2012 March 29 Issue No April Sampler of the Month from Hands to Work

Transcription

1 Where Samplers Rule Just 15 minutes from the Airport at the NE CORNER OF CENTER & MCKELLIPS 106 E. McKellips Rd, Suite 111 Mesa, AZ THE ATTIC 2012 March 29 Issue No TELEPHONE (480) FACSIMILE (480) April Sampler of the Month from Hands to Work March Sampler of the Month from Samplers Remembered As our Sampler of the Month, save 15% by purchasing a minimum of 2 of the 3 parts: * Sarah Gentle chart $15 * Lakeside Linen (40c w/2 margins $25) * Silks (17 Belle Soie + 1 Au Ver A Soie Soie d Alger) $ Only a few more days to save 15% on Sarah s beautiful sampler. I m sorry to tell you that I made a huge error in publishing the silk price in two previous issues. To prepare this front page I use as a template the previous month s data and change the information as applicable. Unfortunately, I failed to change the $45 from February s SOM silk price to this one. My staff has contacted each of you regarding this error, but if there s anyone we missed, please let me know. I obviously really needed a vacation; I have no explanation as to how I missed this twice! Also, if you received one of the first charts in the shop, there may be a symbol mix-up in the serpent area. Please contact us for a replacement page. Ever since first laying eyes on this beautiful design by Tracy Riffle, I have loved it, and so when Tracy was here for our January Sampler Symposium, I mentioned this sampler, and she offered to send the model for us to display in the shop. And then I thought, what a perfect sampler for April, perfect for both the Easter and Passover holidays! The fabric used in Tracy s model in 2004 was Lakeside s 40c V. Meadow Rue. Today s V. Meadow Rue looks quite different, and so we were discussing which fabric to recommend. Maegan suggested letting each of you choose your favorite color ~ and then we got the idea to put some combinations together for you! The staff had great fun letting their creativity shine ~ their beautiful choices are on page 2.

2 THE ATTIC! PAGE 2 Linen + Silk Combinations From the left: Lakeside s V. Meadow Rue & V. Bluegrass; Colorscapes Doubloon; Lakeside s V. Chantilly Cream, V. Examplar & V. Lt. Examplar From left: Colorscapes Mello; Lakeside s V Clay Pot; Colorscapes Dill; Lakeside s VLentil; Stitches & Spice Charcoal; Lakeside s V Tarnished Silver As you can see, the Attic staff had great fun putting together linens and silks. Please order by linen color; for the silks, if there s more than one choice shown with the linen, tell us left or right. From the left: Lakeside s V Mourning Dove & V Misty Rain; Colorscapes Sand As our April Sampler of the Month, save 15% by purchasing a minimum of 2 of the 3 parts: * I Wait for the Lord chart $12 * Linen (price will vary depending on count & margins; as an example, 40c w/2 margins is $19 * Silk (will vary depending on type & number of skeins ordered) Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

