My Very First LNS Haul: Part 1

Until recently, the only cross stitch supplies I'd ever used were flosses and Aida I could buy at Joann Fabric, Hobby Lobby or Michaels. This didn't give me many options at all. I decided to try linen for the first time on my 2013 Woodland Sampler, but still stuck with something I found at the chain stores.

I first used hand-dyed threads and specialty linen on The Frosted Pumpkins' 12 Days of Christmas and Gingerbread Lane. Ever since then I've been a little a lot obsessed with them. I ordered online for those projects, but I really wanted to find a place where I could see them in person. There's something about holding something like that in your hand, turning it over and over, feeling it and really looking at the color. For variegated flosses, it's great to be able to choose the exact skein you want for your project.

This all led me to the Find a Retailer page on the Weeks Dye Works website. From there, I found The Stitching Cottage.

I know the title says LNS (local needlework shop), but the "local" part is a bit deceiving. It's actually 1.5 hours away. Considering I live in The Middle of Nowhere, anything specialty typically involves a considerable drive. The timing actually worked out perfectly for my first visit, though. My mom and I were attending a scrapbooking retreat the weekend after I found out about the shop and it just so happened that I'd be driving right past the shop to get there.

Coincidence? Definitely not.

Walking in literally gave me goosebumps. It's a small shop, but it's packed to the brim with stitchy goodness. Notions, patterns, shelves full of linen and racks upon racks of every thread you can imagine. I'd never seen so much in person. The owner of the shop was so excited to have a new customer and she could not have been any sweeter. Her enthusiasm for cross stitch was obvious and quite contagious.

I really didn't go in *needing* to purchase anything in particular, but once I saw the shop I knew I wouldn't be leaving empty-handed. And I definitely did not.

Near the entrance was a table labeled NEW. The owner said she'd just received a shipment from Lizzie*Kate (who happens to be one of my favorite designers) earlier in the day so that was fully stocked. Of course I started there. The first thing I picked up with a Lizzie*Kate pattern called Let Them Be Small. I'd seen this as a preorder and loved it so I was excited to see that it was finally available. Isn't that just the sweetest sentiment? The threads are both Weeks Dye Works in Blue Jeans & Buttercup.

Also on the table I found the first 2 installments in the 4 Seasons Flip-Its; Spring & Summer. These are a little more country than my normal taste, but something about them drew me in. I think it was the colors in the sweet little houses. The buttons are included with each chart which is really nice. The Weeks threads I picked up to go with this one are Tiger's Eye, Bayberry, Oscar, Dried Sage, Collards and Cocoa.

When I got back into stitching a few years ago, the Lizzie*Katie Green Flips were one of the first projects I saw and knew I wanted to stitch. At that point I still hadn't tried linen so it seemed a bit intimidating. Recently I started looking around for them online, but was having trouble finding a complete set in stock. I asked the shop owner about them and she said she didn't have them, but could order them for me. She gave me a copy of the border pattern (free on the Lizzie*Kate website) to get me started.

I'm usually a rule follower and seek out whatever linen is called for in a pattern, but she was out of the suggested 32 count Light Mocha Belfast linen. There was no shortage of selection on her shelves so I did a floss toss and fell in love with a 32 count linen in flax. It doesn't photograph well, but it has an oatmeal-y (word I just made up) quality that reminds me of burlap.

The Weeks Dye Works in Liberty is a beautiful shade of red. There's also Molasses and Moss. In addition to Weeks Dye Works, the pattern calls for this Gentle Arts floss in Butternut Squash and one Crescent Colours floss. This will be my first time working with both of those which is exciting in an "I geek out about cross stitch" kind of way.

You probably noticed that I didn't purchase complete sets of floss. Oh, don't you worry. Remember when the shop owner told me she could order the patterns I was looking for? Turns out she could order ANYTHING I was looking for that she didn't have in her store AND she'd ship to my home free of charge. Hence this post being Part 1. In addition to the Green Flips patterns, I also ordered the rest of the threads for the patterns I purchased.

I'll post pics of the rest of the haul as soon as it arrives. Check back soon for Part 2!

Once Upon A Time Mini-Finish: January

One of the reasons I love participating in statch-a-longs (or a SALs) is that each segment feels like its own small finish. That said, I'm not exactly good at finishing each piece on the intended timeline.

With that, I bring you my finished January block of the Once Upon a Time Sampler from The Frosted Pumpkin Stitchery. And yes, it's almost the end of March. :) I had a *really* good start on this one and high hopes of staying on track. Then there was an unfortunate counting issue that ended in frogging every bit of the border I'd completed up until that point. I cried real tears and blamed it on post-partum hormones, but they were actually genuine tears of stitchy anguish. If you've been there, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

I absolutely love stitching this one. The hand-dyed threads in the border are from Weeks Dye Works and oh my, they are swoon-worthy. The Frosted Pumpkins' whimsical style makes me smile as I stitch. It's difficult to capture in pictures, but the linen (28-count Cashel Linen in Crystal Dubloon) has a glittery thread woven throughout that gives it a beautiful shimmer.

How about you? Do you enjoy stitch-a-longs? Do you stay on track with the deadlines or do you stitch at your own pace?

Beginnings

Well, here goes nothing. :)

This blog has been a long time in the making. I haven't been physically working on it, but it's been swimming in my head for a ridiculously long time. I have several stitchy friends to thank for finally getting the courage to put it out there.

I've been stitching for about 25 years (more on that soon), but I don't know many people in my everyday life who stitch. Lately I've discovered a vast online community of cross stitchers who share my passion. It started with a FB group that I've been part of for many years. We started chatting crafts and I discovered that several ladies shared my favorite hobby. When I started the Woodland Sampler, I discovered that there were hundreds (maybe even thousands?) of stitchers over on Instagram. Soon I also found stitch-a-long groups, blogs and YouTube videos and forums all devoted to cross stitch.

I'm looking forward to this blog for sharing my WIPs, hauls, favorite things and other stitchy stories. Even more than that, I'm looking forward to connecting with other people who love stitching as much as I do.