The Strawberry Sampler

The Strawberry Sampler We have been sharing our love of x's for over 40 years with our friends....we're excited to share ou

04/20/2026

Hello stitchers!
A quick note from us at the shop that many of y’all already saw in our newsletter. But I wanted to get it here as well.
Our fabulous finisher Therese is retiring this year.
We are wickedly sad for us, but so happy for her & her plans for her future!
The most important thing you need to know is this:
The LAST DAY we will be accepting any finishing (ie, ANYTHING that is not framing) is
JUNE 1st!

So finish up your pillows, stockings, ornaments & standups & get them in!

I gotta get busy…..

02/25/2026

A quick schedule note:
On Thursday, Feb 26, the shop will close about 2:00 pm.
I am saying goodbye to my pup Charlee & have to leave early.
Even though I knew this day was coming, I have been crying A LOT the last couple days. I’m trying to work thru my sadness, but just ask for a tiny speck of grace while I say goodbye to my girl. 🐾💔🐾
Thanks stitchers.

Stitchers!!!Here’s the weather at 10am!! Feels like -3°????That should be illegal! Please stay warm today!You can join...
02/08/2026

Stitchers!!!
Here’s the weather at 10am!! Feels like -3°????
That should be illegal!
Please stay warm today!
You can join us for our Super Bowl Sale in person OR online!
And be sure to read all the info at
www.strawberry sampler.com/htm

Hello Stitchers!It is Sunday morning & it is Super Bowl Sunday! Lots of y'all have been asking about out sale & I did ...
02/08/2026

Hello Stitchers!
It is Sunday morning & it is Super Bowl Sunday! Lots of y'all have been asking about out sale & I did send a newsletter out earlier this week (shocker!), but I forgot to link it here (sorry....).
What you need to know:
We WILL be here from 11-2. HOWEVER, it is dangerously cold outside ~ in fact, it is honestly the coldest I can remember since...ever. So I've just updated the newsletter regarding this.
Remember you can order online & still get your discount (although my website is almost as barren as the bread/milk/eggs aisles before a storm ~ again, my apologies). ALSO! We are doing a "Delayed Super Bowl/Philles Opening Day" Sale on March 29th. So again, if you hate the cold as much as I do, you don't have to miss out! Options options options!

Please stay warm today, no matter what you do. And for more info click here: https://www.strawberrysampler.com/sbs.htm

01/24/2026

Hi stitchers! Just a quick note to say the shop will be closed Saturday as we all prepare for Sunday’s storm (& also because it’s gonna feel like LOTS below zero all day…).
Stay warm & get your cocoon ready for Sunday!

12/26/2025

Hi stitchers - the shop will be open today (Friday) until the precipitation begins, whether that is snow, sleet or ice.

12/01/2025

Latest mom update!
Well! We have come a LONG WAY from last week!
We went from a really really bad Sunday, to a good Monday, to her moving out of ICU to a step down room on Tuesday, to moving to a regular hospital room on Thursday, to this week we are getting ready to move her to short term rehab!
I was able to be in the shop on Friday & Saturday & I cannot find the right words or enough hugs to hand out to all the stitchers that came by! So many asked about mom & about me, and some didn’t realize what was going on (& that’s fine too!), but holy cow! We laughed SO HARD on Saturday!! Friday was amazing! I got to reclaim a little slice of my regularly scheduled life!
I have also touched base with most all my framing stitchers, as I work to triage Christmas gifts! My goal is to have everything done by Christmas, but I am not going to assume we’re clear yet, so I am prioritizing the gifts. If I didn’t touch base with you it’s because I already know your piece(s) are gifts.

So, I wanted to put happy (or at least, happier) news out there. But mostly I wanted to thank the 99% of folks who reached out with their incredible kindness, well wishes & prayers. It means the world. And to the 1% who chose those posts to express their complete disgust with me, well honey, bless your heart. I hope you never have someone absolutely tear a strip off you hide when you are going thru one of your worst days. I hope you are never the unkind thought that pushes someone to leave. For good. Because words make a difference - good or hateful. Fortunately most everyone (truly) is amazing. And I thank you all.
Okay. Back to work.

11/24/2025

Mom update - No update yesterday because it was all bad news & I honestly was waiting to see “when”. She was having a very hard time breathing & more. But she was resale happy to see Jimmy (my oldest nephew) when he got in from NC.
When I left last nite the status was still not good.
However! GOOD NEWS! Mom is doing much better this am. She slept well last night & has been awake & talking with the nurses. She wanted to know where her phone was. Telling me lots of stuff she was worried about at home.
Mad because her favorite tv channels are different numbers here & she couldn’t find what she wanted (I told her she should be really happy she missed the horrible Eagles game….after I gave her a recap, she said, “why can’t they play well for a whole game??”). Last night, Gloria (another of the “favorite daughters!”) came by to see her & mom was telling her about Jimmy being home & his job finally being officially permanent. Lotta talking going on!
They have her off the large o2 mask (it forces more o2 in, does the work for her) & have her right now just on a nasal o2 tube. They have lowered the amount of o2 they are pushing (meaning she is taking in more on her own) & she is holding her own - not struggling.
All her labs are good, and everyone is currently happy.
This doesn’t mean anything more than that today is 100% better than yesterday. But I will take the small win.

