Jennie Baer Designs and Illustrations

I have designed a new pattern to raise money for the tragedies in Myanmar and China.
I spent this morning reading the reports and crying my eyes out for the people who have lost their loved ones. I really feel sorrow for the parents who have lost their only children. I can’t imagine the heavy hearts they are trying to bare.

My hope is to raise enough money to make a small difference. I know money doesn’t take away the pain, but it might give some feeling that others are praying and thinking of those who are suffering.

Please visit the home page of Homeberries.com to purchase this little pattern called “Hope is Faith” , it’s only $3.50 and ALL profits will be donated for the relief of these devastated areas.

Thank you so much for all of your support, and love,

Jen Baer

I like to occasionally check out the sites that refer back to me and see what they’re up to.

While following one of these leads I stumbled into a charming Italian blog by Giuliana Petracca
http://cannellaecioccolato.blogspot.com  . She has combined some inspiration from Homeberries and some inspiration from http://countrystitchery.blogspot.com/ and came up with an adorable garden apron. Great job Giuliana, and thank goodness for online translation! LOL.

I absolutely LOVE to see what everyone does with the patterns so please send me some pics if you have something you would like me to share.

Well, Easter has come and gone, and it’s earth week.

I’ve been trying to be extra Earth friendly this week and watch everything I throw away, and use. Especially gas! I can’t believe how expensive it is right now. My DH and I have been trying to be careful and make only meaningful trips in the car. We make an ongoing list of grocery items so we’re not going back and forth to the store 5x a week. He’s also riding his bike to work. This works great as he doesn’t have far to go and I think it actually brightens his mood. So on we go to save the world! If not save at least slow down our destruction. :s

I know I haven’t gotten anything new on the site in a while, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been a busy girl. I am currently working on a bunch of prim inspired designs for pillow case borders. These are for a well known company and when I’m finished if they give me permission I’ll let you know who it is.

I’m also thinking of working on some new primmy stuff for Homeberries. I’ve been having so many great conversations with quilters who like my patterns that I’m thinking of doing a pattern line for them. I might even break away from my download only policy and make some touchable, real patterns that come in yummy packaging right to your doorstep.

So many ideas sooo, little time.

Happy Stitching,

Jen

Remember those really cute sock monkeys, or the fun little crafts of old that you can’t seem to find the pattern for anywhere? Well I found the coolest little link on the web this morning. It’s Leisure Arts Library, and you can buy download patterns of TONS of fun old patterns. I don’t know maybe some of them are new too, but it doesn’t matter, there a so many cute ones that I myself may just go back and put a few items in the ol’ shopping cart.

 Here’s the link : http://leisureartslibrary.com

OK, before I start oogling over my new book I need to catch up on the traditional acknowledgments. SO….

 Happy belated valentines day.. XOXOXOXOXOXO!! SMMMMACK!!

We’ve had the flu in the house - lots of coughs, sneezes, fevers, YUCK! - But we’re better now - YEA! - LOL

Now that that is done, YEA the book “Modern Primitive Design” has been released!!!

I am so excited with how it turned out. Leisure Arts (my publisher) did such a great job with the photos, resizing, and well.. just the whole thing is beautiful. Thank you Leisure Arts, and especially Debra. XOXOO! (I guess I’m still in the valentines mood- LOL. )

I love how they re-sized each image 3 times so people don’t have to mess around with that for different projects. I think that will be great if you want to make a set of things for the kitchen especially, (just think.. aprons one size, tea towels another, and a wall hanging another).

Not to mention how cute it would be to do the seasonal trees as a living room motif. Hey, did you know the exact flour sac towels that I stitched the trees on for the book are available at Kroger? I was in there the other day and bought a set so I can make them for my home. I was really sad when I had to send the samples back to Leisure Arts for the publishing. :(   But now I can make my own!

