I'm Back!

It's been so long since I've posted to my blog. I have intended to do so but I've been so incredibly busy, I just haven't managed to get it done.

So, where have I been in the past 4 months? Working mostly.

The lead up to Nashville market in February is always so busy and then after there are orders that need shipping, threads that need dyeing and there are just not enough hours in the day.

I also have a new grand daughter, Taylor Leigh Fisher who was born on February 6th and my daughter, Jaime, was married on March 19th. We were back home in Australia for just over 3 weeks and I had plenty to do to catch up after I returned.



Over the past few months I have also re-structured my business and Toni, who has been working for me for about 2 years, now comes in more often,which has freed up more of my time. I still do all the dyeing and administrative work and Toni packs orders and handles the inventory control and organises the work for the other 4 ladies who work for me.

All in all, it is working out well and I've even had time to read the odd book on weekends instead of working 7 days a week.

At the moment we are preparing for the TNNA trade show in Columbus OH, which is the first week in June. I'll be releasing new silks and designs at this show and so we are busy with our normal day to day work as well as preparing all the new stock for release.

I'll post updates as we progress with our preparations but I can tell you I have a new Celtic design and new quilt block to release, Janie will have new designs as will Judith and Janie and I will collaborate to release the 4th seasonal biscornu... Autumn.

'The Wagon' Get Together

I hosted a GT for stitchers from The Wagon BB last Saturday. A few non-wagoners from Houston came as well and I think there were 15 people all up, so a good gathering. We had good company and good food and I think we all ate way too much.

It was Kat and Melissa's birthday this month and there was birthday cake!



Here is a photo of some of those that attended.



This week I've been dyeing ready for Nashville. I keep changing the number of new colours that I'll release but there will be 7 or 8. I'm also dyeing silk for Janie's wonderful new designs. She is going to blow you all away again next year with her new releases. I've seen the most wonderful photos but of course I am sworn to secrecy until Janie releases the images, which should be sometime in January.

Janie and I have been working on several collaborations, one of which will be a Nashville exclusive. Only stores who attend Nashville market will be able to purchase this unique collaboration pack. I'll be posting about all the new releases here and on my website as soon as the photos and information is made public.

I will have two new releases at Nashville, one of which is a new quilt block and I will also be releasing The Min Min in chart form. This design was previously published in the October issue of The Gift of Stitching . I'll add my usual recommendation here for this wonderful magazine. If you don't have a subscription, you really are missing out. Your local needlework store can purchase subscription cards direct from me.

December already!

I know I'm repeating myself but... Where has the year gone? It seems like it was Christmas only a few months ago and here it is again.

Which means I am elbow deep in dyes organsing the new silk colours for release at Nashville and making sure we have plenty of stock for all the new designs that are being released at market.

So, what have I been doing since the last time I posted? Besides dyeing, Ian and I went on vacation for a week which we both really enjoyed. I managed to make progress on the lace for my daughters wedding dress while we were away. Her dress will be purple and silver and I am beading the silver lace with swarovski crystals. I have finished 5 yards and have 3 more to go. The photo below doesn't show how lovely it is but it gives you an idea.



My friend Fran is going to come over after Christmas to help me sew the dress, so I need to get a move on with the lace. The wedding is just before Easter 2008 and I want to ship the dress home in January to make sure it fits.

Saturday I am hosting a GT here for any members of 'The Wagon' who can make it and some local Houston stitchers. I'm looking forward to having everyone here. If I remember, I'll take some photos to post.

I Have the Time

I finally have a chance to blog again. I don't know if I will have something to say each day, but here I am.

It's been an eventful few weeks with The Needlework Show, the Houston Quilt Festival, organising the Fall LE packs and a wonderful trip to San Antonio.

Frances and Sharon, the two lovely ladies from Stitches From the Heart in San Antonio, invited me to attend their birthday celebrations last weekend. They have a really nice store with a great variety of stock and nice big stitching table where customers can sit, stitch and chat.

What a great group of ladies I met on Saturday. Everyone was so friendly and we managed to have a good chat while everyone was stitching.



