....in the blogging/IG world......robin_in_virginia!!! We crossed paths...sadly for a VERY short time...at an event in Williamsburg this past weekend. Robin was at a stitching retreat and I was taking a class from Lauren Sauer at the same venue. We knew we may have the opportunity to hook up but time was of the essence. I got there as early as I could Sunday morning (my class started at 9:00am and I was driving about 90 minutes from home) and was settling in to my class "space" when Robin walked in and waved. It took me a minute to realize it was her but 'happy day' it was!!! So we had a visit of approximately 5-10 minutes before my class began, but it was so wonderful to meet this most supportive and kind person. Robin has been a mainstay in the blogging world for a long time and now is sharing and commenting on IG. I know I have appreciated her positive feedback for awhile now. In anticipation we, unbeknownst to the other, had brought tokens of our on line friendship. Robin gifted me a fabulous hand drawn needle minder and two packs of glorious colors of rick-rack...love, love..love!! Thanks so much Robin--you know me well.
I had been going through some old UFO's and stumbled across this preface piece from a Betsy Stinner class I took in 1998. The piece was called Friends Sampler and I thought it quite appropriate to finish up as a small token for Robin. I had some perfect backing fabric on hand and filed it with lavender scented walnut shells.
Robin and I have plans to meet up again sometime this spring when we can really 'visit'!!! We only live about 90 minutes away from each other.
Here we are.....
Here is the class I was taking from Lauren, The Sassenach's Sampler . It is based on the Outlander series of books.
Other news, I've gotten a couple new 'toys'. First is a Halo Bolt, a power bank that can be used to power your lights at a stitching event. Some venues are requiring you to have one of these so there aren't cords running all over the place. We had bought one at Costco (hubby loved it because it can also jump start your car) but the day before class I realized it didn't have an AC plug...just USB's...wouldn't work. So I ordered one from Amazon, but too late to take to Williamsburg.
The other 'toy' was a little sewing machine.... a Janome mini, that the girls can use when they come over. It's very light weight and very basic.....now they won't be using my Babylock. Here is Esther giving it a whirl..... The best thing is it was only $10!!!
Hope you have a great week!!! I'm off to JoAnns to buy some fabric to make chair covers for our porch furniture. The pollen is so bad here...... we want to keep it covered..... and as warm as it's been, feel pollen time may be sooner than usual. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
Love is All We Need..... I don't know where the time is going but it's already the middle of February and winter is almost over without any snow and barely below springtime temps since December. We have trees blooming and daffodils/hyacinth poking out their heads....... I fear a big frost will come and take them all out leaving us without a lovely, blooming actual spring. Oh well, mother nature will have her way whether we like it or not!
Okay--got that out of my system....now onto some 'love' related projects in honor of the day. I managed to get two Valentine related pieces stitched and finished. One was for my hubby and the other was a kit from JoAnn's; I had bought three of them on sale last year...one for me and one for Cora and Esther. I'll be giving them theirs this afternoon and setting up a time I can help them. The piece for my hubby was one of the freebies I mentioned in my last post.....Meant to Bee by Hands on Design. I changed it up and stitched it on a 32 ct. mystery fabric with GAST Black Crow, Soot, Buckeye Scarlet and a LE Cypress Mulch. I finished as a flat fold ( I had this already made up as a sample for a class I taught at my Guild last year) with black rick rack and an old bee pin I've had for years that was painted by Frank at Mosey n Me.
So, I'm starting to see a problem with me and SAL's....I think I need to be reined in!!! I've joined two SAL's so far this year and signed up for a free on line class at Sassy Jack's. I will admit that, like many others, I get caught up in the frenzy and think I can do it all. I WANT to do it all!!!! Then reality slinks in, so I reel myself back in, tell myself to calm down and enjoy the stitch. If I don't keep up, so be it. If I never finish the project, so be it. I love the process and it is always a THRILL to place that first stitch in a blank piece of fabric. So with my urges under control....yea, right.... here are the projects I am undertaking.
