Original Designs by Paulette Stewart
I am so thankful for the Gift that God gave to the world that He loves so much.
Please accept this small gift from me to you, and if you choose to stitch it, my hope is that you will be able to slow down and reflect on why we celebrate this beautiful season of Christ's birthday.
Merry Christmas to you! (And please click both of the links below the image, or your pattern will not print out correctly!)
What a whirlwind this month has been! I need to slow down and take it all in.. if only I could turn the clock back and enjoy all the twinkling lights and favorite Christmas movies just a bit longer.
Every year, I try to get my Christmas decorating done in one afternoon, but this year I just pulled a few things out of boxes whenever the mood struck (usually in between sending out orders). Here are just a few of the places in my home I've tried to make festive and jolly, before the kids get home. 🙂
I posted this on Instagram, but it's one of my favorite decorations. My feather tree, filled with vintage bird ornaments…
This is on my dining room table.. I cut off a bottom branch from our tree this year, and mixed it in with some artificial greenery and berries…
I've been collecting annual Starbucks ornaments for years! I have a banister that separates my family room from the dinette room, and every year I've hung a garland on it, filling it with my Starbucks treasures (they're just so much fun!). These are just a few of them…
Here is this year's ornament – the coffee delivery truck!
My mom has done a hot chocolate bar the past couple of years, and I joined in the fun this year, making one for Sophie – since she always seems to be asking for hot cocoa in the evenings lately. 🙂
I have to include this picture, bc it makes me laugh; I was trying to take a picture of Poor Martha standing outside of the glass door, and I forgot to adjust my camera. She ended up looking like The Little Matchstick Girl, by Hans Christian Andersen…
My parents dropped this beautiful boxwood wreath off on my doorstep this year! I love it hanging in my window…
My dear friend Bonnie stitched me this darling ornament! I have a banister in my entryway as well, on which hangs another garland and lots of stitched ornaments, but this one was so unique in its finishing, I hung it on the greenery in my bathroom!
This sparkly Kringle is also in my bathroom…
I found these wonderful, jumbo-sized white jingle bells on Etsy (The Bead Hutch), and I placed them in a dough bowl with some soft, glittery leaves (also from The Bead Hutch; she had them displayed this way, and I loved it!)…
Ever since I discovered Rae Dunn on Etsy several years ago, I've loved her style.. I couldn't resist this mug, especially since I absolutely love A Christmas Carol!
Here's another picture I posted on Etsy: the nutcracker Mike got for me last year. He sits in my kitchen, right next to my coffee pot…
I'll wrap this up with a couple of my favorite pictures… the first is Dusty, who will be moving to Dallas with her big brother Maji, when Sabrina drives them to her home after Christmas… this was actually taken back in October, when I was trying to get a photo taken for one of my releases…she jumped in the greens and I couldn't stop myself from quickly taking her picture!
And lastly, my Miss Martha, who is a very big girl with new bows on her ears. I just wish you could see them in this picture!
I hope you all are having a beautiful December so far!
My goodness… has it really been since October 20th? I haven't chatted with you since before Thanksgiving? And I just left you hanging with only the first part of the Shepherd's Bush boutique! I am so sorry!
There has been an awful lot going on in my household this summer and fall, and believe you me when I tell you I can't believe I lived to tell about it. Not because I was in any danger, mind you, but because I've had one plumbing/remodeling/everything disaster after the next, and I think at one point I was near to squatting in a corner and rocking back and forth.
But let's not relive that. I sat down today and designed a little ornament for you, in case you were all out of things to stitch. 😉 I've been drawn to lighter colors these days, so that's what I designed with, but if you choose to stitch this ornament, please feel free to stitch it in your favorite palette! Or whatever color scheme you're drawn to this season. (Sometimes mine changes from year to year.. one year I'll want lots of deep, antiqued hues, and other years I prefer lighter-colored decorations… like this year!)
Anyway, I hope you all are having a beautiful Christmas season thus far… it's my very favorite time of the year!
Merry Christmas!
