I’m channeling my inner Oprah today.  There’s so many great things that I use every day that I wanted to share with you my favorites.

Lights

We have awesome table and floor lamps that will make it SO much easier to stitch.  And the best part is that they don’t annoy anyone else in the room with you.  How many times has someone told you to turn off your light while you’re watching tv?

Scissors

Scissors are the most useful tool you can have aside from a needle.  There’s nothing like a new pair of scissors.  My personal favorite are DOVO scissors.  I have a huge order on the way to the shop so give us a call to order.

Table and Floor Stands

If you don’t work on a stand, you are missing out!  Does your hand start hurting from holding the canvas?  Laying threads isn’t so easy either.  Does you back or shoulder hurt?  A table or floor stand will solve all of these problems.  Well worth the investment.  The best part is that the stands we carry are lifetime guaranteed.

Gift Cards

Always a favorite no matter what the store!

Little Red Door Kit

This is a brand new design of mine that I stitched up last week.  We have a few kits in stock right now and tons more canvases on the way in a few weeks.

Floss Away Bags

Tired of a big bag of tangled threads?  Separate and store your threads in individual bags that you can hang on a ring.  No mess anymore!

Cardinals

I love cardinals.  This piece is on my to do list.  It’s 5 x 7 on 18 mesh.  A perfect size piece and can be popped right into a picture frame!

Super Snips

These tiny scissors are the best to leave in your purse project bag for when you are on the go.  Not my favorite scissor to use at home for heavy duty stitching, but they are the perfect travel scissor.

Custom Monogram Magnets

We are just LOVING these in the shop!  You choose which design you want and tell us the name and voila! . . .you have a custom needle minder.  Call us to order so you can have them in time for the holidays. 203-210-5107

There were so many beautiful new canvases that were released during The Virtual Needlepoint Show!  I have my eye on a few that I definitely plan on stitching and was wondering who wants to join me.

I’m sure most of you know about the delays with our painting services these days.  But, if you don’t, here’s the skinny.  Typically I would receive canvases from my painters in 6-12 weeks.  But now, since COVID, it’s taking 4-5 MONTHS to replenish my inventory.  It’s not just me, this is across the boards with all designers.

The good news is that there are so many beautiful in stock canvases in shops to choose from.  So, if you are waiting for a special canvas to come in, you can pick up something in the meantime or work from your stash.  No stash?  Now is the time to build one.  It’s gonna be a long winter!

With canvases taking so long to get, I wanted to let you know what I plan on working on later this winter when they come in.  I thought it would be fun to stitch along together and do Zoom calls every week to show our progress.  You would be sent an installment about every 4-6 weeks, once I get another section complete.

The thing is, you have to sign up now so I can make sure that I have enough canvases, otherwise, it will be an even longer wait for you.

Here are the pieces I plan on stitching.  You can call the shop to sign up or sign up online.

Farmhouse Santa

20 inches on 18 mesh

Nativity

9 x 12 on 18 mesh

Pumpkin Patch

8 x 10 on 18 mesh

I have a bunch of classes coming up if you’re interested in something sooner.

Pinecone Angel

3 1/2 x 5 on 18 mesh

December 12th 12:30-2:30

Online Class on Zoom

Cardinal Santa

December 5th 12:30-2:30

Online Class on Zoom

And better yet . . . if you missed the following classes, you can watch the recording of the class.

BOO

Hydrangea Tote Bag

Of all the hats that I wear in my shop and my wholesale line, I am a teacher at heart.  I have always taught something since I was 12.  I started teaching little kids to ice skate when I was 12.  Then, I taught piano for 15 years.  And now I teach needlepoint.  I’m one lucky lady!

I am so lucky to still be working with the amazingly talented Amanda Lawford!  Check out her newest designs!

I can’t wait to stitch the nativity!  I see a club in the future at the shop.

For all the details on these designs, hop on over to the website.

Call or email the shop to order!

203-210-5107

enrichedstitch@gmail.com

I’ve been painting my little heart out over the last few months.  I hope you like my new designs!

Farmhouse Santa

20 inches on 18 mesh

Date Night

4 inches on 18 mesh

Cardinal Tree Topper

10 inches on 13 mesh

Farmhouse Christmas

Mini Totes  3 x 4 on 18 mesh

Fun Stuff

Hearts

4 inches on 18 mesh

For all the details on these canvases, click here to hop on over to the website.

Give us a call at the shop to order!

203-210-5107

enrichedstitch@gmail.com

We know how much you love our clubs so here’s a new one and it’s really cool.

Interchangeable needlepoint!

You’re probably wondering what that means.  There is one large piece and 12 ornaments.  The ornaments are finished with a magnet inside so they stick to the larger piece.  You can swap out the different ornaments for each month!

This is what we stitched during the lockdown back in March and April.  I couldn’t have put this together without the help of all the wonderful ladies at the shop.

The club will start sometime this winter, depending when we get the canvases in.  Sign ups close on November 1st so don’t wait too long to join in the fun!

Click here to sign up online

You will be shipped the large piece first so you can work on that off and on while you work on the ornaments that will ship monthly.  The stitch guides are FREE for club members.  You’ll get all the threads and special embellishments, as well.

Here’s closeups of all of the pieces.

You can call, email or click to sign up.  I hope you join in the fun!

