Happy New Year 2012!!

All of us here at Cecilia's Samplers want to wish all or our customers and friends a Happy and Healthy New Year !! We wish the best for all of you!!!

The shop has been busy this week with our week long after Christmas Sale going on. Threads, fabrics, chaerts, kits - all going out of the shop as quickly as they arrive!! Are you planning your 2012 stitching projects? I always have a plan, well mostly,but if something new comes out, well, then the plan changes!! (hense the pile of full project bags by my stitching chair). The most important thing is we are having fun!!

We got some new reading glasses in the shop today - they are from Foster Grant and they have led lights on either side of the glasses, so the light and magnification is right where you are looking!!! Neat colors ,too!!

We also have these cute ducks that are tape measurers, too. We sold bunches before Christmas - great stocking stuffers -and they are finally back instock.

I have also finished the La-D-Da Margaret Cottam Mystery Sampler......it was fun to stitch and the colors are just wonderful!! We also have a really cute miniature footstool from Sudbury House that has come into the shop recently. I used a couple of motifs from a Blackbird Design book to make this cute pincushion. It also has a small storage area under the pincushion - great for needles or a small pair of scissors.

I've got to get going.............more ladies are heading into the shop and Pam needs help !!!

We hope you will always make some time for yourself to stitch, we are all so busy in our lives it is hard to find the time, but it is well worth it!! the benefits of doing anykind of hand needlework are great - good for the spirit, mind and body!!!

Take care and Happy 2012!!!

Margaret, Jessie,Amy, Holly, Pam,Cindy, Kacy and Ann

Merry Christmas!!

Ho, Ho, Ho!! Merry Christmas!!

Only 2 more weeks til the big day!! All of us at Cecilia's wish you a Blessed Holiday Season, and a Happy, Healthy New Year!! We want you to know that we appreciate your friendship, loyalty and business. We hope that we have helped to make your stitching time a peaceful and happy time for you.

We have busy weekend planned in our family. We will be setting up our Nativity, decorating our Christmas Tree, and constructing our gingerbread houses. I have lots of help - my 4 grandkids - Tyler, Andrew, Katelyn and Alice. It is something we do each year and have so much fun doing it!! They are all very imaginative and create very unique gingerbread homes!!

So what have we been up to in the shop??

I have been stitching the new La-D -Da mystery sampler - Margaret Cottam. It is fun to stitch and wonder what part 3 will look like..........I have just started part 2. Farms of Hawk Run Hollow will be my next adventure in the stitching world - I think.........there's just not enough time to stitch everything that I want to!!! Then i just finished Plum Street Samplers Salem Hornbook. The frame is just Great for this piece!!

Our good friends, Jennie from Just Jennifer and Mary from Ozarks Delights, have been busy creating some new item for our enjoyment!! Mary has added wool to her pins! She has an Angel, Cat and Heart shaped pins - they would make great stocking stuffers or small gift for a friend. She has many different colors to choose from.

Jennie has a new quilted vest pattern.........she is "famous" for her quilted sweatshirt jacket pattern and has added this new vest pattern for us to have fun with!! Both the vest and jacket are as unique as each person that creates it. We also have the fabric packs for them, too. No worring about matching colors, patterns, stripes, solids - Jennie does that all for us!! The fabric packs are enough to make a jacket or vest.

One of the neatest accessories that I have seen in a long time is our new "mug wrap" - it can be wrapped around a standard mug, has pockets inside and outside to help you organize all your stitching (quilting, sewing, scrapbooking, knitting, tatting, and possibly Hershey Kisses) goodies.

We have these "mug wraps" made in several different fabric colors and designs. After the New Year we will have more coming into the shop. They are so neat and handy to use!!

Pam has been knitting up a storm ..............we have some new yarn that is flying off the shelves. One skein makes one scarf............I made one, took about 4 hours. It is quick and easy, but looks really lacy and fancy!! Good for a novice knitter like me!

Holly has been planning and organizing for the next round of stitching weekends in April. She has finalized plans for our Summer weekend with our special guest from Cherry Wood Designs!! More to come later............

Jessie has been busy with Katelyn and Alice - and she also finds the time to get our orders in to our wholesalers and keep the website updated, too!!

