• Autumn,  New Designs,  Stitching

    Fall Releases, Part 1

    October 21, 2014

    What a busy, busy, busy, busy, busy month! It's flying by! Where on earth did January even go?

    I've got some new releases to show you, and if you like them, just let your shop know! The shops on my auto will receive theirs very soon, and they've already got the info in hand for the supplies you'll need if you choose to stitch any of them.

    First up is Love One Another, stitched by the lovely Nicole Neville.

    LOA tp

     Love One Another

    Stitch count: 133w x 77h
    Linen used: 36 ct. Vintage Cedar Plank by Lakeside Linens
    Threads used: Classic Colorworks in the following colors (the DMC equivalent
    is given in parentheses):

    Roasted Chestnut (400)
    Zach Black (645)
    Fool's Gold (832)
    Pea Pod (3011)
    Antique Lace (Ecru)
    Black Coffe (310)
    Calico Kitty (356)
    Whatley Woodlands (869)
    Stepping Stones (3021)

    All cross stitch over 2 linen threads.

    Framed by Sherri Berkman at Total Framing in Fairfax, VA. (703.426.0660) (By the way, the moulding is really deep and absolutely fabulous in person!)

     Next up is Primitive Moodkeep… as stitchers, we have all kinds of "keeps" we stitch, like pinkeeps, threadkeeps, scissorskeeps.. so why not a little pillow to let others know what mood you're keeping that day? One side for a good stitching day, and another for a day of frogging. 😉

      Primitive Moodkeep Blessings to Thee

    Primitive Moodkeep A Pox Upon Thee

    Primitive Moodkeep

    Stitch count for Blessings to Thee: 138w x 77h
    Linen used: 40 ct. Olde Towne Blend by R&R
    Threads used: Weeks Dye Works in the following colors:

    Swamp Water (844)
    Tarragon (3011)
    Cocoa (611)
    Tatanka (3031)
    Oak (3782)
    Copper (3776)

    Stitch count for A Pox Upon Thee: 142w x 72h
    Linen used: 35 ct. Creek Bed Brown
    Theads used: See above list.

    All cross stitch over two threads.

    Optional embellishments: The Gold Quaker Star button, sewn to the Blessings to Thee side, is by Just Another Button Company. The rusted safety pin attached to the A Pox Upon Thee side was made by my mom. I'm not sure how she made them, but I believe you can find a tutorial online.

    These designs were stitched on two very different colors and fabric counts, and although they were sewn back-to-back to form one pillow, you can just as easily use two matching fabric counts or colors. And if you don't ever find yourself in a dark mood, feel free to make a single-sided pillow wishing blessings upon all who enter your home. 🙂 Or maybe stitch it as a birthday gift for a dear friend!

    I'll be back tomorrow with another release to show you! In the mean time, enjoy this gorgeous fall day, wherever you are!

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  • Crazy Kids,  Family,  Friends

    Homecoming for Sophie

    October 13, 2014

    All through the eighth grade, Sophie dreamed of the ninth grade: the new friends, the new teachers, the dances and football games, and that awesome feeling of finally arriving. The first day of school came, and she and her friend nervously walked up the long courtyard and into the front entrance, hauling their brand new backpacks and school supplies, probably trying really hard not to smile too broadly and risk looking uncool on their first day as freshman. (It was uncool enough that the moms were all waiting in their cars to see if their babies made it into the building, and didn't get bumped on the way by one of those huge upper classmen.)

    In the few weeks since school has started, I've heard no less than 1,072 times these words: "I'm not in the mood for school today."

    Ah, so the novelty wore off, and the new beginning was suddenly old routine.

    Last weekend, however, the homecoming football game and dance finally made their appearance on the calendar, and all was well again. If Sophie had been dreaming happily of her first day of high school, then she was positively enraptured by her first homecoming dance.

    Tp 1

    Tp 2

    Checking the mirror…

    Tp 3

    Tp 4

    Tp 5

    Tp 6

    Tp 8

    Tp 10

    I can never resist a flower-sniffing photo that makes no sense whatsoever, given that these blooms have no fragrance, and I don't know of any 14-year-olds that will stop and smell the zinnias.

    Tp 9

    This is probably my very favorite picture of Sophie, because she had just gotten a text message from a boy, telling her that the homecoming dress selfie she posted looked pretty.

    Tp 12

    Her exact words, after reading the text, were "Awww!"

