From the Editor

It doesn't seem possible that we are printing our fourth issue of needlepoint now! We don't know where the weeks and months have gone, but they have been happy and fulfilling days with never enough hours to get it all done. Needle artists, designers, teachers, advisors and friends have come forward with a most wonderful array of projects and suggestions for continuing features. What a plethora of wonderful stitcheries we have "waiting in the wings" to be presented to you in future issues.

As our subscription base doubles, triples and continues to amaze us, we find that we are "smoothing out the kinks" in our system. There were several "wicked days" when our subscriber data base "appeared to be working," but, in fact, was not recording the data. We so appreciate your calls and letters, and especially your patience, in helping us to recognize this problem and to work through it.

We have also been working with the post office to help insure that you receive your magazines in a timely fashion. What is within our control, we are doing. We are working to make sure your label with address and zip code is correct, that the magazines are properly wrapped in tightfitting plastic to protect the covers, and that we keep our data base as up-to-date as possible. There are, however, many areas that are beyond our control. I really don't understand why you receive your copy on Monday, and the neighbor across town (or even down the street) gets hers a week or two later. All of the magazines are mailed at the same time from the main post office in Richmond, Virginia. As they travel around the country, they go to various distribution centers, and then to local areas, and then to local post offices. Sometimes I wish they could tell us about their travels. One subscriber, who happens to live in Richmond, had her premier issue mailed out in April and received it in June. It took two months to go across town (but, there was a river to cross-maybe fording the stream took all that time!) It is frustrating to all of us! Please bear with our postal system, and give the magazine four weeks for domestic delivery and six weeks for international delivery. Projected mailing dates are September 10, November 10, January 10, March 10, May 10 and July 10. And, I try to keep in mind that, even though we do have problems with our postal system, the United States Post Office is still the best postal system in the world! Have you ever tried to send magazines out of the country? That is another whole column!

We have been asked about our mailing list. Please rest assured that we will not give it away nor sell it under any circumstances. It is a protected list and will remain so. Actually, we detest receiving all the "junk mail" as much as you do, and will surely not add to that enormous waste of paper.

We hope that you enjoy the projects featured in this issue. Gayle Bicknell's "Pieces of Eight," shown on the front cover, is hanging in the office and calling me to pick up canvas and needle and get started! I want to stitch one exactly like she did and in the same "happy" color palette, and I want to stitch a second one in the palest of colors as a gift for my cousin. If only my fingers would keep up with my mind, I would have it made! I fell in love with Roberta Montgomery's adorable "Witch Hazel" and would enjoy stitching that one to show off at our annual Halloween party (and, I think my grandson, John, would love it!) Marianne Frost's beautiful fall ornament and Debbie Stichler's exciting projects for the home... so many choices, and so little stitching time. But, like many of you, I will keep the magazine (oh, yes, the paper we use for printing is exceptional quality paper with low acid content to insure long life) safely tucked away for that glorious time in the future when I can stitch it all. Hope you enjoy the issue, and

Keep on stitching,
Joyce

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Last Updated November 24, 2004