Friday, December 04, 2009

Winter 2009








Can you believe Christmas is almost here? We're so busy rehearsing for Christmas programs, making Christmas ornaments, partying, there's been no time to reflect on the season. Maybe next week. :-)

Pictured are some Christmas treasures - there's been a lot of stitching going on! Come vote for People's Choice on the Christmas ornaments; the judges (stitchers Kim Boldt, Teri Shelquist and Rhonda Jabaay, thank you all so much!) chose June Haney's Christmas card for first place ($15 gift certificate), Mary Crichton's cat on the fireplace for second place ($10 gift certificate) and Corliss Marsh's pocket snowman for third place ($5 gift certificate). The People's Choice winner always gets something special - it's a wait and see...:-) All entries receive a gift as well. Start now for next year! The first ornament in Little House's new series is here - Fa La La, carolers in the snow.

There are lots of new patterns in stock, and always more coming; choose a gift certificate so you can choose an after-Christmas project! Fair warning - we MAY be closed on Christmas Eve, so guys (meaning husbands, etc.), don't wait that long! We also have a new shipment just in of Laurel Burch bags - perfect for toting your projects and/or assorted paraphernalia around town and yonder. They are SWEET!

We want to thank you for your continued support - we wouldn't still be here without you! We know it's getting harder to keep our spending local, but we try to have what you need, or get it as quickly as we can. Remember that for every dollar spent in an independently owned store, 68 cents returns to the community; only 43 cents spent in a national chain stays here (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). And probably - definitely?! - zero remains when we shop online. Instant gratification is expensive!, even if it may seem cheap as we click our dollars away.

So, enough sermonizing - enjoy the holidays! Eat, shop, stitch, and remember the reason for the season.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Fall is coming!


Although here it is in the 90's again - but when it cools off at night into the 50's and 60's, you know it won't be long...Of course, that's OK by me, it means it's time to make Christmas gifts!, and ornaments, and cards...maybe some cookies...:-) The Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue should be coming soon - lots of great ideas (and recipes! :-) for contest entries. Let's make this year's tree loaded with your ornaments!

(Photo is local stitcher Diane Keilman with her recently completed Serendipity Nativity, outstanding!)

Mill Hill's newest kits are darling, ornaments and magnets, Arctic Circle Santas and Jim Shore Santas, the beaded and buttoned kit assortment...all self-contained, reasonably priced and quick to finish. The latest Prairie Schooler set is in, and they're wonderful, animals, spooky creatures, Santas...and all simple and quick to stitch, and as one stitcher pointed out, they use consistent color schemes - no new thread to buy!

Samplers are again surging in popularity, and many new ones are here with more to come; we also have new Celtic designs, flowers, baby patterns, fairies, new Lizzie Kates - and we're waiting to see what their new DoubleFlip series will be, now that we're finishing the current Merry Christmas series.

We also have some yummy new fabrics, threads, beads and buttons to embellish your work and frames; your imagination can run wild. :-)

And now for some whimsy...you may have heard of them...

Biscornu is a French adjective that means "that which has an irregular form, with projections" or "complicated and bizarre."

Biscornus are interesting little eight-sided pincushions that have become very popular in recent months. The word biscornu (sometimes written biscournu) is derived from a French adjective, meaning skewed, quirky, or irregular, literally, "two-horned". Sandy made two for the Wasco County Fair, one a pincushion and one an ornament. One of our Hood River stitchers has even made large ones into doorstops! Any square or round design can work - and you can use up scraps of fabric and odd bits of thread or leftover beads and buttons - the ultimate recycled gift!

Our Idaho neighbor, My Big Toe Designs, has these wonderful tutorials on her website:

http://www.mybigtoedesigns.com/Tutorials/Tutorial_Biscornu.htm

http://www.mybigtoedesigns.com/Tutorials/Tutorial_Ornament.htm

VACATION for Sandy: Sept. 1 through 7, Sept. 17 through October 5; SHOP WILL BE STAFFED Tues. through Sat. 11 to 3 during that time, so don't hesitate to come in! We NEED your support, and thank you heartily for thinking of us first for your needlework needs and desires! We know how easy to is to "go online" - but it's very difficult to to compete with all "they" have to offer and that "instant gratification". We try to fill that need, too - please check us out and let us order for you!

Closed for Labor Day weekend, Sept. 5-7. Picnic! Hike! Swim! Play croquet with your kids/grandkids! And don't forget to stitch a little. :-)

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Winter/Spring?!


It's March and there's new snow...too bizarre. But, for Sandy it's just more good stitchin' time! And after the Nashville show, there are many new things to stitch! Stop in to see the bounty - and the new samples we've stitched. We especially love "Live Simply" and "Crabby All Year"! Next up are Monthly Mockeries from Raise the Roof ("I know you are but what am I?" - sounds just like Sandy's little brothers!), Lizzie Kate's DoubleFlips for Halloween and Nora Corbett's fairy Letter A (Letters from Nora).

Mill Hill's newest kits are in stock, and more are coming soon - snowmen from Jim Shore - maybe they'll ward off more snow! The flower and vegetable bead and button kits are wonderfully bright, the spring magnets fun and appetizing! - a hot fudge sundae!, popcorn, root beer float...yum!

Stoney Creek has several great new books including bib designs for the new bright bibs from STS Crafts, made in Brazil, Pets with Attitude and Vintage Cycles; Quaker designs abound (see photo) and are really fun to stitch; Nora Corbett (Mirabilia) continues her fairy alphabet series as well as a new Santa, his sleigh and reindeer - we love Rudolph!

We brought back lots of new free designs from Nashville, too - and there are many sources online as well. Try one or two as a bookmark for your Bookmark Challenge! We'd be happy to give you remnants to stitch on, or we also have pre-made bookmarks and lots of colors of perforated paper to use. Encourage a young reader - it's a small gift that will mean a lot. Plus, we're giving prizes! Upon further reading, we see Nordic Needle is again doing their $100 gift certificate drawing, so if you'd rather, we'll send them there so you can get in that drawing. Deadline for that will be May 1, 2009; for bookmarks that will stay in our area, you have until May 30 - and yes, you can stitch for both! :-)

ONLINE TRADE SHOW - The spring show is coming up, April 15 - 20; do check it out. There are always lots of designers we don't see anywhere else - it's where we found those "naughty words" (see below) last year! :-) Then be sure to let us know if there's something we can get for you. Some have minimums, but we'll try our best to accomodate you.

CELEBRITY CROSS STITCH! They say celebrities attract people to their hobbies - think Vanna White. :-) Finally we read of an actress who stitches! Miranda Richardson ("Harry Potter", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Enchanted April", "Blackadder", dozens more) found the perfect way to pass the time when she isn't in front of the cameras during 12 hour days of filming - "I spent my time cross stitching." She goes on to say she stitches "naughty words onto handerkerchiefs" - hmm, we can get those! :-)

AND ON THE RED CARPET - Paris Fashion Week, March 2009; Christian Dior's collection by designer John Galliano included "dove grey suits trimmed with fur, and featuring bubble hems, caught with CROSS STITCHING! How cool is that?!