INDEPENDENT NEEDLEWORK NEWS

A while ago, I told you Nancy Sturgeon, of Threads through Time fame, was selling her needlework book collection … Well, she has reduced the prices on the books she still has left — which still include some of the rarities I initially mentioned! Now is definitely the time to get them!

Here is the list of what is left. The actual price is 50% off the price listed (shipping is additional). Yes, that’s 50% off the price listed even on those really rare books like Alice Starmore’s Aran Knitting and Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans.

Hey, if you don’t need or want them, think about reselling them on eBay! (And now you know I’m totally broke, or I’d have done that myself. )

Contact Nancy directly to inquire about anything which interests you!

I’m sure you all remember this?

It’s the first of Just Nan’s limited edition WhimZi designs, entitled Christmas is Coming, which was released in late 2005.

What I remember is finding out about it fairly quickly — I mean everything else she released at the same time was still considered new and hadn’t been available more than a week — but Christmas is Coming was already sold out everywhere I checked. I was very disappointed, to say the least.

However, this past week, I decided to really try to locate one. Obviously, I’ve wanted one ever since I missed its initial release. But perhaps because of all the icky, wintery weather we’ve had here in central Illinois, which has caused the one-bad-cold-after-another phenomena I usually experience in the fall, and also very likely because I am still reeling and trying to recover from all the frightful events that happened to my family and me between the end of August and the middle of November of last year, I rather feel as if I missed something and that time is heading toward the yuletide instead of toward spring. So, I emailed every single shop who is listed at Just Nan’s site as carrying the limited edition WhimZi releases to ask if they might still have one.

As I mentioned, I’m suffering from one of those seemingly unending colds, so it’s about all I could manage to put together this email (thank goodness for BCC, but I still had a LOT of work to do to copy/paste all the email addresses, LOL … ) — and then to wade through all the responses as they arrived.

One of the first things I learned is that Just Nan and quite a number of the shops on the list — assuming those shops are still in existence — really need to work together to update her list because a lot of those emails bounced back as no longer valid.

Of course, I did also hear back from many shops saying they did not have a Christmas is Coming chartpack to offer me.

However, my perseverance was worth it. Not only did I find one for me (I jumped on the first offer that came in, which was from Lynda — who charmed me by stating she was “tickled” to be able to help — at The Stitcher’s Garden in Arkansas, a shop which does not have a website, or you know I would point you to it!), but I’ve also located a very small surplus of Christmas is Coming chartpacks at several other shops around the country.

Because I know I’m certainly not alone in my experience of having found out about Christmas is Coming after it seemed to have been snapped up by the Ghost of Christmas Past, and as the job I’ve taken upon myself here at Independent Needlework News is to help out other stitchers — as well as to, at the same time, help out the many wonderful shops who work so hard to keep us all in stitches (or should I say INN stitches? ), I am going to list the shops who have one or more of these available so that those of you who are still seeking a Christmas is Coming chartpack might get one. You definitely will want to HURRY, because after these are gone, they really are gone (well, other than if any of the shops whose emails bounced are still around using other email addresses … and still happen to have one or a few tucked away in their stock, that is).

The Iron Kettle in Wyoming has one left and is happy to help. Call 800-801-5660 to order.

Judy’s Stitchery Nook in Texas has several and would love to help you get yours — call 956-421-2654 to order. Judy also offers a small cut of fabric if you need it to go with your chartpack, so ask for this if you’re interested.

Laurel’s Stitchery, an online shop out of New Mexico which will soon be relocating to Virginia, still has eight Christmas is Coming chartpacks in stock! Please use that link to order online; availability can be seen right on the site. By the way, Laurel’s Stitchery is proof that an online store can not just survive but thrive through several physical moves and seemingly insurmountable life changes. Laurel’s story is a true inspiration — and has a very happy ending, too! In fact, it’s also a happy ending for us stitchers, because a move means a clearance sale (10% off on all in stock items, and this sale starts today) so there’s less to pack (and unpack, LOL)!

