Friday, December 1, 2017

Happy December

Happy December

Dear Friends,
We, at Shepherd's Bush, are finally getting ready for Christmas.  No snow yet, so we have had a hard time letting go of Fall.  But now that Teri has worked her holiday magic--or madness--we are ready for December and all the fun that will bring.  I wish you could all be here for our Open House tomorrow.  We have such fun planned--yummy treats, fabulous new things, and a sweet project in the back--Sue and I had to clean our table--very traumatic. Come if you are close by, and otherwise, we will miss you.  


The outside of the shop all dressed up for December.


Teri and Sue decorating the tree.


We just thought that we would start the season off with a look at some fun, new things from our favorite designers. So if you are ready for some Christmas cheer and need a new project to usher in the holiday spirit, you will enjoy the offerings below.  Grab your glasses and read on, McDuff...

Christmas Offerings from Shepherd's Bush

2017 Shepherd's Bush Ornament


Leaflet:  $5.00
Complete kit:  $24.00

 Making Spirits Bright Pincushion


Pincushion Kit:  $30.00
Kit comes complete with overdyed 32 count linen, cotton backing fabric, threads, buttons and
 hand-dyed chenille trim.
Special Pin Pack (sold separately):  $15.50



Merry Wishes Treasure Box


Merry Wishes kit:  $16.00
Treasure Box (sold separately):  $22.00

Little Red House Tin


Little Red House Kit:  $20.00

Snowman Tag 
 kit:  $8.00


(kit includes materials to complete this design as a tag. Sled ornaments are sold separately for $4.50)

Super Stocking Stuffers
Lip Balm:  $3.00


Stitcher's Lotion
New holiday flavors!
$10.00: 4 ounce bottle
$4.00:  1 ounce bottle (purse size)

photo coming

New from Brenda Gervais--With Thy Needle and Thread


Peppermint & Holly
Leaflet:  $
Complete kit available

New from Plum Street Samplers
We have all these designs in stock with the perfect fabrics and threads.  Just let us know if you want the linen and/or threads.

Hello Winter
Leaflet:  $10.00



Sampler House VI
Leaflet:  $12.00


Yuletide Shanty
Leaflet:  $12.00


Sampler House V
Leaflet:  $12.00



Well, I hope this helps you to get your holidays off to a great start.  It is always great for me when I have new things to stitch.  Hopefully, we will keep in touch as the month progresses.  Stay warm and cheery and stitchy...hugs, Tina














Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Happy Thanksgiving

The Days of Blessings
November, 2017

Dear Friends,

          When my boys were little, I used to ask them what they were thankful for.  I would like to remember that they said sweet, tender and thoughtful things, but most of the time it was things like Lindbergh, spaghetti, or pirates.  Peter seemed to out-grow the game too quickly, and his answers turned to mumbles, then grunts, and finally embarrassed silence.  But Christian always had the same answer--you.  Over the years, I treasured each reply--the silly and silent ones as well as the one that never changed.  Sometimes, especially at this time of year, I ask myself the same question.  What am I thankful for?  I have come to realize that my blessings truly are boundless and immeasurable.  Of course, I am thankful for family, and neighbors, and a job with sisters where I love to go every single day.  And I am thankful for you...the friends whom I am lucky enough to see and chat with often, the friends whom I get to see only now and then throughout the years, and the friends whom I have never met in person, but know their voices on the phone as though we lived across the street.  
Can Life really be any richer than that?  
I hope that this Thanksgiving week will echo back for me all year long reminding my heart and soul that we are the blessings and joys of each other's lives.  

Happy Thanksgiving!


Shepherd's Bush Christmas Party

Our fabulous Holiday party will be on Saturday, December 2nd from 11:00-4:00.  I know that this is a change of date for us, but Thanksgiving is early this year and everyone is so busy with family and turkeys, that we decided to have a little change-up and do it on the 2nd instead.  So.....please drop by and join us for a festive beginning to your holiday celebrations.  We will have delicious treats to munch and delightful treats to stitch, and everything from stocking stuffers to gifts to make your Christmas most merry and bright.  The shop will be glittering with decorations--thanks to Teri, so come early and spend the day.  We would love to see you and wish you a perfect holiday season. 
Plus...I have been busy all week working on little Christmas surprises for all shoppers that day.  They are turning out super sweet, and I think you will be excited if I can get them finished up.  I might have to enlist Sue's help in the final step.  Have I piqued your curiosity?  I hope so.  
See you next week. 
We will also have our new Shepherd's Bush Christmas designs ready to go.  Sorry--no sneak peaks yet, but if you read our blog next week, we will show a preview of our new things.  They are fun and whimsical and heartfelt, and if we can get them all finished and put together, they will be perfect for December stitching and giving.  
So stay in touch...

