Almost Thanksgiving, 2010

Dear Friends,

Teri took a picture of pumpkins on the front wall. I love how it looks--so Autumnal. Of course we have to set them back up every day because Lindbergh seems to have a need to nudge them off and roll them around the yard every day. They make me happy because that means that we are still languishing in a beautiful Indian Summer here in Utah with only a slight nip in the air to remind us that Snow is on its way. We have actually had a few little blizzards already, but always followed by plenty of sunshine. I am still wearing flip-flops and am counting on the snow staying well up into the mountains where it rightfully belongs. Teri, on the other hand, has happily embraced the coming season by making a great and important purchase. She always peruses the little cookbooks that reside next to the cash registers at the grocery store, and generally purchases many of them as Christmas approaches. This year however, she made an emergency trip to Rite Aid where she found an excellent full size magazine of holiday cooking. She has made many of the recipes to serve at work, and I have to say that they are very yummy. We have had a good time picking things to try, and luckily enough for us, they have all worked out so far. The truly magical thing about this magazine is that when you go to the back cover and turn it upside down--you know, Martha Steward-like--there is an entire section of recipes to use with the pouches of sugar cookie mix. How lovely! So...if you are up our way on a Saturday, just stop by and see what the recipe choice for this week is. Yumm!

I know that Thanksgiving is only a week away, but I always feel a little bad that stitching for that holiday gets a little lost in the enthusiasm for Halloween. But we have some absolutely darling pieces and everyone has been excited with them. Here are a few to share with you. This is one of my favorite tiny pieces. Waiting For the Harvest is a wonderful pin cushion from the Blackbird girls. I just love how Teri has it stitched on the hand-dyed grey check with the dark thread. Isn't it quite cool? And of course it is finished perfectly.

And here is a fabulous little piece that Naomi-- a sweet customer of ours--brought in to show us and ended up leaving for a couple of weeks for us to display. It is Uber Turkey by Bent Creek. She worked it on a 14 count instead of the really big fabric and I think it is adorable. Just makes you smile.

But then so does the Lizzie Kate Thanksgiving Quick It. We have it stitched on a 10-count and made into a sweet pillow just perfect for the coming holiday. Plus, the added bonus is that you could do it before Thanksgiving. How fun!

And finally here is a picture of one of Teri's Autumn displays. I think we have some really lovely pictures even if it is for next year. Have fun looking through them.

I know that we all have a busy week ahead of us getting ready for next Thursday. I am hoping to write sometime next weekend, so keep your eye on the computer. We might be putting up some recipes for the holidays--if we ever stop cooking out of the new magazine. Oh and don't forget that our Christmas Open House will be on November 27--the Saturday after Thanksgiving--from 11:00-4:00. Teri and I just planned the treat menu this morning on our way to Salt Lake and it sounds quite delicious. Plus we have many fun holiday things ready for the day. Plus, plus we will have several new things that we have designed. Maybe a new book from Teri and I will have hopefully 4 new little kits--if all goes well. I have been having so much fun stitching this past month. So here is your personal invitation to drop by and enjoy our festive table and look at all our new Christmas offerings. Fa la la--see you there.
fondly, Tina

October, 2010

Hi Friends,

Autumn Grace

Somewhere in the busy craziness of our last month, Autumn has crept upon us. I woke up earlier this week and noticed that the ivy which clings to my bedroom windows has turned completely and beautifully yellow. It's dark when we get up in the morning and the bite of Fall is suddenly in the pre-dawn air. Our massive crop of tomatoes has finally come into its own unaware of the first frost quietly lurking around the corner, and our Japanese lanterns--in their brilliant orange hues--are boldly peeking out from the foliage along my driveway. Sometimes in the early evenings I can smell that sweet, musky smoke of a woodburning stove somewhere in the neighborhood, and gone are the lazy strolls of summer as our walks with Lyndbergh have become brisker and more purposeful. Our conversations at work now revolve around stuffed peppers, cobblers, and meat loaves as we embrace the final vestiges of a late summer harvest. Only, this morning I left Teri happily wrangling a large, blue squash, and I happily anticipate the joys of baking up that sweet, golden meat. I love Fall in all its loveliness, and always look forward to the holidays that come right on its heels, but I must say that there is a bittersweet aftertaste in its splendour. Once it is here, there is no pausing its progression, for just as surely as the leaves change their colours, Winter snows will follow and one more year will have quickly spent itself before our very eyes.

