Economic Stimulus Sales winding down: You still have a few weeks of sales left – Cross stitch fabric and patterns are 15% off 8-25th thru 9-5th; Frames are 15% off 9-8th thru19th .This brings us to our 16th anniversary celebration beginning on the 22nd till the end of September. If you order by our web site, simply put economic stimulus sale in the comment section and I will give you the discount before I run your credit card.

Fall Foliage Fabric Tour: Mark your calendar for our fall hop that lasts the entire month of October. Passports are $2.00 and should be ready for purchase by the first of September. Each store will offer a money saving coupon included in your passport bag. Visit all seven stores and enter each shop’s drawing for a lovely gift basket and get a passport stamp (with $5.00 minimum purchase) and when you turn in your passport at your last stop you will be entered into the grand prize drawing for a $500.00 shopping spree. WOW!

On-line Needlework Show coming: The fall show will open the afternoon of October 7th and run through the 12th. I will send a reminder to those people I have emails for closer to the date.



Free patterns: Thanks to Handblessings, Jemini Designs and Keslyn’s by way of Wichelt Imports for their complimentary patterns.

Birthday Time Coming: We will celebrate our 16th anniversary from Sept 22nd thru the 30th with our drawing treat tree. Regular priced items will be 10%, 15% or 20% off depending on the luck of the draw. Plus receive a special birthday favor from us to you. We really appreciate your patronage over the past year and this is one way we can show it.

Learn to Cross Stitch for Free! Mosey n’ Me’s Frank has designed a heart pattern that he offers for free to new cross stitchers. We add the piece of fabric and floss and expertise to teach any new comers. If you don’t know how and want to learn, give me a call to set up a time for your lesson. You can see his video invitation on Youtube or hoffmandis.com web sites.

TECHNIQUE TIP: Types of Needlepoint Canvas

Our local E.G.A. chapter is going to stitch the state of Iowa on canvas as a continuing project starting this fall. We will use it as a “notebook” of different needlepoint stitches. This brought to mind choices of ground fabrics for needlepoint.

Most canvas is made of 100% cotton and has lots of sizing applied so that it is very stiff. They are called by count – number of threads per inch – like cross-stitch material. A variety of counts are available: 5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 22 and congress cloth is 24 count which can be used for both needlepoint and cross-stitch.

There are also differences in the way the canvas is woven. Mono is a tabby weave which means the warp and weft threads alternate over and under each other. Interlock has two threads tightly intertwined to become one as are the intersections of horizontal and vertical interlocked so it is more difficult to distort by the tension of the stitches. Another type is penelope or double mesh that has two parallel threads that are worked over together for the "count” of the canvas unless you want to split the count and work over only one of the threads for detail areas like faces or hands as in tapestry type designs. Then you have two stitches in the area you normally would do one.

Most of the painted and counted canvas designs are worked on 18 count mono canvas since many threads work good for one strand on this size like #5 pearl cottons and Caron Watercolours. If you are doing any pulled thread stitches you must also use mono so the threads will move.
Not to be outdone by cross-stitch fabrics, 18 and 24 counts offer some sparkly versions with metallic woven into the threads on white or eggshell. 18 count comes in some hand dyed colors that look marble-y.

If you are making something to wear, such as a collar, there is a garment weight canvas that is not so stiff so it drapes nicely. I have a bargello collar started on some of this material. Canvaswork is my personal favorite because of the variety of threads and stitches that are used. Try it – you’ll like it.
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Class Schedule: There is no formal schedule for classes in this newsletter. It takes a lot of time to plan classes, project costs, make models, etc. I have not been overwhelmed with the response from previous months’ schedules. Either I am not choosing things you want to learn or offering a time you can come, so we are going to try “custom-made” classes. If there is some technique you would like to learn, call me at 319-352-5464 or come in to pick a project and schedule a time when you can come. I would like at least two people in a class, three or four would be more fun, so invite a friend or two to come with you. Costs will be set depending on the project materials and instructional book or pattern plus a small teaching fee.

These are some of the classes we have offered before: beyond cross-stitch which would include adding specialty stitches, stamped cross-stitch/embroidery, canvaswork - needlepoint, hardanger, pulled thread, drawn thread, bargello, petite point on silk gauze, knotted work, smocking, temari balls, knitting, crochet, duplicate stitch, myreshka drawn work, tatting, bridge stitching (darning stitch), beadwork (peyote, herringbone, right angle weave, square stitch, brick stitch), huck embroidery (Swedish weaving), Brazilian embroidery, silk ribbon embroidery, punch needle, locker hook, stumpwork, blackwork, beginning piecing for quilting, paper piecing for quilting, fusible applique, crazy quilts, bargello quilts, felt applique, free lace for scarves/shawls, framing and mounting tips, finishing pillows, finishing standups, finishing in a box shape, tassels, etuis, stitch notebooks.

