For Cross-Stitchers

This is Miss Lapin, a new cross-stitch design just released by Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread. 7" tall when finished and just as cute as can be. Could this become a special bunny to tuck into a special Easter basket? Another new cross-stitch design is called Sewing Bird Pinkeep, a very cool primitive heart on another oil can base. Remember, you can always use a grubbied-up glass candlestick or old spool for your base if you can't find a little oil can. I found one on eBay for around $9.95.

My entire in-stock inventory of Stacy Nash cross-stitch patterns is on sale at 28% off through this weekend (ends on the 28th). Gotta make room for more new items for spring! Some of these patterns I believe have been retired by Stacy so they might become tough to find. I need to find out which ones are on the "endangered list".

I might just be able to work on organizing my creative space this weekend - husband has a whole itinerary of Olympics sports to watch all weekend long. Whatever will he do without his curling?? Being a Canadian he's been thoroughly enjoying each and every game that's been televised. Hockey too, 'natch. Will the US end up playing Canada for the gold medal game? We'll see!

Have a great weekend everyone!

What's New

"Home Tweet Home" is one of four new needlepunch patterns from Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread - love love love this one, and it's already a big hit! I scoured eBay for a little sewing machine oil can for the base for my model soon to be made. With a little re-tooling you could "make do" with a glass candlestick or old wooden spool as your birdie's perch.


More of Renee Plains' new book, A Bird in Hand are back in stock today. Starting on my 4th dozen of this great book! Another new book just added to stock is Gloria Nixon's Feedsack Secrets: Fashion from Hard Times, a little history into the use of colorful feedsack fabrics of the 1930s & 1940s. I've got quite a stash of them, mostly reproduction but some antique feedsack fabrics. I have a feedsack quilt on my quilt "bucket list"! Bet you've got a stash too.


Attention rug hookers - back in stock after a long absence is Mad Hen Primitives' Inspirations from the Heart & Soul. Tonya Benson provides us with page after page of her doodles and motifs for your next rug, stitchery or needlepunch project. Animals, buildings, flowers, borders, you're sure to find something that speaks to you.

My little "Whatcha Doin'?" poll is interesting! Most of y'all are working on rug hooking with quilting a close 2nd. As for me, I have a couple of works-in-progress - a hooked eyeglass case, a Karen Kahle design and a hooked purse designed by Kim Dubay of Primitive Pastimes , both from the book Designs for Primitive Rug Hookers. I also have one row of a baby quilt started using 1930s reproduction fabrics. It's for my niece who will be a year old in July. It "might" be a birthday gift as it never got to her when she was born! Oh, and many notebook pages loaded with drawings of projects to be.

Enjoy your projects, and your week!

Whatcha Doin'?

Just wondering what people are up to these days! Are you quilting, rug hooking, needlepunching - something else? Vote in my little poll to the left and let's see what's the most popular fiber craft right now.

Off to watch more of the Olympics - the Women's "Skeleton" is on at 8pm EST. I know that's sort of a luge event but have never seen it before so am anxious to check it out. We love to watch the luge! They go so fast!

Enjoy your weekend!

Happy Valentine's Day!

This vintage Valentine's Day card made me chuckle! "Fork over your heart" - love it!

Hope you got some chocolate from your sweetheart! Enjoy your Valentine's Day...

Fondly,

Books, books, books

Just arrived this morning is Renee Plains' great new book, A Bird in Hand. Over twenty projects all with a bird theme. Very folk artsy, very fun. Sewing needfuls, quilts, a hooked rug, a denim bag big enough to tote to rug hook-ins or classes, lots of wool... The first on my "must have" list for 2010. I'll be busy the next couple of nights processing all the pre-orders I took for this book. If you placed a pre-order, your free-shipping Priority Mail package should be arriving this week - keep an eye on your mailbox! And thank you again for pre-ordering!



Maggie Bonanomi's popular 2nd book came with the new shipment and is back in stock. Did you miss this one the first time around?

There is another new title called Feedsack Secrets which gives a lot of great information about the use of feedsacks in quilting which I need to check out. No picture yet but soon...

More goodies arrived over the weekend but aren't on the web site yet - Country Stitches/With Thy Needle & Thread has some "uber cute" needlepunch designs for spring that I just love, and I'm sure other folks will too. Gotta get those pictures up and the patterns available to sell. Feeling the old time crunch again! Too much to do and not enough time, an old story!

Just a quick update - check out my What's New page for details as they change, and please become one of my Facebook fans! I'll be posting info out there as well.

Have a creative week!

Dyeing to Try

Back in print, my little dye formula book for wool. These are some of my favorite shades of hand-dyed wool made with Cushing Perfection dyes, colors that I used to offer for sale back when I was dyeing wool at home. The first printing sold quickly and I've just recently had more made. I'm hoping to offer swatch sets for sale soon.


I'm impatiently waiting for my shipment from Kansas City Star of Renee Plains' new book, A Bird in Hand. Hoping to get them before the week is over. Also waiting on a shipment of new needlepunch patterns and some reorders from Country Stitches. Oh, how I hate to wait!

My brain is practically exploding with ideas for new projects given the spring shows I have scheduled for this year. More on those in future posts. For now, I need to get back to work!

Enjoy your weekend,