One of the new releases by Blackbird Designs at the Nashville Market 2020 is Sewing Club. While I have not seen the book itself (only pictures of it) it reminds me of an earlier one by Barb and Alma, A Stitcher’s Journey. That book contained a collection of charts that had been taught in some of their classes.

Sewing Club contains charts for 16 projects including:

1. Willing Hands A Retreat Project at The Attic Nov 2019 (bottom right on front cover)
2. Tiny Tree tops, Rose or Thyme from Shepherds Bush retreat 2016 (top middle on front cover
3. Garden Friends Sewing Bag from Spring 2019 Retreat at Stitchville USA (bottom left on front cover)
4. Hollyhocks Were Always There huswife from Spring 2019 Retreat at Stitchville USA
5. Rose Hips & Ivy which was a Ladies Prim Society release in 2017
6. In My Garden which was a Silver Needle A Little Help From My Friends pattern
7. My Home Scissor Box (top left on cover)
8. Summer Basket Button Bag
9. Ripe Pear Scissor Box from Spring 2019 Retreat at Stitchville USA
10. Summer Flocks from Spring 2019 Retreat at Stitchville USA
11. The Air of Other Summers from 2019 Quilter’s Station Retreat (top middle on the front cover)
12. A Bit of Summer De Handwerk Boetiek: Pindrum club 2018-2019
13. Songbird Whistles Primitives of the Midwest Class Project 2017
14. Gathering Swallows Primitives of the Midwest Class Project 2017
15. Garden Morning

I’ve ordered my copy of this book and cannot wait for it to arrive. Thanks Barb and Alma for this wonderful new release.

Another Stitch-A-Long I discovered posted on Facebook, was the Linens and Threads Mystery Sampler SAL that is offered by Linens and Threads in Australia. This is at least the 4th year they have offered this and all of the projects are stunning.

The one for 2020 is called Friends and Family and is inspired by antique Quaker and Vierlande samplers.  It includes both traditional and new motifs, and allows you to personalize your sampler to celebrate your Friends and Family.

Each month on the first, Linens and Threads will release a new piece of the Mystery Sampler as a free downloadable chart. And along with this years charts, each month will feature a bonus chart of an ornament.

The sampler itself has a stitch count of 244 wide x 244 high so not small. You can read all about this years Mystery Sampler as well as the ones offered for previous years from the links below. And the charts are FREE.

• Friends and Family, the 2020 Linen and Threads Mystery Stitch A Long (SAL). 
• 2019 Mystery Sampler – A Peacock’s Garden
• 2018 Mystery Sampler – Medieval Menagerie
• 2017 Mystery Sampler – A Band Sampler

If you decide to stitch one of these beauties, join the Facebook group created for stitchers Linen And Threads – Mystery Sampler SAL, There you can post your progress and see photos of all the beautiful creations and color choices.

The 2019 A Peacock’s Garden is pictured below.

I recently saw this sweet design posted by a friend on Facebook so I went in search to see if I could find it. Success.

Janice Wood created a sweet cross-stitch heart, which incorporates a traditional Quaker sampler motifs with an alphabet on one side of the heart and the date and recipient’s initials on the reverse.

You can read the entire article Cross-Stitch Heart with Quaker Motifs and download the charts.

I stitched this on 16ct white aida with Sulky 12 weight 712.

Just after Christmas I received a lovely surprise box from my very favorite designers, Barb and Alma of Blackbird Designs. Just look at all the goodies that were included.

The charts were ones from a recent retreat held in November 2019 at The Attic in Mesa AZ. I had seen them posted earlier and really wanted to stitch the two smaller ones. The large sampler, Little Birds, I will hold for a later start as it is BIG. Two pieces of 18ct Heartland aida were also included. Needless to say, I am a very happy camper. Thank you Barb and Alma.

I decided to start on Autumn Abundance first, so gridded the piece of fabric and started stitching. I have stitched two of the five sections.

I asked another stitcher, Jan Emerick, if she would finish this one for me. Here is the finished piece and I love it especially the little twig at the top.

A Mon Ami Pierre is not a designer I had heard of in the past but while looking for something else, I found two of her designs I liked so went in search of them. Turns out she is no longer designing but since BOTH of the charts were offered as freebies on her site at one time, I sent in search of them. I really wanted to stitch the songbird one although that is not its name.

