Hello everyone! I’m Susan from AllAboutBlanks.com and we work with the folks here at AnnTheGran.com to offer you some of our best-selling embroidery blanks right here on Ann's website.  What a nice surprise it was to be asked to participate in the world of blogging here at AnnTheGran.com! I instantly knew what journey I wanted  to take throughout the Fall season. Each year I have a long list of people I want to make gifts for, and each year I find myself stitching until 2:00am to quickly finish up that special gift at the last minute. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been thinking about the gift for four months. I still don’t manage to get it stitched until the morning of! Can anyone relate?

So when asked to write a blog, it was a no-brainer. Join me on my gift-giving  adventure of Holiday 2008! AnnTheGran.com offers a great selection of embroidery blanks, supplies, and designs  that can really help to make your holiday season run smoother and be less stressful. I’m going to share with you some of our own personal projects that we’re working on! Everyone in our office embroiders as a hobby. It’s what we love, and it’s what we love to give!  So we sat down and planned our own personal gift lists and decided to share some of our favorites with you.  This will serve two purposes:

1)  Maybe our ideas will work for you too! Let us help you make easy decisions about the gifts you want  to give.
2) By working on this blog, it is forcing us to get our own personal holiday stitching done ahead of time—not last minute at 2:00am!

So what’s up first? Cocktail Hour! We all have those friends that throw the perfect parties and are the perfect hostesses. You’re convinced they have the “Martha” gene because everything is just right. I KNOW you’re thinking of someone like this right now in your head as you’re reading this post! For me, it’s my cousin. From the brilliantly baked hor d’oevres (she serves hor d’oevres, not appetizers!), to the fully-stocked bar, to the subtle mood music in the background, each party she produces is a masterpiece. I know just what to give her—and she can never have enough! 

For my cousin I’m making a set of monogrammed cocktail napkins.  I’m actually making her two sets—one with a simple monogram for more elegant parties, and another set with fun designs that are great for more relaxed events.  For this project I am using:

1 dozen 12”x12” Hemstitched Tea Napkins, White
 Bonance Alphabet from Ann Cobb’s Alphabets
“Cocktail Lounge 1” Design Collection by Amazing Designs
Ann The Grans Medium Weight Tear-away Sticky Stabilizer

For my simple monogrammed Set:
1)  I’m dividing the one dozen napkins into 2 sets of 6.  Folding each napkin into fourths will make it the appropriate size for a cocktail napkin.
2) I selected the letter “M” from the “Bonance” font design collection and printed a paper template of the design.  Using the paper cut-out of the design, I can decide where the design should be placed on the napkin so it is visually appealing.  Every letter has it’s own personality!
3) Hoop the stabilizer and make sure the “sticky” part is ready.  Using the paper template, place the napkin corner down onto the stabilizer.  Make necessary adjustments on your machine so your center point will be exact and line-up correctly.
4) Stitch all 6 napkins this way.  When finished, tear the remaining stabilizer from the back of the napkin and press lightly from the back with a hot steamy iron.  This will help “raise” the monogram on the front side.  (I’ve been known to stitch a monogram twice in the same place just to make it really raised!).
5) Wrap the size napkins up with a pretty ribbon and you’re ready to go!

I followed the exact same instructions for the “Cocktail Lounge 1” designs, using individual designs instead of a monogram.  I think they turned out great! 

AND I NOW HAVE A FINISHED GIFT with 89 days remaining until Christmas!  Next project…QUICK and EASY gifts for the neighborhood pals…

Get to stitching!

Susan