Where Stitcher's Gather Must Have

Oh, my dear, the new charts are in from Victoria Sampler and Thea has outdone herself with "Where Stitchers Gather". You know how I am about smalls, but honestly, what I love about this is the theme...and how perfect this is for those of us who belong to stitching groups. This is so perfect for secret santa gifts (a little pricey perhaps, and a few too many pieces, but parts would be good too). Anyway, take a look at it and see what you think...I love it. We sold a couple today as we were ahhhing and oohing over the chart. The thread and charm pack is pricey but it's filled with all kinds of specialty fibers. As it is Easter Week in Ocean City, we've had people here all week with their families, but because the weather has been iffy at best I haven't been open until today and we had more traffic than a Friday usually has and some friends from the city are down, Ruth K. and Barbara C. and we always like to see them and catch up on what they are working on. Nothing is more fun than talking stitching...getting ideas from each other and comparing what we're working on. I think I'll be finished with my first block tonight, Shores of Hawk Run, and will take a break to work on "Heart of America" which I have also one block completed. I'm so addicted to these pieces I woke up at 4:53 a.m. today, thought I could either go back to sleep or work on my needlework...and you know which one I picked, but by 6:30 a.m. I began thinking about working all day with a lack of sleep and decided I'd lay down and take a little nap. I woke up and it was 9:52 a.m. and I had 8 minutes to get dressed, brush my teeth, and get to work. Thank God I only had 2 blocks to go and its and easy commute with little traffic so I arrived...a few minutes late (about 5) but I don't think anyone realized it...at least no one was waiting so I opened up like nothing was wrong. But I spent the rest of the day praying no one would come to me and say, "did you realize you have your shirt on inside out or backwards" (and I've done both believe it or not)..in fact I kept my jacket on all day just in case. I'm not sure if I have underwear on I ran so fast. We did get our Hoffman order so all the charts for tins will be in the mail tomorrow along with the tins themselves...and I thank everyone for their patience. I have misplaced an email and can't find it for the life of me. Someone asked me for information because they were starting a stitching group in Annapolis...if you were the person that e-mailed me, please e-mail me again as I have the information you were seeking...and I apologize for the faux pas. Technology, still a mystery to me at times. Anyway, I'm going to run home to stitch....I'll talk to you tomorrow...have a wonderful Easter filled with chocolates and stitching.

A Mystery Pattern for 2008

Just got word about a "Mystery Sampler"...brought to you from Blackbird Designs. The catch...you have to collect the Loose Feathers Club charts. There will be 6 charts released as usual in 2008 with a cross stitch pattern included. The twist is that at the end of the program (year) we will receive a "map" to put together a Mystery Sampler...i.e. a motif from each of the 6 projects will be arranged to form a bonus, 7th pattern (hence the mystery). So if you collect these charts you much remember to hold on to them in order to do the Mystery Sampler. Now while many of us hold on to patterns, there are those who loan them out and then lose track of them. I remembered to take a picture of my progress to date on the Shores of Hawk Run Hollow....I'm loving this piece even though there are times when I feel I will never get the water done, or the rocks done, but I look at the sun and it's so funny I just keep right on stitching. I've used about 7 different overdyed greys on the rocks under the lighthouse and love the look. I dropped the sun down to two colors instead of using one color to outline and love it as well. This is just pure fun....at this point. I really can't wait to get home at night to work on it....even though I have other pieces to work on I can't seem to leave this one alone. Next is the ABC Sampler...I'm waiting for the next 2 charts to come out so I can finish it. Loved this one and can't wait to finish it. I haven't put the charms on yet...want to wait until I'm done. Each time I finish a Drawn Thread it makes me want to do another...they are delicate and beautiful when finished.

