St Charles Market, 2013

Dear Friends,

It's late Saturday night and our first day of the market it well and truly over.  We have had a busy, fantastic time catching up with old friends.  That is the very best part of the market--seeing friends that we only see once or twice a year.  Last night we stayed up very late in order to finish getting our room ready.  Teri and the girls at the shop have been busy for the past month stringing halloween cutouts to make long string decorations for the outside of our room and it looks very darling.  Here is a photo peeking in from the hallway.  

Here are the packages that shoppers got to take home with them after shopping in our room.  Teri and Reeta made all of the little sheep that are hanging off of the bags, and I think that they look so adorable on the finished package.  

And here is our wild little couch filled to bursting with bags waiting to be picked up by busy shoppers.  What a fun day!  

Now time to share with your some of our market finds.  They won't all make it into this letter, but watch each day for additions.  There is a lot of very fun designs and projects, so get your stitching fingers ready to go.  

First--a look at our own new offerings for this market.  If you want to see any of our photos closer up just go onto the main page of the web site and click on them.

New Designs from Shepherd's Bush

Garden Spells

kit:  $70.00

design size: 8" x 12"

This fun design of a Halloween witch's garden is worked on 32 count Belfast linen which was hand-dyed for us in a fabulous mottled purple.  I found it soft and lovely to work with and truly enjoyed all the delicious Halloween colors of silk that I used.  The left side includes a tiny sampler filled with her favorite gardening treasures.  Finally a little packet of buttons--including a polka dot pumpkin--adorns the wickedly charming garden.

  

Autumn's Fright Pin Cushion

kit:  $20.00

size:  quite small

This little pin cushion is worked on 32 count linen with over-dyed cotton floss.  I think it will be part of the little series of small, tall cushions that began in the summer with Earth's Delight.  Unfortunately, Teri and I seem to have lost the one that we made for the show.  We have gone through every box--of which there are many--suitcase and drawer looking for it, but to no avail.  Where are you little pin cushion??????

October Comes

Leaflet:  $8.00

This is Teri's darling new leaflet for the market.  It is very fun for Halloween and she had a great time drawing and stitching the pieces--with some help from Nancy.  The pillows are worked on 10 count Tula and have a darling JABCO button set to go with it.  The framed piece--finished with Jill's awesome mats and frame--is worked on 32 count linen with a beautiful assortment of overdyed threads.    

We still have some of the backing fabric for the pillows--at least for a few days.  

Spooky Stitches Bag

Kit:  $22.00 

This little stitching bag has had a makeover for the scary holiday to come  I think it is just fabulous and I even helped Teri stitch it--just a little--and was surprised how easy it was to work on.  The bag is already finished out of black ticking topped with a spider web fabric and a little orange ribbon on the zipper.  The most fun you will have is stitching this up to carry your halloween threads and scissors.

Fright Night

Kit:  $12.00

This little kit worked on amazing spooky green linen fits perfectly in our little wooden boxes.  I think it would also made a darling pin cushion or an ornament for a Halloween tree.  You definitely need to look at it up close to see all the detail that Teri as gotten into this tiny area.  Very fun and super quick.

Hocus Pocus

Tiny pillow kit:  $25.00

Button and Pattern: $8.00

Ok, good luck choosing which way you are going to finish this piece.  The little pillow is adorable but Jill's mat is also fantastic.  Either way, you will love working on this sweet piece.  Our kit includes 19 count linen and a variety of overdyed cottons and wool threads as well as backing fabric, Teri's hand-dyed ribbon and a wonderful Sunflower button made by our friend Dinah.

New from Blackbird Designs 

October 31st
Kit:  $50.00

This darling kit is a hot item here at the market and we were happy to snag a few.  Teri wants to start stitching it, but she has to price all her purchases first.  

Never Far Apart

Kit:  $50.00

This darling little stocking would make a sweet ornament or small decoration.  

Away We Rice

Leaflet:  $9.00

This charming pattern is designed by Barb and features a crazy witch's house (love all the windows), a fun Halloween verse, and 3 big crows--or maybe blackbirds.  

Midnight Ride

Leaflet:  $9.00

As you can see this wonderful Halloween bird is riding the October skies on her broomstick.  This is the first in a new series of 6" sewing boxes.  It is designed to fit on a black shaker box which we will be getting soon.  The leaflet also has a charming pattern for a witch's hat pin cushion.

Sisters

Book:  $29.00

This is a simply amazing new book by Barb and Alma.  It is filled with samplers--5 to be exact.  There are 2 antique samplers stitched  by sisters in 1823 and they are the inspiration for the other samplers and projects.  Take a look at the photos below to see a little of what is inside.  

Peace and Plenty Sampler

(from the Sisters book)

Witch House leaflet--right

At First Cock's Crow--left (from Sisters book)

New Designer:  Lone Elm Lane

This new designer's room is right around the corner from us.  She is the talented woman who also crafts the lovely shaker boxes featured in some of the Blackbird Books.  Now she is doing her own designs and here are some of them.  Her charts are beautifully done and the graphs are very easy to read.  I think you will love them.

Snow Angel

Leaflet:  $12.00

OK, this is such a special piece.  I love angels and this one is just quite lovely.  It features a winter house surrounded by this ethereal angel, bird and vine. Very nice!

Holy Holy

Leaflet:  $12.00

His Glory

Leaflet:  $14.00

Blue Bouquet

Leaflet:  $10.00

One of the trays of buttons from JABCO ready for shoppers to look through.

Cecile showed Teri their new perfect sheep buttons before we went to dinner tonight.  The shepherds  will soon be bringing them home to live and graze at our shop. 

Sorry, I am going on to bed.  I will add more photos and things about the market tomorrow night, so scroll back down to this point and then keep on reading.  

fondly, 

Tina