3 April THE ATTIC! PAGE 3 As a member of our Attic Addicts Club, during April you can save 15% on the following in-stock items: All Easter/Passover Charts/Kits Gloriana Silks Colorscapes Linens Saturday, March 31, Stitching on Silk Gauze, 10:30-12:30. With the release of more of Erica Michaels designs, it s time once again for this perennially popular class, and Rhonda will be joining me as my teaching assistant. She s actually stitched dozens of beautiful silk gauze designs which she will bring to inspire you. Choose your favorite design, and in class we will help you select your fibers. Fee $10. As always, you will receive a 10% discount on all class supplies, including lights and magnification. April Saturday, April 7, 10:30-12:30, Beginning Linen This class is appropriate for both beginning stitchers and anyone wishing to refine their skills. The class project is Linda s Tulip needlebook design, and the $30 fee includes her expert instruction + all project materials. Saturday, April 14, JABCO Pincushion, 1-4:00. These adorable pincushions/button buddies/make-dos are irresistible! Choose your favorite and join us for an afternoon of fun and creativity. See many choices on pages 6 & 7. Fee $10 (Kit not included.) Sunday, April 22, Sampler Sunday, 1-4:00. Although the fourth Sunday, this is the appointed date and time to gather in our classroom and share your sampler project(s), whether completed or in-progress. Today s enewsletter features what was showing last Sunday. Very inspiring indeed! Please call/ to register. Fee $10 Le Nouveau Palais Royal, what some consider Merry s pièce de résistance, will be taught Thursday AND Sunday. Kit includes beautiful box & sweet scissors. Workshop Fee: $275 Merry Cox November 2012 We are most honored and privileged to host four Merry Cox Workshops on Thursday ~ Sunday, November Each workshop runs from 9-4 p.m., with lunch included. Registration for all of the workshops (Le Nouveau Palais Royal twice, Sweet Little Blossoms, and So Dear to Thy Heart, the 2011 Williamsburg piece) at this time is closed, but if you wish to be on a waiting list, either Thursday or Sunday s sessions for Le Nouveau Palais Royal is your best bet. All workshops will be held at Mesa s Hyatt Place, where there is a room block being held under Attic Needlework with a $99 King or $104 Queen/Queen option. Phone HYATT HP. Unfortunately, we have more registrants than we have space for, so some are unhappily on a waiting list. But having handled these types of events before, I do know that life happens and cancellations are inevitable, so don t despair ~ there will be some openings. Pre-stitching kits will be Merry s first priority after she has filled the kit requirements for her May, June, and July workshops. You may go to Merry s Web site for more information about these projects, and many more of her incredible designs: Saturday, May 5, 1:30-3:30, Quaker Pincushions. I fell in love with these adorable cushions that use JABCO impression buttons for the top and bottom ~ they look so easy to finish that I think even I can do it! Prestitching will allow us to do the finishing together in class! Class fee $10 (materials not included.) Sweet Little Blossoms Saturday s workshop from 9-4 p.m. includes the lovely Shaker box. Workshop Fee: $200 We still have some BCRF cookbooks left. Support a great cause (all net proceeds go to breast cancer research) by buying a copy(s) of the Recipes for a Cure cookbook for a donation of $14.95 (or more) with fabulous time-tested recipes as well as complimentary designs from 11 designers. So Dear to Thy Heart, Merry s 2011 Williamsburg project, includes the beautiful box shown. Scheduled for Friday, Nov 9, 9-4 p.m. More photos at seminar-2011/merry.html

4 THE ATTIC! PAGE 4 Ann Dale SAL - March Paula s March message to all of you joining her on this remarkable sampler reproduction/stitch-along: Hello March and that means Spring! The other thing that means is that it is time to stitch the rest of the way across to the right and complete the full width of Ann Dale. Theresa of Shakespeare s Peddler advised that one of the red borders had been graphed incorrectly and so I waited for the correction but after receiving it, decided to keep it the same as the original chart. If you want to obtain the corrected graph, please contact Theresa at xspeddler@yahoo.com and let her know which shop you purchased the chart from and she will mail you the corrected pages. Once you ve completed March s stitching, you will have the full value of the width of this beautiful piece! Coming from Blackbird Designs Arriving late next week: The first of four in Barb & Alma s Loose Feathers program for In addition to Mary Ann Blackburn s reproduction sampler, there s also a Spring Song box cover and a small framed bird. Each booklet in this series will have a sampler + 2 smaller projects. Charted for 30c w/hand-dyed cottons, we will, as always, be doing a conversion to 40c (or 36c if you wish) and hand-dyed silks! Let us know your choices now. Chart $16. Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

5 THE ATTIC! PAGE 5 New, New, New! Above, Chic-a (pronounced sheek-ah, an adjective meaning style, innovation, and fun, especially in practical elements such as project bags and totes) clear-front zippered project bags, in 3 sizes: small $12, medium $13 and portfolio $18 Above: First of all, they re Bohin, and second of all, they re red! Can you tell? We got these 6.5 dressmaker scissors ($27) in right before our Market Day, and, whoosh, they all flew out the door that Saturday. And I won t name names, but some were seen grabbing these out of others shopping baskets! So now everyone can be happy because we got them in again! Aren t they beautiful? And being a Bohin, a pleasure to use! Right, Chic-a Triad ($48), the perfect 3-in-1 tool for all your project needs! Includes the mini-tote, pouch, and the pattern holder. This fun set keeps you organized as you work on your project. The mini tote is perfect for storing your small projects. Your smallest accessories can be separated into the little key-ring pouch. The pattern holder folds into a triangle shape, allowing you to rotate it as you track your progress through a pattern. The pattern holder s clever design also conveniently wraps around the mini tote while not in use. Size: 4x4x10 We have it in stock in both black on white and pink on white. Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

6 THE ATTIC! PAGE 6 New from Just Another Button Company I can t help myself! I ve gone pincushion crazy ~ but how can I not, with these very clever and adorable kits from JABCO?! Clockwise from upper left, Little Birdie, an impressionable pincushion kit $38 ~ and FIVE sweet Button Buddies, each $19 EXCEPT the first one, Charley Chick $22 ~ then Katie Kat * Rosie Rabbit * Harriet Hound * and the very limited Tommie Tweet-Heart ~ and Over the Moon For you Pincushion Kit $70 ~ and a Make-Do Pincushion Kit, Cottontail $48 ~ see the next page for more Make-Dos and an answer to your question: What s a Make-Do?

7 THE ATTIC! PAGE 7 More New from JABCO Clockwise from above: 2 Make-Do Pincushion Kits, each $52 (see article on this page about What is a Make-Do? ) Cottontail and Pet Friendly ~ Celebration Cupcake Pincushion Kit $53 that looks good enough to eat! ~ and then, many of you have already made the adorable Ewe Pincushion, and JABCO has very cleverly come up with seasonal dress-ups for your ewe, kits that include the buttons, pins and wool for the accessories only. We are showing Ewe s Spring Togs $44. And, below, Ewe Look Fabulous for Summer Pincushion Kit $54 From the Ju s t A n o t h e r B u t t o n Company Web site What is a Make-Do? Fans of folk art will recognize the name given to useful items created by our ancestors from things they had at hand. Pincushions were often make-do projects. Pins were a precious commodity and saved carefully for reuse. Thrifty homemakers crafted pincushions for the purpose from a bit of fabric, stuffing and whatever container or pedestal was ready for repurposing a cup with a crack, an empty spool, or a broken candlestick. Make your pincushion and pop it into a container you already have on hand you have a make-do! Use a JABCO kit to get started, or even better, use fabric you already have on hand. The instructions given produce a flat bottomed pincushion that can stand on its own. Or you can drop the pincushion into a mug, pop it into an old jar lid, or glue to the top of a spool. The pincushion becomes a make-do when you add the creative finish using something you already own. Join our Fun Pincushion Class - details on page 3! Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

8 THE ATTIC! PAGE 8 Beautiful Samplers New in the Shop! Wow! Many wonderful choices for us sampler lovers came in while I was away! From the left above: Gigi R s Virginie Grimoux 1845 $22 ~ Moira Blackburn s Clover and Bee Sampler $15 ~ Long Dog Samplers Flemish Giant (394 x 199) $26 ~ and Reflets de Soie s Anais Curveur 1896 $20 ~ to see how truly beautiful this sampler is, please click on this link: epages/ sf/fr_fr/?objectpath=/shops/ / Products/RDS123 Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