If you already know how to do a technique but would like to pick a harder project or make a conscience effort to work on a specific one – new or already started, let me know and we can have a dedicated stitch-in with help available as needed. We offer a place to stitch without interruption from children, spouse, phone (if you turn your cell off) and have the expertise to assist you. You can bring a CD of your choice to listen to as you stitch if you wish. Learn something new this year and finish at least one started piece!

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WHAT’S NEW! –
Kits: Mill Hill – Arctic Circle Santas (3), Buttoned and Beaded and magnets Winter Series; Lizzie Kate – If you want breakfast, sleep in the kitchen boxer; Bent Creek – Catch of the Day; Prairie Schooler – Must Be Santa 2009 LE; Shepherd’s Bush Remember, Feed My Sheep, Flag, Thanks A Lot, Wave, Busy Bee, My Pins, Finch Song, Purple Snowman, Home; Sweetheart Tree - Spring Blossoms & Halloween Biscornus, Joy Christmas ornament, Holly and Hearts, Strawberry Faire, Country French Heart Samplers; Trilogy – Spring Trio; Just Nan – Spooky tin LE, Pumpkin charm pin. Fabric: RJR – Nativity with advent calendar panel; Thimbleberries – Harvest Eve, Pumpkin Spice; Elizabeth’s Studios – Dinosaurs, North Country. Other stuff: Puffin -Thread strand separator stands and heart needle minders, Lacis – Flexible magnetic board (2 sizes). New colors from Gentle Art, Weeks Dye Works and Crescent Colours. More colors of R & R Reproductions, Lakeside Linens, Picture This Plus and Zweigart handdyes for cross stitch. Plastic bag holder for threads that feed out the bottom – great for roly poly balls. Opticloth to clean magnifiers or glasses. Just Another Button Co – Just Pin sets of 5 with buttons on the top, 5 themes.

QUILTING: Thimbleberries: Big Bow Runner, Santa Town Square, Glad Tidings; House of White Birches: Prayer Shawl Quilts; Bloom Creek: Cabin Flowers; Black Cat Creations: 2 Fat Quarter Clutch Bag; Krause: Fast, Fun & Easy Fabric Boxes; Jukebox: Catastrophe!!.

CROSS STITCH: Rosewood Manor: Sailing Ships Sampler, Fruit of the Vine; Bent Creek: Under the Sea, Snappers Branch Bees & Squirrel, Uber Flag; Shepherd’s Bush: Halloween Night; Homespun Elegance: Freedom House Sampler, Festive Red Bird, Snow Much Joy, Santa Arrives Tonight Heart In Hand: What Makes it Summer, Christmas Markings Ornament, Horn, Reindeer, Santa; Lizzie Kate: Stitching Forever, Christmas by the Letter MERR, RYCH; Prairie Schooler: 2009 Santa; Sweetheart Tree: Birthstone Samplers July, August, September, Spring Blossom Fob; Blackbird Designs: May Flowers, Glorious June, Patriotic July; Imaginating: Wedding Heart 2, Brighter Tomorrow, Cottage Cat; Sue Hillis: Santa’s Magic Key, Santa’s Christmas List, Pirate Queen; Trilogy: Kitchen Spots, Patriotic TreeTruth; SamSarah: Baubles I is for Ice Cream, J is for Jack O Lantern, Witch’s Hat, Witch’s Broom; Designs by Gloria & Pat: PM Friendship Warms the Heart; Nora Corbett: Letters P, Q, R; M Designs: Angels of Peace, Joy, Faith, Love; Just Nan: Pin Keeper Garden, Sirens of the Sea, Counting Bats; Needlemania: Peaceful Moments, Phoenix Rising (sorry to say may be the last designs from Marc as he passed away recently); Blue Ribbon Designs: Americana Panorama, Blooming with Inspiration; The Victoria Sampler: Tea Party, Jazz Sampler, Southern Garden, XYZ Sampler (the last in the alphabet series), Cardinal;; Cedar Hill: Spring Biscornu, Fob.

OTHER: Hardanger: Cross N Patch – Christmas Quilt, Meier & Watnemo: 2009 Award Winning Designs; Hanky Panky – Little Bit O’ Lavender. Canvas: (Guides) Needlepoint Stitches, Suzy’s Portable Stitches, Stitches to Go; From Nancy’s Needle – Olde World Roses, Two Cottages; Needle Delights – Williamsburg, Colors; Blackwork: Seba Designs – Colorplay Bookmarks; Temari: The Simple Art of Japanese Temari. Beading: Jill Oxton’s magazine #78; Swedish Weaving: Pine Stand, Fall Melody runners.

Happy Stitching!

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