The Tradition of A New Year's Start

Chessie & Me's Behold The Bee

Begun by Cynthia 1/1/2004, finished 2/21/2004

Cynthia and I are members of a New York City stitching group called the Metrostitchers. In fact, it was through the Metrostitchers that we met, became friends and ultimately started Arachne's Silken Web. This is a terrific group of needleworkers whose membership is gradually spreading around the globe, no longer restricted to the metropolitan New York area. [If you would like more information about joining the Metrostitchers, just send us an email.]

Olde Colonial's Home Is... Tuck Pillow begun & finished 12/31/2002 (left)
Olde Colonial's Mimi's Pin Cube begun 1/1/2004, finished 7/2004 (center)
Amaryllis Artwork's Little Peace Angel begun 1/1/2005, finished 3/2005 (right)
All stitched by Theresa

The Metrostitchers began a tradition many years ago of starting a new project at New Year's. No matter how many projects we have going, we each start something new on New Year's Eve or New Year's Day to honor all those needleworkers who have gone before us--the mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and friends who have taught us to love fiber and thread, and whose legacy we carry on every time we pick up a needle. Large or small, complicated or simple, as long as it involves fiber and needle and hasn't already been started, it's a New Year's Start.

Scandinavian Stitches' Nordic Hearts Ornament begun by Theresa on 1/1/2008

We both had to do a little research to figure out what we each started over the years. I was surprised by two things: that I had finished so many of those starts and just how many years I didn't follow the tradition! It's actually been hard for us to stick with the tradition because for so many years we have been consumed at New Year's with finishing new designs to be released at the February Nashville Trade Show.

By the Bay's Winter Hill started by Cynthia on 1/1/2009

A New Year's Start can also be an opportunity for experimentation -- such as testing a new fiber on a favorite motif, or trying a new stitching technique like blackwork. Cynthia did just that on 1/1/2003 - using a variegated Gloriana Silk Pearl and a Leon Contrad blackwork motif. As you can see, her experiment shows that the twist of the silk pearl gives a very intersting textural look to the blackwork.

There's no deadline for finishing a New Year's Start. Some never are finished, others just take a very long time. Cynthia started Girl's Night Out on New Year's 2001. Progress has been slow and steady. Cynthia has hinted that she's going to put a few more stitches in it this New Year's!

Ewe & Eye & Friends Milkpaint Silks Kit from Kreinik

For Cynthia and I, the New Year's Start is an opportunity to take a break from Arachne design work and stitch pieces by other designers. After all, we are stitchers first. Cynthia's New Year's Start this year will be a new block on Carriage House's The Village of Hawk Run Hollow. And yes, indeed, starting a new section of a large project that has distinct sections is considered a new start!

I'm still 'examining my options.' I'll post a comment when I finally decide! I am busy at the moment though, finishing the Nordic Heart's Ornament.

We hope you will join us in this tradition, and let us know what you start!

Theresa

The Scents of a New York Christmas

Every year, right after Thanksgiving, tree sellers arrive en masse in New York. Setting up stands on street corners, at park entrances (like above), by shops, in green markets, and in empty lots, these vendors camp out (often literally in small campers) selling Christmas trees to New Yorkers from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Many return to the same locations year after year, becoming neighborhood fixtures. There's a real sense of community, even family, between the vendors and local merchants -- very similar to that experienced by designers attending needlework trade shows, or artisans at craft fairs.

The added bonus to all these tree stands throughout the city is the scent - that pungent, unmistakeable smell of evergreen which instantly shouts 'Christmas!' It's everywhere, and as you walk past a stand, you find yourself inhaling deeply, reveling in the wonderful scent.

I was thrilled to discover this tree vendor setting up across the street from my apartment Thanksgiving weekend. Usually I have to drag a tree home for blocks, the tree precariously balanced in my grocery cart. I couldn't wait to get my tree - it was going to be so easy!

Before I purchased my tree, I'd cross the street and take a deep breath whenever I needed a quick lift to my spirits. I often took the bus home rather than the subway because the bus stop was right next to the tree stand, and the scent welcomed me as I hopped off the bus.

Finally, over the weekend, I bought my tree. It's a frasier fir - my favorite evergreen for a Christmas tree as it's full but narrow, allowing for the proper display of a significant number of ornaments, something that's particularly important since I have an extremely large and every expanding collection of ornaments! The scent is wonderful -- permeating the apartment with the scent of Christmas.

See how pretty it looks? Although I think I can still fit a few more ornaments on it...what do you think? And no, the St. Nicholas tree topper isn't tipsy -- it's just that the top of the tree is off center and very thin. It gives the tree a little character!

Cynthia and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Theresa

TSV Twelve Days of Christmas

Arachne's Silken Web provided the prize for the 4th Day of The Stitcher's Village Twelve Days of Christmas Competition. You'll find the competition described on page 7 of the December 2009 newsletter.

