Designer Q&A
For me there is nothing better than a quiet, cold, rainy or snowy day, when I can curl up with a quilt and a steaming cup of caramel coffee and do my thing.
Q: When did you begin cross stitching?
A: When I was 12, my grandmother taught me how to embroider using various stitches, and of course, cross stitch was one of them. I had no idea then that it would lead to a lifetime love of needlework.
Q: When did you begin designing cross stitch?
A: In the 1990s, when my children were in school, I began to have a little more time to pursue what I loved. Back then, you used a pencil and graph paper to lay out a design. The first one I did was an 8" x 10" sampler done in a pale palette of pinks, greens and cream. It came out so well that it encouraged me to keep going.
Q: What is your favorite type of design to stitch?
A: My favorite type to stitch is definitely reproduction samplers. There is something about stitching up a piece based on a design that was originally stitched so long ago by one who loved her needlework as much as I do. I like to think about her life and how she reflected it in her work with the idea of passing it on to future generations as well.
Q: What is your favorite type of design to create?
A: I guess I am a storyteller at heart. For me, the design should convey a message and evoke a memory or emotion. I don’t stick to one certain style or design, but try to use whatever color palette or style that best tells the story.
Q: What are your favorite colors to use?
A: I love bright colors. My favorite color is the beautiful blue of the ocean in a tropical paradise. To go with that, I love to match up a sandy color, and pinks, greens, etc. However, each design calls out for its own colors, so I try to use what’s best for each one.
Q: Have you ever gotten a design idea and had no paper? What did you draw on?
A: That’s funny and it does happen. I have found that a napkin, the back of an envelope, or one of my grandbabies’ stray papers from school has helped in just such an emergency.
Q: Are you a morning, midday or nighttime designer?
A: I find that from morning until the time everyone starts arriving home from school and work is when I get my best work done; although, when I am working on a larger project for publication I sometimes squirrel away in my room under a blanket in the evening and “nest” until it is finished.
Q: What is your idea of a perfect cross stitch/design day?
A: For me there is nothing better than a quiet, cold, rainy or snowy day, when I can curl up with a quilt and a steaming cup of caramel coffee and do my thing. I think it’s mostly about the snuggly blanket. Q: Who is your cross-stitch idol? A: That’s easy—Julia Line. She is the mastermind behind Long Dog Samplers designs. From a designer’s perspective, her original designs are absolutely mind-blowing, and I am a huge fan! Q: Who stitches your samples? A: I have been known to stitch some small pieces, but I am truly a designer at heart and stitching tends to pull me away from that. So I like to put all my time into designing and have model stitchers do what they do best. That way, when I do stitch, it’s for my own personal enjoyment, and I usually choose things by other designers.
Q: What is your favorite snack while designing? A: Twizzlers! Q: What do you do when you aren’t designing or stitching?
A: My wonderful husband, Derek, and I work with various ministries to help the homeless and needy by providing food, clothing, shelter and other resources.
Q: If you were trying to convince someone to take up cross stitching, what would you say?
A: Truly anyone can do this. It’s just a little “x.” Don’t be intimidated by an ornate, beautifully stitched piece. Everyone has to start as a beginner. Find a small project, like an ornament, that appeals to you and begin. Progress at your own pace and get involved in stitching communities, whether locally or online, where you can build friendships and get good advice along the way.