    Tp 11

    Soon it was time to go to her friend's house to pick her up (the girls were each other's "dates")…

    Tp 13

    …and then I drove them to the house where they would meet up with some of their other friends…

    Tp 14

    Tp 15

    Tp 18

    Tp 16

    Oh, to know what those girls were looking at! A text? A cute picture?

    Tp 19

    When I picked up the girls at precisely 11 pm, they were full of chatter about the evening. I asked if anyone had on the same dresses they did, and Sophie said that two other girls had on her dress, while her friend said "About forty-five girls had on mine!" (I love this age.)

    Later on, I asked Sophie if the evening – from getting ready to coming home – was everything she thought it would be, and she said it was. And she was free to smile as broadly as she wanted to.

    Tp 7

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  • Stitching

    There’s an App for That.

    October 7, 2014

    For those of you who haven't heard, there's an amazing new app for keeping your hoards of cross stitch supplies perfectly organized! I've had so much fun using it, and it's come in very handy when I need to see quickly if I've got a certain thread – or heaven forbid, buy a chart that I already had in my stash!

    Here's a few screen shots of the app, from right after I got it. The photo on the Home Screen is the default one, but I can upload any photo I want from my album.

    Image(3)

    My dear friend Katrina's husband, Jeff, created the app when his perfectionist/neatnoid/accountant wife decided that she needed a tool to help keep all of her charts, threads, linens, and even shopping and wish lists all in one mobile place. (Jeff, I need an app that makes my husband take out the trash, if you don't mind. Just whip that up, would you?) Jeff then got a few beta testers to try it out, and it was such a hit, he made it available in the App Store for purchase for iPhone or iPad.

    Image

    Of course, I had to have it, and it's been a lot of fun entering all my charts under their respective designers. Here's just a small view of my entries… each picture is customizable, and obviously I haven't taken one for the bottom entry yet. I've also added notes, which you can see a snippet of beneath the design title.

    Image_1

    The only down side to this app is that if your husband stands over your shoulder and sees all that you've entered, you're busted. When he says "Is that a new chart?" you'll have to resort to, "This old thing? Oh I've had it for ages!" (And then drive the point home by muttering something about your linen being practically dry-rotted, you've had the project going for so long.)

    Anyway, unless you've got a "little black book of stash" in your purse like my friend Pam Hoerner, look up this app (called X Stitch) in the App Store and see if it's something you could use! And if you download it, I'm happy to share my new Wish List with you…  😉

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  • New Designs

    October’s Coming!

    September 29, 2014

    Oh my, has my work been cut out for me! Packaging, shipping, designing, every single day since market, and all I can do is thank the Lord that I'm so blessed to be working at something I love with all my heart.

    Thank you again, so kindly, to those who emailed to ask if everything is okay, and how Mike's leg is faring. He still hasn't been cleared to go back to work, and his leg is quite painful and swollen most days, but he hardly complains. Mostly he just busies himself however he can – going to physical therapy, playing bored games with buddies, and offering to help bag Plum Street charts. (I timed him once, and I got 9 charts bagged to his 1. He kept asking me what I was snickering at.)

    Other than that, Sophie has started high school, Sabrina is in her senior year in college (and is planning a trip to Botswana to study abroad next year, if all goes well), and Bre just moved to her beloved mountains this past weekend to start her new life in Colorado.

    In the mean time, here I am packaging, shipping, designing, and finally sitting down here to show you what's out (if you haven't seen it) and what's up next.

    If you got the Just Cross Stitch Halloween Issue last year, you may have seen Ghoul Tidings. But if you missed it, and you'd like the chart, your shop owner should be able to get it very soon, as they'll be off to the distributors tomorrow!

    GT tp-2

    Ghoul Tidings

    Stitch Count: 133w x 89h

    Stitched on: 28 ct. Foglifter by R&R Reproductions.

    Threads used:
    The Gentle Art in Carriage Black (DMC 310), Gingersnap (920), Baked Clay (422),Pumpkin Patch (402), Wood Smoke (3787), Chamomile (3011), and Oatmeal (Ecru).

    All cross stitch, except for the long-stitching on the reins.

    The frame is, of course, by Sherri Berkman at Total Framing. (I told her I thought the texture in the moulding looked like an old broom handle, so it was quite fitting!)

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

    And at last, at last, Jack's Bash will be released! This was a class piece for the Dyeing to Stitch retreat last year, and I am thrilled to death that so many people have emailed me over the past year to ask when it will be releasing. Thank you so much! The big mail-out day is October 1, and the shops on my auto will be getting it in their shops first. Shortly thereafter, I'll send it to the distributors.