Ann is in Florida for the Winter with her family. She'll be back in the Spring - we miss her and can't wait to see her again!!

Amy is still managing AJ's One Stop (next door), but she still helps out in the shop when we need her.

Cindy visits us on Saturday and should be back full time in the Spring.

Kacy will be home from College soon........(she helps me to make Baklava for Christmas!!). And she works in Cecilia's as often as we can have her here with us.

I think I got everyone included.............got to get going. Still have to find Santa and give him the grandkids wish lists!!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Christmas!!! (just in case I don't get to update before Christmas)

Enjoy your stitching time!!

Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Holly, Pam, Kacy, Cindy, and Ann

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!! We sure have ALOT to be thankful for in this wonderful United States of America!! I always think of the brave men and women in our military, far from home and loved ones, they are always protecting our freedom. I am so thankful for their sacrifices, please remember them, especially during the Holidays.

We have had a busy month - 2 retreats at the beginning of November. We had a great time, met a whole bunch of stitchers - the ladies had a really fun weekend with us. We enjoyed seeing them all - some we met for the first time and we can finally put a face to the voice on the phone or the email writer. Jessie has the pictures on our facebook page.......you should check them out and see what a fun and crazy weekend we had!

We have a new Mystery sampler in the shop. It is by La-D-Da. Comes in 3 parts - it is a reproduction sampler with a La-D-Da twist!! I have already stitched part 1.......waiting for the next part to come in. It is fun to stitch - you start from the bottom and work your way up!! The thread colors are so pretty!!

We also have a really neat Limited Edition kit from JBW designs - Santa's Sleigh Ride. it was quick and easy to stitch. I added a red bead on the reindeer's nose. (Rudolph is my favorite reindeer!!).

Holly is taking sign ups for our 2012 Ornament club. She has some really cute designs picked out. It will get you a head start for your Christmas tree next year! Call or email the shop for more information on this fun monthly club!!

I am going to add some pictures..............ornament club, JBW Santa's Sleigh Ride, La-D-Da's Mystery Sampler and my family Thanksgiving picture. My camera had broken about a month ago.............so I had to get another one (I do not like change, so it took a bit to pick one out). These are pictures taken with the new camera.........I am still learning how to use all the buttons and levers!!

I will do my best to update the blog more often. I hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving. Please take time to stitch during the Holiday Season..............it is very hectic and busy.........stitching helps to ease the stress. And as Holly reminded me today - only 30 days til Christmas!!!!

Take Care,

Margaret and all the "merry elves"at Cecilia's

It's Columbus Day!!

Who let the Spooks out? This is a free chart (we have the button pack available to purchase, if you like)

Katey and Alice are getting ready for Halloween. Their matching shirts say "If you think I'm scary, you should see my sister!"

And not to be left out, Grandma (me) got a Halloween shirt that says"You can't scare me, I have Grandkids!"

We love Fall and Halloween.......it is a great time of year. Not too hot or cold, pretty fall leaves, and the anticipation of the Christmas season quickly approaching!! ( I know, only like 75 days til Christmas). Bet you're glad I reminded you ;-)

I just made this witch pin cushion form Just Another Button Company........it came out so cute! The buttons spell "boo". The kit comes complete with everything you need (except needle, scissors and thread) to make this adorable witch.

Holly is getting the last minute things done for our November retreats (yes, retreats). We have had such an overwhelming response that we added another weekend for Fall and Spring. Holly has been busy wrapping lots of goodies and planning fun activities for these weekends. We really look forward to these retreat weekends - we get to meet our new guests, see our returning guests and have alot of fun!!!

I've got to get going............just wanted to post a quick update and say Hi. Hope you are all well and enjoying the Fall season. Don't forget to carve out some time to stitch as often as you can. It is good for the body and soul.

Take care,

Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Pam ,Holly, Cindy and Ann

p.s. Ann will be back from Florida for a week or so in November (I think the second week), drop by and say hi, she misses seeing everyone. She has been stitching the pink ribbon afghan from Dutch Treat, she should have it done by time she gets here.

Happy Labor Day!!

Greetings from Branson! Hope you are all well and enjoying your long weekend - maybe get some stitching time in?

We have a few new goodies to show you..........we don't highlight our yarn department alot, so I thought I would show you some of our new yarns. They are really neat and Pam has done a wonderful job knitting up some models for the shop. We also got our Breast Cancer Awareness Yarns in for the season. There are 4 free charts available for these yarns, also. Pam has also knitted a "snood" - a combination scarf/hat that will be sure to keep you warm this winter!

She also knitted 2 scarves - one from CurlyQ yarn - a stretchy fun multi color yarn - and another lacy/multicolor ribbon type of yarn - 1 skein makes a very generously long scarf. These yarns "do the work" for you with their textures and colors, with beautiful results!!

We have a very limited supply of the Just Nan Rudolph and matching frame. It is so cute and quick to stitch !! Sue Hillis has designed 2 candy corn charts for Halloween, and we have the "candy corn" fabric to stitch them on!!! It is a 28 count lugana fabric and really adds a unique look to the stitched piece!

We also have the JCS Halloween Ornament book AND the JCS Christmas Ornament book in the shop..........yes, we were switching back and forth from Halloween to Christmas as we looked through these two collections of holiday ornaments - what to stitch first??!!??















We have the cutest little "puppy snips" in all kinds of bright colors. They are a nice gift for a dog lover or needleworker. They come with a little chain that you can hook onto your needlework bag, lamp or even frame or hoop.

And one of the most anticipated release from Market this year - Farms of Hawk Run Hollow!!!Marty, with a little help from Kathy (she designed 2 1/2 squares), did a fantastic job on the Farms. I can't wait to get started!!

We have been really busy at the shop. New market items are coming in almost daily!! We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of another wonderful Mystery Sampler. This one is from La-D-Da. Jessie has put the info on the front page of the website. (yes we are taking reservations)I call it a "bottoms-up" sampler becasue we are to start stitching it from the bottom!!! The design was inspired by an antique sampler stitched by Margaret Cottam when she was 9 years old - can't wait to see it!!!

I have rambled on long enough..........sorry about the length of time between updates........sometimes the time just goes by so fast.

I will add some pictures ( I have not mastered the art of correct picture additions - they tend to have a will of their own as to where they show up on the page, so please bear with me - thanks)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.........thanks for visiting!!

Take Care,

Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Holly,Pam,Cindy, Ann

Where have we been???

Sue Hillis design for our weekend!

The ladies enjoying themselves with Sue Hillis.

We raised over $400.00 for the Humane Society during the weekend retreat. Thanks Ladies!!!!

Enjoying the games and winning prizes!!!

Ann stitched this "tombstone"

Raise the Roof design stitched by Pam

Lizzie Kate design stitched by Holly







Sue Hillis Americana design stitched by Ann

Prairie Schooler Santa 2011 stitched by Margaret









Prairie Schooler Santa Kit 2011 stitched by Margaret

Farms of Hawk Run Hollow , almost all the blocks, by Carriage House Samplings - it will be stitched by Margaret!! Can't wait!!

Sorry I haven't posted any updates for such a long time.............it is still HOT here.......over 100 every day for over a month. And for someone who thinks that 75 is a heat, wave 100 is just way too hot!!!

We had our Summer Stitching Weekend last weekend. We had Sue Hillis as our special and honored guest. Sue is so much fun!!! She designed the cutest chart for our weekend - she named the lady Margaret (me?!?). She is really a neat lady and we are looking forward to seeing her in Branson again. We had such a fun group of stitchers for the weekend, we met quite a few new friends and enjoyed visiting with our old friends (should I say "old" or "long time" friends?)

I've got a few pictures to post..........we have been stitching - Pam, Ann, Holly and I have had our needles flying.

Any Hawk Run Hollow Fans out there??? Marty (Carriage House Samplings) is introducing the Farms of Hawk Run Hollow. She has been putting up each block on her blog. it really looks like it will be a fun and beautiful piece to stitch. I have been putting the blocks together (kind of like a puzzle) so I took a quick picture of it, still waiting for the final block..............if you want to reserve your copy, let us know. Kathy has designed 2 1/2 blocks and Marty is having a contest on her blog - www.carriagehousesamplings.blogspot.com/ - guess which blocks Kathy designed - and you could win the free chart and fabric to stitch your own Farms of Hawk Run Hollow !!!

Well, I am going to add the pictures to this blog and get going.........hope you are all enjoying the Summer. The Baltimore wholesale show is next weekend, so be looking for all the new goodies that we'll have in the shop soon.

