Embroidery

I love love love to look at embroidery! I thought each month I could learn some new craft. What better way to start the year then with embroidery?!? I've met some wonderful bloggers while working on this project including Mollie from Wild Olive, Corinne from September House, and of course Kam from Campfire Chic!

I'm featuring these three lovely ladies, their blogs, and their work!

First up is Mollie from Wild Olive!

You've learned a little bit about her from my "5 Blogs I ♥"

But here's a little bit more!

Not only does Mollie stitch, but she is heavily involved with World Vision and is currently raising money through First Giving!

This past week Mollie has been sharing her goals:

Click each link to learn about them.

Read a big classic book

Blog Embroidery Basic Series

Collaborate with 3 Bloggers or Artists

Host a Tea Party

Explore New Embroidery Techniques

Get My Passport and Use It

Learn and Share Puppet Making
Also on her blog:
Patterns for all sorts of crafting projects, printables, and patterns!
I've found some older stuff on Wild Olive including the Make Do Create Workshop from 2009!
 January!

Mollie also started a Pattern of the Month Club!

 Click previous link for more information and/or to sign up. It's super reasonably priced! Once I've mastered the basic skills of embroidery, I'll be signing up!

Guess what?? Mollie has given me a pattern to share with all of my readers! I hope you enjoy!

http://molliejohanson.com/wildolive/snowflake.pdf

It's a snowflake! I will have an awesome feature all about snowflakes later this month!
Also, every month she come's out with a great desktop background with calendar each month! Here's January's!


If you'd like to know more about Wild Olive, these links will keep you busy!
Blog:Etsy
Facebook

Next up, Corinne from September House!
Corinne's embroidery is quite charming. Way before I even knew I was going to do this post and before I had decided January would be embroidery month, I had purchased a very awesome embroidery pattern from her etsy shop. Click here to check out her amazing pattern!


Like Mollie, Corinne has many tutorials and patterns for free on her blog! A brand new one has just come out just in time for spring!

Click here for pattern!

Corinne was also nice enough to add a pattern for this post. This one also has some awesome snowflakes! It was used in the Handmade Holiday article on the Good Housekeeping website this past Holiday season!

Click here for snowflake!

Click these links below to get to know September House:
Blog:Etsy


Last, but certainly not least, Kam from Campfire Chic!

Kam is just the sweetest person ever. One of the first girls I met in the blogosphere. 
Her stitching is a perfect representative of her: the camper! 
What's awesome about Kam is her series called Basic Stitch Week she did this past summer showing how to do certain stitches and also, she gave some free patterns as well!
How to Transfer a Pattern
How to Stitch a Straight Stitch
How to Stitch a Double Running Stitch
How to Stitch a Split Stitch


Get to know Kam:
Blog:Twitter
Etsy:Facebook
PS. Here's what I wrote about her last week: 5 Blogs I ♥
I hope you've enjoyed these three ladies! I've enjoyed putting together this post!

Other links you might enjoy:
Feeling Stitchy
http://www.needlenthread.com/

http://carinascraftblog.wardi.dk/p/free-patterns.html

http://www.sublimestitching.com/howto.html

http://iwasonlystitching.blogspot.com/
http://doecdoe.blogspot.com/search/label/embroidery
http://bigbgsd.blogspot.com/
http://libby-handwashonly.blogspot.com/
http://spotcolors.wordpress.com/
http://www.embroideryasart.com/
http://checkoutgirlcrafts.blogspot.com/
http://ebscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://unafloresita.blogspot.com/
http://blog.followthewhitebunny.com/
http://ninimakes.typepad.com/nini_makes/
http://claudiamarchan.blogspot.com/
http://stitchystitcherson.blogspot.com/
http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/
http://www.flickr.com/groups/embroideredstuff/pool/
http://kellyfletcher.blogspot.com/

5 Blogs I ♥

A brand new feature on my blog!

Every Day Reads Edition

5. Campfire Chic - The Tale of a Crafty Camper

Picture from CampfireChic

Kam is a twenty-something girl who lives in southern california.

I first stumbled on to her blog when she was my secret pal (secret pals no longer exists). We also tweet back and forth quite a bit.

Kam is a camper, crafter, blogger, etsy shop owner, cross-stitcher, embroiderer, geocacher, 

and avid tweeter!

Also, be on the lookout for a full feature with her and a few other bloggers and their sweet embroidery skills!

Check her out right here:

Blog:Twitter

Etsy Shop:Facebook

Also, here's an older post about Kam!

4. Amyschmamey  - A life blog about my adventures in photography... mommyhood... friendship... love... and yarn

Amy is a twenty-something mother of 2 who lives in MO. I stumbled on to her blog this summer. We've been twitter friends ever since! 

Amy is a professional photographer, homemaker, etsy shop owner, crocheter, and of course a blogger!

Be on the lookout! Next month, Amy along with a few others, will be featured in a post all about crocheting!Check her out right here:Blog:Etsy Shop

3. Wild Olive - The Blog of Mollie Johanson

Mollie is a blogger, etsy shop owner, and embroiderer. Her patterns are amazing. She is also one of the sweetest people to connect with. She is helping me out on a post I have planned for Monday of next week, and she has gone above and beyond! I'm super excited to show you what she's shared! She is also hosting pattern of the month club!
 Click here for more info on how to get involved!

