I have a dirty little secret. . .I have so many works in progress it’s embarrassing.  So, I’m gonna come clean.

Every Wednesday I’ll be posting a blog series of my WIPS.  Maybe this will light a fire under me to get some of them finished.  I’ll be sure to post finished pieces.  That’s when the stitch guide will be available.

This Charlie Harper is on the top of my list to finish.  I started this about a year ago.

I must have tried about a dozen backgrounds before Becki suggested a 4-way mitered Bargello.  I had never done that before and looked at her like she had ten heads.  That usually when it’s one of Becki’s best ideas.

Rounding the corner was quite tricky.  Took me a few tries.

I used black Chenill for the stripes.  I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but the Chenille really puffs up and gives dimension to the piece.

There’s an empty spot on my family room wall just waiting for this piece.

Gotta whittle down these WIPS!

It’s snowing and blowing here in Connecticut.  We’re in the middle of blizzard.  So what better thing to do than stitch?

This beautiful Melissa Shirley piece showed up at the store back in November.  What a pleasant surprise since I had forgotten that I had ordered it.

I’m always trying to push myself with my stitching.  Ribbon work is not my strong suit.  I’m quite pleased with how these flowers turned out.  Only took a few tries.

Melissa Shirley’s designs are so beautiful.  Which makes them a challenge to stitch.  How do you keep as true to the painted design as possible?  A question I always ask myself.

For those of you who know me personally, beading is not my favorite.  Very time consuming.  And, as a stitcher with very light tension, yanking those beads goes against my natural technique.

If you get the opportunity to play with Silken Straw or Chenille, I highly recommend it.  Though, Chenille is not the most friendly thread to work with.  But the effect is like nothing else.

Gotta get back to stitching and write up this stitch guide!

I don’t know about you, but I could care less about the Super Bowl.  Well, I care about the food.  Who doesn’t love nachos, chili, pigs in a blanket, and whatever else we can justify shoving in our mouths in a three hour period?

Join us on Sunday February 1st 12-4 for our first Super Bowl Stitch In!

Put the chili on in the morning. Pull up a chair in our classroom.  Hang out with fellow stitchers.  Just carve out a little time for yourself.

No registration is required.

We’ll have special sales and deals that day.  And you never know what else I might decide to do!

A few months ago, someone suggested on Facebook that Melissa Shirley should design some winter and fall bunnies.  So, naturally, I called Melissa the next day and told her that if she painted them, I’d stitch them. And voila!  Here we are.

I think these are even cuter than the first series.  A little more variety.  I can’t decide which is my favorite.  I think the Autumn Leaf bunny will be the most fun to stitch.  I see some Silken Straw in my future!

Give us a call or sign up online.

The club will start in May 2015  and ship quarterly.

$115

Stitch Guide included with the purchase of the canvas and threads.  Thread kits additional

From the Phoenix market, that is.   And what fun it was!

I’ve been a little delayed in blogging since I was having a wifi problem in the hotel and was unable to log into the blog.  And then, I’ve been down for the count with the flu.  Gotta love air travel.

We started out with a trip from hell getting to Phoenix.  Our plane was frozen at JFK.  Then we were sent to Laguardia airport.  Which meant a connecting flight in Charlotte, then finally onto Phoenix  18 hours later we arrived.  Exhausted and in desperate need of a glass of wine (or two). At least this guy made our trip amusing.  Who does squats in the middle of an airport?

Thankfully, I had planned a relaxing Friday, booked with a massage and facial.  And I was lucky enough to attend a private class taught by Lamora, who own Access Commodities.  What an amazing and knowledgable woman she is.  Access is the company behind Silk Wrapped Pearl Purl, Soie d’Alger, Russia Braid, Gimp and SO much more.  One of the best classes I’ve ever taken.  I’ll be bringing what I learned to a class in the shop that will be accessible long distance.

We had a little too much fun on Friday night with the infamous Don Lynch.  Oh . . .who am I kidding?  You can never have too much fun.  Well, until the next morning when you’re asking yourself why did we do shots of Fireball.

Walking the aisles of the convention center is exhausting and exhilarating all at the same time.  So much to see.  It’s needlepoint heaven!

Jinny and I were so exhausted that we couldn’t believe that it was only 7:30 when we got back from dinner that night.  God I felt old!

