Spring 2011

Dear Friends,

I am just sitting here on a beautiful May evening writing this letter to you and watching the sun and black storm clouds shift and alternate places across the almost-dusk sky. The garden has never had so many spring blooms--tulips, ranunculi, and pansies. And Christian and I were just noticing how abundant and huge the grape hyacinths are this year, and reminiscing how he loved to play with them as a toddler. He never picked or touched them, but he identified the King and Queen and outlying kingdoms and spent hours outside watching them grow and flourish and die off as the season waned. Oh...where has the time gone. This has been such a crazy, busy month for me that it has been hard to get this written as quickly as I wanted. I have to go quickly and get it posted before we are involved in Quilt Market activities the rest of the week. How fun! Kristin's computer is down so we haven't been able to put up our new Shepherd's Bush designs, so I am hopefully going to be able to get them up on this blog. Well--at least Teri may be able to. We have had fun designing some new things for Spring, and I would love to share them with you.

I don't know why, but spring always makes me a little sentimental about my family Perhaps it starts with Mother's Day and then ebbs towards the end of the school year and all the changes that it brings about each year. You know--I don't like change, and as each May pushes my boys ahead to new grades and new changes in their lives, I sometimes just want to grab hold of them and make time stand still. So..our new designs reflect our family mood as you will soon see. Sophie's Pin Cushion is a new little piece that I just love. It is stitched on 32 count Sandcastle Jobelan, and it was quite lovely to work on. The kit runs $20 and comes with a variety of hand-dyed silk and cotton threads, fabulous hand-dyed silk ribbon, and tiny glass beads and buttons dyed to match the piece. The verse around the cushion is written for my Mom, but really is a tribute to the caring and nurturing hearts of all women. I hope you love it as much as I do.

Family is a piece that Teri has designed to go with her Friends piece that is so popular. We dye the 32 count linen for this little piece in our back yard at the shop, and it is stitched with a lovely array of over dyed threads that perfectly compliment its sweet nature. The kit runs $20 and comes complete with 3 darling little charms.

 Come Home is a new addition to our little box series. 
 It is a darling piece depicting a home with a boat 
sailing towards it.  Worked on 32 count Lambswool
 linen with a variety of silks and over dyed cottons, 
it fits perfectly in the little round boxes that we have 
been using.  Only $16.00 for the whole small kit 
plus $17.00 if you want the little creme box as well. 
 You know, I told you that I am turning sentimental 
and missing my boy who is staying to work at school
 for the  summer.  But I think all of us live our lives 
yearning to come home or bring someone home to us.
         And Teri's new 9-pane leaflet--Mother's Hope--
is fabulous.  I think that the colours as so sweet, 
and the design is just perfect for a quick springtime
 project.  Cecile at the Button Company made this 
wonderful heart button of a mom's garden to go in 
the center of it. Don't you just love it?  The leaflet
 runs $6.00 and the button also runs $6.00, and 
we are happy to send you just those or send 
you the whole kit with the windowpane fabric 
and the over dyed cotton floss all packaged up
 in a darling bag.  For a while we even have the
 beautiful backing fabrics to go with it.
          Here are just a few other fun things to tempt you. 
 We are totally into pin cushions here at the shop, and
 Pat and Ann have been  dying scrumptious chenille
 to go around the edges of your cushions.  It is 
beautiful to use and easy to attach and finishes them
off perfectly.  Teri and  I have been couching it on a
 wool appliqué project that we are working on and 
it is so much fun to use.  Just take a look at the 
delicious colours.  I think it runs $5.00 for 5 yards.
        And just take a look at the darling mini ric rac that they 
are also dyeing.  Can't wait to use it on a project.
        And speaking of pin cushions, I have to show you this
 picture of a piece that we designed for Chris Stott.  It is in 
a leaflet that just  came out in her memory, and I think that 
it turned out quite fun.  Anyway, it makes me happy seeing
 it and thinking about our friend, Chris.  We have this leaflet 
available at the shop and all the supplies to make this as well..
        I know that I need to finish this up and enlist Teri's help in
trying to post it on our computer.  So...I am going to leave you 
with a few pictures from our Royal Wedding Celebration.  
We had a party all day on the day of the royal wedding and 
it was so much fun.  A few good sports wore their hats and 
crowns, although none of them really measured up to what 
showed up in London I think.  That was quite amazing.  As  
you can see, our tea was quite spectacular!  We had stayed
 up most of the night before--well pretty much until the actual 
wedding began--making our treats which we served all the 
next day.  We had used my grandmother's recipes and I think 
even she would have been pleased:  cucumber sandwiches,
 lime curd and shortbread tarts, profiteroles with vanilla pastry 
creme and chocolate ganache, and princess cupcakes--which
 we didn't actually make but ordered from a  local cupcake 
shop.  All was very yummy.  And in spite of everything, I think  
you  had to be pretty hard-hearted to not sort of get into the 
spirit of  that beautiful wedding.  And so I will just leave you 
with these darling pictures and  wish you the happiest of
 springs.  Be happy...hugs, Tina  
PS: The Mystery Sampler is on its way to us as I write and we 
are very excited,  If you have pre-ordered it, we will send it the
 first part of next week.  We will also be having little get 
together on the early evening of the 17th- Tuesday- if you live 
close by.   I will write next week and give you more info on this 
 fun new project, in case you want to join in.  Until then...T


PPS. I know this has posted weird... but it is now very late and
 I can not figure it out, maybe a fresh look tomorrow.... or some 
help from Kristin who usually does this blog- so just think of it 
as a puzzle... and we will figure it out soon- good night- Teri