Imagine my surprise when I received a contract in the mail, my very first contract, and Annie's Attic wanted to purchase all four of my thread treeskirt designs I had submitted to them!  It was my first submissions to Annie's Attic.  I was jumping up and down all over the house.  It was so exciting!  I couldn't believe it when my first submissions actually turned into a leaflet!  After the leaflet was published, I received the treeskirts back.  That was fun too!  And, then I proceeded to give them to my family members.  What an exciting Christmas gift to everyone!  A treeskirt AND the leaflet it was published in!

Being new, I didn't know how to handle the next calls regarding the treeskirts.  With one of the treeskirts, I had included a stocking.  I was asked to design stockings to match the other treeskirts as well.  Designing "on demand" isn't really my strong suit, I have to admit.  But, I did it!  So very exciting!  Next, I got another call.  "We used the angel treeskirt in another leaflet.  Can you make another treeskirt?"  I said "Sure!"  And, I proceeded to have a good friend restitch the angel treeskirt for me.  Of course, this wasn't at ALL what they wanted!  They wanted another DESIGN!  LOL  So, that is when I designed the filet Silver Bells Treeskirt for the leaflet.  Boy, I was in heaven!

I had a few things published after that.  Clothing designs.  But, it wasn't until when I went to a local trade show and Annie's Attic had a look at my swatches for my Tunisian projects that I really felt like this is my career and not my hobby.  AA purchased 13 of my Tunisian afghan designs, to be placed in three different leaflets.  Of course, I had about two months to finish them all!  I had to send these out to some very talented friends to stitch the models for the photography.  This was all very hectic, what with getting the yarn to them and waiting for the models to come in.  But, oh, with each new afghan arriving in my home, I was thrilled!

For these Tunisian projects, AA purchased the afghans from me as well.  So, I didn't get them back after publication.  Can you imagine?  If I had received those 13 afghans back, I would have been overloaded!  Yikes!

I've done so many projects for AA in the past 6 or 7 years that I can't write about each and every one of them.  But, one story comes to mind that was pretty funny.  I was contacted by AA and asked whether I could make a pineapple thread bedspread.  It just so happened that I had just finished a pineapple square which I planned on using in an afghan design.  So, I said "Sure!"  Since I already had it basically designed, I stitched it in thread that same day and mailed it the next.  I COMPLETELY forgot that, if accepted, I would have to stitch a bedspread!  A project that big, I could never force on someone else.  I am thrilled to no end that I got the project, though.  I would NEVER have dreamed I would have done something like that.  And, I now have a beautiful family heirloom.  But, boy, it took me 5-1/2 months to stitch.  Whew!  (And, now you know why I don't do much thread work. )

One year, I made a doily (from a Magic Crochet magazine, I believe) in sewing thread.  Yes, sewing thread.  What is that, a size 70?  Yikes!  It wasn't as difficult as it sounds, though.  It was a pretty blue and I gave it as a gift to one of my mentors and my good friend, Brenda Stratton.  It was so dainty that it fit easily into a regular envelope for mailing! 

All of my published designs can be seen in the Portfolio section of my website, if you would like to take a look.  I think one of my favorite designs is the Pinstripe Cro-Hook afghan.  The colors were absolutely stunning and the afghan turned out with the most beautiful drape and feel.  All of the Tunisian afghans were done with Red Heart Soft yarn.  And, I have just recently heard that this yarn has been brought back into circulation by Red Heart.  So exciting!  It had been my favorite yarn and I've been deprived of it for about two years.  But, it's BACK!