Stocking Stitchin'

Christmas is starting to bear down on us and I wanted to get the two adoptive grandchildren's stockings done. Sadly, it's not looking like we'll have them for Christmas but I thought if my daughter could hang their stockings, a little piece of them would be with us. I'm not allowed to share their names but here is what I have so far. 

For the little girl, I did Anna's Stocking by Shepherds Bush. I used embellishments I had on hand ---a lot of JABCO buttons---these were fresh on my mind after the recent class with them.

For the little boy, I'm stitching Oliver's Stocking by Shepherds Bush. I've switched out some fibers and am using some pretty Tweedies from Rainbow Gallery. You can't see the "tweediness" in the photo (the green in his jacket), but it is there and gives a "wool" effect.  Here is what I've accomplished so far.

A trip is in the works to Discount Fabrics in Thurmont, MD soon to pick out the backing fabrics for these. It helps they're having a  25% off sale starting Nov. 2nd! They sell decorator fabrics that I like to use for the backing...... a little more substance than cotton quilt fabric. It doesn't hurt that they sell Dupioni silk too, so I always take a gander at that.

Up until I started working on the stockings, I had been moving along nicely on the Needlewoman's Pocketbook by Amy Mitten. Here's my status on that--sorry it's a little subdued but I was trying to get all of it in one shot.

And now....drum roll please..... a fabulous find I got at an online auction!!! We live down the street from a lovely historic home (circa 1762) and it recently went on the market. Fortunately my husband was asked to do the home inspection for the buyer and I offered to help him (definitely had ulterior motives). It was an amazing place!!! They built a "new" house around the original 3 story log home --totally encapsulated it. Old, original flooring, beams, fireplaces, etc. in the living room, dining room and 4 bedrooms. Even had a long hallway running down the entire length of the "log" home  so you could see the actual exterior logs. New master bedroom, bath, kitchen and family room but blended very nicely. It was truly something out of Homes and Gardens magazine!!! Well, while doing my inspecting, I noticed a lovely old sewing stand that I had to bid on and won!!! I am thrilled with it...can't find any info on it... such as age   ( I googled and came up empty handed) but I love it and have never seen one shaped like this. I have to say these on line auctions are pretty cool and I may have to start checking more out. So, without further ado, here is the stand!

Last, but not least, is a shot of the grand kids in some Halloween PJ's I found for them at Target.

As always, thanks for stopping by and your "twisted Threads" of friendship! I do appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog and let me share my loves!

Stasi

Jammin' at Jamboree

No..not the musical kind of jammin'...but the fruit variety..mainly pears!!! That was the theme of our classes this past weekend at Salty Yarns and even though no actual "jam" was made, we did create some wonderful "pear" treats. 

I was able to travel down a day early, peruse Salty Yarns, enjoy dinner with friends  then settle in for an evening of stitching in the lobby with the other early birds. Upon arrival, we received our "goodie" bucket and boy were they full of "goodies". Lots of fun stuff including a kit from Jackie DuPlessis.We got scissors/sheath, Bohin needles, a purple "thang" , walnut shells for stuffing, JABCO pins, lotion, a Salty Yarns gift card and more. 

Sally also designed a couple pieces for us, a "shoe" pincushion and a "spool" scissor keeper kit. Thanks Sal!!!

Friday morning I awoke to this beautiful scene....

...then an early walk on the boardwalk before the "cruisers" parade started.

So, with the "cruisers"  in town,  every morning we were treated to an hour and a half  parade of cars down the boardwalk. Engines revved, horns blew and music blasted as the "boys (and some gals) with their toys" preened their way down the boardwalk.

Friday evening the festivities officially began with a homemade lasagne dinner followed by an hors d'oeuvres and dessert reception. We met the teachers and found out what out what our projects would be. More stitching in the lobby that evening.

Saturday morning my first class was A Perfect Pairing with Cathy from Hands On Design. We took our pre-stitching and made a needlebook. Cathy was a fantastic teacher and took us step by step through the process. Most ladies left the weekend with a finished piece. Here's mine:

A delicious lunch awaited us, then it was on to the afternoon class with Rachel from JABCO. Rachel taught us how to make a 3-D pear out of felted wool  and I think everyone left class with theirs completed. It's adorable and sits on my mantle. We got the little bee tag and "gather" pin as part of the class. We also had a special visitor to class, Rachel's 4 month old baby, who was good as gold throughout the whole weekend!

Do you like the beach back drop?

