Some Mid-Summer Fall Stitching...

Hello, again! :o) 

It's time for another update, since I am really trying to make a commitment to post more regularly in this space. Today I want to introduce to you all my newest design - a cute, autumn themed pattern that just might inspire you to get a head start on your fall stitching! ;o)

'Hello Gourd-Geous' by home♥stitch♥ness

As much as I love pumpkins, I wanted to do something a little different than usual for this design and here is the result: 'Hello Gourd-Geous' is a perfect mix of modern cross stitch and rustic charm and I think it would make a great addition to your seasonal decor this year! ;o) These decorative gourds were so much fun to stitch and the colour palette is definitely a new favourite. 

A little behind-the-scenes story about the design process... it was actually my husband that helped me come up with the wording. My original draft said 'have a gourd fall' and he took one look and said it wasn't catchy enough AT. ALL. He is usually right about these things, so I asked him what he'd suggest, instead... along with a few silly responses (of course - ha!) 'hello gourd-geous' sounded clever and witty, so that is how I settled on the phrase.

'Hello Gourd-Geous' by home♥stitch♥ness

The 'Hello Gourd-Geous' PDF pattern is now available in my Etsy shop and I'm very pleased with how it turned out. I will admit that I've had my finish on display for the past few weeks, even though it is still perhaps a little early... ;o) 

Thanks for stopping by! Happy stitching, everyone!

Jenny x

Time for a Catch Up...

Why, hello there! 

It's been over a year since I blogged and it is very much time to dust off the cobwebs and post an update. My oh my, where to begin? So much has happened! I think I will start with my most recent news and then work my way back through the last few months...

I have two brand new designs and the one I'd like to share with you today is a lovely little strawberry sampler called 'Berries in a Basket', which is available as a PDF pattern in my Etsy shop. This 'berry sweet' design has quickly become a best seller and I am ever so grateful - thank you! :o)

'Berries in a Basket' by home♥stitch♥ness

I've received lots of encouraging feedback about this pattern, most notably stitchers seem to really like it because it is a spring/summer themed design featuring a red cardinal, while typically we see red cardinals mostly in winter/Christmas patterns - something that never even crossed my mind when the idea came to me originally, so I find it interesting that this aspect has turned out to be such a novelty. 

The other comment many people have made is that they really like the fact that both a male and female cardinal are featured. Personally, I think female cardinals are just as beautiful as their male counterparts, so I wanted to make this pretty lady equally rich in colour using mostly golden thread... don't they make the cutest wee couple? :o) I should also mention that the chart caters for those of you that might wish to stitch a different bird by offering two other options, including a pair of European red robins and South Pacific silver eyes.

'Berries in a Basket' by home♥stitch♥ness

As a designer, it's always good to hear what resonates with an audience, as it really helps me when looking to turn more ideas into future cross stitch projects. I can't wait to show you my other release, soon - it's an autumn design, so for those of you ready to start your fall stitching, it may be your next new start! ;o)

Until then - happy stitching!

Jenny x

Cornish Village Scene...

Hi friends!

Spring has FINALLY arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, and I am very glad to be enjoying warm days, again, and seeing so many flowers in bloom! It's not long, now, until school will be out for the summer. Do you have any exciting holiday plans this year? We've already had our big trip to New Zealand, of course, but we still hope to get away for a couple of long weekends, here and there. 

One place on my list of future summer holiday destinations is definitely Cornwall, in South West England... you could say I became particularly interested in the region once I began watching the BBC's 'Poldark' a few years ago! ;o) The scenery looks truly breathtaking and I began browsing through all sorts of travel photos online - I was very inspired!

'Cornish Village Scene' published in the June 2018 Issue 268 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

Naturally, I started thinking about how I could capture a characteristically Cornish landscape scene in cross stitch, and this is what I came up with... it almost felt like I was working on a painting! :o) It is a large piece, done in a modern, poster art style, and it is my biggest design to date! In the foreground are some vibrant blue agapanthus, and I even managed to sneak a bit of 'kiwiana' into it - our native NZ cabbage trees are very popular in gardens around the UK! ;o) 

I am very happy with how this scene has turned out and if you'd like to stitch it yourself, you can find the pattern in the June 2018 Issue 268 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine, which is currently on sale in all the usual places. 

Thanks for visiting and - as always - happy stitching! :o)
Jenny x

Spring Street Scene...

Hello! :o) 

I'm back again this month ~ have actually been all the way to New Zealand since my last post! My husband, children and I enjoyed a lovely summer holiday (and escaped the last of the winter here in the States - YAY!) for a few weeks. I had not been home in 3 years, so it was really good to be able to catch up with friends and family there, as well as soak up plenty of beach time! :o)

As I mentioned previously, I have a new design to share with you that I think you will love... 

'Spring Street Scene' published in the April 2018 Issue 266 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

Here it is! :o) Published in the April 2018 Issue 266 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine, it is actually one of my largest designs, so far. It is a sweet, spring themed street scene ~ inspired by fancy London neighbourhoods full of pretty painted houses with overflowing window boxes! Not to mention all the magnolia trees and wisteria vines, laden with flowers, that have become such a stunning feature in those areas every year. 

I don't know about you, but I could very happily move into any one of these cute houses! If I had to choose, I think I'd pick the blue one... :o) Who wants to move in next door to me!? ;o)

Happy stitching!

Jenny x

Inspirational Hoop Art for Kids...

