Road Trip

College pick up - Road Trip!!

I had to pick up my daughter and all her belongings from college this past week. She goes to Rochester Institute of Technology and it's a looooooong drive from our home on the east end of Long Island. It's 7 hours without traffic - and there's always traffic getting around New York City plus stops along the way and I'm looking at 8-9 hours of travel just to turn around and do it in reverse the next day. It's exhausting. So this time I decided to arrive a day early and spend an additional night at the hotel so I could get a little rest between the trips. And that extra day gave me the perfect opportunity to visit some cross stitch shops!

I put a call out on two of my favorite facebook groups, Stitch Maynia and Cross Stitch and Discuss., for recommended cross stitch stores along my route. The groups came up with four shops depending on my route.

Three hours into my trip I stopped at Deer Hill Farm Cross Stitching. At first, it seems like a little shop, but then Pat, the proprietor, started turning lights on in 3 side rooms and a foyer filled with patterns. Plus there's another room with shelves against all the walss filled with fabric! They have an amazing selection of patterns and fabric and it was totally worth the small detour I had to take.

(BTW, Deer Hill Farm Cross Stitching's correct address is 1225 State Route 9G, Hyde Park, NY. Google maps has the incorrect building number as of 5/17/16)

I was there for at least an hour and a half and Pat was patient, helpful and charming. I am looking forward to going back when I return my daughter to college in the fall.

While there I purchased some antique white jobelan for the rather large piece"Inspiration" by Rosewood Manor.

"Inspiration" by Rosewood Manor

I purchased Ink Circles' Damask Square and kitted it with 32 count Milk Chocolate linen (a little darker than the mushroom that pattern called for) and DMC Variations #4150 called for in the pattern.

Damask Square by Ink Circles

I also purchased Keslyn's Autumn Dew and kitted it with 28 count antique white jobelan, Weeks Dye Works Peach, and The Gentle Art's Pine threads. Autumn Dew is stitched "one over one" so that should be an adventure.

Autumn Dew by Keslyn's

The next morning I was able to head out early to Golden Thread Needlearts in East Rochester. That store is amazing. They have needlepoint, cross stitch and framing. I saw some customer's finished framed pieces and the framing is excellent! The store is quite large and I was a little overwhelmed but eventually left with "Simple Gifts" by Told in A Garden designer Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum. I'm planning to do this one as a gift for a friend.

Simple Gifts by Told In A Garden, Marilyn Leavitt-Imblum

I still had some time before I had to be at my daughter's college so I made a trip to Expressions in Needlework in Canandaigua. As instructed I said  "Hi" to Lori, the proprietor. Lori is charming and her shop is welcoming. She carries yarn, needlepoint canvas, and cross stitch patterns. There I found Flower Power by Ink circles and kitted it with 32 count Belfast Linen, ColorScapes Hand-dyed fabric in "Regency" by Picture This Plus, and Weeks Dye Works "Grasshopper" thread.

Flower Power by Ink Circles

I wish the color came out better in this photo. The fabric is a mottled, pale spring green and I think the grasshopper will show up beautifully. I'll try to get a better photo on a sunny day.


And the samples at each shop! It was so enlightening to see samples in real life compared to just the pattern booklets. It was well worth the effort to visit each one.

There was one shop, A Stitcher's Garden in Fayetteville, NY that I wasn't able to visit due to time restrictions, but I'll be sure to stop there on our return in August.