Well, our Retreat is over, and what a great time we had. It is hard to believe how quickly the week goes by. We have prepared for a year, and spent the better part of the past 4 months doing just retreat projects, so when it is over Teri feels sad and at loose ends, and I just try to pick up my house and do the wash. Christian claims that I haven't cooked real food in a month, and he knows his food. But...what a time we had. I just wish that you all could have been with us. Perfect weather, perfect hotel, perfect teachers, and perfect participants. Wow--onto planning for 2012. Here are a few pictures that Teri put together of our time:

Tina, Charland, and Teri at the Birthday party

Mindy Brunner, Jeannette Douglas and Charland help Sue  assemble our new leaflets.
They were so great to help!!!

The welcome project at the Retreat was a stitched button to add to their bags.
Everyone finished their buttons.

Charland's Project was a beautiful stitching purse with lots of different parts and
pockets.

Alma is showing the blackbird project was a wonderful stitching tray. What a great idea.

Jeannette Douglas shows her amazing piece My Story. It is fabulous!


Pat and Anne of R & R stitched a darling sampler on a bag. It is very neat!

Tina and I show our project... well Tina's project. A sampler within a sampler.

Our other teacher was Cece Stricklin of the Threadgatherer, She showed us how to make the most amazing books out of needlework. Why don't I have a picture of her books???? They are fantastic!

All the classes were so much fun!

Some of the teachers poise by the autumn displays at the Canyons Resort.

We relaxed on Sunday at the Park Silly Market. I think Charland is getting a set of stilts for herself!

It was odd not going to the St. Charles market, but no matter how much pleading and begging we did a year ago could tempt them not to schedule it on the very same weekend as our retreat. Having booked our hotel almost 2 years ago, we didn't have any way of doing both. We did do a lot of shopping the market over the telephone, and loved having so many wonderful new things for the weekend as well as into October. Gosh there were so many new patterns for Halloween that we have been totally busy getting them stitched. Our stitchers have been working like little angels to get everything done quickly. A million thanks to all of them. I am sure you have seen our new books on our main page. First of all the new stocking is Sadie's Stocking. She is sweet and ready for Christmas stitching. She uses a mixture of DMC Perle cotton and overdyed perle cotton, and I hope you love the colours as much as I do. Sharon Crescent dyed Nutmeggie specially for us to use on her dress. Then you must see Teri's 2 new nine-pane pillows: Hallow's Eve and Autumn Gives. I think that they are such quick and darling projects and Teri always chooses the greatest colours and backing fabrics. She and Cecile--at Just Another Button Co.--worked back and forth on designing the most adorable buttons for them. You will just love the little smiling moon and autumn garden buttons. And finally, we have a new shop exclusive kit Halloween is Creeping which comes with a darling hand-done mat by Jill. If I have a picture of it, I will put it up right here for you to see.

We also have some wonderful new designs out in the shop as well. Our friend Marilyn stitched Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow for us and as you can see below, it is unbelieveable. Teri went through and changed all the silk colours to overdyed floss and it is amazing. The overdyed colours give it such a dimension and joy it truly takes your breath away.

Another darling picture that we have framed and ready for this year is Shakespeare's Peddler's Jenny Bean Halloween sampler. Isn't is gorgeoous? I love this piece which is definitely on my to-do list.

New for the St. Charles market were the various patterns from the friends of Jenny Bean. A number of designers have created pieces as friends of Jenny Bean and they are very darling. Some of them include: Bell Pepper--a darling Christmas sampler done by Little House. I think my friend, Judy, just stitched it for us, so I will put up a picture when it is ready. Winnifred Gardner is a truly beautiful sampler designed by Pat and Ann at R & R. This is a sweet reproduction-like sampler that comes with a little story about the children. I would also love to stitch this piece. I know you will love it.