203-210-5107

enrichedstitch@gmail.com

I’ve had this piece in the cue for a couple of months now and finally buckled down the other night and stitched it.  If you know me at all, you know how much I love hydrangeas.  I’ve stitched a ton of them!

I only used two types of threads on the entire piece.  I wanted to show how many different ways you can use the same thread.

My new puppy, Rosie got busy while I was at work yesterday with some of the threads.

Let me tell you . . .Straw Silk is not easy to pry out of a dogs mouth!

You’re probably thinking that I didn’t finish stitching the piece . . .and you would be right.  I’m waiting for felt to come in to make the leaves.  So . . .there will be a little stumpwork on this piece.

I tried to use different techniques on this piece from the last hydrangea piece I taught.

This one was all ribbon.  I used some of the same techniques but look how different they are.

If you missed the class on the ribbon hydrangeas, it was recorded for you to watch at any point.  Just let us know when you order the kit that you’d like the recording.  We still have a kit or two in stock so you can call the shop to order either one.

If you’d rather click and shop, click here for the hydrangea tote bag.

The Zoom class for the Nantucket Basket with the Hydrangeas will be on November 14th 12:3-2 EST.  Let us know when you order the kit online or when you call that you’d like to take the class.

Hope to see you on Zoom!

So many stitchers are daunted by a new piece because they don’t know what stitches and threads to use.  The more you stitch, the more you will learn.  The question I’m most asked is “What stitch should I do?”  So, here’s my take on a few of my favorite pieces in the shop.

Let’s start with the pumpkin.  I would use Nobuko and reverse Nobuko for each side of the pumpkin so that the stitches are pointing towards the center.  Compensate the stitch in each section of the pumpkin so that you delineate the different sections.

The big pink flowers would look great in giant Woven Spiders, as would the little yellow flowers.  The sunflowers is the star of the show so I would skip stitch the center with Arctic Rays and use a combination of Diagonal Mosaic and Reverse Diagonal Mosaic, so the stitches are pointing towards the center.  You could do Horizontal Brick stitch for the middle petals.

All the small leaves would look great in Raised Fishbone stitch, which you can find a video on needlenthread.com to see how to do that.

I LOVE this cardinal piece!

I would do a really cool patterned background stitch.  Something from the book Stitches a la Carte would be fabulous.

The table I would stitch in Horizontal Brick stitch over 4 with the ThreadworX overdye.

The star is a bit of a challenge.  I would do something simple like Skip Stitch but with the ThreadworX overyde Kreinik to make it really stand out.

I would lay long stitches with Straw Silk for the basket than weave over and under in the opposite direction to make it really look like a basket.

The cardinal is painted so beautifully.  I would do Reverse Nobuko for the belly and neck and have it randomly fall into the wing.  I would do a number of different Buttonhole stitches for the wing, laying them on top of each other so the wing looks lifelike.

The holly leaves would look great in Satin Stitch with an overydye floss.

The duck would make such a sweet gift for a new baby or be adorable in a kitchen.

I would T-stitch the sky with Silk Lame Braid and tent stitch the stars.  The bowl would look great in Brick Stitch over 4 horizontally with Pepper Pot.

The water should be kept simple in Basketweave or you’ll go crazy trying to compensate around all the swirly lines.

I would stitch the hat in Woven stitch with Straw Silk so that it looks like a straw hat.

For the duck, I would tent stitch the head and let it randomly end in the neck and then do a Ray stitch of some sort.  You can turn the stitch 90 degrees to stitch the tail feather and wing.

Here’s a sweet and simple one.  And the best part about this piece is that it’s self finishing in a box.  I would bead the ladybugs, tent stitch the letters and do Alicia’s Lace with three strands of Soie d’Alger for the background.

This piece cracks me up!  I would tent stitch the letters and clock and do Scotch Stitch for the background so it’s easy to compensate around all the letters.

If you’ve been following the blog for a while, you know I’m a sucker for bunny canvases.  I think this little bunny has the sweetest face. And I love her headdress.  It would be adorable in French and Colonial Knots with Boucle.

I would do Woven stitch for the background with Petite Silk Lame Braid. The bunny would be great in Encroaching Gobelin.

Some of you are probably thinking no way would I stitch this piece because of the black background.  Here’s a tip.  Stitch black in something sparkly and open.  It’s much easier to see. I would keep it simple and just do skip stitch.

The flowers on the piece are quite a challenge. The little purple flowers would be super cute in Gathered Stitch.  The pink flowers I would do long stitches with silk ribbon. The orange flowers I would keep simple and do Alicia’s Lace over 2 with two strands of Silk ‘n Colors and Buttonhole the edge of the flower.

I can’t believe I haven’t stitched this piece yet!

I had a wonderful birthday yesterday.  It was so great to see so many customers, while keeping our social distance.  Lots of virtual hugs going around!

I got some very special gifts.  My dear friend, Melissa Prince, painted my new puppy, Rosie.  And since we bought a boat this summer, she gave it a nautical theme.  I think it’s adorable and can’t wait to stitch it!

This is one of the closeup shots I sent Melissa.

A dear customer, Chris, let me choose a bracelet that she made.  Super cool and entirely beaded.

Flowers, cards and wine . . .what more does a girl need?

Thank you everyone for all the birthday wishes.  Looking forward to a great year!