9 THE ATTIC! PAGE 9 New from The Sweetheart Tree Clockwise from above: 3 what Sandie calls quadrielle, these 3 very elegant are perfect for stitching for the special days coming very soon, Mom Quadrielle kit, Dad Quadrielle and The Wedding Quadrielle, each $27 for a kit that includes 28c linen and everything else you need (except stuffing) to create these beautiful 3-dimensional pieces (and for an online finishing tutorial for these, go to ~ Teenie Butterfly Welcome $21 complete kit w/ 28c linen ~ and Bunny Business $10 chart w/embellishments + custom-cut mounting boards for finishing $6

10 THE ATTIC! PAGE 10 New from Lizzie Kate Clockwise from left: The newest Double Flip, Less = More, with the first 2 flips available now $8 each (Fear Less, Hope More & Whine less, Breathe more) A Little Easter Kit $12 w/32c antique white linen, baby pink button + teeny pale pink beads ~ Birdz & Bugz Limited Edition Stitch Kit $24 just in time for spring; includes fold-up kit with 2 linen bands, 2 pockets for stashing stuff, and cute rick-rack bands to hold everything together. New from Homespun Elegance 2 perfect-sized samplers that will be easy to stitch at this busy time of year for the Special Occasions in your life. From Sandra s Purely Samplers Collection, left: Petite Wedding Sampler $8.25 w/ charm and, right, Petite Graduation Sampler $8.25 w/charm

11 THE ATTIC! PAGE 11 New Books in the Shop Elizabethan Stitches A Guide to Historic English Needlework, by Jacqui Carey ($55 ND) This 160- page soft-cover book is another one of those definite must-have books for your needlework library. Historic English needlework fans as well as surface embroiderers will be delighted with what s inside: all kinds of stitches and their applications, with up-close detailed shots of the stitches on existing samples, both front and back, and diagrams showing how to work the stitches. This from the back of the publication: The author s detailed study of surviving artifacts has revealed that many of the stitches found on 16th and early 17th century textiles differ from those used today. For over 100 years, publications discussing historic English needlework have described the historic stitches in relation to the stitches made popular by women such as Thérèse de Dillmont, Grace Christie and Mary Thomas. However, the visual evidence found on the surviving textiles does not correspond with these modern interpretations. Unfortunately, most of the stitches shown in Elizabethan Stitches have been obsolete for so long that they do not appear in stitch dictionaries. It is hoped that this book will provide a valuable reference source for those wishing to identify and catalogue historic work, as well as providing practical how-to instructions. All the stitches shown in this book have been found on surviving items, and case studies are used to provide the visual evidence. Diagrams are used throughout the book to clarify the stitch structures, and where possible the obsolete stitches have been compared to modern stitches that are recognized today. Step-by-step instructions offer a method for making each stitch, and a discussion of historic design shows how the stitches might be used. Above left to right: Beginner s Guide to Goldwork $20.95 ND ~ Goldwork - Techniques, Projects and Pure Inspiration $30.95 ND ~ Stumpwork $22.95 ND

12 THE ATTIC! PAGE 12 More New Books Clockwise from above: The Complete Photo Guide to Needlework $25.99 ND, a comprehensive how-to book about all of the most popular hand needlearts: embroidery, cross stitch, needlepoint, crewel, silk ribbon embroidery, and bead embroidery ~ Wool Toys & Friends $16.99 ND, step-by-step instructions for needle-felting fun ~ Wool Pets $16.99 ND, with superb photography and easy-to-follow instructions to teach yourself how to make 20 three-dimensional figures and animals by sculpting wool roving with a barbed needle ~ Stitch Step by Step $16.95 ND (previously published as The Needlecraft Book), with more than 200 decorative stitches, including embroidery and needlepoint, demonstrating each stitch with clear photographs and instructions to ensure that you master the correct technique.

