Off to Market!!!

February 20, 2013
We are just a day and a half away from our first Winter Retreat!! And Branson is under a Winter weather watch - we are expecting ice!!! It will all work out great - we always enjoy hosting our retreats and the new hotel we're using this year has an indoor pool and hot tub!! It may be icy outside, but we will be nice and warm inside!!

Jessie and I are getting ready for the Nashville Market - we will be leaving on Friday March 1st and be back March 3rd - we should have all the new goodies set up in the shop by Tuesday. We are leaving Pam, Amy, Cecilia and Krista to run the shop while we are gone. They will be eager to help you with your needlework needs. If there is anything that you would like us to bring back from Nashville - just let us know -we will be happy to bring back all the goodies on your list for you.

Got some pictures to share with you - Jessie has been stitching Lizzie Kate's Jingles, she is using 36 count precious metals (it twinkles). I have been stitching the mystery sampler by Blue Ribbon Designs - got part 1 done. The colors are so pretty - really makes you think of spring!! Pam (Moonlit Needlearts) has been making thread keeps - all different designs. She can custom make just about anything that your heart desires.

And about a month ago.......Jessie left Pam and I alone in the shop with 3 (yes 3) of our yarn representatives visiting us over the course of a week. Well..........Pam and I get very excited about yarns and we "may" have ordered way too much yarn - but it is so beautiful!!! We have a new wide ribbon yarn that makes real fluffy and ruffle scarves. We have stretchy yarn, a cotton yarn that looks like mohair(for those of you that are allergic to wool), a flower yarn that makes its own flowers as you knit or crochet, a very delicate yarn with sparkles in pretty spring colors made from cotton and acrylic. New wool blends - wool and silk, wool and alpaca, and new twirly scarf yarns!! So come by the shop and see the huge selection of yarns (and buy some before Pam and I get in too much trouble) Pam even has knitting classes here, if you need lessons!

I'm going to add some pictures and get going. Hope you are all having a good February and I think we are all just about ready for Spring to get here!! Enjoy your needlework!!
Take care,
Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Pam, Cecilia, Krista and Ann

Happy 10th Anniversary to Cecilia's Samplers

January 28, 2013  -  It is 72 degrees and sunny here in Branson!!! Can you believe it!!We have been very fortunate to be having a mild Winter here in Branson. We all hope that you have had a good New Year and that 2013 will be a great year for you.

We are planning an exciting year at Cecilia's - 2013 is our 10th year of being in the needlework business. We plan to be celebrating all year - sales - giveaways and lots of fun!We are LOVING meeting new people and being able to welcome them to our shop, website and retreats. It doesn't seem like 10 years has gone by..........but here we are. And just to dispel any rumors that have been spreading around.......WE ARE NOT GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!

We have so many new goodies for you to see!!! Several automatic going - some monthly, some 3 part , and of course if there is a favorite designer - we can automatically ship all of their new designs to you. We can customize each shipment to your specifications. We have the Blue Ribbon Designs Mystery Sampler - Blue Jeans and Daisies ( I am stitching that one!), Lizzie Kate Jingles (Jessie is stitching that!), Country Cottage Santa's Village, and Little House has 2 series going - The Sheep Virtues (another one for me to stitch) and a Hometown Christmas series with no end in sight - it will last as long as Diane keeps designing!!

We have also gotten many beautiful yarns in the shop - Pam and I were left alone with our yarn reps - like leaving a kid in a candy store -  we are FULL of so many wonderful yarns -different fibers, lots of free patterns, and gorgeous  colors!! Amy, Pam, and Cecilia are having way too much fun with the yarns!! I actually made a felted purse for myself, my first felted project. It was really fun to combine yarns and see the felted result - so pretty!!!

Jessie has been doing some beaded Mill Hill Kits..........she enjoyed doing the beading and they came out really nice!!! Now she is starting on the Lizzie Kate Jingles series........We'll have pictures as soon as she gets going with it.

