Shorttakes

OKAY!  I have to say, I'm glad to be back on track for the new goodies.  Spent one morning changing out all the fluorescent bulbs that were burnt out.  THEN I had some left over, so I changed out the ones in the fabric/fibers room that I have hated since the jump!  And perhaps I've never mentioned this before, but I HATE changing those dang bulbs!!  HOWEVER.  I can do it (& therefore don't have to pay an electrician to come do it).  And for that, I thank my mom, who taught me how to do those things myself!   

 

So now I'm back to newslettering!! 

 

The first newsletter was just a tiny appetizer of all the delicious items on the menu this weekend.  So I hope you're hungry!!

 

Paulette is one of my favorite designers & favorite people!  I am truly sad to not get to see her this weekend.  But her designs are as tempting as ever & I can't wait to get my hands on them!

 

 

American Welcome - What an absolutely gorgeous sampler!  I love everything about this ~ from the sailboats to the pelican, the houses to the border...I can honestly say there's nothing I don't like about this!

Flag Thief - Another winner in my book!  At first glance, it's a lovely Americana house...but wait!  That little bunny has absconded with one of the yard flags that were no doubt put out to celebrate 4th of July!  And the fox is on the case ~ I'm sure he's just interested in returning the flag to its proper spot.  And the eagles are keeping a close eye on everything!

 

 

American Mermaid - This gal looks like a fish (or mermaid) out of water!

Nelson - Paulette is a HUGE George Washington fan & this is a lovely rendition of George astride his beloved warhorse, Nelson.  This iis a companion to her earlier design of George's more beautiful (but skittish) horse, Blueskin.  Obviously in springtime at Mt Vernon, as they gallop thru the magnolias & lilacs in 1783 ~ the year that the war ended & Nelson could retire to Mt Vernon!

 

 

Spring Beginnings - The 3rd in this series of "deer" designs, this one is filled with signs of spring ~ from bluebirds to a garland of flowers to a sweet little fawn.

Summer Glory - The last little pinpillow features lots of summer love!

 

Stars - This is part 1 of a collaboration with Theresa Vennette of Shakespeare's Peddler (see "& Stripes" below).  Obviously this fantastic design can easily stand on its own!  It is reminiscent of so many barns we see in PA which have quilt blocks (& some with flags!) painted on the side.  This is a true winner! 

 

Stars & Stripes - What a fun set of designs!  You know you're gonna want both charts, right??

 

 

So awesome to see all these new designs from Theresa.  I love her style ~ a nice mix of traditional & whimsy!

 

   

& Stripes - This chartpak has the designs for both "&" and the Stripes barn!  Again, that barn design could absolutely stand on its own ~ I love the stonework at the bottom of it, as well as the fraktur style painting on it!  I could move right in!

One Nickel Needles - Doesn't this look like an old-time image from a pack of needles?  And don't we all wish needles were a nickel??

 

Pretty in Pink - What a sweet design!  While it looks small, I can assure you that it will be a fun one to get tucked into stitching.  Gorgeous colors & a delicate creation.

 

   

Merry Little Christmas - This is a fun Christmas pillow design!  I love all the random Christmas motifs she's scattered around it.

Pennsylvania Christmas Two - These 2 designs are companions to her earlier design called Pennsylvania Christmas Deer.  And while they are designated Christmas designs, quite honestly they could stay out all year!

 

Beth Twist has once again released a whole bunch of special treats for us to get our needles stuck in to!  I'll let you guess which one I'll do first!

 

 

Sweet Melissa Biscornu - This is the newest addition to her botanical biscornus & it is SO PRETTY!  Did you see the bees collecting nectar? All you biscornu collectors will want to get this one.

My Scissors My Rules - Bwahaha!!  Only needleworkers will truly appreciate this ~ well, and those unfortunate souls who have once used said scissors for inappropriate things (like cutting paper or opening a box....).

 

 

Home is Where Your Heart is - I think this is just a truly sweet little pillow design!  Perfect to make for yourself or for someone special.

 

Home is Where....

We each have that "special" treasure that defines home for us...for some it's a spouse, others it's children & still others it is your fur-kids.  I love that Beth has created different designs to celebrate those we hold dear.  Get one or get all 3.

      

Home is Where Your Honey is - Perfect if you love bees ~ my grandparents would have wanted this one!

Home is Where Your Doggo is - mine will say "Puppah" instead of Doggo, but as you might imagine, I LOVE THIS ONE!

Home is Where Your Purrball is - I love this one too!  I like all 3 of them!

 

   

Teresa's newest designs are just amazing! Once again, the hardest part will be choosing which one to stitch first!

 

 

Serenity - What an incredibly beautiful sampler!  It has so many stunning aspects to it ~ things that I could see stitched even by themselves (like the center motif at the top of the bird in the tree surrounded by the arch).  And the border is just amazing.  This is just a treasure waiting to be created.

