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Twisted Oaks Designs |
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| Designer's Name: Judith Tuttle | |
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Location: Moore, OK
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Thank you for taking part in our Friday Feature Judith! Could you begin by sharing with us how your love for cross-stitch developed and are there specific people in your life who taught and assisted you along the way?
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Your Pennsylvania Dutch Quilt Square series has enjoyed success over the past few years. Can you explain how you came up with the idea for this series?
After completing the Baltimore Album Quilt blocks I received requests to design another quilt series. I have always loved the beauty and simplicity of American folk art so I began researching that genera as a theme for the next quilt. During my research I came across the Zook’s Family Craft website which featured hex signs painted by their grandfather Jacob Zook, an 11th generation Pennsylvanian Dutchman, back in the early 1950's. They would be perfect for my next quilt. I contacted the family and explained what I intended to do and asked permission to convert the signs into cross stitch. They were very enthused with the idea. Although I have put my own interpretation on many of the blocks the flavor of the original sign remain intact. I have very much enjoyed working with the Zook family and have agreed to several other projects including marriage and birth certificates.
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Where are you originally from and/or where did you grow up? I was born in New York City and lived there until I was 14 when in 1955 we moved to the Los Angeles area. I was fortunate enough to experience the sophistication of New York City and the laid back California lifestyle of the 1950's. They were so different from each other. Where NY was very formal, LA was casual. I loved going to school and the beaches in Los Angeles but desperately missed all the cultural things and the ease of transportation offered in New York. Los Angeles was so big and empty at that time.
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New From Twisted Oaks Designs... Gathering Of Seahorses (top) Seahorse Magnetic Needle Nanny Kit (bottom) Previously released as only a limited edition, these two designs from Twisted Oaks are back in print and ready for orders. "Gathering Of Seahorses" includes all the Savorski Crystals, charms, and glass seed beads needed to stitch the design. The "Seahorse Magnetic Needle Nanny" is packaged in a neat little tin and includes everything needed to complete the project (except glue). Contact your local shop for purchasing these beautiful patterns! |
Would you share a little about your family? Mike and I have been married for 45 years. We are the proud parents of 2 grown children and 3 grandkids, one married and 2 in college. Because of Mike’s job we have been fortunate to enough to live on both east and west coasts and in the middle. After Mike and I retired from our primary jobs we settled in Oklahoma and now live in the Oklahoma City/Moore metro area. We bought 5 acres of land in a rural area of the city and hope to build a new house there. Saying I retired is a bit of an exaggeration since shortly after I stopped working I started my design business.
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What are a few of your favorite things about being a cross-stitch designer and about the cross-stitch industry in general? Before I retired I spent 30 years designing computer circuit boards. Although I loved the work it just didn’t satisfy my creative side. During lunch I would sit at my desk and stitch some one else’s design and wish it was one of my own. Now I can let my imagination soar. My favorite designs are smalls. I want my designs to be useful objects not just something to hang on a wall unless of course you count my quilt block designs. Although I will sometimes design a picture I find I am drawn to the process of creating a 3 dimensional item. Maybe it has something to do with my engineering background. Although there is still a bigger demand for pictures I found there is a segment of the stitching population who enjoy smalls and dimensional items. My most successful designs have fallen into that category. I feel very fortunate to be a member of this industry. Through internet groups, trade shows, vendor and shop contacts I have met some wonderful people. For the most part they have proved to be very generous, sharing their time and talents. At the moment I am involved with the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism charting squares for the Terrorism Memorial Flag (http://www.terrorisminfo.mipt.org/memorial-flag). This enormous project was started after the 9/11 attacks by Elizabeth Barnes and her husband as a way to honor those people that died on that day. Since then the project was expanded to include all Americans killed by an act of terrorism in the last 30 years. In 2004 Mrs. Barnes presented the flag to the MIPT who continue, unfortunately, to add squares to the flag. The Each square of the flag has been stitched by a volunteer with the name and date that the person was killed.
