Where Samplers Rule Just 15 minutes from the Airport at the NE CORNER OF CENTER & MCKELLIPS 106 E. McKellips Rd, Suite 111 Mesa, AZ 85201 TELEPHONE (480)898-1838 FACSIMILE (480)898-0332 THE ATTIC 2011 August 26 Issue No. 11-30 www.atticneedlework.com A Few More Days to Save 15% on August s Sampler of the Month Brenda Keyes A Sampler Story As our Sampler of the Month, you may save 15% by purchasing 2 of the following during August: chart $19 Lakeside Linen, the 40c cut w/2-inch margins is $20 Belle Soie silk $180 ~ or a conversion to NPI ($112) or to AVAS ($120.40) As you can see, I have made no progress on my sampler this past week. It s just been very tired out! I must find the time and energy to spend time with my needle ~ it s so therapeutic and mends the soul, as one of the projects in Blackbird s new book tells us. I wish I d gotten a photo of Amy s progress on her Vintage Meadow Rue ~ it was very beautiful the last time I saw it, and she started at the bottom. If she s in over the weekend, I ll photograph it and show it next time. I am really anxious to get to one of the two churches in this Sampler Story ~ two of my favorite squares!
THE ATTIC! PAGE 2 As a member of our Attic Addicts Club, during August you may save 15% on your purchase of the following items: All Brenda Keyes/Sampler Company charts Belle Soie silks Lakeside Linens Custom Cuts August Saturday, September 10, 10:30-12:30, Beginning Linen with Linda s Tulip needlebook design as the class project. The $30 fee includes Linda s expert instruction as well as the chart + materials for this very useful learning project. Sampler Sunday, September 18, 1-4 PM. Join us for an afternoon of sampler stitching and sharing with other samplermakers. Please call to register. Refreshments served. $10 Please NOTE: Since our classroom only comfortably seats 18, reservations will be limited, for the enjoyment of everyone. Thank you for your understanding. Peyote Beading Class with Alice postponed until post-summer. September End of the Long Hot Summer Saturday Stitch-In, September 3, 10:30 -??? It s been a very hot week, and a long, hot summer... and with Labor Day just around the corner, summer is soon over... NOT! But you can pretend... while you stitch away the hours in our cool classroom. Lunch and refreshments will be served. Reservations, please, so that we can plan! Fee $10 Coming in September! Peyote Beaded Bugs Class with Debra ~ choose your favorite bug and join the fun! November November 4-6 Three exciting workshops with Jackie du Plessis. Please go to our Web site Special Events page for the flyer with full details: http://www.atticneedlework.com/ specialevents.html November 19, 6-8 PM, Our 14th Annual BCRF Benefit, with all proceeds benefitting breast cancer research. 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. Just In! Soft-Cover Favorites! Left, Gooseberry Patch Christmas Book 13, $19.95 (ND), a favorite of many of us each year because it s always filled with favorite recipes and easy-to-make gifts. Right, The Best of Kooler Design Studios $24.95 (ND) with designs from Linda Gillum, Barbara Baatz Hillman, Sandy Orton & Nancy Rossi
THE ATTIC! PAGE 3 An Attic Exclusive, Ann Wheatley s 1829 Sampler from the Private Collection of NeedleWorkPress! Right, Margaret s sampler through Part 3. Above, Part 3 of the Ann Wheatley 1829 Sampler, stitched by Margaret, our Stitch-Along leader for this summer project. Here s what she writes about this installment as her stitching notes to all of you: Now we're getting to the pretty parts of Ann again! I love the berry baskets and the eyelet borders around Ann's name and dates. Nothing too tricky in this section. Just lots of prettiness. I finished the stars and the flowers that are at the bottom of the installment. The stars are symmetrical. The butterflies' antennae I did with long stitches. Enjoy! Margaret Remember, if you are participating at the top level, that is, with the purchase of chart, linen, and silk, you will receive the little notebook of your choice as a gift. Please make sure you ve given us your preference. Additionally, you may purchase more notebooks at $5 each. The notebooks will be included with Part 4. Choose, from left to right, #1, #2, or #3. Enter the Drawing! There s still time to send a photo of your work thus far on A n n W h e a t l e y t o needleworkpress@gmail.com and your name will be entered in a drawing at the end of August for this special gift (samplerfabric-lined storage tins, either round or square, your choice) from NeedleWorkPress. We want to see your beautiful work!