13 THE ATTIC! PAGE 13 New From Rosewood Manor Left, Surrey House S a m p l e r $ 1 2, stitched on Fabric Flair s silk-screened linen, which I ordered in both 28c used in the chart model and 40c, and then did a fast silk conversion yesterday afternoon after our chart came through the door. Isn t the fabric glorious? It looks like wallpaper! As always, Karen urges you to Be Creative! and helps that along by showing just the flower basket with Welcome below it, 76w x 84h, as opposed to 165w x 177h for the whole sampler. Above: A lovely and elegant tone-on-tone Welcome Home $11 (Buttons $55) ~ and, right, Nostalgia II $8, 2nd in this series inspired by antique sampler motifs, which can be stitched alone (109 x 109) or together with the other 11 months (12 horizontally, 6 on top and 6 on bottom row, 659 x 219, or 12 vertically, with rows of 2 across and 6 down, 219 x 659) Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

14 THE ATTIC! PAGE 14 It s Bunny Time! You ve seen these before from Brenda/With Thy Needle & Thread, but in this Bunny Season (for some of us, it s always Bunny Season) I was moved to include them again cuz they re so stinkin cute, to quote a lovely needlewoman. From the left, Easter Frills $9, a 7-inch (when stitched on 35c) Easter egg pinkeep, Bunny & Co. $9, 159w x 95h and, below, Peter & Peep $10 New from With Thy Needle & Thread Left, Word Play - April Doorbells $9 features many of our Springtime images, including Mr. Bunny. (See page 21* for Barbara s wonderful finish of her October & November Word Plays finished as a 2-sided door hanger.)

15 THE ATTIC! PAGE 15 New from Gloriana From Gloriana, 13 silk chenille, $9/10-yd. pack: Clockwise from upper left: Highland Garden, Elizabethan Green, Iris, Flowers of Italy, Fawn, Hazelnut, Antique Black, Strawberry Pink, Strawberry Pink Light, Beige, Rusty Red, and Oatmeal ~ and on order, Red/ White&Blue!!! Who knew! I love it, of course! New from Little House Needleworks From the left, Quaker Birds $6 in Diane s 2012 Ornament Series ~ Adam and Eve $8 ~ Louise B. Snow $14, a beautiful sampler reproduction with a wonderful verse and a glorious rose garland Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

16 THE ATTIC! PAGE 16 Last Sampler Sunday Left, Tamami s stitching JBW Designs deer for her part in Brenda s Ornament Challenge and Tamami is almost finished with Blackbird s Christmas Garden $16 ~ isn t it stunning! Wow! Stitchers unhinged! You will see that these ladies have been very busy. And I know you will find much inspiration from their work, whether it inspires you to stitch ornaments, bunnies, a Stitch-Along of Ann Dale or one of your own creation, like Ann Sandles $19, below, from With Thy Needle & Thread. I wish I could stitch this one also. I have loved it since it was first available. Love the reds! And the fullness ~ not much white space on that linen! It is truly beautiful! Left from bottom to top, Janet s, Tamami s and Deb s progress on their Ann Sandles. Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: ATTIC ( )

17 THE ATTIC! PAGE 17 Sampler Sunday (continued) Deb might be a bit behind on the Ann Sandles SAL, but her needles have not been idle! Left, her March Wordplay $9 by With Thy Needle & Thread ~ Homespun Elegance s Sampler Bunny $8 ~ and Bent Creek s Quaker Egg $9 Below, Pat s beautiful Waterfield Band Sampler $40 by Page/The Samplar Workes Left, Molly is stitching Erica Michaels All Thy Works $22 on 40c linen rather than the 40c silk gauze, for her mother s very special 100th birthday!

18 THE ATTIC! PAGE 18 Brenda s SS Show & Share! Despite very challenging visual problems, Brenda s mother has a love for embroidery that keeps her stitching. (No more excuses from anyone complaining they can no longer do this!) She stitched these beautiful pillowcases for her daughter Brenda and grandchildren, with perfect stitches! What an inspiration! And she has passed on her love for needlework to her daughter, as you will see below! Clockwise from above: Shepherd s Bush s Flower Power $8 for button ~ 2 from Lizzie Kate: A Little Love Kit $12 and Faith Inspiration Boxer $16 ~ 2 Little House Needleworks ornaments, each $6, Blessed and Hallelujah ~ and JBW Designs A Sweet Bouquet $5, a design Judy has dedicated to all of our families and friends who are facing cancer treatments. A portion of the sales of each leaflet will be donated to the American Cancer Society. What a fabulous finish, Brenda, with the pink toile! I m going shopping. There must be more pink toile out there somewhere!

19 THE ATTIC! PAGE 19 Tedra s SS Show & Share! Above, Tedra s completed C Street Samplerworks I Sigh Not for Beauty $16 ~ below, an ornament from the 2011 Just CrossStitch Ornament Issue ~ and Tedra s start on the SAL piece Darning Sampler $10 from Trenner Needleworks Above, from Little House Needleworks, 2010 ornaments, each $6: Red House in Winter ~ Winter Sheep ~ Fa- La-La ~ Pear Tree ~ He s a Flake ~ Snowy Pines and, below, This is My Joy! $10 silkpack (chart + Belle Soie)

20 THE ATTIC! PAGE 20 And More From SS s Show & Share Clockwise from the left: 5 of Cheryl s, the Praiseworthy Stitches Limited Edition kit, Simple Gifts - Hearts $40, a very complete kit!; Shepherd s Bush kit, Little Eggs $20; the adorable Spring chickies I don t have information about; the rabbit is the latest complimentary chart from Cross-Eyed Cricket; and a Just*Nan sampler ~ next, 3 of Janet s, Eliza Sloan, an OOP Goode Huswife design ~ a complimentary design from a French Website (here s the link: archives/grilles_gratuites_123_citrouille/index.html ~ and her completed Hornbook from Carriage House Samplings

21 THE ATTIC! PAGE 21 And Still More from Sampler Sunday! Clockwise from upper left: Barbara s very clever finish of the October & November Word Play from With Thy Needle & Thread: it s a 2-sided door hanger! Everyone loved it. ~ Carol J s Feathered Friends-March $8 from Cherished Stitches in their new bird series, perfect for Carol in more ways than one: She forgot her stitching bag and was so very grateful to helpful stitchers at the retreat (you can see that she stitched 2012 Junipine into her piece) ~ and her Charlotte Clayton Sampler ~ June s Thirteen Colonies from Little House Needleworks ~ and, in the center of the page, Jan s Glory House Kit $22 from Chessie & Me

22 THE ATTIC! PAGE 22 More from Sampler Sunday Clockwise from the left: 2 from Evelyn, her finished Christmas Quaker II Songs of the Season $24 from Bygone Stitches and her almost-finished Alphabet Zoo from Blue Ribbon Designs ~ and 2 of Linda D s finishes, Stitcher s Purse $14 from With Thy Needle & Thread ~ and her Arizona My Home created by NeedleWorkPress to mark the 100th birthday of our 48th state, especially for our January Sampler Symposium ~ and the word is that Vickie is currently charting it for all of the other 49 states as well. When available, you ll see it here. The perfect hanging frame $48 is from Priscilla s Pocket.

23 THE ATTIC! PAGE 23 More of Sampler Sunday s Inspiring Finishes! Photos of Linda D s finished project from our January Sampler Symposium, designed by Tracy Riffle/Hands to Work. Linda made the snowdrop into a pincushion rather than framing it (I have it sitting sideways in the box : (...) and, of course, she had the perfect scissors for this project, and that underscores the reason we collect many, many scissors: because we never know when we ll need a pastel blue one! And isn t the Snowdrop scissors fob just perfect for it? Beautiful design and beautiful finish! Thank you, Tracy and Linda! Right, Linda D s beautifully finished Be My Valentine $14 by With Thy Needle & Thread using an empty Whitman chocolate box. Another great reason to eat chocolates! And still another reason to eat chocolate (as if we need reasons) was in the news this week: A study just released says eating chocolate more frequently has been linked to lower body mass index in a new study regardless of total calories consumed per day or time spent exercising. The study is published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.