Alright, you’ll have to take a look in your favorite crafty place and see if they’ve got some in. It just barely came out so if they don’t have it yet just request for them to have some shipped in!   Or you can purchase it here : http://www.theleisureboutique.com/default.aspx?PageID=333&ProductID=2510

I’ve got stitching to do so I’ll check in later!!

OK, three days ago it was snowing. Now it’s 68 degrees and pouring! We had awful thunderstorms during the night. I swear I kept having visions of lightning striking the house. I would count the seconds between the thunder and the lightning, at one point there was no time for counting. That’s when I knew it was directly over us. I hate storms like that.

My two year old ended up in our bed at about 4am. So none of us got a really good nights sleep. Oh well, it’s kind of nice having a little one curled up in your arms during a storm, at least until your arm starts cramping and you have to pee. LOL

So we’ll do our best to function today on what energy we have. I need to finish a new collection I’m working on for Homeberries. It’s a dog collection called ‘Woof ‘. I think it will be well loved. At least I love it, so I guess that’s all that matters. I also have to fold about 8 loads of laundry today. I was sick over the weekend, and my DH decided to be a dear and wash all the laundry. He then so kindly piled it up in our bedroom for me to finish when I felt better. *Sigh* I guess I can’t be sick forever, so off to fold I go.

So we have our 2nd snow of the season. It’s a doozy… 2 WHOLE INCHES! And every school in the area is closed - LOL.

Why I remember the day when we had to walk through 4 feet of snow in shoes wrapped in bread bags instead of boots, and we had to go out the back door of the house because the front door had a 6 foot snow drift covering it and ….

OK, but I did have to wear bread bags over my shoes because we were to poor to buy boots - LOL. Anyway, my point is, I live in a wimpy snow town. When we moved here I didn’t think to myself “wow we’re in the south now!”. After all, it’s just Southern Illinois. People here have a different view though. LOL  So 2 inches of snow is a BIG deal. It’s alright I suppose, I do get a taste of winter without the hassle of having to ever shovel a driveway, because it’ll be melted in 2 days and I can hold off going anywhere for at least two days.

So welcome winter! It also gives me an excuse to stay home and do that stitchin!

Talking about stitching, I am working on my newest pattern right now. It’s called ‘Woof!’. Don’t you love it??? It’s all dogs of course. I had so much fun making these. I have to tell you though my FAVORITE is the Pug puppy. I’ll get some pics up as soon as I’m done stitching my samples.

Off to make some cookies now.. I have to have something fuel my weary fingers - LOL.

I know that some of you must think that something horrible had to have happened to me to cause such an absence. NOPE, just life. I have been making it up to you though. I have been working my little fingers to the bone kicking out new pattern collections and stitching examples to go with them.

 A new year means a refreshed, energized Homeberries.

Plans for this new years - GROW, GROW, GROW!

I want 2008 to be GREAT! I hope this will be the year my name gets out there. I’m working on getting some new features put together for the website. My dream list includes: Making video tutorials on stitches used most frequently on homeberrie’s patterns. Getting my store filled with fun and versatile patterns for all my lovely customers. I hope I can do it well this year.

Have a great day and visit often.

Jennie

OK, I know that’s really campy, but oh, well.

I relaunched my store today. I wanted to include better graphics, better collections, and just make it better.

I am really hoping people will see the benefits of download patterns. I did a test run on myself to make sure everything transfers well after purchase. I think people will really love the paperless files once they get the hang of them.

I know that for me ( an organizational mess) it’s a lot less of a clutter if I can stick it in a file on my computer.

I have a little boy throwing his blocks, I better go before he breaks something. LOL

Talk later….

OK, we have a winner for the Halloween Contest.

Drum roll please….. AND THE WINNER IS : TRUDY COSTELLO! Yeah!!!

Trudy I’ll send you an email giving you a choice of the patterns! Start thinking about what you want me to design for your home too! Congratulations!

So some of you might have noticed that the store is under construction again… Sorry, but I’m working on making actual kits with iron on patterns you can stitch over. It’s a little tricky so it might take me a little bit, but I know you’ll love the results!