Nashville Needlepointer's Substack Terminology and March Events
I have so many exciting events planned for this year and have been ferociously planning the educational calendar for the year.
Monthly event announcements will include something for ALL subscribers in addition to the event calendar. It may be a short educational segment, free chart, discount code, exclusive invitation, and etc.
For this month, it’s a discount code. I’m hosting an Instagram Live with Artful Stitches in Orange, Virginia tomorrow afternoon (February 20th). Ginger, the store owner, has generously created a 20% discount code for EVERYTHING and I mean everything-canvases, threads, books, merch and PREORDERS. This includes items that rarely go on sale like System 4 Stands, Lowery stands, or Stella Lamps. It’s a great opportunity to get that canvas off your wishlist at a discount without having to find the trunk show. The code will be valid through the end of the month, but as a loyal subscriber, you are being given a 24 hour head start to shop the current inventory on the site or call in to place discounted preorders.
Discount Code: Lita20
Website: https://artfulstitchesva.com/discount/Lita20m/
Phone Number: 540-732-0018
Nashville Needlepointer’s Substack Terminology:
I wanted to take a few minutes to explain the live events and various terminology we will be using moving forward. The dates and times of live events will vary from month to month to give everybody a chance to attend since there are so many busy schedules. They will be announced the month before and all live learning events will be recorded and uploaded for those who could not make it.
Stitch Zoom- All Subscribers
Grab your needlepoint projects and join us for a couple hours of stitching together. Everybody is welcome and this is free for ALL Subscribers.
Stitch and Learn- Paid Subscribers
A “Stitch and Learn” is monthly live zoom where I invite some of my favorite people in the needlepoint world to join us for a bit of stitching and conversation. The guest list will include everyone from needlepoint designers (wholesale and direct to consumer), wholesale distributers, prominent stitchers, shop owners, painting services, and so many more!
This will be a great educational opportunity to learn more about the industry and a wonderful networking resource for anybody considering becoming a designer, opening a store, or becoming a finisher.
Zoom Class-Paid Subscribers
This will be a live class available to all paid subscribers. It will be an opportunity for students to watch and learn that month’s topic with a live instructor who can answer questions during the demo.
Finish Along- Paid Subscribers
A “Finish Along” is a scheduled Zoom session where we’ll come together to work on finishing our needlepoint projects. The session will focus on the topic of the month like ornaments, stand-ups, 3D projects, magnets, and etc.
During the session, I’ll be available to troubleshoot, answer questions, and offer tips to help you as you work on our monthly topic. Every month will have either a Finish Along or Office Hours.
Office Hours-Paid Subscribers
These will be a chance for subscribers to bring whatever they are currently working on for guidance.
During the session, I’ll be available to troubleshoot, answer questions, and offer tips to help you with your finishing projects. Even if you don’t have anything to finish right now, paid subscribers are welcome to join in to stitch, listen to advice, or simply hang out!
March Events and Topics:
Now that everybody is comfortable with the terminology I wanted to announce March’s topic and events. All paid subscriber zoom links will be below my signature.
(Paid subscriber links will be below my signature)
Stitch Zoom- March 4th at 8:30 PM EST
Meeting ID: 818 1539 9409
Stitch and Learn- March 10th at 7:00 PM EST
The March guest will be Krista from Penny Linn.
Learn more about Penny Linn’s founder, Krista Leray, and how she took a hobby and turned it into a career. This will be an opportunity to get a sneak peak into her design process, product sourcing, and collaborations. Learn about the challenges she has faced opening the store and what she learned from the speed bumps along the way.
I know I’m personally interested to learn more about how she turned her hobby into a multimillion dollar business with over 30 employees… in under five years.
Zoom Class- March 19th at 6:00 PM EST
This month we will be covering square and rectangles finishes. I’ll show you how to create a sign hanger (instead of an ornament loop) as well as how to hide your cording joins for pieces where you don’t want a hanging attachment.
Finish Along- March 22nd at 10:00 AM EST
The March finish along will focus on square and rectangles. Students will have the opportunity to bring their pieces and work to finish them on zoom with me. I recommend attendees attend/watch the zoom class and prerecorded tutorial (pending an early March release) prior to attending the finish along. This will ensure that the time can be use for trouble shooting and to answer any questions you might have about the process.
Final Thoughts
I know many are excited to dive into more advanced topics like stand ups and 3D pieces. These topics are included in my 2025 education plan and I promise we will cover them. However, to ensure that I’m setting ALL subscribers up for success, I wanted to dedicate the first few months to cover the basics and the building blocks we will be using repetitively. This will be a great opportunity for more advanced stitchers to hone and refine their skills while ensuring that more novice stitchers have the tools they need to move onto those more complex topics.
Growing Pains
I’m so grateful to everybody who has subscribed and believed in me. Writing and blogging do not come naturally to me- Andy always jokes that English is my third language. While I don’t have an eye for beautiful template design or catchy cute video intros, I will strive to continually improve. Your flexibility and understanding are so appreciated as I jump into this new venture and figure out best practices. Unfortunately, there is no roadmap to creating the perfect needlepoint Substack. While I can’t promise all my emails and resources will be the most aesthetically pleasing, I can promise that they will be informative, researched, and thorough.
Warmly,
Lita O’Hara
