The following is from Linda Connors - owner of Calico Crossroads.
"Calico Crossroads is a needleart design company that produces counted thread leaflets. Our goal is to share our love of needlework with our stitchers and we pride ourselves on our quality instructions that enable stitchers everywhere to recreate our designs with needle and thread.
Our company consists of myself, Linda Connors, and my husband, Jim. I do all of the design work plus all computer charting, all model stitching, finishing and some of the framing. Jim is my photographer and digital imaging wizard.
In July of 2000, all of my stitching supplies, leaflet inventory and other assorted paraphernalia forced me to seek other quarters or build a new house! So I took the plunge and rented a studio about 3.5 miles from my home. I am able to drive every day to and from work through the city park with all it’s tranquility, ducks, fishermen and children playing. I now have my closets and garage back at home (you wouldn’t have believed how much stuff I had gotten crammed into our home!) which pleases me and my husband! It’s hard to believe that I’ve been here in my new studio almost a year already! (I think I may be outgrowing this space, too, already, but don’t tell anyone!)
I miss not having my two cats, George and Murphy, with me during the day, though, but I love everything else about the new studio. George, who is my little dainty, cute, sweet, precious baby (am I showing favoritism?) just turned 13 years old. Then there’s 9-year-old Murphy, who weighs 21 pounds and looks and acts just like all those black cats in our Kats by Kelly™ series.
All my life I've been involved in one way or the other with the fiber arts. Throughout the years, it seems like I've dabbled in every kind of fiberart there is including macramé, knitting, sewing, crocheting, weaving, crewel, spinning, natural dyeing, needlepoint, beading, batik and many more.
However, I fell in love with counted thread work when I discovered it in 1982 and have been an obsessive stitcher ever since. I designed my first piece for a pincushion contest and although I didn't win, I was hooked and have continued to design from that time on.
I consider my design range to be very eclectic because since I get bored with any one thing or style easily, I like to experiment with many different styles. That is why you will see so many different styles that it is hard to believe that the same person designed them all, from elegant Oriental florals to dazzling geometrics to whimsical snowguys to subtle samplers to cats!
There are two aspects of designing that I find the most rewarding and fun. One is the unbounded freedom of expression. The other is hearing from stitchers how much they enjoy my designs. It makes me happy to know that I've brought a little fun to someone's life."
