October Greetings,

Debi and I attended the TNNA Fall Market week before last. She got to come home last Monday but I stayed an extra 2 days for a board meeting. TNNA is our trade association for independent needlework stores and I'm the chair of the Counted-Thread and Embroidery group so I attend board meetings 3 times a year as well as our 4 trade shows (fortunately they are usually after a trade show so it's less plane trips). What this also means is that trade shows for me aren't just about the buying trip or catching up with friends. I also spend part of my time talking to our members about whatever is on their minds.

I thought this fall market was an excellent one and everyone seemed more excited about the future than earlier this year. The rough economic times have hit our industry just like the rest, and many of us have been holding on hoping for better days. We're not out of the woods yet and I don't believe we will be for some time, but I think we all see the light at the end of the tunnel. That in and of itself was encouraging for us all and made for a much more up-beat show. There were a lot of wonderful new designs and we brought back some and ordered others. The highlight for Debi and I is always getting to visit with our friends in the business. We had our first full in person meeting of the Society of Soie Surfine (all 5 shops were at the show) which was fun. Anne from Gloriana was at the show as well so we invited her to attend our meeting. We normally meet via conference call or e-mail and it's much more fun when we get to do it in person. Debi and I also met up with other shop owners we've not seen awhile, vendors we usually only get to talk to on the phone, etc. All-in-all it was a fun trip and an energizing one as well.

Society of Soie Surfine
...when only the finest will do!

As I announced in my last newsletter we have released the first color in our new Society of Soie Surfine. The response has been absolutely amazing, so much so we're having more of our first color dyed to take care of everyone who signed up. I know a lot of you are as excited as we are about having a fine silk to stitch with on 40 and 45 count linen. I forgot to mention the Society News blog, which has information on the Society as well as photos of items stitched with Soie Surfine. You'd think I would have remembered that since I'm the blog-master for the Society :-). Visit the Society News blog to keep up with general information on us and you can Follow Us on Twitter so as we get new shipments, release the next color, etc. you can be up-to-date!

You can sign-up for the Society through us by calling the shop or through the on-line catalog. Be sure to specify which count fabric you want as part of your Subscription.

Society Member shops are: Needle In A Haystack, Acorns and Threads, Attic Needlework, Stitchville USA and Traditional Stitches and any one of us can handle your subscription to the Society of Soie Surfine.

Jody Designs Trunkshow

Red & Gold Hears on Green B5A	Gold Stars on Purple B7G
April Showers B32	Cup - Harlequin B52

Our trunkshow this month is from Jody Designs, who does great little needlepoint ornaments. These are quick-to-stitch designs so you'd even have time to get some done for the holidays this year. We'll have Jody's Ornaments through Sunday October 18th.

If you purchase or order any of our Jody Designs ornaments during the Trunkshow you will earn Double Stitching Has Its Rewards points on your trunkshow purchases.

The Needlework Show - October 7-12

The website says it all, this is the “Tradeshow without the Traveling”. As a consumer you can wander through all the items available through the show to shops like NIAH. If you find things you'd like to add to your wish list, make a note of them and email the shop with your list! Each vendor is limited to only a few designs shown at the Needlework Show, but there is a link to their website, so you may find other items of interest to you on their site. If it's a designer we're not doing an order with, we'll check with our cohorts to find someone who can hopefully take care of your wish list items. Have fun shopping!

Lace Knitters @ NIAH

The lace knitting group that used to meet at Lacis has found a new home at NIAH. They will be meeting from 1 to 3 on the third Sunday of every month to share adventures in lace knitting. Their next meeting is Sunday, October 18th.

What's New & Updates

Just a few of the new items we either brought back from St. Charles or have received. We still have shipment coming from the show so there will be more new things over the next few weeks.

Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler	Quaker Gone Spooky
Paradise Lost	Adam & Eve Needleminder

• Magazine - Tea Time Nov/Dec 2009

• Kelmscott Designs - new needleminder Adam & Eve and a set of 3 Fish Threadwinders
• Kreinik - Serrated Ginger Elena Scissors (4 in), new colors of Japan #5 on spools
• The Marking Sampler - more lovely project bags
• Puffin & Company Place - new accessories; Needle Nanny, Scissor Sitter, Thread Organizer
• Stitch A Gift - new banners for stitched inserts and cute project bags