Needles and Niceties, another shop without a website but one which sounds well worth a visit if you are ever in the Upland, California area based on this February 2001 “Shop Focus” from the Caron Collection, has two Christmas is Coming chartpacks available. Call 800-955-5358 to order. By the way, Just Nan’s teddy bear design Ebenezer was dedicated to Bob Vasaturo, who owns Needles and Niceties, which is the largest Just Nan retailer in California!

The Stitcher’s Garden in Arkansas (where I got mine from) still has three more available. Call 501-513-1851 to order. I know Lynda would be tickled to help you, too!

Thistle Needleworks in Glastonbury, Connecticut had two available. However, Judie (who took her time responding to my inquiry in the first place!) was quite ticked I’d had the gall to contact more than one shop seeking this rare chartpack and insinuated she needed no help from INN because she would probably already have sold both chartpacks prior to this article going to press. If you want to check, though, call 800-635-9757. (Please make sure to mention you’re calling because of this article. Or if you really want this, maybe you shouldn’t mention it — she appreciates so little advertising for her business that she might not sell it to you if she realizes you’re calling because of this article!)

Good luck … and consider being the odd one and starting from the bottom or middle of the list when you make your calls. Once again, HURRY: I don’t expect this surplus inventory to last out the rest of the week, and perhaps not even the rest of the day.

I hear it will be difficult to outdo the phenomenal retreat Shepherd’s Bush hosted in 2006, when their theme was a Haunted Weekend. However, sisters Tina Richards Herman and Teri Richards intend to make the 2008 retreat their best ever … So if you’re a Shepherd’s Bush fan, you won’t want to miss it!

Preliminary information for the 2008 Shepherd’s Retreat has been posted, so now you can finally start planning your fall calendar!

Wednesday, September 24th, 2008, will be an open house at the Shepherd’s Bush shop in Ogden, Utah. If this will be your first time travelling to Ogden, then don’t forget to print out a copy of the directions from Salt Lake International Airport to the shop!

The actual retreat will follow from Thursday through Saturday, September 25th-27th, 2008, at The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah.

Accordingly, interested stitchers will probably want to reserve the dates from Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008, through Sunday, September 28th, 2008 in order to allow for plenty of SHOPPING (and travel) time on both sides of the retreat.

The 2008 retreat theme, teachers, classes, and all further details will be posted in the retreat brochure toward the end of March on the Shepherd’s Bush website. I’ll do my best to remind you when the time comes, but you’ll want to be watching for the brochure yourself, too. That’s because you’ll want to register for the retreat as soon as you can after it’s posted — Tina and Teri recommend “… within a few days … ” of their posting the retreat brochure — because retreat enrollment is somewhat limited.

And don’t let your spouse make any argument about spending your tax refund for this very special reason. After all, he agrees you’re worth it, doesn’t he? If need be, tell him you’ll be giving him a five day vacation from you (this would be a good time to remind him of your one or two annoying habits), and then bat your eyelashes and offer him something special from next year’s tax refund. After all, he’s not likely to hold you to that agreement, right? (Will he even be likely to remember that agreement just a month later? One year, I think I spent “our tax refund” several times over! I just waited a few weeks between each expenditure … ) Besides, even if he does remember, you’re still safe … since the Shepherd’s Retreat only happens every other year!

Technorati Tags: Shepherd’s Bush, retreat, Ogden, Utah, Park City, The Canyon, needlework, cross stitch, Shepherd’s Retreat, Tina Richards Herman, Teri Richards, tax refund

Almost every stitcher enjoys admiring the work of other stitchers. Today, I want to share the work of one stitcher for whom I think I can only rightly be defined as a “groupie,” LOL …

Several months ago, I mentioned a darling new (at the time) piece from Twisted Oaks Designs called Coq Au Pins. Well, now that I have seen the entire set stitched, finished, and photographed terrifically well by regular eBay seller Tammy Henshaw (many of you will recognize her as themistymoon), I simply HAD TO share it with you again.

