Happy New Year!

Here we are at the close of another year! Did you meet your stitching goals for the year? Several people have given me the total number of projects that they have stitched this year. I have never thought to count how many I complete. I do more small projects so it hardly seems fair to compare them to the masterpieces that many of you complete! Maybe I can count my completed projects in 2017.


Our What’s New Page has been updated for the final time this year. You can see the latest at http://houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm. There are fun new designs from Abby Rose, Country Cottage Needleworks, Sue Hillis, My Big Toe, Little House Needleworks, Mirabilia and more! Several of the designs have winter themes that are perfect for stitching on long, cold evenings.


The week before Christmas my daughter and I went to the Dressing Downton Afternoon Tea and exhibit of Downton Abbey costumes at the History Museum in South Bend. (Special thanks go to her husband Erik for the tickets!) The tea was lovely and the costumes were unbelievable. The exhibit runs through January 8 if you have a chance to get to South Bend. The embroidery and bead work are amazing! When we reached the end of the costume exhibit we saw a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Upon closer examination we realized that it was covered with hand stitched ornaments! The South Bend chapter of the EGA (Embroiderers’ Guild of America) made all of the beautiful ornaments. Here is the photo  so you can admire it, too!




Make your stitching plans for 2017 and let us know what supplies you need. We know how you like to organize and plan at the beginning of a new year! Thank you for your continued patronage; we look forward to serving your cross stitch needs in 2017.  Let's see how many projects we can finish!

Merry Christmas!

December is rolling on and most of us still have plenty to accomplish before the big day.  I have decided that Lizzie Kate’s new Inspiration Boxer kit sums it up: “I am only one, but I am one.  I cannot do everything, but I can do something.”  Now the trick is deciding which things to do and which things to delegate or just let go!   One of the things I hope you will do is visit our newly updated What’s New page at http://www.houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm .  It will give you a breather from the hustle and bustle and maybe provide a few gift ideas for your stitching friends or yourself!  All kinds of needleworkers can use a new pair of scissors.  The new limited edition Sawyer scissors from Gingher will add a bright touch to a sewing basket with their pretty red and white design.   Kelmscott Designs new needle minders will do the same.  Holiday Hang-Ups - Joy from Bent Creek is a complete kit (just add a needle) that will fit nicely in a stocking.  The long-awaited designs from Lizzie Kate are in stock.  You should probably have one of each because it will be too hard to choose only one or two!  We continue to receive classic Prairie Schooler designs that are being reprinted by Hoffman Distributing.  You can have them without paying unrealistic prices on eBay!  I have brought a couple of stitched models back to the shop so you can see how timeless the designs really are.  There are many other great new charts-check them out and tell us which ones need to be added to your collection!

 

I will not keep you from your appointed tasks too long!  I hope you can find time for a few stitches now and then; we all know it helps improve our grip on sanity.  I probably will not write to you again until after Christmas so this comes with all of our best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and happy, healthy, stitching New Year!

Here we are at the last month of the year!  Already!!  Only a few weeks and we will have more daylight hours.  We have been hearing rumors of above average snow and below average temperatures.  So, we should consider ourselves warned and stock up on stitching supplies now!   We have the perfect place for you to begin your search for new projects!  Visit our What’s New page at http://houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm .  There are even projects there that could be completed before the big day!   You can choose from Plum Street Designs, Little House Needleworks, Country Cottage Needleworks, Joan Elliott, Stoney Creek and more!   If you need a project with a warmer theme, see the two new To the Beach charts from Hands on Design. They complete the twelve part series.

If you are constantly getting the question about what you want for Christmas, we would like to suggest asking for a House of Stitches gift certificate.  They are available in any amount and we do not charge postage to mail the gift certificate.

We are in the process of lining up classes for next year.  If you have any suggestions let us know.  We want to provide help in the areas that you want!

Have fun with your holiday preparations!  We hope to put up our tree this weekend.  I am amazed at how many homes are already beautifully decorated.  My theory is that if I decorate later I can leave the decorations up later.  That is my plan and I am sticking to it!  In gloomy January the lights will brighten things considerably.

We are so grateful for your continued interest and support.  You make it all possible!