• Dinky Dyes - 6 new silk colors; Wild Honey, Lemon Myrtle, Kununurra, The Kimberly, Nashi, Brambleberry
• Gentle Art - new Sampler Threads; Crystal Lake, Portebella, Cucumber, Toffee, Heirloom Gold, Endive. New Lt. Ed. colors; Cumberland Gap, Clay Pot, Fruit Punch. 3 new wool colors, Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler thread pack. Colorful Gentle Art totes.
• Week's Dye Works - new thread colors; Swiss Chocolate, Blue Jeans, Grasshopper, Autumn Leaves, Madison Rose

• Carriage House Samplings - Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow, The Curse of the Raven, A Mind Independent & Free
• The Cat's Whiskers - Krazy Kat Christmas, Krazy Kat Thanksgiving, Stitchers Christmas Toy
• Elizabeth's Designs - Autumn Blessings (& charms), Christmas Tree Wishes, Witches Night Out, Boo, Spooky Tree, Sheep
• Erica Michaels - Christmas Bits, Halloween Bits, Hanukkah Bits, Kris Kringle Bit, Needle Nut, Thanksgiving Bits, Serenity (all silk gauze designs),
• From Nancy's Needle - Two Haunted Houses, Holiday Tree II, Two Gingerbread Houses, Autumn Maples, Shades of Spring, Shades of Summer, Shades of Winter
• The Goode Huswife - The Book of Spells, The Raven's Roost
• Hinzeit - Halloween Sprouts, Vintage Halloween series, 9 Patch, Believe, Crystal Ho Ho Ho, Reindeer & Rudolph. Dear Santa, Trees Joy, Tree Merry X-Mas, Vintage Santa & Sleigh, Gobble, We Give Thanks
• JBW Designs - Christmas Tree Collection III & IV, Alphabet Pumpkin, Christmas Tree Collection Kit
• Just Nan - Hootzi Humbug, Owl Pin
• Lizzie Kate - EEK! Fob
• The Marking Sampler - L Haworth, A Christmas Sampler
• Michele Ink - Haunted Hardanger, Moonbeams on the Bay, Quaker Gone Spooky
• Milady's Needle - Halloween Rules, Christmas Elegance, In The Garden Box
• Needlemade Designs - Hunny Bunny Sewing Roll, A Best Christmas Blessing, Gather Ye Rosebuds
• Plum Street Samplers - Halloween Hornbook, Paradise Lost
• Raise The Roof - Words to Live by, Halloween Pin Garden Kit, Cackle, Monthly Mockeries IV
• Rosewood Manor - Quaker Diamonds, Ring In Christmas, Vintage Lace
• Shakespeare's Peddler - Jenny Bean's Halloween Sampler, Jenny Bean's Pin Tuffet (and pin set), Grandfather's Sleigh, Abby Rhodes' Scissor Fob, On the Holly

None of these items are in our on-line catalog yet, so visit the shop or call us to purchase any of them.

You can find quite a few newly released charts through the Hoffman Merchant Mall and you can place orders for anything in the Hoffman on-line catalog. You're also welcome to check out our other 2 main distributors, Norden Crafts and Wichelt Imports to see what's new or what other fun things are available we've not mentioned.

If you've not yet ordered your copy of the the 2009 issue of Just Cross Stitch Ornamentwe have plenty in the shop. You can give us a call or sign-up via the on-line catalog.

As noted above, Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow is here and we've got the charts as well as the fabric for it. We have a page in the on-line catalog where you can order the chart, the fabric and the NPI Silk threads. If you wish to use a color other than Examplar or Vintage Examplar, you can order that through our regular fabric catalog or give us a call at the shop. We have been ordering custom cuts of Examplar and Vintage Examplar for the piece in 36 and 40 count and extra Stitcher's Halves of the 32 count. You can keep up with Kathy via her Blog for the latest news on all her designs.

2009 Series

Just Another Button Company has finished up their 2009 Tea Cup series with December, which we just received. They will be continuing with a tea related theme for 2010 and we will start getting those in November. Not all of them are in our on-line catalog yet, but you can see the 2008 and most of 2009 series in our on-line catalog.

Blackbird Designs - 2009 Loose Feathers Club - If you've not signed up for the 2009 Club you can still do so by calling the shop or on-line.

We're expecting quite a bit of rain early next week as the remnants of the typhoon that hit Japan make it to the west coast. Time to hunker down and get some stitching done. And maybe some more baking...

Happy Stitching,

Cathe
...and Debi, Leila, Jennifer, Mary, Ali, Caroline, Sherry, Mary Frances, 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

Don't forget, we have free Wi-Fi.

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.