Her website is not longer available so I checked the WayBack Machine which has come to my rescue in the past. Lo and behold, they were still available there.

Songbird Needlecase the floss colors for this one are actually Vicki Clayton silks which no longer exist so you will need to figure out your own colors. Once I decide which of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe floss colors I am going to use, I will post them.

Stitcher’s Hornbook

I’m sorry she is no longer designing as her charts are truly lovely. A beautiful collection of some of these designs can be found on Just Carol.

I stitched this on a piece of 16ct aida I had in my stash.

• Grape Vine/VMSS Pioneer Stitcher
• Kat’s Meow/VMSS Antique Embrodiery
• Earth Stars/VMSS Frog Prince
• Winterberry/VMSS Auntie’s Quilt
• Enchanted Rose/VMSS Dusty Mauve
• Bitter Bloom/VMSS Primitive Taupe
• Fagale/VMSS Antique Embrodiery
• Garnet/VMSS Southern Red Trillium
• Imperial Green/VMSS Stitching Together

After I finished stitching them, I sent them off to Vonna Pfeiffer, The Twisted Stitcher for finishing. They are now on their way back to me. I LOVE them.

Home for the Holidays is the long awaited Christmas Book released during the Nashville Marketplace in 2016. The book includes three old out of print charts: reprints Christmas Garden, Blessings Be Thine and ’Tis the Season   plus 5 new stocking charts They are Poinsettia Stocking, My Heart is Home Stocking, Gift Basket Stocking, Holly and Ivy Stocking, and Decorating the Tree stocking.  Also includes are charts for The Meadow  and Home for the Holidays. The book is 39 pages and includes finishing instructions for the stockings.

I had already stitched the three largest projects: Christmas Garden, Blessings Be Thine, and ‘Tis the Season, so decided to give one of the Christmas Stockings a try since I have NEVER stitched on of the Blackbird Designs Stockings. I chose the first one, Poinsettia Stocking and selected a piece of 16ct Ivory Aida as my fabric. Rather than the called for threads, I chose three colors from the Victorian Motto Sampler threads line – Variegated Cranberry, Olde Cranberry and Old Red Rose. I was very happy with the way it turned out. I started stitching on May 10th and finished on May 15th.

I bought some of the recommended finishing fabric, Joyeux Noel Pearl by French General. We’ll see if I try to finish it myself or send it off.

The Snowflower Diaries cordially invites you to join the Primitive Calendar Joyful World Stitch-A-Long for 2016. Maja has designed a primitive monthly calendar: JOYFUL WORLD for her children that she is going to share with us this year.

You are invited to join and stitch the entire calendar or just a couple of months. Or you may choose to stitch nothing and just follow along. Two of the charts with recommended fabric and floss will be released in January, and one a month following that. The charts will be available in pdf format for download for FREE. The charts will also be released in multiple languages.

You can read more about the project on The Snowflower Diaries blog and download the charts each month following the above schedule.  NOTE: Charts will be posted both in her FACEBOOK GROUP and on her website.

Thank you Maja for this great project.

If you are a Blackbird Design Addict, as I am, you might be interested in two new Stitch-A-Longs for two of the BBD charts. Both are Christmas Designs although they certainly could be displayed all year.

‘Tis the Season from Joyeux Noel

Tis the Season
Blackbird Designs
from the Joyeux Noel book
36ct Pear by Lakeside Linens
CC Belle Soie
Stitched by Cathy B.

Joyeus Noel has just been reprinted and you should be able to order it from your favorite LNS or an online source. One of the charts included in this book is called ‘Tis the Season and includes a beautiful Winter Cardinal. The chart calls for using Belle Soie silk threads by Crescent Colors. Some folks will be using those but there are others of us who will be using other types of floss, mainly because of the cost of the silk threads. The called for fabric is 32ct Pear by Lakeside Linens. Again, each of us will be selecting our own fabric. I plan on using 16ct Storm Aida by Hand Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie. You can read more about my own choices on ‘Tis the Season from Joyeux Noel by Blackbird Designs.

If you would like to join us, visit ‘Tis the Season SAL Facebook group.

