Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Dying, hooking and cleaning!

(Updated friday evening....)


Thought I better get just a jump on updating the blog this week...I need to take a break from all the dying, hooking and cleaning of my studio!

I'm still pulling wool out to get rid of...here is this week's offerings at a cheap cheap price!


Great black and white houndstooth...washes up and dyes beautifully! Nice flannel weight that is perfect for applique or hooking. I have 2 3/4 yards total...$8 per yard. (Retail is $20/yard) ALL GONE!


This is a really nice Polly Minick wool...it's actually navy/cream. Perfect weight for hooking or applique...dyes great! I have 1 1/4 yards left...$9 per yard (this retails for $30/yard) ALL GONE


This is a Melton weight wool like what I sold last week...great gold...only 1 yard and I washed it at some point, so that's all done! $8 (Retails for $20) SOLD


I found 1 more yard of the blue Melton wool like I sold last week. This is unwashed...great shade of federal blue...$8 ($20 retail) SOLD


Last piece of wool for right now is a Melton weight Dark green...a shade darker than what I sold last week. Would make fantastic christmas stockings! 1 1/8 yards left on the bolt...$8 per yard (Retails for $20/yard) ALL GONE

If anyone wants me to put their name on any of this...email me! Otherwise it's going to the shop first thing Saturday morning!

Cute new stitchery pattern now at the shop...called "Spring Greetings"!(It's the picture at the top of the blog) Easy to do with not a lot of different stitches. The model was stitched on overdyed sandcastle...cute! Finished size is 8" x 10"...so it would be adorable as a little spring pillow or framed! $6.95 for the pattern alone or $10.95 for a complete kit w/ pattern! (WOW discount applies!).

The newest patterns from Country Stitches will be in for the weekend! For those of you who pre-ordered, we are shipping out today or you can pick them up at the shop!
(Look down a couple of blog posts to see the patterns...)

Coming in next week are two great civil war quilt books...


"Remembering Adelia" by Kathleen Tracy....this was the first book in the group....
Meet Adleia, a 19-year-old woman living in N.Illinois on the cusp of the Civil War. Her journal illustrates how central sewing and quilting were a woman's life during the nineteenth century. Includes period photos and 12 projects



"Civil War Sewing Circle"...the newest book...

Patterns done after quilts made during the Civil War, this collection is ideal for nineteenth-century reproduction fabrics. Find 16 easy projects, including large and small quilts, plus a pincushion, sewing box, and a needle case. Discover historical photos and letters written from soldiers.

I have a limited number of these books coming and they are going fast...if you want one held, email me!

(Friday evening...)

Do we have any serious Rowe Pottery collectors out there? I have a great retired piece of Rowe pottery available...




The Bean Pot is from Rowe's 2004 Limited Edition group...done in an albany slip, it is a great piece featuring an acorn on the top of the lid. $175.00 (Definitely bigger than it looks in the picture here!)

I've also got coming in this weekend some fantastic quilt books, craft books, decorating books and painting books! I'll keep this short and sweet...most are in pristine, not used condition....and the rest are in excellent condition and we are going to sell them at a fraction of their original cost!

Here is a short list of just a FEW of the titles:

Hobo Quilts (55+ orig blocks based on the secret lanquage of riding the rails) by Debra Henninger
Thimbleberries - Cottage Comfort
American Quilt Classics from the collection of Patricia Cox
Simple Blessings by Kim Diehl
Birds of a Feather - Blackbird Designs (SOLD)
With Needle & Thread - Cross stitch - Blackbird Designs
My Heart is True - Cross Stitch - Blackbird Designs
Simple Seasons - Kim Diehl
As The Crow Flies - Edie McGinnis
Primitive Youngins - Primitive Pieces by Lynda (great miniature quilts)
Hearthside Stars - Jo Morton
Olde is New Again - Jo Morton
Times Past - Jo Morton
Unraveling the History of Quilts & Slavery - Barbara Brackman

ok...that's it...I'm tired! But the stack goes on and on and on....come see what else we've got!

And finally tonight...an update on "Rug Watchers"...if this had been Weight Watchers, I would have lost 20 lbs. this week! But, instead, I just got a whole lot done on my rug!! (My update picture is over on the side bar.) Sharon with Liberty Rose jumped in with me on this...pulled out an Uncle Sam project that has been sleeping in a basket somewhere up in her workroom for who knows how long...as you can see from her before and after pics...Sam now has pants on and a face and hands! He'll be hanging in no time!!




Rug Watchers is open to anyone who wants to join and just needs a little nudge now and then to keep going! Come join the fun!





That's it for tonight! Time to go get stuff packed in the car for the shop tomorrow! It's suppose to be beautiful and the vendors were setting up all day outside! Come see us if you get the chance. More wool going up on the blog next week...I ran out of time this week!

Lisa

Monday, January 17, 2011

It's like Weight Watchers for rug hookers...

Updated Friday afternoon...

Before I moved here I started a hooked rug just for me...which I very seldom do because I just don't seem to have the time when there is so much that needs to be done for the shop. When I got here to NC, it all went into a big basket up in my work studio and there it has sat ever since! The other night I was sitting there in a daze looking at it...thinking...."this is nuts! I'm going to treat this project like Weight Wathers and get this thing done!" It's all about accountability, right?

SO...I brought it all down to the living room, sat it by my favorite chair and every day I am going to work on this rug and at the end of the week I'm going to post a picture of its progress...again, accountability! I though maybe if I have to show some progress each week, it will help keep me on track and I'll finally have a "me" rug that can go in the house!

So...here are the beginning pictures...




And if anyone would like to join my "Rug Watchers" group, we can send pictures to each other every week for encouragement and positive reinforcement!

Now back to shop news....

We've put in an order for a new upcoming book...Maggie Bonanomi's "Book of Days"...due out in February. I want to make sure we order plenty...so I am takng pre-orders on this book.
Maggie Bonanomi designed a Book of Days that can be used as a calendar, scrapbook,or journal – now you can make one too. Maggie’s version is filled with photos of her favorite seasonal surroundings, quotes, and hand-drawn art. She shares how she made her book and ways you can tailor yours to fit your taste! Make a book for yourself or as gift for a special friend! Inside you’ll find instructions for putting a book together and lots of inspiration for filling the pages. $14.95 per copy...WOW members will receive a 15% discount on this purchase!



We've decided to start carrying Rug Hooking Magazine in the shop! For those of you that have trouble finding it, we will now carry the magazine, starting with the Jan/Feb issue. Cover price is $9.95...WOW girls, don't forget your discount! If you need us to reserve you a copy, just email us!



New Spring pattern in the shop this weekend...Chicks n' Pussy Willows! Overall size is 16" x 11"...makes a cute spring pillow or runner. Pattern price is $6.95. (WOW price is $6.25.) I'm going to try and have a few kits ready for this weekend...I'll let you know a price for those later!



Some great vintage pink fabrics are coming in this weekend...$7.95 per yard






1) Marcus Brothers from Charleston V collection
2) Moda by Minnick & Simpson
3) Moda from Three Sisters Favorites
4) Moda from Paris Flea Market
5) Thimbleberries by RJR from the 2007 Club Series





Two fun red prints...




Both of these are by Moda...Minick & Simpson...$7.95 per yard






A fantastic blue/cream print by Minick & Simpson for Moda...












And one more fun print from a Moda line by Sandy Gervais called "We the People"











Judy Condon called today...her next book,"Simply Country Gardens" will be shipping in two weeks! If you want your name on the list to receive one...just let me know!
Book price is $24.95 (WOW discount applies!)




Last weekend I had a laundry basket full of stuff that was out of my studio...selling it CHEAP! Needless to say, it only took a couple of hours and most of the stuff was off to new homes! I'm bringing in more this weekend...mostly 5 melton weight wools...red, cream, soldier blue, light golden/sage and a great dark green wool...all of these wools retail at $20 per yard.....I'm selling them for $8 a yard! The Melton weight wools are also great to dye over and make perfect backgrounds for penny rugs or if you do clothing, jackets and vests. Here are the colors so you can see...