Hello! And happy 2018 to you all! :o)

Here we are, it's mid February already... am not sure where the time goes? I hope you've had plenty of opportunity to get some stitching done so far, this year! :o)

I've been back to work, mostly behind the scenes, ever since the holiday season finished. I am very excited to show you my latest designs published in the March 2018 Issue 265 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine - they are definitely some of my favourites to date! ;o)

'Inspirational Hoop Art' published in the March 2018 Issue 265 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

I love everything about this little scene - the vintage toys and books really complement the hoop art. These bright and colourful designs will appeal to kids of any age and stage - you can stitch them for the little adventurers and explorers in your life! :o)

March 2018 Issue 265 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine

To my surprise, I was featured again on the front cover of this issue - something I don't think I will ever quite get used to! At the same time - such a thrill! :o) I'll be back again next month with another design for WOXS that I think you are going to love... I certainly enjoyed creating it! ;o)

Take care and as always - happy stitching!
Jenny x

The Festive Season...

Hello again, friends!

I must say, it does feel good to be dusting away the cobwebs from my blog and writing posts once again. Can you believe it is November already!?! The pumpkins are now disappearing and Christmas decorations are starting to take their place... I haven't decided when I will put up our Christmas tree, yet. As much as I like to make my autumn decor last through until after Thanksgiving, it's a funny time of year as it really starts to feel a lot more like winter than fall.

I am excited to tell you about my latest collection of designs published in the latest December Issue 262 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine - a set of six Nautical Christmas Ornaments! 

Set of six 'Nautical Christmas Ornaments' published in the December 2017 Issue 262
of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

Having grown up in New Zealand, where Christmas is a summer holiday, I still like to reminicse over warm days spent at the beach at this time of year. It was quite an adjustment for me, getting used to celebrating Christmas in the winter, and I still like to decorate our home with both winter and summer themed ornaments. This collection, to me, is a perfect mix of both! And not only that, they are perfect for the many stitchers who live near the coast. I am eager to get started on stitching these, myself - I think I might hoop them up for our tree with some red pom-pom trim! 

I hope you'll enjoy stitching these, too! :o)
Jenny x

A Busy Year...

Hi friends!

How are you all? I hope this finds you well and that you've had lots of time for stitching throughout 2017. It has been a very busy year for me and I have not updated this blog in such a long time (which is a bit naughty of me - sorry!) It's hard to know where to begin - so much has happened since my first design was published in The World of Cross Stitching magazine, a little over a year ago. I have become a regular designer for WOXS, which has been an amazingly wonderful experience, and through this opportunity I have met many more lovely stitchers, as well. I have plans to start featuring some of your work here on my blog. I already share a lot of work-in-progress and/or finished project photos on my social media accounts (Facebook and Instagram are where you can mostly find me these days) but I was thinking a special 'gallery wall' here might be an extra special feature! :o)

In the meantime, I thought I'd do a bit of a summary of the past twelve months... starting with the British version of my signature 'Four Seasons' samplers, which was published in the special 250th Issue of The World of Cross Stitching magazine! I was absolutely thrilled to create this design as it is such a fun one to stitch. Done in the same style/layout as my New Zealand and Australian versions, it has lots of sweet little scenes making up the overall sampler. This pattern is actually now available in my Etsy shop and as a little treat, I will be offering a discount code towards the end of this post, so keep reading... ;o)

'British Four Seasons Sampler' published in the January 2017 Issue 250
of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

'Lavender and Daisy Wreath' published in the August 2017 Issue 257
of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

Next up was another variation in my collection of floral heart designs, a pretty 'Lavender and Daisy Wreath' published in the August 2017 Issue 257 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine. I especially love how beautifully the team at WOXS finished the model in French country style - the lace framing the hoop is absolutely gorgeous and the purple ribbon literally 'ties it all together'. These floral hearts are such a joy to create and continue to be very popular!










Perhaps my favourite project so far has been my 'Dreamy Retro Kitchen' design, published in the September 2017 Issue 258 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine. This was especially fun to work on, as it is based on my kitchen at home, right down to the colours! I love British kitchen ware and have gathered quite a collection of both new and vintage items, over the years. We even have a ruby red stand mixer, just like the one featured! The really neat thing about a design like this, is that you can mix and match the thread colours to suit your own kitchen decor, so the possibilities are endless! :o)

'Dreamy Retro Kitchen' published in the September 2017 Issue 258 of
The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

The October 2017 Issue 259 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine featured my set of four 'Sewing Accessories' including a pincushion, needlebook, scissor fob and notebook cover. I love the soft, layered look of each piece and I enjoyed 'scattering' some pearl beads across each notion to add to the pretty 'antique' style of the collection ~ I think they turned out really well. 

 

   

'Sewing Accessories' published in the October 2017 Issue 259 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

And, most recently, I designed these two lovely autumn posies for the November 2017 Issue 260 of The World of Cross Stitching magazine. These designs celebrate the classic blooms we all identify with late summer/early autumn - the colours are rich and vibrant and they make the perfect pair of stitched decorations for the season!

'Autumn Posies' published in the November 2017 Issue 260 of
The World of Cross Stitching magazine ~ photo credit WOXS

So, there you have it - a selection of the designs that have been keeping me busy this year! I also have a couple of new patterns that I released this year for home♥stitch♥ness, so I will post about those soon, too. In the meantime, if you read this far, well done! And don't worry, I haven't forgotten that I mentioned a discount code... ;o) From now until the end of 2017, you can receive 40% off your entire purchase in my Etsy shop by using the coupon code THANKYOU2017  ... this is my way of thanking each and every one of you for your support of my work. It truly is a dream come true to be able to stay at home with my children while doing what I love - cross stitch - and it is you, my stitching friends, that help to make it all possible. In a nutshell - you are awesome!!! :o)

We'll catch up again, soon! As always, happy stitching...

Jenny x