From the Ringneck Invitational Softball Tournament in Sioux Falls, SD:

"She had a front-row seat, right behind the backstop at home plate, sitting in a reclining lawn chair working on her counter-cross stitch project.

The teams weren't even from this area, and her husband was umpiring on another field, but Sandy Friesen didn't mind. She was enjoying the games, the weather, and of course, her project.

"Ken (her husband, who is retired from Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation) has been umping for a thousand years and I usually go along," said Sandy. "We've been to a girls national in Virginia, and he umps when we go south in the winter."

That gives her plenty of time to work on her cross-stitch - the current project being a colorful pattern of tulips in a vase. She plans to have it framed."

I think they mean *counted* cross stitch...

Suite101's Sewing & Needlework section has an article by Kate Pullen on pricing your work for sale. As she points out, you need to consider not only materials cost, but overhead, time, competitors, your personal goals, and, of course, what the market will bear.

The Whangaparoa Library and Service Center, Whangaparaoa Town Centre, NZ, has a class this Monday, July 9 at 2pm for children. " Learn how to knit or cross-stitch, play board games and cards."

"The Jackson County Community Foundation has announced the recipients of its 2007 awards from the Community Fund, said board president Bill Kirwan.

This year’s nonprofit recipients include:

• Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, for publishing costs for a wild flowers/cross-stitch book."

This week's sample of PatternsOnline's weekly update is Serenity, designed by Peiln Tezer. Fourteen shades of pink & green make up this flower. I think it would make a great pillow design, perhaps. This is, of course, only one of the new patterns added this week. They also have a new series of Fantasy Babies from Ellen Maurer-Stroh, Doggie & Kittie Divas from Alma Lynne, and Heart Sampler and Needle Guardian from Teresa Wentzler.

Serenity: