• New Designs,  Stitching

    Gloom Away

    I love that Nebraska has all four seasons, and I enjoy each one as they arrive, but winter certainly does seem to take more than its fair share of the year!  I really do love winter – and we've actually had a typical winter here, so there's been nothing to complain about – but the sunshine is sorely missed.

    In an effort to chase away the wintry-snowfall-blues that come from gloomy gray skies, I've been working on a design that uses a slightly different color palette than I usually design with. And it's put me in the best mood!

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    I brought it with me to market to work on, and thought I had my colors decided, but when Gentle Art came out with their new Loganberry, I knew it had to be added to the floss ring, which includes Raspberry Frost and Linen, and Weeks Dye Works' Mulberry and Sea Foam.. lots of beautiful colors to brighten up my day. ๐Ÿ™‚

    The moral of this story: If you need some cheering up, and you turn to your stitching for comfort, be sure to take out a happy project! New, soft colors, or a lighter-colored linen can work wonders!

    I'm about half finished with this sampler, and have enjoyed every stitch of it. I'm not sure when I will release it, but it will be some time this spring, I'm sure.

    By then, the sun will have most likely returned, and I can begin looking forward to the gorgeous wintry snowfalls that come from the softest, silvery-gray skies, just a few short months ahead. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • Market,  New Designs,  Stitching

    Market Again!

    When we last visited, I was in Lone Elm's gorgeous suite. And now we'll enter the Needlework Press room, where I was quite charmed by this Adam and Eve sampler:

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    I love the two little girls under the tree that the stitcher added. She must have had quite the imagination! And as usual, Vicki and Megan had so many lovely things in addition to their reproduction samplers….

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    My next door neighbor this year was Claudia of Dutch Treat Designs. I had never met her before, and what a lovely, loveley person she is. She invited me in to see her antique Bristol sampler by orphan Emma Sanford, which Claudia has kindly reproduced for those of us who are fascinated with the history of George Mรผller's orphanages…

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    I loved reading about George Mรผller when I was a young teenager, so to be viewing a real sampler from one of his faith-built orphanages was quite surreal for me. Thank you, Claudia, for sharing your time with me, and for all of the lovely designs you have!

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    Stacy Nash's room was a real pleasure to visit… the spring flowers – as well as her new designs – were gorgeous, and quite the talk of market!

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    Bonnie Woomer of The Nebby Needle was on the other side of me at market, and she had a room full of fun girls with her! This was Bonnie's first market, and I hope to have her as a neighbor at future markets. I love her things – these two, especially:

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    Stepping out of the elevator again…

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    …And now we're at Threadgatherer's room! Cece has the most luscious silks!

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    And she always brings along her scrumptious lip balms and other natural products…

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    Pam and Bob of Olde Colonial Designs are some of my favorite people. And their suite was full of all the beautiful wooden treasures they create for our world of needlework…

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    Look at this tiny antique perfume bottle and stitched topper:

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    So sweet…

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    Praiseworthy Stitches' room was fabulous! They have the most spectacular seasonal samplers…

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    One of the ladies I was most looking forward to meeting was Niky of Nikyscreations. What a talented artist she is (and several of us agreed that we could spend all day listening to her beautiful Italian accent)…

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    Her tables were scattered with the most delicate little items, crocheted, stitched, and even wooden…

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    I so wish I had gotten to visit more people! Perhaps next time… but until then, I leave you with some of the sweet, fresh daffodils Sharon of The Purple Thread brought to me. Daffodils are my very favorite flower, so I was very happy to have them brighten up the little table right next to the doorway…

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    (Behind the daffodils is the Crowned Bird Sampler, which will be coming to a shop owner near you later this spring or early summer.)

    Thank you so much for joining me "at market!" I'm already excited for the next one!

  • Friends,  Market,  New Designs,  Stitching

    Market!

    I'm a little late in getting this posted, but here I am with just a few of the gorgeous things that were found at the needlework market in Nashville this year! I'm so sad for the shops and designers that couldn't make it because of the weather, but it was sure wonderful seeing those that could be there. Thank you so much to everyone who came out and supported the designers; each one of you is such a blessing.

