Patriotic Summer, 2016
Summer seems to be the perfect time to be patriotic. With the 4th of July, who can resist a flag, a parade, or even a barbecue. In Utah, our founder's day comes on the 24th of July, so we have an entire month of flag waving celebrations, buntings under windows, and many parades: horse parades, children's parades, floats parades, tractor parades, vintage car parades, and motorcycle parades,...you name it and we have a parade for it. Teri put a flag in each of the flower pots outside our front door and it has been 2 weeks and no one has taken them. That's amazing. We spent a week in June driving with my two boys from Indiana to Washington DC, and in spite of being in the car with no air conditioning, Teri and I had a great time meandering (quite quickly) through Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and finally DC. There is just something about a road trip through part of our great country that makes you proud and awed by the beauty of each unique area--and all of it very different from the west where we live.
And then, tonight, I heard about the tragedy in France and my heart is just heavy with sorrow. Christian worked in Nice last summer for 4 months, and we spent a week with him in that beautiful and splendid city. We spent several nights strolling down the Promenade and breathing in the beauty of this joyous little corner of the earth. The news we heard tonight hit me hard on many levels, and it made me think--once again--that we are all a part of the global community which is just so much larger than my country or anyone else's one country. My heart goes out to the people of France, and indeed to those all over our little world who have to experience such devastation. I know that there must be a solution to this unrest and anger, and I am counting on my boys and their generation to navigate their way to its accomplishment. I truly do hope and yearn for peace in our world.
And on that note, I just have to spend an hour or two with my stitching--a true solace for the anxious soul. I am happily working on my new stocking, and perhaps I can share a little sneak peak with you in my next letter. Hopefully....
Everyone at the shop is busy, busy. Teri is working on things for the Retreat, Reeta has been stitching on the Little House ABC sampler, Sue is stitching a stocking for her new granddaughter, Nancy is busy with hundreds of projects including Blackbird's Garden Club, and Lynnette is working on a sweet summer piece from Brenda Gervais. (There I feel a bit better already just talking about projects.) So read on...and I hope to share some very fun things with you that we have going on this summer.
Our young nieces have been stitching this summer--well at least one of them is. Ellie chose our little Bless Ewe kit last week and brought it in this morning to show us her progress...finished and very beautifully as well. Now she is off to stitch Long May Ewe Wave, and I hope that she has just as much fun with that one. Maybe Sophie and Jill will catch her fever and get theirs done as well.
Nicely done, Elisabeth.
French Woolens
by Plum Street Samplers
Pattern $10
Don't you think that this little sampler of Paulette's is just adorable. For sheep lovers like us, it is the perfect summer stitching. Everything about this piece just makes me smile.
New Sheep and Bee display
July in Utah brings our Founders Day: Pioneer Day--the 24th of July, so we like to celebrate with flags and bees all month. We have to throw in some sheep as well, so here is the center display ready for summer stitching. We are happy to make anything up into kits if you would like.
New Halloween Display
The one true bonus of Summer sliding by so quickly is that it is time to bring out Halloween. Truly is there any time of year more fun to anticipate with stitching? Teri has been having such a good time getting this first display all set up and tweaked. Plus she gets to decorate our Halloween tree--well really a branch--and it looks quite darling with all its little pincushions and ornaments hanging over all.
Witching Hour
by Prairie Schooler
Leaflet $ 9.00
Jill our framer, just delivered this fabulous Halloween piece. We always love the Prairie Schooler Halloween samplers. This one is from last year, and we stitched it on the most wonderful 30 count grayish-purple hand dyed linen. It is spooky and fun, and sadly won't be around for long.
Babushka's Blossoms
by Plum Street Samplers
Leaflet $12.00
This new piece is so darling.
A Bowl Full Of Scaries 1
Leaflet with thread $22.00
Our Linen $9.00
Here is a spooky new series from Paulette. It is darling, and we are stitching it on a fabulous 36 count fabric that has a hint of green making all the colors just pop on it. As always this is a limited pattern, so don't wait too long to add it to your collections.
Serial Bowl Collection Lesson 1
by Plum Street Samplers
Chart $10.00
If you missed out on Lesson 1 last year, it is now available in chart form--with no threads. It is such a cutie!!
Lizzie Kate Spooky Mystery
3 charts $27.00
Complete kit varies--please call
Here is another great mystery sampler from Lizzie Kate. It comes in three parts, and this is the first one. Our friend, Maryanne Keegan in Massachusetts, stitched this one and sent us a photo. She and a whole group of darling stitchers back east wanted to stitch it on purple, and this is what we came up with for them. It really does look special.
Thanks Maryanne for sharing your beautiful stitching!!!
If you are getting this mystery from us, and want to show off the Ale (a spooky deep golden brown and the color called for in the pattern) please send me a photo and I will post it here.
This photo is of the extra patterns that come with the mystery sampler.
Here's how it works, you just give us a call and we will sign you up for this darling mystery sampler.
The first month you will receive in your mailbox, or you can come visit us and pick it up in person, the first pattern, the fabric, the threads, and the embellishments. Then in July and August, you will receive the next parts to the mystery pattern. Sounds like fun!!! give us a call and we can go over the fabric options and supply options. How fun to open your mail box and find a wonderful surprise inside.
Just Cross Stitch Halloween issue
$9.99
This is always a fun start to the Halloween season. Just Cross Stitch's Halloween issue is filled with amazing projects. I just love the Primitive Hare's piece, and everyone at the shop has picked their favorites. Below is a photo of all the designs in the magazine. What a bargain!
Little House ABC Samplers
Charts $6.00 each
Beginning kit 32 or 36 count stitched all together: $41.40
Beginning kit 32 or 36 count stitched separately: $64.90
Your beginning kit comes with the fabric, threads, the first pattern, and a button. Each month you will receive the next pattern, any new threads you might need, and a button. These will be charged each month as we send them to you. This is a nine part series, and Reeta has already stitched the first one. The fabric we have chosen is a gorgeous hand dyed-linen and our colors look so wonderful. We are stitching our blocks as one big sampler. It will be about 12' x 12" when complement to the Little Sheep Virtues.
Come Sit Down
by La D Dah
Leaflet $ 10.00
We just had this beautiful piece framed. I love the saying.
We have stitched it on a 32 count linen and tweaked the colors, and everyone who comes into the shop has fallen in love with it.
Mom's Roses
Every year I have to post a photo of Mom's Roses. She lovingly tended them and pruned them and cared for them. I am sorry to say, we didn't ever seem to take the interest to learn her rose nurturing skills. Teri is attempting to become a great rose gardner, and you can see that she does pretty well. She does faithfully trim them....and then hopefully they grow back. Most of the time they do, but every year she seems to lose a bush to January's arctic freeze. Of course she has also planted tomatoes, tomitillas, oregano, rosemary, and basil in with them... and frankly I don't think that they love sharing their garden bed.
But these pink roses are truly spectacular.
Hey, have a great middle of July with whatever your family loves to do in this warm and wonderful month. Take joy in the little moments of this summer, and when your heart is heavy with the news, just go outside with something to stitch and breath. As always, if we can help you with anything--just give us a call.
ever fondly, Tina