You can also use your imagination on these, switching out colors to colors that really suit your tastes or the room in which you will be displaying it. But a piece like this is most important due to the lessons you learn. The great variety of stitches which you may use down the road on another project. I'm often refer back to a piece that's now hanging up to see what a stitch looks like. Teaching pieces, that what these turn out to be. Anyway, these are just a couple of pieces, I'll get more tomorrow to show you. I'm pooped as I've spent the better part of today reconcilling my bank account so I can take my records to the accountant (don't want to do it too early or they might find something wrong...they can always find something if I give them to them to early (at least that's my theory). Anyway, I do well until July and then I don't do any reconcilations until January or in this case March. Then I just struggle to get them right, but today I did Oct-March...I'm done, thank God I'm done. Of course I didn't get done without calling the bank twice...I have to tell you I'm not loving them giving me copies of checks instead of the cancelled check back. But at least I'm getting something to show. Poor Mary just doesn't give bookkeeping any thought because she doesn't really own anything, or have a store. So last year she and her husband filed with an accountant they picked out of the phone book (I guess) and she thought she was done early, got her refund and was going her way thinking she was happy because she didn't have to jump through the hoops Sara and I did until the hammer came down...she got a form regarding the stock from the hotel (something she never gave any consideration to). I use to get her stuff done for her by my accountant since he already was a part of stock transfers, etc., so when last year it was new to Mary she thought she knew what she was doing. So then she had to go back to her accountant, give them the tax forms regarding her shares and they had to amend the whole damn thing. This year she's going back to my accountant, so she asked me about what proof she needed on things. I said, your stubbs would be enough to reconstruct your bills, stubs and copies of all the bills. She does banking on-line and while they give you the statements monthly, they just show amounts (according to her) and she never gets anything back to look at and print out to prove. She says she can print out a page showing the amounts that were paid...but what the hell good does that do you? I'm sure IRS would be digging that. Of course, since she and her husband don't really own anything I really don't think IRS is going to be too concerned about their money but she's learned a valuable lesson. Oh, they will get her copies of her payments showing who was paid....for 14 cents a check. (yea baby, that's how they make their money). I'm telling you tax time is a pain for us all. While I take my files in neatly to the accountant (of course usually in a shopping bag...I'm sure Donald Trump does the same thing)...I had a good friend who would just throw receipts on her dining room table (they couldn't have used it to eat on if you paid them)...anyway, her house was a wreck and I mean that. You would go in and not know where to sit because there was no space to sit down...everything was covered in mail, newspaper, books, crap, and more crap. I would go to her house and ask her how the hell she could stand to live like that...but she just wasn't bothered by it. (I have a hell of a nerve at this point as the Christmas tree with it's lovely red cover is still laying on my living room floor..in fact I almost layed my pieces on it to take the picture so you could see it once again). Anyway, she took her receipts and everything else to the accountant in shoe boxes, pizza boxes, whatever she had laying around and....she didn't put them in any kind of order. Can you imagine having to do her records. She was a pip! Weather Advisory....it's windy as hell with no sign of letting up...however, it's also sunny and hovering around 45 degrees (temps say 55 but wind chill factors in). Anyway, rain is forecasted for the upcoming holiday weekend...sorry about that...but if you are in the area stop by and see me. I'll be the one behind the counter working on my needlework, unless Sara is there and then I'll be the one working (I feel guilty if I sit when she's there). Talk to you tomorrow...have a great evening.

