stitch along week four...

Are we on week four already? Karen has been sick with bronchitis and she has still stitched about the same amount as I have. Am I going to slow?

I plan to spend some time this weekend on my piece. Karen has put some of the colors into hers. I am leaving mine until later.

How is yours coming along?

Pretty in pink...

Doesn't this sparkle!

It is pink opalescent glass. The picture just doesn't show all of the color this has in it.

I thought it looked beautiful with a frog for scissors.

Pink seems to be one of the favorites here at the shop.

I'm sure this one won't last long...

Spring stitching....

Betsy stitches like wild horses...soooo fast!

She started this stitchery

Lizzie Kate - Spring Alphabet

just a week ago and she is finished already.

She brought it in for framing and I had to show it to you.

Isn't it great!

Feeling patriotic?

This fabulous kit is designed by Thea Gouverneur and is called of course

New York.

The stitch count is 300 x 500

The kit comes with 35 count linen, cotton thread that is pre separated onto an organizational card and of course you get a needle and chart.

The finished size is 17 1/4 x 28 1/2.

The cost is $160.00 for the complete kit by special order.

Isn't this wonderful!

Now if you love Paris...

or London...

or Amsterdam....

Spring in Utah...

One day it is warm and sunny, the next it snows...such is spring in Utah.
I planted our front pots this weekend, in the blustery wind and overcast skies, then in the afternoon it snowed. I'm glad the pansies enjoy this weather. The branches are from my crab apple tree at home. Do you think they will blossom? I think this adds some cheer out front, I hope the pansies start to show out the top of the pots as they grow....

This makes me want to stitch Lavender Pansies by Silver Lining.

A couple of free patterns...

I worked these two patterns up in the last couple of weeks. So easy!

The Lovebird picture is by Mid Summer Night Designs

and the Alphabet is by La D Da.

Both are free charts that we will gladly give you next time you come in the shop.
I have changed the colors for our model of Lovebirds and have a color changes for you. Both are stitched on a small count, 28 count, fabric over one. However, you can stitch yours on any count that you like to work on and I am sure they will be just as adorable...

A rainy cold day...

What did Wendy and I decide to do on this rainy cold Monday?
Well....
When we came to work this morning the water was off and the traffic was terrible! There was a broken water line on Fort Union, and you know how the traffic gets in front of the store...
We decided to make the most of the day and package fabrics.
I don't think Wendy had any idea how much I had stored in the garage when I asked if she wanted to iron. She ironed and I packaged for most of the day. We are very well stocked now with scrap bags that are perfect for smalls.
Thanks to all of the customers who came in to see us today, braving the weather, the work trucks and the traffic.
Oh, and John, don't expect Wendy to do ironing at home, this was just a special occasion.

Such tiny work...

Marci is a wonderful stitcher.

She just loves to use the finest stitch counts. I had to share this with you. She stitched this Heaven and Earth Design on 28 count over one. I took the time to figure out how many stitches must be in this piece. Well, the finished design is 6" x 7". There is 784 stitched in every square inch, so there is about 32,928 stitches. Right? Wow!

I thought the picture turned out beautiful. Can you believe she is giving this away!

A tiny little treasure...

I was shopping around in my favorite antiques stores today and ran across this little bag...

The front of the bag is embossed with the word darnings. I just had to take this home with me. Inside I found these...

What a cute little bag! Filled with tiny cards of darning thread. The colors are all so muted, I wonder what she used to mend. Most of the cards say the thread was made in England and the larger card was used to mend silk hosiery. So cool!

I feel honored to have her darning kit....

Stitch along week three...

So how is yours coming along? We are really enjoying stitching this design. I have gotten this far in my work. I didn't do the over one part yet. I think I will save this until last. I'm not even sure if I want to put in the colored part yet until I am finished with all of the white. I'll have to see what mood I am in this weekend...
Good luck and keep stitching!

Would this look good at your house?

After many years at the shop, we are ready to part with our church bench.

It was always so cute in the front vestibule at the old shop. Now we just can't find the perfect place for it in this shop. It needs to be loved and given a new home.

It is solid oak and is carved on one end. I think this must have been on a side aisle.

It is 6 ft. long, and is in beautiful original condition.

If you are interested give us a call. It will be sold to the first one interested.....

