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Country Cottage Needleworks |
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| Designer's Name: Nicole Leeman | |
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Location: Tuscon, AZ
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We appreciate you taking the time to sit down with us today Nikki! Would you begin by telling us a little about your family?
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Speaking of your family, there doesn’t seem to be any shortage of creativity there! Would you explain your family background in the needlearts and what sort of influence that had on you becoming a professional designer?
You are speaking of course about my mom, Diane Williams of Little House Needleworks. And you are right, she is the single most creative person I know. Growing up, she was a "crafty" mom. She was always involved in some sort of creative work and is the one who taught me how to cross stitch when I was young. I enjoyed it, but then lost interest as I grew older. It wasn't until I was pregnant with Juliet that I took up stitching again. I wanted to do a birth sampler for her. Soon after that I began model stitching for my mom's company, and eventually started sitting down at the computer with her as she designed. When she came up with the idea for the Country Cottage line in her business, she said I was her inspiration and that she wanted me to help with the designs. The whole "cottage" aesthetic was never really mom's thing, though, and so she convinced me that I could take the Country Cottage line and turn it into my own full fledged needlework business. I was very nervous about it at first, but with her help I have created a business that really reflects who I am and that I enjoy more all the time.
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Could you share with us your most memorable vacation spot? My favorite vacation spot is California, and living in Arizona means that it is possible to drive there. My kids love the beach, and we just took them to Disneyland for the first time this summer. It's a whole different experience going there with kids and we had such a great time, though we were exhausted by the end of that week!
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New From Country Cottage Needleworks... Home Sweet Home This recent release has been in much demand and showcases Nikki's talent for working with the soft color palette of "cottage" colors. The design utilizes DMC, Crescent Colours threads, and Gentle Arts Sampler Threads and calls for Zweigart 28 count linen. The design may be attached to the "Home Sweet Home" pillow by Trail Creek Farm. Stitch count is 131w X 67h. |
As far as “style” or “genre”, how would you describe or categorize your designs? I refer to all my designs as "cottage style," which to me means simple and pretty, with a touch of romance or whimsy thrown in. My color palette usually revolves around soft or pastel shades, but I also sometimes like to pair those soft colors with a darker brown or black when I'm going for a French kind of flair. I have also just released the first two patterns in my new Country Cottage Kids line, which I am very excited about. Having been inspired by my own children and my love for decorating their rooms, I felt a desire to design a new line geared toward moms and grandmas who, like me, love to stitch for their little ones.
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Country Cottage seems to have a good working relationship with Crescent Colours (hand dyed threads) and Trail Creek Farm (pre-finished pillows). What are a few benefits to collaborating with other companies in the needlearts industry? I enjoy working with both Crescent Colours and Trail Creek Farm. Sharon's threads are great. They're very soft and come in lots of my "cottage" colors. I recently released my first line of Thread Packs with her as well (Cottage Garden Thread Packs). They are little kits that come with a pattern that I design and the Crescent Colours to stitch it. And Susan from Trail Creek makes beautiful pillows that I feel some of my designs are quite suited for. I, myself, am not a seamstress, so working with her enables me to showcase a finished piece in a way that I could not do on my own. And that is what is so good about collaborations - they create an opportunity for new products and fresh ideas.
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If someone who had never cross-stitched before was intrigued by this Friday Feature and wanted to try their hand at stitching, how would you recommend they get started? I would say that the best thing to do is find out if you have a local needlework shop near you. I know that mine has employees that are always ready to help and a variety of classes to choose from.
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How important is it that we teach others to stitch and do you feel we are focusing enough energy in that area? I think it is obviously very important to teach others to stitch in order for this art form to continue to prosper, though it is often easier said than done. I know that there are not a lot of people my age (I'm 27) who are stitching right now and that is problematic. I think that kids are a great group to teach to cross stitch. They are naturally curious and want to try new things and make things with their hands. I know that Juliet couldn't wait to be taught how to stitch, and now she does little projects that I draw out for her on large Aida cloth - though she is luckier than most kids since she has access to all my hand dyed threads!
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Do you have any interests of hobbies outside of cross-stitch? Like I said, I love spending time with my family, so much of my free time is spent doing things with them. When I do get some time to myself, I like to scrapbook and read (I do have an English degree afterall!) And I love decorating my own "cottage." I'm usually the one coming up with ideas for home improvements and that keeps my husband busy. He's pretty talented in that area and enjoys most of the work as well, so I'm a lucky girl!
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What are your three favorite ice cream flavors? Such a good question! I would have to say chocolate, vanilla, and one that's a little harder to find, banana fudge chunk. Yum.
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Would you mind sharing a favorite recipe from the Leeman kitchen? Here in the Southwest we love our Mexican food, so here is a recipe for some really easy chicken enchiladas. 10-12 small corn tortillas 4 cups cooked chicken, cut up ( you can use rotisserie chicken or some extra grilled chicken breasts from the night before) 4 cups shredded Monterrey Jack - Cheddar cheese blend 28 oz. enchilada sauce 2 green onions, sliced Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put tortillas in an unzipped plastic bag and warm for one minute in microwave. Fill tortillas with chicken and cheese and 1/4 cup enchilada sauce. Roll them up and place seam sides down in a 13 x 9 inch dish. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with rest of cheese and green onions. Bake for 20 minutes. Tastes great served with lettuce and sour cream.
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