1. Burgandy Band Sampler SAL by iStitch Designs........I have changed this up since my post on January 22. It has been a headache since the get go, but I think I have it on the right path now. The first piece of banding I bought was accidentally cut too short so I ordered another piece from a different source. I received the wrong color banding this time , natural instead of antique white, and had to wait for another piece to arrive. In the meantime, I started the SAL on a different banding I had in my stash and had to rip it out twice as I couldn't seem to get it centered. UGH!!! After all that I wasn't happy with my colors on the antique white and decided to keep the natural and do it on that. Don't really know why I'm telling you all this but some pieces are just cursed!!! I also strayed away from my usual two complimentary colors and opted for four solids and one over dyed ..it's a little out of my comfort zone. I'm using Glorianna silks--Bellagio (overdyed), Elizabethan Green, Rosewood, Lacquered Gold and NPS Williamsburg Blue. It's a bit brighter than my usual color palette, but it's growing on me!!!
2. Blackwork SAL by Peppermint Purple..... I chose to do this on banding too. Many of the stitchers are using an array of color and they look fabulous, but I decided to stick with the traditional black. There will be a block a week for 52 weeks---falling behind quickly! :)
3. Learning Stitches by Jeanette Douglas...an on-line class at Sassy Jacks.....This is a free class---you just have to go through the process of adding to your cart and "buying" it, but the cost is $0.00. Since I already had the booklet, I decided to give this a go. You can work at your own pace and Kim, the owner, is doing videos to guide you along. I am doing mine on banding though you can choose to do as a framed piece (see photo below). Kim designed a top piece and an ending piece and we'll do the different stitch blocks in between. I started with the topper. The banding is approx. 4 3/4 " wide, 21 count and cream colored. I'm using fibers from my stash, as Kim suggests, and chose Amy Mitten silks. I changed my squirrel to a white one as my daughter lives in Brevard, NC ( not far from Asheville) and they are famous for their white squirrels.
We recently drove to Baltimore for my parents birthday ..they share the same date.... and had forgotten my 'home' stitching. Luckily I had a small kit in my car project bag that I could work on. I think we got this as part of our goodie bag one year at Salty Yarns, A Tisket, A Tasket...a Little Scissor Basket by JBW Designs. It was a quick stitch and done with the included 32 count fabric and fibers. Pretty sweet, isn't it? now to FFO!
I leave early Sunday morning for a quick overnight trip to Williamsburg. I am taking two classes with Lauren Sauer, Sassenach's Sampler and Crofter Catchall & Smalls. The sampler is based on the Outlander series and I've been wanting it for awhile. This turned out to be the perfect opportunity because I don't have to travel far.
I hope you are having a sweet day with your Valentine or maybe dreaming of Jamie Frasier from Outlander...now that I have him on my mind! I awoke this morning to Jamie on the TV...my hubby tapes the Stephen Colbert show every night and watches it the following morning, and the actor who plays Jamie was on. Yummy...now that's some nice eye candy...and no calories!!!
On that note, I'll sign off....thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi (who's wishing she was Clare about now)
What a wonderful weekend spent with fellow "cross stitch addicts"!!! We all testified to this after dinner on Saturday night. Here's a shot of some of our group:
It was the annual Super Bowl sale at Salty Yarns and a group of us have been meeting there for years. There was a lot of stitching, shopping, sharing and eating going on over the weekend. For the most part we stitch in our own apartments in small groups but cross paths in the shop, at Sara's reception Friday night and have a pot luck dinner Saturday night. There is always a delicious spread on Sunday while we wind down and check out our bags of goodies.
Of course some items somehow 'jumped' into my bag....
And take a gander at these adorable cookies that Sally made for us...almost..and I say almost...too cute to eat!
I did get some stitching done over the weekend and I can share one piece...the other is my exchange piece for the PSS retreat and I want to keep that secret until the recipient receives it in April. But here is the pre-stitch for one of my classes... Measure Twice and Stitch Once by Dames of the Needle.
And there were gifts....one a Christmas gift and one for Valentine's Day...such sweet goodies inside! Thanks Debbie!!!
I have been stitching at home and finished Rack Stack by Plum Street Samplers.
I've also done a bit more on Bee Contained by Betsy Morgan.
I've stumbled across a few nice freebie charts/SAL's I thought I'd share in case you haven't seen them. Our designers are so generous!
Meant to Bee by Hands on Design
Bent Creek Newsletter Now this one is a newsletter you sign up for and receive updates and free charts
Peppermint Purple Blackwork SAL This is a Facebook group you can join and they post a small, approximate 1 X 1 inch on 28 count, blackwork work square...one a week for a year!
Well, I think that's it for now. I hope you have a great February! Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi
