Happy Autumn

Dear Friends,

Can you even believe that we are on the brink of October? Where has the year gone? Teri went to the Corn Man to buy corn on the cob for dinner and came back with this great pumpkin/squash. Bob said it was the most hideous thing he had ever seen and she should give it away. We have been laughing about it ever since. I think it is quite lovely, and Teri just keeps dragging it around and trying it in different places. I can't wait for her to go shopping again. I have an old rock wall that is now filled with various, mismatched flower pots that I dearly love all summer, but I think it would be fun to add odd pumpkins to them. Hmmm...I'll let you know how that idea turns out. I am so excited for this letter because we have great new things that we have been working on . Yay!!! So just read on and see what we have to offer for early autumn stitching. I keep getting asked by our customers here why we never include recipes anymore. Finally, I just decided it is because I don't cook anymore. Chris doesn't ask me what's for dinner every day, so I just don't seem to have the need to fix anything. Earlier this week I did barbecued chicken with Teri's fresh corn on the cob and my grandma's fried RED tomatoes, and Bob was just so happy. OK I guess I need to cook once in a while. Then perhaps I can put a recipe back on the blog. In the meantime, I will probably just stitch. Wishing the same for you.

Thomas's Stocking
Leaflet--$8.00 Charm Pack--$20.00

Our newest stocking is here!!! This is such a long process for us--well Lynnette and me--that it is almost like having a new baby when all is said and done. We are pretty excited about it and I am quite thrilled with how it turned out. I love the colours and hope that you will too. I have chosen a wonderful and warm mixture of DMC #5 Perle cotton as well as Weeks and Crescent #5 Perle overdyed thread. I know that the overdyed threads are considerably more expensive, but if you haven't tried them before, you just have to try them, because they are so very wonderful. Sharon dyed a colour--Smoke--just for this stocking and I love it so much. It is funny, but I stitch all of my own designs except Lynnette always stitches my stocking for me. And I am so grateful to her for this. Enjoy!!

This is a detail of the fence at the bottom of the stocking. Pat and Ann hand-dyed some of their new baby chenille for us and we strung it across the fence like a garland. The chenille comes in the charm pack, but if you need more help in sewing it on, we will have more detailed instructions on our web site under frequently asked question.

Santa's Flight

Leaflet--$8.00 Silver charms--$36.00

This new leaflet contains the last 3 ornaments which we did for the cross stitch magazine. I love the way Jill has framed them all together. The mats and frame are amazing! We wanted each of the 3 designs done on different hand-dyed fabrics, but you could certainly do them on all the same if you choose.

Creepy Pin Cushion

Kit--$20.00

Here is our newest pin cushion just in time for October stitching. I loved working on this and had a great time choosing just the right fabric and threads. It is worked on 32 count Willow Green linen with a mixture of silk and cotton threads. The kit comes with everything to complete except the backing fabric, and the hand-dyed silk ribbon which goes around it is fabulous for Halloween. The entire design is bordered with a little verse.

Get Scared
kit--$16.00

This newest addition for our box series is just in time for Halloween. This is also stitched on 32 count Willow Green linen and worked with a combination of DMC and WDW overdyed threads. It fits perfectly in one of the fun black trinket boxes which sell for $18.50. Honestly, I think you could do this in 2 evenings, so you won't have a problem getting it ready in time.

La-D-Da Mystery Sampler
available October 15--part 1

This is all that they will show us of the new mystery sampler by La-D-Da. The patterns will be released in 3 parts--Oct, Nov, Dec. They say it is an antique sampler with a La-D-Da twist, so that sounds both intriguing and interesting. The little pin cushion you see above is a bonus pattern--Oh, yay. We will be offering it also as a complete kit with a price of about $75.00 which will include all 3 patterns, fabric, and threads. You will have a choice of 30, 35, and 40 count fabric. The price may vary a little because the thread numbers seem to keep changing. If you would like to be on an automatic shipment from us, we will add $9.00 for postage. As always Teri will be arranging a little surprise in the first package. What fun!!!
Well, I have a lot of kits to make, so I have to go and get busy. I think I will be taking them home tonight. If we can help you with any of these new things, please just give us a call: 801-399-4546

Kari had her little baby boy this very morning, so next week we will include a photo. Plus...I promise to put in one of Teri's most famous new recipes. She has taken these cookies everywhere and everyone loves them! So be watching for it. In the meantime...ever fondly, Tina

