Early June, 2010

Dear Friends

Gosh--how did it become June? Is it just my age, or is time truly spinning faster with each year? All I know is that if it is June, then summer must be right around the corner. Here in Utah, we still seem to be stuck halfway between winter and summer. I am not sure what happened to spring. It doesn't seem to be a Utah occurrence anymore. I just keep telling myself--don't complain, soon it will be creeping on to 100 degrees. But I have to admit that I am imminently going to be able to hire Teri in her gypsy garb and open a poisonous apothecary shop next door when I harvest the plethora of ominous mushrooms which seem to be covering my front lawn. Just beware at my house if you find Chicken Marsala on the menu. My weekend was full of crazy emotions for me. My oldest child graduated summe cum laude from college, and my baby left for a month in Germany on a student exchange. Talk about wanting to cry. Where did my little sword wielding pirates go? Christian spent the weekend spiraling between excitement and terror, so we have imparted many little tricks to ward off homesickness as well as lots of reminders of how much fun it will be. I suggested that when he was worried or lonely, he should just text and tell me all he has been doing. Well...it's 4 days later and except for a blurred photo of a sign reading Welcome to Frankfurt (I guess to let me know he was there safely,) I have heard nothing. Finally, after my own somewhat threatening text with a list of at least 25 extremely important questions that every mom needs to know, I got an answer on my phone. I grabbed a coke and went outside at the shop so that I could enjoy his reply with no interruptions. I clicked the text open and read--I'm great! Oh....this will be a very long month.

We are very busy here. We are just finishing a group of wonderful new kits and patterns just perfect for summer stitching. I hope we will have them on the website in the next week or two and I will definitely put them on my next blog. Yay!!! We are also crazy getting ready for our Retreat in the fall. I hope you are coming, because it's going to be the best one ever. We are almost completely full, so if you are still considering it--now is the time to act.

We have the most darling new pieces which Jill has framed and sent back to us. Just wait until you see them. Lizzie Kate's Green

is fabulous! Of course Teri has tweaked the colours and chosen a wonderful fabric-- and it is perfect. This pattern is actually a series of 6 little patterns and when you buy them, you get the free border pattern. We also added buttons to the ones that come with the booklets. Then, when you see the little cut-outs that Jill has added to the frame, you will just weep. Truly darling.

Another new picture which we have just gotten back from Jill is With Thy Needle. I love to look at this piece. It is very rustic and sweet. I love the colours Teri chose for it, and would really like to stitch it myself. You just have to look at all the detail like the circles and swirls. The over-dyed linen and the weathered thread make it appear like a piece that your great-grandmother might have stitched. Perfect for summer stitching?

And don't you just love this whimsical new little piece called: Dandy Dreams? It is sweet and nostalgic, and the colours we've used are so soft and comforting. It is such a darling. And the added bonus to it is that I have become more tolerant of the dandelions in my own yard. Every time I see one popping up, I just think about this piece and decide that I don't really mind them so much after all. You could argue, however, that stitched ones are significantly better than live ones.

Well--I have been working on this tiny blog for several days now, so I am just going to send it off and hopefully write again next week. I hope that your week is filled with flowers, and sunshine, and happy stitches.

ever fondly, Tina