Here's another sweet piece by Plum Tree: Hare's Halloween. It is new for us this year and it is quite darling.

Oh, and I can't forget Candy Corn: isn't this just the cleverest little piece. We made it into a stand-up with black ric-rac along the edge. Fabulous!

And then there are so many new books that we received from market, that we might not even get stitched for this year. But I will mention them and maybe Teri will take a picture--or maybe not. Primitive needle's Halloween Garden and Hoodoo Voodoo are charming and hilarious--respectively. If you have older boys, you will love the voodoo piece. Prairie Moon's Thine is the Trick and the Treat is a fabulous little Quaker Halloween piece that I know we will stitch for next year. And there are a zillion more. Oh well, Halloween comes again every year. Finally, don't forget to take a look at Lizzie Kate's Halloween fob. The thing I love most about this little kit is the pair of scissors you get--half green and half purple. Darling!

OK, I have to go--you know I am still working on my wash and Christian will be starving.

Hopefully I will write next week, so until then be safe and well.

fondly, Tina

Mid-July, 2010

Hi Friends,

My summer has reached a low point. I know that sounds like a drastic thing to say, but it's true--my emotions are shattered. And it all happened because of a movie. I love to go to the movies--especially when it is hot outside with a long, lazy evening stretching out before us. I am not even super picky about what we go to. I love sci-fi, chick flicks, period pieces and even sometimes a shoot-em-up for Bob. My only thing is that I hate cry-er movies. I like sweet or touching, but I just don't do out and out crying. I would never go to a Nicholas Sparks movie, and I am completely over films like Terms of Endearment. So...when I mentioned Toy Story 3 and both boys were enthusiastic to go, I was very excited! Wow--a family activity. That just doesn't happen very often for us anymore. Well it was a wonderful movie, and we all laughed throughout the whole thing. I especially loved Barbie and Ken, and of course those films are written as much for adults as they are for kids. But I knew I was in trouble from the very beginning when Andy was getting ready to leave for college. Somehow it just hit too close to home for me. Andy and my Christian are both 17--although Chris is still in high school. I remember when the first Toy Story movie came out in the late fall, and all he wanted for Christmas was Woody and Buzz Lightyear. We spent 2 months on a frantic quest for the impossible-to-get toys, and Teri finally found them by accident on Christmas Eve. Peter and Christian played with them like crazy, and I had to remove Buzz from Christian's bed every night because he was so hard and pokey. At some point Buster joined the crew, and all the toys and trains in our house galloped about on him necessitating many little mends and patches. So, anyway, by the end of this absolutely darling movie, even my boys were discreetly wiping a tear or two away, and I was just out and out sobbing. You would think that I was watching Steel Magnolias. I kept thinking--come on, get a grip, you have to leave this theater. But it is true. So---even if everyone tells you it is the best movie of the summer--beware! If you have a 17 year old boy receiving a plethora of college advertisements, and if that same child still has a much-the-worse-for-wear Buzz, Woody and Buster sitting at the very top of his book shelf, may I suggest you just go and see the rodeo.

Gosh, where is the summer going? I sort of hate to see July wind down because I know that school and fall is lurking behind the corner. Ugh! However, I do love the thoughts of Fall holidays and getting ready for them here at the shop. Teri has already put up a little teaser Halloween display, and it is darling. I love her little sign: Halloween is creeping up. Clever, Teri.

I just love how she has pulled out some of our favorite pieces and so look forward to the new ones that will be coming. Jack is Back is such a fun piece, and the new Pumpkin Kat from Mosey and Me is fabulous. Don't you think that it will be a fun one to stitch and have ready from the holiday? Also, Jolly Jack is a very fun new piece that just makes you happy with its merry pumpkin and crows. I also love Charland's darling Halloween stocking. And this is just the beginning...

July in Utah is patriotic through and through. We seem to start our celebrating for the 4th and continue on until the 24th when we celebrate Mormon pioneers entering the Salt Lake Valley. I guess summer is somewhat patriotic everywhere in the United States. So...it isn't too late to stitch this darling new piece which we just got back from Jill. Flag Day is such a sweet, sweet picture. (Of course I have quite a soft spot for peasant women and sheep anyway.) The colours are very soft and muted, and I love what Teri chose to stitch it on. If you are still in a flag-y mood, here's your piece.


