|
Elegant Stitch
|
|
3rd Quarter 2008 september 24, 2008 dust, dust and more dust...and allergies from the dust - is harvest almost over??? oh please, oh please somebody please say yes!!! it's been quite the week and it's only wednesday but it's all good!!! mr. gatsby celebrates his first birthday tomorrow - i can't believe he will be a year old already...and mr. nicky will hit 9 months on october 8th...he's getting to be a big boy too - in every sense of the word - most particularly in the sense of his girth. he is now bigger than both his parents...i swear - there is a mutant gene somewhere in that dog's dna!!! i am putting up the last of the market things...and going to do a little revamping of the web site. i am looking for web software and over the next couple of months - we are going to be having a new "look" to the site...but it's a continual work in progress and so i keep trying and trying and shoveling and shoveling... so keep your fingers crossed and hopefully the "new look" will only have a few wrinkles in it - hopefully!!! without further ado and because i have a day full and a worse one tomorrow and a worser one on friday and who knows about saturday - that is so off my radar right now i can't even think about it...i am going to rip thru these...and if you have any questions at all - please let me know... with my needle twisted threads ewe & eye & friends miss crescent's crown trail creek farms lizzie kate fancy work dinky dyes designs the cat's whiskers indigo rose carriage house sampling good huswife we purchased some counted canvas charts at market...and here
are just a few of them... needle delights originals and so...i'm off...there is chaos at home too - we are redoing house...two of the three bathrooms - the dust and the noise and the insanity is raining down on me from both directions...but, it will be beautiful and quite nice when we are finished...if i keep my sanity that long...and cabinets and kitchen cabinets and lighting fixtures and paint and stripping floors and a long list that even mr. bear doesn't know about. it is going to be an interesting month :) take care - have a great week and a good weekend...it is really turning to fall here - quite early for us...but i just love the cooler weather - except that fall means almond harvest and DUST and more DUST and more D U S T!!! thank you again for visiting us...life is an every changing dynamic - you just need to hang on tight...it is quite a ride... a dear friend in wisconsin forwarded me something that i have had magnetically attached to the metro racks in the back room...i think i need to get it stitched... "live your life in such a way that when your feet hit the floor in the morning, satan shudders and says... 'oh s - - t . . . she's awake'!!! has to be one of my all time favorites...thanks linda for forwarding that on - i think it every single day!!! lgm and everybody at elegant stitch september 18, 2008 yes, we have returned from market. yes, we got rained on quite hard on sunday - starting about 3:00 a.m. but we experienced nothing compared to those on the gulf coast of texas and new orleans...nothing...but, it's been quite sometime since we have seen rain like that...quite some time indeed. market was great - good to see old friends again since i missed columbus. hope to see more shops there next time...the vendors were there - but, given the weather and hurricanes...kind of tough. i would really love, sometime, somehow to be able to go to a cash and carry market and be able to load my car and come home - as opposed to six suitcases and a rather large box...but, southwest was outstanding and took wonderful care of us...and all the bags and the box got spit right out onto the luggage "go-round" at sacramento and we were out of the airport within 25 minutes of landing...it was great. we've been wiggling around with the website most of yesterday - we also had a brain freeze and had to correct some errors on our pretty in pink kit - that took priority yesterday - without a doubt...and everybody who purchased one has 2 corrected pages and some more green thread coming their way. the last eleven envelopes are going out tomorrow as soon as i bring in more green thread - of course, that was the biggest priority for us yesterday. now that we've had 42 fire drills over the last 24 hours - and i have managed to get the hosting company for my website to not hang up in my ear (yes, i am moving hosting companies) i can get this finished and at least part of the goodies that we brought back and that were waiting for us upon our return. i am also going to start rebuilding this page - annie and kay have threatened to tie my to the chair until this gets done - but this is my goal as 2009 comes our way - quicker than expected - but it's coming anyway. i am quite proud of myself that i dealt with this far better than i have in the past and am now calmly putting in the data - but i have resolved not to be at the mercy of some faceless person on the other end of a phone...not going to happen again. so...this is the first pile that i've gotten scanned
in...there is more in the basket at my feet and i am going to get those up and