Proving it IS possible to age gracefully, this chick seems perfectly (and rightfully) pleased with her wattle made out of sparkling beads!

This set is simply one of the most charming pieces of needlework I have ever seen — with both a silly character and yet a simple grace at the same time. I am absolutely head over heels for it.

Please make sure you check out Tammy’s auction of the Coq au Pins set for more detailed pictures of these adorable needlework smalls. You won’t be sorry — I promise!

Also, you won’t want to miss the AMAZING faux scrimshaw pieces Tammy has created to go with her version of Merry Cox’s Swan Lake Mending Bag and its lovely set of smalls!

I encourage anyone who might be interested in such a set of faux scrimshaw to post a comment here — or contact Tammy through her auction (although contacting her through her auction could really overwhelm her if there are as many positive responses as I suspect there might be, which is the main reason I suggest people comment here) — just so Tammy can garner some idea what kind of demand there might be for these faux scrimshaw products.

Personally, I think they look fantastic — and since I know what she used to make them, I also know she could conceivably make such items available at a decent profit for herself, but also at a very reasonable price for such artistically challenged beggars as myself.

I will let Tammy decide whether or not to comment here, though, to share her secret for making these. That way, if she decides to make a go of this business idea, I haven’t given away anything on her behalf.

I think it is especially fitting that Tammy has found a way to make a product which looks so much like the scrimshaw we stitchers all know and love — but which so many of us cannot afford. Her eBay nickname, thmistymoon, came from the name of her grandfather’s commercial fishing ship. She writes that The Mistymoon always held a bit of magic for her as a young girl, and she hoped this magic would carry into her business when she chose the name herself as an adult. Although she does not mention her grandfather ever creating any scrimshaw himself, surely he must have known fishermen and sailors who did — it’s good to remember the ties that bind us each to the past are always there, and sometimes revealed.

Meanwhile, Tammy has kept a journal throughout the years to record the journeys of all the needlework pieces she’s finished. They have traveled to their final destinations in locations all over the world including the UK, France, Belgium, Italy, Japan, and Australia. While Tammy doesn’t expect to be able to travel the world in her lifetime, she does feel as if little pieces of her are still traversing the seas — and if that isn’t magical, I don’t know what is!

Now that you’ve seen a few of Tammy Henshaw’s eBay auctions, I hope you’ll mark her as a favorite and keep an eye out for her auctions. Tammy has wonderful finishing ideas, most of which are also very inexpensive and able to be made with basic supplies from your local craft store. Of course, most require a time investment and some do also require a little bit more artistic talent than many of us really believe we have to begin with — but they’re worth trying at least once, especially when they can save a great deal of money on framing costs. After all, when you least expect it but put in your best effort anyway, you’re bound to achieve success, even if your success looks a lot different than someone else’s success — a situation which only makes your neighbor’s results and your own results both interesting to study! .

Oh, and if you simply must have the Swan Lake Mending Bag and Smalls chart to stitch for your own collection, this extremely hard to find class-only chart is currently available on eBay through another of my favorite, highly recommended eBay sellers (who is also someone I consider both a friend and another admirable stitcher).

Technorati Tags: Tammy Henshaw, Coq au Pins, Twisted Oaks Designs, eBay, cross stitch, needlework, finishing, Merry Cox, scrimshaw, Swan Lake Mending Bag, smalls

Are you aware the Loudoun Sampler Guild is putting on a tremendous effort dedicated to Quaker samplers this year? It’s called A Token of Love — The Quaker Girl and Her Needlework and is a series of lectures, classes, and other special events which will occur in the Leesburg, Virginia area on weekends in March and April of 2008.

