Shorttakes

It's the Round Up newsletter!  Designers have packed up their booths/rooms & headed home, retailers have traveled back to their homes filled with ideas & treats for stitchers.  Here at TSS, Molly & I are packing our days with getting the last of the goodies released last weekend posted to our website. Remember, we have a dedicated category for Nashville 2022, so you can go there to see everything we have posted.  Also, keep in mind that we announced a few notable items: first, and most importantly, any item featured by a designer as a "Limited Edition", we WILL NOT be getting.  We actually discontinued playing that game 4 or 5 years ago because it causes too much ill will among shopowners, stitchers & really everyone.  On the other hand, things that are designated as a "Market Exclusive" are meant to be a reward of sorts for all the shops who could attend the Market; the difference is, we CAN get these designs beginning in April!  So we have posted those ~ it will just be a little later coming. 

One more item ~ we don't always have access to all the details of everything you need for each design (what fabric did they use?  what fibers?  what other items were used?).  If you want the "ingredients", you can make a note in the comment section, or you can shoot us an email & we'll take care of that when we get the chart. 

There are several new overdyed fabric companies on the scene!  We are hopeful this will begin to alleviate the crushing pressure on the 2 or 3 companies that have shouldered the load for so long.  We have already gotten fabrics from a few of the "newbies" & have been able to determine whose colors are more reliable as far as what you see online.  Having said that, please keep in mind that these folks will perhaps be overwhelmed by orders as they enter the wholesale arena!  So we are trying to keep everyone aware that orders will take (on average) 10-12 additional weeks to arrive ~ some may be sooner! 

 

ANYWAY!  How about we get on with more new goodies?!?

 

I am sure this Market was a bittersweet one for Alma.  As most of you know by now, Barb ~ the other half of Blackbird Designs ~ died late last fall.  So many of us in the industry were caught off-guard & so saddened to hear about her.  And as crushed as we all were, I am sure that Alma was & is heartbroken.  So we are so glad that Alma was at Market.  I'm sure that being surrounded by those who share this love of cross stitch was a balm. 

The new books are wonderful, so take a look!!

 

Humming of the Bees - FAVORITE!!!  This is absolutely one of my favorite new designs from the Market!  I LOVE this house, love that beeskep & the great border.  And of course, it has that familiar "Blackbird" feel to it that we all love.

 

      

A Heart Remembers - This fantastic book is sure to become an instant collector's item!  It includes 14 different designs ~ some brand new & some old favorites.  Because there are so many different designs, we would recommend that you order the book, then after it arrives & you can browse thru it & get whatever supplies you need for the designs you want to stitch. 

 

 

What Remains - This lovely creation has a gorgeous border (I love all the birds randomly scattered thru that border) & a sweet inside design.

 

So glad to see that these folks made the journey from Australia for the Market!  I know all the folks that had to come from outside the US had to go thru all the Covid tests, etc just to get on their flight!  3 new samplers & 2 new colors of linen ~ yay!!

 

   

Hannah Dawson reproduction - I love the house in this one (check out the edges of the building!), as well as that beautiful tried & true strawberry border.  This one definitely goes in my stash! 

 

   

Margaret Ligertwood reproduction sampler - That floral bower at the top is stunning!  And the verse is really different ~ I'm not quite sure what to make of it.  It is very true, but still....

Margaret Felicia Dyson - What a lovely flroal basket motif.  The blossoms almost look modern/contemporary until you realize it was stitched in 1848!  Love that border!

 

          

Linen: Flannel Flower - A gorgeous neutral linen that is a cream color with a darker cream & grey mottling look.

Linen: Saltbush - This new color is a light grey green fabric ~ kinda that new "in" color these days that they call "greige".

 

These gals bring us wonderful reproduction samplers AND fantastic adaptations.  We always eagerly anticipate their new things!

 

 

    

Ann Mack Jennet - A lovely example of a traditional sampler, including so many treasured sampler motifs.

Ann Gott Sampler -- See that red cow?  I have seen several samplers with red cows ~ I don't know what it means, but it is not unusual.

 

   

Elsie Curtice Home Sweet Home - This lovely sampler includes a favorite sampler verse, surrounded by bunches of sampler motifs.

George Bierce Tobey reproductions - Hooray!!  A Schoolboy sampler!  So cool to see needlework done by young boys.  At Westtown School, near hear, the boys as well as the girls were taught needlework.  There are not many remaining samplers from there, but there are several of the navigational globes & celestial globes. 

 

 

       

1889 Alphabets - Ooohh, I love this!  A long skinny sampler, I love the way they finished this on an antique spool!

Sarah Allen 1814 - I so love Quaker samplers & this is certainly inspired by Quaker work & recreated by NWP.

 

   

A Tisket, A Tasket ~ A Book of Stitched Baskets - Tis book has several fun deisgns to line baskets, things to keep in your basket & more.  Beautiful work!

 

Molly is ALWAYS drawn in to all the lovely things from NeedleMade.  She has several of their designs from prior years & she's already making her list from these new goodies.

 

   

My Bonnie Dearie Sewing Purse & Needfuls - When Molly first saw this,, she said, "Wait.  I already have this!".  She was kinda right, but not really!!  These little needfuls are based on the Keziah Campbell Sampler that Molly has 95% finished (& we already have the frame!!).  such fun!

Civil War Huswif - Huswifs are small sewing cases that were made for soldiers to take with them.  Supply lines during war were ~ and are ~ very difficult, so soldiers needed to be able to mend their own items.  Mothers made them for sons, wives made them for husbands, girlfriends for sweethearts & many of the ladies' aid societies made them for men & boys who had no one to care for them.  This particular design was recreated for a Civil War soldier & contains a civil war era bone button & a vintage uniform button.