P.S. Remember to click the link below the image to print out your chart! 🙂
Good morning!
First of all, for those who check my Plum Street Samplers Facebook page for updates, I am unable to log into the page because it is behaving badly. Therefore, my only updates, until and unless the issue is resolved, will be from here and on Instagram.
Moving on! Today I'd love to share with you some of the sights from around the Shepherd's Bush retreat last week, starting with the autumn setting in which our hotel was found…
I shared a suite with Linda from Chessie and Me, Jeanette Douglas from Jeanette Douglas Designs, and Brenda Gervais from With Thy Needle and Thread. The photos above and below were what we woke up to each morning, and it was so pleasant just chatting in the quiet hours with our coffee, before the bustle of the day began.
The sisters of Shepherd's Bush set up a lovely boutique at each retreat, located just a few steps from where the classrooms are. It is absolutely packed with stitching treasures!
I'll stop there for today! I'll be back tomorrow with the rest of the boutique pictures, as well as a few of the class pieces. I didn't get them all, but I'll be happy to show you what I did get!
See you soon! And thank you for stopping by!
ETA: This post was written this morning, as my greeting suggests, but my computer was being ornery with me, so it didn't get uploaded. Sorry about that!
Good morning!
Let me go pour another cup of coffee and I'll be right back…
Okay, I'm back! (I really did go pour another cup of coffee.)
Yesterday we left off in the middle of the Shepherd's Bush shop in Ogden, Utah, and today we'll finish our brief tour (I say brief, because you have no idea how brimming the shop is until you've been there!). After that, we will step out onto 24th Street and head to Rensel Art Studio, about 5 minutes away!
You would not believe all of the stitching embellishments in the shop! This is just one tiny section…
When you look up into the rafters, you see lots of beautiful baskets hanging there…
And perhaps a pair of ice skates…
I actually fell in love with this little Mosey N Me design, and bought it just as Shepherd's Bush had stitched it – which is a bit different from the original.
And now we head to Jill's, as it's fondly referred to by shop patrons. If you are not familiar with Jill of Rensel Art Studio fame, she is the one who mats and frames all of the Shepherd's Bush designs, as well as all of the models displayed in their store. Cross stitchers all over the country (the world?) have mailed their pieces to her so that she and her partner-in-art, Amber, can work their magic! I don't have too many photos to share, as I mostly spent time visiting, but here are just a few…
Brenda and I loved the saying on the wall, which is accented by the enormous gilded frame beneath:
These are the little welcome gifts Jill and Amber were passing out.. they went with the Shepherd's Bush retreat theme of Embrace the Journey, as each little capsule also had a travel charm attached to it:
And finally, the lovely ladies themselves! (Jill is on the left, and Amber is on the right):
Tomorrow, if you come back, we will head up to the mountains of Park City for the retreat itself! What an absolutely perfect time it was. I hope to see you soon!
I'm home from what was the most wonderful time in Ogden and Park City, Utah! As many of you know, the lovely sisters of Shepherd's Bush fame hosted their every-other-year retreat, and it was nothing short of perfect. Everything from the cozy warmth of the blacksmith-turned-cross stitch shop to the breathtaking view of the autumn-covered mountains made this gathering one to be remembered.
As usual, I took my camera along and clicked a time or two in the hopes of sharing with you just a fraction of what we all got to see and experience. I'll break up the retreat into a few posts, as it would take far too much of your time to post them all in one sitting!
Here we go!
This is what greeted the shop visitors as they walked through the doors to the shop…
Just past the entryway door, to the left, is the shop counter…
Immediately to the right, in front of the shop's expansive windows, is a virtual Christmas shop, brimming with every Christmas model and pillow and ornament and bauble imaginable! (The photo below barely gives one an idea of what yuletide wonders are to be found there.)
I fell in love with the newest Prairie Schooler Santa, which the girls at Shepherd's Bush made into a pillow. Of course, I left with one of their kits, as I picture mine finished just as they have it, to be propped up in one of my guest rooms for the holidays. We shall see! 😉
Over the shop counter that I mentioned earlier is their collection of pillows from years past..