Currently scheduled are lectures from Quaker needlework historians such as Betty Whiting Flemming, Sue Studebaker, Kathryn Lesieur, Lynn Tinley, Mary Holton Robare, Barbara Hutson (Queenstown Sampler Designs), and Kathy Moyer.

Designers teaching classes during the course of March and April include Kathy Barrick-Dieter (Carriage House Samplings), Barbara Bernard (Loudoun Sampler Guild), Cathy Campbell (Primitive Traditions), Ellen Chester (With My Needle), Pamela Darney (Guildhouse Samplers), Betsy Morgan (Willing Hands), and Kathryn Myers (Loudoun Sampler Guild).

I have one gorgeous class project picture for you: a picture of Barbara Bernard’s A Quaker Scissors Keep (unfolded) is here in .PDF format.

In order to provide you with as much information as possible about this fantastic event series, I am quoting below from an email written by Karen Bollin, Programs Chair of the Loudoun Sampler Guild, on November 10, 2007:

1. This series is NOT a symposium. There is not an overall fee, and the programming is not held over a single weekend. This is a series and will be held over MOST weekends thru March & April, 2008. Each event is priced separately & is independent.

2. Most program days have two or more events, but a few vary. The only overlap is the Children’s Class. The parent can be in her/his event and the child in her/his as well.

3. We are fortunate to have food available for three dates for pre-order, catered by Specialteas Catering. Just complete the form and include the funds.

4. The prices for each event are based on costs from the principal, kit fees, space rental, and any extra expenses the event incurs. Each event must stand on its own or it can’t go forward. The only way to be sure a class or lecture succeeds is with your ticket orders. Please don’t wait until the last minute.

5. To order tickets, print the registration form page, check the events you want to attend, enclose the check, and mail it back to me. Be sure to include any of the lunches you want. Be sure to copy the completed form for yourselves.

7. Seating in each event will be limited by the venue and the teacher. I control neither. Personally, I would love to have so many attendees that I have to rent air, but that’s not feasible, so we will go with room size and teacher limits. I will endeavor to give as much info as possible. Locations will be established based on demand for events. Waiting lists will be established as necessary, but I’ll try to get space for everyone who wants a lecture or class. All events will be in the greater Leesburg area.

8. Anyone who might be travelling from afar, there are a lot of hotels & motels in the general area. If we have several of you in need, I will try to get some reduced rates. We can work on that as time approaches, but get your registration forms in so I can work-out whatever I can get for you.

9. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, special needs, or just want to know what’s up. I might not get to you the same day, but I will get to you!

10. We will have boutique tables and trunk shows, Several of our members & friends will be presenting their wares tailored to this series. Many of our designers will try to have as much on hand as possible for your stash enhancement. Some of our lecturers to have their books on hand for those of you who need to obtain them.

11. We are also having a “special” boutique table — the Second-Hand Stash Sale!! This sale table will be available pn all March weekends to benefit Woodlawn Plantation, site of the annual Needlework Exhibition each March. The sale will rise again in April to benefit the Waterford Foundation, the organization that works to preserve the historic buildings in the Quaker community of Waterford, VA. Basically, it’s a garage sale of stash, with ALL of the proceeds going to these very worthy organiations. To be successful, your QUALITY stash donations are required…..just one or two things.

Schedule: Our own Betty Whiting Flemming will open the series with her lecture, The Quaker Schoolgirl: Her Life and Her Needlework. Later in the series, Betty will also give a short talk about the 35-star Quaker flag (just prior to Ellen Chester’s class of “Long May She Wave”), and join with Mary Holton Robare to present a lecture about samplers from several generations of a Quaker family.

Kathy Barrick-Dieter of Carriage House Samplings will teach her Pinball class, which I understand is a lot of fun for all participants. Your kit comes with all materials to make the stitched pinball at your own pace and the materials to make a pinball in class.

Mary Holton Robare will present 2 lectures covering both Quaker samplers and Quaker quilts. Her samplers lecture, A Quaker Family’s Samplers, presented with Betty Whiting Flemming, will explore the three samplers completed by four generations of a single Quaker family. These samplers have been scattered among descendants, but come together for this lecture. Mary’s other lecture, Quilts & Quaker Heritage, covers the journey that began with a Signature Album quilt and grew into the discovery of dozens of Quaker textiles. Excerpts from letters & diaries highlight the role of needlework in the lives of Quaker quiltmakers. Because many of the quilts were signed and dated, they provide unique opportunities to compare technical elements & designs, as well as revealing new avenues for exploring the pre-Civil War community of Quakers in America.

Our Children’s Class, led by another LSG member, Kathryn Myers, will feature the series logo as its project. All attendees will receive a kit with most finishing materials and snacks. This class is aimed at children 7-14 years of age.

Ellen Chester of With My Needle is teaching her Needleworker’s Sampler Huswif AND the exclusive adaptation of Long May She Wave, which will ONLY be available during this series. It will be preceded by the talk by Betty Flemming about the historic 35-star Quaker flag, from which Ellen adapted her design. You will be able to stitch either the original or the adapted design.

Cathy Campbell of Primitive Traditions has adapted some of her own designs to offer us a short techniques class in making her wonderful Bronwyn’s Biscornu Pyn Pillowe…a special treat. You will receive a complete kit, and the class focuses on the finishing techniques. A quick, cute, charming addition to your needlework smalls.

Lynn Tinley will join us from Georgia to present her lecture, Quaker Samplers: from Carnation Borders to Colorful Medallions. It promises to be very enlightening.

Barbara Bernard, also a very talented member of the Loudoun Sampler Guild, is a staff member at the National Gallery of Art. Barbara is teaching her design of A Quaker Scissors Keep, a very useful memento, covered with Quaker medallion designs on soft colors reminiscent of the Quaker palette. Barbara has also designed our series commemorative tote….be sure to get one!!!

One of our most renowned speakers, Sue Studebaker, is joining us for what will be a wonderful lecture covering the Quaker movement west, entitled The Friends Journey Westward. I know I don’t want to miss it.

Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands Designs is offering, for the first time, her special design of a Quaker Schoolgirl Etui. Betsy is also offering a kit for the smalls…be sure to order it in advance. Betsy designed this project for the Loudoun Museum’s symposium which was cancelled and we are so pleased that she is letting us have the debut of this beautiful set.

Pamela Darney of Guildhouse Samplers is a new designer to most of you, but to the Loudoun Sampler Guild, she is one of our very talented members. Pamela has designed a gorgeous sampler, entitled I Byde My Time Quaker Sampler, which coordinates with the etui & smalls designed and being taught by Betsy Morgan. As one of the first people to see the completed sampler, I can attest to its incredible beauty.

Pamela is also graciously donating her beautiful new, original designs for our Fundraiser — two designs called The Quaker Diamonds. Speaking of the Fundraiser, it should be a lot of FUN as well. The Loudoun Sampler Guild is proud of its record of providing monetary grants to various museums, historical societies, and other organizations for the on-going preservation of their needlework. To meet our goals, we have regular events to build the Grant Fund. With Pamela’s beautufully charted designs, which will be presented to each ticket holder for this event, attendees will receive appropriate fabric & monochrome threads to stitch these diamonds as a 2-sided ornament, framed pieces, or whatever suits you. We will also provide snacks, surprises, and some fun…like prizes and such. We will have members & experts available for discussion and Q&A. The Fundraiser is scheduled in both March & April.

And, a new addition to our schedule, is the lecture of Kathy Moyer, archivist and historian of Oakwood Friends School, which traces its roots to Nine Partners School in Poughkeepsie, NY. Kathy has developed a detailed and fascinating presentation, Nine Partners School: History, People, & Samplers, filled with history & details of the Quaker school, community, students, and their treasures.

