Another week has flown by. Can it be October already? We were just sitting out on the chairs on the front lawn trying to catch a breeze because it was so hot, and now it is - I can hardly say it- it is snowing!! I have just spent the last hour picking all my very green tomatoes that I have been nursing all summer. They never seem to turn red. and I know they will freeze tonight. I am hoping they will ripen inside... what is the chance? September disappeared between going to a market in St. Charles where we found so many great new things for fall and Christmas, and preparing for and welcoming all our friends to the Shepherd's Retreat. We had a blast at both events. It is so much more fun to pack and get ready than unpack and put away. Oh well it is all done and we are back to normal. Kind of. Tina has still to sit down and write a blog.

We have so many fun new fall projects. Here are a few.

"Halloween Grins" is a free pattern when you buy the darling Frankenstein button our friend Ceclie (JABCO) made for us. The button runs $5.00. We have the stitching fabric and the backing fabric available. This is a quick one to stitch. It is one of our own designs.

"Jack is Back" is a great new Cricket piece. We stitched it on a piece of hand-dyed fabric and changed the colors a bit and added buttons. It is a super fun project.

This is one of my all time favorites. "Something Wicked" is by La D Dah. We stitched it on a great hand-dyed fabric, and added a tiny silver spider charm by Charland dangling from the toe. We stitched it in overdyed floss and it looks spectacular!

Have I shown you the latest in the scatter series??? "Scatter Pumpkins" can be framed or made into a pillow. It is stitched on 19 count cork linen and is very fun do stitch. Buttons complete the design.

"In a Moon" is a fun piece from Sharon Crescent - of Crescent Colors. The kit comes with the pattern and the floss and the button. We have the frames available too.

This is a wonderful pattern by Prairie Schooler. "Witches Go a Riding" is stitched in overdyed threads on a dark 28 count fabric. We did not even add buttons to it. The mat is fabulous!!!

How far did we get on the baubles???Here are October and September.
I just sent December out to be sewn into a pillow, and November is being
stitched by our good friend Judy, who retired and now is stitching
many of our models. She has stitched her way through all the
baubles. Thanks Judy!!

Are you a little tired of Halloween- is that possible???? Here are a couple of Christmas pieces that are great!

"Jingle all the Way" is a great design from Notforgotten Farm. I just love how it looks. Yes, there were a few color changes and we stitched it on hand-dyed lined. and added a few buttons. Fun!

"In a Sleigh" The newest piece from Sharon Crescent. We have added the fabric to the kits so they are complete. We have some of the frames available. It is great how the frame looks like the sleigh runners. Clever!!!



Here is a beautiful Sampler. "Mary Peacock" is one of the Ackworth samplers. Another dear friend Marilyn, stitched this for us in the most beautiful overdyed colors. It is stitched on 32 count linen and is stunning!!!



One last thing, we have had new stitching magnets painted. They run $7.20 each and work like a charm to hold your needles on the edge of your piece. We have rosebud- top left, pear top right, flower center, quaker motif bottom left, and cherries bottom right. These make a great gift.

Well goodbye for now. May you have beautiful fall nights with lots of stitching time.
Teri

Retreat Brochure

If you would like to print a copy of the brochure for your memory books, please follow this link. . . .
2008 Retreat Brochure

2008 Shepherd's Retreat

We are just getting back to Ogden. What a fabulous time we have had in Park City at our Shepherd's Retreat--wonderful company, amazing teachers, and marvelous projects.

Here are a few pictures:

Georgie Parker from Australia, poses in the boutique
with Cece Strickland, Tammy Salavason, Lancy Rudd,
and Nancy Stokes.

Merry Cox meets some old friends.

The welcome project was a memory book.
Everyone's was different and unique and wonderful.

Tina shows her beautiful class project on Thursday afternoon.

Charland's project is a sweet heart shaped box.

Alma and Barb of Blackbird Designs
show their wonderful stitched box. 


Jacqueline Holdsworth from Needleprints
debuted a new Ackworth sampler chart,
"The Hannah Wescombe's Sampler." 
It has a lovely large alaphbet sampler and four other charts. 
Two of them are shown here. They are so beautiful
and we have the charts for purchase.



Pat and Ann of R & R Reproductions 's class project
was a marvelous quaker purse. 
Barb Adams and Jacqueline Holdsworth look on.



Merry Cox's project was a fabulous bag filled
with the most exquisite stitching accessories.


The Baaaa-d girls from Virginia came decked in
 matching sheep t-shirts and stitched name tags.


The teachers take time to visit Zoom's Restaurant. 
We sampled their famous Mac and Cheese, YUM!!!


Left to right front: Barb Adams, Jacqueline Holdsworth,
Alma Allen, Charland Garvin.
Back: Pat Ryan, Teri, Tina, Ann Robbins


Classes brought great stitching time.




Painting and lining time.


Here is some outside work. LOVE those white gloves!!


Blowing kisses. . . . 

These photos are just a sampling of the weekend.
I will post more later.
I was just so excited to share our amazing weekend with you!!

Teri

Happy Birthday!!!

We celebrated our 24th birthday today. The shop is looking so great with it's new paint, new flowers and darling party people. We served homemade ice cream - chocolate and strawberry, and yummy birthday cake. This is the start of our retreat week. We can't believe it is finally here! We have been planning and working on this for months and now here we are. We are so excited. Welcome to everyone who is coming!!!!

The shop is getting a face lift this fall. With help from a Historic District Grant from Ogden City, we will be repainting and replacing the windows on the upper floor of Shepherd's Bush. A new awning is definitely in order. We will show you their progress. The painters have already started cleaning, scraping and preparing. I was sooooo sad to come outside and see they had taken the garland down around the door--nest and all. The awning guys came today and removed our old awning... It looks so different. It will be fabulous when it is done.