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In your opinion, what are the advantages of purchasing from an independent cross-stitch shop owner as opposed to a large chain store? You know, it used to be a stitcher could go into a big chain craft store or some of the big box stores and pretty much get the basic supplies to stitch a design at a lower cost then from a small shop. What was missing was the personal service you could only get from an independent shop as well as a larger variety of charts, fabrics, flosses and other specialty items that make needlearts such a joyful hobby. As interest has shifted away from cross stitch these large stores have either removed stitching supplies altogether or drastically reduced their inventory. I hope this change has proved profitable to the independent because speaking as a designer it is through the customers of small shops that I learn what the stitcher is looking for. And where else can you get hands on instruction when you just can’t figure out how to do a new stitch or put an ornament together. Sure, you can ask some one in an online group but that will never take the place of a face to face over a cup of tea served in the back corner of a needlework shop. It breaks my heart whenever I hear of a shop closing. I feel like I’ve lost a dear friend. However, I am very fortunate to live in an area where I have two shops within easy driving distance and over the years have developed a personal relationship with the owners. It was Beverly of Cross Stitch Haven who gave me the opportunity and encouragement to market my first charts in her shop and now showcases all my designs. Carla, of Heartland Needlearts has also been very supportive and has made suggestions that were later incorporated into new projects. A heart felt thanks to both of them and to all the needlework shops whether B/M or online that sell my designs and of course to the stitcher who buys them.
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What are a few leisure activities you enjoy in your “non-cross stitch” time? I love to read and sometimes will finish one book and immediately pick up another. I go through phases when I will read one type of book exclusively. Right now I’m into mysteries. James Patterson is one of my favorite authors. I’m also addicted to cooking shows. Since Mike and I retired we now have the time to cook together so I am always trying new things. I’m lucky that he is not just a meat and potatoes man. This lets me experiment with new recipes. He can get very critical when I make a dish he doesn’t like.
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A few of your designs feature a “distelfink”…would you explain exactly what a “distelfink” is? The Distelfink is the traditional good luck and happiness bird of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Distelfink birds, often very stylized, were used to decorate marriage and birth certificates, bible fly leaves and furniture. It was based on the Pennsylvania’s thistle seed loving Goldfinch.
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What’s your idea of a perfect dinner menu? Both Mike and I are big fans of Asian food and in general different ethnic foods. We also are both very fond of Greek dishes and those from the Mediterranean. So I guess the perfect menu would be either 1 from column A and 2 from column B or a dish of Stifedo (Greek Onion and Beef Stew) served over rice and a nice green salad with an olive oil lemon dressing.
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While we’re on the subject of food…that’s right, would you mind sharing a favorite recipe with us in closing? During the 14 years we lived in Boston it was a Friday night tradition to pick up a dozen of these wonderful muffins at the Jordan Marsh Department Store Bakery. To my understanding JM doesn’t have the bakery anymore but this recipe is very close to the original muffins. Be sure to fill the cups to the top because you’ll want the batter to spread over the pan top and bake up crispy. You can also replace the blueberries with fresh cranberries and the zest from one large orange. Yum! Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt ½ cup butter -- room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ½ cup milk 2 cups blueberries -- (fresh or frozen) 1 tablespoon sugar -- (topping) ¼ teaspoon nutmeg -- (topping) Heat oven to 375º. Grease and flour twelve 2 1/4 inch muffin cups and thoroughly grease to tops of the tins between the cups. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium sized bowl, beat butter a few minutes until fluffy. Beat in sugar until well blended. Beat in the eggs thoroughly; add the vanilla. Stir in flour mixture about half at a time. Stir in 2 cups of blueberries. Spoon batter into prepared cups, filling them to the top. Sprinkle with the nutmeg sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until golden. Let the muffins cool at least 30 minutes in the pan before removing. Makes 1 dozen.
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