    This year I brought along my dear friend Katrina Devine to help me in my room. Katrina is exceptionally organized and kept everything running smoothly (which I was extremely grateful for), so I was able to get out and visit a few rooms and take a few photos! I didn't get to nearly enough of them, but here are the ones I did get to:

    First stop was The Purple Thread… everywhere one looks, one finds a new treasure. Sharon is such a talented friend, and I love her displays…

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    And then there's my Canadian Sister Jeanette Douglas… Such exquisite details in her samplers!

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    And aren't these the sweetest tags? I love them! Jeanette has such a lovely way with color and elegance…

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    There are only two companies I trust with my coffee beans: Starbucks and R&R Reproductions. The ladies at R&R offered the most beautiful linens, and I came home with a venti-sized cut of Espresso. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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    I loved this pillow by Threadwork Primitives, in R&R's room. It was such a pleasure meeting sweet Nan!

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    Shepherd's Bush never ceases to amaze me with their beautiful color palettes. Nobody designs like Tina and Teri, and they've been a favorite of mine since I learned my x's.

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    This one was a favorite of Katrina's and mine:

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    Samplers Not Forgotten had the most stunning samplers! Kim Nugent has reproduced several from her collection, and believe me when I tell you these samplers are huge! I was quite stunned to see them in person, but couldn't get a good photo because she was a good girl and had them all glassed in. ๐Ÿ˜‰

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    One of my favorite stops is always at Chessie & Me's room. Her things are such a pleasure to look at, to photograph, and to stitch…

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    I absolutely love the saying on this: Pursue the pleasures of a peaceful life.

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    Beautiful as usual, Linda!

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    Stephanie and her gorgeous family (of Lone Elm Lane) were my next-door neighbors at the last market in St. Charles, but this time we were stationed a few doors down from them. Their room puts me in the best mood! It's like walking into a Country Living magazine, and the welcome is always so warm and friendly!

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    I have lots more to show you, but I think I'll end this post right here. I'll be back very soon with the rest!

    It was truly a fabulous time at market…  There were so many rooms I missed, either because of timing or crowds, but hopefully you'll be able to visit lots of blogs from those who attended to see what else was there.

    See you soon!

  • Market,  New Designs,  Stitching

    Just Released

    Market was so much fun! I'll be back soon with some photos from some of the suites I visited so you can get a peek into what was on display this year at Nashville. But first, in case you haven't seen these last three releases of mine posted anywhere, here is all the information you'll need if you're interested in stitching them. Just contact your online or local shop owner, and they'll get you everything you need!

    Welcome All Hearts Home…This design could pass as a Christmas piece, but it was really inspired by my early morning walks in the spring and summer at the lake near my house. I pass a lot of different flowers and deer along the way, and the paths cut into some of the most beautifully-fragrant evergreens. The fresh scent of the trees is breathtaking, and the deer are always just as surprised to see me as I am to see them!

    Welcome All Hearts Home tp

    Stitch Count: 225w x 141h
    Threads: Gentle Art in Espresso Bean, Old Red Paint,
    Lexington Green, Wood Trail, Antique Lace, Old Brick,
    Endive (2 skeins needed), Clover, and Mulberry.
    Linen Used: 36 ct. Vintage Lt. Examplar by Lakeside Linens.
    Suggested Alternative Linens: Olde Town Blend by R&R
    Reproductions, Parchment by Weeks Dye Works, or any
    other neutral linen would work nicely.
    Stitches used: All cross stitch, using one strand over two linen threads.
    Framed by: Total Framing in Fairfax, VA
    Model Stitcher: Rindy Richards (who stitched the grassy field vertically,
    to have the variegation go in the direction that grass grows!)

    A Friend Loveth… I originally released this design at the Reflections retreat a few years ago. The lovely ladies at that shop (hello, Mary Ann, Julie, and Connie!) put on the most relaxing retreat in the spring, where attendees can come and stitch to their hearts' content, eat lots of good food, and even get a massage if they'd like. The theme that year was A Recipe for Friendship, and they mounted this piece on the most gorgeous black pedestal. (I wish I had a photo!) Mine was framed by the lovely Sherri Berkman of Total Framing, however, and as usual, she did an outstanding job.