Thankful Notes
New from Shepherd's Bush (available now)
Chart: $8.00
Complete kit:  $47.00
Frame: $32.00


Teri wanted to wait until next year to bring this out since it is the week of Thanksgiving, but I think it is just too darling not to have it this year.  And just think, it will be ready for next year at least.  Yay!

New from Pineberry Lane 
Fruits of Our Labors
 chart: $12.00


Both Teri and I just love this new chart.  I always do one of her Christmas ornaments in December, but this year it might have to be a Thanksgiving ornament.  


New thread keep from Kelmscott.  
We will have this and other fun things at our Christmas party on December 2nd.



New Charts by Brenda Gervais
Winter Birds (left)
Jingle all the Way (center)
Merry Christmas ( Right)


These are such sweet new pieces for Christmas stitching.  


Oh Tannenbaum 
by Brenda Gervais
Chart $14.00
unfinished box $9.00
Fabric $ 13.50



This is the glorious piece that Brenda taught at our Retreat last year.  It is just adorable and we were excited to see her bring the pattern out this year.  We also have the sweet wooden shadow box available.  

Jingle All the Way 
by Brenda Gervais
Chart $


I just love the way Teri did this sweet little piece.  We used Isabella's fabulous Italian  Boleyn fabric with the writing on it, and it is amazing.  It looks like it is stitched on Santa's List.  

Merry Christmas 
by Brenda Gervais
Chart $12.00


Merry 3 
by Plum Street Samplers
Chart $


How fun is this?  Santa, snowflakes, and a cow.  Get stitching.

Sing a Song of Seasons
brand new from Blackbird Designs
chart:  $


I am definitely going to be stitching this one this Christmas.  I might even  be doing it in Christmas colors.  Hmmm, we'll see.  I am always in love with a basket of flowers--or a vase.

Judge Not
by Plum Street Samplers
chart:  $



So, have a fabulous Thanksgiving week. 
 I hope that your days are filled with an abundance of family, friends, and food.  Watch our blog next week to see a preview of our new Christmas designs and be sure to stop by the shop on Saturday, the 2nd of December to celebrate the Christmas holidays Shepherd's Bush style.  
hugs, Tina and Teri


Sunday, October 22, 2017

Almost Halloween


Autumn, 2017


Hi Friends,
Welcome to Autumn in Utah...  
We had so much snow last winter and a little bit of rain this past month which seems to have made our changing leaves positively breathtaking.  Everywhere I look the colors are paintbox perfect.  A week or so ago, we took a ride up in the mountains to look at the leaves, and we all wanted to stop the car about every quarter of a mile to look at another view.  By the time we reached the little restaurant at the end of our journey, they had sold out of all their food.   
Teri has spent October photographing a Norwegian maple in the back yard as it quietly moved from brilliant green to red to orange to yellow.  And now the leaves have almost all dropped leaving bare branches readying to catch the winter snows--and a backyard knee deep in leaves.  It is funny how fallen leaves don't hold the tempting magic for me now that they did when I was a child.  Bob and I looked a bit despairingly at them out our bedroom window this morning and both of us missed the days of little boys and a dog who liked to help get them under control--and then out of control. That is the one sad thing about the season progressing--the thought that Winter will be here before we know it and with it the cold and snow.  I think that this year we have all been especially aware of the powerful forces of Nature in this world of ours.  I have often felt sort of in the middle between the terrifying storms and floods of the Southeast and the infernos of the West.  Then on top of that, I've been reading about the volcanic activity of the Yellowstone caldera, as well as something colliding in outer space, and I have begun to feel very small on this planet of ours.  So that is when I just have to find a good Jane Austin movie, and my stitching, and maybe even a diet coke to attempt to bring solace to my soul and joy to my heart.  

 
Richard's Stocking
by Shepherd's Bush 
chart $9.00
charm pack $20.00

kit also avaiiable


Finally, I think that this little overdue baby is almost here.  I had such a great time all summer stitching this, and I got such a nice early start, and then I don't know what happened, but it became October and it still wasn't finished.  However....it is at the printer right now, and we have been working like crazy on the charm packets, so I think we are almost there.  Yay! 
The photography is a fun part of our stocking leaflets.  Our friend and professional photographer, Robert Casey, comes to us and spends the afternoon getting the photograph just perfect.  We thought you might like to see a behind the scenes look at setting up the stocking photo.  This year we set it up in the back yard of the shop where the weather was breezy but perfect.  Robert sets up his array of lights and screens--cords are everywhere.  Teri and I set up the display, and then Teri fusses and straightens and moves things around to get the shot just right.  It takes most of the afternoon, but I think they have a great time out in the backyard where it is quiet--most of the time.  


She checks the framing of the stocking to see that nothing is in the picture that shouldn't be there.  One year her hair was in the shot as she was holding on to Oliver so he wouldn't move, and Robert had to edit her hair out.  This year, luckily all was good and the photo looks great.  


