4 My Boys: My Heart Beats True has been one of the most popular charts this month here. A Patriotic piece WELL in time for the fourth of July. It's stitched in Crescent Colors, which I am stocking now. It'd be a fun project for you to try them on. She Gathers is another of her new pieces, and it's that familiar verse from Proverbs serving as inspiration. A sheep, flowers, and a soft saying.

Blackbird Designs: New note cards featuring some of Blackbird's most popular designs. My local customers have been snapping them up. You get eight different designs per pack for $9.

Brightneedle: Mary Kirby finally came in. She's gone to New Zealand. If you've missed some of Mary's other adventures, I do carry those. Each Mary pack comes with passport sticker, chart, sterling charm and a page of Mary's adventures. It's a great teaching tool for kids. Stitch them with or for your favorite little person, and make a basket of little pillows they can look at and feel. Pass on the love of needlework to those you care about.

Crescent Colors: This hand-dyed line of flosses has taken off. Great colors, great names, nicely carded, and $2/skein. You can buy a set for 10% off the full retail price. Or you can buy colors as you need them. I'm working on a DMC conversion, which I'll get up as soon as I can. There are also 10 more colors that came out this month. That set is $20 (lovely shades!)

Cross Eyed Cricket: OK, the carrots are cute. Look for Rabbits' Garden and Rabbits' Delight (the third of the carrot charts should be in today or tomorrow -- they've been so popular, the distributors are having a tough time keeping them in stock!) The Fabric of the Month is perfect for this set. I've seen Easter egg trees at the crafts stores here in town, so grab one this month (maybe on sale after Easter?) and stitch up some cute carrots this spring. The Leaping Rabbit can be used as a topper for your tree, or can be stitched and put in one of those cute Hog River tray/frames.

The Drawn Thread: Three great new charts from Cynthia (we wait all year for these!). Love & Wisdom is a beautiful sampler (Love tells me I am everything!) Tocatta II is a different style than Tocatta I. The way the alphabet changes is really unique. Chatelaine was a class only piece, which is now available for everyone. You wouldn't have to stitch it as a chatelaine -- the design would be equally lovely as a band sampler.

The Gentle Art: Sampler Thread Oopsie packs are back -- get 10 different colors of Sampler Threads that are oopsies -- a knot somewhere in the skein or a couple of inches short. 10-packs are just $8.00! That's less than half price! There isn't anything wrong with the colors, each pack is different...get as many as you can. They're the best deal of the year. And when they're gone, they're gone until next time.

Homespun Elegance: Two batches came in this month. My favorites are Sheep Button Sampler and Delivering Americana (another from the Delivering series.) Her daughter is designing now, too, and you'll see her designs under "Hollis Designs."

Just Nan has joined the red hat craze. Get her new kit pack called "The Promise." It's a sweet little purple and red sampler with a darling red hat charm and purple beads.

Little House: Diane has come up with two more adorable samplers. City Stitcher*Country Stitcher is a nice this and that design of two different ladies in different houses. And Plant Your Seeds is a nice summertime sampler in pleasing colors.

Monsterbubbles: My local customers have taken a shine to this new designer (especially her new piece Strength, with a curly tree). Hoot is just as cute, with a rooster with personality (Hoot Your Own Horn.) I love the distinctive style of this designer.

R&R Reproduction Linens: I've finally added R&R hand-dyed linens to my catalog online. They're in demand! You can buy fat quarters of any colors that are still produced. Look for the list on my site at http://www.shakespearespeddler.com/randr.html. This list is partial to the 28 and 32 counts, which are much softer than 30 counts in this line. But I'll get you whatever you need.

The Sampler Girl: Who can resist Lady Washington or Mrs. Lincoln? These old-style samplers have a whimsical charm. And who doesn't like someone who's as "cheerful as a cricket"?

Shepherd's Bush: More people join my Monthly Musing club every month. Read more details in my basket (but if you join the club, your December shipment is FREE!) Bulb for April is so cute -- and next month will be "Lamb."

The Thread Gatherer has more new Silk N Colors lovelies...a group of them have an oriental theme -- Lotus Flower, Mandarin, Pagoda Red and Green Dragon. Nice vibrant colors for spring.

Trail Creek Farm: Of course Susan's pillows are about as much fun as a barrel of baby ducks. Hoppin' Happy is a cute design with an evern cuter checkered bunny-shaped pillow. I'd like to do one for the shop. I am also planning a set of the pink Bloomin' Heart Trio. I almost didn't get this one in, but a customer of mine wanted it, stitched it, and now they're selling all over the place. You have your choice of pink, purple or blue pillows (a set of three per pack).

The Trilogy: A very nice batch of designs from Bent Creek/Heart in Hand/Twisted Threads. Friendship is the Kit of the Month (and I've already stitched it). Springology is a cute springtime piece (the sheep is great!) Wedding Spots is a really cute wedding piece (with a tiered cake with bride and groom at the top). And Bucky the Snowman continues the snowman tradition for these gals. A really solid showing from this group this year so far.

Val's Stitchin' Stuff: Wish Upon a Star is a really cute snowman. I know we've seen them done to death, but a cute pattern is a cute pattern. Check this little guy out. Adorable.

The Victoria Sampler: Seaside Garden is really a cute sampler in Thea's garden series. The charms are so cute (little silver seashells). I'll be doing a free chart next month based on this sampler with the same cute charms...watch for that in May.

© 2007 Theresa Venette. Articles on this site may be reproduced in needlework group newsletters or other handouts with permission of author and proper attribution. Send questions, comments and suggestions to: xspeddler@yahoo.com