We are working on our Winter Wonderland Retreat that we will be having next month......then the week after that Jessie and I are off to market in Nashville. If there is anything you would like us to pick up for you , just let us know.

I am going to add some pictures and get back to work...........have a good day!! And take some time to stitch!!

Take Care,
Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Pam, Ann, Krista and Cecilia

Happy New Year!! 2013

Happy New Year!!! 2013

All of us at Cecilia's Samplers want to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year!! We thank you very much for your support of our shop, website and retreats - we appreciate all of you very much!!
2013 Is going to be a very exciting year for us! It is our 10th year in business and we have lots of surprises coming up during this new year. We have grown our shop, website and retreats over the past 10 years and we couldn't have done it with out you!!
Sorry for not posting since July (really?? July??)............I guess time flies when you are having fun!
We have so many new items coming into the shop...........Blue Ribbon Designs Mystery Sampler, Country Cottage's Santa's Village, and Little House Needleworks' Sheep Virtues, just to name a few. Any of you Hawk Run Hollow fans?? Spring at Hawk Run Hollow will be here soon......just in time for spring stitching!
We also have hundreds of pounds of new yarns coming into the shop - sock yarns, baby yarns, wools, silks, cottons - beautiful colors and textures. And, yes we have the frilly scarf yarns, laces and ribbons, too!!

For those of you that are Crewel fans..........we have gotten a line of crewel kits that are really beautiful!! Tatting is making a comeback - we have new tatting books and vibrant threads to make your tatting even more pretty.

 

I am adding some pictures of my Grandkids ,visiting with Santa (Jessica is also there as Katey and Alice are not too sure of Santa!!) and Tyler and Andrew also enjoyed visiting with Santa!!

Katey and Alice in Grandma's sewing room - having a good time in the rocking chair!

 

Got to get going............we are looking forward to a wonderful year!! Thanks again for your support - we couldn't do it without you!!

 

Enjoy your needlework!!

Cecilia's Samplers

Margaret, Jessica, Amy, Pam, Holly, Ann, Krista and Cecilia

beads, beads, beads!!!

Lizzie Kate Halloween Mystery Sampler

My first beaded /perforated paper project!

Finally framed Margaret Cottam Sampler

We are taking pre orders for the JCS Christmas Ornament issue!!

As a shop owner, I do alot of stitching of models for the shop. All of us at the shop make our models and we usually do a design or type of needlework that we enjoy. I had really wanted to try a Mill Hill Button and Bead kit on perforated paper. i chose a Christmas design. Had never done one before,and now I am hooked!!! After you get the cross stitching done, then the fun starts as you add the sparkling beads and your stitching takes on a dimentional, twinkling look!! It was something so different for me to stitch - I am usually the sampler stitcher - and it was really alot of fun!! So sometime, try to stitch something completely different from your usual choices.......you never know - it could become your new "favorite" type of stitching .
We will be having our Summer Stitching retreat next week. The featured designers will be the gals from Cherry Wood Designs!! Holly has been working on planning this weekend for quite a while. She has been packing up lots of goodies to take to the hotel for our guests to enjoy!! We've got door prizes, raffles, games and lots and lots of stitching time!! I will post some pictures - our theme is a summer beach party!!
Got to get going - hope you are all "staying cool" in this very warm Summer season. Enjoy your stitching!
Margaret and the crew at Cecilia's Samplers

God Bless America!! Happy 4th of July!!

All of us at Cecilia's Samplers want to wish you a Happy 4th of July!! We hope you enjoy your day whether it be at a cook out, the beach, watching fireworks, or just enjoying the day stitching. We want to say a huge "Thank You" to everyone in our military, and their families for their service and sacrifices that they make to protect us all and preserve our freedom. Please take a moment to remember them in your thoughts and prayers today.

