Contests

I am extremely pleased to announce the WINNERS of the Sublime Stitching Combo Contest! Hoo boy- it was not an easy task. And, I mean that. This has been really tough to judge, seeing all the great work that was done! You people can embroider. A lot. And you were kinda scaring me with your awesomeness. 

There were 60 entries in all to the contest, and the creativity, inspiration and hard work was truly incredible. I saw so many projects I admired for their humor, hard work and obvious love for stitching. How I wish I could have picked them all! I couldn't possibly! So I asked these kind folks to be your judges instead! Phew.

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO...

1st Prize WINNER IS THE INDISPUTABLE

Keith said:"Looks amazing...unicorns usually look so prissy. This one is bad-a**! First place."

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VEDDY SPECIAL HONOURABLE MENTION to Stuffed01 

Jamie said: "...watermelon, bacon, spaceship, cupcake -naturally!"

And also..The Garden of Unearthly Delights and Rock On Robbie are totally getting props (and prizes).

Please let us now convene to the Embroidery Gallery for cookies and Hi-C so we can enjoy all of the awesome embroidery projects that were entered! I'll be commenting (and you can too) on other favorites. I have a lot of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

★ Congratulations ★ Sylvia Schaefer of Athens, GA who won my La Petite Embroidery Kit in the BurdaStyle / Sublime Stitching giveaway! Yay! (You, don't pout. Don't you know about the Combo Contest going on?)

 

 

☆ CONTEST ☆ Over the years, many of you have told me that you hoard my patterns, but have -GASP- (and I truly mean: “gasp”) never stitched a thing with them. Seriously people, I have to steady myself on someone’s shoulder when you say that. So, get those Sublime Stitching patterns out! I know you have a lot of them. You tell me all the time that you do! There's no hiding now.

CHALLENGE: Sublime Stitching mashup! I want to see the most original, stitched-up combination of Sublime Stitching patterns evar! (Let’s say a “combination” means 3 themes.)

Want some suggestions? Okay, how about mixing up Daniel Johnston (like, the frog) with Garden Variety (maybe some bugs) and Carson Ellis (with pretty birds)! Or…pinups stroll around in the flowers with cats? Ooh- I know- hawks, vultures and giant squids hold an epic battle in outer space! You can also check out the Embroidery Gallery for inspiration.

♥FABULOUS PRIZES ♥ 

1st Prize: $100 Gift Certificate from Fred Flare! OMGSC.

2nd Prize: $50 Gift Certificate (and crammed goody bag) from Sublime Stitching!

3rd Prize: Sewing Patterns from Amy Butler!

Honorable Mention will receive this PDF from Joey's Dream Garden!

DEADLINE TO ENTER: Aug 20th 2010 (midnight cst)
WINNERS ANNOUNCED: Aug 27th 2010 - entries posted to the gallery!

GLAMOROUS JUDGES:
Jamie Chalmers of Mr. XStitch ~ Keith and Chris of Fred Flare ~ Natalie Zee Drieu of Craft   

WHO CAN ENTER: Y♡U can enter! (International? Yes!)

HOW TO ENTER: Submit one photo of your project to the Embroidery Gallery, and call your entry: “Combo Contest” for identification. If your project has a name, include it in your written description. Only one photo of your project, please. Only one entry per entrant, please. Entries will not post to the gallery until announcement of winners on August 27th. I may not be able to post every entry received, but you are free to post it anywhere you like, even before we pick our winners! There is no cost to enter, only registration with my website (so you can submit to the gallery).
✓ Enter Here!

NOT-SO-BAD RULES:
Entries will be judged for creative originality, color choice, and creation of a (loose) thematic narrative with embroidery patterns.  No purchase necessary. Anyone can enter regardless of skill level! Yes! You can make something completely original. Yes! You can mix original work with patterns. Yes! You can use other designs (if they are properly credited with your entry). Only one photo per project will be considered when submitted to the Embroidery Gallery here on Sublime Stitching. Winners will be announced on the Sublime Stitching Blog on August 27th, 2010. Get stitching!

 

 

★WE HAVE A (randomly chosen) WINNER! ★

It was just too hard to hear you all beg like that. Breaking my heart! How could I choose? So, I closed my eyes, scrolled through the comments and planted my finger on one: CUREGREED of Kingston-Upon-Thames, UK gets 'em!

She said: "I would love these as though I had birthed them and cradle them in my
arms as I slept. Alternatively, I'd simply wear them to the Royal School
of Needlework every day and show them off to my embroidery peers and
cripple them with envy."

I kinda feel like I'm the one who won! These shoes are going on to march the halls of the Royal School of Needlework, mom.

Everyone else? I'm truly sorry I don't have a pair for each and every one of you who weighed in with your stories, pleadings, poems and haikus. The outpouring of creative begging is impressive. Oh, the heartbreak of contests! If you are seriously bummed, look for a comment from me at the end of the thread and I'll have something for you there.

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Remember me telling you last week about being asked by Converse shoes to embroider / decorate sneakers for rock stars at SXSW in their red-velvet-corded (I'm not kidding) air-tight-you-can't-come-in-here-unless-you're-a-VIP-goody-room thing? Remember that? I was bummed that I couldn't invite you to come check it out. Soo...

