Joan it's you!

 English Garden is our limited edition kit. This sewing bag kit also included fabric from our newest Plum Sweet line.

The Garden Fair is a kit that Hoffman Dist.packaged and sold at market for us. All of the floss needed for this project is included. Your local cross stitch shop can be purchase this from them. This box is just the right size for my garden seeds. All I need is a bit of warm weather to plant them.
 
Topiary In Bloom is the newest pattern in our Reward of Merit series. The colors of this go well with the English Garden sewing bag.


 



     The vintage sampler above is one of my favorites. I am attracted to antique and vintage samplers just as I am drawn to old, worn books. Each has a tale to tell, each has something that catches the eye.
     Sweet borders combined with bird motifs at the bottom of the piece struck my fancy, as did the letters and numbers, separated by dividing bands.
     But those features are not what made me purchase this sampler. Rather, it was the bright scarlet initials in the middle of the piece that popped out at me and made me get out my checkbook. Those initials matched mine before I married.
     I will probably never know the name of the girl who toiled over this sampler. For, just as finding the last pages of a book missing, that part of the story was separated from her work. The booklet below has the pattern for the large sampler, the pincushion and sewing box.

     It's a major snow day here in the midwest. The only time I've been out of the house was to feed the birds. Since there has been lots of time to work on the computer today, it felt like a good time to update the blog. I've been very remiss and haven't shown the latest two Loose Feather patterns. So, here they are:


     Barb designed "The Country Life," and it was the Loose Feather pattern for Jan. I love all of the animals in the yard. When my kids were home for Christmas they saw a pair of foxes in our hedgerow. I think I might have to stitch this one! It should be in the shops now.


     My Friend's House is at the printers now. It's the pattern for Feb. and will be at the distributors soon.

I have to show some pictures sent to me by Theresa Venette of Shakespeare's Peddler.