    Jack's Bash tp

    Jack's Bash

    Stitch Count: 168w x 185h

    Linen used: 35 ct. Abecedarian by R&R Reproductions.

    Threads used:
    The Gentle Art in Raven (DMC 310), Aged Pewter (647), Piney Woods (730),
    Pumpkin Pie (781), Apple Cider (829), Endive (3012), Brandy (834),
    Sarsaparilla (975), Walnut (646), Parchment (3023), Old Hickory (640),
    Mustard Seed (832), and Oatmeal (Ecru).

    Cross stitch over two, some over one thread.

    Verse reads:

    Here in the rust and autumn bower,
    The knobby gourd and bitter flower;
    We merry-make and sing Hooray!
    To our friend Jack on his birthday.

    (When I use poems written by others, I always credit them; when no credit is given, it is my own. This is one I wrote myself, and you'll notice that the "s" in "rust" actually looks like the letter "f." Sometimes you'll find this in old samplers, and I've always loved it, so I went with it!)

    The absolutely gorgeous frame was done by Sherri Berkman of Total Framing in Fairfax, Va. If you ever see a frame you have to have, give her a call at 703-426-0660, and she'll help you out!

    For those of you asking for Jack's Birthday Tart  (the class piece that went with this sampler), that will be hopefully releasing later this fall. I'm working as quickly as I can to get a few more pieces released as well, but there are only so many hours in the day! And it looks like it's almost the dinner hour around here, so I'd better scoot and go figure something out before Big Papa and Sophie start acting like one of those people in the Snickers bar commercials.

    Have a fantastic week! And is it too late to post market pictures? I know they're all around here somewhere, gathering dust… I'm so sorry I never got around to doing that!

     

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  • Market,  New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    At Last!

    August 16, 2014

    Welcome to the opening day of market! I can hardly stand the excitement!

    As promised, for those of you who are still with me, here is my final fall market release:

    IMG_1448

    A Ghoultide Welcome

    Stitch Count: 332w x 176h

    Linen used: 36 ct. Vintage Sand Dune by Lakeside Linens. A great substitute
    would be 36 ct. Lingonier Latte by R&R Reproductions.

    Threads used: Needlepoint Inc. silk (with their DMC equivalents in parentheses):

    903 (435)
    964 (645)
    962 (648)
    692 (677)
    245 (730) (2 skeins suggested)
    241 (733)
    981 (822) (2 skeins suggested)
    954 (611)
    694 (833)
    767 (975)
    316 (830)
    976 (3021)
    588 (3371) (3-4 skeins suggested)
    721 (3830)
    124 (3772)

    Please note: while each stitcher's floss usage is different, I've included what I think would be best for you to have on hand, in case you run just a little short. If you choose to use a lower-count linen, please know that you may need more floss, just as you may need less if you use a higher count. However, since these are not overdyed threads, you will most likely be safe if you don't have all the skeins you need on hand right away, as dye lots for these silks don't vary as much as an overdyed silk or cotton would. It's possible that you've had a different experience, but mine has been one of color consistency among these particular threads.

    The frame for A Ghoultide Welcome is extremely complimentary to the piece, and was chosen by Sherri Berkman of Total Framing in Virginia. I never see my pieces before she sends them to me, as I like to be surprised. I trust Sherri implicitly, and she never disappoints! If you'd like more information on this frame or any others used on my designs, please give her a call at 703-426-0660.

    There is a small area of personalization on this chart that will require either a tent stitch (basically a half stitch, or a stitch that hasn't been crossed) or a full over-one-thread stitch, whichever you choose to do. An alphabet chart has been provided for you to graph out your own name, or you can certainly fill the area instead with a motif from elsewhere in the chart.

    IMG_1451

    I hope you've had fun looking at the previews this week! I'm very excited to get back to the drawing board and see what comes out of the mouse. It almost never matches what is in my mind, but that's okay. I'm always up for surprises!

    Happy Market to You!

    P.S. A patriotic-themed "Welcome" is brewing…

     

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  • Market,  New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    A Sneak Peek…

    August 15, 2014

    It's almost time for market to open! It's open early tonight for the designers who have Early Bird Specials or Limited Editions they're selling. But I generally don't participate because I'd be dying to get out of my room and into their rooms to see what wonderful creations they've come up with! Isn't that just awful? Every year I say, "Okay, Paulette, you're doing a Limited Edition for Friday night, next year." Then along comes Friday-night-next-year, and all is dark in the Plum Street Suite.

