Mid-January, 2018
Dear Friends,
Here we are already 2 weeks into the New Year, and I can hardly believe it. I love
Christmas--but I feel like I am always just a bit late coming to the table. I love the decorations, but never really get them organized and up early enough to properly enjoy them. I love thinking of the perfect presents for my family, but I always seem to get started on the shopping so late, that I can never shake off that stressful sense of urgency and desperation. Perhaps it is the downside of working in retail, that we always seem to slam into Christmas Eve like a freight train. It is always the same, so you would think that in all these years, I would have it figured out, but that seems never to be the case, and this year was no different. The boys came right before Christmas weekend, and we had a wonderful time. I always want to play games during that time, and we actually did play almost every night as well as trying to organize a trip to Star Wars and, of course, a visit to our favorite places to eat--Lee's Mongolian (twice) and Tona's. I just want time to stand still between the 2 holidays so that we can stretch out every moment. Really I just want to hold on tightly to those 2 boys, to imagine them still enthralled with their Toy Story toys and Star Wars Legos, and to totally ignore flight schedules and icy, early morning trips to the airport. Yet that is never to be--and the goodbyes are whispered, and planes take off, and the new year soldiers on without a pause.
I have no patience with Resolutions and such, but I do have dreams and hopes for 2018. I hope for all of us to have a year filled with calm and peace in spite of the world around us. Perhaps if our hearts are filled with joy and love, our world will reflect our souls and come to balance.
So instead of worrying and fretting....Stitch.
2018 Shepherd's Bush Scissor Fob and engraved scissors
(retail only)
2018 Scissor Fob kit by Shepherd's Bush: $16.00
2018 engraved Lauren Gingher Scissors: $45.00
A new scissor fob to go with the yearly Gingher celebration scissors is something that we look forward to every year. Almost as soon as these were announced last year, I started thinking about how they spoke to me. I thought about it a lot, and I just kept coming back to water which then led me on to a mermaid . She is a creature of the soul--free from the worries and frustrations of this human world--constrained to float ever in a swirly, swimmy, sea of Happy.
2016 engraved Gingher scissors
Oh Tannenbaum: design by Brenda Gervais
Chart: $14.00
36 count hand dyed Linen: $ 13.25
Unpainted box: $9.00
I have loved this piece ever since Brenda taught it at our Retreat in 2016, and we were so delighted to have our good friend, Penny, stitch it for us. Teri painted and distressed our box with some barn red paint we had in the back, then she rubbed it with a cheap nail file to make it look distressed.
I love how it has turned out. It is just adorable.
New Little House Farmhouse Christmas Series
(coming the end of January)
This looks like a fun new series from Little House. There are sheep in the very first pattern, so that is always a plus for us. We will be offering this series a few different ways...If you would like to sign up and join us on this year-round Yuletide adventure, just give us a call.
1. Stitched all together as a sampler. There is a border to go around all the designs which sounds very fun and is how we will be stitching our sample. Get your stitching fingers ready Nancy...
Choose from 28, 32 count linen, or 36 count linen
2. Stitched as separate individual ornaments on 9 x 9" pieces. You will get all 9 pieces with your first shipment so the color dwelt will be the same all 9 months. Choose between 28, 32 or 36 count linen.
We will not be stitching our sample on the natural color, and have chosen a warm printed overdue (that looks like hand dyed linen.) see below. As always, we will add a sweet button each month.
3. Stitched exactly as the pattern calls for, no buttons, no thread changes, and on the natural, linen. We have some of the 30 count natural linen Diane calls for in the patterns, but we also have 28, 32, or 36 count natural linen.
Whichever way you choose to stitch this great new series, it will be fun to do, and we would love to have you join us.
New Valentine's Display
Teri has spent the past two weeks rearranging the shop. Christmas (sadly) goes back to the front window, and back to the back wall. Spring, Valentine's/ hearts, and St. Patrick's Day are out front and center. And I have to say everything looks clean and fresh, and ready for a new year.
Bushel and a Peck
by PineberryLane
Chart $ 12.00
Fabric $ 5.75
We stitched this last fall, but just got it back from Jill. I love how it turned out, and Teri has wisely put it on our Valentine's display.
New Spring Display
It is always fun to pull together our Spring and Easter pieces, adding new ones and putting up some of our favorites. We have fabrics cut and ready to stitch. We are happy to kit up any of them for you.
St Patricks' Day Display
Teri carefully tends her shamrock plant. I think it is 4 years old, and it loves to be on the front table, but this is the time for it to be on our St. Pat's display... Whether is survives there is yet to be seen.
Snow Display
but no snow outside....
And of course a sheep wall....
Top left: Little Sheep Virtues,
Top right: History of Sheep
Left center: French Woolens, Center: Petite Ewe, Right center: Buzzing 'round Ewe
Bottom left- Garden Sheep, Bottom center: Sheep in the Garden, bottom right: Scarlett's Summer Sampler. Sheep pillow: Springology
ABC Houses
by Little House
Each house pattern: $6.00
36 count fabric: $17.00
This was another series from Little House from 2015. Reeta stitched it for us, and we just got it back from Jill. It is gorgeous, and will be so much fun to have in the shop. You can buy a complete kit, or all the parts separately. This makes me excited for her new series.
PS 2018 retreat note... We are so excited for the 2018 retreat. The teachers are set and we are planning and preparing for the best retreat yet. We hope you can join us. Follow the link on our website for dates and any additions that will come along.
