I am positively scrambling to get everything ready to leave in a week! I’ll be driving to Nashville to meet up with my sister (Audrey) and my dad (Paul) for the 2023 Nashville Needlework Market hosted by Yarn Tree and Needlework Retailer, and I am so excited!

This year I will have six new patterns, and here they are:

FLOAT

This is a collaboration done with Best Twist of Heartstring Samplery, and we had so much fun working on it! As we did with Sewn in Friendship (released in 2020), we worked it out entirely over text messaging. Her half, called Sting, will be available in her market suite – each chart is sold seperately.

(If you would like to stitch both of these pieces as one vertical sampler, you will be able to find a transition strip for downloading here at my site under “Free Charts” or on Beth’s website after the market closes.)

Be sure to look for us in our Muhammed Ali shirts at market if you plan to be there!

PENNY SPRING

This is a companion to Penny Autumn, which was release in 2016. I miss the little fox family that lived behind my house in Nebraska, so I decided to include one in this small spring sampler!

SPRING MOON

Spring Moon was originally released as an exclusive for Fox and Rabbit, and I am finally releasing it now. I’ve got Summer Moon on its way this summer, as well as Summer Mini Moon (Christmas Mini Moon was released last December). I imagine I’ll have lots of moons in this series, so stay tuned!

STARBARKS

It’s been a while since I’ve added to the doxie lineup, so I decided to come up with some coffee-colored pooches. One of these days I’m going to have to get myself one of these little characters.. I think they are just the cutest, silliest little dogs!

TORTOISE TOWER

I had so many ideas of what to do for the next stack, and I truly don’t know why I decided tortoises would be next, but here we are! Originally the shell colors were reversed, with the “scales” (actually called scutes) being the darker blue-grey, and everthing in between the lighter blue. At the last minute, as I was stitching the model (yes, you read that right; if you know me, you know I do not care one bit for stitching my own models), I decided to switch the colors to brighten up the piece a bit, and I’m glad I did! But feel free to stitch your stack any way you please. Brown, green, yellow, whatever you like! It’s tortoisly up to you.

THIS I KNOW

Lastly, this is my market exclusive this year. I designed it as a partner to This is the Day!, which was last year’s market exclusive. Only those attending the market in Nashville will have access to this chart for their customers, but after a short while I will release it openly to those who could not attend. I really enjoyed designing this, and my friend Katrina (who almost always does my conversions for me) suggested she coffee-dye some of the DMC flosses that are used in the model. They came out so pretty! (Instructions for coffee-dyeing floss are included on the back of the chart.) If you choose not to coffee-dye, your floss will just be a bit brighter. But that would be just as beautiful!

I hope you like my first designs of the year.. it will be such a fun market, and I have no doubt your shop owner will show you all sorts of things you didn’t know you needed. I can’t wait!

I’ll see you soon, and thank you so much for stopping by!

Earlier this month, I released the first of a series called Noah's Christmas Ark. (Please go backwards a few posts to see all the information on the whole series, as well as the details for if you'd prefer to stitch all twelve blocks on one piece of linen.) I don't know that I'll actually stop at twelve blocks for sure, but at least for 2018 that's what is lined up. My friend Pat Ryan is stitching all of them for me as individual ornaments, and at the same time, she's stitching them all on one piece of linen for the shop. I can't wait to see it when it's finished!

Noah's Christmas Ark II (Doves and Honeybees)…

Stitch count for each block: 58w x 48h

Fabric used: 36 ct. Patriot's Brew by R&R Reproductions

Threads used:

Weeks Dye Works in Bullfrog, Parchment, Garrison Green, Kudzu, Grapevine, Molasses, Baked Apple, Galvanized, and Crimson.
Classic Colorworks in Stepping Stones and Hazelnut.
DMC in 3033.

These charts are cross stitched over two linen threads, and you will back-stitch the honeybees' legs and stingers.

The finishing was done by Joy Hayward of Finely Finished, and as I mentioned above, Pat Ryan stitched the models! :)  (It takes a village to get models done…or at least some very helpful friends!)

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Pennsylvania Fraktur…

Stitch count: 125w x 58h

Fabric used: 36 ct. Ligonier Latte by R&R Reproductions

Threads used:

The Gentle Art in Old Red Paint, Mulberry, andds used: Maple Syrup.
Classic Colorworks in Hazelnut.
Weeks Dye Works in Bullfrog, Charcoal, and Sanguine.

Trim used: Vintage Pom Poms by Lady Dot Creates

Stitches used in this design are cross stitch over two linen threads; the motto on the bottom is stitched over one linen threads, and the flower stamens are long-stitched.

(This chart was originally released as a club piece for The Colonial Gathering club.)

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Soul Sisters…

Stitch count: 62w x 169h

Fabric used: 32 ct. Patriot's Brew by R&R Reproductions

Threads used:

Weeks Dye Works in Blackboard, Driftwood, Parchment, Sanguine, Garrison Green, Grapevine, Onyx, and Chrysanthemum.
Classic Colorworks in Deep Fennel.
DMC in 758.

Stitches used for Soul Sisters are cross stitch over two linen threads, and cross stitch over one linen thread on the friends' faces and hair.

The frame is by Sherri Berkman of Total Framing in Fairfax, Virginia, and Pat Ryan came to the rescue again on the model!

(This design is a companion to A Hundred Ways, released earlier this month, and was originally released as an extra chart for the Dyeing to Stitch retreat in the fall of 2017.)

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Babushka's Bees…

Stitch count: 145w x 82h

Fabric used: 36 ct. Toasted Almond by Hand-Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie

Threads used:

Classic Colorworks in Clay Pot, Hazelnut, Stepping Stones, Wasabi, Rose Petal, Antique Lace, Sunkissed, Pine Needles, Cappuccino, and Hickory Sticks.
Weeks Dye Works in Bee's Knees (new for market!), Charcoal, and River Rock.

This design is stitched in cross stitch over two linen threads, and a tiny bit of over-one stitching on the queen bee's shoes and crown. There is also some long-stitching on the bees' wings, legs, and stingers, and a back-stitch for Babushka's lips.

The frame (love this moulding!) is by Sherri Berkman of Total Framing in Fairfax, Virginia, and the model was stitched by Deborah Bixby! 

************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

And that's a wrap!

On deck for the near future is Noah's Christmas Ark III, and I honestly have no idea what else. I'm working on it though!

Thank you again for stopping by my blog… I know in this fast-paced, instant world we live in, it's hard to settle down to read a blog post, but I do so appreciate your taking the time to do so. It means so much to me! My blog, though mostly neglected in the past few years, has always been a place for me to settle in and feel like I'm really talking to friends. So I am grateful to you.