As we move throughout the shop, there are autumn pieces in every place your eyes rest!
I think we'll stop here for now. But grab a cup of coffee or tea and let's head back into the shop together soon!
Good morning!
The long, hot summer is almost over, and I couldn't be more thrilled to welcome in the cooler, less humid autumn days – as well as some autumn stitching! I hope you'll like my four new offerings for this year's Harvest Market Hop. (If you're unsure as to what I'm talking about, the Harvest Market Hop is an online "market," put together as a way to fill the void left in the industry when there was no longer an in-person market for shops to attend in the fall; it works just like a regular market, but shops order directly online from the Hop, and some shop owners are even hosting market day events, just like they would if they were returning from the Nashville needlework market!) If you see anything you'd like to stitch, just ask your shop owner to order it for you. 🙂
Here we go!
First up is one of my favorite autumn pieces I've ever designed.. (am I allowed to say that? I think I like it so much because I didn't have to stitch it – Deborah Bixby did! Thank you, Deborah!) One of these days, I would love to move into an old white Colonial house with tall chimneys…
The model for Penny Autumn was stitched on 36 ct. Wren by Picture This Plus, and it's worked in all cross stitch over two threads and a little back stitching on the birds' beaks and feet.
The stitch count is 115w x 91h.
The threads are by Classic Colorworks (with a DMC conversion on the chart) in German Chocolate, Brandied Pears, Black Coffee, Just Rust, Hazelnut, Caramel, Antique Lace, Hickory Sticks, Pebble Beach, and Honeycomb.
Sherri Berkman of Total Framing (in Fairfax, VA) did the framing on it, and as usual, she did an outstanding job! (I don't display very many of my models in my home, as about 90% of them are in boxes in my basement, but I do have this one sitting on my piano on an easel.)
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Next up is not quite a fall piece, but it is one of Sophie's favorites. Especially the driftwood style frame! (Thank you again, Sherri!)
One of my dearest friends, Pat Ryan, stitched this model, and did a beautiful job on it, as usual! The linen used was 36 ct. Sea Fog by R&R Reproductions, and it twas worked in all cross stitch over two threads.
The stitch count is 145w x 108h.
Threads used are by Classic Colorworks and Weeks Dye Works.
Here are the CC's: Cinnamon Toast, Wilderness, Avocado, Sunset.
And here are the WDW colors: Pelican Gray, Confederate Gray, Parchment, Chesapeake, Schneckley, Cayenne, and Charcoal.
A conversion to DMC is also provided in the chart.
As for the date on the design? That was the year Hans Christian Andersen had The Little Mermaid published!
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Back to fall! My third release was again stitched by Pat Ryan, who also helped me with choosing all the different "whites" for the pumpkins! If this is one you would like to stitch, feel free to play around with different shades of beige and gray, in any threads you like. Pat and I chose to use Classic Colorworks and Weeks Dye Works – and two skeins of DMC – for the model…
The linen used for the White Pumpkin Farm model was 36 ct. Olde Towne Blend by R&R Reproductions, using one strand of floss over two linen threads.
The stitch count is 130w x 118h.
From Classic Colorworks: Pebble Beach, Toasted Marshmallow, Blackbird, and Onion Skin.
From Weeks Dye Works: Red Rocks, Grits, Kudzu, and Charcoal.
DMC: 612 and 781. (DMC conversions for the other colors are given in the chart as well.)
Thank you, Sherri, for the beautiful star frame!
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Lastly, a tombstone design (I love love love old tombstones!), with a verse inspired by First Timothy 6:7…
This model was stitched by Deborah Bixby (beautifully, I might add!), on 36 ct. Vintage Pearled Barley by Lakeside Linens.
The stitch count is 118w x 130h.
The threads used for Earthly Treasures are from Weeks Dye Works in Kris' Bon Bon, Terra Cotta, Onyx, Pamlico, Pebble, Juniper, and Kudzu. A DMC conversion is provided in the chart.
