Learning about great big dogs

Our first games of tug of war

Up on Crickley Hill running for fun!

After our first real haircut

This is why you can never be sure what colour Beardie you are buying! We have simply no idea what colour he will be when he is fully grown.

Working on a tulip project

This was a lovely relaxing stitching weekend with lots of finished projects to be viewed at lunch on Sunday. A great time had by all! The design was that of a single tulip flower with the option to stitch it in blackwork, pattern darning or cross stitch. As always, some guests worked all three!

We have had an awful patch here at Pinks Barn lately but things are looking a little better. Sadly, I have lost a brother in law and my mother in the last few weeks but on a more positive note, our lovely son was married last weekend to a lovely girl! Isn’t life strange? I am back at work again and we are gradually getting back to normal.

We have just published the latest issue of Stitch That with Jane Greenoff – this is the magazine that we send to all our Members. If you are interested in becoming  Member of the CSG go to Join us

Victorian Anemone Alphabet

This is one of the designs included in this issue of Stitch That and is worked in cross stitch on evenweave. You could work this project on aida fabric if preferred. There is a Materials Pack available to Members – Look in the Members Studio and go to Members Treats

Hearts and Flowers Sampler

This small sampler has been worked on unbleached linen – and is worked in cross stitch and backstitch.

Hearts and Flowers Etui

This version of the Hearts and Flowers Sampler has been stitched decorated edge linen band and combines cross stitch and four sided stitch just perfectly.

Will be in touch again soon

Happy Stitching Jane

After making the decision to change our thread suppliers, I was then dreading the change over.

However, it went very smoothly with Bill doing most of the work and Madeira UK getting the order correct and supplying quickly.The cones are physically smaller than our previous brand but carry the same yardage (should that be metreage?) and are beautifully wound so look very pretty on the shelves.

The other great advantage for me is that the number order is also the colour order which means that the threads look gorgeous en masse and I am having design ideas in my sleep!

Bill opening all the parcels

You can see from the picture above who did all the work and I know I nearly drove him made picking up colours and then putting them down somewhere else. We had cleared our shelves of our old cones the day before which are now on their way to a charity who works with schools all over the Commonwealth.

Don’t they look good?

When all these greens came out of the box (pictured above) I was picturing a design inspired by trees and woodland- perhaps later in the year?

Just a few of the new colours…..

I am writing these words surrounded by boxes and squashy bags as Bill and I set off tomorrow morning for Craft4Crafters at Westpoint in Exeter. Hope some of you will come and see us at  the Cross Stitch Guild and come and try some new stitches. I will have to close now as I need to load the van – I do have such a glamourous life! Ho Hum!

Happy Stitching

It has taken me sometime but finally we have taken delivery of our new Stitch That Binders. They were made for us in a lovely rich blue material with images from our Silverwood Sampler on the front and a section of the Borders Band on the spine. Each Binder is supplied with ten clear plastic sleeves so that you can file away your precious magazines straight away!   Each binders costs £4.99  and can be found by going to  Member Treats and scrolling down the page

I have found a Magnetic Chart Board!

A4 size with three magnetic strips

I have been looking for one of these for ages. My old version was very bent having gone under the wheels of the car and I have had difficulty find one. We are supplying the A4 Magnetic  Board with a  three magnetic  strips so that it will hold a chart in place and a chart of the chart of the CSG Logo so that you can add it to your stitching folders and totes. You will find it in Bits and Bobs.

I am sorry that news has been somewhat lacking of late -  I am back again and I have  made a New Year’s Resolution that I will be posting to this site every week even if it to tell you that nothing has happened!

Over the Christmas break, I have been trying to re-organise my work/life balance  and learn to delegate some of my work so that I can do the important things like keep this site up to date!

What a start to 2010! I expect you have been snowed in as we have here at Pinks Barn. We had another heavy fall last night and we had to dig out Bill’s car so that he could go to work. I, of course,  have a long walk through the conservatory to my Studio! I have used the fact that I have been house bound to spend hours and hours in the Studio and to design and stitch new things for 2010.