THE ATTIC! PAGE 4 New Sampler Club from La-D-Da Coming in October! Here s the announcement that we received from our distributor, Norden Crafts: We are thrilled to announce that Lori Markovic of La-D-Da has designed a gorgeous sampler club ~ inspired by a girl named Margaret Cottam, who stitched her sampler at the age of 9 in 1807. Lori has combined her unique style of design with Margaret's sampler, and the results are incredible! The photo at the left shows the complimentary pincushion design included for each Club member. Notice the whimsical design, which includes the symbols used in the sampler charting! The colors make me think of Autumn, and that feels very good right now (predicted to be 116 today!) Margaret Cottam age 9 Design Details - There will be 3 patterns in this series - the 1st one will detail the bottom of the sampler (yes, it will be worked from the bottom up! ~ Amy, this one s for you! ~ and I ll be turning mine upside down to stitch, the only way I can move from the bottom up), the 2nd will detail the middle of the sampler, and the 3rd will complete the piece with the top of the design. The sampler design size is 170w x 200h and the model is stitched on Weeks 30c Cocoa. We are also offering other linen choices: 35c and 40c Weeks Cocoa OR Lakeside in 32c, 36c, or 40c. There are 8 skeins of Weeks floss needed for this piece, and they will be kept a secret until the release of the first pattern. The first release is scheduled for mid October, and the remaining patterns will be in November & December. Of course we will be doing a conversion to silk overdyes, which we will have available as soon as possible after we receive notice of the color palette. Club Details - We are taking reservations now. Please tell us your choice of linen, including the count, and your choice of fiber. We are offering 3 linen cuts: 30/32c - 17.5 x 19.5; 35/36c - 15.5 x 17.5; 40c - 13.5 x 16. We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a spectacular Sampler Club! Watch for monthly Stitch-Alongs on our Newsletter Calendar beginning the third week of October. Wouldn t Margaret Cottam be thrilled to see so many needleworkers of today, over 200 years later, stitching her sampler? She would have loved the hand-dyed linens and silks and cottons that we have available to us for her sampler. Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: 1.888.94-ATTIC (1.888.942.8842) www.atticneedlework.com
THE ATTIC! PAGE 5 New from With Thy Needle & Thread Clockwise from above left: Two 19th century antique reproductions, Mansion House at Fox Hollow 171 x 188 & Ann Dickinson 259 x 293, both $19 ~ and Autumn Splendor $14, a collection of lovely smalls, pincushions and birds, that I think I showed you in an earlier edition! New from Pam/Olde Colonial Designs Left, Frog Notes & Quotes $36, a complete kit that includes the linen, floss, needle, buttons, prefinished lining, the Post-It notepad, template boards, chart & finishing instructions. Adorable project! Right, Forget Me Not $19, a complete kit with the FRAME + easel back as well as floss, linen, chart, and needle. So sweet stitched over one thread of linen! Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: 1.888.94-ATTIC (1.888.942.8842) www.atticneedlework.com
THE ATTIC! PAGE 6 New from Lizzie Kate Clockwise from above left: The first 3 Flip-Its (top row) in her 6 Fat Men series, also called Snowmen Melt My Heart, $4.50 each, includes adorable snowflake buttons, and the FREE border and instructions available at www.lizziekate.com ~ Tiny Tidings XVI $13 w/embellishments ~ next in the Inspirational Boxer Series, When We Do $16 w/32c Flax Belfast + embellishments ~ and her 2011 Santa, Coming to Town $6.50 w/embellishments
THE ATTIC! PAGE 7 New from Ink Circles Clockwise from above left: Baroque $16 ~ 99 (... Bottles of Beer) $16, stitched appropriately on Ale! (Many are stitching this one, even some who don t drink beer, and some for their favorite man s man cave) ~ Norsk Fairytale $18 with several hardanger bits thrown in for good measure (no cutting required, just satin-stitch motifs) ~ Quiddity $4 in a beautiful Olde Colonial box ~ Alto Gether Now $4 shown with its companion designs, the popular Treble and Bass clefs on either side, each $4 ~ Love Letters - Celtic $8 ~ and Four Seasonal Mandalas $15 Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: 1.888.94-ATTIC (1.888.942.8842) www.atticneedlework.com
THE ATTIC! PAGE 8 New from Handblessings, six charming Halloween Silhouettes, each 39 x 87 except the last one, which is 41 x 89, each $5 WITH charm! Great price point, don t you agree? Clockwise from above: Ghost ~ Haunted House ~ Owls ~ Pumpkin, Cat & Crow ~ Witch ~ Pumpkin with Cornstalk It s Here! Just CrossStitch s Halloween Collection ~ $16.95 (ND) with a special section in the back titled Ghosts of Halloween Past where you will find several fabulous past projects!
