Nashville Needlework Market 2018

It hardly seems possible when Market time arrives, that it has been a full year since the last trip. It felt a bit more relaxed, preparing to go this year; I finally got smart and started hiring a friend to help with chart folding. With five new designs again, it was essential to save my fingers from countless paper cuts.

In addition to the new designs, I always like to take along some of my previous year's releases plus old-but-still-good designs that might be new to some. This equals LOTS of trips to the copy shop, LOTS of visits to my cover printer, and LOTS of folding, stuffing, packing.

I happened to schedule travel very close to the same time as my local needlework shop owner, Jeannine of Acorns and Threads. We arranged to meet for coffee post-security; it was nice to sit bleary-eyed together, in the wee hours of the morning, catching up and chatting about life and industry happenings. I truly treasure the friendships that I have the privilege to build because of being part of the Cross Stitch Nation.

My bare-bones hotel suite is always a bit of a challenge to whip into shape, but with an entire day, and the help of my loyal companion Donna, it becomes a fun-filled day. We have such a great system now, having done this together for a few years, that we felt we had it completely under control, and took a few hours to go antique shopping in the middle of the day. Over-confidence is not always my best friend. It was a mad scramble to get finished that afternoon, and we mistakenly decided that it would be a good idea to save the pre-order packing for the next morning.

Friday night Early Bird shopping seemed rather quiet this year; a conversation that came up repeatedly; I was a bit worried about the entire weekend being a bust. But I found out later that the shop owners were certainly out in force, but they were all grabbing up fabrics as fast as they could, saving the pattern shopping for later. The tale has been told that anyone that had linen there was pretty much wiped out of inventory by the end of the evening on Friday. Shopping frenzy, anyone?

I had my camera in hand, as I made my rounds on Friday evening. Only about half of the rooms are open for early shopping, so I missed many opportunities to do more than gaze longingly through windows. But I did get out a bit on Sunday afternoon to visit those that I missed. I was woefully neglectful of that camera though, and as I went back through my pictures this morning, kept saying to myself, "where are the pictures of Paulette's room?" I have no clue. I think I might have been too busy chatting with my friend to lift my camera to my face.

But I did get pictures of quite a few other lovelies...

Blackbird Designs

With Thy Needle and Thread

Erica Michaels Designs

Kathy Barrick

La-D-Da

The Nebby Needle

Primitive Hare

Rovaris

Sampling of Memories

Scarlett House

Stacy Nash

Saturday morning dawned clear and warm, and the enormity of the pre-order list caught up to me rather quickly. Donna and I started hurriedly packing bags, but it was becoming clear that we would not be finished on time for the doors to open. Thankfully, my Sunday helper Anne, popped in to say hello and jumped into action, helping us get ready.

And it's a good thing. I don't think I have ever experienced a day as full and busy as that first day of Market this year. Maybe back when I worked retail on Black Friday. Maybe. I was so very thankful for my two helpers sticking it out with me. I could not have managed without them!

Which will hopefully serve as an explanation (not an excuse) for my woeful lack of further photos of the rest of the weekend. Other than a couple of blurry pictures of meals that I didn't want to forget, there are no group photos, no selfies with friends, not even pocket photos taken accidentally during the rush.

It was an amazing weekend, full of laughter and genuine connections with fellow stitchers. I truly treasure my time in Nashville each year. I love the ability to network and sit face to face with shop owners and designers and fabric dyers. I love the atmosphere of creativity. I love the inspiration that I always bring home with me. It is a not-to-be-missed experience for sure.

Thank you to everyone that stopped in for a visit. Thank you to all of the shop owners and helpers that spent countless hours on your feet. You all fuel my tanks each year and keep my creative juices flowing. I hope this industry continues to grow and provide me with a place to call home for another twenty years or more. I think I could easily keep doing this for a good long while.

A special something to show you... I was contacted shortly after the last Market, by Shannon White, a lovely stitcher who wondered if it would be possible to stitch my entire flock of birds (The Bird Collection, Parts I-IV) on one piece of linen. Knowing that their sizes were not uniform, I played around in my software program for awhile, rearranging them like a jigsaw puzzle until I arrived at a large circular arrangement that balanced very nicely.

Fast forward a few months and a couple thousand miles, she met up with me at the hotel and allowed me to display her work of art all weekend.

I know, right?

Don't you just love it!? She plans to find a large round frame to display it in.

And now for the very good news... If you have purchased all 4 booklets in the Bird Collection series, and can send me a photo of you holding them, I will send you a PDF chart of this special large arrangement, so you can stitch them up all together in one flock. Shannon is proof that it can be done in less than a year. Who's in?

Now, in an effort to make up for the fact that my pictures are a bit lacking... I've started contributing to the FlossTube world over on YouTube. If you haven't discovered this rabbit hole of cross stitch wonderful-ness yet, prepare yourself. And then, after you've prepared yourself, go watch this video, in which I talk about Market and show you what I brought home with me:


And then, after you've watched this, go watch everyone else out there in FlossTube land.

You're welcome.

Saturday Stitches

The Bird Collection, Part IV: Tree Swallow

Nashville Needlework Market 2017 Official Release Announcement

I will have five brand new designs available to wholesale shoppers who attend the Nashville Needlework Market the first weekend in March. Three of those designs will be exclusively available to attendees (but will be released to the general population one month after the show). Be sure to contact your favorite needlework shop owner and put in requests for any of these designs that you need to get your hands on right away!

Show attendees: I will gladly take pre-orders to have ready for you to pick up on Friday.




