Hi Stitchers! It's a beautiful day today with some sunshine and, as of right now, no rain. We've had like 9 straight days of rain and I'm tired of it. My grass is so high that the mower man is going to have to use a baler to cut it. Oh well, that's his problem and not mine.

Just want to wish a Happy Mother's Day to all! May you all have a wonderful day. You know the spring is pretty much behind us and summer is fast approaching. It soon will be Memorial Day weekend and you know Saturday May 23 is our Porch Sale with donated items and all proceeds going to St Jude's Hospital. The donations are trickling in but we can still take more. So sort through that stash of yours and decide what you may no longer want and donate it. We also will have a sale in the shoppe, so stop by our Porch sale and then come in and check out our specials. Be sure to stop in and pick up your Summer Coupon Card. This card will offer you one coupon for each of the summer months of June, July and August. When you use the coupon we will punch it and if you have all three punched, you can redeem the card in September when it will be worth $7.25 toward a chart of your choice. My customers have enjoyed using their coupons over the last several years and you'll be able to do it again this year.

Coming up, Christmas in July will be July 21 thru July 25 and all Christmas items will be 20% off. Halloween and Fall will be discounted 15% so you will be able to get a jump on all upcoming holidays for the rest of the year. It just doesn't seem possible that time is passing so quickly.

The new Blackbird Feathers #36 has arrived and it's really nice. We have the charts and the Marva Blend 30 count fabric to do the picture. If you purchase a chart, we'll offer you the 12 skeins of Weeks Dye Works at a special price of $21.00, that's a savings of over $5.00.This special offer is valid through the end of May.

Also new to the shoppe are 2 new aida fabrics from Charles Craft. You will be able to cast a magical spell with the shimmering new Stardust needlework fabric. It is 14 count and comes as Silver Dusted(bottom fabric) and Gold Dusted (top).

Currently available in 15"x18" cuts, each comes with a free pattern. A wedding sampler chart comes with the silver and a really cute dragon comes with the gold. Come check them out and I'll bet you'll be able to picture one of your charts on this fabric. Just imagine some Christmas chart on them or some of the ornaments you've been meaning to stitch from your Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament Magazine. (The 2009 issue will be out in September.) I scanned the fabrics and I think the colors came out pretty good. Hope they show on your computer screen just as good as on mine.

Well, it's almost time to close the shoppe and I need to do a few things, yet. So see you soon and keep stitching.

Boy, I've got to get a handle on placing these pictures properly. They look one way when I preview my post but they somehow come out looking differently when you see it. But here's a picture of the APRIL SHOWERS

Hey, I'm back again. Just want to give you an update on the 2009 Blackbird Loose Feathers Club. Here's pictures of the first in this series - a peacock pinkeep done on overdyed 28 count gingham fabric and accompanying needlebook.

This year will have bonus patterns, once again. A theme of stitching accessories will be topped off in the 6th issue with a container to hold them.

And, here's a preview of the next pattern due out shortly. If you are not currently signed up to receive this year's series, just give us a call. We can supply you with chart and fabric and even add the fibers - just let us know what you want. We can even mail them to you. We will be carrying the walnut base from Milady's needle. A limited number will be available so reserve yours now. If we need to reorder, you'll need to wait, as they are hand turned.

Blackbird Designs new chart - APRIL SHOWERS - is the fourth in the series of 12 charts. Each chart offers three stockings for the month. Each stocking finishes about 5.5 inches long. Keep stitching them as they are released and you could have 36 for your tree come December.

Great finishing instructions are given to finish them by hand but I've one stitcher who pulled out her sewing machine and stitched them together in no time flat.

Forgot to show you this picture of a soon to be released chart I think is great! I will be starting this chart as soon as it arrives.

Hey! It's going to be a hot weekend! Maybe we should just stay inside and stitch or find a cool spot outside and stitch. BUT just remember to stitch! Just wanted to check in and let you know what's going on with Just Cross Stitch. I'm currently stitching Little House Needlework's LOVING AND FAITHFUL, the 3rd in the Little Women Virtues Series. You are provided an alphabet to personalize the chart with the name of a friend, mother, sister - anyone who fits the design. It's coming together quickly and easily as the chart provides Belle Soie silk floss with which to stitch. I've just finished IDA MAE CROW from Good Huswife and a friend stitched up Country Cottage Needleworks BAYSIDE RENTALS for me for a shop sample. I just need to add the buttons and get a frame and it will be finished.

Lots of new goodies have been arriving lately. Antique Sampler summer magazine issue has arrived early. Little House Needleworks

has two new designs out: ALPHABET RHYME and BEE SAMPLER. La De Da's DOWN BY THE BAY

Shakespeare's Peddler's new I LOVE THE BIRDS is on order

Here's some more picture of new charts to the

shop.

Right: Blackbird Design's new APRIL SHOWERS, #4 in the stocking series.

Most of the above are already in the shop and some are on order. Stay tuned for more new designs and come check us out. Don't forget to donate your unwanted stash for our Porch Sale on May 23, the proceeds from your donations will go to St Jude's Children's Hospital.

Keep Stitching....Carolyn (Boy, it sure is hard to put in pictures exactly where you want them!)

Hi! Happy Easter! Just wanted to check in and tell you about a few things happening in the shop this April and May. First, Don't forget the 14th of the month -our 'anniversary' celebration. If the 14th of the month falls on a day the shop is open, we will celebrate that day with 'something' on sale. Just remember to check us out.

If you have been a customer of mine for a while, you will remember we had Just Cross Stitch tote bags. Well, I hope you still have your bag, because, starting April 15th and going to May 22nd, IF you bring your bag IN with you , we will give you 10% off your purchases. We still have a few bags available for the purchase price of $5.00.

Next on my list of info, the Online Needlework Show will start Wednesday April 15th at 2P.M. and end at midnight on Monday April 20th. You can access the show at http://www.needleworkshow.com/ 24/7 during this time. View over 100 designers and a selection of their products and then place your order with us. Just be aware that some designers require minimum purchases, even through this venue and if we can't meet the minimum order, we will do our best to get the chart for you. We are listed in the shop section . I would prefer orders by phone at 610-409-9373 but I can accept them by email at justcrossstitch@rcn.com. I just always have the fear that an email may never reach me. Please place orders by Sunday the 19th, so I can place my orders on Monday the 20th. All orders must be accompanied by a credit card number.

Last on my list is to remind you that we are once again having our Memorial Day Porch Sale on Saturday May 23rd. Hours: 10-4. Come in and check out our shop specials for that day after you've browsed our porch sale items. For those of you who are new, the items on the porch are donations from fellow stitchers. Give a DONATION for the items you like and all proceeds from the porch sale will be given to St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

So that means, I will start accepting donations on the 1st of May. Go through your stash! Donate what you no longer want! Remember, your unwanted stash could be someone else's treasure.

Well, here is is, almost the end of another week - where does the time go? It's March, already, and ready to lose an hour this weekend. I much rather the fall, when I gain that hour back. But I have no choice right now but to lose an hour of stitching time.

I'm not so great in describing color but I'm going to tell you a little about the new fabric I picked up in Nashville at Market. Some may have been around a while but others are brand new, so here goes. Picture This Plus always has new fabric at the Nashville Market and I picked up several new colors. Barnwood, in 28 count Lugana, is very chocolate in color and quite marbelized in dark and light areas; Earthen is a nice tannish color with some greenish tones and comes in 28 Cashel and 14 Aida ( you must remember that linen, evenweave and aida all take the dyes differently and the color can vary greatly from one fabric to another); Shale is an overdyed grayish color in 28 Cashel and 14 Aida; Whimsy, in 32 Belfast, is a springy lavender; Crystal Meditation is a 28 Cashel, sparkly medium blue, like the sky, with small shots of a lavender color coming out now and then. 28 count Country French Blue linen is a blue-gray color; 32 lugana pink waterfall, a medium pink overdye; and 28 hand-dyed Jobelan in Pink Dahlia, a darker pink. We also restocked on some basic R&R and Weeks Dye Works fabrics in popular and standard colors.

But the biggest news yet for this post, is the fibers from THREADWORX have finally arrived. 196 gorgeous skeins of color. I played with them the day they came in, admiring the colors and organizing them on rings. Some are solid in their color, others varigate the color and still others change color completely, like Christmas Time, #1085, which is red and green and Christmas Candy, #1086, which is red, green and white; Morning Glory, #1080 is lavenders and blues, while Lady Slipper, #10811, is pinks and greens. You need to see these colors to believe! The Threadworx floss comes in 5 yard skeins and retails for $2.35 each. They would be great used in a project with a monocramatic color theme. Like the Christmas Time would probably look great in one of JBW's Christmas tree charts or use one of the spring colors like Wildflowers, #10592 in her new A Very Merry Spring. I'm going to pick one of the colors and stitch up Ink Circles new Pot of Luck and see what I get. 20 yard skeins are available at a very reasonable price and can be special ordered. If you are doing a very large project, this would be a very cost effective way to go. Threadworx overdyed six-strand embroidery floss is 100% Egyptian Giza cotton. Also available in overdyed Pearl in #3, #5, #8 and #12. (These may be special ordered.)

Threadworx (previously sold as Needle Necessities) has been around for a while and I think they will stay around with their beautiful color selections.