Woodlawn and more..........

Yesterday I traveled to see the Woodlawn Needlework show with my EGA group. There were a number of  impressive pieces but, overall, I just wasn't as "wowed" as I've been in the past. Not sure if it's a matter of "been there..seen that" or that a lot of the pieces are needlepoint , more modern and just not my style. Whatever the reason, I do love to see so many stitched pieces in one place as  it does get you motivated to work longer, faster and more often to get all the things you want to get accomplished in this lifetime!!! We had lunch there at Woodlawn in the tea room and then a quick visit to In Stitches for some shopping. All in all, a day well spent!

I haven't just been shoveling snow these last few weeks (though this has become a looong snowy winter) and have managed to get some stitching done. I've completed the pre-stitching on The Mermaid Purse and begun the Tulip Tray. Time's starting to get way from me and it's just over  a month until my two classes with Sherri Jones. Here's what I've done:

scissor fob

Scrim pocket cover

two sides of tulip tray

I also managed to get some stitching, on those cold snowy nights, done on Hibernation Day. It was a perfect choice due to the verse/theme on the sampler. I changed the verse a bit from "if I can spend the day curled up next to you" to "if I could spend the day curled up with my needle, thread...and you". It involved adding an extra line, but that was no problem. I only have the bottom third to go!!!

On a personal note, I've lost almost 10 pounds with my FitBit since the New Year. I've also been watching what I eat, drinking lots of water and walking on the treadmill. I'm trying to get myself in shape for our trip to Alaska in August to celebrate hubby and my 40th wedding anniversary. And no....I CAN'T be that old!!!!

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

PS Not sure why this big white block appearred but I don't have time to figure it out--sorry!!!

  

A picture....or two...is worth a 1000 words................

The Eyes Have it!

Okay, so I couldn't resist getting a pair of these at the Super Bowl Sale at Salty Yarns.

Enough said!!!

Stasi

Stitching Getaway Update

Well, I had a wonderful time at the beach last weekend despite the fact I had to come home a  day early due to weather. Snow was in the forecast for late Sunday/Monday morning and snow it did!!! We got 5 inches of heavy, wet snow at home and I would have been driving back in the midst of it if I stuck with my original plan. Of course, they got nothing in Ocean City and when I left Sunday, it was in the 50's and sunny!!! Go figure!!! We mostly stitched and talked, shopped and ate, shared and laughed. I did manage to walk the boardwalk two days with SP and JD, which was good as I needed to burn off some calories to accommodate the goodies that were available all weekend! We were shocked that when we walked Saturday, it could have been a day in season for all the people there--it was packed and we had to maneuver our way around throngs of people!

On Saturday DL and I drove up to Dagsboro, DE (after a hunt to find some of the new Harry Potter LE postage stamps) to a quilt shop called Serendipity. Now, I am not a quilter but I love fabrics and they always have a very nice selection of dyed wool. While we were there, they had a special event where they presented a beautiful red, white and blue quilt to a veteran from the armed forces. They wrapped the quilt around his shoulders and read a lovely statement thanking him for his service. It was a very moving experience and I applaud the quilters who have taken this project on. I believe, if my memory is serving me, that this was through Men of Valor, but don't hold me to that! They were having a raffle, for a number of different items,  in the back room to raise money for the program and I entered ...and won..a beautiful book on Baltimore Album quilts. I'll pick it up next time I go down.

Here are some photos of the boardwalk in the snow:

Boardwalk looking North

An adorable snow lady!

While In Ocean City, I stitched the first of the Colonial Gathering Club kits from R&R Reproductions  It was by Plum Street Samplers and will be finished into a "pocket". This was pretty much all I got stitched because I'm all about the "socializing" while I'm there. I don't have much opportunity to talk "stitching" in person, so I take full advantage!!!

On the home front, I completed the other side of my mermaid purse seen here on the bottom............

...........and I made a pair of pillow cases for Cora and her American Girl doll, Julie, for Valentines Day. 

That's all she wrote for now, Rich has asked me to go the movies and dinner tonight. We're planning on seeing Monument Men and still have to decide on a restaurant. Sadly, the choices are slim here in the Martinsburg Area except for chains.

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

One little mermaid completed...........

I've finished stitching one side of the mermaid purse and am on to the second.

I'm on the hunt for the buttons that are called for; the company Sherri recommends has gone out of business. I'm looking for 2 small MOP fish and a larger one, but think something with a "beachy" theme also may work. If anyone knows of a good button store in Baltimore or on line, please let me know.

And....speaking of "beachy", I am heading off to Ocean City tomorrow for an annual stitching retreat with friends. We will shop the Salty Yarns super bowl sale and stitch to our hearts content. We always make Cincinnati chili one night and try to hit our favorite food joints the rest of the time. That can be difficult since most are closed at this time of the year, but we somehow never go hungry!

So I am off to pack and make Rich his favorite casserole for meals while I'm gone. Thanks goodness he is so self sufficient!!!

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Moving along and a new start..........

I'm moving along on my mermaid purse and the stitching with interfacing is "growing" on me. I am using a sharp needle, as suggested by a couple folks, and it definitely makes getting through the interfacing easier. However, you have to be ever so careful not to split the linen threads. So, it is slow going, but luckily there isn't a whole lot of stitching involved.

And, with this crazy cold weather, I just couldn't resist starting Hibernation Day by Heartstring Samplery. I had seen this back in the fall and fell in love with the saying as I do love the quiet of softly falling snow, a warm crackling fire, lounging in my pj's and curling up with my stitching....or a good book! I'm stitching it on 36 count Barn Owl from Birds of a Feather (that I happened to have in my stash) with some Gentle Art and Valdani overdyes. I debated one strand or two but settled on one. The fabric has a "greenish" cast to it (photo is not very accurate) and I'm using much more subdued colors. Here you go:

 I just read a new term on Facebook---procraftinating--working on craft projects when you should be doing laundry, making dinner or cleaning house. Love it....and so true!

Well my plans for the day have been cancelled due to more snow coming and a two hour drive for me. So, you know what I'm going to be doing!!! 

Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Cold + snow = Finishing

BRRRR!!! It's been freezing cold here the last few days--most days only 2 degrees when we get up. Rich has had the pellet stove and fireplace going strong to supplement our struggling heat pump. I don't mind the cold(as long as I can stay in my warm home) and would much rather have it than high summer temps and humidity! It also creates the perfect storm for getting some finishing done as business is slow and I don't really need to go out.

So, I worked on my Betsy Morgan class that I took last June at Salty Yarns, Gathering for Winter Etui. I just love this piece as it embodies my favorite colors, time of the year and acorn motifs. It consisted of the 3-D etui box, pincushion, needlebook, scissor case and fob. The box is made using a cut mailing tube that we lined and covered with our finished stitching. The pincushion uses the same method to make, but is an old cylinder from an empty ball of perle cotton. Betsy is so very clever!!! The beautiful wooden acorn was hand turned by Mike at Sylvan Treasures and is a lovely addition (it was included with the class). I did cheat on the tassel as I had this one in my stash and it worked wonderfully with the colors...plus I loved its cap! So without further ado....here are some photos:

Overall shot of set

Etui front

Etui back

needlebook

pincushion

scissor case and fob front

scissor case and fob back

Uh-oh---just looked outside and it's snowing!!! Hadn't heard about this--guess we'll see what develops !Oh well, I took a quick lunch break and when I came back the sun was out and no snow!

Hope you are staying warm and cozy in your neck of the woods!!! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi