hi friends,

I am have some really exciting news! My autumn booklet, “Frost on the Pumpkin: An Old Fashioned Autumn” is now available for preorder in my etsy shop! I will be ordering the bulk printing at the end of the week, and those who preorder will get the first mail outs!

I’ve been working on this booklet for the last several months, and it includes many of my favorite things about autumn. Inside you’ll find original cross stitch patterns, a knitting pattern, recipes and some of my autumn writing. The title is inspired by the classic poem by James Whitcomb Riley and is full of homespun autumn pursuits.

Here’s a peek at the index, so you can see all the things I have in the book:

I’ve had the idea of making booklets like these for a very long time. I wanted to create something that could be enjoyed year after year, and also something more ‘permanent’ than a blog post. As much as I enjoy blogging, people just don’t read blogs like they used to, and I wanted to create something that would last long after my online presence was gone.

Within this booklet I share with you simple cross stitch patterns of my own design, my favorite (super easy!) cowl knitting pattern and also some of my own photos and art. I also share some of my favorite memories about “Autumn in New England”, “October in Salem” and “Heirloom Crafts in written sections. The projects included dovetail with the writings, and I hope it’s something you enjoy.

You don’t need to be a cross stitcher to enjoy the booklet, and I wrote it so that it’s something you can enjoy just to look through and perhaps be inspired to create in your own unique way.

I purposely made all the projects in this booklet fairly simple, so that they are fast and easy to create. Autumn can be a busy season, full of activity and things to do and see. I like to create stitching projects that can be completed in a few sittings, and I know many of my friends are new to cross stitch or are picking it up after many years. All the projects are made using Aida cloth, which is VERY easy to work with and DMC thread, which is easy to find at your local craft store.

It’s so exciting to have the book in hand, at long last! And I hope you enjoy it. I plan to make more in the coming months, and have all sorts of ideas. But first, of course, I had to make my Ode to Autumn.

The booklet is 39 pages and printed on glossy paper with a staple binding.

It includes:

5 original cross stitch patterns

1 knitting pattern

3 Recipes

As well as several pages of writing and many of my best autumn artwork plus lots of original photos from my autumn New England travels.

I hope you enjoy it! Preorder yours now in my etsy shop!

and of course–

Take Joy!
H