    A Friend Loveth tp

    Stitch Count: 88w x 61h
    Threads: Gentle Art in Tin Bucket, Faded Rose, Brandy,
    Lambswool, Garden Gate, Mountain Mist, Wood Smoke,
    Dried Thyme, Antique Rose, Brethren Blue, and Oatmeal.
    Linen Used: 36 ct. Vintage Meadow Rue by Lakeside Linens.
    Suggested Alternative Linens: Espresso by R&R,
    Straw by Weeks Dye Works, or any other neutral linen.
    Stitches Used: All cross stitch, using one strand over two threads.
    Framed by: Total Framing in Fairfax, VA.
    Model Stitcher: Karen Decker (Thank you for coming to my
    rescue, Karen!)

    True Friendship (Pat's Sampler)… I first met Pat Ryan at the Shepherd's Bush retreat in 2012, where I was rooming with her, as well as the darling Ann Robbins and Jeanette Douglas. Pat and I would sit in the early mornings with our coffee and stitching and just chat away until the other girls joined us for their morning coffee as well. I'd sit there with my mother's Christmas exchange piece in my lap and pretend to stitch, but mostly I'd just drink my coffee and marvel at the speed of Pat's work. When all of us visited Mount Vernon the following year, Pat was our tour guide, as she can put the History Channel to shame with her vast knowledge on literally any subject – including my beloved George Washington. ๐Ÿ™‚ When I spotted this quote by George in a gift shop, I knew I had to put it on a sampler for Pat!

    True Friendship tp

    Stitch Count: 91w x 95h
    Threads: Gentle Art in Raven, Brandy, Piney Woods,
    Endive, Sable, Wood Smoke, Pomegranate, Sea Spray,
    Terra Cotta, and Oatmeal.
    Linen Used: 40 ct. Olde Town Blend by R&R Reproductions.
    Suggested Alternative Linens: Lentil by Lakeside Linens,
    Parchment by Weeks Dye Works, or any other neutral linen.
    With a few adjustments to the threads, I think this would also
    look lovely on black!
    Framed by: Total Framing in Fairfax, VA
    Stitches Used: All cross stitch, using one strand over two linen threads.
    Model Stitcher: Kathy Krause (Thank you so much for re-stitching
    this for me in record time, when I wasn't happy with how my particular
    variegation was turning out!)

    I also want to show you all the depth of this fabulous moulding that Sherri chose… I'm in love with it! My partner at market, Katrina Devine, also suggested it would be great with glass and used as a little tray.

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    It was so lovely seeing all of the shop owners at market! They are just the sweetest bunch of ladies who work very, very hard to support we designers and to encourage us with their warm reception of what we place on our room tables. I'm so sorry that there were many who were kept away because of the weather extremes plagueing the roads and airports. I hope you all will be able to make it to the St. Charles market in August! I'm already excited for it!

    Again, if there is anything you've seen from Nashville's market that you're interested in, contact your shop owner! I'm thrilled to say that the Norden exclusive The Beekeeper has sold out, but upon Norden's request, there are some shop owners who have posted in the comments that they may have extras, so please let your shop owner know to head over to Norden's Facebook page if they didn't get the opportunity to purchase any kits. Thank you to all of you who had so many lovely things to say about it.. I really enjoyed working with Norden on it, and Katy did such a beautiful job on the kits!

    Until next time!

  • Market,  New Designs,  Stitching

    Count Twice…

    A couple of years ago my lovely local needlework shop, Reflections, asked me to design something for their annual retreat. When Mary Ann and Julie told me the retreat's theme was Fear the Frog, I was a bit muddled over what to design for it – but I knew there had to be an amphibian in the piece somewhere. Rip-it.

    A stitcher's least favorite task is to remove work that has taken precious hours to do, and every stitcher knows that regardless of how many times one actually counts threads, one or two will miraculously move when one least expects it, causing a motif to be misplaced or the border to be mismatched. So this is where the frog comes in, as well as the little sampler lady who would do her best to catch it before it strikes again. (I'm afraid it's a bit too late for that, however.)

    Count Twice tp

    Count Twice
    Stitch count: 145(w) x 49(h)

    Linen used: 36 ct. Vintage Meadow Rue by Lakeside Linens (some other
    suggestions would be R&R Espresso, Weeks Dye Works Parchment, or
    any neutral-colored fabric.)

