Day By Day

This section will be an ongoing journal of happens at The Heart’s Content and my life. Please be sure to visit monthly for new posts keeping you up to date on my creations or perhaps just an outstanding day along my journey.

December 20, 2016

Happy Holidays to all of you Special Stitchers! Such an endearing Family and Friends Season. I wish each and every one of you a Most Blessed Holiday Season. My gift to you is a sneak preview of what is to release in the Spring of 2017. I have been busy this entire winter stitching and creating my models. Some complete, some under construction…….however, enough to give you a glimpse of what it will be when it grows up. Enjoy !

Kit #221 Oak Tree Tudor-Batik Scissors Sheath (does NOT incl scissors)

Havana Brown Tudor Silk
Zweigart New Castle 40-ct. Stone Gray linen
Batik Oak Leaf fabric
cording/tassel enclosures
one color photograph on front cover
26 & 28 gauge tapestry needles
Maureen’s gentle guidance for One-Over-One stitching technique

Retail #45.00

Kit #222 Pink Paisley Stitching Bag. Complete kit includes:

40-count white linen
Gloriana Silk Tudor 12-ply from Switzerland, “Williamsburg Rose”
inside and outside fabrics for finishing
Maureen’s gentle guidance for One-Over-One stitching technique
three colored photographs
26 & 28 gauge tapestry needles
large pink button
ENTIRE design is created with one of the 12 ply Tudor Silk over one linen
thread. COMPLETE CROSS STITCHES.
finished stitched and assembled project is approximately 7″ square, when bag
is closed.
this design of stitchery replicates the design in the pink paisley fabric of bag construction.
pink hand-dyed mini pom-pom 100% cotton trim for finishing

Retail $68.00

Kit #223 Pink Picotee Begonia Sewing Clamp

ten DMC colors, individually number tagged
two colored photographs
40-count white linen, for both top and skirt
Maureen’s gentle guidance for One-Over-One stitching technique
26 & 28 gauge tapestry needles
hand-forged steel sewing clamp, painted pink. Screw adjusts to table thickness.
ENTIRE design is created with one of the 6 plys over one linen
thread. COMPLETE CROSS STITCHES
complete finishing details and instructions for Palestrina Knot finishing technique
DMC Dentelles fiber to create skirt border (Palestrina Knot)

Retail $55.00

Kit #224 Pierre Peacock ON SILK GAUZE !!

27 gorgeous Soie ‘d Alger silks from France ornament this proud peacock. In the midst of my needle, and certain promises to display vibrant hues in his comb atop his head, and more of the eye feathers to develop. This design is being stitched on 40-count silk gauze, and will be mounted on an acid-free mat board in the kits, due to release in the Spring of 2017. You see Yoko, requests do get granted!

As I have yet to calculate the amounts of silk fibers in the kit, I have not yet determined the retail price of this kit. As do my other silk kit series, Pierre’ kit will include two special sharps needles to accommodate this tiny silk gauze. REMEMBER! The gauze holes are easier to see than those of linen 🙂 As I stitch, I certainly do keep track of all fiber increments, and will be able to disclose this information later. For now, let me introduce you to the beginnings of Pierre’.

Retail $64.00

Kit #225 Pink Hearts Scissors Sheath

This vibrant pink/rose batik is lovely as the foundation for Tudor Silk Jubie’s Pink.

I am presently stitching this fun piece on 40-count white linen with one strand of this gorgeous 12-ply Tudor Silk. Just a tease to show you a bit of the design, but my needles remained threaded on several of these new releases. I thank God daily for the health and wealth of retirement from the medical field, so I can seriously devote full days to my love of needlework. The Heart’s Content, Inc. is alive and well. Every evening is devoted to my creations, and I am filled with gratitude. Again, no retail price can be calculated until model is complete

Retail $45.00

Kit #226 2017 Annual Ornament ~ And The Stockings Were Hung By the Chimney With Care

……a charming miniature stocking to ornament your tree. This is being created on a deep colored linen with multiple hues of DMC fibers, and DMC Dentelles with instructions and alphabet to personalize your stocking ornament.

