GREAT NEWS - A BRAND NEW BEGINNING IN 2026

If you ventured here out of curiosity, WELCOME to my little blog.  Today there is a long overdue update and I will be doing some catch up in various posts with what has happened since I stopped posting in 2016!!!

It has certainly been a very long 10 years since my last post in 2016!!!.  During the majority of those years I was sole caregiver for my husband as he endured the ravages of dementia.  During those years I had to sell our property in the California foothills, purchase a new home closer to medical services, and build a studio at our new home.  My saving grace during those caregiving days was my interest in the embroidery arts and other needle and thread endeavors.  I also had a very small business where I took on some small custom embroidery projects.  My husband passed away in December 2021.

Fast forward to 2026......I had to downsize and relocate out of California to my home state of Wisconsin. I live in a small village about 1 mile from where I grew up.  My prayers were also answered in 2024 when I met and fell in love with a wonderful man.  We married in September 2025 and in October we both made the permanent move from California to our new home.  

I do not have a nice studio yet.   The best I could do was set up a small space in our basement with most of my sewing and embroidery supplies.  The rest of my studio is still in boxes stored in our garage.  We do have plans to modernize and expand our house with a studio/office addition.  This will get started as soon as we can find a contractor willing to work with us.  Everyone seems to be overwhelmed with a lot of work.

Now that we are somewhat stable and can easily function after finding most of what we need from our possessions, I can start making a plan on reconnecting with my embroidery arts.  Way too many  projects started and set aside.  

We are enjoying a nice winter here.  Getting used to the cold weather again.  We brought the snow with us as the past few years there has been little to no snow.  This information is from the locals and they are pleased to see the white fluff now.  Maybe there will be a shift in the weather patterns to what it was like when I was growing up way back when!!!

So, I will leave this post with a few pictures of some of the embroideries I completed during my 10 year hiatus from the blog.  

2017 - The Embroiderers' Guild of America offers a wealth of programs, projects and classes.  In 2017 I took a beading class, Beaded Menagerie, presented by Nancy Eha.  We learned beading techniques to complete a Dragonfly, Owl, Llama and Octopus.

This is Buzz, the Dragonfly.  The completed project was made into a small wall hanging.  

This is Dolly, the Llama.  The completed project became some hoop art. 

This is Hoot, the Owl.  He became a framed picture.

Meet Inky, the Octopus.  A nice wall hanging for him.  

On my Heirloom Expressions Facebook page I played with some reel animations.  Click on Facebook and you will be redirected to the reels. 

Hoot the Owl:  Facebook

Dolly the Llama:  Facebook

Inky the Octopus:  Facebook

Buzz the Dragonfly:  Facebook

2018-2019 - These two years saw my adventure with an Introduction to Silk and Gold Metal Embroidery with another Emboiderers' Guild of America class by Kay Stanis.  We had one  year to complete the class, but these were the two years I relocated and had to ask for an extension.  I will be going through the class again, as there was sooooo much to learn.  The projects will not be evaluated this go around, however.   And the start time is still up in the air as I put my plans together. 

The final project had to be an original design.  I believe there are seven different silk and metal embroidery techniques incorporated into the design that were required.

The Embroiderers' Guild of America also has free projects.  One project I completed in 2021 was an Embroidery Tutorial, Pumpkin Season by Amina K.  The tutorial covered thread painting, raised embroidery stitches and surface embroidery stitches.  

The completed design was made into a small table mat.  

I will stop here so, until next time, my dear stitching friends. I will end this little post. There will be more updates coming with past projects I did while a member of the local chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America, from Inspirations Studio and some custom work.  Also a few quilting projects.  

Until next time, happy stitching.

Jan