Nashville Needlework Market News

Hello Stitching Sisters,

As promised here is a news flash for the Nashville Needlework Market which opens this Friday. I have been hard at work coming up with new designs.  I hope you will like what you see.

This first new design will actually be released shortly after the Nashville Market.  However, it will be available for pre-order at the market.  It is a reproduction sampler entitled Milady's Manor. This piece was used as an inspiration for a project that I taught at the Attic Summer School last year.

This is probably the most challenging sampler that I have reproduced.  While fairly easy to stitch the actual charting was the challenge.  I charted both the reproduction for those who are purists and an adaptation for those who prefer primarily Cross Stitch.  Enlarged color charts will help you reproduce this quaint sampler.  There is no name or other information on the sampler, but based on the condition and the place of purchase (England) I would hazard a guess that the original was completed C1800's. Robert Harris stitched the model and informed me it was a fun and fast stitch.  I personally love the choice of motifs which include a country estate home, a family crest and a two figures dressed in their best finery, bringing flowers from their garden. It's lovely quaint piece of history and I am curious about the girl or woman who stitched this sampler!

The next release is a pin cushion spool which I showed you a couple of days ago.  The design is called A Stitcher's Pin Spool.

This design was worked on 40 count and the kit has all the supplies to make one pin cushion.  It is charted with both "Sampler Sisters" and "Stitching Sisters", so you have a choice on the wording.  The kit includes a chart for the design on 36 count (no fabric included), which will basically take off the top band.  The kit does include one spool and additional spools can be obtained from your local needlework shop. These spools are exclusively sold by Milady's Needle.  The pins in the pin cushion are also included in the kit and are made especially for this design by Kim Lewis of Kim's Needle Needfuls.

Two more kits with spool designs are also being released at the market.  Christmas decorations are popular all through the year, so these next designs will appeal to those who like to get an early start on their Christmas gifts for friends of for their own tree.

The first is entitled Quaker Christmas Spools. The kit comes with enough supplies to stitch both designs.  One spool is included and additional spools can be obtain from your local needlework shop.  The tops of the spools have buttons from Just Another Button Company which are used to aid in the finishing.

                                  The second is entitled Joyful Yuletide Spools.  Again the kit comes with enough supplies to stitch both designs.  One spool is included and additional spools can be obtained from your local needlework shop. Below see the entire design.

This last items being released at the market are gift items.  I have a sampler in my collection that has a verse on it that is my favorite sampler verse ever.  I am going to reproduce the sampler at some point, but just now I am producing note cards and notebooks with a photo of the sampler with the verse visible.  The sampler was stitched by Mary Cubitt and probably finished in the year (1770) which is stitched on the sampler.

The verse reads:

Young Ladies Fair, whose Gentle minds incline:

To all that's Curious, Innocent and Fine;

With Admiration in your Works are Read,

The various Texturs, of the twined Thread,

Then let your Fingers, use Unriveled Skill,

Exalt the Nedle, grace the Noble Quill.

Mary Cubitt's  Note Cards and Notebooks are sold separately.  I hope you enjoy looking at this sampler and that each time you open the note book or send a card you will think of Mary doing needlework or writing notes to her friends so very long ago.

That's the market report for Nashville 2017.  If you like what you see, be sure to talk with your local needlework shop about ordering these designs.  Most needlework shops go to market with a list these days and they count on you to let them know what you want them to bring back with them.  They are busy compiling these as I type.

All the best and until next time...

Keep those needles busy.

Gloria

Just a Quick Note

Hello Friends In Stitches,

I thought I would take a moment away from my needlework market preparations for a quick note to give you the news from my little corner of the world.  Getting close to a year now since I last posted, but I guess a few things have happened for Milady's Needle since then.

Last July, I taught in La Crosse, Wisconsin for Crosse Stitchery and Main Street Framing owned by Sarah Hall.  This group of ladies were the first to have a chance to stitch a new design before it's release.  This new spool pin cushion design is going to the Nashville Needlework Market in just a week, so here is a picture of the design entitled "Sampler Sisters Pin Cushion".


The class afforded the opportunity for participants to learn the finishing techniques for this design and included making the pin cushion top and Bri-Waxing the spool.  We had a lovely day for the class and did our work on the spool outside.  I think that the class participants had a wonderful time; at least there seemed to be a lot of smiles and much laughter while working.  I know I had a delightful time with a great group of ladies as we shared our love of stitching.  I look forward to returning for another class someday.

I have updated this design for 2017 and included a chart with the words "Stitching Sisters Pin Cushion". Since there are some needleworkers out there who don't particularly like samplers; I thought I would make the design more inclusive of all who love to stitch.  Also included is a chart for doing the design on 36 count for those who don't like to work on 40 Count fabric.  I will post a picture of the other pin cushion with the rest of the Nashville Releases later this week.

In August I taught at the Attic Needlework Shop for Jean's Summer School.  Once again eight designers who live in the Phoenix area came together with a wonderful selection of projects for those stitchers who love samplers.  Each year the projects seem to get better and better.  I found a wonderful small sampler at the last Nashville Needlework Market and I used the motifs to develop a stitcher's sewing book.  I really challenged myself with the finishing part of this project, but in the end it was worth it!  The design is called "Milady's Manor Sewing Book".   The class participants were very patient with me as I explained the finishing process.  I was given some great ideas for future books like this from a few women who know their way around a sewing machine better than I do.  I can say without a doubt that I have a love hate relationship with my sewing machine and the details of my adventure provided a few laughs for the class.















                 Inside of Milady's Manor Sewing Book



From the feedback received, I think this project will be one that I can teach in other venues and it will be available for classes after August this year.  As part of the Summer School offerings in 2016, participants received a copy of the full sampler in addition to the project developed by each teacher. Unfortunately due to circumstances related to the health of a family member, my larger sampler for Summer School was not finished.  It is now in the process of editing and printing.  It will be ready to send out to those who participated in Summer School at The Attic as well as finding it's way to the Nashville Needlework Market next week.  So those of you who thought you might never see this sampler...never fear...it will soon be on it's way to you.  I have to be honest, the sampler has been a challenge to chart and I have had to invent some stitches in my charting program in order to complete the reproduction.  I do think you will be happy with the results though.  The chart will have a true reproduction using all the stitches used in the original as well as an adaptation using only Cross Stitch and Tent Stitch.  When I post the 2017 Nashville releases in a few days you will see the end result of a lot of hard work.

I will be back in a few days with the market new releases.

Until then...keep those needles busy.

Gloria