Sunday was another day of ordering, chatting, and planning new ideas.  Our flight home was less traumatic.  The flight left on time and we had a six hours of stitching time.  And a race. . .but that’s for another blog.

And now the wait begins for all of the new canvases to arrive.  They’ve been trickling into the store.  So, be sure to keep an eye on the “What’s New” tab in the webstore as I load new items in.

I know everyone is dying to see new designs.  Here’s a few of my favorites.

OMG! OMG!  I LOVE these little guys!  I just have to do a club with them.  How cute will they be made up as little decorative eggs?

Each canvas is $78 and includes the stitch guide by yours truly with the purchase of the threads.  The thread kits are additional and I have no idea what the price is since I don’t even have the canvases yet.  I can’t wait to get them in my hot little hands!  They are on 18 mesh and approximately 4 x 5.

The club starts in April 2015 and will ship monthly.  Call the store 203-210-5107 or

sign up online

Be sure to check out Melissa Shirley’s website for a sneak preview of some of her new designs.

It’s New Years Eve.  I’ve been scrolling through my Facebook feed and the reflections of the last year are starting to pop up.  So, here it goes.

It has been an amazing year at The Enriched Stitch.  I am so thankful to all the wonderful women who work in the shop.  Becki, Aggie, Mary Susan, Patti, Nancy, and our newest addition, the store manager, Jinny.  I couldn’t possibly do all that I do without you guys.  Whether it’s the day to day work in the store, or for listening to me on the phone for hours, I couldn’t ask for better friends.

We had a number of visiting teachers this year: Susan Portra (who will be back again this Spring), Julia Snyder, Meredith Willett and Vicky DeAngelis. All such amazingly talented women.

The most exciting event for me this year was teaching at the Dallas trade show.  What a thrill and honor to be asked!

Our retreat was a blast as always.

The dates for next years retreat are October 24th-25th.  More details to follow.

We have so many things planned for next year.  Clubs, kits, exclusive canvases, visiting teachers.  My head is already spinning at the thought!  And a new ground breaking, long distance instructional class option is in the works.  It’s gonna blow your mind!

I haven’t stitched as much this year as I would have liked.  But here it goes.

This ornament was for my husband, Ray, this year.

This one was for my little guy, Trip.

At long last, I finally finished the Fourth of July Parade.

And this one is for my precious dog, Bella.

Now that I look at this, I guess I stitched a lot!  But if only you knew how many pieces I started this year.  Maybe one day I’ll be brave enough to show my works in progress.

Thank you for reading my blog and supporting my shop.

Happy New Year!

She’s back!  The Golden Maiden, or Luba, as Becki affectionately refers to her.  And she is all dressed up.

Becki has done an outstanding job with this series.  We’ve even seen a few come back for finishing from club participants.

If you missed the club this year, you can join in on the fun for next year.

The club will ship quarterly starting in March of 2015.  Each canvas is $130 and includes the stitch guide with the purchase of the threads.  Stitch guides are available individually for $35.

Sign up online

Oh Mrs. Claus . . .you naughty girl!

I just finished stitching this little piece from Elizabeth Turner Collection.  I’m always stitching such huge pieces.  It’s nice to finally finish something!  But that’s a whole other blog.  Maybe I’ll be brave enough to share with you all of the pieces that I’ve started this year.  Well . . .maybe not ALL of them.

Mrs. Claus may have been hanging out in Dorothy’s closet, sporting her fancy beaded shoes.  A little lazy daisy tops them off.  And her skirt is to die for!  If I were Mrs. Claus, this is what my outfit would look like.

I hope everyone is enjoying  a little rest and relaxation after the craziness of the holidays.  I know I am!  I’ve been stitching and cleaning out the house.  My two favorite things!

It’s my favorite time of year.  There is nothing more magical than watching my son’s eyes light up on Christmas morning.

The food, the parties, the madness of it all.  Who doesn’t love it? Even that little Elf on the Shelf.  The only problem is remembering to move him every night.

We’ve had him sitting in a box of candy with wrappers all over.  The other night he commandeered a remote control boat.  And last night he found trying to repair the leak in our living room ceiling.

It’s a love hate relationship with him.  I guess I secretly do since I had him made into a needlepoint canvas.

The canvas is only available from The Enriched Stitch.  Canvas is $50.  Stitch guide $10.  Thread kit is additional.  Give us a call to order. 203-210-5107