I'm *almost* finished packing for a trip that Fatty and I are taking tomorrow. (Oktoberfest, anyone?)

I'm going over the information for the babysitter, hoping that I haven't forgotten anything. (And knowing that they are going to manage just fine without us.)

I'm strategizing about how to squeeze in a workout in the morning, a trip to buy a raincoat and taking some cushions to an upholsterer. Something is going to have to give. And I think I know what that is. (The chairs are going to have to wait).

I'm wondering how many pairs of shoes is too many. And trying to figure out which ones should stay back. (Sorry, Toms. You aren't making the cut).

I'm charging camera batteries, getting ready to back up the computer and deciding if one lens will be enough. (I'm thinking the 18 - 135mm should do the trick, but I'm on the fence about the 50mm)

I'm not cleaning the house (which is what I should be doing).

But I am waiting on Fatty to open some champagne. (We're practically on vacation.)

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See you back here when I return. (With something crafty. Pinky swear).

Back in the summer, I was contacted by Creativebug and asked if I wanted to take a look at their site and offer a giveaway on the blog. I immediately said yes! I had heard about the site and had been anxiously awaiting its launch. I knew this was going to be something that I would like and use, and I bet many of you will, too.

The premise behind Creativebug is simple. For a montly subscription fee, you get unlimited access to all of the art and craft workshops on the site. Let me repeat: UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ALL THE WORKSHOPS. Pretty amazing, huh? Even more amazing is the list of well-known and extremely talented instructors including some names that are probably familiar to you: Anna Maria Horner, Heather Ross, Natalie Chanin, Cal Patch, Liesl Gibson  - and these are just some of the seamstresses. The class list goes beyond needle and thread. There are also classes on paper crafts, jewelry, ceramics, knitting, crochet, entertaining and more. Really it is too much to list.

I was able to preview the site and was very impressed by the quality of the videos. I loved that I could pause or go back a bit to see something again if I needed to. Also, the vidoes are broken down into steps so it's easy to do one or two steps and come back later to finish the project. Perfect for someone like me that often has a half hour or hour to make instead of large blocks of time. And really, nothing beats seeing someone actually make something and explain it at the same time, does it?

I encourage you to go see what Creativebug is about and if you like it to subscribe. There are classes for everyone and I think it is so wonderful that there is this amazing educational resource for crafters and artists right at our fingertips. Plus, they are adding workshops every week! If there is something that you have been wanting to try, this is a great, low-cost way of learning that new skill from skilled artisans that you normally would not have access to. Amazing, if you ask me! 

Creativebug has generously offered a free one-month subscription to one of my readers. To enter your name in the hat, comment on this post and tell me what kind of classes you would like to see at Creativebug. If you are already a subscriber, tell me what classes you've taken. I'll keep the comments open until Thursday, September 27th at 8:00 p.m. EST and then choose one winner at random.

Good luck!

I've been knitting a little bit. A couple of rounds here and there on this project. I've got another onein the car that comes with me to piano lessons and volleyball games.It's slow going, but steady, just the kind of work I need at the moment.Something to keep my hands busy and quiet my mind.

I've been sewing some, too. Little things that are not at all newsworthy. I want to sew big things, like dresses and quilts and then more quilts,but my days are pretty full at the moment. I'm hoping for a few hoursin a row at some point this weekend to get one quilt top basted. Thenmaybe next weekend I could quilt it.

Bookwise, I've just finished The Tiger's Wife and started the new Tana French book. Heather Ross Prints has been devoured by myself and Jane. I've already designed something and had Spoonflower print it on fabric. Tea towel calendar, anyone? But more on that later...

Enjoy the weekend.

(Don't forget to enter the giveaway for Knot Thread Stitch - you have until Sunday night!)

I'm very excited to be posting about Lisa Solomon's new book, Knot Thread Stitch: Exploring Creativity through Embroidery and Mixed Media. This book is not just about embroidery. It is chock full of inspiring ways to use embroidery along with various materials in interesting and different ways. Lisa has included a wide variety of projects and after each one, there is another interpretation of the same project by a different artist. I love seeing how one idea can percolate into something else similar, yet different. This isn't just about fabric either. Paint, paper, stamps and shrinky dinks all show up in the projects. And most of them are easy, accessible and look to require little time. All good, in my mind.

In other words, it's freaking cool.

Projects that jumped out to me immediately:

These tea towels combine paint with embroidery. What an unexpected and interesting combination!

This tote bag uses a child's artwork as inspiration for the embroidery. I have done something along these lines with both of my kids and I treasure the resulting projects.

And look! A neclace made from shrinky dinks! With stitching! How fun is that? I also think it is a great project for my girls to do...really, who doesn't love shrinky dinks?

I think my favorite thing about this book is that is a wonderful starting point for exploring your own creativity with embroidery. The projects are great on their own, but work just as well as prompts that will help you create something that is truly one of a kind.

Lisa and her publisher, Quarry Books, have generously offered a copy of Knot Thread Stitch to one of my readers. To enter your name into the "hat", comment on this post before Sunday, September 16th at 5:00 p.m. Let me know how you use embroidery in your projects. If you are not a stitcher, what would you use embroidery to do? I'll let the random number generator chose a winner.