★Since YOU are MY VIPs and Rock Stars, I set aside a pair I embellished that day to give away to YOU★

WHAT: One-uva kind Converse All Stars decked out in Sublime Stitching style. They are a men's 5 1/2 which makes them an 8 1/2 women (that's my size and I tried them on -they fit perfectly!). NOTE: These aren't actually embroidered (some I did were, just not this pair. I was experimenting). I instead drew embroidery stitches all over them (the other sides too) in colored, permanent marker. Kind of like this artwork I'm doing for this upcoming show.

HOW TO WIN: Submit a comment below (it will post after commenting is closed and a winner is chosen) telling me why you would love them and take care of them most, or...something extra creative. Keep it short though, nothing of epic proportions is necessary. Comments will be closed at 9am cst tomorrow (and I'll publish the comments and winner Friday afternoon). Remember: I want to hear that they'll be given a good, loving home! xo

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WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN AND ANNOUNCED FRI 3/26 AT 3pm CST. 

p.s. Of course, you can always get your own pair of these blank to stitch and decorate (yes, you really can stitch on them). Look at all those colors! Think of them as a blank canvas, because...they are.

 

My needlepoint-designing friend, Jenny Henry emailed me to let me know about a giveaway for one of her cassette tapes. Check out Jenny Henry's Flickr Gallery of painted needlepoint canvases. Enter the giveaway here!

 

 

My love for you is a stampede of horses (it's a blog, mom) is having an Embroidered Effects give-away sponsored by Chronicle Books! They're excited? I'm excited! You, get yourself all excited and go post a comment over yonder that-away so maybe you can win a free copy!

 

 

 

 

 

Prizes:

• First Prize: $50 gift certificate to Sublime Stitching, $50 gift certificate to Fred Flare, and a copy of the book Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.
• Second Prize: Sublime Stitching Craft Pad and Sublime Stitching Lotus Flower Journal, and a copy of Amy Butler's Midwest Modern.
• Third prize: Sublime Stitching Lotus Flower Journal and Issue 8 of Mixtape Zine.

Winners hand picked by our own Jenny Hart and the awesome Autumn Wiggins, of The Upcycle Exchange, and regular contributor to Crafting a Green World.

To see more entries check out our Customer Gallery.  

 

If you're like us, you recycle glass plastic and paper, compost your food waste and take your own shopping bag when you go to the store. Right? ("Of course!") So do you ever think, "why do I need a trash can at all?" What's going in there? Well, take a look at the leftovers, get inspired, and create some handmade treasures from so-called trash! We wanna see how you can creatively re-purpose items that you have lying around the house, unused, or that might haveotherwise ended up getting thrown 'away'. Perish the thought!

For your edification: The term 'upcycling' was coined by William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. Their belief is that we can eliminate the concept of waste altogether if everything we make is either biodegradable, infinitely recyclable, or upcycled.

How to Enter:

• Create something made of items that would have otherwise been thrown away or recycled (stained shirt, chipped glass). While we admit to being partial to embroidery, we will accept entries of any kind!
• Submit a photo of your entry by April 27, 2009 to the Sublime Stitching Customer Gallery. When you create the name for your project be sure to begin with the word "Upcycled". (For example "Upcycled Book Mark") This is important because otherwise we may not see your submission. That would be a bummer.

 Prizes:

• First Prize:  $50 gift certificate to Sublime Stitching, $50 gift certificate to Fred Flare, and a copy of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things.
• Second Prize:  Sublime Stitching Craft Pad and Sublime Stitching Lotus Flower Journal, and a copy of Amy Butler's Midwest Modern.
• Third prize:  Sublime Stitching Lotus Flower Journal and Issue 8 of Mixtape Zine.

Who's the Boss?

Entries will be judged by our own Jenny Hart and the awesome Autumn Wiggins, of The Upcycle Exchange, and regular contributor to Crafting a Green World.

Looking for Inspiration?

Upcycled Napkin Ring Tutorial

GreenUpgrader

Crafting a Green World

Wiliam McDonough on Ted Talks

freecycle

 

We got out the magnifying glass and carefully inspected the numerous entries we received for the Sublime Stitching Micro Monogram challenge. After much squinting and eye-strain, we selected a winner whose project really stood out! (Under a microscope, that is) Melissa Taylor of Hill Air Force Base in Utah, submitted the teensiest little tiny monograms on wee little pillowcases! I'll admit it: the pillowcase and tiny bed setting is what clinched it. Congratulations! Melissa will be receiving a complete boxed set of the first year of CRAFT!  But please don't miss the other wonderful entries worthy of note that we are showcasing in Sublime Stitching Customer Gallery. We received more entries than we could show, and want to thank everyone who entered! Check back again soon for a new challenge to your stitches. 

 

Could this be the teensiest monogrammed pillow ever? Look how huge my finger looks next to it! Measuring in at a darling 1.5" square, it's about the right size for a mouse to lay its precious, worried mousy head upon. Think you can do tinier? Prove it. Stitch it!

Tiny Monogram Challenge!
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Prize: Boxed Set of Craft: The First Year (Issues 1-4)
(including the first issue with Jenny's interview and embroidered skateboard project!)

How: Submit via the Customer Gallery!
We'll post our favorite submissions and the winner.

Deadline: Tuesday, January 20 (winner announced Jan. 23)

Rules: Not many. We will select the tiniest and most aesthetically pleasing embroidered pillow
(which is to say, our ruling will be highly subjective and final).