 

   

Helen Murry Sampler - Oh I really love this!! I'm a fan of that articulate alphabet (the one with all the swirlies!), not to mention that awesome border (and the pups ~ those are pups, don't ya think?  Not lambs).  Of course, my  first thought (yes, I need more sleep....) was..."Is this Helen Reddy or Ann Murray"?  Pretty sure Canadian female singers didn't collaborate on this....  But it gives ya a little chuckle!!!

Rebecca Steward reproduction - LOVE this floral motif sampler!  Lovely colors, pretty flowers!

 

   

Barb's Birds - This sweet little creation is a tribute to Barb Adams from Blackbird Designs.  The birds are adapted from samplers from all parts of the globe.  The little Red-winged Blackbird in the upper left corner is for Barb?

My Cherry Tree, My Dog & Me - Aaaaawwww....I'll take it!! 

 

We are enjoying the new overdyed linens from Theresa.  One of the best things that she's done is to START SMALL.  She has about 8-10 colors (as opposed to 50!) & they go very nicely with her designs (which always make me happy!!).

   

Hum of the Bees - Oh my goodness, how lovely is this?? I just love that big beeskep.

 

 

Come as You Are & Sit A While - Perfect!  Love that Adirondack chair.

Farmhouse Welcome - How fun is that windmill?  Different & charming.

     

This is Us - This would make a wonderful housewarming gift, or a gift for a new family just starting out, or even a wedding gift.

Happy Home - A sweet design & a fantastic verse.

 

I am such a huge fan of these beaded creations & I am so bummed to not get to see them IRL (in real life ~ as the kids say).  But in addition, I am super bummed to not get to spend time with Peggy & Pat ~ they are such fun gals!  Please note: their kits include everything you need to create & finish their goodies!!  And their instructions are fantastic. 

 

     

Carrot Patch Beaded Fob - Such a fun springtime fob!!!

Carrot Patch Littles Needlebook - Silly wabbit!  I love his nose!!

 

   

Juicy Bite Beaded Fob - You can almost taste that pear!

Juicy Bite Littles Needlebook - Okay, now I'm hungry....

 

   

Just Love Beaded Fob - For Valentine's Day....and all year round.

Just Love Littles Needlebook - The little heart charms on the ribbon ties are dear!

 

    

Night Owl Beaded Fob - What a lovely wise old owl!  Maybe he'll help me remember where I left my scissors....

Night Owl Littles Needlebook - I love the beaded edge trim on this!

 

      

Silken Threads Beaded Fob - Spider webs are soooo cool & I love this tiny fob.

Silken Threads Box Set - What a cute little needle book & box.

Silken Threads Pinball - This might be my favorite!!!  It's cute and different!

 

Arlene is so creative ~ I love her ability to adapt centuries old handwork to modern day creations.  I especially love her blackwork designs!

 

Swirling Seasons - Okay.  I started off thinking these were cute.  BUT THEN, I read the description!  While each one looks like the seasonal name & some doodles, LOOK MORE CLOSELY.  Each swirl is actually created by rotating the word all the way around in a circle!!  OMG, I love this!!!!  And let me say, this is not easy to chart out.

 

   

Tiles of Seville - This blackwork design was inspired by geometric patterns worked in the stucco of Casa de Pilatos ~ a 16th century civil palace in the Andalusian area of southern Spain.  I love this design & I love that it's adapted from stunning artwork & architecture from long ago.  Now I need to add this to my bucket list of places to go!!

1544 Band Sampler - Gorgeous geometric bands stitched all in one color.

 

   

Kindness - Boy do we need this reminder these days.  And we are seeing this on TV as so many countries in Eastern Europe are welcoming strangers & greeting them with kindness.  May we all be the same if we find ourselves in such a situation.

 

Theresa always has wonderful things to amaze us!!  And seeing them stitched makes it even better, so you can imagine how much we missed seeing her this year!

 

   

Cathcart Colquhoun reproduction - This is a truly lovely sampler!!

Jane Summer's Work - LOVE that house!!  I also really like the shades of purple & all the delicate blossoms included in this sampler.

 

Throw Wide the Windows - Just the house, please!!!  My favorite part of Jane's sampler...with all the windows wide open! Must be SUMMERTIME!

 

   

Antique Cats & Crowns - what a sweet little pinpillow.

Two by Julia -  2 small samplers loaded with traditional sampler motifs and a FABULOUS house!

 

Well, the first of our Nashville orders have shipped out on their way to us!  We knew that since we couldn't attend the show that our goodies would arrive a bit later than usual, but our designers & suppliers are working as fast as they can to get things unpacked (from the show), reorganized in their storerooms, then invoiced for new shipments & then on its way!  We are beyond eager to get our hands on them, as you can imagine!  We thank you for your patience ~ we are still practicing patience here (sometimes we're better than other times....).

There are still quite a few more goodies for me to yipyap about, but as always, you can browse thru the whole thing by clicking on Nashville 2022. 

Molly & I are working workng working ordering Market goodies, processing orders, shipping Super Bowl orders as their items arrive, covering the floor a day or 2 a week, and of course, framing!  I apologize to all y'all waiting on framing ~ I've sidelined that for the last few weeks as I have been immersed in Nashville!!  I promise I haven't forgotten, I've just been focused elsewhere temporarily.  Oh!  And yes, I'm still in the midst of moving agony ~ first place fell thru, now back to the search...ugh!!  So truly, I appreciate your patience with us.

 

Hugs & stitches ~

Beth & all the immersibles at TSS