Take care and hope you all are enjoying your stitching!!

Margaret, Jessie, Holly, Pam, Amy, Ann, Kacy, and Cindy

Mystery Sampler Part 3 and some finishes

Is it hot enough for you?? We are at 106 , according to my car mirror thermometer. It is a good day to stay inside in the air conditioning and stitch! Hope you all had a nice 4th of July. And we at Cecilia's want to thank all of our armed forces for their service, so that we may enjoy our freedom!! Our military keeps us safe and protects us from harm, we are forever grateful to them!

Part 3 of the Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler should be in the shop this week!!! Can't wait to finish it! It is the first mystery sampler that I have ever done and I am so thrilled with the final part.

Got a couple of finishes to show you. Ann is back from Florida and she has been stitching up a storm...........we have to get her stitching framed, but I especially like the wording on this one about stitching. Ann is also stitching a monthly "All Flakes Welcome" - each month has a different snowperson. They are embellished with beads and buttons and cute little carrot noses. i can't wait to see it done!! Holly finished a cute patriotic design by Pat Carson - her designs are always so neat!!

Crescent Colors is coming out with some really neat dyed trims - rick rack in 4 different sizes, chennille cord, 1 inch cluny lace, and 1/2 inch binding tape. The colors are so very pretty - I can think of so many things to do with these beautiful trims!!!

Holly has been BUSY getting ready for our Summer Stitching weekend in 2 weeks. She is putting the finishing touches on all the goodies for the ladies. We will be welcoming Sue Hillis as our guest of honor for the weekend. I know our ladies will have a great time!!!

I am going to add some pictures and get going so I can stitch for a little bit. Hope you are all having a wonderful Summer............stay cool!!!

Take care,

Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Holly, Kacy, Pam, Cindy, and Ann

Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler Part 2

Hi everyone!!!

I am back..................not that I went anywhere, my Dad came to visit me from Boston, Massachusetts for my birthday!!! He was here for just about 3 weeks, the time went by so fast while he was here visiting. We got to play cribbage ( I skunked my Dad once!!! - usually he wins). He came to the shop with me every day, he is a huge help at the shops. And he also enjoys visiting with his 4 great grand kids, who are there with us every day.

I did have time to stitch in the evenings and finished part 2 of the Mystery Sampler. The colors are so pretty, especially the birds! Can't wait to see part 3 in a couple of weeks. Hawk Run Hollow fans - there is a new HRH coming out the end of August. It is called the Farms of HRH. Can't wait to see it!!! Have the last 2 blocks on Autumn to get done and that will complete my 5th HRH. Blackbirds Designs has some new goodies for us.............the Loose Feathers Club is starting next month - there will be 3 books in the series. There will also be a book in August where the Blackbird ladies combine different parts of old samplers to make new samplers. Should be interesting!!!

Holly is busy preparing for our Summer Stitching weekend next month. Sue Hillis will be our Special Guest.........it will be ALOT of fun!!!

Got to be going.......Jessie has updated face book and the website with the new goodies in the shop, be sure to check them out. Hope you all are having a great Summer so far, make time to stitch outside - the pure natural sunlight is the best stitching light you could have!!

Take Care,

Margaret, Jessie, Amy,Holly, Kacy, Pam,Cindy and Ann

Happy Memorial Day!! God Bless America!!

Hope you are all having a good Memorial Day!! Please take a few moments to remember all of those in the Military who have given their lives to protect us and keep us free!! God Bless America!!

Holly is on vacation for the next 2 weeks...........lets see what kind of "trouble" the rest of us can get into while she is gone!! ;-) Be watching your emails............you never know what we are going to do!! Stitch has decided to help out while Holly is gone. He really needs a booster seat when he sits at her desk. He did do a good job with shipping out orders today, except he forgot that there is no mail pick up today!! We'll have to get Stitch properly trained.

I am including a picture of my Birds of a Feather Mystery Sampler, so far. I have the border done and we are waiting for part 2 - due in about June 10th. This is my first Mystery Sampler - I just love the colors, can't wait to see part 2!!

Got to get going...........hope you all have a good Memorial Day Weekend!!

Take care,

Margaret and the gals at Cecilia's