Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Thank You!


My first order of business is to thank all of you who helped make our Midwest Stash Exchange a success!  Whether you had a booth, sold raffle tickets, carried tables, put up awnings, sold hot dogs, supervised kids games or helped in any way, THANK YOU!  It would not have happened without your help.  Our one day fundraiser has raised nearly $3000.00 for Riley Hospital Children’s Foundation!  (We only need $112.00 more to reach that total and I am sure we will make it.)  All the members of my family and the House of Stitches staff start early and work late to ensure a successful day and I am grateful!  Thank you to all who came and shopped and had a great time connecting with other stitchers.  Many of you gave above and beyond the price of the things that you purchased at the Riley Booth. Thank you. THANK YOU! 

We have just a few places left for our Stitchers’ Day Out.  (See the project and details here: https://www.houseofstitches.com/events.html.)  The pre-stitching kits have been mailed to those who are already signed up.  When you sign up, Stacy will get one on the way to you.  I have started stitching mine!  I am having fun planning the little project for the Friday evening get acquainted time and finding treasures for the goodie bags! 

We have more new projects for you on our newly updated What’s New page: https://www.houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm . Every year Gingher releases a Designer Series Scissor.  This year it is a crisp blue and white design named Lauren.  I think it is my favorite to date!  If you like it, remember that it is a limited edition and order soon.   While we are speaking of limited editions, the third Mouse in a House from Just Nan has arrived.  Haunted Autumn Mouse in a House features a pumpkin colored mouse that fits inside the cute little haunted house.  (We have a couple Summer Mouse in a House left but we are sold out of Spring.)  The 2017 Halloween Issue from Just Cross Stitch is here! (It is my understanding that it is NOT included with home delivery subscriptions.)  Vickery Collection has designed a chart for each of the four branches of the military.  Rosewood Manor and With Thy Needle and Thread each have three new charts.  The latest designs from JBW arrived too late to be pictured in this update but you can still order them with a note in the customer comments area of your online order form.  There are more new designs but I will let you discover them for yourself.
 
Keep spreading the word about the fun and therapeutic benefits of stitching.  We hear from many of you about how stitching has saved your sanity in times of stress and duress!

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Midwest Stash Exchange



Our Midwest Stash Exchange fundraiser for Riley Hospital for Children is only a few days away!  I hope you are able to join us!  In addition to the booths filled with stitching stash we will be raffling two framed needlework designs, a Liberty Hill folk art wall box called Halloween Jack, a 50/50 raffle and more!  Our favorite scissor sharpener will be on site to expertly sharpen your favorite scissors while you shop!  He has very reasonable rates ranging from $4.00 to sharpen embroidery scissors to $8.00 to sharpen pinking shears. He will also do knives for between $4.00 and $7.00.   The weather sounds like it will be perfect!  There will be additional parking in the gravel lot across Oregon street and on State Street behind the store.  The kids from ATA Martial Arts will be selling hot dogs, chips and soft drinks so you can keep up your strength while you shop.  I am sure that I am forgetting to tell you something so feel free to phone or email if you have questions.

Our What’s New page has been updated with our latest arrivals.  You can see them at https://www.houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm.  It includes two new Letters From Mermaids by Nora Corbett (Mirabilia), and Lesson Two in the Lessons in Abecedarian Summer Schoolhouse series from With Thy Needle and Thread.  Prairie Schooler fans will be happy to see two more reprinted charts.  Needle Bling and Pickle Barrel continue with more of their small monthly designs.  Another cute black cat design is available from Kit and Bixby.  Lila’s Studio finishes the Seasons series with Autumn and Winter.

Thank you for continuing to stitch and shop at House of Stitches!  We appreciate your continued business.


Saturday, August 5, 2017

New designs and upcoming events


I just took a scroll through our latest What’s New page, at https://www.houseofstitches.com/whatsnew.cfm, and I am amazed!  There are 52 new items waiting to become part of your stitching line-up.  You can stitch a Kitchen Aid Mixer, cacti, three coffee designs and a tea design, Christmas ornaments, hardanger charts and a variety of samplers.  And, be sure to see the pretty Victorian Gold Scissors.  We have Lizzie Kate’s Annual Santa and Tiny Tidings charts along with an autumn and a Thanksgiving chart.  The 12 Days series from Hands On Design concludes with Pipers and Drummers.

Lizzie Kate is going to do a Christmas Mystery Sampler this fall.  It is called Spirit of Christmas and will be released in three installments beginning in September.  It is stitched on a new Picture This Plus fabric called Heartland (available in 28, 32, 14 or 16 count) with 11 colors of Weeks Dye Works floss including a new color, Oyster.  There is an embellishment pack and an optional Needle Nanny made by Zappy Dots.  Let us know if you would like to stitch along as the mystery unfolds.  We need to have our initial order in by August 10 but you can still sign up after that date.  You can even wait until the design is complete but you will miss the fun and suspense of the mystery.
 
In only two weeks it will be time for the Midwest Stash Exchange!  We will be raising money for the Riley Hospital for Children Foundation.  Make your plans to visit us and enhance your stash for a good cause.  Knowing that you are helping children allows you to enhance your stash without incurring any guilt over doing so!  It is a win-win situation!  We have room for a few more booths if you would like to sell some of your stash. Our storeroom is packed with items that have been donated and we will have a parking lot full of stitchers with booths of stitching treasures.  Plan to bring cash in small denominations like you would for shopping at garage sales.  Help us clear out our store room!  We do not want to have any of it left at the end of the day!!  There will be games for kids, raffle items, a 50/50 raffle and you can meet a special Riley Champion!  Our granddaughter, Grace, is one of the eight children who are acting as ambassadors for Riley this year.  If you shop at Kroger you may have seen her photo in the store.  She can tell you from first-hand experience just what a difference the Foundation makes to the patients.

Sign-ups are continuing for the Weekend of Stitches, October 6-8, 2017.   Stacy Nash will be teaching an exclusive project on Saturday.  If you want to participate, sign up soon.  We are limited by the size of the classroom at the Blue Heron Inn where we meet. You can see a photo of the project on our Events Page, https://www.houseofstitches.com/events.html.

We have been asked to have a place online for you, our stitching friends, to show off your finished projects and your works in progress.  Let us know if you would be interested in participating.  My computer skills are limited but I will see what I can do to make this happen!

Enjoy browsing through the new things and make your list.  Thank you for your continued support; it is appreciated now more than ever!