finished hopefully tomorrow. new linen colors from zweigart in 40 count: sandcastle, autumn field, remembrance rose, golden harvest, parkland, shadow brook, meadow mist and boo and in 36 count: sudden storm, ametrine, everglade, porcelain and antique gold. there are more colors - but these are the ones that would fit into our luggage - we have others on order. sampler threads new colors: shaker in toasted barley, onyx, wrought iron, old purple paint and caramel corn. limited editions thread packs $10.00 called harvest (5 yard skeins in cinnamon bread, black walnut, indian corn, plumberry, wood pile and wheat fields) and thread pack called autumn (5 yard skeins incabbage, haystack, s'mores, campfire ashes, midnight sky and red delicious). limited edition individual skeins called sweet potato vine and crabapple. we brought home what we could carry. so...because these are spilling off the top of my desk and because there is absolutely no order in my life at the moment...here they go as i can grab piles and put them in the "to be put away" pile. la-d-da the primitive needle shepherd's bush with thy needle & thread GPA (giulia punti antichi) chessie & me just nan - these are pre-orders please - and once they are
gone - we can't get anymore. a stitcher's hands country cottage needleworks midsummer night designs rosewood manor blue ribbon designs primitivebettys mosey 'n me - we just love these - judy has found a new
path... sue hillis designs - it's very halloweeny and would be so
cute either over 1 or on 36-40 count fabric plum street samplers crescent colors/little house needlework tomorrow's antiques this was a first time ever show in st. charles, missouri...we had a great time...we hope it continues and we really hope that counted thread shops will get behind this and support it...the facilities were gorgeous, the hotel service terrific and the hotel staff helpful and thoughtful...it was a good experience and one i plan to repeat. off to get this loaded...we thank you for visiting and i'll get the rest of the goodies up very soon - maybe even tomorrow :) fall is definitely in the air...i think we are going to be
having an early and long winter...lgm september 11, 2008 yes, there was supposed to be an update done this week...yes, i have the blue ribbon designs, midsummer night, a stitcher's hand, country cottage, la-d-da, rosewood manor and heaven knows what else in my scanning bin... but, i've also got 5 suitcases to stuff in my car, a pile of mail that has to go home so bruce can post it for me tomorrow, the puppalas here for two full days this week and some final things to do (like get gas in my car) before we head to the airport tomorrow morning. i don't know what the devil happened to this week - yes i do - but it isn't even worth trying to explain. we will be back in the shop on wednesday - this market is different from the nashville market...this market doesn't even start until sunday morning so it's a sunday/monday market instead of a saturday/sunday market. we will do our best to get things up on the web site pronto...and we thank you for your kindness and patience...we're not used to a market in the middle of september...and we haven't caught our stride quite yet. and kelly heads back to santa barbara to school tomorrow too...so it's kind of a bittersweet day...we will miss her terribly. be safe, be good and we'll be back from st. louis - pronto... lgm september 2, 2008 gas is crawling back up again...we were as low as $3.75.9 but it's creeping up again...they are starting to harvest almonds - the dust is going to be un-real in another week or so...all windows will remain closed in some feeble attempt to keep that dust out...the peach harvest is almost finished...and you can get absolutely drunk on the smell of fermenting peaches on the ground as you drive up kiernan to oakdale on the way home - especially when it's a balmy 98 degrees outside. the corn is as high as an elephant's eye and the tomato trucks are running almost non-stop to the canneries. it's fall in the valley - or indian summer - depending on who you talk to. the puppalas got their halloween costumes yesterday on a foray to get meow-meow food. gatsby is going as the great pumpkin and nickolas (especially after his trick of yesterday) is going as a devil and is that ever appropriate. dids and dixie doodles are using their costumes from last year...and we will have pictures - maybe even all of them together...which should make for an interesting commentary or a very funny picture. there is a lot going on...lynne blackburn has graciously accepted the challenge of more FAS (french alphabet samplers) so it is on the agenda again - effective right now - until she can't handle anymore for this time around. please fill out your forms carefully so we can get them done with a minimum of angst on everybody's part... so, here you go...read carefully, print yourself off a couple of forms so you can make boo boos and not feel bad and send them along to me... so...because market is just a week and a half away...and we are flying on friday and coming home on tuesday...and i am not taking a computer because i can't do my job and write on the computer too...and because we are putting together some more classes and some other goodies...i will do my update when i get home - sometime after wednesday the 17th. but, in the interim...we do have some fun stuff...
