June Greetings!

This week I'm off to market. I arrived in Columbus last night and the summer TNNA show starts tomorrow. It's 3 days of checking out new products, visiting with vendors and fellow shop owners and doing a lot of walking. Our markets are a mix of needlepoint, counted-thread and knitting/yarn as well as accessories, books and other fun things that go along with them. I walk the show floor at least twice, once to see what all there is, another to place orders and sometimes one more time to make sure I didn't miss anything. It's a good thing it's a 3 day show!

Maker Faire

Many thanks to our volunteers for Maker Faire - Mitzi, Bethany, Deanna, Mike, Pam, Sandi and Judy for helping make the Stitching Zone a great success. We had people of all ages (the youngest was 5) come by and learn how to cross-stitch, embroider or needlepoint. The TNNA staff who came out from Ohio were amazed at the turn-out. There were kids, teenagers, adults, boys, girls, men and women - truly a great mix of would-be-stitchers.

In the Stitching Zone was also some weaving and knitting/crochet tables and we were all busy showing people what fun the needlearts are. We gave away little DMC cross-stitch kits, window screening you can stitch on and a needlepoint project to a lot of, hopefully, new stitchers. The kids had a great time as well as the adults who came by. If you're looking for a fun way to spend a day or two, consider going to Maker Faire next spring. It was truly a family event as there was everything from the R2D2 robots next to us to scrapbooking demos to alternative cars (someday I want a Tessla).

I'm sure TNNA will be doing the Stitching Zone again next year so we'll be doing a call for volunteers when the time rolls around.

What's New & Updates

As usual we have quite a few new things in the shop. Here's a snippet...

• Arelate Studios - Midnight at the Oasis, Inspired by Mary, The Owl and the Wyvern
• Calico Crossroads - Yule
• European Cross Stitch - Abundance
• Homespun Elegance - It Takes a Village, Whatsoever Your Hands
• Ink Circles - Nine Lives
• Little House Needleworks - Colonial Women, Fresh Watermelon
• Long Dog Samplers - Carrelage, Pagalee
• M Designs - Miss Mary Mac's Sewing Roll
• Rosewood Manor - Grape Harvest, Language of the Flowers
• Sampler Cove - Amtrack, Enya, Mariah, Sirin Jadee, , Taking Flight, Tuscan Rose
• Samsarah Design Studio - Alphabet Baubles; H is for Heart, Pearls; Old Glory
• Shepherd's Bush - Be Happy, Land of the Free
• Waxing Moon - Monthly Sampler; March & April, Simply Primitive
• With My Needle - A Fair Maiden's Etui, ES's Floral Sampler

My personal favorite new item is the Sheep Scissors holder from Lantern Moon. I saw these in January at market and ordered them on the spot, knowing it would be months before they came in. These are hand-made in Vietnam where Lantern Moon has arrangements with many villagers and cooperatives who do hand-made items.

My friends Jean Lea at Attic Needlework loves to stitch on 45 count and persuaded me to try it. Pat at Lakeside Linens sent me a piece of lovely 45 count Vintage Sand Dune and I'm working on some motifs from a Quaker sampler on it. Ok, so it took me a couple of nights to get the hang of working on something that dense (usually I work on 36 or 40 count) but I'm loving the Graziano 45 count. I do need my 200 watt bulb (which is what I normally stitch with) to see it, but once I get started my needle seems to know where to go. I only have a few colors listed in the online catalog for the 45 count but it does come in most of the colors, including Vintage. They just have to be special ordered since they are not always in stock either with us or with Lakeside. If you like stitching on dense linen, this is definitely one to try.

2009 Series

Blackbird Designs - 2009 Loose Feathers Club -- The first two designs have been released and we have them at the shop. If you've not signed up for the 2009 Club you can do so by calling the shop or on-line.

Just Nan's second release in the Over The Top Tin Club has been shipped. We still have room on our sign-up list for the 2009 series so if you missed signing up earlier, you can still do so. Just call us or go to the Over The Top Tin Club page.

Summer Hours

We will continue our late Tuesday hours through the end of August, so we're open until 8pm on Tuesdays. We do have air conditioning so when it gets hot at your place this summer, come visit us and cool off.

Also, remember we will be closed July 4th, which is a Saturday this year. We will be open our regular hours the rest of that week and open Sunday as usual.

Don't forget, we have free Wi-Fi for should you or your companions need to use it.

Well, I'm off to pick up my show stuff, do a little wandering in the shopping district nearby (they have a great gelato place a short distance from the convention center) and then it's an afternoon/evening of events. Tomorrow the shopping begins. I'll post notes about new items to the blog and in the next newsletter. So stay tuned!

Happy Stitching,

Cathe
...and Debi, Leila, Jennifer, Mary, Ali, Caroline, Sherry, Susan and Margaret

510-522-0404 *  877-HAYSTAC *  877-429-7822
1533 Webster Street  *  Alameda, CA 94501

Shop Hours: Tuesday 11am - 8pm, Wed - Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sun 1pm - 4pm
Monday By Appointment

Sign-up for one of our new Stitching Has Its Rewards cards next time you're in the shop or with your next mail order.