My apologies for not doing this sooner, I was having webserver changes which changed other things…. you know how that goes, but finally here we are. It is almost the middle of December and Christmas is around the corner. I do hope that you all are able to enjoy some stitching, family and friends time. It seems that the lead up to the season becomes so frantic that we forget to enjoy some of our favourite things to do.

Did you see the ornament issue? I hope you got a chance to see Christmas Tree One and Christmas Tree Two in the Just Cross Stitch Sept./Oct. Issue and the Ornament issue. They were such fun for me to stitch, I am working on something for next year with the same idea as I liked it so much….either an ornament, bell or candy cane….or?

Due to the full event schedule last year and this year I haven’t had as many designs for general publishing as I would have liked. It adds up and creates a very small window for other designs. I am working on quite a few and hope that I finish some of these in this year to come.

But I am madly in the process of getting all the patterns ready for printing for Nashville Needlework Market again. I have a few lined up and will have some new additions to series and some other interesting designs. I hope to start a whole new series and will keep you in suspense as to what it might be! I have another cool thing in the works too, so keep posted and I promise to be a bit quicker with an update, but truly events for most of October and then regrouping and trying to finish the new designs for events and cleaning up and bringing to the printer the newest ones it seems I always run out of time

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support and encouragement this year. I am blessed to have you all in my life and it truly is the richer for it. Our shared love of stitching is something that people who don’t stitch miss out on!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and the very best of wishes for a great 2008!

Due to fiddling with web pages we have inadvertently lost the November update, my apologies!

So a little update for you now.

As you can see on the events page I have added several other event places to the roster this year. It worked out that my far away places were in the summer so an addition to Edmonton, in my home province was very easy to do, and the addition of Ottawa our capital city of Canada is always a delight!

You can also check on the new releases page for information on my newest patterns for release in Nashville. Pictures will be coming soon.

In the summer issue of A Needle Pulling Thread I have submitted a piece in band sampler style and wrote a poem for it. I didn’t realize poem writing was something that I could do until I wrote the poem for the new release ‘We Stitch’ and I haven’t stopped since!

I have also added the Hamilton City Sampler to the City Sampler page, and a link to Stitchers Hideaway. Sue does wonderful upbeat retreats in different cities across the States, a good fit for me and my geographical samplers isn’t it!

Welcome to the new website! With an overhaul, new logo, new business cards etc., I think that Véronique at Évoque Designs has done an absolutely terrific job. Véronique thanks so very much for being able to interpret what I wanted and putting your wonderful ideas throughout. It’s been great working with you.

Please enjoy browsing over the pages, some to revisit hopefully in a better format and check out some new freebies for your stitching pleasure.

I am working on my 3 pieces for events in the fall of 2006, and will release the final piece in the Seasons of Stitching Series – Autumn Stitches in September.

Read other updates in 2006….

As ever, keep stitching
Jeannette

Okay, I know an update was high overdue, but exciting news….. I have a new webdesigner and we have been working on  a brand new website so I didn’t have access! So you must stop by soon and see the new digs! We are hoping that sometime in June we will be able to launch it. I have always done it myself so this is great. She is Veronique at www.evoquedesigns.com and it has been delightful to have someone to bounce ideas and thoughts off of. She has made me a new logo, and other cool things, so look for that soon.

Well to say that my events this spring was awesome would be an understatement. It was so great. I enjoyed myself everywhere I went and every place was just the best! It certainly brings home to me again how easily you all made me feel at home, I think our love and passion for stitching gives an instant bond.

Spring lasted 6 weeks for me… In very early April, I was in Portland at Acorns and Threads and marvelled at the glorious magnolias and tulips and daffodils… we had such a great time with the Acorns and Threads Sampler, and Olde Colonial made us a special box for the piece, which just sets it off wonderfully. The retreat weekend ended with my dear high school friend driving down from Vancouver, Canada to meet with me and we went shopping!!

In mid April I got to see beautiful magnolias, tulips and daffodils again in New Jersey/ New York, now you must know that there is nothing in Calgary at this time yet, so it is such a big treat! Where Victoria’s Angels Stitch hosted me with an event for the New York/New Jersey Sampler and this piece will become the next in the American Journey Series. I was very pleased with the ‘yellow taxis‘  on this piece and after ‘pulling’ the Statue of Liberty’s arm to make it longer I was pleased with her! The stitchers took me into New York City and I had an absolutely wonderful time, thank you girls!

With a little jaunt back into Canada on a very small propeller plane with myself and 17 business men, Montreal was the next stop. The Lakeshore Stitchery Guild hosted a weekend retreat at Manoir d’Youville an old Grey Nuns place south of Montreal and I got to see budding willow trees and magnolias and tulips and daffodils all over again!! Learning new French words for stitching things was great fun, eg.’le chemin de fer egals’ is railroading! Did you know that! The Montreal Sampler was a great hit and it is now available if you want a memory of a trip to this lovely city in Quebec. It is also available with full French translation. Please see www.lacigalebrodeuse.com or www.jeannettedouglas.com to purchase this piece.

Back in a little propeller plane I went and on to Celebrations in New Hampshire. Well I have never met so many stitchers at one time. What a great event. It was lovely to meet with peers in the industry and to meet new and revisit with known stitchers from before. And yes I got to see blooming cherry trees and tulips and daffodils again! I stayed an extra day in Nashau and went shopping…. and had a wonderful long swim in the pool. This was great as I knew that coming home there would be piles of everything to deal with, so it gave me calm before the storm.

Returning to Calgary I got to see tulips and daffodils again, but no magnolias they don’t grow here, but we do have lovely flowering almond bushes and flowering plum trees….which I did get to enjoy…..so, see how many weeks of spring is that! I am working on many different pieces, and of course for events above. I am releasing Spring Stitches in the next week or so and am putting the finishing editing on Summer Stitches – so it will soon follow.

As I am working on new pieces, I have wonderful memories of of the past events and look forward to meeting you again soon or meeting you for the first time. We are so lucky to enjoy such a fun hobby!

As ever, keep stitching
Jeannette

Here are some upcoming events that I will be attending:

• June 10, 2006 in Cochrane, AB CANADA at the Stitching Corner. The piece will be Crystal Winter.
• October 12,13/2006 at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, MD . This is a place, band style sampler or I may try something new! …and it will be fun with a real ocean flair. Please see www.saltyyarns.com
• October 20, 21 I will be in Hamilton at Golden Threads -  www.gthreads.com with a band style place sampler for Hamilton.
• October 27, 28 in the Niagara area for the  Niagara Peninsula Needle Arts Guild with a Grape Sampler. Contact Nellie Zonneveld at jacnelli@vaxxine.com. I am so looking forwrd to being in my old stomping grounds and visiting with my sisters!

As ever, keep stitching
Jeannette