Congratulations to Robin T. of New Jersey! Robin won our Reticella Accessories Limited Edition Chartpack.

Robin says this is one of the first contests of this type she's ever entered. It seems her husband always made her paranoid that entering these contests would let someone infiltrate her computer! As she succinctly said: "I got over it!"

We are honored to be one of the first prizes Robin has ever won. Have a great time, Robin, making these unique stitching accessories!

Theresa and Cynthia

New York As Winter Wonderland

New York rarely gets big snow storms. When a major storm dumps nearly 11 inches on New York in the middle of a weekend, well it's pure magic!


I happen to live across the street from Central Park. These snowy steps are actually one of the park entrances right outside my apartment building. When I woke up to a stunning snowy day on Sunday morning, like any winter loving New Yorker, I ditched the list of chores, bundled up, grabbed my camera and headed into the park to frolic. Oh, and I took an easier route into the park than those steps!

Gorgeous snow vistas met my eye. But they were far from empty.

New Yorkers -- 2 and 4 footed -- were out enjoying the park, all dressed in their winter best. Family groups were everywhere, with dogs bounding in the snow and kids building snow creatures, throwing snowballs and building snow forts and castles -- or maybe those were really New York highrises?

Even the ducks were out enjoying the snowy day!

The rustic park benches looked like snow sculptures alongside the paths.

And every hill of any size was instantly made for sledding!

I spent quite some time wandering around Central Park - people watching, thinking about how to memorialize the enchantment in a design. For now, these photos will just have to do.

Theresa

Playing with Color

I've been busy selecting colors for the sampler adaptation that's in the works. I say adaptation because the colors I've chosen are much brighter than the original sampler. I've even chosen some variegated colors for a section where there's quite a bit of satin stitching.

The design will be stitched in Silk 'N Colors. So many beautiful shades and color variations, it was difficult to choose. (Yes, it's a dirty job but somebody has to do it.) The fabric will be a neutral. In the picture it's Wichelt Latte, but I haven'definitely decided on this yet. I need to stitch a test swatch with the yellow/golds to make sure they show up against the fabric. Yellow/golds tend to disappear on many fabrics.

Once that's done, it's off to the model stitcher. Luckily, our friend Lil is not only a wonderful stitcher, she's also fast.

Related post: New Needlework Design in Process (scroll down for post.)

Welcome to Our Parlor Scavenger Hunt: Results

Congratulations to Bonnie C.! She is the winner of Arachne Silken Web's  Needle Retail Show "Welcome to Our Parlor Scavenger Hunt". Bonnie's name was randomly drawn from the pool of entrants who answered all five scavenger hunt questions correctly. As the winner, she has received a $25 gift certificate toward the total purchase price of any new Arachne design released in 2010.

Here are the answers to the scavenger hunt questions. How many did you answer correctly?

1. Arachne’s Silken Web’s designers live in what city?  New York City

2. How many of the designs displayed on our website feature bees in the design? Acceptable answers: 9 or 10

• Banded Bee Skep
  
• Bee Noel
• Bee on Time Mantel Clock
• Decking the Hive
• Christmas Bee Candles
  
• Come All Ye Christmas Bees
• O Christmas Bee
• Sleigh Bells Buzz
• Queen Bee
• 2008 Free Chart (since the bee in this design could also be a stylized butterfly, we accepted 9 as a correct answer to this question)
  

3. What inspired our 2006 freebie design? The brickwork design on the smokestack of the Willamantic Thread Company in Willamantic, Connecticut.

4. Who challenged Arachne to a stitching competition? Actually, Arachne challenged the goddess Minerva. (We included in the drawing anyone who answered Minerva since the question was a little misleading.)

5. What six words make up the subtitle to our blog Inside Arachne’s Silken Web? Bright lights, big city, sharp needles.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the contest. We hope you had fun and enjoyed the show.

Cynthia

P.S. Tell us what you thought about the Needle Retail Show -- what you liked, what you didn't like and any ideas you have for improving it. Also, tell us how you heard about the show so we know the best way to get the word out next time. Your feedback will help the show organizers and exhibitors make future shows the best possible needlework shopping experience for you, our valued customers. Looking forward to hearing from you.

 

Welcome To Our Parlor Scavenger Hunt!

Visit our page at the Online Needle Show Retail and participate in our first ever scavenger hunt! Just follow the instructions and your entry will be included in the prize drawing on November 10th, 2009.

You will be playing for a chance to win a $25.00 gift certificate good for puchasing any Arachne's Silken Web design released in 2010. (Winner can redeem their gift certificate directly with us.) We already have several designs in the works, including a new Christmas Bees, the next in the German Sampler Series and a colorful adaptation of an American schoolgirl sampler from 1803.

While you're at the show, indulge in a little S.E.X. Think I'll do just that right now!

Theresa