    Crickets… crickets…

    I can usually be found bouncing from room to room, trying not to look like a regular Peeping Tom if the doors are shut. I just can't help myself. Market is just so exciting!

    Instead of a preview of my last release, I've decided to do a sneak peek instead. The reason for this is because some shops have told me that they actually do like a surprise sometimes! So I really hope I'm not frustrating those of you who may have stopped back by to see what the last release is, but I'm sure by this photo, you'll be able to figure it out quite easily…

    Hint: It's a companion to a sampler released at last year's St. Charles market.

    IMG_1453

    I will definitely have it posted tomorrow, along with all the information you need if you'd like to stitch it!

    In the mean time, I'm going to look forward to pressing my face up against all the suite windows to try to see what goodies await in exchange for what's in my pocketbook. I'll try to take lots of pictures for you, too, so you can experience a little of what it's like as well!

    It's almost market day!

     

     

     

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  • Market,  New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    Market Preview #5

    August 14, 2014

    By the time you read this, I'll be way up in the sky, happily awaiting my tiny bag of airplane peanuts while I'm making a bee-line to St. Charles for market.

    (By the way, I read on www.phrases.org.uk that the phrase make a bee line came from the "waggle dance" that forager bees perform for other bees in order to tell them where a good source of nectar can be found. Apparently, the angle and length of the dance denotes how close and in what direction the bees should fly, and as soon as it's communicated, they "make a bee line" straight to the appropriate flowers. Hopefully I won't break out in one of these waggle dances as soon as I de-plane.)

    The next release has nothing to do with bees, believe it or not. But it does have to do with wiener dogs.

    First there was Halloweenies, and then there was its companion Winter Wienerland. The next in the accidental series of Doxie-designs is a Thanksgiving-themed one:

    IMG_1367

    Turkey Sausage

    Stitch Count: 200w x 60h

    Linen used: 36 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens

    Threads used: The Gentle Art (with their equivalents in DMC):
    Mulberry (300)
    Heirloom Gold (610)
    Toffee (680)
    Endive (830)
    Cinnamon (975)
    Wood Trail (3021)
    Espresso Bean (3371)
    Country Redwood (3777)
    Terra Cotta (3826)
    Old Red Paint (3859)
    Weathered Barn (3858)
    Oatmeal (Ecru)

    Thank you once again to Nicole Neville for stitching the model for me!

    I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you who have received this little series so warmly, whether or not you actually own a Dachshound. I've never owned one, but I find them to be the most hilarious of the little dog sort, and the few that I've met have been the gentlest creatures.

    Stop by tomorrow for a peek at my final market release, and don't forget to let your shop owner know as soon as possible if you see anything anywhere online that you'd like for her/him to bring back to you! I'm very, very excited to see what is being offered this time around from some of my favorite designers and thread and linen dyers!

    I'll see you very soon!

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  • Market,  New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    Market Preview #4

    August 13, 2014

    One of my very favorite rooms at market to go into is Lone Elm Lane's, because it feels like I'm walking straight into a Country Living magazine; oh, for the love of stitching, how do they take a simple Dixie cup and sweet tea and turn them into a veritable goblet of country goodness?

    Lone elm 1

    Their Shaker boxes are absolutely gorgeous, and if you've ever seen them at your local needlework shop, you know that they're beautiful, high-quality boxes, made in the same traditional way that the Shakers made them.

    Lone elm 2

    Please pass the smelling salts.

    It's so hard for me to choose one favorite, because really, I see the sampler-potential for every single color! But if I had to choose one or three, I'd say my favorites are the Wooly White, the Shepherd's Bush Plum, and the Robin's Egg Blue.

    Which brings me to my next release…

    As I said in my blog post yesterday, I absolutely love love love the traditional colors of autumn – the burnt orange, mahogany, chocolate, gold – they're all so cozy! But I also love the unexpected, cooler colors – which can actually mingle quite well with the deeper shades of this glorious season.

    IMG_1312

    This is Autumn Posy, and I've chosen the 6" Robin's Egg Blue box to mount it onto.