Retail $35.00

Kit #227 Pin Cube ~ Reproduction Vintage

Remember the olde pin cubes our Grandmothers had. I loved these so much, I began a collection of them when I was very young. I’ve decided to reproduce these with what else !!!Linen and Tudor Silk. 40-count teal linen is the backdrop for all six sides of this pincube. Each of the visable sides is a floral stitched with the Tudor Silk, incorporating each flower with several GLASS HEAD long pins. Each panel is a different color. The bottom side of this cube is plain teal linen with eight mother of pearl buttons sewn in place to provide the “feet” for this charming cube.

This project is scheduled for my needles next and I will then be able to provide you with a more advanced photograph. I love this idea. No price calculated yet, but I can tell you that all of the linen, silk, needles, glass-head pins, and mother of pearl buttons WILL BE INCLUDED in these kits.

Retail $46.00

Kit #228 Pink Tudor 15-sided Biscornu

This unique biscornu is stitched on 40-count Sandstone linen with Gloriana’s Tudor Silk Jubie’s Rose and Cremè De La Cremè. Such a fine combination and attractively finished as the 15-sided biscornu. COMPLETE KIT includes the linen and Tudor Silks. The gorgeous matching marking pins are from My Big Toe, available separately. The graphs include the floral stencil, crown, stripe, checked, and the personalization square to complete your lovely biscornu.

Retail $48.00

Merry Christmas to all of my friends during this MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR !!

Stay Stitching!

maureen

March 1, 2016

Spring is here! And the Spring Sparrow is my first sighting of my favorite Season. I have a new scissors fob design released TODAY for you. Be sure to view the Scissors Fob page of my site to see the newest addition: “Spring Sparrow Scissors Fob”, Kit #216.

Also TODAY we are headed to Nashville Tennessee for our International Needlework Trade Show, our chance to display our newest releases to your local needlework shops, as well as those around the world. Typically we have a great attendance from numerous other countries, and such a thrill it is to send our new designs home to their stitchers abroad!

This is a complete listing of the new releases for The Heart’s Content, Inc. this week at market.

Kit #216 Spring Sparrow Scissors Fob just in time for Spring

40-count ivory linen 44.00

Kit #217 Splendor Sampler XXVII Needlebook. New French Lace linen stitched with Glorianna Tudor Silk ! (Golden Squash) 65.00

Kit #218 Pink Garden Needlebook (includes 6 My Big Toe Exclusive THC treasures) 32-ct. white linen 75.00

Kit #219 Garnet Garden Needebook (includes 5 My Big Toe Exclusive THC treasures) 40-ct. ivory linen 72.50

Check out the photos on the Stitching Accessories page of my site.

This time of the year also that I enjoy our Wisconsin Winter coming to a close. Our birthday month, tulip peering season, and some final relaxation from all of the market preparation and kit assemblage with all of my new designs. We believe we have a great showing in 2016, and can’t wait to share then with all of the attending shopowners……to get them into your hands for an enjoyable re-creation!

Recently, some nice changes in our company operations. Since we married four years ago, I have a great husband that is such a total help in nearly each and every phase of our schedule. That, along with the new transfer of finishing to a greatly talented Dawn Boisvert ~ A Sweet Stitch, LLC, has afforded me much more stitching time to create AND STITCH my own models. Yeah! After all, that is why I instituted this business 40 years ago, because I absolutely loved to stitch! Now each day Dennis and I work for about six hours together with all the facets of fulfilling a Thread Count Business, both retail and wholesale. He is a great asset to the heavy lifting of our huge printing boxes, and certainly a master at packing Flossie, our trailer he custom built to travel to Markets and Stitch Events with us. He also hand-builds all of our wooden and metal stitching accessories. We have a rule now in our business that we both gather back home approximately at 3pm and prepare our evening meal together. After that, I can relax to one of my stitching nests, while he enjoys his evening television programs. He truly enjoys his tv fix, but I may plant a few hundred buttons or ribbons or beads in his lap for individual bags for kit assemblage. I choose not to partake in tv, so my nests may be in the same room as Dennis, but not in view of what he is watching. I’d rather my classical music, or Allison Kraus effortlessly lifting her voice to soothe my evenings. I believe I have her entire collection.