And God Saw... - Another lovely sampler!  This has a lovely folk art feel to it with the bords & flowers & checkerboard borders. 

 

Hello Spring - A big new book of springtime designs, this one is fantastic!  Of the 8 designs in this book, there are at least 6 I want to do RIGHT NOW!  Below are pictures of all the designs included in this book.

    

 

   

Spring is Hope - This is just a sweet little pillow for spring decorating!

Strawberry Sheep - A darling little cutie with 2 of our favorite things: strawberries & a lamb!

 

   

Remembrance - A lovely colonial style sampler!  Love the border on this one!

Simple Life - Oh my, I love all the critters on this sampler!!!!

 

     

Voice So Sweet - A lovely verse, adorable birds (can you even stand the little hat on the one?), pretty flowers & a charming little cottage.  What could be better?

Wherever there are Birds - I love that great big black bird in the center!!!  And the verse is so true as well.

 

Sacred: Faith in Stitches - This is just beautiful (I know, I've used that word a lot for her things...but it's true!).  I love this design, as well as the verse surrounding it.  This reminds me of a customer & neighbor who stitched lots of faith-filled designs for her church & the school there.  It was always so wonderful to walk thru the hallways there & see her work hanging on the walls & know whose hand had created them. 

I can't believe that Diane is celebrating 15 years of designing!  It seems like she's been around forever, and at the same time it seems like she was just at her very first Market wondering if anyone would come in her booth (silly girl ~ she was crazy busy the whole time!).  Diane's style, which she describes it as "folksical" ~ a blend of whimsical folk art ~ is fantastic & unique.  Some designs are heartwarming & reach deep into your soul, while others make you laugh out loud ~ usually at yourself!  There aren't many in this newest group that you'll be able to resist...we sure can't!

 

Prolific PUNcushions - STOP!!  This is just classic Diane!  And I love every one of them.  I will be stitching Chris P Bacon for my bacon-loving Christopher.  And you know I love that Paige Turner!

 

   

Memory Error - SERIOUSLY!  Is this not all of us?  In fact, I think I still have that sweater! Also, appropos of nothing, I have become my grandmother, as I now say to my nephews, "That's not music...it's just noise!  They're not even singing!"  Yeah, they love hearing me say that. 

IndepenANTS Day - Bwahaha!  First of all, I love this because it's funny.  But secondly, I love it because my boys have always called me "Antie" ~ as distinguished in spelling AND pronunciation from "Auntie" (which is what they call Jay's sister...she's from Boston, so the different pronunciation).  When they were MUCH younger they actually got me a welcome mat that was red & white checked & had ants all around it..."because you're Antie!". 

 

   

Hand in Hand - What a glorious design.  I would love to see this stitched and hanging in every school & any place where people gather as a reminder that we are all here to extend a hand to others ~ no matter where they're from, what they look like, what language they speak or anything else. 

Wings of Change - Another lovely design & a reminder that each of us, at some point (or points) in our life could use.

 

   

Camper Sampler - This reminds me of all the times my grandparents took us camping!  In hindsight, I am amazed how brave (or crazy) they were to take first 2, then 3, then 4, then 5 little girls off to the woods, where there were no bathrooms ("just go squat in the woods" ~ eeewwww!!!) & always at least twice a night SOMEONE had to "go"!  But we always had fun!

Seize the Needle - I love this!  Except I don't save my needles ~ I tarnish my needles so quickly that each project uses at least 2 or 3 needles.  However, I can put my scissors & other assorted doodads I need for stitching in this little case.

 

Rainbow Crossing - This is lovely & for all of us who have loved & been loved by pets, it's all too real.  But I truly believe they are there waiting for us & that is one of the most comforting things about it all.  This version speaks to our loss, but also to the hope that sustains us to see our best furry friends again.

 

Linda's designs are always a delight for the eyes (& the hands that stitch them) ~ from her iconic berries to her samplers & more.  Tracy & Sherri have stitched basketsful of her berries & Therese has finished even more of them (so if you're intimidated by the finishing, we can help with that!).

 

      

Berry Patch - I love these 3 delicate berries with their French names!  Just makes them seem more elegant, right??

Bloom Wildly - This might be my favorite of these releases ~ I love those sweet spring colors & also the verse!! Go on...BLOOM WILDLY!

 

   

Louisa Denman - A clever verse & a charming schoolgirl sampler in shades of blue & gold!

Emma Badman Wadford - A much more elegant sampler...stitched by an 8-year-old!!!  Love the way she put the alphabet & numbers in the border ~ just a fun little twist!

 

    

Cheerful Heart - A chartpak full of stitching necessities, with a needlebook, a berry & a small trayliner.  I love the red she used.