We spent the Labor Day Weekend up in Park City.
It was so beautiful. We now have an exchange
student from China, Simon (his American name).
Bob, Chris, and Simon rode the lift up and came
down the mountain on the zip line. I am not sure
Simon really understood what he was getting into.
There was a wind and the boys were really flying!!!
They all had a blast!





Here is Chris as he comes in for a landing.
Tina and I were very happy to cheer them
on... from the ground.

Last week of August, 2008

Hi Friends,

Perhaps if I say the last week of August, I can buy myself several days to work on this. First day of school--I can hardly believe it. I think of so many past first days of school and I have to smile to myself. I remember being in grade school and so very excited about new school clothes. We were NEVER allowed to wear anything new--shoes, dresses, socks, anything--until that first day. We just had to wait. So of course on the first day I would insist on wearing a new outfit, which usually included tights, wool jumpers, long sleeved shirts and then enduring the heat of the day and trying to return home cheerful because my mom had told me I would be miserable, and I could never admit it. Then I remember first days with my boys. Peter, in the first grade, could make it back home the opposite direction before I did. After a couple of months of that, he seemed to gain his independence and would barely endure his first-day-of- school-photo before flying unaccompanied up the street. Christian, on the other hand, always loved us to walk him to the elementary school. Last year was his first year at the high school and that brought with it its own fears and tears. But this year, away he flew with 2 exchange students in tow. And I am the one left with the tears. I hate it. I can't stand that he is 15--yesterday he was scared to be left at the pre-school.

It is sort of nice to have the house to myself for a couple of hours in the morning. I can even turn on the TV and watch something utterly ridiculous while I get ready for work without anyone saying--NO, not that...why do you like to watch that...but the Simpsons are on. This has been such a fun and crazy month. We just loved having Lucien with us for that time, and I loved the commotion and hubbub that a house of teen-agers bring with them. Friday night Lucien had invited a bunch of the other exchange students over for a party on the patio, and Chris had a group of his friends over trying to finish a video for the school welcome assembly--and partying with the others, Bob was barbecuing, Peter was up and wandering around with his guitar, and Teri was insanely fixing everything she could find to serve. I was just trying to view the chaos from the chairs out in the front yard, but they all kept finding me. We took Lucien to the airport on Saturday morning and spent the rest of the day half in tears. I was told that we would become attached, and that was very true. We are all missing him. Luckily we have 2 boys who have become great friends living for the rest of the year just around the corner, and now we seem to have a temporary exchange student until a permanent home is found for him for the school year. Simon--Teri calls him by his real Chinese name--is so very different from the boys we have had for the past month, but he is truly a joy. Sweet, quiet, considerate, studious. What an experience getting to know all of these cultures and personalities. If only they didn't become such a part of your heart. It has hurt to say goodbye.

Now, we are truly on a whirlwind to get things done for market, the retreat, the fall. I know we'll get there because of all our wonderful help, but it won't be a minute too soon. We have wonderful new things coming out in a couple of weeks for the new fall market, so watch the web site and you will be the first to see them. Retreat plans are coming along well. Lots of fabulous surprises. Can't wait--well, actually, I really can. I need one of those Harry Potter-like time suspensions just to stitch.

OK, I can't stay at this for too many days or you will be reading it after Labor Day. Did you see the new Quaker Christmas piece that our friend Marilyn stitched for us? It is beyond fabulous!!! Teri and I spent hours agonizing over silks and fabrics and I think we did quite well. It is a true treasure. If you haven't seen, you must take a look. We are busy into new fall and Halloween things. We have had a new Cricket piece and Prairie Schooler piece stitched, so watch for pics on next week's blog. I didn't even want one of them stitched, and I couldn't believe it when I saw it. It is SO DARLING! Teri has just finished an adorable Halloween piece--just to entice you.

Well, I have to go. Remember that we are closed for the Labor Day weekend. We will be here on Friday, but closed on Saturday and Monday. We will be back rested and revived on Tuesday. Please have a safe and lovely holiday weekend. Drive carefully, wear your seatbelts and get lots of stitching done.

fondly, Tina

Great New Stitching

Here is the start of our Halloween display--some of the new ones, and some of our favorites!

This is a great piece from the Cricket Collection. It glows in the dark--well the eyes do. It is a blast. My older sister has made many of these because she had such a great time stitching them. "Here's Looking at You Kid"

"Hocus Pocus" is a new Lizzie Kate design. We stitched it on a great dyed 10 count and added buttons.

"In a Moon" is a debut kit from Sharon at Crescent Colors. It comes with the chart, thread (of course) , and the buttons. We have fabric pieces cut and ready. We even sell the darling frame to match, all from Crescent Colors. Spooky to be so organized!!!

"Autumn Band" sampler is a fun design that uses a few different stitches to make the fall motifs. We have changed the colors and stitched it on a great fall colored linen and added buttons.

September Baubles is ready and is soooo great! We have finished it with a wonderful sampler fabric from Blackbird and it is sweet. We are just waiting to get the October Baubles back from the finisher, It is so darling- witches hats--and we have a perfect Halloween fabric to finish it. Maybe next week I will have a photo.

Now a few Christmas things to tease you. . . .

Lizzie Kate has started a new double flip series, but we have the funnest Christmas fabrics, that we decided to make some of them into pillows. So here are "Santa" and " Holly." We added buttons and had some fun!

Now I just could not resist this most FABULOUSLY AMAZING piece. It wass titched for us by our dear friend Marilyn and It is gorgeous! "Quaker Christmas" is so stunning! She used overdyed silks and a hand-dyed linen. Thank you! Thank you Marilyn!!!!!!!!

I will have some more to show you next week.
'Til then, Happy Stitching
-Teri