The stitches used are cross stitch over two threads, and a small amount of cross or tent stitch over one thread (just the angel's facial features; there is no filling in work to do).
The chenille trim for the cushion is in the color Mossy, by Lady Dot Creates. Thank you, Lois, for always being so wonderfully patient with me!
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That's it! I hope you like what I've put together for you for the show.. if you see anything you like, just ask your shop owner to order for you! I'm so thankful you stopped by… I'll see you soon!
While Sophie and I were out and about today, she said to me, "I can't believe it will be 2017 in five months. Weren't we just saying we can't believe it's 2016?"
Firstly, I can't believe how swiftly the time is flying by, and secondly, I can't believe that a sixteen-year-old would notice.
And speaking of sixteen (I promise, this was not a planned segue), I never even got to share Sophie's birthday with you! All the way back in May! I was looking through all of the photos from the past eight months, trying to organize them, and I can't believe how much I've missed in the bustle that is this year. Yes, I was there to take the photo, but perhaps I wasn't actually there in the moment. I imagine this is what my mother has been trying to tell me, when she tells me to slow down a bit and live life at a more enjoyable pace. (Which, incidentally, she is not succeeding at very well since retiring.. she seems busier than she ever has been, and doesn't seem at all to be frustrated by it!)
Here are just a couple pictures from May 22, when my Sophie went and turned sixteen…
Anyone who knows Sophie knows she is an insatiable cosmetics fiend…
Sophie feels that Marty (and Tilly, of course!) is still the best gift to our home, no matter the celebration…
I love you, Sophie-Joon.
I found some pictures from a lazy afternoon, before Sabrina left for Dallas. The sun was shining brightly into the living room from the large window behind the couch, and the girls were too lazy to play with Martha.
Maybe another day, Martha.
I finished this sampler a few months ago after stitching it alongside my dear friend Ann Robbins. Ann collects "Ann samplers," and when we both mentioned that we had been wanting to stitch Threads Thru Time's Ann Rayner 1839 reproduction, we decided to stop wishing and just dive right in!
When I showed my finish on Instagram, several of you asked me for my thread conversion, so here is the blog post I promised! I apologize for it taking me so long to finally get it posted.
Some things you should know, if you already own this chart: I'm not sure at what point this chart originally went out of print, and then was re-printed (I believe The Attic Needlework in Mesa, AZ now carries the reprints), but Ann and I noticed that we each had very different chart formats: hers was not only printed in a different layout than mine, but we had different symbol keys as well. So the key I'm posting here is from my particular chart, and may not match yours, depending on when you purchased yours.
You'll notice some blank spaces in my symbol key as well.. these follow my chart key, and the instructions inside the chart will tell you what to do with the colors listed next to the blanks.
I stitched my Ann Rayner on a mystery linen, but I do know it is 36 count. Ann Robbins and I both started our samplers on May 3, 2015, and we finished them just around this past May. We both then sent them to Sherri Berkman of Total Framing in Fairfax, Virginia, and she did an outstanding, masterful job, as usual! Here they are, side by side… (sorry for how crooked they are – I pulled both photos off of Instagram!)
You'll notice Ann's colors are a bit different than mine, but also take into consideration that because the lighting in our photos was very different, hers appears to be done on ivory linen. It was actually stitched on 36 ct French Vanilla. We also stitched our grassy fields differently: I stitched my rows horizontally, and she stitched hers vertically, giving her grass a "taller" feel to it.
Here is my framed piece, hanging on the wall to the left of where I sit to design…
(Sorry for the blurred sampler below Ann Rayner.. it's a future release, awaiting its photo shoot!)
Here is a bit of a different picture of my sampler, taken before framing, and also snagged from Instagram…
And finally, here is the conversion list! I hope if you choose to stitch this sampler, you can find a special friend or two to stitch along with you, as I did. 🙂 Thank you, Ann, for agreeing to stitch this with me! I'm so glad we can finally say that we have stitched this sampler!