Stepping out of the box

Yes folks, I've been doing this more and more and with the "Shore of Hawk Run Hollow" I've not only stepped out of the box, I've gone way around the bend. Of course you wouldn't know that because I've yet to take a picture but last night I finally finished the sun and began working on the rocks under the lighthouse and I'm loving this. This is fun is a whole other way than the Mermaids of the Sea or the ABC by Drawn Thread....it's picking different colors and making decisions that will make this a collaboration with Carriage House Samplings (not that they know anything about my collaborating with them) a truly exciting experience. I spend a good deal of time just searching for that right shade, which I've never really worried about before. Now will this happen on every project? Hell no..I'm not that anal...and most of the designs I love just as they are. I also love Shores of Hawk Run too, or I wouldn't have picked it out, but I'm loving my subtle changes as well. Living at the beach, with a stone jetty right in front of our building, I've looked at rock formations in the sea for over 50 years, so our stone jetty has remained more shades of gray, so that's what I'm talking about. Subtle but make all the difference to me. So tomorrow, yes I swear tomorrow I'm going to start posting the pictures. Also thanks to Ellen S. up in New York (held hostage in her apartment) for telling me how to fix my link from St. Patrick's day blog. If I had known she was going to be that helpful I would have requested that she be held hostage much earlier. Thanks also to Stasi B. who while visiting her daughter has offered to pick up more tins for me. Yes, before I'm done I'm going to have more tins than brains (not really a contest is it?), so I will be the go-to for tins by summer as this particular tin is a spring only offering from Russell Stover. Did you see the "show"...Housewives of New York" last night? Honestly, these people are just "One Hot Mess." The only semi-normal person is the female chef and I'm still questioning her, but I think Meredith is almost normal...but then she's not trying to impress anyone except her boyfriends family (and then who doesn't). I loved when Jill facing the camera actually said, "I don't talk about money, it's just crass." That's crass but going on national television and putting your stuff out there isn't? What the hell are these people thinking. They all look like idiots...and I'm going to love the next one where the countess' children get head lice. Oh, yes, how we like to see the mighty who brag fall. This countess is so stuck on her name she feels she has to mention the fact that she's a countess on every show. Get over yourself already. This show proves one thing...money can buy you "crap" but it can't buy you "class" since there isn't a classy broad on here. Well, the verdict is still out on the chef, but I don't hold out much hope for her....after all she's on the same show with the other group of harpies. I was so busy watching "The Biggest Loser" I missed major parts of Dancing with the Stars. Oh, my God, I'm going to have to put multiple sets in my living room so I can have each channel set to one of my reality shows...I'm missing too much. (does this seem odd to anyone....am I starting to seem pathetic to anyone else beside myself?) Anyway, I did see Priscilla Presley and Kristy and I found them to be amazing. I really thought Kristy, as a professional ice skater, would do well and did she ever. I was worried about Priscilla (we're on a first name basis now ... not sure if she realizes it...but we should be) but she did really well at 60...I look at her, look in the mirror, look at her, look in the mirror...I must be God's funny little joke...but that's O.K., I'm willing to play along with him as long as he opens the door when I arrive. I just wish I could do those dances...don't they look like fun? And the exercise...oh, wait a minute, maybe I don't want to do those dances. I just played the show on my computer so I could see the first 3 dancers...(am I getting more pathetic as the day wears on?) so now I can really say it's a crap shoot on who is going home. I hope the height challenged Broadway babe doesn't go because she is a hoot and a half. No one should be having that much fun, or should they. I've been to the dentist this morning, my mouth is now killing me...I'm going home to heal...catch you tomorrow. Have a great evening stitching and watching Top Chef.