Christmas Garden

Christmas Garden is an Out of Print chart by the Blackbird Design ladies. Unless you have someone who is willing to loan you the chart or you can find someone willing to sell it to you, you are NOT going to easily find this. Some of us will be using the recommended fabric: 30ct Sheep Straw by R & R Reproductions. Others will select whatever fabric they are most comfortable stitching on. I have ordered a piece of 16ct Regency by Picture This Plus. We will also be using a wide variety of threads. Some will be stitching with the recommended threads. Others of us have ordered floss from Nancy Rogers of the Victorian Motto Sampler Shoppe, specifically the Victorian or Antique Christmas Collection. You can read more about  the project Christmas Garden by Blackbird Designs. There are also a number of ways to stitch this sampler to make it your own. Mine will be stitched as a tribute to my oldest son who died just after his 50th Birthday.

If you would like to join us, visit Christmas Garden SAL – 2016

Patchwork Pumpkin and Bittersweet September were originally released as part of the Ladies Prim Society Club. They are being released as Reward of Merit patterns.

If you missed out on these from the Ladies Prim Society, call and reserve yours soon….limited release. GO TO DYEING TO STITCH. NOW! You can give them a call at 757-366-8740.

Patchwork Pumpkin was originally released as Bittersweet Lane and was the Ladies Prim Society release for 2014.

Bittersweet September was the Ladies Prim Society Release for 2013.

What is the Ladies Prim Society you ask? The Ladies Prim Society is an exclusive club through Dyeing To Stitch, featuring Blackbird Designs and Heartstrings Samplery. Every 8-10 weeks you will receive a complete kit including any finishing supplies needed. The kits to are priced  between $35 and $40. Membership is closed for the 2015 calendar year BUT you can read more about the Ladies Prim Society and Dyeing to Stitch.

The third pattern being released is the start of a new series, the Garden Club.

In the next 12 months, our Garden Club series will reflect a cherished aspect of gardening. It might be a lovely basket of flowers, bees buzzing from flower to flower, or, like this month, an abundant harvest of cherries. In any case, you won’t have to worry about getting your hands dirty!

On the back cover, you will find our Basket of Cherries made up as a pincushion. But if you’d rather, you can wait and stitch all 12 projects into one large sampler.

One pattern will be released each month for a year. The picture above shows the front and back cover of the first pattern. All 12 pieces are stitched on 32ct. Weeks Dye Works linen. Each pattern uses a different color of linen. Basket of Cherries was stitched on 32ct. Cocoa. Each piece in the series is a 4" square. On the back of the pattern cover you can note the first three samplers of the series sewn together.

My plan is to stitch them all together as one piece. Two previous pieces offered in this manner (stitched on different fabrics then sewn together) were the Mystery Sampler (out of print) and Flea Market Souvenir  (out of print).

You can read the full article with even more pictures on Barb and Alma’s blog, Blackbird Designs One Stitch at a Time.

Occasionally the gals on the 123 Message Board point other stitchers to free cross stitch charts that are offered for our stitching pleasure. Here are some of the sites that offer legal free charts.

Better Cross Stitch

Better Cross Stitch – Cross stitch tips, articles and links. Free cross stitch patterns.  One of the designs I particularly liked was one called Chrysanthemum and is pictured below:

Fabric: 14 count
Stitches: 300 x 230
Size: 21 3/8 x 16 3/8 in
Colors: 59 DMC colors

The charts are in pdf format and are available to print in either black and white or color. Personally, I prefer black and white as they are easier on my eyes. Take the time to explore that many different subjects that are offered.

EMS Cross Stitch Design

Ellen Maurer-Stroh is another designer who offers some free charts that I love. Her Project 2010 – Flower of the Month pictured below is a particular favorite.

You will need to register before you can download the free charts. Again, you can print them in either black and white or color. These are available in three different formats – pdf, PAT for PC Stitch and zipped for machine.

Brooks Books Publishing

Brook Nolen of Brooks Books Publishing offer a series called Advent Animals. The series consists of 25 little animals that can be stitched individually as ornaments or as a calendar. Use your imagination. As of today, 15 have been released. You can download any or all of them. You can see the first six pictured below.

Jardin Prive

Jardin Prive is a French designer who offers some beautiful designs for us to stitch. One of my favorites is offered  in five parts as a Stitch A Long La Pensée Positive which is pictured below.

There are 5 separate charts available in several languages including English available for download as pdf’s.