blackbird designs: buttons and blooms for the cure. and since october is coming very soon - and because we love
kelmscott designs...and because paula is wonderful...we have these coming very
soon... and now onto some of the things that have arrived in the last week or since i did the last update... just nan: liberty hill: blackbird designs - loose feathers #32: little house needleworks: ewe & eye & friends: lizzie kate: and so...that's enough of that...i have to go home, put all the ironing away that is hanging from door ledges and pull out another suitcase to get to market. i have to make sense of some of my lists that seem to be never ending or so they seem never ending. i have to order some stuff on line before i go home. i have to write some checks or they will come and haul me away and then i have to go home and take the doggers for a walk...and it's already almost 6:45. i believe it's going to be a very early morning for me tomorrow...making piles and piles and more piles and trying to keep myself out of trouble. enjoy the week - politics are sure interesting, aren't they? and thank heavens the first hurricane went easier than expected...and let's hope that the next two do the same thing. we all know too many people that live in those areas...we wish them safety and heart's ease...we know how NOT to do hurricanes...we don't want or need a replay of three years ago. school is back in - the buses are running thru the streets and it's getting dark earlier...fall is coming...and so is a harvest moon...and i do love those...bigger than life itself. thanks for visiting...stay safe and sound until we visit again..... august 21, 2008 because i have spoken "out of country" three times this week - outlook exploded world wide on wednesday - and because there isn't much new this week that won't wait until next week - and because we are heading out of town in the morning to attend class in sacramento - and because our guests are arriving in about an hour from a grand tour of california - and because i just have run out of time this afternoon - i am leaving you with a gift of puppalas. if you aren't an animal lover - don't even bother - if you do love animals...these are the boys on monday afternoon when i brought them home from their bathie and haircut appointments at our favorite groomer - yuppy puppy here in modesto. sharon has been taking care of the kitty meows and graciously added the puppalas for the eight years we have been in modesto. i love her and there is nothing she won't do for the bear family... anyway - here are the boys - we will do an update next week...and remember - i won't get to e-mail until monday - so be patient with us :) enjoy the weekend - annie's youngest starts school on monday - where has the summer gone...i don't remember waving goodbye to it - but labor day weekend is coming up very quickly. august 15, 2008 it's hot today - it was hot yesterday and it will be hot tomorrow and then it is going to cool back down again to "reasonable". by "hot" i mean that if you turn the AC on here at 7:00 a.m. and it runs non-stop all day - you might be able to keep the shop at a balmy 76 degrees until the hottest time of the day which is between 4 and 6 p.m. and then the inside temp steadily climbs to 81 or 82...that's hot and there isn't anything we can do about it except hope that the weather calms down just a bit. reminder...we are closed next friday and saturday (08/22 and 23/08) as we will be attending class in sacramento. it has been on the calendar for awhile... we will be open again on tuesday 08/26 at the regular time. they are harvesting peaches like gangbusters and corn is 8 for $1.00 at the local farm stand up the road. the tomato trucks are running roma tomatoes up the street in front of the shop...and it will be very soon that the dust becomes thick as they harvest the almonds and the walnuts. nothing much as come in this week - market is just 4 weeks off in st. charles, missouri...but i did what i promised and we have had kodak moments and i think they are pretty terrific. the first one is something that alma allen and barb adams of
blackbird designs (with a goodly dose of convincing by pat ryan of r&r
fabrics) did for us - which is ours exclusively as a fund raiser. barb and
alma provided the chart and the finished little pincushion and the information
about their line of moda fabrics...and i ran with the rest and came up with this
with the help of some wonderful friends. we are waiting for our box of
custom designed waxers to arrive from trish miller in virginia and then we can
start sending these out. in the interim - we would be delighted to put you
on the list for...blackbird designs: buttons and blooms for the cure. and then...something else which is equally as wonderful... from it's fine-ally finished and jackie du plessis - yet
another "pink" wonderful thing...we will be ready to ship this around
the middle of september. it is a complete kit and includes all the silk
ribbons, linen, buttons, custom waxer, quilt batting, wool felt, ultra suede,
silk & cotton threads and complete finishing instructions. we are just
so excited about this...and we hope you are too!! pink is definitely the
color this year - between our dearest jackie and our dear friends in the linen
and quilting world and the queen of bees wax...it's a great day in the
neighborhood!!! and so...that's it this week. i will do my best to get an update up before we head off to class next friday and saturday...and i'll have more information about the french alphabet sampler with the next update. it's getting hotter in here by the minute and i am cutting wools and other things for kits we are putting together - but wool and 106 degrees do not make for the bestest of friends and certainly have a tendency to turn one a little hot if one happens to be on the wrong end of a rotary cutter. have a wonderful weekend...and a great week - the kids are heading back to school here in about a week - we have kelly until the middle of september and off she goes and aimee is heading back north to school this sunday... i can't believe the summer is almost over...except that the heat will stop...and i could really enjoy that just a little bit. thanks for visiting...we'll also have puppala pictures next week - the boys are headed to the beauty parlor on monday morning...they will be so excited to be able to see out from under their bangs...the hairclip routine just doesn't work for any self-respecting male dogger. talk with you soon..... august 11, 2008 it's getting ready to school time...the kids here start in about 2 weeks from today...the traffic coming in the morning is blissful and that blissful state will cease in 2 weeks too. right now i can make it all the way from my house - down a huge, many lights, south to north street without every having to stop for a light because they are timed right...until i hit the stop sign to make the left turn onto kiernan where the shop is. the peaches are ripe and huge crops...they have having to hold up the tree limbs with 2x4s and all the huge peach containers were in the orchards this morning - they are starting to pick the ones that are going to the canneries. going to be hot here for the next couple of days - probably almost 98 today...we shall see about that too...have to run some errands this afternoon - they are stacking up like cordwood it seems. dogger youngest did just fine with his surgeries last monday - alteration went off with out a hitch...his little bellybutton hernia is almost healed over and his "eye lift" is just wonderful - cleaned out all his tear ducts and now he doesn't have watery eyes and a smelly beard anymore. we have 4 more days of eyedrops for him and then both of them can go to the groomers for a "shave and a haircut"...and i wish it was just "two bits" :) i didn't get all the kodak moments done this week - we had some major brain divides here and we were so busy "creating" that i didn't get that stuff taken care of - but i promise - it will be done by the next update...i absolutely promise and i think you will like what we have come up with. in the interim - there are going to be lots of late nights this week - we have something else that we're working on and i have to get some inventory plugged in...but that will be fun too. obviously the only time i can really think is either early morning or evenings...the rest of the time it is like a chaotic zoo in here...and how that we are "creating" again...even the back room is more nutso than ever. and, we have some new things this week - and we shall have some more next week...so hang on with us...it's just kind of a weird time of year...not quite summer...not quite fall...not quite market yet...not quite ________________ (you fill in the blank here)?? prairie schooler: little house needleworks: so...because i'm heading to the hills and because i have some errands to run and because i'm picking up my mom to run her errands right after her lunch this afternoon...and because i have house guests coming next week...and because the shop will be closed friday and saturday, august 22 and 23 and i have a bag to pack and because kelly is back from germany and is going to show up here in the morning looking for something to do and because aimee took a whole carload with her saturday evening...and because i will have yards and yards of weeks dye works wool delivered to me on wednesday that all has to be cut up and put into kits...and because i'm just sort of nuts all the time but wouldn't have it any other way - i'm jetting off. i already have the list on my desk of all the things i need to put into next week's update...so that's a really good thing!!! have a great week - thanks for visiting...we are moving into fall very quickly...and although i love it - it terrifies me...where has 2008 gone??? and, wasn't the olympic opening quite amazing...beautiful...truly beautiful. poof......................that was me beating feet!!! august 1, 2008 it can't possibly be august 1 already...it was just june 1st - i remember, just last week it was june 1st...and now i flip the calendar and the big august 1 is bleating at me??? and the stores are full of back to school and as soon as that's over - halloween will be stomping on our toes...and i won't even mention the "holidays" word...way, way too scary...way too scary. haven't done an update because there wasn't anything much to talk about. we have yet another huge fire burning what surrounds the north entrance to yosemite...it is quite a large fire...and thankfully the smoke has been blown to the east instead of back down into the valley so it's been reasonable around here. this coming week we are having photo moments here - the new blackbird piece for pink fundraising, our 2008 breast cancer design compliments of it's fine-ally finished and there might be something else in there too..... french alphabet sampler...i think we are going to go a little bit early...and i'll have that information up on the front page next week also...it will give you all time to print off the form and get any questions answered if you have any... cricket collection: homespun elegance ornaments: the sampler girl: country cottage needleworks: lizzie kate: little house needleworks: and finally...my most favorite this week...i love these
things...
we had a lovely visit on tuesday with GPA designs from italy...it was just wonderful to see her away from the crush of market...and there is a new ornament book coming from her and we have already reserved copies...way cool!!! my mom is safely back from her trip to the east coast of georgia and had a wonderful time...but, getting back into the "routine saddle" is tough...but that means you've had a great vacation... we have the youngest puppy's "alteration" this coming monday...i take him in and then we will have gatsby running everywhere searching for nickolas because nicky has to pack his jammies and toothbrush and spend the night after his "alteration". we get to pick up the baby boy tuesday after 2:00 so i'm taking gatsby with me to get him. then at the end of september, gatsby is going to have his first b'day...and we are already planning the party :) it's not everyday a dogger has his 1st b'day. and finally, i never thought that i would celebrate $3.99.9 per gallon of gas...but it's happened here...down from the worst at $4.63.9 (in some stations) and this over the course of three weeks...i think the world is just a little bit nuts. and, at $3.99.9 - i am running on fumes right now and need to fill up...so...timing is everything :) keep safe and sound...it's the final few weeks before school starts again...i still don't know where it all went...but we are heading full tilt into fall - whether we are ready or not...it's a wild ride mr. toad!!! so...i am off to deal with 1,270 yards of silk - winding off twisted cord lengths before i can chop thru the knot and deal with 1 yard strands...so i am heading for the hills... have a great weekend...keep california in your thoughts just a little bit...earthquakes and fires....both not so good...and way too early for more fire.... july 17, 2008 the sidewalk sale was fun...and since it was our first - of course it was a little smaller and of course everbody was a little scared of the smoke and the hot weather and also the price of gas...but it went off very well and we are changing the date for the fall one. i think november is a little bit late...so there is a conflab amongst us as we pick the new date and i'll get it on the calendar and the front page as soon as that decision has been made. we have renamed the youngest puppy - him name is no longer nickolas...the new name is "dump truck". he is far bigger than his brother gatsby - certainly by 3 months younger and about 4-5 pounds heavier...and they are both so cute - but every mama would say that. nicky has an appointment with the vet at the very beginning of august...we need him healed up and ready to romp with a six year old on the 20th of august... and...thanks to annie...they have new treats. ice cream for doggers. the box holds four little sundae cups with the heavy paper caps...just like the human kind but for doggers. they are called "frosty paws" and can be found in the ice cream section of the grocery store. doggers absolutely love them...and there is nothing better than a swim in their wading pool, a little bit of dinner and then dogger 'cream' to finish up the evening. the weather had calmed down...it's just normal summer now...and there are only about 200 fires left burning in the state - compared to the 1,400 we had three weeks ago when the lightening storm struck. gas is actually down...we have some places in town that are selling regular for $4.33.9 which is just great compared to the $4.52.9 a couple of weeks ago...not that we will ever see $4.00 again...but we can always wish and dream... it keeps us young and rationale...or so we would like to believe. there are so many bins and containers and piles of semi-complete kits and things around here...it's quite scary and there are more coming...we have a pile of wool felted red berries to make...all the roving has been cut...i just need tubs and tubs of hot water and a new set of hands...i hate wearing gloves - they make me crazy...but what's a woman to do...and we have boxes of felted wool yardage coming from north carolina...and thread, string, ribbons, buttons, waxers, illustration board - i've got clipboards and lists everywhere...as i get all the goodies together for all the fun stuff that is coming this fall...and market is just two months away in st. charles... something to look forward to and something to save our dollars for...nothing like a great market to incite us all to absolute riot... in the meantime...some things have wiggled in the door this week - our long lost lizzie kate has arrived...and i'm going to get this done so i can get back to my piles and piles that are "eating me out of house & home" as piles are known to do: lizzie kate: from a continual trip around the world
(this box had to be in china pre-olympics - i swear)...here we go... midsummer night designs: workbasket: m designs: milady's needle: and so...that is it for the week - i'm knee deep in stuff acorns...there is polyfill all over me...but i've got some mighty fat acorns being prepared...and they are looking mighty "nutty" if i do say so. just got an e-mail from one of our distributors...if you're a
mirabilia fan: Mirabilia Designs Available Again! We received word
today that our Mirabilia backorders are ready to be shipped! We expect the
complete Mirabilia line to be back in stock within a week to ten days.
Please inform your customers that Nora Corbett's Mirabilia line will once again
be available for purchase in your shop. and so...off we go towards another weekend and week following...and the piles will either bury us or make us stronger - not quite sure which...but we shall find out sooner as opposed to later. thanks for visiting us this week...it's almost a full moon - be careful of weirdness and all things that come with full moons...and annie just came and told me that the tomato trucks have started to go by our front windows here too - they have followed us from the old store...actually they are coming off the freeway at our exit and heading to the canning places in escalon and riverbank. so ms. blackburn...take that...our tomato truck standing is safe and in good standing ::) have a GREAT weekend. everybody at elegant stitch