    Threads used: Classic Colorworks cotton (with a conversion to DMC in parentheses) in:
    Avocado (580)
    Ye Olde Gold (832)
    Barn Door (918)
    Perfect Piecrust (950)
    Cocoa Bean (3021)
    River Rocks (3768)
    Camouflage (935)

    All stitches are cross stitches over two linen threads, except for the frog's tongue,
    which is long-stitched, and the cage bars, which are also long-stitched (or
    back-stitched, if you prefer).

    The framing was done by the talented Sherri Berkman of Total Framing. Thank you, Sherri!

    This pattern will be released at market in Nashville this weekend, if you'd like your shop to pick it up for you! I've got a total of 5 new designs this time, in addition to The Beekeeper (sold exclusively through Norden). I've shown you Elizabeth Sarah Oliver 1842 and Count Twice, but the last three I'll show after market, unless shop owners get them up first. ๐Ÿ™‚ I'm so very excited to be there!

  • Friends,  Stitching

    A Girlfriends Weekend

    A few weeks ago, I met up with some girlfriends for a weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, and we had such a fun time! I didn't haul my camera around with me, so I only had my cell phone to rely on, but I enjoyed the practicality of it. I just wish I'd actually gotten a photo of all of us together.. the only problem with that was I'd have had to ask everyone to put down their stitching, their snacks, or their Starbucks, and one never asks another to set aside any of those – particularly the Starbucks.

    Here are a few highlights from our trip, beginning with my countdown of leaving the house for the airport…

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    We stayed at a Hilton, and this is what greeted me in my hotel room:

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    The Olde World Quilt Shop was a sweet little shop we really enjoyed visiting. It was very cozy, and the ladies there were extremely friendly and helpful. (We were all gathering lots of fabric to give to Natalia to make our next batch of stitching wallets. Poor Natalia! She went home with quite a haul of Moda!)

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    And since no stitcher can say "Arizona" without also saying "Attic Needlework" in the same sentence, that's exactly where we went. Jean has a new shop in a new location, and it's just gorgeous!

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    As you can see from some of the Vera Bradley bags, we brought our stitching in to sit at the tables and chairs that are in that area and get to work when we were finished shopping (ahem).

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    One of my favorite samplers was by Samplers Remembered, and it's the Joseph and Mary Christmas Sampler at the top of the wall in the photo below. I just loved it! The bright colors looked like a child's painting to me.

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    At the bottom left of the above photo, you can see the beautiful Katrine Thomsen 1858, also by Samplers Remembered. I think everyone got this one kitted immediately when they saw it in person. It's amazing what seeing a model in person can do (although I had the chance to see Linda Danielson's progress on it at the St. Charles market last year, so I already knew how breathtaking it was!). And by the way, she stitched the entire thing over one linen thread!

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    Next to the Samplers Remembered wall was The Scarlett House's models, and this one, Ann Topley 1802, was a favorite of mine.

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    We had lunch at a fantastic Mexican restaurant called Serranos, which is in the same plaza as Attic Needlework. And for breakfast, I recommend a great little place called Crackers and Company Cafe… but call ahead, because you wouldn't believe the line in front of that place if you just show up on a weekend morning!

    It was such a great trip, and the time spent with my good friends was priceless. And apparently, so was the stash we bought, as we all spent a bit freely that weekend! (I won't even go into our Trollbeads shop visit… oy.)

    On our last day, this was what I saw outside the car window on the way to the airport:

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    …And on my layover in Denver, this was the scene from the food court window, where I awaited my flight to not-so-sunny Omaha:

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    What a difference an hour makes! But all was cozy again when I returned home and unpacked some of my purchases and my little would-be stowaway made himself quite comfortable again…

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    I can't wait to do this again!

    ETA: Linda of Samplers Remembered left a comment letting me know that her Katrine Thomsen sampler was actually stitched over two linen threads, but on 52/60 ct. linen. I'm impressed either way! That's too high of a count for me, I'm afraid! I'll stick with 36 or 40 for mine. ๐Ÿ˜‰

  • A Colonial Gathering Club

    Finishing Troubles?

    So many of us love all the needlework accessories, or "smalls," out there, but we fall into one of three categories:

    1. Would like to stitch it, but the finishing part is like a pox on me.

    2. Would like to stitch it and finish it because I'm very comfortable with a sewing machine or craft glue.

    3. Can stitch it if I want, but it may never get finished because while I'm okay with a sewing machine or craft glue, I'd rather be stitching the next fun thing than spending time following a finishing tutorial.