    IMG_1329

    Autumn Posy

    Stitch Count: 97w x 95h

    Linen used: 36 ct. Vintage Pecan Butter by Lakeside Linens

    Threads used: Weeks Dye Works (with their DMC equivalents in parentheses):
    Mulberry (154)
    Kohl (310)
    Sea Foam (504)
    Whiskey (729)
    Sanguine (754)
    Havana (830)
    Hazelnut (975)
    Kudzu (3011)
    Bark (3021)
    Putty (3046)
    Icicle (3756)
    Schneckley (3829)
    Terra Cotta (3830)

    Trim used: Cinnamon Rick-Rack by R&R Reproductions

    Thank you so very much to Nicole Neville for her stitching talent! I'm so appreciative of her taking time to stitch this for me, considering she's got a full-time job and a housefull of very active (and handsome) boys!

     By the way, I just have to share with you one of my favorite Bible verses that seems as if it was made specifically for autumn:

    Psalm 65:11a – "Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness." (KJV)

    How perfectly poetic and true!

    (Two more days!)

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  • New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    Market Preview #3

    August 12, 2014

    I'm back!

    I thought that before I continued with my laundry and housework and cleaning and organizing-before-leaving tasks, I would sit down here and say hello and show you my next release! I had a lot of fun designing this one.. my favorite thing to do is to mix traditional fall colors with surprise ones, and I hope you like how it turned out as much as I did! Thank you, Miss Rindy Richards, for your beautiful stitching. 🙂

    IMG_1265

    Harvest Keeper

    Stitch Count: 197w x 150h

    Fabric used: 35 ct. Confederate Gray by Weeks Dye Works

    Threads used: The Gentle Art (with their DMC equivalents in parentheses):
    Sarsaparilla (300)
    Raven (310)
    Woodrose (434)
    Brandy (676)
    Oatmeal (822)
    Piney Woods (730)
    Fudge Ripple (3032)
    Old Hickory (3045)
    Pecan Pie (3781)
    Wood Trail (3787)
    Grecian Gold (3829)
    Pomegranate (356)
    Lambswool (3864)

    The lovely, swirly-textured frame was done by Sherri Berkman at Total Framing in Virginia (703-426-0660).

    By the way, Harvest Keeper can be stitched as a sister to The Beekeeper, if you were inclined to pick this one up earlier this year. But she would also be just fine all on her own!

    Don't forget to let your shop owner know if you see anything online you'd like brought back to you… only 3 more days to go!

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  • New Designs,  Sneak Peeks,  Stitching

    Market Preview #2

    August 11, 2014

    Hi again!

    This morning I've got a little needle packet pouch to show you! I stitched this up very quickly, and if you've never used The Gentle Art's Burnt Orange floss before, it's such a treat to work with. The variation is so beautiful, and each flower turns out a little differently. (By the way, I like to cut a few different lengths from one skein of overdyed/variegated floss and alternate pulling strands out from each of them so that I can have less of a repeat in variation. Maybe you all do that too, but just in case you don't, I thought I'd share that with you – it's a fun little thing to be surprised with, as the new hues take turns showing up in your stitches.)

    Here is My Pinzzz…. the second of my three bee designs for market:

    IMG_1415

    Stitch Count: 76w x 77h

    Fabric used: 40 ct. Ale by Picture This Plus (using 36 ct. or lower
    would be perfectly fine.. it would still turn out to be miniature, although
    you may want to bring in the margin seams around your stitching when
    finishing it into a pocket in order to keep it small).

    The Gentle Art threads used (with their DMC equivalents in parentheses):
    Dark Chocolate (3021)
    Wood Smoke (3790)
    Caramel Corn (DMC 739)
    Endive (DMC 3011)
    Burnt Orange (DMC 376)
    Chamomile (DMC 371)
    Wood Trail (DMC 3031)

    I used a simple silk ribbon and an eyelet for the hanger, but you could easily attach a button and cording or trim, or not have a hanger at all. I usually have packets of needles here and there, and this keeps them all in a tidy little place. 🙂 It's a quick little project for a fall weekend, along with a cup of coffee or tea. (And the tea really should have honey in it, if you want to keep the theme of the pocket!)

    Some of you may have already seen this preview on Instagram, when I posted it a few days ago. If you're new to Instagram, there's a lot of fun stitching pictures to look at that will give you great motivation to pick up your own projects, or my favorite: order new ones! Instagram is available for both Android and Apple, so download the app and join the fun! (My user name is plumstreetsamplers, if you want to find me.)

    I'll see you soon with another preview! Only 4 more days to market!

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