 

I know of a particular veteran I would like to mention today - my Dad, Andrew Rekowski. He enlisted in World War II  - in the Navy - He is one of the few WWII "Tin Can Sailors"still here with us. Dad is going to be 85 years young this November. He still works every day in our family business Ethel and Andy's Sandwich Shop in South Boston ,MA. He is also our "East Coast Public Relations Rep" for Cecilia's Samplers (which was named after his Mom). Dad has told me so many interesting events that he lived through in WWII. He traveled all over the world as a Tin Can Sailor, saw many exciting things and had some very scary experiences (well scary to me!!) as a sailor in WWII. Our whole family is very proud of my Dad - not only did he protect our country in WWII,  he still takes wonderful care of his family every day!! He took great care of my Mom for over 52 years - til she went to heaven in 2006. We are blessed to have him as our Dad, Grandpa and Great - Grandpa - We love you, Dad!!!

Fun with Pat Carson!!

Well, Summer is here!!! Hope you are enjoying the warm weather (and the lack of snow!!). We had a fantastic day with Pat Carson from Designs by Gloria and Pat, Inc when she came to visit us a couple of weeks ago. She was welcomed by several "fans" during the day, Pat kept busy teaching specialty stitches and how to thread a needle (the real easy way) and posing for pictures with our customers. It was so much fun to spend the day with Pat - she is truly a needlework treasure!!! We still have the finished samplers that Pat's girls from the Sisters helping Sisters Charity have stitched (they are wonderful stitchers!) and also beautiful needlework bags - all sales go to support the Sisters Helping Sisters Charity. Pat will be going back to the Phillipines soon and will be bringing us back some more exclusive and unique goodies to help support the Charity's good works!!! Can't wait to see what goodies she has coming for us next!!!
For your convenience, for the month of July, Cecilia's will be staying open until 7:00P.M. from Tuesday-Friday. Hope to see you come by and visit with us!!
Holly and I will be taking Cecilia's to Celebrations in St Charles, MO in September.......we are very excited about "taking the shop" to Celebrations and hope to see you there!! The classes that Celebrations offers are just awesome - teachers are great - it will be FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
Got to get going.........so many new things coming into the shop - have to help unpack the boxes. Watch for our annual model sale the first week of July........there will be sales in the shop too, models on sale and a SPECIAL trunk show by Moonlit Needleart - Pam is the owner and designer - her products range from beaded fobs, stitch markers, knitted hats, scarves - she has a beautiful assortment if items all ready made as well as giving you the option for custom made items!! Come by to see her and check out her great items!!
ok now I really gotta go ........I'll share some pictures of our day with Pat.
Take Care, Margaret, Jessica, Amy, Holly, Kacy, Pam and Ann

Welcome Pat Carson!! You are Invited!!!

I can't believe it is June already - 2012 is really speeding by fast!! Hope you all are having a good Spring and getting ready for Summer Fun!! We are honored to have Pat Carson from Designs by Gloria and Pat, Inc. coming to visit us this week. Pat will be here on Saturday for a day of fun!! She will be giving free cross stitch lessons, signing autographs, posing for pictures and bringing her 4 new Precious Moments books. They are check full of new designs that are so adorable - can't wait to start stitching them!! We will have some light refreshments, freebies and door prizes!! So come by on Saturday, June 9th to meet a true legend in the needlework industry!! It is always a wonderful time for us when Pat is here visiting. We also have her beautiful needlework bags, finished samplers and are introducing an exclusive "Friendship Sampler" designed by Pat. It had been a teaching piece, but Pat has graciously allowed us to distribute this wonderful sampler. For anyone who has stitched her 17th Century Band Sampler, the Friendship Sampler is a nice companion piece to the 17th Century Band Sampler. We will look forward to seeing you, if you can't make it to the shop, we would be happy to ship any items that you would like to purchase.
Got to go and start moving things around in the shop!! We really need a bigger shop!!!  ;-)
Take Care and have a great weekend!
Margaret, Jessie, Amy, Holly, Kacy, Pam and Ann

p.s. Kacy is home from college for the Summer - we are happy to have her back with us for a few months!