    I happen to fall mostly into the third category, because I just don't like the fuss of getting all of my supplies out and then, worse, having to put them all away. However, I did force myself to do the finishing when it came to the Colonial Candle Pocket (released in the A Colonial Gathering club for Dyeing to Stitch last month).

    For those of you who have signed up for the club, yet are not chomping at the bit to focus on the included finishing tutorial, your rescuer has arrived! I received an email from Faye Riggsbee , known to many of you as "Carolina Stitcher," and she has offered to take the finishing off your hands if you'd like!

    Here are the details:

    For $20.00 plus postage (postage is around $4.00), just send her your stitched piece and kit supplies, and she'll do the rest (she's got the tutorial instructions, so no need to send those). There is about a 4-week turnaround, and she'll invoice you when she's finished, so you don't have to pay up front.

    If this is something you're interested in, you can email myself or Faye (her email is in her profile of her blog) for her mailing address.

    Here is what your finished pocket will look like, and it will be fully lined as well!

    Faye

    Thank you so much for the offer, Faye! Your work is beautiful!

  • New Designs,  Plum Street Antiques,  Stitching

    A Sprightly Sampler

    When I spotted this old sampler, I was immediately smitten. It was in a very neglected state, but I was able to look past the distractions and see what an animated piece of needlework it truly is. Ten-year-old Miss Oliver must have been a frolicsome young lady with a fondness for puppies (did she own the two that are depicted in her sampler?), as well as small surprises of color, which are scattered about her canvas.

    I love the density of motifs, the compact border, and her sweet verse, stitched over one linen thread:

    This needlework of mine can tell
    When I wose [sic] young I learnt it well
    And by my elders I wose tought
    Not to spend my time in ought

    She then signed it:

    Elizabeth Sarah Oliver
    Aged 10 years 1842

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    There is a faded border surrounding the verse, and I believe Miss Oliver realized later that she'd forgotten her double "l" in the line "…I learnt it well," as she added the extra letter "l" outside of the border. (I thought that was rather charming!)

    For those of you who would like to recreate this sweet sampler for your own home, the reproduction will be available at the Nashville market, and your shop owner will be able to pick it up in my room. Thank you so very much, Kathy Krause, for your beautiful work on the model! (I currently have the antique hanging in the "George & Martha Suite" in my home, and the model hanging in my bedroom!)

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    The threads I charted this for are an exact match to the unfaded, back side of the original, with this exception: where Elizabeth used her purple thread, I changed the color to Gentle Art's Blueberry. If you're a purist, and prefer your sampler to be as exact as possible, I'd suggest using Gentle Art's Red Plum instead of Blueberry. (There is no specific reason I chose to use Blueberry instead of Red Plum; I simply loved the color Blueberry and wanted to incorporate it into the sampler!)

    Here are the supplies you'll need for completing this sampler:

    Fabric used: 35 ct. Confederate Gray by Weeks Dye Works (Some alternative fabric suggestions: Natural Northern Cross linen, Lakeside Linens' Cedar Plank or Vintage Meadow Rue, R&R Reproductions' Chamomile, or Picture This Plus' Ale)

    Threads used: The Gentle Art in Apple Cider, Cinnamon, Deep Forest (2 skeins suggested), Harvest Basket (2 skeins suggested), Cucumber, Flax, Rhubarb, Blueberry, Old Brick, Baked Clay, and Sable.

    I've made a terrible omission, as I left off the frame information on the chart! (I kept looking and looking at the information page and couldn't figure out why I had extra room to work with, and now I know! Sherri Berkman's pertinents are missing! Sherri, please let me treat you to a Starbucks or three when I see you again!)

    So here is the frame information, if you'd like the gorgeous olive moulding Sherri chose:

    Total Framing
    (Sherri Berkman)
    3775A Pickett Rd.
    Fairfax, VA 22031
    Phone: 703-426-0660
    Website: www.totalframing.biz

    I hope you all have a lovely weekend! Mike's birthday is on Super Bowl Sunday, so we'll be spending it rating the commercials and eating all sorts of junk food. And I don't know about him, but I'm sure I'll be stitching at some point. ๐Ÿ˜‰