Check her out right here:

Blog:Etsy Shop

Facebook

2. Busy Bee Lauren

Lauren a twenty-something blogger who has taken the blog world by storm. She lives in AZ along with her husband Ted. She blogs about vintage, fashion, every day life, her likes and dislikes, and even has some awesome tips for bloggers! Like this one!

Check her out right here:

Blog:Twitter

Facebook

1. A Beautiful Mess - Fashion Handmade and Pretty Things

Elsie is a twenty-something entrepreneur. She has made a name for herself. She lives in MO and is recently engaged! She is the only person out of this series that I haven't talked with via email. But my goal this year is to go visit Red Velvet, and meet her!

She's a crafter, budding sewer, e-course provider, painter, and a very successful blogger!

Check her out right here:
Blog:Red Velvet
Twitter

Follow/Feature Friday: Campfire Chic

Through Justine, who started secret pals...

I met Kam from Campfire Chic!

She's awesome!

We've been emailing, tweeting, and snail mailing (on my end)! And our conversations

are never dull! We have a lot in common and she's just the sweetest!

For my first ever: FOLLOW/FEATURE FRIDAY I thought I would give some love to

KAM!

I interviewd Kam via email this past week and here is what she had to say:

1. What's with the name?:

My boyfriend and I spent a long weekend in Sequoia National Park after I graduated in May. I was worrying about money, not having a job lined up like others in my cohort (it was a graduate program), but also feeling really inspired to craft thanks to the beautiful surroundings. One night we were sitting around the campfire enjoying some hot chocolate and it hit us: why not open an Etsy store focused on the outdoors? We began brainstorming shop names, products, and marketing campaigns. The following week, Campfire Chic was created. I wanted a name that would remind me of where we were when the idea came about, and I love alliteration-hence the Chic! I opened the shop with a handful of journals I made using wooden postcards I purchased at the Visitor Center in Sequoia, some ribbon purchased at a local scrapbook store, and some big ideas.

 From Campfire Chic

2. How did you get into embroidery/cross stitch?:

I have been scrapbooking regularly for the past six years, but last fall I found myself in a rut and in need of trying a new craft. I found Andwabisabi's Etsy shop and I was hooked! She offers a free pattern if you sign up for her newsletter, so I made sure I could complete a pattern before spending money on more...Her patterns are sooo cute, it's hard not to buy multiples when you get to her shop! I started creating my own patterns the same week I opened Campfire Chic. It's a lot of fun!  As for embroidery, I'm still learning! I am taking Wild Olive's The Embroidery Project: Going Beyond Fabric and Floss class and was inspired early in the course to try my hand at creating my own patterns. I currently have only word patterns in my shop, but my goal is to have a few more up as soon as possible.

3. Apples or Bananas?

Apples! Especially those Granny Smith apples, they're so tart and tasty. I used to love bananas when I was younger, but I can't stand them now. It sounds picky/high maintenance of me, but I even ask for "no banana" in my smoothies. I guess it could be worse!

4. What other things are you passionate about?

It may be unrelated to crafting/blogging, but I am passionate about working with college students, especially student leaders. Working on a college campus allows me to interact with amazing individuals and express my creativity. College students are amazing beings with big ideas and a huge capacity to get things done. In other news, I'm passionate about the environment, letting my family and friends know I treasure them, and tacos. Yes, tacos. We go way back.
 

5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years, your blog, your etsy shop?

I was just asked this last week, but in a totally different context! Well, in five years I will be 29 years old. I hope to be working on a college campus while balancing the work I want to put into my blog and shop. I don't need to be the next blog star, but I want to still be inspired to post regularly and create something new every day. If Etsy is still around *fingers crossed* I would love to be a part of a team by then and possibly showing at craft shows...maybe even Renegade one day! I also see myself about a bazillion pounds heavier if I don't regulate my relationship with tacos. Just sayin'

6. Any new things coming in your etsy shop?

I'm working on some more embroidery patterns! I also have a few ideas in my notebook about items for geocachers. It's a small market on Etsy right now, but I love it so much and I have noticed several other bloggers do it too! I hope it's a hit ;) Also on my hope-you-can-pull-this-off list: jewelry (charm bracelets, earrings, necklaces), soy candles, picnic blankets, and other things to be used outdoors. I'm excited!

7. What is your dream job?

Hmmm, I'm not sure about specifics, but I would love to be able to have a job that allows me time to do things I love and challenge me to try new things that I may find I love, too! I just completed a journal page for Janel's Journaling for a Cause course about what (as a child) I wanted to be when I grew up and I listed hairdresser, marine biologist, teacher, clothing designer, and medical examiner (I'm twisted, I know). Based on this list, I think my dream job would be in one of the "helping" professions. Maybe a taco truck diver? Taco taster? Taco photographer?

Doesn't she sound awesome?? Check out her Etsy Shop and her Blog!

I've been so glad I've gotten to know her!

I'm not doing a giveaway per se, but for the first person to make a comment, will receive a pdf file of one of her embroidery/cross stitch patterns!

Please, these are for personal use only!

Thanks Kam for letting me feature you!

Oh and check out secret pals!