I found a shorter bench without carving for $479.00 in town

We will sell ours for $300.00!

Twin Arches

Incredible!!!

Twin Arches by Art Ventures

Marci loves to stitch on 40 count gauze over one thread. On this fabric you have to stitch the entire design, even the background.

Marci changed some of the colors because she knows first hand what the colors should be.

She did a beautiful job.

The finished size is 3" x 3 1/2"

with a stitch count of 120 x 140.

What an incredible piece!

Dandy Dreams

I think this shop model turned out really well.

Dandy Dreams by Silver Creek Samplers

I stitched it on 36 count over two, I am really into the tiny stuff.

I wanted to share the finished piece with you, I think it is so cute!

More Pretty Little Things...

The girls have been in and the cabinet is full of wonderful pincushions!

And as always their prices are unbelievable - starting at $7 and only going up to $12.

Better hurry in for the best selection...

It is taking everything I have in me to not take home the blue glass pincushions.

Beehives of course, because we are the beehive state...

We even have a couple of Easter pincushions in stock.

Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow...

Lori Latey has finished a masterpiece! This stands about 4 feet tall and is wonderful....

There is a story that goes with this stitching project.

While Lori was working on this piece, she was diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis).

This piece is stitched on 36 count linen, so you can imagine how tiny each stitch is. Her first MS episode effected her vision and the vision in her left eye was 20/200. She was out of work for 2 months while it healed and stitched the majority of this project wearing Mag Eyes.

She should be so proud!

Just a couple of close ups.

Antiquing again..

I think I have the best job! On my day off I get to hunt around antique stores with a company credit card...

Though I think the pond for frogs in Salt Lake is dry. My last batch came from Dallas. While Betsy was there attending a wedding, she went antiquing for me. Her boys even got into it! Thanks guys!

Then I get to do what I think is the best part. Pick out the bottoms. Each frog is unusual and unique in its shape and size. They aren't perfect and the challenge is trying to find the pieces that fit together perfectly, kind of like doing a puzzle. But for this puzzle you have to travel miles for each piece...curse those gas prices.

This is our newest milk glass set. I am very fond of violets!

This is green depression glass. I love the color in this one.
and a beautiful carnival glass sugar cup with a frog.

Now I have to share my very own scissor frog. Sometimes you just run across something that you can't part with. This is my pink scissor frog. I thought this pink sugar cup was just darling. I love even more every time I look at it!

stitch along week two...

Okay, I am a little bit ahead. I told you that I like to rush through things. But maybe we can look at it as - I am trail blazing ahead of you to make the path a bit easier. Or it could have been that I spent entirely too much time in front of the TV this weekend...

I must say that I am really pleased with the results. I even dared to take a closeup of my work. I am so proud!

I chose this route to take in the design and leaving the over one sections until the end. Though maybe I shouldn't wait until I wear my eyes out. It is really using up a lot of thread. I have used 1 /2 of a skein. If you are stitching on anything larger than a 36 count I'm sure you are almost through one skein by now.

Stitch along...

How about a stitch along?

Karen and I both wanted to stitch this French design and need to encourage each other along. We are meeting on Tuesdays at the shop to stitch and chat, and work on our pieces. We have chosen to work on a 36 count summer khaki linen.

Our homework, after picking out our fabric, the stitch count and the thread, is to stitch the deer. We chose the tiny stitch count so that we could work with one strand of floss. I have a hard time with white stitches looking perfect. I don't know why, but they always seem to show the slightest imperfection in my stitching, and heaven knows that there is more than slight imperfections in my stitching. I tend to rush my way through things. I think this will be a really fun piece to do and for sure I will have it done and framed in plenty of time for the holiday!

We would love to have you join us.

This picture really doesn't do the work justice. It is just a copy of the cover, really I didn't frame this piece, and whoever did should be ashamed!

Ribbons from Paris...

I am sooo lucky! I felt like I had won the lottery when my box arrived from Paris. My very special Aunt sent me a surprise. Remember the store front that I posted on a previous post? Well, I received a box of wonderful ribbons from the shop. Each roll was wrapped in tissue and carefully boxed like they were precious jewels. To me they are!

I really love the one with the French writing on it.

This means "made with love".

I love this two sided ribbon. I will share some with my niece Lexie.

It will look so cute on her ponytails...

Thank you Aunt Sally!