*Nashville Exclusive*
P is for Pomegranate: The Alphabet Series #4
Retail Price: $10

Model stitched with one thread over two
on Dames of the Needle 32 count Dirty Ewe
Using threads from The Gentle Art and Weeks Dye Works

Frame by Signed and Numbered:
6x6 Circle Opening Super Vintage Wood Tone

*Nashville Exclusive*
Let it Begin With Me
Retail Price: $10

Model stitched with one thread over two
on R&R Reproductions' 32 count Stars Hollow Blend
Threads: The Gentle Art, Classic Colorworks, & Weeks Dye Works

Hornbook by Perfect Prim Punch: Hornbook #39, 5.5 x 6.5 unfinished
(tutorial available on request).

*Nashville Exclusive*
Coffee Quaker: The Magical Elixir Series, Part II
Retail Price: $10

Stitch Count: 195 x 170

Model stitched with one thread over two on R&R Reproductions’ 40ct. Stars Hollow Blend

Weeks Dye Works: Palomino, Grasshopper

The Gentle Art: Maple Syrup, Dark Chocolate, Apple Cider, Picnic Basket, Caramel Corn, Ruby Slipper

Classic Colorworks: Hazelnut

Frame by Total Framing (details to follow at a later date)

The Redheaded Dog Sampler (a Faithfully Reproduced Antique Sampler)
Includes charts for the reproduction sampler along with three small projects designed by me, inspired by and in tribute to the original.

Retail Price: $14

Model stitched with one thread over two
on Zweigart 40 count Newcastle Cream
which I coffee stained after stitching.

Using DMC threads
Antique sampler shown in cover photo; model picture available on request, but at a later date (I forgot to do its photo shoot before mailing it to my Nashville suite! Oops.)

The Bird Collection, Part IV: American Robin, Song Sparrow, Tree Swallow
Retail Price: $12

Model stitched with one thread over two
on Picture This Plus 32 count Wren
Using threads from The Gentle Art and Weeks Dye Works

Frames were thrifted then refinished by me (tutorial available on request).

The Redheaded Dog and The Bird Collection are NOT exclusive to the Nashville show, and will be released in my etsy shop as soon as I get home from Nashville, as well as being available from my distributors.

Market Preview: Sneak Peeks!!!

You guys! I've been SO hard at work getting new pretties ready to release in Nashville next month. Next month! Its really, really hard to believe that my big, most anticipated trip of the year is right around the corner again.

I still feel like a total newbie in the industry, having only been designing for 9 years, and this being just my third time attending the show. But as each year passes, it is feeling more and more like a home away from home. If you ever get a chance to attend as a helper or a shop owner or even as a fly on the wall, you need to; its like Disneyland for stitchers.

I've got four new designs for sure, and I'm working as hard as I can to get the fifth done in time. Wish me luck? First up, I'm offering the following three designs as exclusives; this means that they will only be offered for sale for the first month to those that buy them directly from me at the Nashville show. They won't be available to anyone else until one month after the show ends. So if you can't wait to get your hands on them, let your local needlework shop owner know so they can pick a copy up for you at the show. They are, in no particular order:

P is for Pomegranate: The Alphabet Series #4
Retail Price: $10

Model stitched with one thread over two
on Dames of the Needle 32 count Dirty Ewe
Using threads from The Gentle Art and Weeks Dye Works

Frame by Signed and Numbered:
6x6 Circle Opening Super Vintage Wood Tone

Let it Begin With Me
Retail Price: $10

Model stitched with one thread over two
on R&R Reproductions' 32 count Stars Hollow Blend
Threads: The Gentle Art, Classic Colorworks, & Weeks Dye Works

Hornbook by Perfect Prim Punch: Hornbook #39, 5.5 x 6.5 unfinished
(pdf tutorial will be made available for finishing at home)

Coffee Quaker: The Magical Elixir Series, Part II
Retail Price: $10

Model stitched with one thread over two on R&R Reproductions' 40 count Stars Hollow Blend
Threads: The Gentle Art, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works

Frame by Total Framing (details to follow at a later date)

If I can get it finished in time, I'll be releasing The Bird Collection, Part IV, but its a little touch-and-go at this point. I'm stitching and designing as fast as I can. If I don't finish it in time for the show, it will be out shortly thereafter. All I can tell you for sure is that it includes an American Robin. Yay! There will be 3 birds like in the other installments of the collection, and all stitched on Picture This Plus' 32 count Wren.

The other immediate release will be an antique reproduction, which I've enhanced by adding a few smalls that were inspired by the antique:

The Redheaded Dog Sampler (a Faithfully Reproduced Antique Sampler)
Retail Price: $14

Model stitched with one thread over two
on Zweigart 40 count Newcastle Cream
which I coffee stained after stitching.

Threads: DMC

Frame by Total Framing (details to follow at a later date)

'Tis the Season

Frost and hail, rain and ice, gloomy clouds and blinding sun.

Finally admitting that the weather is too cold for Converse.

Christmas cards and Christmas lights and Christmas pageants and Christmas movies and Christmas stories read by fireside.

Stitching, always stitching.

A brand new baby, born too early, but oh so sweet; nephew #8. And holding him in my arms didn't give me the aching wish for another baby. Whew... still good with the decision to stop at 2.

A neighbor knocking on my door asking if he could take prego pictures of his girlfriend on our snowy property. Oh yes! And may I please take some pictures of the two of you together? Now fully addicted to snowy photo shoots.

No-school days equal lots of messing up of rooms and video games and "I don't know what to do with myself".

Many decisions were made that turned this holiday season into a much simpler time, much to my delight and also confusion. What? Nothing else to wrap? No more gifts to hurry up and purchase? No more parties to attend? I'm liking the peacefulness, and would like it even more if two of our family members would quit coughing already.

Life is full and sweet and if I'm being completely honest with you all, I can hardly wait until Christmas is over and the clear, clean slate of 2017 is here at last. Perhaps my most favorite time of the year.