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    This Morning…

    This sampler says exactly how I feel today… and the kind of mood it puts me in when I finally get a few moments to work on it…

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    (It's Mary Roe, by The Scarlett House, which is one of my favorites of Tanya's reproductions.)

    I also took time to walk around outside this morning, and I love that the lilacs are waking up.. they are my very favorite part about the spring!

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    And something that made me laugh today was little Lady Martha, playing hide-and-seek. To see her pop up from behind the bed in the George and Martha Suite was so cute to me. (Because she knows she's not supposed to be in there!)

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    Lastly, I peeked into my Sophie's room, and felt very blessed to know I have three beautiful, God-given daughters.

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    The morning is almost behind me, so I should probably get busy preparing for the afternoon, and all the things there are to do today: preparing the shop newsletter for the next BYOF release, placing a print order, taking Martha to the lake for a walk, and doing laundry!

    I hope you all have a lovely spring day today!

  • Critters

    Meet Martha

    I'm sure by now most of you have either read or heard me say, "I have a new puppy!" But just in case you haven't, I'd love to introduce you to her!

    First, the quick story:

    As many of you know, I have a crush on George Washington, and I often joke that I was Martha's rival in another life. I just find George and American history in general to be very fascinating… so when I stumbled on a litter of English Springer Spaniels that were all named after the Founding Fathers and their wives, well what could I do? Who could blame me for what happened next? And the funny thing was, I didn't even choose one for its name – I simply clicked on the one I thought was the cutest…

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    So we waited and waited until she was able to leave her mama, and then the day finally came when Sophie and I could drive to South Dakota to pick her up. What an exciting day that was! She was the tiniest, sweetest little thing, and Sophie and I were instantly smitten.

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    Bath time wasn't her favorite thing to experience…

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    And neither were car rides, although she's more comfortable with them now…

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    It's interesting to me how many different looks she has. Sometimes she looks like a different dog altogether, depending on what mood she's in!

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    And the car ride again…

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    When she could still fit in it, she loved guarding her toys by sleeping in her toybox.

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    Her registered name is Meadowland's First Lady Martha. Although she doesn't much act like a first lady most days.

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    But she's my girl.

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    Lots of you have asked how the Yorkie and Tasha are getting along with her.. The Yorkie is managing to maintain her alpha status when Martha is sleeping, and Tasha does a good job of mothering her. But mostly they live peacably with her, when she's not getting on their nerves. 🙂

    At 8 weeks…

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    At 14 weeks…

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    And that's my Martha. Thank you for stopping by to meet her!

  • Retreats,  Stitching,  Travel,  Workshops

    You’re Invited!

    I'm honored to have been asked to teach a class at Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach this spring, and I'd love it if you could attend! The weekend will be full of merriment in the form of stitching, shopping, eating, coffee-drinking, and relaxing with old friends and new. If you've never visited Pat and Ann's shop, now would be a great time to do so! I'd love to meet you (and so would they!), and it all starts on Friday afternoon (April 24th) into Saturday evening (April 25th).

    Spring Weekend Blog Announcement

    The event begins with an Open House at the shop from 12-5 on Friday, and there will be a special kit for the attendees. Then on Saturday we'll be at the Greenbrier Country Club where I'll be presenting a new sampler with fourteen colors, a generous stitch count, and a theme that will help to usher in our upcoming season of patriotism. There are two class times to choose from – morning or afternoon, and all the other details can be found here.

    The registration for this Spring Weekend opens today! I hope you'll be there!

     

  • New Designs,  Stitching

    My Market Releases

    These are the things I released at the market… I hope you like them!

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    This was stitched on 36 ct. Winter Brew by R&R Reproductions and uses Classic Colorworks cotton floss in these colors: Barn Door, Dulce le Leche, Antique Lace, Cocoa Bean, Pebble Beach, Cobbled Peach, Weeping Willow, Lemon Grass, and Hickory Sticks.

    The trim around the Lone Elm Tree  8" Dark Chocolate Shaker box is natural chenille, from R&R Reproductions.

    Stitch count: 134w x 142h.

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    This is the third in the Jack's Sweet Shoppe series, and is stitched on 36 ct. Vintage Cedar Plank by Lakeside Linens. The threads used are by The Gentle Art in Nutmeg, Caramel Corn, Old Hickory, Roasted Marshmallow, Dried Thyme, Wood Trail, and Cherry Bark; as well as Weeks Dye Works in Williamsburg and Cinnabar.

    The tarts can be found at amazon.com, wilton.com, or possibly wherever Wilton cake decorating supplies are sold. The stitch count of The Black Cherry Tart is 69w x 65h, and was model-stitched by the lovely Kathy Krause (whom I finally got to meet at market! Hi, Kathy!)

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    This model was also stitched by Kathy Krause! It calls for 36 ct. Vintage Sand Dune by Lakeside Linens, and uses Classic Colorworks floss in the following colors: Spun Sugar, Secondhand Rose, Bella Rosa, Stepping Stones, Barrel Cactus, Ginger Snap, Sassy Brass, Wild Oats, Pea Pod, Weeping Willow, Clay Pot, Carrie Berry, Cocoa Bean, Muddy Puddle, Brown Hen, and Boysenberry Jam.