july 11, 2008 it's hot, it's disgusting, the air quality sucks...the sky is brown and gray all at the same time...BUT, the good news is that it's getting better and by tomorrow we should actually be on the road to "normal summer". the fires up north have caused such ugly air quality that it's just smoky and disgusting and it's sooooooo smoky that it actually held the temps down yesterday - the sun couldn't shine thru the mess to really heat it up to the 110 they were predicting. we noticed cooler yesterday and even cooler today...although with four floor fans (say that fast four times) and the AC running non-stop - the shop was reasonable at 78 degrees. we even had a power flex alert this week because of the massive consumption of electrical power. our state fire fighters have been pushed to the max trying to fight the fires and as of this writing, there are still over 300 fires raging in california - all from the dry lightening and thunder strikes on saturday, june 21st. we know that it will be better by the time we have our first sidewalk sale tomorrow and everything is tagged and priced and boxed...and bruce is picking up our long tables for the "sidewalk" as i write this and will arrive soon. it will be mass chaos and much fun and we are looking forward to it. the quilt shop/fabric store "freedom fabrics" chose this week to move in next door. i don't know how the ladies did it in this heat - we kept taking them cold water...stronger stuff than we are to be sure...annie and i are keeping bottles of body mist stuff in the refrigerator...and every time we feel the need for a blast of cool...we go get the cold bottles...the ups man even thinks they are pretty good...we have some sort of gel in the frig for him...he's been driving around for the last 3 days with a wet towel over the top of his head...a vision to be sure...and, we smell much better than he does - see the preceding sentence :) and so...because i have some stocking to start working on and some huge piles of kitting and cut threads to stash and all the little cut ladybug flannel squares and piles of other things...off we go. i've also inserted a shop calendar - there's a link here but there is also a link on the front page of this website...down the bottom of the left side-bar...i think it will help everybody keep straight as to where we are and what we are doing...so...if ever in doubt - hit the calendar...we'll keep it updated as we go...and it should be a good reference tool for all of us :) shepherd's bush: we love
them to pieces... we also got our stash of silver charms for the charts and also the charm for the ornament in just cross stitch...so we are very happy indeed and we've even ordered more... and so...off we go...the weekend is about to start...we will have our lizzy kate auto up next week - the shop address didn't get changed in lizzie kate's ups account so our package came to modesto and was sent back because of the wrong address and alan is sending me a new package today.... and who knows what other good things are arriving this week too. the sidewalk sale tables just arrived - i have to go help bruce unload the truck...so we'll see you soon and we thank you for visiting with us today...have a great weekend!!! elegant stitch... july 2, 2008 and so it goes and goes and goes...the central valley of california has been absolutely smoke filled for the last 1.5 weeks...the fires are not out...and it's going to get worse before it gets any better as far as air quality is concerned. our delta breeze is vanishing...and that was the only thing keeping the smoke at better levels than it was a week ago...the air quality was so bad that the suggestion was for EVERYBODY to stay indoors...not just the elderly or the "at risk". i have never wanted to scratched at my eyes more, annie and i are sneezing...the smoke in the air is like a thick brown layer over everything...after the dry lightening strikes the weekend of the 21st and well over 1,000 burning in the state - sooty, gritty, smoke-filled air should have been expected. gas is getting a little bit better - sort of sad when you celebrate $4.45.9 which is "down" for us...and i know it's way higher over in the bay area. but, we still have really sucky air quality so i guess there is some good news in the fact that gas is down just a little bit. to all of you who sent me flannel purchasing suggestions - THANK YOU!!! i found a very cute pink plaid with lady bugs dancing all over it - and a black with pink dots flannel that i am putting with it...raggedy quilt...and that fabric should arrive today - the internet is an amazing thing sometimes and yet on other occasions it's terribly sad and scary. the internet connects us on so many levels...instant gratification, instant connection to those we care about and love, instant information...and instant cheating and lying and horribly rude behavior...who would ever have thought such inspiration or lack thereof could be merely a keyboard away...it never ceases to amaze and distress me all at the same time. right now we have people trying to squat on our website domain names...the problem is that while we are protected in the u.s. we are not protected anywhere else and it gets very frustrating. thank heavens i've got great people who are there to help me...and i've got great legal counsel so i don't have to spend all my time ripping my hair out...i can spend it doing other things...which...leads me to the next bit of this. reminder again...we don't put anything up on the web site unless and until we actually have it in stock. if it is a preview and there are preorder opportunities - then i will put it up - and it will specifically say this is preorder and we are expecting them to arrive. i will answer questions from you all until the cows come home - i promise i will, but just because it shows on designer websites or in other "shops" does not mean it's been released yet. it just means the picture is available...it doesn't mean we don't have it or that we aren't getting it. there is truth in advertising here...and we have always maintained our website that way for more than 10 years and will continue to do so. case in point - shepherd's bush - of COURSE we are getting them - we always get them...we have ordered them...they are going to be shipped as soon as they are ready - but we don't have them in the shop yet...but they are coming...soon...they really and truly are :) but...this week we have other swell stuff...so here we go with that... just cross stitch ornament edition:
pre-orders - these will be arriving in the shop sometime in september little house needlework: rosewood manor: little by little: primitive bettys: shepherd bush (charts): and so...we are finishing out our week (yes, we will be closed on friday but we will be open on saturday 07/05/08) constructing bags, cutting linens and threads and wools for the 200 projects we have going on around here...i am working on another sweet little thing that i'm doing for pink month or maybe the beginning of pink month...or pre-pink month...we are getting our retreat things in order...we are waiting for ups and fed ex to bring us things...it is just a flurry of activity. sara is away covering vacations at her other job and kelly is in vienna this week - she left on sunday afternoon...her text qualities on her cell phone work - we send her messages - it's a whole new world over there and she has about five weeks before she heads home...studying in both austria and germany this summer...what a grand experience. so...it's quiet here with the number of bodies...but annie and i work exceptionally well together...we speak to each other in shorthand...but that comes after eight years of working closely. i am very fortunate...kristen and annie are quite the duo...and we will be adding to our group within the next couple of months - we need more help during the days because kristen helps when she can and kelly will be off again at school before we know and it's not fair that poor sara - who is always so kind - catches the brunt of all the icky jobs...and she never complains - she is a very kind young woman... so...the horizon is brown again, it's 10:25 and the AC just kicked on for the day - set at a balmy 76 degrees in the shop...and we are in for more hot and smokey. if annie and i just don't "touch" our eyes...we are good...but one swell rub and it's all over - they don't stop tearing for the entire day...it's quite miserable...and i hope our fires are over soon...for a whole bunch of different levels. i can't even imagine living along the mississippi river...that is truly hell on earth...and beyond comprehension...while we are in a drought here in california. enjoy the 4th...have fun, be safe if you are messing with fireworks yourself and if you are just watching...enjoy the beauty and the bright lights and have a terrific weekend. june 20, 2008 the world is full of anticipation, overly expensive gasoline and news...the market things are starting to roll in...it's hotter than the devil here - it's 101 right now and will be 101 again tomorrow. the AC is just humming away - and is making me deaf and mindless...and the same thing happens when i get home - between the AC and the fans and the doggers scampering everywhere on the hardwood floors - the television needs to be turned up louder than usual - but - fear not - it's meerkat manor tonight on animal planet..so life is good. annie's daughter vikki is due to have her first baby the week of our october retreat - and we have just found out that SHE has very large feet from the ultra-sound...we got to see pictures of her little face...and she has a name - angelina mae and it's going to be a very exciting fall around here as we all scamper around looking for ladybug things which vikki has decided would be a good baby's room. i'm seriously on the lookout for ladybug flannel...and have some very good quilting spies out looking for me too. they have also purchased a house in concord (east bay) so there is going to be a moving weekend happening very soon - sometime in july when escrow closes. kelly is back a week ago today from santa barbara for the summer and she is working days with us and doing "summer things 'cause i'm home from college" in the evening. she leaves for vienna and germany on a study abroad program for the month of july and then she will be back with us for august and part of september before she heads south again to school. gas has gone down 3 cents a gallon to $4.49.9 at the independents - diesel is still hovering at $5.00 and the world in the shop is very quiet...as people plot their way around town and road trips have been put on hold. very interesting indeed. the market things are starting to come in...which is good...and we are getting caught up around here doing things and preparing for retreats...and waiting for the world to learn to breathe again. in the interim, i'm fiddling around on the web site - cleaning out and rearranging - we are getting ready for our first annual sidewalk sale on july 12th and the doggers are spending their mornings napping and their afternoons racing madly around the back yard and excavating a new hole in the middle of the lawn. it's the tell-tale snatches of grass that give them away every time and they probably should not be too quick to come into the house with grass bits hanging from their mustaches...they haven't figured out how it is that mama always knows that they have been up to. so...let's go here - i want to get out of the AC noise at a reasonable time this evening... cat's whiskers & dinky-dyes
- love these...way too many things that can be done with these meow-meows teresa layman knotwork kits: love
each and every single one of these...easy a pie - just add floss and some
knots...and you have beauty!!! thanks to teresa for letting me borrow her
perfect scans. twisted oak designs: la-d-da: love this...cute
as can be chessie & me: love
