Abby Rose Designs - Gayle Reger Cross Stitch Designer

The Designer: Gayle Reger is the designer behind Abby Rose Designs. She describes how she got started, "I began stitching about 10 years ago. I took a couple of classes with Merry Cox and was so in love with the way she chose her stitches, fabric and other materials, I just started thinking about designing. I carried my first design, Rose Elegance Accessory Case around with me for about year. I finally got the nerve to send it to a distributor and thought I would just see what happened--and they picked it up! That's was the beginning. I started adding pieces to my collection and they kept picking them up."

The Company: Abby Rose Designs started up in 2006. Gayle describes how she chose the name, "I love the history surrounding old samplers. So when I began thinking about a name for my design company, I knew I wanted to use a name that made you think about the young girls that stitched the old samplers. My name is Gayle and I probably would have been named Abigail back then."

Types of Designs: Gayle's love for samplers is reflected in her designs. As she says, "I love old samplers. So most of my designs reflect that - I use a lot of alphabets because they relax me when I am stitching them and they just seem to give the pieces the look that I am after. I usually use linen and over-dyed threads when designing my pieces. I like them to look old so sometimes I will dye the fabric a little more with coffee. In my last two designs, Easter Sampler Ornament and Spring Sampler, I decided to use a little different color palette than what my customers expect but both were very successful."

Presentation of Designs: Designs are offered in chart packs and will sometimes include an embellishment such as a button.

Stitching Level Required: Designs are available for all stitching levels.

Personalized Service: Gayle says, "I do like to use specialty stitches because it helps the stitcher learn new techniques and keeps things interesting. I include detailed stitch instructions with my charts. I also include my e-mail address and website information just in case someone has questions.

Website and Features: Gayle's website is http://www.abbyrosedesigns.com/. She updates it regularly with information about upcoming designs and publishing schedules. She also offers a newsletter so fans of her designs can stay up-to-date with happenings at Abby Rose Designs.