Happy “Almost Spring” everyone ! After this winter we need some spring. Thankfully tonight is Day Light Savings – put those clocks ahead an hour before you go to bed!

March also means that Woodlawn is in full swing. It runs thru March 30th and is closed on Tuesdays. NJNA sent about 25 entries in this year and we have winners !! Let’s all congratulate Noelle D, Diane B, Melita G, Rosie L and Linda M. They all received an award – or two! If you go, check out all the entries from NJNA as they are all winners in their own right – and don’t forget the ginger snaps at the end ! Here is the total list of winners this year: https://www.woodlawnpopeleighey.org/2026-award-winners

ANG Seminar registration is open and closes on April 17 ! Better hurry – 5 classes are already closed. Also – don’t forget to vote for the 3 new positions that are open. I am sure they will all do a great job. AND – we have a new Eastern Area Rep – Pat Thompson. She has been with ANG for over 25 years and held several positions. She is also involved with EGA and NAN and currently going for a certificate in Hand Embroidery thru the Royal School of Needlework. Welcome Pat !

Did you miss the 2 new Independent Learning projects ? Never fear – there are more new offers coming on 4/1/26 – no fooling !

We still have a month and a half until the Spring needlepoint trade show in Orland but that has not stopped new designs from popping up now. KC Needle Point has some adorable Spring/Easter canvases. Makes you forget about that remaining dirty snow outside. https://www.kcneedlepoint.com/collections/easter-needlepoint?omnisendContactID=61fc368aa1816e00226a532d&sort_by=created-descending&utm_campaign=campaign%3A+New+easter+%2869a901cde65441f60395bcf8%29&utm_medium=email&utm_source=omnisend

Another almost Spring event is Chinese New Year. This is the year of the Fire Horse ! The Needlepointer has new kits for 3 designs of their Fire Crackers. Each one comes with everything you need to stitch it and finish it yourself. They say no additional tools are needed – it comes complete. They also have a video you can follow along with for the finishing. They are pretty ! https://theneedlepointer.com/products/firecracker-ornament-kit?se_activity_id=171591237874&syclid=d6m5378h2fls738ob2qg&utm_campaign=Firecracker+Stitch-To-Finish+Kits+Just+Dropped%21_171591237874&utm_medium=email&utm_source=shopify_email

Ready to snap back to reality – Homestead Needle Arts has let everyone know that the dates for finishing this year are rapidly approaching. Check with your local LNS for their dates as it’s getting to the point where you need to plan a year ahead. Yikes. https://www.homesteadneedlearts.com/?srsltid=AfmBOooSIWUGHaMUpgKaAv5FBH79vtTbVihFXCpGtWKfHQDemBaMjzA0

On a more fun note – Stitch By Stitch (as usual) has some neat new items. The one that caught my eye was by a company called Threaded and Tipsy. They have some interesting self finishing items and canvases to choose from to insert. They have something called a “Catch All”. You need a 4X4 canvas to finish with and at first I thought – napkin holder – I was short sighted !! The 2 inch opening can also be used for: Books, planners, project bags, extra canvases (and who doesn’t have those), on a desk, shelf…. It is NOT leather but an affordable alternative. Look at Stitch By Stitch’s web site for their other products https://stitchbystitchneedlepoint.com/collections/vendors?q=Threaded%20and%20Tipsy (Hoping they bring some to Mohonk!)

–Stitched Up Needle Works – on the Left Coast ! is looking to celebrate our nation’s 250th Birthday. They have commemorative canvas ornament kits you can order that include: canvas, stitch guide, threads and embellishments. The kits are $145 and you need to order by April 10th. They are going to have a Stitch In on June 6th from 10 am to 4 pm to help with your kits and they even hint that there might be cake !! You can call the store at 669-258-5027.

I was reading an email from Stitch Stash and she was talking about new things in her shop. One of them was a thread line I had not heard of – Razzle Dazzle Threads. From the picture it’s hard to see but the colors look nice and bright. Go to her web site to see them individually and bigger and they look almost like Trebizond Silk Thread. Many are sold out on her web site so they might be worth giving a try. https://stitch-stash.com/collections/razzle-dazzle-threads

Big changes for River Silks. The owner, Jean Krynicki is retiring after 22 years. Her daughters Lynn, Jill and Beth are stepping into her roll to keep this fabulous ribbon company going. That’s not all ! They are moving their operations across country from Washington State to Virginia !! To make this move they will be closed for several months and stopped taking orders on Jan 22nd. We wish them a lot of luck in the move. Check out their web site for tutorials on using their ribbons. https://www.riversilks.com/

I know someone stitching both a checker board and a Monopoly game. Both canvases are BIG! Morgan Julia Designs has come up with an nice alternative. She has made a smaller version of a Backgammon board (and they have personality!). Her new designs are not a life long project and you have choices of background design. She designed it specifically to use and display. The entire canvas is 15 X 19 making the actual board 11 X 15, a little smaller than a traditional size. The back drops are either ski slopes with giant trees, garden rows with trellises and few bunnies or a garden gate surrounded by hydrangeas. All really pretty and a nice way to play the game. https://morganjuliadesigns.com/collections/backgammon-boards?_kx=rV4MBEfWGkwURglkyUXCLopGavY2DCJQzP6Y94aO8T4.RWeQns

Tips and Tricks: Another magic tool to think about owning !! Have you ever used a “Bunka Brush”? They are very handy to bring the fuzzies / nap up on your stitching to make beards or fur seem more realistic. The Bunka Brush can be a bit big in smaller areas and tough on delicate areas. When you need the same solution but a bit smaller scale you need “The Fiber Finisher” by Rainbow Gallery. It’s a wire fan about a half inch across – perfect for smaller areas ! I found it at KC Needlepoint. https://www.kcneedlepoint.com/collections/ornaments/products/fiber-finisher-brush

Who was that Famous Stitcher? That is Diane, the owner of Pepperberry Designs. With a degree in Fine Arts she spent most of her career as package designer until she opened Pepperberry in 2013. She is an avid gardener and loves making wreaths using – yup – Pepperberries !!

Do you know who this famous stitcher is?

I was reading my emails from Ellen Johnson’s Serendipity Needleworks and what she said just struck me as so true. Our needlepoint community is more than stitching – here is how she put it: