Just Cross Stitch magazine Jan/Feb 2011

Just thought that we would let you know that the new Jan/Feb 2011 Just Cross Stitch magazine is out and we have a design in it! The design is called Winter at Beacon House. It is a fun design that we think that you will enjoy! Let us know what you think!

Getting ready for Christmas

Hope that everyone is having a wonderful time getting ready for Christmas. We have gotten up our tree at Pam's house and Susan has gotten hers up as well. I haven't been there yet to make a picture (although we talk everyday) but that is on the agenda for the weekend.

My (Pam's) Santas are out (about 100) and the ceramic Christmas tree forest is out. If you take a step in the house you may run into something. The guys are tall and constantly complain about the garland and the mistletoe being too low. They just don't get it.

We will be at the cantata we are singing for the Dallas community on Sunday nite. Pam is the one that is in the choir (although Susan does sing well). If you are in the area it is at the 1st Methodist Church in Dallas at 7pm. It is free and should be lots of fun!

And then there are the cookies. I always have a cookie party with us making lots of goodies. Now the kids are all gone--I guess I am going to find the kids in the neighborhood and make them come in to have some fun.

Take care and Merry Christmas!

New design for the online Needlework Show and more

It has been a fun and exciting time getting ready for the online Needlework Show. (www.needleworkshow.com) It starts today (YEAH!) and we are so excited to introduce to you our new designs

This is the Peppermint Christmas Pillow. It is a very fast piece to stitch and features buttons and beads! We just love the association of the memories of childhood and the sweet taste and smell of peppermint. Those memories are in a special place in our hearts!

PuNkins 4 SaLe is a whimisical piece that is stitched on 18st linen over 2 threads. It is FAST! The crows are busy selling off the farmer's pumkin crop--at least until the farmer comes home!

Snowflake Ballet is a delicate ornament that while not in the tradtional colors of Christmas, is a sweet piece to hang upon the tree or give as a gift to that special person.

We are going to post pictures of the smalls for Days of Creation. We plan to put them on the side bar so that you can see all the pictures of the basket and smalls at one look. If you can't wait...check us out on Facebook and see them there!

We will be in touch!!
Happy Stitching!!
Pam & Susan

A quick word about an opportunity!

For those that did not get to purchase the Tiny Pumpkin Etui (pictured above)--we have been given the chance to purchase 100 of the pumpkin containers. So we are able to put together 100 of the kits! We are selling these for as long as that they last. We will start shipment to shops within the week. Shops need to let us know ASAP what they would like before they are gone. Stitchers need to let their shops know if they are interested because they will not last long!

Keep in touch! We will posting the new designs for the online Needlework Show starting next week! The show starts October 21!

New designs, new projects and a crazy summer!

It has been a crazy summer here in Dallas, NC! Susan and I have worked and stitched all summer and still we feel like we are running backwards!

Do you remember in school the essay you always wrote " What I did on my summer vacation" Well, I am going to try explain a little bit of what we did this summer.

This summer started out with great promise as Susan and I and our husbands went to the beach for 4 days. It was wonderful, quiet and we were able to stitch, design and just enjoy the time. Things went crazy from there. We should have known it wouldn't last!

We had to finish 2 designs for magazines. ( I never realized that they had to be in so many months in advance!) One was for Just Cross Stitch and One was for the Sampler Antique Needlework Quarterly. They should be out this winter, but we had to finish them by the end of June!

We also finished up a piece that we will be using for teaching retreats. It is a lined basket. It is a Adam and Eve motif. It will have smalls and features many fun stitches. It is called The Days of Creation. We will be teaching this in May 2011 at The New England Stitcher's retreat. I think that there are still a few places left if you are interested in going to such a neat place. It is being held at the Enfield Shaker Museum. Iam listing here the link if you want to take a peek. http://www.stitchingretreat.com/

We have just finished a new design to be realeased at the St Charles market. It is such a fun design!! It is called The Buzzard's Roost Inn.

This design was conceived on a trip when we went through the town of Buzzard's Roost! In our talking we wondered what it would be like staying at an inn in the town during the Halloween season many years ago. Thus the design was born. Now if you do decied to check in to the Inn, please be careful what room you ask for. Some of the rooms look to already have occupants!

We will also have some new designs for the online Needlework Show. It starts on October 21st. Some of the ones to be looking for are: Snowflake Ballet, Pumpkins for Sale and Peppermint Christmas. We will putting up the pictures as soon as they some back from the finisher and the framer.