Thanks for our friend Cathy, we are now carrying a line of wonderful oil cloth bags. We have a variety of Zipper bags as well as totes in many different fabrics. There is something just fun about the oil cloth rage that makes me want to have some of each style. Whether you are into cherries or polka dots, or more into retro florals or chic black and white prints, there is something for everyone. Just try and make a choice.

Teri discovered the Stitch Happy series at a recent market, and we have had so much fun with them. My favorites are the clear shopping bags which are perfect for a big project--or, indeed shopping. Teri likes them because she can see at a glance which project is hiding within. The mugs are fun and cheerful, and everyone at your house or office will definitely know whose mug it is. We also love the journals which are perfect for keeping track of stitching or threads. They are a bargain at $6.50 and I can think of so many fun uses. They even have neat sticky notes which would be handy at all times.

Well, we are on the brink of my favorite holiday here in Utah--not. We celebrate our founder's day on July 24th complete with rodeos, painted horses, parades and fireworks. We will be parading tomorrow, so don't come shopping as we will be closed for the day. The rest of the day we will be enduring the heat, avoiding cooking and I will be thinking of a good reason to come back to work where it is cool. Happy Summer! I think we are planning a nice, cool movie for the evening. But, guess what, it won't be Toy Story. Have a fun rest of July and I will write again shortly. Be safe and cool.

ever fondly, Tina
PS--eat ice cream.

July 4th weekend, 2010

Dear friends,

My Mom often told me--be careful what you wish for.... Well, of course she was right, and it all started with a sweater that Teri insisted on buying. You know, she is quite crazy about bees anyway, so when Pat and Ann told her to go to the mall and buy this shockingly vibrant bee sweater, she couldn't wait to get there. With June well underway, she arranged an entire bee/beehive display here at the shop and took great joy in pointing out some of her favorite pieces to enthusiastic customers. The pictures did look very appealing both inside the shop and through the front window. The next morning--I think in celebration of her excellent work at the shop--she donned the yellow sweater, and we set off for work. Upon arriving, we were greeted by Lynnette and Sue who reported that we seemed to have a number of bees in the front window. Hmmm...how odd. They were right--there were a number of bees and their numbers were growing by the hour. Upon investigation, we discovered that we actually had a small swarm of honey bees who had flown in through a tiny, tiny hole in the brick near the front windows. I can only think that they were searching for their queen amongst our plethora of stitched hives. We then spent most of the day carefully transporting bees from the front window to a box in the backyard. We talked ever so quietly to them as we were moving them--so that they would stay calm--and stopped just short of singing to them in case our customers would think we had completely and collectively lost it. But, you know Queenie sings to her bees and they love her. All day long, we instinctively brushed embroidered bees off of the famous sweater. We were sure that we had saved hundreds of our little friends, but when the beekeeper came to fetch them, he just snorted. It was a bit of an adventure after all, and we had a laugh remembering a number of extremely odd adventures that we have had at our shop over the years. In the end, I think that some good things come from strange circumstances: I no longer feel a need to procure a beehive for my back yard, and Teri hasn't worn the cheerful sweater since.
Besides beekeeping, our June has been busy. We have several new designs ready. I think that the pictures might be on the homepage now, but I am going to put them up here as well. Our Summer Offerings are gentle and sweet--filled with our own love and gratitude for the many, many friends who are part of our lives. For truly, what would life be like without them...

