DJ from Tickled Pink in Stitches

A very warm welcome to this week's Blogger, DJ who blogs at the intriguingly named

Tickled Pink in Stitches

1. Please introduce yourself – name, where you are from, family, pets etc.

My name is Deb Powers (AKA DJ because there are just too many Debs out there) and I live in Maryland, USA.   I’m originally from New York state near the Canadian border. I am happily married for 32 years and have one son.  We also have a cat named Thomas.

2. How long have you been stitching and how did you start?

I’ve been stitching half a century (as my husband would so happily point out). Both my Grandmothers were needleworkers, one working in a dress factory who could tat, crochet, knit and quilt. The other owned a needlework business and could crochet, knit, quilt, and various different types of stitching (Swedish darning, hairpin lace, etc). She sold her creations from her home. I completed my first sampler which was a stamped cross stitch when I was 7. I went on to learn embroidery by stitching on stamped dresser scarves. Both of them lived far away so when we went to visit them they would take the time to teach me to stitch.

3. How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start? Is there a story behind your blog title?

I’ve been blogging since February 2009. I joined a few Yahoo groups back then and a few of the ladies encouraged me to begin blogging to show my work. I have always loved writing and needlework, so I thought it would be a fun way to connect with other stitchers. I like to laugh and share puns and bad jokes. Years before I started my blog, I had an email address that began with tickled pink, so that’s where my blog title came from.


4. How would you describe your stitching style? Are you a serial starter, a rotator, a OAAT (one at a time), highly organised, random and eclectic, etc.?

Oh my goodness...I guess you could say a little of most of the above. When I first started stitching I was a OAAT. Then I married a military guy and we began moving around. I would lose my stitching (more times than I can count) so would start something else, then later would find the first one so I became a serial starter. Then we would move to another state/country and I would find different styles of stitching so I became very eclectic as I would become enamoured with the local style. I have Southwest designs, French designs, Quakers, large Dimensions kits, Oriental designs, I tend to buy patterns that speak to me. I’ve learned recently to be more selective. I will look at something for several months before I decide to buy. I wish I were highly organised, but truth be told, I’m totally random in how I stitch. With so many started at the moment, I decide on the day which one I will stitch though I have a list I would like to accomplish this year.

5. Do you have a favourite designer or style of design you are drawn to?

I tend to go in phases. For a while I enjoyed stitching Quakers and Stickideen von der Wiehenburg was my favorite designer. I love Plum Street Samplers, I think I’m drawn to her color combinations and the Christian themes she sometimes uses. I enjoy Little House Needleworks because of her Christian themes as well. They are usually fun and quick stitches, but I like more involved pieces too, ones that look like paintings when you are finished. My Big Toe is also a favorite.

6. Which piece are you most proud of in your collection?

It’s hard to pick just one, but I guess I would have to say the needlework casket I finished a short time ago. I had to restart one of the panels because the count was too small. I learned a lot of new stitches which is always a challenge for me, and it was something I hoped to stitch and finish within a year. I added a few things and personalized it somewhat to represent our families.  

7. What has been your worst stitching disaster?

I was participating in a SAL through Wiehenburg yahoo group a while back. I started stitching over one on 36 ct. I was near the end of a rather large Quaker piece with only three motifs left to go, and I made a mistake quite a way into a large motif. I will have to frog quite a bit of over one work. It’s been sitting waiting for several years now...and is on my list to finish this year...stay tuned...LOL

8. Which new technique would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?

When I was little my Grandmother had a crazy quilt. She started by using unusual fabrics she would find here and there. Bits of dresses that were worn out, leftover fabric after she reupholstered a piece of furniture, etc. There was all kinds of beautiful fabric, all different shapes, and lovely different stitches in different threads holding it all together. I don’t know what ever happened to that quilt, but I would study it for hours looking at all the lovely stitching. I would love to make something like that of my own. I’m sure there were many memories stitching into that quilt. I like to learn new stitches, I think it would be a labor of love.

9. Do you have a box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces? Or is everything FFO'd? What's your favourite way to fully finish a project and what do you do with them?

I have a HUGE box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces. Some are small, some are large, some are even too large to frame! I used to work in a frame shop and at one time had all my extras framed, but I no longer work there, so things get placed in this box. Special ones I finish I will fully finish them by either framing, or I have a couple of techniques I use. I can make them into a hanging ornament, or a flat fold. I’ve made biscornus, they are fun to finish. I’ve also made stand up cubes. The small pieces I tend to place in my china cabinet. The rest I hang on walls and rotate with the seasons. Since I was a framer, my favorite way to finish is framing, but it is expensive!!

10. Which of your projects most represents "you"?

I stitched one a while back, that hasn’t been fully finished. I think the verse on it represents me the most. It’s called Noble, Right, Pure by Abbey Rose Designs.

11. Tell us a secret about yourself. Or a joke. About anything!

I secretly consider myself a box-a-holic bag lady. My husband hates to shop with me because I tend to browse the container aisle, and the bag aisle. I think my addiction is because I want to be organized and I think if I have a place to put stuff I will be able to find things when I need them. This hasn’t been the case though...sometimes I think I spend more time looking for things than actually stitching. It’s my secret dream to be organized one day. I have all the tools I need to be organized...when the desire strikes...LOL I just recently visited Las Vegas and I think I found a home made just for me...

12. Anything you would like to add?

Stitching has always had a special meaning for me. It’s a way to be creative and express feelings and keep memories, but it’s also a way to leave a legacy. I hope that future generations will enjoy my creations as much as I cherish those that were passed on to me. I also hope that the gifts I have given over the years will express to those I love that they were thought of, and prayed for and that they hold a special place in my heart.