I hope you are enjoying Spring wherever you may reside, and looking forward to a lovely Summer as well. Just because Market will end this weekend does not mean I will not be designing. I have already threaded one of Anne’s (Gloriana’s Threads) new Tudor Silk hues onto my favorite new linen French Lace Linen. Already begin the set of new designs for the next showing. Also, I continue to stitch and create the finishing touches for my book I have been authoring for several years. Through The Eye Of My Needle. I hope to connect with a publisher in this calendar year and be able to share some of my masterful designs, never released before, to the stitching world. I believe it is truly a work of art, containing some of my finest work. All portrayed into an autobiography of myself. Right from the age of eight when Grandma Anna sat me down and taught me how to thread a needle!

DECEMBER 1, 2015

Autumn has been replaced with that beautiful thin white layer of cover that blankets our area every winter. The leaf rakes have been stored for the arrivals of new shiny shovels, as we prepare for the long cold Wisconsin Winter ahead of us.

With the Holidays fast approaching, we give thanks for another Thanksgiving Feast with our families at my daughters’ home, and prepare ourselves for another Christmas Season with the children and their families in our home on Christmas Day. It’s the most wonderful time of the year indeed. I’ve already taken the girls for their secret sibling/parents shopping, and a really fun lunch of course. So much joy to spend time with them at this magical season. Stella told me that her Elf On The Shelf would arrive last evening. I love that !

This Holiday preparation has begun quite early as I will be having a total hip replacement in two weeks, and will look forward to having the house in order, the gifts all wrapped, and the fresh trees all decorated in place for me to enjoy during my recovery over the following several months. I will also be using this time to prepare for our International Needlework Market in Nashville, TN. Annually the place to release and publish our new designs for the year. I sure can tempt you at this time, but you will need to have patience and visit your local needlework shop after March 6th to see the new releases from THC. Also I will be posting them on my site here once the photography is ready. My needles will be ablaze while my hip is settling in for a long winters recovery.

This is what I am working on for Nashville release in March, 2016:

Kit #216 Sparrow Scissors Fob, just in time for Spring !

Kit #217 Splendor Sampler XXVII linen stitched with Glorianna Tudor Silk !

Kit #218 Pink Garden Needlebook (includes 7 My Big Toe Exclusive THC

treasures) special linen

Kit #219 Garnet Garden Needebook (includes 6 My Big Toe Exclusive THC

treasures) special linen

I have been working with Debbie at My Big Toe for the past five months, and together we have created a wonderful exclusive (THC) collection of thirteen sparkling accessories for your needelbooks I am designing. What an inspiration and delight to offer your stitching nests next Spring.

Wishing You and Yours a Most Blessed Holiday Season. May you all enjoy a New Year of Health and Happiness.

In sincere appreciation of your support of my design efforts over the past 40+ years !

Respectfully,

Maureen P. Appleton-Sorenson

SEPTEMBER 3, 2015

It has been an extremely beautiful Summer indeed. Lot’s of gentle rains to keep our flowers and foliage bright green. Oh how I love to garden! Some great jaunts around the state of Wisconsin have broadened our knowledge of what is really in our back yards. We enjoyed our time away alone with no phones, emails, and social media. We were fortunate to visit some absolutely gorgeous perennial nurseries in the western regions of our state, and were thrilled to add new varieties and color to our flower gardens. A game of give n take. Even took in my very first International Chainsaw Carving Contest, held in Eau Claire, WI. I’ll let Dennis comment on this one. Great to have my stitching with me 🙂

This Summer also took us on four-wheelers to the mountains of Utah for a little mini vacation. The Ruby Mountain Range (behind us in the photo here) is such a gorgeous site both below the mountain and certainly atop the ridges overlooking the Great Salt Flats. In four hours, our guide lead our way to the very top. Lunch with a view ! Truly the most adventuresome ride we have had on our bikes yet. With the seasonal rains, many of the pathways were totally washed out, so we thanked God for our experienced guide. Dennis and I have our own two-seated, much larger machine for comfort. These smaller ATV’s were available for us to maneuver the ridges narrow paths. Very interesting. Our guide purchased a lot of these “Hawkeyes” from the Mash set. Such a great experience. Oh so excited to see our home camp nearly a day later !

