In Case You Haven’t Already Seen Them…

…Here are the last three releases I had for market (which was absolutely wonderful, by the way!):

This is Ladies' Maids… there are 50 different maids on this piece; no two are alike! Miss Rindy Richards stitched this one for me, and also surprised me with the most darling fob with my favorite maid stitched on it (she had asked me which was my favorite, but I thought she was just asking because there were so many!). I'm going to have to take a photo of it to show you, because it really was just too cute! (Thank you again, Rindy!)

I love that Rindy only stitched half the x's in the windows, because it really brought the window panes to life. I wish I'd remembered to put that on the chart instructions, but I didn't. 🙁

Fabric used: 36 ct. Vintage Fawn by Lakeside Linens
Stitch count: 350(w) x 195(h)
Threads used: Weeks Dye Works in Dove, Mascara, Battleship, Graphite, Taupe, Pamlico, Tin Roof, Galvanized, Charcoal, Parchment, Bullfrog, King Mackeral, Caper, Brick, Cinnabar, and Grits.

Next up is Love Thy Neighbor, which features a Tilly-and-Effy-inspired feline duo… I thought it was appropriate to use them as the "neighbors" because they don't live together in real life, and when they get together it's amusing to see their love-hate relationship unfold. Mostly they love each other though, after they've worked out their differences. 😉 (This model was stitched by Kathy Krause, who unfortunately had to spend her time stitching this while resting a broken foot. Thank you, Kathy!)

Speaking of one of the photo-bombing devils…

Fabric used: 36 ct. Vintage Examplar by Lakeside Linens
Stitch count: 144(w) x 76 (h)
Threads used: The Gentle Art in Sarsaparilla, Old Hickory, Wood Rose, Walnut, Shaker White, Heirloom Gold, Brethren Blue, Forest Glade, and Pecan Pie.

And lastly, here is My Dearest Friend (stitched by beautiful Nicole Neville!), inspired by the love letters written by John and Abigail Adams…

Fabric used: 40 ct. Vintage Gray by R&R Reproductions (fabulous new color!)
Thread Count: 195(w) x 108(h)
Threads used: The Gentle Art in Old Hickory, Honey Dew, Piney Woods, Country Redwood, Tarnished Gold, Toffee, Brandy, Cameo Pink, Wood Trail, Dark Chocolate, Brethren blue, Faded Rose, and Old Brick.

By the way, the date on the sampler is stitched in Algerian Eyelet, and reflects the year John and Abigail were married.

The outstanding frames for both My Dearest Friend and Love Thy Neighbor were done by the extremely talented and lovely Sherri Berkman at Total Framing in Fairfax, Virginia! If you give her a call at (703) 426-0660, she can get these done for you, as well as any other stitching you may need framed. She's got an amazing eye for color, and if you send her your piece, she'll send photos back to you of different moulding choices, and you go from there. Also, check out the Total Framing Facebook page, because you'll find lots of sales – sometimes even 50% off your framing order! Thank you again, Sherri, for sharing your talent with all of us. 🙂

Market was so much fun, and I can't wait to share with you all the photos I took! I was only able to leave my floor once, so I didn't get photos of too many suites, but I did grab several of the ones who were on the 5th floor with me. 🙂 I'll be back soon to show them to you, so you can get a feel for what the designers' booths were like. It's heaven, being surrounded by all those new designs and threads and linens!

One last note: if you are interested in any of my releases from this weekend, please let your shopowners know.. if they were not able to attend market, the distributors will have them very soon! And to each of the shop owners and designers I was privileged to meet in St. Charles, it was a pleasure! I very much enjoyed chatting with each of you and being able to put faces with names. What a marvelous weekend!

 See you soon!