these too!!! little house needleworks: prairie schooler: and, last but certainly not least..... there will also be parts II and III which hopefully will be out by the end of the year. part II consists of 2 scissor cases (one for preemies and one for regular sized embroidery scissors) with little scissor fobs for each. part III will be the designs and instructions for finishing a shaker box that will be a wonderful home for the treasures. we also have the new sampler thread colors from market - new colors: picnic basket, pumpkin pie, roasted marshmellow and tomato, some of the new limited edition colors: stormy ocean, ambers & ashes and toadstool and the new summer time color packages for $10.00 with 6 limited edition colors (blackberry pie, ladybug, saddle, blue sky, outfield and thunder cloud). also our crescent colours have come in (new colors) in cottons: ladybug, grasshopper, rain shower, queen bee & caterpillar and the belle soie silks: empress, indigo, chocolat, rustique & tulip...all of the new thread colors are just beautiful!!!!! it's now 104 outside - this is our hottest time of the day - and the poor AC is strangling. no lights on - the kitties are sleeping...and we're heading out the door...have a wonderful weekend, and we thank you for coming to visit with us... june 11, 2008 okay...here we go. we have lots of yappy chatty news and stuff so i'm plowing forward here... we did the susan g. komen drive for the cure on monday - and then drove the fleet to sacramento for their event yesterday and roseville's event today - then they head off to reno and then to medford, oregon... we surpassed our record by over 1,000 miles - and we have a lot to live up for next year. it went off without a hitch and we were very pleased and so grateful to valley bmw here in modesto for sponsoring the drive from their dealership for the 8th year. we were very proud and very pink when we dropped the cars off on fulton avenue in sacramento about 7:30 p.m. monday night. the world has been a little bit quiet...and a little bit noisy for me - all at the same time. i did not go to columbus market this last weekend - i had family issues that needed me to stay in modesto and not travel too far...so i opted to stay home and take care of those things...but we already have rewritten our airline tickets for st. charles in september and i'm really ready for that. just because we didn't actually make it to market does not mean that we haven't ordered..and so the new things will be coming in and we will put them up on the website as they arrive here in modesto. all the new threads are on their way - as well as the new charts, new kits and other wonderful things. if you are interested in seeing some of the new charts available - hoffman put up the new book listings - you can get there from here: Click here to access the Hoffman web site and the ordering information. in the interim - the doggers went to the beauty spa last week
- and are now in "summer cuts" - it was a very exhausting experience -
they had to run with the big dogs all day - took them in at 7:30 a.m. and picked
them up at 5:30 p.m. - not only did they spend the day getting beautiful but
they ate, slept, played and generally had a fine time...we never heard a peep
from them once we got them back home...they are happy - and as soon as it warms
up again this weekend - the dogger swimming pool is coming out and we are going
to do some serious dogger dipping - so much easier with short hair to be sure!! i'm slowly whacking around with the web site - tweaking, cleaning, moving, deleting, etc. and it's all working...(knock on wood) and it's working. kelly is coming home from school on sunday - will be home for two weeks and then is going to vienna and germany for july so we won't have any serious help until august when she comes home. october's retreat - SOLD OUT - it's a full house and we are very excited. the orleans carriers have been ordered...we are busy with gifties and badges and ideas and wool felting and berry balls and it is going to be just swell. and then we will start with april 2009...spectacular - milleflori - baskets, beautiful colors, beautiful beads... the plans for our sidewalk sale scheduled for july 12th are going well and we are hoping we will have a new neighbor by then. we will be having modesto's only remaining "quilt" store moving in next door to us - mary just came over to tell us. they have 5 quilting machines and do lessons, etc. so this will be a match made in heaven...and i'm very excited. they are taking the unit in the front of the building that faces out onto kiernan and are shooting for the first week in july...but they do have their work cut out for them in getting the place from a tile company to a "quilty" type of place... soo.....we have a few things to upload....and there will be more...but let's start with these... blackbird loose feathers #31 and
the start of this year's mystery has arrived and we are shipping them now... little house needlework country cottage needleworks la-d-da and so...that is it for right now...but there are new charts, new threads, new kits and some great things coming...and more shopping to do in september too. we are looking forward to a good summer keeping busy and being creative and productive...and getting lots and lots done because we have lots and lots and lots to do :) our october bc kit now has all the parts necessary so we can start cutting supplies and putting them together - we even have some of the custom waxers that are going in the kits - our dear friend made us a bunch before she packed her bags and family up to return stateside from germany...and she is working on a beautiful custom waxer to go with our blackbird pink exclusive too - and the little drawstring bags are being made for us...it's just a happening place - but if we add any more bins into the mix...i will be lost in the back room...but oh what a place to get lost in - amongst the waxers, the moda fabric, the hand-dyed ribbons, silk and fabrics and ultra suede and wool fabric...could just be heaven and i don't know it :) so...the ac has finally cranked on today - thank heavens we moved - the new ac is just wonderful and because it is new and quite energy efficient - we can stay cool for 1/3 of the cost at the old place...it's light and bright and the fans are going and i'm going to load this and then go check into a couple of things i need to order and then go help annie and jessika... have a great week - and a good weekend and we'll update again when we get more things in the shop...and they are coming...i can hear them "on the move".
|
Shop Hours Telephone:
800.790.0810 (orders only please)
Elegant Stitch 1997-2010©
|
![english-garden[1].jpg (45270 bytes)](../abcscans/2008%20folders/1st%20&%202nd%20Q%202008/06-20-08/english-garden[1].jpg)