L-R Jackie, Benji, Nancy, Valerie, Earline



This is Gail, a fellow Aussie who is in San Antonio while her husband is on a year's work contract, and Charlotte.



Carol, Me, Valerie and Dr Chris H, with Frances in the background, admiring two of Janie's (The Cat's Whiskers) beautiful models.



This is the very clever Carol and Benji and the model of The Dreaming that Benji stitched and Carol finished. It is totally amazing and I love the colour scheme, 124 Luna Park and 109 Peridot. The finishing is perfect and shows off the colours in the stitching so well. It is so different to my model and their variation blew me away!

If you are ever in San Antonio, make sure you call in and say hello to Frances and Sharon and if you get an opportunity to sit and stitch with any of these lovely ladies, make sure you do it!

Everything is Happening

I've had a reprieve from surgery on my shoulder. It is very inflamed and the Dr gave me a cortisone injection, some anti-inflammatory pills and I need to start physical therapy next Tuesday. I see the Dr in 3 weeks to see if things are any better.

I have to say, I did not enjoy the injection and my shoulder is very sore at the moment.

But, work goes on. The Needlework Show has started and I've had over 1000 entries so far for the competition for the set of silks. Thank you to everyone who entered and I'm sorry but I'm not able to acknowledge all the entries. Most I've seen are correct but I did have a few entries that made me laugh at the silk names they came up with.

My Limited Edition Fall pack is in the works. I have the silk dyed and hope to have everything ready to ship by the first week in November. I'll be taking names until November 4th or until sold out.

The packs are $26 and for this you will receive 2 Limited Edition silks, 2 Limited Edition stranded cottons, a piece of 18 x 13 hand dyed fabric, a small design and I always add something extra to all the packs.

If you would like to reserve a pack, e-mail me at jo@dinkydyes.com

It's Been So Long

I can't believe it has been so long since I blogged. As I am sure you can probably guess, life has been hectic and there hasn't been enough hours in the day.

There is lots happening at Dinky-Dyes, but I am supposed to be slowing down. I've injured my shoulder and need to see an orthopaedic surgeon this Friday to see about getting it repaired.

Of course I have way to much to do and have tried to put aside some things but I've been as busy as ever. I'm working on the new Nashville release colours and developing new silks for Janie to use in the new LE packs we'll release at Nashville.

The Fall Collaboration packs are shipping this week. What a gorgeous lot of goodies we have for you. There is fabric from Country Stitch, Polstitches and Jayne's Attic, cotton threads from Ozark Sampler and Carrie's Threads and of course silk threads from me. The guest designer is Marc from Needlemania and he has created a lovely design for us. There is also a small design from each of the dyers taking part in this pack so over all, real value for the $48 price. I still have 2 packs remaining if anyone is interested.

The Needlework Show opens tomorrow, Wednesday and I have a great line up of products in the show. In fact everything on my website can be ordered during the show.

We have released many new products over the past month and will be releasing 4 new silks at The Needlework Show.



Once again Dinky-Dyes is donating a full set of silks to a lucky shopper but there is a question you must answer correctly. Make sure you log onto the show for your chance to win.

You can find all the latest news from Dinky-Dyes by following the 'Latest News' link on our homepage.

We have new releases!

My friend Janie from The Cat's Whiskers and I have another Collaboration pack. It is Christmas Ornament pack and it contains the charts for an ornament designed by Janie and one designed by me and all the silks needed to stitch them.



If you would like a closer look, go here

I have also released Lightning Ridge, which is the 4th in the Quilt Block series.


The others are Southern Stars, The Dreaming and Terra Australis.
The 5th in the series, The Min Min will be in the September issue of The Gift of Stitching magazine.

Our new Lapel Pins have arrived! I love collecting different pins and decided I would have Dinky-Dyes pins made. We also now have fun multi-coloured Dinky-Dyes pens.

I will have these lovely pins on sale at Hershey but if anyone not going to Hershey would like one, just send me an e-mail.