This will be more info than you ever wanted to know (unless you’re interested in counted cross stitch). Since I’m not a fashion blogger like many of my friends are I sometimes struggle with something to post – and I do try to post weekly. My blog surely lives up to it’s name “Ramblings” 🙂
Anyway, about my little business. I’ve loved cross stitch for many years and stitched a gazillion things as gifts and for myself. Chuck always fully supported my cross stitch habit but eventually told me, “Okay, you’ve stitched for everyone except us – you need to stitch something for our walls”. Boy, did I take him seriously. In any event, I do love to cross stitch and it’s a serious stress reliever for me. I’ve worked part time in the local cross stitch shop for 15 years and both my original & current bosses encouraged me to market my own designs. I’m not particularly good at marketing, and I’m just a very small fish in a very large pond, with lots of really BIG fish – but I’m working on it. I know my charts are in a number of shops – but don’t know where. The wholesale site I sell through just tells me sales, not where they have gone to (I wish). I sell a few charts on Iris Originals and do know I have customers in a variety of countries and I just keep plugging along.
Now you’re bored to tears, I’m going to share a few of my favorite (and best selling) charts.
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- Made especially for first great-grandbaby
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- Another special one for my first great-grandson
The very first chart that I marketed, and it was while I was still in treatment for cancer myself. Mine was breast cancer – but this poem works for ANY cancer and I included all the colors for the various ones on the chart.
I hope I haven’t bored you too much. There are a LOT more, but I didn’t want this post to be miles long. If you’ve stuck with me this far – thanks and blessings to you!!! Iris
Look at you!! So glad you shared this side of your life, this interest and hobby and business!! I have an elephant – yes, an ELEPHANT cross stitch that I am working on and have been for YEARS. I am going to finish it this fall-winter no matter what!! Was never taught how to cross stitch correctly so the backs of my projects are really dreadful. How do you keep the threads neat and from getting them all tangled up in the back?
Love the baby patterns. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks for the kind comments Leslie. I definitely want to see your elephant when you finish it. And you know, you’re certainly not the only one with the backs a mess. I try to keep mine neat by only using one color at a time and not running thread across a large span. Though, I don’t know if there’s a “right way”. Whatever way works for you is good.
Thanks for the baby patterns – they’re the first baby ones I’ve done – but with two new great-grandbabies I had to do them.
Iris
Not boring at all, Iris! I admire your talent and I can see why your designs sell all over the world! They are beautiful and so inspirational! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Debbie – don’t consider myself talented, but I do enjoy doing the designs – and I feel special that they are getting around the world.
Iris
You are so talented, these are lovely designs! I don’t have any creative skills like this but my mum does do cross stitch and she made the boys little individual ones when they were born with their names and birth details on them – they are stunning works of art and we are so happy to have them up in their rooms!
Hope that you had a great weekend 🙂 We had a busy but fun long weekend!
Ahhh thank you Mica. I don’t consider myself talented, but I do enjoy creating ‘stuff’.
It was great that your mum cross stitched a birth sampler for your kids. That’s something they can keep forever.
Iris
I knew you had a small business and I understand not being good at marketing too. I tried a few things during my life outside teaching but they never lasted because I just didn’t get into the marketing. I did try cross-stitch once because both my daughters, a one time during their lives were very into it. The upside is that I have a few beautiful cross-stitches that they have done for me during the years. But, it turns out that I just like my sewing and knitting better. I do love the “getting off the floor one”-how true! for… Read more »
Oh Terri, you should definitely keep up the sewing blog – I love it. And you are such an accomplished seamstress – it leaves me breathless. My Mother could sew like that and back in the day I could sew much better than I can now – and I think enjoyed it more. I do still sew, but very limited things. My Grandkids were always bringing me things to “fix” – both theirs and their friends, so I guess I’m the “fix-it seamstress”. I tried crochet and knitting, but they just weren’t for me. It’s great you have some cross-stitches.… Read more »
I LOVE that you are sharing these. It’s not boring at all. Please, please, share more down the road.
How exciting that your patterns are being sold all around. I didn’t realize you were so famous.
XOOX
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Well thanks Jodie! But, I’m not sure just how “famous” I am. I enjoy what I do and it’s nice to see that little check come in at the end of the month – or a few paypal payments. Thanks for the encouragement. I just might share a few more.
Iris