Bear Lake summer 2011

This past week was our annual summer week at Bear Lake, a lovely desert lake on the Utah/Idaho border. My parents bought lake front property the year I turned 5 and we have spent so so so many happy weeks there since that time. As I was growing up, we always camped on our land. But the same year that my Peter was born, we finally built a wonderful cabin. For children of all ages it is always the highlight of the summer. It is still the best part of the summer for me, but I seem to face my week with a modicum of stress. I get to that point and think that I have too much to do, or I can't leave work, or the kids have too much to rearrange...maybe we can't go this year. And yet....we always do set off with our cars packed for a 3 month stay, and my dog happily panting in the back once he realizes that we are heading to the lake and not the kennel. Of course Teri has to bring her own car because it is filled to the brim with hundreds of projects which she fully intends to finish during our stay there. (And mostly she does.) And once I am there, I can mysteriously forget about work, and markets, and upcoming stockings, and every other schedule on my calendar at home. It is a place of absolute and utter peace in which my soul simply soaks up the calm and joy. Unlike Teri, I accomplish nothing except a bit of reading and a lot of staring at the water. This year, the snow blessed us with a much higher lake along with little snakes, frogs, and a beautiful flock of Canadian geese. My biggest effort this time was helping Christian wrangle the little sailboat. Teri did that--as well as 50 other projects.

But now I am back and very excited to finally be ready to show all of our new things for the summer. We have been working hard, and I hope that you like our new designs as well. Teri and I are not going to be able to go to the market in Baltimore next week. We had totally scheduled our Fall around the St. Charles market, and just couldn't rearrange August to work around Baltimore. I am very sad not to be going and seeing all of our friends and our darling shop owners. And mid-August is back to school time in much of Utah, so that's what I will be doing with Christian. Ohhhhh......So in the end, we are doing market from here this year and will look forward to going to Nashville in February.

...Now just pretend that you are at the market and have just entered our little room, and this is what you would be able to see--minus us, of course. (Maybe you could put on the music from Pride and Prejudice to make it really seem like you are there.) OK, are you ready...

Her Blessings

kit-- $80.00

Her Blessings is a wonderful larger piece that we are very excited about. The design measures about 8" by 14" and is worked on a beautiful peace of hand-dyed 32 count linen. I like to think that it is a sampler within a sampler, so it was like doing two pieces in one. I had so much fun working on it, and loved the calm, quiet feeling that it gave me the entire time. It is worked entirely with silk and overdyed silk threads and includes a little packet of buttons to embellish when you are finished.

Simple Joys Pin cushion

kit--$20.00

This sweet little pin cushion was designed to go with Her Blessings. It is worked on 32 count linen with a lovely palette of cotton, silk, solid and overdyed threads. It is embellished with a specially hand-dyed purple heart button as well as an antique smoke mother of pearl button. As you can see, it has a few odd little stitches on it which are so much fun to do, and it is finished with the most beautiful hand-dyed ric rac which Pat and Ann have created for us and variegated glass beads which perfectly compliment the little cushion.

Bee Extraordinary

kit--$16.00

This darling 10-count kit is the perfect project for a lazy summer day. We use these kits for all ages here in our shop, and there is just something fun about working on a project that is easy to see and complete. Teri worked this on 10 count sparkly white fabric with the most beautiful overdyed shades of hibiscus, melon, and purple. When you are finished, you can add the little clay bee button to finish off the whole picture.

Tiny Garden Needle Roll

kit--$16.00

Ok...do not faint! It is indeed a new needle roll, and it is just darling. Teri has designed this to go with the Tiny Garden Fob, and we all think that this is probably one of her best. You will just love it. It is stitched on 32 count Smokey White linen with gorgeous hues of overdyed floss. The whole piece is embellished with a hand-tinted flower button, tiny glass beads, curly overdyed ribbon, and hand-dyed light purple ric rac. It is truly just so beautiful.

Live Life
kit: $16.00

Here is a new addition to our little box series, and I think it might be my favorite. It is summery and sweet with such beautiful colours of silks, and solid and overdyed cottons. We put ours on the antique black box, but it would probably be equally darling on the white one as well.

Sweet Stitches Scissor Fob

kit: $16.00

We have been having so much fun in our shop with the new polka dot scissors, that I just had to design a fob to go along with them. It is stitched front and back on Antique White 32 count linen with a variety of solid and overdyed cotton threads which I have spent hours trying to match to the 3 colours of scissors--candy pink, citrus green, and sea blue. When you are finished, you can embellish with a tiny mother of pearl heart and edge with sea blue ribbon and white polka dot beads. Your hardest task will be to choose which pair of scissors you want.

Well, are you inspired? I hope you are. I think that everything will be ready to ship by the end of the week, so just give us a call. Try to be a little cool, a lot joyful, and full of stitching hours.

ever fondly, Tina