Tin Saga goes on and on and on

I got a call a little while ago from Mary saying that Jackie J. (one of our Stitch 'n Bitch members) was trying to get in touch with me. I looked at Sara and said, "This can't be good...something has happened to Kay F." (Jackie's best friend and also a member of our Stitch 'n Bitch group). So I called her right away and Jackie is in Florida on vacation, but she and her husband stopped at 2 Russell Stover candy stores to check on the green tin situation and they found a treasure trove. So she asked, "how many do you want?" So Jackie is bringing 3 dozen green tins back to Maryland for me (she may eat the candy because that isn't so important to us) but we'll have green tins when she gets back people...crisis averted for now. And the other good news is...this is a tin that has been in their line for the last 5 years and they expect it to stay in their line, however, it is a spring tin only...so if you don't get your tin this year...don't distress...you can get the stitching done this year and pick up your tin next year. Thanks Jackie...you are a prince! oops that would be Princess. I just can't let the day go by without commenting on "Dancing with the Stars." You know I love a lot of these reality (?) shows and my Survivor is just not that exciting yet (although with another person volunteering to leave it's getting there) so I'm searching for a show I can get excited about. While I didn't watch Dancing for the first 2 years, I'm on board now and love to watch the struggle. I give each of these stars credit for showing up, feeling the burn, and taking the comments from the judges...it's such a "hoot." Apparently it is also a great way to lose weight (perhaps I should start dancing non-stop.) Anyway, the first night started last night with the men and tonight the women take their turn. Now Priscilla Presley is the oldest woman, she's 60. I looked at her and I know what I look like and since I'm 60 I just have to ask, "What the hell happened to me." I have to say I've seen pictures of her in magazines and thought she had gone under the knife perhaps one time too many, however, last night she looked wonderful. I can't wait to see how she does, although how can a 60 year old compete in anything physical with a 20 year old. Really, let's be honest even someone who is fit at 60 I would think would find it a terrible challenge to compete one on one with someone 20. And the match ups are interesting. This years contestant men are really tall and when matched with a female dancer who is a lot shorter I'm not sure the dance works. The winner from last year who is short is paired with one of the tallest stars and I don't know how he can be expected to keep the proper stance when he has to bend over practically to dance with her. Last night they told him to keep his shoulders back...well that will only happen if he lifts her off the floor and carries her. Also, in the 3 years I've been watching men have always won. While we all know I'm behind the women's movement to a point...look at the techical stuff the women have to do as opposed to the men. It's the woman who are executing the move moves while the men swing them around, do the lifts, etc. But the fancy footwork is always the woman. So the men working with the professional women have such an advantage. As usual we woman have to fight harder. While I love the show now I do wish they would cut out all the bullshit. I don't want to have to sit through 40 minutes of crap to see 20 minutes of dance, but inevitably on that 2nd night that's what happens. But it's still a "hoot". Sara told me to remind people that because Easter is falling so early this year we will not be open full time again until April 15th...or until I get the office cleaned up which ever comes first (I think we can count on April 15th cause you know this office is never going to be cleaned up). Debbie L. took off this morning amid tears from Sara and I, and we both wish her well as she goes in for foot surgery in a couple of weeks. The good news...she will be out of work and sitting on her behind for at least 3 weeks stitching. Just think of all the projects she is going to finish. Why she might even get a tote empty of projects. Good luck Debbie...keep us posted.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day one and all!!!!! In Ocean City it's been celebrated all weekend so I'm about ready to move on, however, one more day won't kill me. The weather has taken a dip in Temperature so it's a good thing I didn't put away my winter woolies,, but the sun is shining and the forecast shows us getting close to 70 by Wednesday, so I'm hopeful. We had a gorgeous day on Saturday, however, Sunday turned into a rainy, blowing, wet mess of a day, just the right kind of day for stitching. Debbie L. and her husband came down for a "mini retreat" (at this point we're calling everything a retreat) and Debbie spent Sunday in the shop going over the Lauren Sauer project with Sara and shopping. She and I do a lot of the same thing so we were comparing projects. On the way down, in the car, she almost completed the border on the Maiden's of the Sea piece...the entire border....HELLO...in the car!!!! I have a hard time stitching in my favorite chair, I can't stitch in a car at all. I started the Shores of Hawk Run and since it's a bit daunting for me on 40 ct., I decided to stitch on 36 ct. and give myself a break. Then to make it even more confusing, I decided against DMC and silk and I'm using overedyed threads which I just feel this piece is screaming for. So we spent some time yesterday figuring on which threads to replace. Looking ahead I'm also seeing a few things I will be changing on the piece so I've decided that each time I get a block done I'll show it to you so you can judge me (oops I mean judge which way you like it). I did get the first block done on the Little House Needleworks "Heart of America" piece and I just love this piece. So I've got my 2 pieces in progress and hopefully will enjoy these as much as I loved the last two. Debbie is back and I wish you could see the stitching tote (one of many) she has with her today. It's a Vera Bradley Large bag stuffed with a multitude of projects, some not started, others started but not near completion and then those which are just stitches away from completion. Like all stitchers she takes many projects with her on trips so she has a lot of variety...now how much stitching actually gets done is anyone's guess, although I left her sitting at the table stitching along with Sara. Me, while I'd love to join them I'm working. Got to run...keep on stitching and smiling. I'm off and running...