The Journey is a new kit which I hope you will love as much as I do. It is a gentle reminder of the joy of dear friends. It is worked on 32 count French Vanilla overdyed linen with soft and beautiful overdyed silk threads. Tiny charms and buttons complete this sampler. $50.00--kit

Our Hearts Pin Cushion and the Safe Keeping Fob were designed to go with the Journey piece. Both of these kits come with everything you need to complete them except the batting to stuff them. Both are cross stitched with silk threads on French Vanilla 32 count linen. The fronts and the backs are stitched and the edges are adorned with beautiful hand-dyed silk ribbons. Pin Cushion--$20.00 Fob--$16.00

This sweet piece--Friends-- is worked in soft silks on a hand-dyed linen fabric. It works up quickly and would be a perfect gift for your very own soul mate. kit--$20.00

And at last, Summer Flies pillow. Worked on the 9 pane fabric, this summer piece goes with the rest of the series which Teri has been working on. It is darling and shows off a beeskep button in the center square. Worked with overdyed cotton threads, it is quick and easy to get stitched and put together for your warm summer days. book--$5.00 button--$6.00

I guess I am going to try to get this off and hopefully up to you before the firecrackers have fizzled. Enjoy a wonderful July and try to keep cool. Aren't these the perfect stitching evenings. I think so. I am planning to write again next week, so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Until then--hug a friend and be careful what you wish for.
fondly, Tina

Early June, 2010

Dear Friends

Gosh--how did it become June? Is it just my age, or is time truly spinning faster with each year? All I know is that if it is June, then summer must be right around the corner. Here in Utah, we still seem to be stuck halfway between winter and summer. I am not sure what happened to spring. It doesn't seem to be a Utah occurrence anymore. I just keep telling myself--don't complain, soon it will be creeping on to 100 degrees. But I have to admit that I am imminently going to be able to hire Teri in her gypsy garb and open a poisonous apothecary shop next door when I harvest the plethora of ominous mushrooms which seem to be covering my front lawn. Just beware at my house if you find Chicken Marsala on the menu. My weekend was full of crazy emotions for me. My oldest child graduated summe cum laude from college, and my baby left for a month in Germany on a student exchange. Talk about wanting to cry. Where did my little sword wielding pirates go? Christian spent the weekend spiraling between excitement and terror, so we have imparted many little tricks to ward off homesickness as well as lots of reminders of how much fun it will be. I suggested that when he was worried or lonely, he should just text and tell me all he has been doing. Well...it's 4 days later and except for a blurred photo of a sign reading Welcome to Frankfurt (I guess to let me know he was there safely,) I have heard nothing. Finally, after my own somewhat threatening text with a list of at least 25 extremely important questions that every mom needs to know, I got an answer on my phone. I grabbed a coke and went outside at the shop so that I could enjoy his reply with no interruptions. I clicked the text open and read--I'm great! Oh....this will be a very long month.

We are very busy here. We are just finishing a group of wonderful new kits and patterns just perfect for summer stitching. I hope we will have them on the website in the next week or two and I will definitely put them on my next blog. Yay!!! We are also crazy getting ready for our Retreat in the fall. I hope you are coming, because it's going to be the best one ever. We are almost completely full, so if you are still considering it--now is the time to act.

We have the most darling new pieces which Jill has framed and sent back to us. Just wait until you see them. Lizzie Kate's Green

is fabulous! Of course Teri has tweaked the colours and chosen a wonderful fabric-- and it is perfect. This pattern is actually a series of 6 little patterns and when you buy them, you get the free border pattern. We also added buttons to the ones that come with the booklets. Then, when you see the little cut-outs that Jill has added to the frame, you will just weep. Truly darling.

Another new picture which we have just gotten back from Jill is With Thy Needle. I love to look at this piece. It is very rustic and sweet. I love the colours Teri chose for it, and would really like to stitch it myself. You just have to look at all the detail like the circles and swirls. The over-dyed linen and the weathered thread make it appear like a piece that your great-grandmother might have stitched. Perfect for summer stitching?

And don't you just love this whimsical new little piece called: Dandy Dreams? It is sweet and nostalgic, and the colours we've used are so soft and comforting. It is such a darling. And the added bonus to it is that I have become more tolerant of the dandelions in my own yard. Every time I see one popping up, I just think about this piece and decide that I don't really mind them so much after all. You could argue, however, that stitched ones are significantly better than live ones.