The Heart’s Content, Inc. has also been very busy when we managed to keep weeks here in Green Bay with our noses to the grindstone. Dennis has been extremely creative and busy in his wood shop designing a new box for my class I will be teaching in Chatham, MA October 14-18, 2015. It is The Celebration Of Needlework Retreat. This photos shows the other three teachers in my group for this event. However, Meagan will be unable to join us in this venture, as she is ready any moment to deliver Zoe’s little brother or sister. Oh the suspense!

My class design portrays a product that both Massachusetts and Door County, Wisconsin are the lead producers in our country. A little hint for those already signed up for my class in Chatham. My Round Robbin design features a very “Eastern Sea Board” subject that we have all grown to love. Dennis has also been spinning his lathe daily to develop some very creative Exotic Rain Forest Hardwood laying tools. Oh these truly are gorgeous. At the end of our work day, when he comes back “home” I am always pleasantly surprised to see what his day has gathered. These woods are really magnificent. Honduras Mahogany & Rosewood, Indonesia Teak, Tulipwood, Ebony, Canarywood, Dymond Floral, Hickory, Osage Orange, just to name a few. He has over forty unique Rain Forest woods. Soon I will be able to photograph some of these for our website, and of course they will travel with us to the next Needlework Show.

Brings me to just that…… September 24-27, 2015 is the Galleria Of Needlework at the Embassy Suites in Saint Charles, MO. We are proudly exhibiting and teaching at this event, and looking very forward to seeing many of you avid stitchers there. Make the journey. You will be so glad you have. Ahhh… the comfort of a hotel suite for shopping your favorite booths. Twenty-three exhibitors, along with numerous trunk shows from vendors unable to exhibit. A small array of classes too. Check it out…..needleworkgalleria.com

This Summer I have had great honor in painting several of these flags for our home, family and friends. Wishing you all a Most Blessed Labor Day Holiday. Be sure to thank a veteran for our freedom.

Keep your needles threaded, and know that mine is constantly against my linens creating something wonderful for your stitching nests. You have to have one in your house. I have five!

February 20, 2015

A journey once again to Nashville, Tennessee to exhibit my new creations in the National Needlework Trade Show. I have exhibited at this market , formerly hosted in Charlotte, NC, Atlanta GA, and Baltimore, MD, without a miss since 1980. Five more designs packed in our Flossie Trailer, and we are just about ready to head out to the interstate. My fingers have been busy this very cold winter, and I am so proud to share with you my new creations. Truly one of my favorite phases of designing.

As it seems to be the case often, I am holding off with one of the five designs, as we have not yet received our order of hand-dyed silk ribbon. In addition to these four designs shown here in photo, I will be also releasing one more at market, just can’t complete assemblage at this point for Nashville, but assure you the kits will be available in mid-March. That design is titled “Porcelain Paisley Pin Pocket*. Look for it to appear here as soon as our ribbon arrives, and the model can be completed. My finisher and I have been working on it for the past several weeks, and can’t wait to share it with you.

Here is just a tease of what it will grow up to become once our ribbon arrives…….

New Items Now Available Online !

Porcelain Paisley Pin Pocket

Follow The Link Below To Browse The Heart’s Content Online Store !

Go To Store

September 16, 2014 Deep into preparations for the Celebration Of Needlework event in St. Charles MO next month (Oct 8-12). I will be releasing these four pieces for all the avid stitchers at that market.

Looking very forward to seeing you all there. My husband and I are very busy getting everything assembled for the market. Dennis has put in several hours hand turning some gorgeous new hardwood pin cushions for you as well. The buzz at this market last year was so exciting, and being our last market in 2014, we have tried very hard to put a little spin on this one, and offering you a few peeks at “what’s new”.

