"DESIGNS THAT REFLECT OUR
AMERICAN HERITAGE"

Welcome to my blog. I'm probably very much like all of you who love the needlearts. My life revolves around family, friends, home and all things that help to make for a more contented life. When time allows; cooking, gardening, decorating, and collecting are my joys. I look forward to sharing all of these things with you. I also hope to keep you up to date on what is going on at Homespun Elegance, in regard to the needlework designs and the "Plain & Fancy Wares" that we offer.

Wishing you "Many Happy Stitches".
Sandra

Sunday, July 27, 2014

A Little Glimpse

Hi Everyone!
This is just a quick little post to show you a
little "glimpse" of an upcoming
Christmas design.
Cannot believe I am talking about Christmas
when it is 100% humidity outside, but
that is what we have to do in the 
needlework world.  Hope you like
what you see.  
Wishing you a wonderful upcoming week
with lots of love and stitching!
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Saturday, July 26, 2014

DMC Cones

Hi Everybody!

This is just a quick post to let you know that I
have quite a quantity of DMC cones left over
from my kitting days.  There are 450 yards on
each cone and they currently retail for
$19.99 each.  I am selling them for $7.00
in my ETSY Shoppe
https://www.etsy.com/shop/HomespunElegance
Go to Sections in the left upper column
and click on
SUPPLIES NEEDED.
If you don't do ETSY, just email or
call me.
I have varying amounts of each color,
first come/first serve.
This is great for dyeing your own floss,
punching, or just to have a lot of your
favorite color on hand.
Just an example of what the cones look like.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you find a color you need and
hope you are having a fun 
stitching day.
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Friday, July 25, 2014

Halloween Is Coming!

Good Evening!
Halloween is coming and I am doing my best to
get ready for it.  I have finished my next to the last
design for "A Halloween Year II".  I have enjoyed
designing this last year's collection, but I am
ready to move on to something new.  Here is
"WITCH INN"
and 
"SAMPLER WITCH".
"Sampler Witch" continues my series of 
"Sampler . . . " designs that I've been doing for
years.  
Both of these are just quick little projects for
your Halloween decorating.
I know how I am going to finish them and hope
to do that tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've been working on my 
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS 
ORNAMENTS
and hope to get them ready for all of you by the 
latter part of August-maybe sooner if all goes well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you have a good weekend.  I hope you keep
stitching and I'll keep designing!
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Friday, July 18, 2014

Clearing My Brain!

Good Morning Everyone!
Sometimes I just need to clear my "feeble"
brain after hours of designing and graphing,
and do something that is creative in
another way.
Hence, I want to share with you three new
things I am working on - not ready yet, but soon.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
PINCUSHION BASKET NECKLACES
 ORT JARS WITH FABRIC LIDS
DECOUPAGED NEEDLE MINDERS
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cannot give you much info yet, as to prices, etc.,
but they are coming along.  The Ort jars have
a fabric lid that I have conditioned, so that it holds
its shape.  Looks like an olde "pantry jar", don't you think?
The Needle Minders are tiny little wooden
circles that I have decoupaged with one of my prints
(made from my tiny paintings).  They have the
necessary magnets.
Hope you like them.  Just some fun things that
you might want to add to your stash.
Now I am heading back to the computer to
work on my 2014 Christmas Ornaments.
Many Happy Stitches,
Sandra

Monday, July 14, 2014

I'm Back . . . . .