She is not really taking the shot, just checking it all out.  


The pattern is off to the printers and we hope to have it in our hands soon. 
Hooray! 

For those of you who never get enough of Halloween, this next part is for you. Teri has gone a bit crazy this year with new halloween stitchings for the shop--thanks to our wonderful stitchers: Nancy, Penny, Amy, Erin, and Linda.  We have had some fantastic new pieces stitched.  Reeta has given Teri the cut off on having more Halloween stitched, as we are running out of room.  But I think I saw her pulling another one together on Friday--when Reeta had the day off.  But to be fair, hasn't October just flown by.  I am sad to see it go past so quickly.  I always want September and October--and June, July, and August for that matter--to linger so much longer.  Oh well, this is the point when I get in the mood to get stitching on Halloween things, so maybe this part is really for me.

Spirits and Spells 
by With Thy Needle and Thread
Chart: $12.00
kit available 


Jill just brought this over, and I love how it turned out   Don't you just think it is perfect?  We stitched it on a great piece of Picture This Plus linen.  So sweet.  

Halloween Sheep 
by Nikiscreations
Chart: $14.00
kit available


Halloween and sheep, what could be better than this!!!

Happy Halloween 
by Jardin Preve'
Chart: $


We stitched this darling piece on a spooky linen from Picture this Plus.  We added buttons, and I think Teri tweaked the colors.  

Fall Frolic 
by Scarlett House
Chart: $12.00


This is such a wonderful piece for fall.  I love the squirrel holding a pumpkin.  The squirrels in my yard go a little "nuts" this time of year, collecting all the acorn and the black walnuts they can find.  They stash them in any container they can find, and if I leave my car in the driveway they fill the windshield wiper well completely full of nuts.  You would think they would get a hint when their secret stash of nuts drives off each morning.  

Leaves 
by Nikiscreations
Chart: $14.00


Such a gentle and soulful piece.  This might be my choice for this year.  

Autumn 
by Cricket
Chart: $8.00


Jen and her friend are stitching the Cricket seasons on 18 count linen.  They are turning out just great.  We stitched ours on a 30 count and it is much smaller, but there is just something about this larger piece that really makes a statement.  I love it.  

Autumn Blessings 
by Chessie & Me 
Chart:  $12.00


This is a sweet harvest piece from Chessie. We are borrowing it from Linda, and it hangs across from the front counter. Everyone loves looking at all the details.  

Quaker Noel 
by Bent Creek
Chart:  $9.00


Teri has had her eye on this one for a while.  and she finally asked Nancy to stitch it up for us.  She changed the colors, added buttons, and had it stitched on a fabulous piece of dyed linen.  

New charts from Paulette at Plum Street Samplings
We have just unpacked these this week and are getting them pulled together.  We have very fun linens at the ready and and can also make complete kits of anything you might like.  


 Hello Fall                                                                         Blackbird Fraktur                                   
  Chart:  $ 10.00                                                                      Chart:  $14.00
  



Heritage Sampler
Chart:  $18.00


We LOVE this piece.  Paulette taught it at our retreat last year, and it has been most anxiously awaited.  Pilgrims, George Washington, Abe Lincoln and the White House. It has something for everyone.  Don, who was in Paulette's class last year, finished his and received a blue ribbon in the state fair.  His beautiful piece is below.  Thanks, Don, for sharing.




            Merry 3                                                                                                     Merry 2
        Chart:  $ 10.00                                                                                          Chart:  $ 10.00


Teri has sent Merry 3 off to be stitched--that holiday cow is so adorable.

Early Americans Series 
by Little House Needleworks
Charts:  $6.00 each



Here are the latest two ornaments from this darling series.  We have had so much fun  with them.  If any of you are doing them all together, send me a picture, and I will post it here.
They would be great all stitched together in one piece.  

Cupcake Ornaments


This sweet gal was visiting from England and was looking for cupcake patterns to stitch for a tree her WI ( Women's Institute) was preparing for a fundraiser.  We found her a SamSarah pattern, but she has put her own holiday twist on them.  She has stitched so many of them, and she was here only a few weeks.  We have had such a great time visiting with her and watching her progress.  
Good luck with the fundraiser!!  





Lastly--but hardly least-- we have finally signed the contracts with the Canyons for the Shepherd's Retreat next year.  

The 2018 Retreat will be Monday October 15-Wednesday October 17th
The shop open house will be Friday October 12th and Saturday 13th.  
We are excited for these new dates and a little change-up of days, and we are now in the midst of planning the best retreat ever.  That is all the information we have for now, but keep watching the blog and website in the next few months for more info. 

And finally, I hope that your Fall will be blessed with the harvest of the garden as well as the harvest of blessings.  In the midst of this difficult world, take a break from the news and take instead your needle and thread to bring solace to your soul.  Somehow--that always seems to work.
ever fondly, Tina..and Teri