Well--I have been working on this tiny blog for several days now, so I am just going to send it off and hopefully write again next week. I hope that your week is filled with flowers, and sunshine, and happy stitches.

ever fondly, Tina

Mid-May, 2010

Dear Friends,

Do you just love this picture? We met our siblings in Salt Lake last week for dinner and Teri spent our entire walk taking photographs of the spring flowers--in between torrential rain showers. I think that the tulips in my yard have sort of fizzled out this year. My neighbor claims that all of the deer that seemed to spend the winter in our yards dug hers up and ate them, but I am a bit skeptical of this. Do you think deer can dig up bulbs? I am not so sure. Bob says it is because I didn't plant any new ones last fall, and I think he is right. He is always so diligent about planting fall bulbs, and I only love them in the spring. I don't seem to have the patience to put in the work. This year I will be better, because I think they are so lovely. Or perhaps if I buy them--he will plant them. Anyway, in spite of the beauty of the spring flowers, Winter is in no hurry to leave us this year. Our mountains are still covered in deep snow, and we have had plenty of snow and rain even this past week. I don't really mind it so much, but Teri is mostly distressed with her wardrobe. I am always cold, so I just keep wearing sweaters. But Teri puts on a summer frock at the merest hint of sunshine and by noon--in the middle of a little blizzard--she is freezing. Oh well, tall shoes, summer dresses. Next week, if it warms up, I will send you a picture of our lilacs.

May is such a busy month for me. It seems like the month that school ends is filled with all kinds of things. Plus Bob and the 2 boys have birthdays within 2 weeks of each other. That is always fun. I am on for the 2nd birthday cake for tomorrow, and I am just plain bad at cakes. If I make a cake from scratch--it is dry and strange. If I make a cake from a box, it is oddly shaped. In the end either cake usually cracks, tilts, and slides. I could blame it on my ancient oven, but truly I think more responsibility belongs to the baker. Good luck to me.

At the shop, we are very busy getting ready for summer as well as preparing things for our Retreat. We have many sort of ambitious projects going on for that, and it is a lot of fun. We are not going to the market in Columbus this year because we promised to do the store for our EGA regional seminar in Salt Lake. However, we are coming out with a wonderful group of kits and patterns that will be ready the first part of June. So watch our website in a couple of weeks for more information on that. We have some very fun things coming for perfect summer stitching.

We also have fantastic pieces that we have just finished stitching for the shop. I am just going to put up pictures of them as they come back from Jill. You are going to love them. Here is Bee Story, a pattern we brought back from Nashville. Isn't it just the most darling thing. Plus the way Jill framed it with little matching cut-outs. I love it.
Of course Teri is putting it in the center of her bee display--newly up for Summer which might be around the corner. I am sort of surprised she isn't including a picture of herself in her new bee sweater that Pat and Ann told her about. It would fit right into this cheerful display.

Here is another sweet piece that we have just had finished for summer. Hare's Summer is so darling, it will make you smile. It is one of a whole series of Hares that are very clever and fun.
Another neat patriotic piece that we have just ordered in is One Nation. OK, if you love cool Americana pieces, this one is definitely for you. The blue part of the flag us filled with Quaker stars and the red and white stripes are made up of the names of the fifty states plus a few extra sort of Quaker motifs sprinkled in here and there. It is truly fantastic!

Now that's a great summer project.

I am now on my way to a Heritage meeting for Preservation month at our old city cemetery. We are having tours of historic grave sites and it should be fun. And wet. I just looked outside and the sky is literally black with thunder clouds. O, Joy. Here is just a little bookkeeping detail. I think we will be closed for the whole Memorial Day weekend---Saturday and Monday, that is. My Peter is graduating on Saturday, so I just have to go as well as Teri. I really can't believe it. Where did those 4 years go? So....have a happy May, and I will write again next week. Be safe.