Ok girls....yall wiped me out of the wool! Right now there is only 22" of red left!









Yall all have a great weekend...come see us if you get the chance!


Lisa

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Valentines and Cupids

(Updated Thursday late afternoon...)

Now that the Christmas/New Year holidays are behind us, it's time to think hearts and bunnies!

We have on order three new patterns from Country Stitches...I want to make sure that we get enough for anyone who wants to get it...so I'm taking pre-orders on these three patterns and the linen as well! (WOW members...don't forget about your discount!)


St. Valentines Fraktur...overall size is 4" x 12". Pattern price...$12.95


New Castle 40 ct. linen in "Raw"...you'll need an 18" square for the project below...price per 18" piece is $11.95


"Love Filled Heart". Makes a 6 1/2" heart pocket/pinkeep...perfect to stash away your favorite pair of embroidery scissors and sewing pins. I will include the tiny chenille that goes around the outside at no charge! $8.95 for the pattern.


"Cupid's Arrow" pattern...makes a sweet little stuffed cherub with paper wings and a stuffed red heart...pattern price is $11.95 and comes with the red fabric for the heart.

If anyone would like to pre-order...just email me and I'll get you on the list!

(Monday evening...)

Got a nice big stack of springtime wools dyed today...so far there are about 35 colors coming in...I've been humming "here comes peter cottontail" all day in my head! One more day of dying and we should have a good jump on Spring projects!



And...the January free wool for the WOW members is done! Come pick up your piece when you have the chance!



Just came down from my studio a few minutes ago where I swore I wasn't coming down until I had that pit of a workspace cleaned up and I could find stuff again! In the process, I found this cute little Valentine project that we did years ago for a beginner stitchery class...thought I'd make a few kits and bring them in this weekend! Price will be $6.95 and will have everything you need to make it just as you see it. It fits into a 5 x 7 frame or makes a cute little pillow! (I accidently spayed mine with Brown Sugar room spray...thinking it was my bottle of walnut crystal dye...how stupid was that! However, I will say, it smells delightful!)



"Down the Maiden's Path" patterns for February (Martha) and March/April (Annabell) are now done and available for purchase. $6.95 each...kits won't be ready until Feb. 1st for Martha and a little later for Annabell...













One last quick note...the next Settler's Pride block is ready for the girls who are doing that project. If yours gets mailed, it has either gone out already or will go out tomorrow. (My mail lady got here before I could get all the shipping labels done!) If you normally pick it up, it will be ready and at the shop this weekend!



Well...back to cutting kits...here comes the weekend!
Lisa

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Forget Winter.....think Spring!!

Isn't it funny how once the holidays are over with, you're ready to start thinking Spring? Most everyone that came into the shop last weekend could have cared less about the sale we were having on our Christmas goodies....all they were wanting were bunnies and pastel wools and anything else that makes you whistle a Springtime tune!

So here we go....I reordered some of our best selling Spring punchneedle projects...guaranteed to warm you up even when it's freezing outside! All of these run $11.95...(WOW price is $10.75)









There are more designs at the shop as well! Also...new ones coming...but it'll be about a week or so...





Better late than never....Not Forgotten Farm's new 2011 Calendar...12 great watercolor drawings that could be wonderfully adapted for punchneedle, rug hooking or applique! $14.00 (Special WOW pricing is $11.50!)



And one more thing for today...we got the great bolt in from Blue Hill Fabrics...from the American Independence line. Regular retail is $9.50...our price is $7.95 (WOW discount applies as well)...



Is anyone looking for a Singer Featherweight sewing machine? One of our good friends and vendors outside came across one and we are trying to help him sell it! Made in 1947, it is in great running condition...complete with original case, attachments and original manual. Black in color, it is in very good "looking condition" with some paint loss to the edges where your hands/fabric lay...just from years of use. It was serviced back in the 90's and then not used much after that...he's got it at a really good price of $195.00/OBO. We've got it at the shop if anyone would like to take a look at it!

We'll be handing out a free little counted cross stitch give-away project this weekend too!

More coming later....until then, Lisa