THE ATTIC! PAGE 9 New from Puffin & Company: Magnetic Needle Nannies, with a powerful-enough magnet to hold a scissors as well! Each $11, counterclockwise from the left: Mitten, Witch Hat, Star, Pumpkin Kitty, Snowman & Angel New from Praiseworthy Stitches: Part 2 of Seafarer's Valentine, a series of 3 designs. Right, The Secrets of the Nereids, second in the Seafarer's Valentine Series, based on the Sailor s Valentines that were given to the sweethearts and wives of the sea captains when they returned home from a voyage to the West Indies. Made of seashells and coral, they usually contained a verse or a picture in the design. These mementoes were highly cherished. The Secrets of the Nereid ($12) is a stitched tray that makes a false bottom in the Seafarer's Valentine box, below. Underneath the stitched bottom is a large pocket, the perfect place for those love letters or other stitching tools! All the detailed instructions for construction are included. If you missed Part 1 in this series, it includes complete stitching instructions for the top of the box, the pockets, box construction as well as finishing instructions and charms ($25)
THE ATTIC! PAGE 10 More from Praiseworthy Stitches Clockwise from above: Ravenmoon Hall $37 w/jabco button pack, stitched on the perfect fabric for it, Haunted (according to Rhonda, this is the perfect fabric for everything), and a wonderful Halloweeny design with bats swooping as the moon shines down on Ravenmoon Hall, with the children arriving for a fun, spooky Trick or Treat party, ghosts in the attic, and uninvited guests peeking out of the windows... a very fun evening at Ravenmoon Hall! Wonderfully Wicked Whimsies Kit $26 was introduced at Nashville earlier this year, and we found a few more of this adorable kit that features a haunted house needlebook complete with a felt ghost needle rest inside, a pumpkin pincushion, a beaded spider thread holder, a 2-sided pin disc, a beaded scissor fob (scissors not included but available for $10.50) & a skeletal tin slide tin with a creepy surprise inside! Tiny Pumpkin Etui Kit $24, we have 3 left and then they re gone! Adorable pincushion, fob, and needlecase, and all pieces fit inside the plastic pumpkin for storage. Right, We showed this last week, a photo taken in the Dames of the Needle Baltimore booth, but it really didn t do this accessory set justice. Twas Christmas Morning $20, originally designed for a workshop taught at The Attic a few years ago, features a Tree Ruler Holder, Elf Thimble Holder, Scissor Tag, and Mouse Fob. Adorable Set! I have a very few complete materials kits that remain from the Attic workshop, complete with a lovely drawstring bag that holds all the kit contents, including 36c Lakeside linen, 14 yards of Belle Soie, golden thimble and jingle bells, Kelmscott Angel scissors and MOP ruler, Weeks wool, and interfacing and other finishing materials, $80. From Dames of the Needle, Twas Christmas Morning Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: 1.888.94-ATTIC (1.888.942.8842) www.atticneedlework.com
THE ATTIC! PAGE 11 New from Little by Little Right, 3 wonderful cushions (each $8) that spell out what s so important to each of us in our avocations ~ these are stitched on 35c Weeks Straw with DMC ~ perfect for Lakeside s Vintage Sand Dune with Belle Soie Pecan Pie! A stitcher s quarter of either 40c, 35/36c, or 32c will be perfect to stitch all 3 cushions. Above left, Idelia Mae Rich $10 features a 19th century technique used on samplers and other needlework: Idelia s face is painted with watercolors on paper and instructions are given for attaching it to your sampler! Left and below, Alphabet Piddlings $8 each. Right, And Nature Sing $5, a lovely ornament ~ on 35c its size is 4 3/4 x 4 3/8
THE ATTIC! PAGE 12 New from Mother & Daughter! From Little House Needleworks, My Dwelling Place $8 (love the waving flag!) ~ and Hallelujah $6, next in the 2011 Ornament of the Month Series ~ and just a reminder that we provide a kit for each of these with 36c Lakeside + hand-dyed Crescent Colours floss for only $12! From Country Cottage Needleworks, below, Here Kitty Kitty (what a great combination, pumpkins & kitties) and The Apple Orchard each $8
THE ATTIC! PAGE 13 Boxes filled with A Schoolgirl s Work are arriving today...... and we will get yours in the mail to you just as quickly as we can! The antique samplers featured are inspiring, and the projects are so wonderful, it s difficult to decide which one to start first! Below are photographs of the projects.
THE ATTIC! PAGE 14 Last Saturday s Market Day was fun and exhilerating...... and the early shoppers got the pick of the litter!... beautiful one-of-a-kind project bags in several styles, coffins, bowls full of Crescent Colours trims, new silks and cottons and silk ribbons, fun accessories, and many new fun projects!
THE ATTIC! PAGE 15 Sampler Sunday was so busy, my photographic duties fell by the wayside, but Linda D. kindly brought back for display her boxes (both finishes from Blackbird s A Stitcher s Journey ) and I loved them and wanted you to see them too! Inspiring! Linda does such beautiful work. We ve had severe heat warnings this past week, with temperatures hitting 116, and a thoughtful customer who lives in a beautiful part of Arizona where the summers are milder and the winters a bit more severe thought we needed some cooling off and sent the photos below with this note: My name is Lorrie and I'm one of your customers. I live in Forest Lakes, AZ on the Mogollon Rim (at 7700 ft) so most of our business is by mail. Since I've heard it's going to be 115 in Phx. almost all week, I thought I'd share these pictures of the snowstorm we had in Jan. 2010. We got 6 1/2 ft. in 3 days and were without power for 3 days too. In the chimney pic, our front door (which you can't see) is behind the pile of snow off the porch.. The next pic is of our shed and the other end of the front of our house is on the right. Don't know if you'd have room in the newsletter, but I thought looking at the snow might cool things off a little. Thank you, Lorrie, for your thoughtfulness! Attic, Mesa, AZ Toll-Free: 1.888.94-ATTIC (1.888.942.8842) www.atticneedlework.com