Tales from Periphaeria

As those of you who subscribe to Periphaeria Designs‘ newsletter know I have been under the weather for some time due health problems.
Now I have the diagnose (which is not the final diagnose, I can get the final diagnose in spring 2008 – if the medication has an effect on me) of asthma bronchiale, but as I need to give some time for the medication to kick in and recover my ability to function normally I suspect that what was meant to be the November launch will become the December launch.

If so it is an unfortunate event, but based on the GP’s reaction when he read my peak flow charts my asthma is on the severe side, and the lack of oxygen has taken its toll which means that I really need to give myself time to recover before I can give the stitching world new designs to stitch.

But, as promised, there will be designs from Periphaeria Designs for you to stitch in future, and I am sure that when I get myself back to health I will also spend quite some time designing all those new ones I haven’t had the energy for during the summer.

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Listening to: Karunesh – For The Joy Of All via Last.Fm.

I will be offline from 6th to 14th of August as I take my dears with me and head to my mother’s cabin for some peace and quiet (and loads of stitching time!).

I will answer emails and handle the orders when I come back.

I think that most stitchers are curious to know how a stitching bug looks like. One revealed oneself to me earlier today:

It’s a bug, it has spent quite some time strolling up and down few skeins of hand-dyed floss I received today… ergo, it is a stitching bug. One more mystery solved.

T3h B1g S3kr1t D3s1gn

Probably I should begin to call it The Big H. as I am quite sure I know its name-to-be already.

Anyway, the Big H.’s design is now as ready as it can be before model stitching begins and I have decided which fabric and fiber I will use for it.
And just for a twist I stitch model on the simplest possible way – because I want to see how it comes out that way, but it is charted to give the stitcher (that is you) some challenge if one wishes to tackle it…

If you receive Echoes from Periphaeria (the newsletter) you have already heard about it, but in case you are not in the list you may not be aware of the fact that Periphaeria Designs‘ has a gallery!
And what’s even better, there is Stitcher’s Showcase where you can see beautiful versions of my designs stitched by other stitchers.

You can also comment the pictures, and if you have registered, you can send them as e-cards (for example as a hint for your significant other ).

If you have stitched something designed by me feel free to either register and upload* or send me an email with picture of your stitched piece (and preferably technical information like fabric and fiber(s) used) to: gallery (at) periphaeria.com

* If you wish to upload yourself, please resize the pictures under 200kBs (you can achieve this by reducíng the quality, not the size, and still have good looking pictures) – it saves my server space and bandwidth, and the uploading process is way faster that way.

Imagine…

Sunny day, sun rays playing between crocheted lace curtains. They lay down for a while on a comfy sofa, next to frilly flower patterned pillow just to leave and go to tease that sleeping, old, slightly overweight cat who is sleeping on the best place of the living room.
Gradfather clock is ticking in the background and you can sense the scent of fresh buns and tea with lemon, sugar and milk.
Look at the wallpaper…

That is what I am working at the moment.

Not really, I am not working on a wall paper, or anything inspired by one, but design I am currently stitching reminds me of an old, a bit worn out wallpaper and old ladies. (If you have seen Spirited Away you know Zeniba, architype of a nice, old lady – she is who I am thinking of in this imagination practise.)

On completely another matter

I have been under the weather lately (low air pressure equals one extremely sleepy Lady P.) – and my two of my cats masters have had health problems so I am a bit behind with everything.
Therefore, I would like to thank you on your comments, they have really made my days.

…actually five of them.
Designer Treasure Hunt’s results are up at One Star’s Light. Congratulations to our lucky and knowledgeable winners, it was a good hunt!

When it comes to new domain I worked with thingies almost whole Friday and I can promise you that there will be nice addition to Periphaeria Designs’ site in May 1st… so, stay tuned.

Yes, I broke down last night and registered a domain and got myself paid hosting.
I will be working to move the site to its rightful place over the weekend (I need to rewrite it partially) so there’s nothing interesting to see yet, but now it’s time to update your bookmarks as new site is up 1st of May!

New url is, not surprisingly, Periphaeria.com.
I have also installed WordPress there and am planning to move this blog there – once I get it running.

I will be writing finishing instructions to be added in future designs (and to already published designs). I am not going to add to the price of current designs, but I will change my plan of pricing basis a bit to compensate the time I spend on writing (it takes time as I have to write them in language foreign to me).