I'm Back . . . . .
and what a fine time I had.  
Everyone was so welcoming.  When I closed
my shoppe about five years ago, the thing I
missed the most was getting to talk with
like-minded people.  In other words, people
who love stitching as much as I do.
Well, all of you fine folks helped fill that void
for me this weekend.
Also, it was wonderful to see some of my
old friends that I haven't seen in such
a long time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
First of all I want to share some pictures
I took of a beautiful shoppe~
DYEING TO STITCH.
If you haven't been there, then it is
a must. If you love samplers and prim
stitching, you will be in heaven.  Just a
wealth of stitched models.  I just 
couldn't take it all in.
Here are some pictures for your
enjoyment~
My samplers, some original, some reproductions~
Wall of fibers~heaven! 
Rack after rack of designs~
That is Ann behind the counter~
Lovely customers~
and there is Pat in front of the window
Thank you Ann and Pat for such a special
day.  A special thank you to Pat for her help trying 
to teach me about Ebay and a bunch of
other internet stuff.  She really knows her
way around a smart phone. She was dealing
with a real novice or should I say "idiot".  HaHa
I have been asked to teach a class at 
DYEING TO STITCH sometime after
the Nashville market.  What fun that will be.
Thank you Ann and Pat.   Also, I want to
thank the wonderful ladies who helped me
pack and take my stuff to my car.  I am so 
grateful for you.  It was really hot, so not
any fun at all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
BIG NEWS
I am so excited to announce that there
will be a new fabric named for me~
"CLASSIC HOMESPUN".  
I love it and I think
you will to.  Cannot wait to get my hands on it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
TIDEWATER SAMPLER GUILD
Trunk Show and Class
I was a nervous wreck, but I managed to get
through it.  I hope everyone enjoyed the
project.  Almost everyone finished their
SEWING STAND.  
That made me so happy.  I tried really hard to 
time it so it could be 
finished in the 2 1/2 hour class.
Class Project~my SEWING STAND

Me and a wonderful helper, my daughter, Hollis~
Couldn't have done everything without her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was so nice to make some new stitching friends and
 so much fun to see Ann Steinbeck, someone
I have known for many years.
Everyone was so nice to me.  Thank you all for
welcoming me and then helping me pack up and
lug everything to my car.  What a great help
that was.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
And what a way to end each evening!
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you enjoyed my Show and Tell!
Wish you could have all been there~
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

A Pretty Morning in Virginia

Hi Everyone!
A misty morning in Virginia, after some welcome 
rain showers.  So nice to have showers without 
worrying about lightening and wind.  The morning 
has gotten away from me, but I just had to share
 these pictures of my garden.  Even though the
 humidity is way up there, it made for some 
pretty pictures.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I can only dream about relaxing in the garden.
I'm up to my neck in things to do to get ready
for my big weekend in Virginia Beach.  Hope 
you can join me at my Trunk Show at
Dyeing To Stitch.
On Sunday I will be teaching a class for the
Tidewater Sampler Guild.
Hope you have a wonderful day with
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Marking Sampler Extraordinaire

Good Evening Everyone!
 I know I shouldn't do this,
 because my graphing is still not complete, 
but I just had to share with you my "prim" finish of my 
"MARKING SAMPLER 
EXTRAORDINAIRE".  
I've always wanted a really big sampler to hang over 
a bed in a guest bedroom, but I didn't want to frame it. 
 It is mounted on a wonderful tiny check with a torn 
and twisted hanger.  So easy and I might add~
very inexpensive!
 You can use any floss color you love, 
add a wonderful backing fabric, and there you go. 
 Ready to hang in a jiffy.  
Hope you love it.  
I'll let you know as soon as it is ready to ship~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
By the way, I just have to say something to
"Marly" of Samplers and Santas Blog.  Since you
like marking samplers so much, I hope this
one is calling your name.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope you all have an evening filled with
"Many Happy Stitches",
Sandra

Saturday, July 5, 2014

And The Winners Are. . .

Hi Everyone!!!

So sorry that I didn't announce the
winners a few days ago, but I got all caught
up in getting my new designs shipped and
then getting ready for our July 4th
celebration.
Without any further delay, the winners are~
LELIA
and
SUSAN CAVANAUGH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I have sent you both messages.  I just
need your choices and your
mailing addresses.  I hope you will
share your finishes with me so I
can share with everyone else.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Congratulations and
"Many Spooky Stitches",
Sandra


Friday, July 4, 2014

Happy 4th of July

Happy 
4th of July 
Everyone!!
I just finished my squash casserole for later today,
so I have a few minutes to send happy wishes
out to everyone.  
Hope your house is all decked out for the holiday
festivities and that you will be spending it
with family and friends.  Hollis and Avery
are on their way.  We are going to the
festivities in Olde Towne Fredericksburg
later today.  Can't wait.  We haven't been
for quite a few years.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Have a great day!
Sandra