fondly, Tina

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Hi Friends,

Can you even believe that we are almost to tax-day? I'm still having trouble writing 2010, and soon we are going to be half-way through it. I don't know how it is where you are, but Spring is coming very reluctantly to my home. As you can see in my photos, the Easter weekend gifted us with a lovely blizzard bringing almost as much snow as we had all winter. That's Utah for you. Oh well, we so need the water that I can hardly complain. I think it will make 100 degrees in July that much sweeter. Not! I was surprised when I went into the back yard at the shop to see that the lilac bushes are well into bud. Now that is exciting. My trees at home look positively dead. I wish Teri could share the joy since lilacs are her favorite flowers, but we are trying to keep her from venturing out back in her tall shoes for fear that she might fall off them and become injured. We might not find her for days. If they bloom quickly, she might be safe because she has been forced to put them away for a week due to their sever pain-inflicting properties. Yesterday our printer, Ray, stopped by and began to bemoan the painfulness of his new shoes, so we are beginning to wonder if it is something going around in the shop. Hmm......just as I was contemplating a new pair of shoes myself.

This has been a busy couple of weeks here at the shop. The Retreat is nearly filled up, and we are so excited for September. We have all enjoyed seeing the names come in on the registration forms. It is always wonderful to see all our friends coming back for the weekend and also fun to anticipate meeting those coming for the very first time. This one thing I know for sure--we are going to have the best time ever. Who knows--you might get to see Teri's great shoes.

She has been busy re-arranging the shop and it looks just perfect for spring. I think that you will find pictures of her new displays towards the end of this letter. We are just waiting for the new Blackbird leaflet--A Wish for You--which is the third in their new house series. I think we have a picture of the first 2 houses already stitched by our friend, Mindi Bruner. I think they are just sweet and the third one is darling. Wait until you see it--you will just love it.

Here are some of Teri's fabulous wall displays.

This is our side wall. It is full of weddings, hearts and sweet sayings.

Here is a small sheep display for Spring.
This is the beginning of our Mother's Day and family display.

This is our center display, sweet sayings and a bit of spring. Please notice the great lunch bags in the top left corner. They come in green or rose stripe and a free pattern comes with that says, "Recycle."

Teri tells me that we are also getting a planner/calendar from Blackbird sometime this week. I am excited about it, but I can't really imagine what it is like enough to tell you, so I will re-visit this next week. Can't wait!

Another sweet picture which we have just gotten back from Jill is Plum Street's Hurray Spring. Isn't it just darling? I love how Teri put it together and how Jill framed it. I kind of want to take it home and put it on my kitchen mantel, but everyone here says no. So I have to just enjoy it here.

Another fun piece that is new for us is Count Your Blessings by Shakespeare's Peddler. It isn't very big and would work up quickly. Certainly a perfect sentiment for these days.

And finally, we are at last putting up a picture of our sweet little pin cushion--Joy. It features a little sheep--what else--perched in a heart and standing next to a silver tulip charm. This was a piece that Teri did for Nashville, and I just love it. It is a free pattern with the purchase of the tulip charm, or we also sell it as a complete kit including the overdyed silk ribbon around it.
Oh--one more thing. I don't know if you know that Carriage House designs is "closing her doors." I am so sad. I love her designs, and had a good friend call last week to order a bunch of patterns from them. When she told me, I felt bad. I have to admit that I had fun going through all her patterns looking for the ones she ordered and finding many for myself. Anyway, if you are in need of any of those patterns, let us know. I think we can get them for a couple of more months.

New mugs!! We have been able to find a few more of the sheep pin cushions! They are all $11.00.

Well, I have to go. Kari is ready to do the shipping for the day and it is almost time for me to head home. Have a great week--rain or shine--or snow. Be safe and be stitching.

fondly, Tina

PS--Here is a recipe that Teri has discovered and refined that we have all been enjoying at the shop:

Happy sort of cooking

S'More Bars

In a sauce pan heat 1/2 cup heavy creme until bubbles form around the edges. Add 1 3/4 cups milk chocolate chips. Stir until smooth and silky (off heat) and add 1 t. vanilla. In a large bowl place 3 1/2 cups mini marshmallows and 3/4 pkg of chocolate covered graham crackers broken up into smaller pieces. Pour chocolate mixture over this and stir to combine. Put into a 9 x 9" pan lined with saran or parchment. Let cool until solid again--overnight. Cut into bars. The last time she made it, she added toasted almond pieces and I liked that even better, but Teri claimed she didn't like the nut addition. So you try and see what you think. Yumm!