New Stitch Along and Cross Stitch News

I had this post scheduled for today but then almost moved it to a different time slot.  In the end, I left here…let me explain.

THE STITCHERY NOOK IS GETTING A NEW WEBSITE!!  I’m so excited for Liz, Sherri, and the crew…and for all of us.

I was going to tell you all about the new stitch along and tell you to go and order but the website is doing what they call a migration where the information from the old site is moving to the new website so that means when you visit, the website might be down.  I’m telling you all of that before I tell you about the new stitch along I’m hosting.  No worries.  You can call the shop if you want to order ASAP or you can wait 24 hours or so and order then.  Here is their number (641) 732-5329

Now to the original post I wrote:

You might remember last year I said that I planned a few new stitch alongs for 2023 and invited anyone who wanted to join in to jump right in.

Right now we have the Red Dog Sampler Stitch along going on.

That is meant to be an all-year-long stitch-along.  You can jump in whenever you’d like.  Many of us started on January 1st and plan to slowly stitch on the piece all year long.  If you break it up into quarters you can stitch one quarter every quarter of the year…or there are about 52 or so motifs/letters/side borders and you could stitch one each week and finish it in a year.  I do really lose stitch alongs so you can do it however you’d like.

I’m doing pretty well on mine.  I’ll be setting mine aside pretty soon I think and will then pick it up again in April as I’ve already stitched about 1/4 of the sampler.  If you want to join, there is still time to easily catch up.  Again, call the shop and they can set you up.

That’s awesome because there is a new stitch-along scheduled to start soon.  It is Spring Messenger from Scattered Seeds Sampler.  This is a small stitch I think 123 x 80.  I plan to stitch mine of 40-count linen so mine should finish at about 4 x 6. 

It calls for DMC threads.

This one is easily modified.  I picked it so I could do a tutorial on how to finish something in an oval shape…but if an oval isn’t your thing or you can’t find something to mount an oval to, that’s no problem.  Just don’t stitch the outer line and frame it in a regular frame….still not your thing, leave off the words and only stitch from the robin’s tail and to the left and make a pillow.  There are so many options.

I just know that I wanted to stitch something for each season and provide a way for us all to try some new things.  I think this could be a good thing for us all.  This is clicking a few new boxes for me…first time on oval finish…first time project with Scattered Seed Samplings.

Liz has everything ready for these to ship out.  I thought we could start with the stitching as soon as people got their kits so we have them done in time for spring.  I’m hoping to be finished with mine by April 1st.  Right on the heels of this project, we’ll have another stitch along.  Liz is starting to put things together for this one already so we can start stitching it April 1st.  I have a total of five planned for the year besides the bigger Black Dog Sampler.  I love stitching along with you as it keeps me focused on goals to have things finished in a timely manner.  I often forget about stitching small projects and this really helps to remind me.

So…THIS is the link to order.  (The link might not work now as the old site is migrating to the new website-check back or call the shop to order.  (641) 732-5329)

I hope you join me.  Feel free to email me if this is the first time for you to cross stitch.  I’ll help with questions if I can.

In other cross-stitch news…I am so excited!!  I got an email from blog reader Judi.  She wrote, “1884 Stitchery is now the owner of the Sally Spencer Sampler.  She is offering it on her website.  Just thought you’d like to know if you haven’t already heard.”

UM, WHAT??  This may not have meant anything to all of you but to me, it meant a whole lot!!  Sally Spencer Sampler is one of the charts I’ve always wanted to stitch.  It has been out of print.  The company that designed the chart was out of business.  It has been what they call a “unicorn chart” for me.  In the cross stitch world a “unicorn chart” means it’s illusive and hard if not impossible to find.

This is the chart…

I really don’t know what I love about it so much…I do love the “sooner begun sooner done” saying on it.  I love read…I just have always really liked it.  I would personalize it somehow…family initials around the outside…my name maybe.  I don’t know.  Up until now, I didn’t have to worry about what I would do because it was next to impossible to find the chart.

Well, Mckenna of 1884 Stitchery is a save-the-stitches type gal.  She contacted the company that originally designed this sampler and she bought it.  She’ll be updating, reproducing, and selling the charts.  Do you want to know what I did the second I heard about that?  I went and bought the chart.  YAHOO!!  I’m just tickled.  Now I have to try to figure out how to stitch it to make it mine.  Oh, I’m so excited.  I don’t know but I think this chart is currently only available from 1884 Stitchery.  You can find them HERE.

You might remember my other unicorn chart was Blackbird Designs Birds of Feather…a sweet blog reader gifted me the chart that she had.  Now I heard that this chart is going to be re-released soon.  How excited for those, like me, who really hunted and looked to find the chart.  I’m so happy that these charts are becoming available again.  Many thanks to the designers for answering the call of us stitchers!!

So…I guess that shows you what I’ll be stitching on for the next couple of months.  The last one I showed you is soon to be a start.  I just have a few other things I’m finishing up first…but the start is imminent.  Feel free to join me in any of the projects.  I’d love some company.

…oh and don’t forget to check out Stitchery’s Nook’s new website as it unfolds.  I’m so excited to see it!!