(Here is the link: www.needleworkshow.com Remember that you can always go on line to the show, then ask your local shop to order your newest stash enhancement!)

As to all the other things that kept us busy this summer, I helped remodel my late mother-in-law's house so that it can be rented. I am still working on cleaning all the stuff out and painting everything that doesn't move. My husband is an only child and his mother saved EVERYTHING. (We even had his old diapers!!) To say the least it has been a challenge.

Susan has been taking care of family all summer. Her mother who is in declining health is living with her, then she had her sister who is out of work for about 2 months (in her small house). Then her son-in-law received his first church in June and she helped with the move keeping the 18 month and 9 year old children. Did I mention that they drove back and forth from their house--2 hours 1 way--to help out? She went back to work with the kindergarderners in the middle of August.

We will try to do better keeping you posted!

Hi all!!
We have been busy getting all the orders from the Needlework Show sent and other orders finished. We had a drawing for the free chart of Freedom Park. Mar Will of British Columbia, Canada has won! Congrats!! It should be arriving at her doorstep very soon!

For those of you that have purchased Do Ye Goode, we are putting an enlarged chart of the over 1 area on our webpage. (It should help with the eyes.)

We are rearranging our office--again. There are things everywhere! We keep trying to get more work space our of a 12 x 13 room. Ha! We have exploded into the walk-in closet of the guest room and have taken up half the basement with our boxes for the shows. There has to be a new way. (sigh)
Now where do we put all of the stuff we need that we are working on? We keep these little piles of things on the floor right now--if only we could have a table that take up no room and can hold enough stuff for a 6ft table.

We are working on some special things for the fall. Pumpkins for Sale and a special Halloween design (that hasn't named itself yet) and a very fun Christmas design--Santa's Midnight Flight. We will be posting more about these as the time gets closer and we get them stitched. We also have some very special things in the works that we will be able to talk about in the next couple of weeks. So keep posted.

We are looking for your pictures of our completed designs to post here on the blog. We would like to see what you are doing and to show them off. Email them to us at praiseworthystch@bellsouth.net

Take care and we will be in touch!
Pam and Susan

New Designs are Here!!

Today is the first day of the online Needlework Show (http://www.needleworkshow.com/)! It starts at 2pm EST. We have 4 new designs for you to see--a sneak peek for those who are following our blog.

The first is Freedom Park. It is the latest in the Down the Lane series. It is the 4th of July in Shepherd's Way and everyone has turned out fro the fireworks display. We get to share in their delight as they gaze at the glittering sky.

Do Ye Goode is a traditional sampler that is fun to stitch with beads and small motifs. The verse is from John Wesley and talks about how we can make a difference in our world by doing good right where we are.

Bunny Umbrella is an adorable little celebration of Spring. The rain is made from tiny seed beads and th bunnies are a so much fun to stitch!

The Strawberry Pyn Cushion is a delightful addition to your sewing basket. It has a spot on the back that make a great place for personalization. It would even make a delightful gift for a dear stitching friend!

We will be in touch!

Keep on Stitching!

Getting up to date

Hi everyone!
We have been very behind in posting and I appologise. Life gets in the way of so many things that we want to do.

We worked nonstop fro the Nashville Trade show. It was a lot of work to get ready but--It was so much fun!! We stayed right near some of our good friends Clara from The Stitching Parlor, Ellen from With My Needle and Louise from Cherished Stitches. We also got to drop by our dear friends Pat and Ann at R & R Reproductions to see their new fabrics (WOW. And then we visited the ladies at JABCO to see the new buttons. Next we drooled over all the new things from Weeks Dye Works, Crescent Colours and A Gentle Art. And not last is all the goodies from Paula at Kelmscott. And that just was the tip of the wonderful things that we saw and the people that we spoke to. There are just too many to name.
Some the designs that we had for Nashville show were
Emiliana's Sewing Case.







It was a lot of fun to stitch and is even more fun to use. The floss is Sampler Threads from A Gentle Art and the linen is from Weeks Dye Works.





Here is the flip side--(inside of the case)

The Tiny Pumpkin Etui Kit (we sold out but check with your local shop to see if they have any left)

We also have two other kits that we released--The very cute Eggstraordinary Egg. It even comes with your own Ort Chick!


And the small Christmas cookie cutter ornament kit called Jingle Bells. Lots of fun and asmall piece to stitch. As always with our kits the finishing directions are included.

Last but not least for Nashville is the latest in our Simple Gifts series. Simpler Gifts--Joy.