I’ve been assembling kits every day to assure you the ultimate selections in St. Charles. I have also been stitching as many hours as my days have afforded me to complete several new designs for a very special new project. Kansas City Star Books has contracted me to author a book for release in 2015. It is such a great honor to be chosen, and I have literally poured my little one-over-one heart and soul into my book’s development. I have completed several projects over the last nine months, and am proud to report I am about half way through this project. It is looking very appealing to the few family and friends I have shared my designs with. It will be a great surprise for all of you stitchers next year to share with your stitching friends. I will be certain to keep you well informed of my progress. Presently stitching my fifth creation, with hopes of offering eight in my book. Can you imagine purchasing one book with eight complete designs for you to re-create. Everything from a mini cartouche to an awesome Lone Elm Shaker Box.

On to more kit assemblage. Wishing you numerous days ahead with your threaded needle in hand creating something wonderful.

Your Friend In Stitching,

maureen appleton-sorenson

Jacobean Needle Weight

spring basket sewing clamp

Ask Me About This!

Ask Me About This!

October 31, 2014

Happy Halloween to all of you! Such a great time for the children. Just love seeing the grandchildren surprise us at the front door awaiting their treats. I already know little Stella will be a cheerleader, but still uncertain what Alex will choose to come as. I’m ready with their treats. And kisses & hugs.

Returned home safely from our venture in St. Charles, Missouri. Celebration of Needlework was a huge success, and oh was it great to not only meet so many new faces to the event, but to welcome again several of our veteran stitchers from that area. It was a fun weekend, and the classes and Round Robin events were greatly enjoyed. These are the two designs I released to my students in St. Charles two weeks ago.

Kit #208 La Belle Fleurs Needlework Weight $ 24.00

La Belle Fleurs needleweight

Kit #207 Mr. Gobble Mustard Sewing Clamp $ 55.00

Mr. Gobble Sewing Clamp

December 1, 2014

A most exciting day this week. I usually spend the better half of one day of the week running business and personal errands. Several trips to the P.O. and of course UPS, the print shop, office supply store, and my favorite, The Framing Cottage. It was with great excitement and anticipation yesterday that I stepped into the Cottage. A dear friend and EGA sister of mine has owned and operated this lovely haven for thirty years. Chris and I have been friends forever. This mission was quite different from others in the past. I mentioned earlier that I am in the midst of writing a book for Kansas City Star Publishing. Presently I have six items threaded and am in the stage of each with choosing the finishing technique, moldings for frames, etc. The selection at The Framing Cottage is amazing. One word. I usually have just the appearance in my mind, and often wish I could design the molding to compliment my creations. Well. Let me tell you, it just all fell into place. This not only allowed Chris to place the orders for all the different moldings ahead of schedule, but now provides me new insight for the formations of the remainder of these designs. Having this vision is a wonderful asset to keep that needle threaded in a direction of compliment to what I’ve already begun. My book will not print till mid-late 2015, but already I’ve dedicated nearly eight months into its creation. A true bit of myself, as it will be a true reading of what has entered “the eye of my needle” from the very beginning at the age of eight stitching with my maternal Grandmother Anna. These frame selections took us nearly two hours, but the best two hours I have spend on errands EVER! Such a dear to work with, and such a high to enter the cottage on a mission for my creations. I believe we have made some fantastic selections, and can hardly wait to re-thread now this morning to continue on my way.

The finishing technique you may choose for your re-creations is of utmost importance to extend your stitching talents, enjoyment and masterpieces. I believe it should require great thought and decisions as to where this piece will find home, and if not kept, to whom it shall be gifted. It not only “finishes” your lovely creations, but it will remain a huge part of that piece for a very long period of time. You deserve the finest treatment of finishing after all of your endless hours of stitching its creation. Enjoy.

The average day at The Heart’s Content, Inc. is spent from early morning till mid afternoon tending to orders, kit assemblage, phone calls, emails, updating my website, and a few of those daily hours in creation of new designs. By the time my husband returns from work, I like to have our dinner started, and enjoy the evening with him. He is a real TV admirer, and I am not. However I enjoy spending that time in the evening with him, though my stitching nest in that room doesn’t even have a view of what he is watching. For twenty years I enjoyed “no tv” in my home. An artist prefers and enjoys music surrounding her studio, though I am becoming accustomed to the noise of his choice in the evenings. After all, I remain in my haven by threading my needle, and just enjoying his company. Life is good.