Call me fan girl, I love Just Nan!

This is an ode to my favorite designer, Nan Caldera of "Just Nan" fame.  I thought I had most of Nan's designs but as I put together a list of her designs I found I probably have a little less then half of her designs.  I was a bit disappointed because I believe myself to be her all time fan girl.

I first became acquainted with her designs thru a stitch group I was a member of in the early 90's.  We met every two weeks in one of our homes.  Well Sandy, (not me) had her staircase lined with delicious samplers.  The most striking to me were the delicate and intricate looking band samplers of Nan Caldera.  She had bands of different specialty stitches which challenged the stitcher.  I really fell in love with the style.

A newsletter came to the house from my favorite local shop "Just Needlin'", which is now closed.  She was offering a class project and the design was "Glorianna", Nan's first angel design.  This was the first project that I worked over one stitches.  It gave her face a finer look. I had so much fun at that workshop and I was hooked.

Nan began the Class Project series which were only available thru the shops and I loved the "Bee Blossom" shop model and immediately signed up for it.  That challenged me and inspired me and I wanted more.  My pocketbook did not always allow me to buy the class projects and I so badly wanted to stitch Pansy Cameo.  It took me years before I found it marked down at "Rainbow Over the Prairie" in Wakrusa, Kansas, which is long gone.  I was over the moon.

Over the years I have bought sometimes with abandon and other times frugally depending on my finances.  I am quite happy with all that I have.  My favorites are Nan's  angels, Liberty Angel is my favorite, her vintage band samplers, the pink cards which have a charm attached and of course the complimentary designs.  Nan has been very generous with her complimentary designs.

When I was compiling a design list which I am using as a check list, so I don't purchase a design more then once, I was struck by the vast variety of designs but all with a distinctive Just Nan flair. I cannot imagine the creativity gene she must possess.

Nan began designing in 1991 and her first design hangs in the office of Lindy Legner, the owner of The Silver Needle in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The first design was never for sale it was for a retreat.  Nan worked at The Silver Needle for several years.

Although Nan Caldera is not the first, nor last, cross stitch designer, she is the one who spoke to me about the beauty of my chosen hobby.  She has had a great influence in my design tastes and she showed me I can stitch more then just XXX.  I admit it, I have a girl crush on her, she is my favorite celebrity.  May she never stop designing.