For more information, including the full schedule, class descriptions, and pictures of the class projects, take a look at the brochure for this wonderfully exciting series of events — something is sure to catch your eye! As Karen mentioned above in her email, there are also some fabulous charitable events scheduled to benefit Woodlawn Plantation, where the 45th annual Needlework Exhibition will occur in March; the Waterford Foundation, a preserved Quaker-established community in Virginia; and the Loudoun Sampler Guild’s Grant Fund, which is used for preserving needlework held in museums, schools, and other organizations.

For more information, including larger class project photos, or to register, please contact Karen Bollin as soon as possible. Karen is taking pencil-in registrations by email, especially for the earliest scheduled events.

As of the last report I had from Karen on January 18th, there was still room in each event for attendees — but final registration for some events, especially the earliest ones, is coming up FAST in order to allow enough time to provide notice to teachers/lecturers for their class preparations, so there is absolutely no time to waste! Additionally, there are — unbelievably — a few events in danger of cancellation due to low enrollment at this point, so PLEASE don’t hesitate in contacting Karen if you are interested in any of them. Don’t be kicking yourself for not contacting Karen today only to later find out one of the spectacular classes you most wanted was cancelled due to low enrollment … email Karen NOW and let her know you’re putting your registration payment in the mail!

Technorati Tags: Loudoun Sampler Guild, Quaker, needlework, sampler, Token of Love, Quaker Girl and Her Needlework, Betty Whiting Flemming, Sue Studebaker, Kathryn Lesieur, Lynn Tinley, Mary Holton Robare, Barbara Hutson, Queenstown Sampler Designs, Kathy Moyer, Kathy Barrick-Dieter, Carriage House Samplings, Barbara Bernard, Cathy Campbell, Primitive Traditions, Ellen Chester, With My Needle, Pamela Darney, Guildhouse Samplers, Betsy Morgan, Willing Hands, and Kathryn Myers

Nevermind.

The venture briefly known as Designs on Demand is not interested in promotion at this time — per official word this morning from their public relations department.

Technorati Tags: Stitch a Painting, The Art of Stitching, Rick’s Charts

Please be sure to read “ATTN: All Designers Whose Interest Was Peaked by “Designers Wanted” Article” which is an important follow-up to this article.

The venture briefly known as Designs on Demand (and referred to hereafter in this article as DKR) is currently seeking designers who wish to market their designs through them. This could be a wonderful solution for designers who don’t have the time (or expertise) to create or manage their own website storefronts because DKR provides and handles the storefront operation. This allows you the opportunity to stay focused on the fun part — the actual designing!

In addition, it’s a super way to introduce your designs to customers who might not otherwise ever find you. That’s because, especially when they are able to do so from the comfort of their own homes, and even in their pajamas, stitchers will take the time to look through everything DKR has to offer. And when we stitchers don’t recognize a designer’s name, it’s like finding opportunity wrapped up in pretty paper with a bow — we can hardly wait to find out what beautiful treat may be in store for us! If you market your designs through DKR, stitchers don’t have to know your name to find you, as would be needed in a brick and mortar shop, or to do an online search for you.

DKR will also be a boon for stitchers because they will specialize in instant gratification, otherwise known to the stitching world as charts in .PDF format (requiring only Adobe Acrobat’s free reader) which are downloaded by the customer immediately after payment is completed. Although they do not consider themselves open and ready for business yet, there are already over 70 designs available on the site, including 15 patterns exclusive to DKR.

Designers already signed up include The Art of Stitching, Deanna’s Designs, Rick’s Charts, and Stitch a Painting — definitely good company who will draw lots of customers!

If you are a designer interested in joining this terrific group of designers, please email support@designsondemand.org in order to get more information.