Spring has sprung!

Yes, it's spring in Ocean City, the sun is shining, the sea is glistening, people are walking the boards, surfers are out in force and shops up and down the boardwalk are starting to open up for the season. Why, just yesterday the Alaska Stand opened next door so you know we had to have our first hot dog and french fries of the year....ummm goood! Yesterday turned out to be a play day for us here in Salty Yarns. While we did manage to serve a couple of customers, Pat W. came by for a play date. She and Sara were working on a kit Mary gave me for Christmas which is felting. I wanted to try this, the kit was on sale so I showed it to Mary and said, get this for me for Christmas please and she did it. Pat came to Stitch 'n Bitch Tuesday night and said she had tried felting so we set up the play date. I handed everything over to Sara so that if it didn't turn out I could blame her. She took the bait and ended up felting all afternoon. I still don't have my squirrel and for a while it looked like she was making a felted penis, but as the day progressed the form became less penis like and more squirrel like so I do believe we may see a squirrel yet. But it's an interesting art form, reminds me of punch needle, repetitive motion of up and down with needles. Although with punch needle the design is outlined and with felting you are actually trying to form it into a design. O.K., perhaps it's nothing like punch needle, but I'll let you know if we ever get it completed. (notice that if it's completed it will be done by us, and if it never progresses any further it's because Sara didn't complete it.) Yesterday I went home directly from work, sat on the sofa and finished Maidens of the Sea...well at least the stitching part...now I've got to try to put it together....I'm excited! And since I finished both projects, plus the Just Nan Ladybug, I pulled out the latest collaboration between Little House Needleworks and Crescent Colours, "America" and started stitching that. But I need something else in the rotation, so I think I'm going pull out a UFO and also put "Barnabee's Bride" in the rotation...it's exciting isn't it when you get to start a new project, even if it's an old project the thought of getting something else out of one of my totes is too exciting for words. I'll keep you posted on my progress. I've got to get some more scanned onto the site so I'm leaving for a while...have a wonderful weekend, and I'll talk to you later.

Glorious in the neighborhood...

