Kitchen towels anyone?

I'm officially tired of embroidering all things baby. It's nothing personal, but my brain has fizzled when it comes to stitching onesies, burping cloths, receiving blankets and bibs. I'll still do it -- gladly -- but a change is in order. So I'm leaving the nursery and moving into the kitchen. 

These are new kitchen towels I listed on my Etsy shop.

Stitches used: back, leaf, split, satin and running.

The design comes from a print I bought in Calafate, Argentina. The small, purple blooms can be found in fields and mountainsides throughout the country. I thought the set of two would make a fun addition to any kitchen. Each towel is 30 inches x 30 inches and made of flour sack cotton. Three hand-embroidered flower designs where created - one per panel. 

Mom's house was the setting for the photo shoot -- her kitchen is exponentially larger. I tried it first at my place and I couldn't back away enough to get the towels in the frame. 

They're handy with spills, but also look good just hanging around.

Odds and ends

I've been incredibly distracted lately. There has been a lot of pacing, sleepless nights and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. It's making me a little cranky, too.

Part of it has to be because I'm anxious about "The Great Job Hunt." I've been sifting through job posts online and am waiting to hear back from a couple of firms. I still don't have complete closure from my previous employer. This week I finally conducted my exit interview -- a full month after my last day, but there are still pending items that need to be resolved.

My mom went back to work this week. It's the first time she's been in the office since her August surgery. I call her multiple times a day to see how she's doing and I have a panic attack if she doesn't answer. I don't know whether she fully realized how exhausting it would be to go back to the grind, but thankfully she's taking it slow and will transition into her routine. It's been a long six months and it's incredible to think of how far she's come and how well she's doing. We'll all be at peace once this is behind us.

The Etsy shop is open for business. I hit the refresh button more times than I care to admit to see whether an item has received another viewing. I have a celebratory jig planned for when I make my first sale. The waiting process is nerve-racking. In trying to draw more folks to the site, I'm changing up my Twitter account (and vowing to tweet more) and added the shop to my Facebook page. Let's see how this crafting experiment goes.

Coming soon: A Simpler Me Embroidery

I recently rediscovered my love for embroidery. It's relaxing and easy enough that it doesn't discourage me from learning more. Not to mention it's pretty to look at. It's also a cheap hobby -- that helps. With this renewed interest and extra free time, it seemed logical that I could use this new skill and possibly get paid for my work.

So I'm opening an Etsy store.