    The stitch count is 172w x 89h, and was framed by Sherri Berkman at Total Framing in Fairfax, VA. Sherri used reclaimed barn wood for the inside frame, painted to match one of the pinks used in the design. But you could easily frame it in something a bit more conservative if you'd like to lend a different flavor to the piece. Sherri does a fantastic job, if you need suggestions! (By the way, this is a companion to Harvest Delivery and Halloween Delivery.)

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    This model uses 40 ct. Vintage Maple Sugar, and was stitched by Rindy Richards. (Thank you, Rindy!) It uses Needlepoint Inc. silks in 696, 694, 954, 334, 692, 957, as well as Gloriana silk in Bellagio and Cinnamon.

    The stitch count is 249w x 110h, and the verse was written by me, inspired by the words of Dr. Charles Stanley on the radio show In Touch Ministries.

    This piece was also framed by Sherri Berkman of Total Framing. Thank you so much for your hard work and talent, Sherri!

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    At long last, a spring-themed Doxie piece! It's so fun when I receive emails for these little characters.. and I was asked countless times at market if I actually own a Dachshund. No, I do not, but I do find them terribly charming! And I'm so happy these designs have been so well-received.

    Spring Rolls was stitched on 35 ct. Confederate Gray by Weeks Dye Works, and it calls for Weeks Dye Works floss in Artichoke, Dirt Road, Light Khaki, Kudzu, Loden, Swamp Water, Honeysuckle, Kohl, Havana, Baked Apple, Cinnabar, and White Lightning.

    The stitch count is 154w x 63h, and the trim used was natural chenille by R&R Reproductions.

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    Lastly, the BYOF kit! Oh my word, has this been quite a ride for me! I was positively overwhelmed with all of the lovely compliments I received regarding this first semi-kitted endeavor of mine. Poor Ronny at Classic Colorworks is probably sick to death of me emailing and calling for more threads.. I've been conservative in my orders because I simply wasn't sure how this would go, but I can safely say that for the next one in the Sampler Lessons series, I'll be much better prepared.

    I apologize to those of you still waiting to receive your kits.. your shop owners have done their best in trying to get them for those of you who have ordered them, and they will have them for you soon! I was bogged down by one mishap after the next, it seemed, once I returned home from market, which put me behind in my mail-outs. Please bear with me, and please forgive the delay… I promise to be more on top of this with the next release.

    Sampler Lesson One was stitched on 36 ct. Olde Towne Blend (my favorite from R&R Reproductions), and the chart comes with the threads and trim only needed to complete the piece. You only need to supply your linen or backing fabric! (Aida stitchers: this piece has a small portion of over-one stitching at the top, where you see the "ABC." You can easily substitute a few tiny buttons here, or perhaps a small charm you may have sitting in your extra embellishments. 🙂 Please don't let this small area deter you!)

    I'm unsure as to how long I will run each of these BYOF kits, but the next one should be out in a month or so.  I hope you enjoy stitching them, and filling your baskets or bowls with all of your stitching accomplishments!

    P.S. Many of you have asked me, "Why the 'Serial Bowl' name?" It's simply because I enjoy a play on words now and again, and because there will be many series in this collection. The first series just happens to be Sampler Lessons, and will be followed up by series that are themed for summer, fall, etc. Several have asked about the Cereal Bowl collection, but I'm afraid I won't be doing anything relating to Kellogg's or Post. 😉

    I hope you enjoyed this spring's releases, and that you've already got this season's stitching underway! Thank you so much for stopping by. 🙂

     

     

     

     

  • Market,  Stitching,  Travel

    Nashville Market – Part 3

    Welcome back! Here are the last set of photos from this year's market, hosted by Yarn Tree and Needlework Retailer. They did such a wonderful job, right down to all the fine details, and I can't thank them enough for everything! I hope they continue to host more markets for all of us – just as soon as they recover from this one, that is. 🙂

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    I hope you enjoyed looking through the market photos.. again, if there is anything you'd like to have stitched for your home, simply contact your shop owner and let them know what it is you'd like! They most likely already have it in their shop, with your name on it. If you're not sure what the name of a chart is called that you see here, you can give your shop owner the address of this blog and the number of the photograph (hover your mouse over the image and it will reveal its magic number to you), and they should be able to do the rest.

    Have you hugged your shop owner today? 😉

  • Market,  Stitching,  Travel

    Nashville Market – Part 1

    What a fabulous market it was!! I always have so much fun reuniting with good friends, going out to fun restaurants in big groups (there were 20 of us one night!), chatting with all of the shop owners, and getting to see all of the new designs (and some of the previously-released ones) everyone has worked so hard to get released in time for the big weekend! I stepped out a few times and snapped some pictures of some of the models and the cute decorations. If you see a design you like, please contact your shop owner and ask them about it, because chances are, they will know exactly what it is and how to get it into your hands!

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    This picture is for you, Niky!

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    I think we'll stop there for today! Come back tomorrow, and I'll have Part 2 posted!