I thought you would like to see pictures of Bumble and Biggles playing in the snowy garden. Biggles has had his puppy coat stripped and is growing so tall he is bigger than Bumble at a year old. I am going to spend this evening updating the Events pages and also give you a taste of the new projects that will be included in Issue 79 of Stitch That with Jane Greenoff

I will be adding the next set of class dates,  details of our Stitching Holiday and show dates so that you can book the ones that you fancy.

Happy Stitching

It has been really good to see so many of you at the various shows and CSG weekends around the country.

The CSG had a record Ali Pali and Harrogate Knitting and Stitching Show  and a lovely weekend at Leeds City Hilton for our Together We Stitch event. I am working on the events for 2010 as I write and will up date the Events pages very shortly.

Bill and I will be attending Craft4Crafters at Westpoint, Exeter Thursday 28th  – Saturday 30th January and if you come to see us we will have a free gift for you! Please note this in only a three day show and finishes on the Saturday.

Will be chatting again very shortly.

Happy Stitching

Jane

Those of you who are current members of the CSG will have seen this already but for the rest of you here it is!

This is another lovely book from Needleprint (you will remember me raving about the Goodhart Samplers)

The back cover

This is one of those lovely diaries that works for every year so it is not date sensitive at all. What is more to the point is that it includes 13 counted projects and is ring bound so it will lie flat when you are working from the charts.

The diary has one page per week. Each month has 2 images (there are 13 months!) together with charted project  for 12 months. So to recap in total there are 27 images and 12 projects, 106 pages, it is concealed ring bound .A gorgeous gift for a stitching friend

You can find the Diary in the shop under Books and Media

Bill, my husband and I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Russia – you will see more of this in later issues of our magazine, Stitch That. I am designing and scribbling about the trip as I write. Issue 77  has been mailed and should be with you shortly – some of you have already been in touch so I know it is out there.

Faux Ivory Magnetic Needle Token

We have been busy sourcing new things for this autumn and I think we have found yet another winner! Our Faux Ivory Magnetic Needle Tokens are ready at last! You have no idea how many types of magnets are available and how complicated it gets. Hand crafted for us here in Gloucestershire, these attractive and practical Tokens have a magnet embedded inside and can be worn as a brooch or attached to your frame or chart board and then you can pop your needle on the surface for safekeeping. We have six designs available now with at least three more in the pipeline.

Token holding scissors in place

Using the rear magnet to hold as a brooch

I thought those of you who have not as yet succumbed to Membership might like to see snippets of what is on offer this time. Every issue of Stitch That includes new designs with colour pictures and clear computer originated charts and it is sent to Members of the CSG five times a year.

Strawberry & Little Bird Chatelaine

This project includes a pinkeep, needlecase and scissor holder all tied together with a strip of linen band. Full stitching, making up and hemstitch instructions are  included

Christmas Welcome Door Hanger

Created from a complete set of initials included in this issue – large initials are always very popular with our Members who create amazing personal projects. This set of letters have been combined with holly and Christmas roses to create very festive effect

Beautiful Borders Band Sampler

This long band sampler is stitched on linen aida and has a few additional counted stitches to add interest and texture to the design. After months of the very challenging Silverwood Sampler, I felt it was time to tackle a band sampler with less taxing techniques.

I am so sorry I have been out of touch again! I have been so buried with urgent things that I sometimes forget the important ones!

I am trying to finish another book (say nothing – I know this is my own fault) and get Stitch That Issue 77 out there and so on. Now to compound the situation, Bill and I leave for Russia at 5am tomorrow morning!!I will be planning some Russian themed projects very soon.

Stitch That should be with you by the end of the month – a bumper edition with 48 pages.Another full colour version after all that positive feedback.

There will, of course, be people at the Studio every day but you may find it difficult to get in touch

Happy stitching