Yes the sun is out, the sea is glistening, the temperature is rising (today is suppose to be hovering in the mid 50's), and spring is just around the corner. I almost walked to work today, but my purse is too heavy to walk the two blocks with so I drove instead, but I thought about it so that counts. Yesterday we moved more fibers around (and around and around and around), but since some stitchers had called on Tuesday to ask if they could come on in to the shop, we also were open (as many of you know I'll open anytime for anyone...) and as luck would have it we also had another call from a local wanting to bring in someone from out of town, so we had a fun day yesterday. I have almost as much fun as the ladies do..I get such a kick out of stitchers and their stories. So thanks to Ellen S., Janet L., Karen B., Judith J., Marie C., Sarah S., Rosemary K., Patricia A., & Helen S., and all the other ladies for stopping by and making our day. We had fun and I hope you did too, and I hope you enjoy all your new "goodies." I'm also getting numerous e-mails regarding the Whitman's tins. I can't thank Ellen S. who's held hostage in New York city for working so hard on my behalf finding tins, getting info on blogging, etc., for me...Ellen your diligence is appreciated. Also heard from Cynthia R. who has tracked some down in Maine and apparently they don't give a damn about the heat as they will ship. Heat...I still can't get over that woman in Virginia...are you folks having different temps than we are here? Cause I'm telling you it's warm and sunny during the day, but not 76 degrees that she was talking about...and how long would the ride have been anyway as I found out this store is between Ocean City and Williamsburg which is approximately 3 hours. So we're not talking sitting on a truck for days...and if it's UPS we're talking just a couple of days to begin with...oh my God, you got me started and I don't think I can shut up. If you don't want to ship something, if it's just too much trouble then say, "I'm sorry I don't feel like hauling my ass to the post office with your lousy candy tins and if you can't come into the store than you aren't going to see our tins." But don't, for God's sake, come up with "it's too hot to ship this time of year." First she didn't ask if I was north or south, or if I was two doors away or 6 states away...you know the more I think about this the madder it makes me. She's obviously got more money than I do...hell I open the store for a skein of floss if someone needs it, I'd drive the tins to a customer if I had to (we actually thought about driving a dollhouse when we sold miniatures to Baltimore for a customer because the shipping would have been too high for her). Oh, well, I need to get over this...but you know what I mean. Customer service people...that's what I'm talking about. We can buy goods anywhere...what we're looking for are people who appreciate our business and let us know that by treating us like they appreciate our business. This brings me to another area of Customer Service. My adorable niece, Kelly, sent me a bouquet of absolutely gorgeous flowers...they arrived in the shop while I was busy with a salesman. I said thank you and the delivery person sort of stood there and looked like she was waiting for a tip, which I didn't produce and so she left. First I didn't have my purse with me as it was in the office, but I could still have come up with the money out of the drawer if I had to I guess, but I didn't do that. After she left and the salesman had gone I started feeling guilty and said something to Sara. She said not to worry about it and I should have to tip a delivery person in the first place. It's a weird area. Tipping in this country (we've discussed it before) is so out of hand. In self serve places, carry out counters, all over the place where we are actually doing the work ourselves we are being asked for tips. If I have to drive to your establishment and stand in line to pick up my order why do I have to tip you...what service did you provide? You cooked it, but then isn't that built into the cost of the item to the customer? If I stay overnight in a hotel do I tip. No, because the room wasn't cleaned for me; however, if I stay 2 nights or longer then yes I am required to tip, because after the first night the housekeeper has to come in to make the bed, vacumn and whatever else they care to do. But flower delivery....I suppose you could call and say you have flowers for me to pick up but I'm sure then you would put the container on the counter saying ,"tips appreciated." I was a waitress (before you had to pay waitresses) so I appreciate a tip, but I also appreciated the fact that the tip was for services rendered and it was adjusted on how well you performed. Does anyone care about performance anymore? It certainly doesn't appear to be the case. We've also had a strange thing happening when we go to lunch. We are creatures of habit and tend to go to the same places. In one of the places we are waited on by a woman who knows my daughters and she never charges us for the tea or soda or ice cream floats we have with lunch. The first time it happened I mentioned it to my daughter and she said "Mom, just leave the money you would have paid for the float as extra tip." Now when I'm in a restaurant and the service is alright with me, but the management feels it isn't up to par and they don't charge me for something I do take the cost of that item and tack it on to the tip so the waiter is the one who benefits (remember I use to be one). If the service stinks forget about it, I still tip but I don't tip 20%. Service is good it's at least 20% or better depending. Anyway, we've been back to that restaurant now 3 times and each time she's given us the drinks...and she doesn't own the business. When it happened again on Tuesday, I said to Mary, "This isn't right and I'm not sure what I should do." Mary then said, "Mom it's O.K., all bartenders do it." And I mentioned that just because everyone does it doesn't make it right, and then she tried this, "the owners of bars allow the bartenders to give so many drinks to customers free and that's what I'm talking about." Well, I didn't know an owner would give anyone permission to give away product. I don't I don't allow it, that's called stealing. If I want to give something away, well that's O.K. because it's mine, I paid for it. So by giving the price of the drinks to the waitress along with 20% makes this a reward doesn't it for stealing from her employer? I don't know, I just don't feel right and to be perfectly honest I don't want to eat there anymore. On the upside, we just had a Panera Bread open in the White Marlin Mall..yea!!! It's busy as I don't know what, but they did a bang up job running it so it's quick in and out which I love and no waitress to confuse me on this drink issue. But enough on tipping already...I won't tip to delivery flowers since in my opinion that's the job is to get the flowers to the customer, or isn't it. If you are a florist and feel differently e-mail me and perhaps I'll change my mind. On the shop front, the Miss Penny dolls finally arrived as well as Barnabee's Bridge and she's sparkly and bright so come on by and meet her. I've got to run...my taxes are calling my name.