Someone asked me why I was so committed to posting updates here. Why??? Because my stitching family - YOU! All of you (even the person who took it upon herself to completely trash us on my post about these challenges) are also part of my family. Family is not who shares your dna (I have chopped off a couple of those branches from my family tree - they were poisonous). Family is who cares about you - whether you have great news or lousy. So thank you for being part of my family.

11/22/2025

Update:
Well it is a roller coaster here. Last nite (Friday) they took her tube out & she was doing great!! Talking continually without pause. All counts where they wanted them.
Came in this am, & she is having trouble breathing & now has pneumonia. She is resting, but not very happy about it. All other labs have improved very nicely. So this is our new battle.
Thanks to all y’all who have touched base & we’ll take all the prayers we can get.

11/21/2025

A quick mom update.
What a long exhausting week this has been. It seems that mom is still on track & where they anticipated her to be.
To be more specific, today her cardiac measures a regular & consistent. Wednesday they were problematic. Today her oxygen levels are good. Yesterday they were not. This week has been a seesaw of cardiac good/oxygen bad, then flip flop. Each time she makes good progress & the drs & nurses begin to wean her off meds & oxygen in anticipation of removing her breathing tube, she becomes very alert & responsive (GOOD!) to the point that she sits up in bed, swings her legs over the side & basically tries to get up (BAD!). They are encouraged by her alert responses, but she is still just enough out of it that she doesn’t buy the fact she has to stay quiet. So when that happens, they have to up her sedation meds again.
All that being said, every time I talk with any of her AMAZING nurses, I walk away with the distinct feeling that they believe she is progressing exactly as she should. And because all my vast medical knowledge comes from years of watching ER & Greys Anatomy, I am smart enough to know that I KNOW NOTHING!

Now, the nurse JUST came in & said all her medical numbers look very good. And so they have eliminated her sedation meds, and once she is a little more alert, the PLAN is to remove the breathing tube!! Yay! Having said that, it is just a plan at the moment. So, we’ll see what happens.

Lots of info and I know some of you may be thinking “why is this chick oversharing?”. If so I apologize. But honestly so many of you are so wonderful & asking how she is that I truly count you as family. Thanks so much for you kindness & love.
I’ll let you know how it goes!!

11/20/2025

Update:
Actually no update with mom, just update from me (Beth).
Y’all NEVERS CEASE to amaze & humble me. I have been trying to reply to each of y’all (& will continue to do so), but please know you are each & every one helping me, carrying me, surrounding me so much it’s amazing. It is not, however, surprising. Cross stitchers in general, but MY cross stitchers in particular, are truly treasures.
We have always said we want to be a place where you can come in & if you need to share something - good or bad - we hope you’re comfortable with us. We know we can’t fix things, but we can hand out hugs like candy!
And I don’t always accept maybe that that goes both ways. I really posted this info to let y’all know that I’ll be “unreliable” for a bit. And yet, y’all respond by taking care of ME.
I cannot explain how much this means to me. With the world being as crazy as it is, I am grateful that we are still a kind caring community.
So please know that I love each & every response here - and each one means more than I can say (even tho I seem incapable of shutting up….).
I will update mom’s progress as we have any.

11/20/2025

Sharing some info & asking for grace, patience & prayers.
On Sunday, my mom Ruth Ellen Duncan, had a heart attack. She remains in the ICU making slow progress. Wednesday was a “no progress” day.
Needless to say, I have not been in the shop this week to get any work done for you. The shop will be open today (Thursday), Friday & Saturday. The gals who work with me are wonderful. But I ask for your patience with us as I will be running back & forth to the hospital to be with mom & we may at times have to be closed for an hour or so.

I am not sure what the future - immediate or long term - holds for mom or for me. Some days the doctors have been very pleased with her progress, other days they have needed to keep her sedated as she occasionally decides to sit up & try to get out of bed! Whenever I am not at the hospital, my phone is attached to my hand & I jump with every incoming text or phone call.

I am learning that I do freely share info with you, my stitching family, I also do not put myself out there asking for help or understanding. I have been badly burned by people extremely close to me, so I find it easier to muddle thru mostly alone. On the other hand, I always encourage others to “reach out”! Hypocritical much? Yeah I know.
So this is my attempt to reach out. Bear with us here. I know I have not lived up to expectations this year. I am struggling with bearing myself up about that. And that was BEFORE Sunday! So I guess I am asking for patience & grace as I navigate the next few hours, days, weeks. I will do my very best to get myself to the shop & get stuff done for you, I promise.

And I will keep you updated as best I can.

Thanks so much for reading all this - I know it’s long & blah blah blah (no yip yap right now!!). And I know there are some of you (not many, but a few) who just “want their stuff”, regardless. I get that & you are not wrong.
To everyone else - thank you for being my stitching family. I need your love & understanding more than you can imagine.

-Beth

Address

930 E. Boot Road, Suite 300
West Chester, PA
19380

Opening Hours

Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 3pm

Telephone

+16104598580

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