Thank you all for the feedback.

Otherwise… deadline is closing too fast, but I have four models stitched at this moment so I can promise you at least four new designs (with some luck five, but as fifth is based on a finishing technique I have never tried it may turn out to be a catastrophe).

I have also managed to design my first big one (biggest to date for me) and hope to find suitable floss for it (I find it difficult to decide what colour I’d like to use or should I try to go out of my comfort zone and make it multicoloured) soon so I’d get into model stitching in near future, as, due its size, it will take some time to finish.

…by the good reception of my designs.
Success of my designs during these two weeks has exceeded even my wildest dreams.

Thank you all, every single one of you, for the support you show for my style, for my talent and the work, devotion and love I put in my designs, by purchasing them.
I hope you enjoy stitching them as much as I enjoy designing them.

I heard they got the catastrophe solved so… Let me introduce you my first retailer!

One Star’s Light Needlework Supplies is located in PA, USA and is run by a friend of mine, so I dare to recommend her.
She sells my designs in printed and *.pdf form, and in addition to that she stocks all kinds of wonderful hand-dyeds which are made for my designs!

There is another reason for you to try her: I have designed an exclusive freebie for her.

Otherwise it has been a grand day. I have sold my first designs and I have also been negotiating with to-be retailer of mine, so, in one of these days I will also have one distributor in Europe.
Not to forget all those wonderful comments I have got. Thank you all, they are very much appreciated.

P.S. Admittedly I spent few minutes by getting my kicks out of this: Periphaeria Designs@OSL.

…how good it feels to hold the first printouts of your own designs in your hands?
I think it gets quite close to hold your newborn child for the first time, though I can’t compare because I don’t have any children. You just can’t describe it, but those who have been there know it.

In other words: I got test prints from my printer and I have already emailed her that she can go on printing – after I send her the designs to print.

In some way it feels unbelievable that PD goes live in Thursday – but it also feels great! I love this feeling of excitement spiced with slight nervousness. It makes me happy.

Next post will be an announcement, so… see you again in Thursday!

Life is proceeding in its regular slow pace here in Periphaeria: first prints are on their way to be approved by me and I got new, better software for designing purposes. (From now on I can play around with special stitches, which is something I have been waiting for a while, as I have one or two ideas which I’d love to try.)

Eight days to go.

…slowly, but it is rolling.

But firstly, let me thank you all for the comments on Alegría. They are much appreciated.

Now, I have had an email conversation with my first retailer-to-be and things are looking brighter than I thought.
Selling files trough my site-to-be would cause a problem because I have limited storage space, but I can’t go on selling print-outs yet, as Lady is a bit short in cash, as every good artist has to be, but my retailer told that her storefront software makes it possible to sell downloadable products.

You know what that means? Oh yes! It means that Lady has to decide what are those designs which go out in The Great Opening and convert them to *.pdf as we are going live soon!

Am I excited or what?! (At least I am in too much caffeine…)

I’m currently working on a model, stitching two different versions of same design to decide which one I like more. It should be finished today so stay tuned.

ETA: by the way, let me introduce that biscornu which begun it all. It has finally been received.

My first official design has just gone out.

Alergría is an exclusive freebie designed for friend’s ONS, and even I’m very pleased with the design I’m freaking out. All the what-ifs, the fear of stitchers rejecting it, the fear of just not being good enough… even though I know it’s lovely design, aesthetically and stitching wise, I’m worried.

That is the weight of sharing your creations with the world, but at the same time it’s also sweetest nectar. I’m loving this as much as I’m worrying about everything.

But as I see it: if the designer loves the design it has to be worth something, as we humans usually are our own worst critics. And that happens to apply with me too.

Now it’s certain that I can really do this, that Periphaeria Designs really can exists, even though on freelancing basis, I feel relieved.
It brings me joy to know that, even I won’t make a living with this (probably ever), I can do something which gives pleasure to me and hopefully to others too in form of stitching my designs. And I can have some extra income from it. (Ie. I can finance my stash addiction. )

Some water has to flow under the bridge, and few models need to be stitched, before I am ready to sell my first design, but the journey has begun, and sometimes it’s good to hurry slowly and stop to smell the flowers.