The Dogwood Patch Cross Stitch Shop Newsletter for October 2007

The Dogwood Patch Newsletter is sent out approximately once each month and for special notices.
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Happy October Y'all:

It just amazes me to no end how fast time passes. We just had labor day & now it's almost Halloween. The other night I saw a house with a jack-o-lantern lit. A reminder to me that it's almost time for those adorable trick-or-treaters to come knocking. It's not often enough that I get a porch full of children @ my house. I just love kids! My 1st mother-in-law was the same way. She would hug each & every trick or treater & invite them in & take their picture. It was such a delight every Halloween @ her house. The leaves should be changing soon. I can see a little bit of color in the trees but ever so slightly. I had to turn on the heat last night. It's getting chilly out when the sun goes down. Yep, signs that Autumn will not wait until you're ready to accept it, ready or not, here it comes.

Waxing Moon with Frame

I've got so many things I'm excited about this newsletter. Let's see, which ones to mention. I just added Waxing Moon to my monthly automatic with Hoffman. I'm asking myself, why do I keep ordering their charts separately instead of getting them every month? Everything she comes out with is so cute! And OMG!!! I just got Wool & Whimsy in the mail. I added them to my automatic just in time. This is so absolutely adorably cute! I'm talking about Home is Where Your Flock is. And the frame….I must get the frame. I try not to get many frames as I have a framer on the other side of the quilt store next door to me. Being the new kid on the block in this shopping center, I don't want to step on any toes (especially toes I need so much, I depend on my framer A LOT). But this frame is a gotta-have for this design. I think I must start this tonight. Here I go again, drop everything to begin something else. But it's what we do, isn't it? As I used to say previous to buying this store, what, you're supposed to finish them?!?!?!? But I've changed a lot since store models are kind of important when you own a cross stitch store.
See the catalog entry for Home is Where Your Flock Is.

Frames

Speaking of frames, you know the Flower Cottage Thread Packs? The chart is by Country Cottage Needleworks & has Crescent Colours over dyed cottons with it? 3 of them are out already Violet, Peony & Daisy. For October Rose will be out. It says you can stitch all 6 months on 1 piece of fabric. I know Crescent Colours Frame Line has made a frame for it. I got it. So I will have it available if you want. I also got the frames for Little League and Little Ballerinas charts by Country Cottage, & the frame for Curly Q Ewe by Little House Needleworks. I'm really surprised I haven't started on that one yet. But I did begin on Violet during the September Camp Iwannastitch weekend retreat. So that's 2 new projects I've begun this month. If only I didn't have to sleep every night. I would much rather stitch instead!

Fabrics, Silks, & Gold - Going All Out

Well, talking about starting things, I've been waiting on fabric from Lakeside Linens. 28 count Vintage Lentil is the suggested fabric for Little House Needleworks " Acorn Hill". I'm a sucker for Lakeside Linens. The fabric came today & I think I was drooling before I could get the package open. LOL I already pulled the Crescent Colours Belle Soie silk it suggests. It has the cotton conversion but I LOVE the silks. So they were just sitting there with the chart waiting & ready. I got out a gold needle as I always use gold needles when I work with silks. I figure why not go all out, right? I loaded it with Sister Scarlet & began stitching the bottom of the front door of the house. It's so gorgeous already & I've only stitched 2 rows of it. It's such a rich & beautiful color of silk on top of a rich & beautiful color of fabric. If you like fall colors, this one is for you. It says Leaves are falling. The air has a chill. Autumn is coming to Acorn Hill. Isn't that a clever little verse? I didn't read it before now. I didn't know I was going to love this one so much. I don't even think I put it in the newsletter when it came in a month or so ago.

I'm really, really excited about the 2008 WELCOME HOME CALENDAR SERIES! Ever wanted to stitch a calendar but was always afraid to commit or not exactly sure how it worked? That's me. But thanks to Wichelt I get it now & I can do it for 2008 & it will be ever so cute. It's a new monthly automatic we can all do together if you want to join me. Starting November 15th Wichelt will be releasing 1 new kit every month for a total of 12 kits. The kits include Mill Hill glass beads, a Mill Hill ceramic button, 14 count aida, floss, needles & chart with instructions. The kicker is that the design size is only 7" x 5". Who can't handle that? It's small enough to stitch quickly but big enough to be seen easily. That is if you're going to show it off. Or a nice size for your eyes only. I know some people out there like to stitch things & display them @ work. What a neat way to display your stitching & have a functional calendar @ the same time. Or pretty much anywhere in your house if you choose. The kits are $20.50 per month. So the one Wichelt sends out November 15th will be January. That's great too because that means it gives us 2 months to stitch each month before it gets here. Then February will be sent out December 15th & so on. I like it! Look how cute the pics are! I love the little pink flower button, the 2 sheep & the pink house in January. And April's pic with Noah & the ark are cute too. I just know by seeing these 2 that the other 10 months will be just as cute if not cuter. And anyway, isn't that the whole surprise of a monthly automatic, the anticipation of what they will be?

To go with the WELCOME HOME CALENDAR SERIES you will want to purchase the Mill Hill Calendar Frame Set which is sold separately. This set includes the 8" x 6" matte black frame, 12 backing boards for mounting each month's scene, 12 illustrated calendar pages for the current year, & 2 cup hooks for hanging the pages onto the frame all for $24.50. The illustrated calendar pages may be purchased separately & will be available for subsequent years. So this can be used for years to come! Did I say 2008? I meant 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, on & on it could go. I have an idea….if you get tired of it you could pass it on to someone else who might like it. You could have it passed around to different family members, your mom have it 1 year, your sister the next year, then the next year could be your aunt's turn, I'm just coming up with all kinds of ideas for this.

Homespun Elegance has come out with 3 new ornaments: a Santa Ornament which is called Merry Stitches , a Sampler Ornament they call Peace On Earth & a Snowman Ornament -All is Calm. They've brought them out in plenty of time to be able to stitch all 3 for your tree. Or for that ornament exchange you'll have with your Sunday school class. I remember 1 year we did that with our Sunday school class & this 1 ornament went around & around & around. And you know, the way time is flying away, it's going to be CHRISTmas any day now! LOL

So that's my chattings & offerings to kick off October! I hope you have a wonderful month full of stitches!

P.s. Feel free to pass this newsletter along to your friends and family that might be interested in following The Dogwood Patch happenings.