Technorati Tags: Rick’s Charts, Deanna’s Designs, The Art of Stitching, Stitch a Painting, needlework, cross stitch

I am currently working on a darling design which was created by amateur designer Melanie Farrelbegg; I’ll post about my own progress soon on my personal blog, which has needed attention for some time now (sorry), but I’ll share a picture of what it should look like when finished with you here because I am so impressed with Melanie’s work.

I discovered Melanie’s design while perusing the selection of British magazines available at my local Barnes & Noble (where I went only because Borders, the store I prefer, at least locally, was already out of the majority of their non-US cross stitch magazines … I seem to be still running behind with just about everything these days … sorry again).

A side note: Why the heck haven’t any of the major bookstores realized importing the fabulous French magazines — and LOTS of them — would be a superb addition to their inventory?

For her design, Melanie won a contest called the “Design and Stitch Challenge” sponsored by UK magazine Cross Stitch Crazy, and so her design and its corresponding chart is published in the Christmas 2007 (Issue 105) volume of this magazine. Lucky us … and congratulations, Melanie!

However, the main reason for this post is because I am selfish. I have also fallen head over heels for the design created by the second runner-up, and I simply must find her and obtain the chart. Her name is Janet French, and her design, Frog Prince, would make a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for that special someone. Just look how cute he is!

The only problem is, I don’t know Janet or how to contact her, and a Google search proved unhelpful.

So I am turning to you, my audience of faithful readers and researchers, for help. I am quite sure there will be several among you who might also want to stitch this design, too, and I know with the amazing connections available to us on the Internet, Janet is only a hop, skip, and a jump of a contact away from me.

I am making an offer to publish Janet’s chart here, if she is willing to let me do so — or I will sell it here for her if she’d prefer to do that. I have no idea if she has signed away her copyright to her design for a time to Cross Stitch Crazy, but I have found no mention of her design being published in a forthcoming magazine and do not see it available through Cross Stitch Crazy’s website; therefore, I am making the following offer to Janet:

Assuming you still own the copyright to your design, I would like to help you market it here, through Independent Needlework News. Alternatively, if you wish to offer the design as a free chart, I would also be most happy to publish that chart here. And if you do NOT want it published on INN, that is also fine — it is completely your choice, of course — but I would at least like to let my readers know where they might obtain the chart.

So, Janet, if you are reading this, PLEASE contact me!

To anyone who may know Janet, please refer her to this post, and thank you in advance for your assistance.

Technorati Tags: Janet French, Frog Prince, Cross stitch Crazy, Melanie Farrelbegg

Remember when I introduced you to Lucie Heaton’s charming designs?

Well, all Lucie’s designs are on sale for 20% off through Saturday, January 19th, if you enter JAN08 during checkout — and you thought your holiday shopping for yourself was done! (Ha! Don’t worry — your faithful editor here at INN will make certain your shopping is never finished — at least, not unless you want it to be! )

Here is one of her latest releases (from October), called Winter Robins, to encourage you to put your coat back on and go back out in the cold for some shopping to get your fingers tapping on that keyboard again :

So have a wonderful time wandering around LucieHeaton.com Cross Stitch Designs, where you can fill your cart and it never gets any heavier — and hardly costs you much more either … especially during this sale!

Technorati Tags: Lucie Heaton, LucieHeaton.com Cross Stitch Designs, Winter Robins, sale, cross stitch

In 1818, eight-year-old Louise Justine Atalie Matthy stitched what was later to become famously known as Le marquoir de Justine. This very highly sought after reproduction sampler chart has been available at times, and then extremely difficult to obtain at others. But it is NOW AVAILABLE at the bargain price of 20 euros through the very reliable Violarium!

This chart is actually a book which includes a photo of Justine’s original sampler, as well as much information on the sampler’s and Justine’s history. Unfortunately for many of us non-dual-language Americans, the book is in French … but the love of needlework — and the reproduction chart for Le marquoir de Justine cross all language boundaries, of course!

Technorati Tags: Le marquoir de Justine, Louise Justine Atalie Matthy, Violarium, reproduction sampler