Moms - First of all, yes there is a "Dads" in the works!  And I love that there is something sweet & something funny!!  Of course, somehow my GRANDMOTHER comes out of my mouth instead of my mother: "You're such a pretty girl...why did you feel the need to do that ("that" being anything from "too much" makeup to an "unattractive" haircut to wearing an "unladylike" outfit...go ahead, fill in your own additions!!).

 

Favoured Feline - This sweet kitty was so loved that some little girl made sure to add her to her sampler.  And Linda has taken her & given her her very own perch on this sweet pin drum!

 

 

Liz's things ALWAYS appeal to me!  She does a wonderful job of blending traditional sampler styles with more contemporary flair ~ whether it's her choice of colors or motifs.  There are several here that I already NEED! 

   

Abuzz at Midnight - My favorite part of this is the beehive ~ I love the different patterns within the hive itself. 

Cottontail - how fun is this?  I love love love the vines at the bottom & the little heart buried with it.

 

   

Remember Me Tree & Sampler - this awesome design was created originally for our friends at the Delaware Valley Sampler Guild, so lots of the critters are familiar to everypone in our area!  As always, my difficulty is figuring out if I wanna stitch the sampler or the tree....

Tenth Day of Christmas Tree & Sampler - If you, like me, are wondering exactly HOW this is the tenth day (10 Lords a-leaping), never fear!!  Liz says that she was stumped as to how to depict this!  So she decided to have Santa leaping from rooftop to rooftop!  Fun!!!

 

   

Spring House - This is a fantastic design & yes it is shown stitched on 2 different pieces of fabric & then attached to each other.  But if you find that a little too intimidating, you can stitch it all on one piece of fabric.  I can't decide yet how I wanna do it...

You've Got the Love - I really like that this is stitched in 1 color ~ choose your favorite fabric & floss & go! 

 

Kathy always intrigues with her designs.  Many of her designs are inspired by things in & around our part of Southeastern PA, and as such they always strike a chord with me.

 

   

Caught in the Swirl - You often see some kind of swirl design around here ~ either painted on the side of a barn or in Fraktur art.  So as always, will you stitch the big one or the pinpillow first???

 

Peace and Plenty Farm - This one makes me smile!  From the cute piggies to the horses & cows...and even the deer (must be a New Zealand farm ~ yes they actually RAISE DEER domestically in NZ!!), I love them all.  Did you see the critters sticking their heads out of the yellow barn? 

 

   

Animals...at Home, on the Farm, in the Wild... - Kathy is truly an animal lover & she has such fun designing all different kinds of critters in her pieces.  This one is all about the animals! 

Animal Pincushions - A perfect example of doing one little thing...and it explodes!  She was going to do 1 or 2 of these & include them with the "Animals..." chart...but then more animals kept coming & the next thing ya know...it's like Noah's Ark!  These are perfect for using up some of your fabric scraps!

 

   

Vibrant Flowers - 2 charts in 1 pack!  You know I love the house design!  And what cool flowers are growing on that vine?  But maybe you wanna stitch the gardener pinpillow! 

 

   

Cookie Cutters! - Ohmygosh, you're speaking my language!  I have TONS of cookie cutters!  And aren't these designs fun?  Which set will you do? 

Cookie Cutters 1 - I love the Quaker kitty in this one

Cookie Cutters 2 - My favorite one here is the whale with all the sea creatures.

 

Well, as usual, this one took me a little longer than I anticipated.  There are so many things going on each day (& night at home) that time is not my friend.  But that's okay!  I know many of y'all are seeing all the goodies popping up on social media & on designers' sites & yes you can order them before I get them posted on our site ~ just add them in the comments section! 

 

In addition to all the things happening at the shop, there are birthdays galore taking place.  Friday was Molly's birthday & the first thing that popped up on my "memories" page on FaceBook was one of our many Nashville birthday celebrations!  And we didn't know this, but one of our stitchers is in big trouble because she was in the shop on Friday & didn't let us know it was her birthday (shame on you Beth B!!  We promise we wouldn't have sung to you!).  Saturday is Jimmy B's 23rd birthday!!  For all y'all that came to the retreats WAY back then, who believes that little guy is 23??  Not me!  He is spending the weekend in Cary, NC with the West Chester University baseball team (they're playing in a tournament down there ~ so far they've won their first game, leading the second game 10-8 in the 7th).  I sent him a Happy Birthday text Saturday morning & told him I'd talk to him later on.  He called me at 9am ~ "just wanted to get it over with"!  Sheesh.  And Sunday my "little girl" ~ her family lived across from me in Charlotte & Sarah Kate turned 1 the day I moved in ~ will be 34 & has a sweet little girl of her own (who will be 3 in a few months!).  YIKES!  Lots of birthdays!

 

Well, I'm gonna wrap this up & send it on its way.  Remember, you can always browse thru the Nashville "stuff" without having to track down a newsletter (less yipyap that way!) by just clicking here: Nashville.

 

Hugs & stitches (& birthday wishes) ~

Beth & all the cake lovers at TSS