Autumn Equinox--2011
Hi friends,
Is there really a season more glorious than Autumn? I don't think so. In Utah our weather is perfect with plenty of warm sunshine cooling off with the sunset to shivery chilly. The leaves are just barely edging towards their new hues, and my fall flowers seem to have exploded in exuberance and color. Our rose garden is now bursting with a last showing of blooms mixed with the crazy tomatoes hurrying to finish ripening before the first frost, and we can't seem to get enough of the last of summer's bounty--cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, peaches, and berries. And of course Lindberg just waits for his evening walk past the grade school where the smells from the day beckon him to euphoria. Yet...how quickly we will be on to squash and pumpkins, fall leaves and jack-o-lanterns. But as much as I love the fall, a part of me hates it. There is always that edge to the air portending a winter that lurks around our corner. Teri and I used to tease my boys by humming It's the most wonderful time of the year as they prepared to go back to school. But this year they are both off to college taking with them a part of my heart. I know, I have told myself a million times that it is silly, this is the way life is meant to be, but there is still an emptiness in my soul as I move through this season this year. Bob doesn't seem to feel it the same way, or he doesn't show it-- so what's up with that. And then everyone says: oh well, you still have Teri. Like she is my little pet or something. Ok, then.
Luckily, the shop has been very, very busy and I simply don't seem to be able to get everything done in my day. We have also been working hard getting the new stocking off to the printer along with a fun Christmas book--Santa's Flight. They should both be ready the first part of next week. And I am finishing up 2 darling Halloween kits--one for the round boxes and a fun pin cushion. So....if I stick to it, I should have them ready next week as well. As a result, I have been stitching and graphing every minute and Teri has been loading up pictures for the blog which I have sadly neglected this past month. She has been gently reminding me that I need to get it written, so I finally suggested that she write it this time and let me finish my kits. So she did. Yay!!! So this time, you are getting a little of each of us, and in the end it truly is the most wonderful time of the year for stitching--Halloween, fall, and Christmas. How could anyone be bored. So continue on and see what surprises she has posted, and while you are doing that, maybe I'll take Teri out for a walk.

Spoiler Alert..... Here is a tiny bit of our newest stocking Thomas's Stocking. It is at the printers, Yippee!! We should have it in our hands by next week. Hopefully by Tuesday...our Birthday party. So if you are in the area, come by between 4-6 and we will have ice cream and cake. We will have our newest leaflets and hopefully some new Halloween designs.

I have been decorating the shop for Halloween. Our spooky tree has returned, and we have been filling it with fun spooky decorations. Paper jack'o Lanterns and moons hang from the ceiling and garlands festoon our windows. I love Halloween.

Here is a great piece from With my Needle and Thread, called Seasons- Autumn. We stitched it on a great piece of fabric 35 count and added buttons. It is the perfect fall stitching.

Almost Autumn is a darling new design from Drawn Thread. We have stitched it on 32 count linen and added buttons. It is a great Halloween piece.

Mindi Bruner was so sweet to stitch us this marvelous box from Blackbird's pattern, Morning Star. She painted the box and decorated the tiny boxes with color copies from the sampler. We just love it. Thanks Mindi

Our own Kari is so close to popping- sometime this week. She has worked for us since she was 14

and we have seen her grow up, get married and now have a baby. We are so excited for her and wish her the best. she has been a trouper and we will be sad to see her go. We had a fun work baby shower for her tonight, and here are a few of her gifts.

Can you believe this darling sheep blanket.

Mindi stitched and Jill framed this great pattern from Prairie Schooler (sorry no longer available). What a great keepsake for baby Oliver (that is the name we are hoping for).

All of us at the shop stitched Kari, Blackbird's baby sampler, we are still waiting to stitch the name and date....because some parents just won't decide.

A neighborhood coffee shop Cafe Villa Bella whipped up these delicious cupcakes for the party. He even made chocolate baby bottles and pacifiers to adorn the top. And if you think you have the best cupcakes on earth, sorry--we do. But you have to get there early or they are gone. He would kill Cupcake Wars.

I guess I will send this now and post more next week. We will put pictures of our new things up as soon as possible, so keep watching. Have a wonderful week end. fondly, Tina--and Teri