address.

Happy Day!  Spring will soon be here!