Lock-In!

Greetings, all! Today was Lock-In day at In Stitches, and roughly 30 stitchers (counting the staff) gathered on this chilly, sunny Sunday to eat, share, stitch, buy, chat and stitch some more. Here's a photo taken just minutes before the hubbub.

New charts on the spinners.

Door prizes ready.

Shop Ladies ready. (From the left, Elizabeth, Candie, Ellen, and with her back to the camera, Patricia).

Delicious food ready.  A particular thanks to Patricia's son's girlfriend's mother for making those flawless, gorgeous and delicious cookies and the tiered tray.  I should have snatched a pocket full of them! 

Fun Lunch.

A door prize winner.

Another door prize winner.

We got to see what everyone is working on. Here, Elizabeth is working on "Spring by the Sea" by Jeannette Douglas Designs. Part two (summer) is shipping this week.

Jan is working on a mystery sampler that starts at the bottom. Jan, I can't remember which designer did this. Would you leave a note in the comments?

There was plenty of shopping too. Here I am, trying to decide between a sparkly 32 count white opalescent and a 40 count Attic Lace for a new chart: Cuore e Batticuore's "Shabby Summer Calendar." It's light and bright and fun and works equally well framed or as separate ornaments. The motifs are very cute.

It was wonderful to get together with old friends and new.

Here's Sherri's beautifully stitched and framed fairy. It's a capiz shell frame, which this photo doesn't show well enough.

A close-up of all the beautiful beading.  The fabric is Picture This Plus in Mesa.

The Nora Corbett fairy is in the April issue of "Just Cross Stitch."  Yes, we have some left.

A very wise thought.

Thanks, everybody who came! And thanks to the busy and talented shop ladies, and particularly to Ellen, who pampered us all. We had a blast.

To order or for questions, please call 703-360-4600. We are located at 8800 F Pear Tree Village, Alexandria, VA. Our hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, and the first Sunday of the month, from 12:30-4:30. Stitch Nights are the first and third Wednesday evenings of the month from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please join us!

Happy stitching!