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Samsarah Design Studio |
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 Patti & Kurt, just married! | |
| Designer's Name: Patti Connor | |
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Location: St. Louis, MO
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It’s very nice to have you as our Friday Feature this week Patti! Would you begin by telling us a little about your company and how it got its start?
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How would you describe your designs (if you had to categorize them) and do they reflect your personal taste in stitching?
I would say my designs are a reflection of my personal taste. I keep an up-beat attitude about life and it just naturally comes out in my drawings. I do not, however, have any cross stitch hanging in my home, because all the pieces I stitch are put to work. Maybe someday, we’ll all retire.
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How did the recent needlework market in Nashville, TN go for Samsarah Design Studio? The Nashville market was great! Every year is better than the last and this was no exception. I actually work in the button company suite so I hire a friend to work in the SamSarah suite. She does a great job and I couldn’t do this show without her help. Getting ready for any trade show is always a challenge of time management. This one is especially tough because charts and kits must be there to be sold rather than taking orders for future delivery. Planning how much product to take, assembling kits, creating attractive displays and trying to make it easy for the shops to find what they want, makes for many short nights preceding the show. But all the work is absolutely worth it, because seeing your friends and absorbing the combined energy of so many talented and creative people is heaven.
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New From Samsarah Design Studio... Hip Hop Hare Brand new from the popular "Doubles" series is Hip Hop Hare. As the saying goes, "One Design, Two Times The Fun"...there's a cross-stitch and wool applique pattern included! The cross stitch design is stitched over two on 19 count Dirty Cork. The stitch count is 62 x 62 and the suggested retail price is only $7.00. Just in time for Easter! |
You have a very nice and user friendly website (http://www.samsarahdesignstudio.com). How has this been beneficial to your business and did you create the site yourself? When computers became necessary in the graphic design field, I took more classes to learn the publishing software. My instructor at the community college and his son created my web site. Unfortunately, they are far too busy to keep it up to date, so I’ll have to take more classes to learn how to update it. I’m lucky to have my newest designs on the Hoffman website, and I hope to get my own up to speed soon.
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What are a few of your favorite things about being a part of the cross-stitch industry? By far, the best part of the cross-stitch industry is getting to know so many creative people. Most of us are women, and all of us work really hard. We love to make things from bits of this and that. It will never make any of us wealthy, but the satisfaction factor keeps most of us involved for years. I feel very fortunate.
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From a designer’s perspective, how much time is put into floss color selection and fabric selection for up and coming releases? Are these choices just as important as the graph itself? I actually don’t think about each part of the design separately. I have an idea, make a little sketch and see what I have on hand. My local shop recently closed because the owner retired, so I now ask suppliers to send me fibers and frames to have in the studio. I create the chart on my computer from my initial drawing, pick out the linen and floss and start stitching. I quite often change floss colors midway through if a color doesn’t look the way I imagined, so I stitch everything myself. When it’s stitched, I add some buttons, frame it and take a photo for the chart cover. I work hard to make the chart as accurate as possible, but sometimes, my art brain betrays me on the details.
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Your “Pearls” series has been wildly popular and allows the stitcher to create a keepsake that is impressive but can be stitched in a relatively short amount of time. Do you think in this day and age stitchers are moving towards the designs that don’t require a huge time investment? Pearls and the new Baubles have been really popular with stitchers. I never pretend to know why some designs are more popular than others, but I think these are fun and satisfying without a huge investment in time and materials. Most people still want to make more involved designs, but Pearls and Baubles are a great in-between project and perfect for gifts. I recently completed a design that is the exact opposite of Pearls and Baubles. Twenty Five Days is an advent banner with 25 ornaments all in the same eight page book. I’m hoping everyone will start this project now, to have it ready to use this Christmas. Even if they don’t complete the entire project this year, the ornaments can be used on a tree or wreath or as gift tags.
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Where are you from and/or where did you grow up? I’m a Midwest girl, born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa and I graduated from Iowa State University with a BA in Graphic Design. It was a great place to grow up and instilled an early work ethic, but after living all over in my twenties and early thirties, we have now settled in the St. Louis area. It’s still middle America, but not quite so cold in the winter. I was a single mom for several years, but last September, my husband Kurt and I married in our back yard with just our families in attendance. It was perfect. Later that day we had a huge party with about 200 friends at the local golf course club house – and that was so much fun. I now have two more wonderful daughters and lots of extended family to enjoy. Also, any of you who are fans of Cold Case Files will recognize Kurt as the detective who solved Cold Case #6.
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What are some of your non-stitch related hobbies and interests? In the summer, I am outside whenever I get a chance. We have a little over two acres surrounding our home and it’s planted with lots of flowers, shrubs, trees and even has a little creek that meanders through the back. Every spring, we have a mountain of mulch delivered that must be spread around all the beds. And there’s always weeding and dividing and pruning, etc. It takes quite a bit of work to maintain everything, but it doesn’t seem like work when I’m out there. I also love to cook, but seldom have time for anything elaborate.
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Would you mind sharing a favorite recipe with us in closing? Here is a recipe for my kid’s favorite cookies. ½ cup shortening ½ cup butter ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 1/3 cups flour (I use unbleached, but all-purpose is fine) 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 cups rolled oats (quick or regular, whatever’s in the cabinet) ½ package chocolate chips ½ package butterscotch chips Cream together the shortening, butter, brown and granulated sugar. Add egg, vanilla and almond extract. Beat until light and fluffy. Add flour, soda, salt and oats. Mix well. Stir in chocolate and butterscotch chips. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. We usually double this recipe because we always have lots of kids around. If I’m making them for myself, I eliminate the chocolate and butterscotch chips and add 1 cup raisins and ½ cup of chopped pecans.
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