Saturday evening we were on our own for dinner so a group of us went to Panera's for dinner. It was a chilly/dreary day and everyone was in the mood for soup! I had a craving for potato soup but had to settle for creamy tomato. Then back to the Lankford for a dessert bar and lobby stitching.

Sunday morning was my last class and it was with Cecile from JABCO. We learned how they make their fabulous buttons and I definitely have a new appreciation for them.We were given cubes of clay and Cecile walked us through making pear buttons. There were also instructions on how to make a variety of different shaped buttons and the makings for two cute little projects--a tag for a basket and a ribbon stating "I made buttons".  I gave it the good ole college try, but this is definitely NOT for me. I'm not a 3-D person and even though I can shape a single button, making the canes of dough and pulling them out to make millions of tiny buttons was beyond me. I enjoyed the experience and stretching (pun intended) myself, but will definitely leave the button making process to the professionals! I did leave with some buttons however!!!

I helped with cutting fabric during the down times from class and I so enjoy talking to everyone, seeing their projects and helping them with their fabric selection. It takes me back to my old TT days!!!

This was such a great weekend. Thanks to Cathy, Cecile and Rachel for the fabulous classes and a special thanks to Sara, Sally, Mary and gang for taking such good care of us and providing us with this wonderful opportunity.  It is always so nice to hook up with old friends, meet new friends (shout out to Robin) and share our passion. Needle and thread truly binds us!

 So, sadly I had to leave Monday morning but with a lovely memory to tide me until the next time.

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

Progress Report before I'm Off............

I am in the throes of preparing to travel to Salty Yarns in  Ocean City, MD for their annual Jamboree-- a weekend of classes and fun with fellow stitch addicts. Trying to decide on what to take to stitch (notice that's first on the list), class supplies, what to wear (weather is looking very nice), what food to bring ( think I'll wing that one this trip--- I never go hungry), etc.. The lists are flying!!!! I'll try to post while I'm there, but I never seem to get around to it once I start gabbiing with the ladies or shopping in Salty Yarns. So, if I don't, look for something when I get home.

As for my progress report, I have been working diligently on A Needleworkers Pocketbook by Amy Mitten. These are my colors and I'm loving it!!!
Here is what I've done so far:

This is my first foray into Amy Mitten territory and so far.... so good.
Amy's instructions for the stitching are wonderful and I'm assuming they will also be for the finishing. Will keep you posted!

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

Stasi

A Cuppa to Go.............

Not a stitchy post today..... but a few great finds I thought I'd share that do relate to my stitching. Hubby and I went to a craft festival last weekend in Boonsboro, MD and I stumbled across some wonderful items. First up is some wonderful hand lotion in a bar by Millhouse Candles. I have bought beeswax from them in the past, but this was something new. I got Green Tea for a gift and Almond for me. It comes in a cute little tin and look how it's molded.....yep...that's a bee!!! Too darn cute!!!

 Next, we found a booth selling magnetic bracelets. Now I'm not sure I buy into the whole magnetic thing but thought the bracelets were beautiful and if it could work as a preventative for all the repetitive stitching motions, I'd go for it! Hubby got one too....and I'm still getting over that (his is dark midnight blue)! The little "balls" are the magnets spaced between the beads.

Last up I saw an adorable tea bag wallet (hence the cuppa to go title). I looked at it and realized I could make it myself with fabric I would love more. So, here is my version! It holds 6 tea bags and/or sweetener packs. It will be great to travel with me; the only problem is I like honey in my tea, but I'll have to work on that. Finished size (folded) is about 3 X 3 1/2.

 Well that's it for today. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!
Stasi

Rainy Day...finally

Some might find it odd to yearn for rainy days but I love them, especially when accompanied by thunderstorms. For some unknown reason, we have had little to none of either this summer. Rain has been very scarce, supported by the fact that the lawn has needed mowing only once in the last 45 days. But the fact that we have had NO thunderstorms ALL summer dismays me!!! I'm not sure how it happens, but they seem to hop right over us and land in the Baltimore/DC area. The same thing happens often in the winter with snow. Our theory is the storms, moving west to east, hit the mountains in Western MD which force the storm fronts up and over us---theory yet to be confirmed!!!

But, it has been raining here all day and I managed to get a little piece stitched and finished. I had done a few of these as gifts awhile back ( see post Feb.14, 2015) but finally got one done for me. Someone on Face Book had posted this idea and I ran out to Michaels and managed to snag a few of the lockets. Here is my "bee" version:

Oops!!! I might take that left side out and trim the mounting board--didn't notice the "bunching" until I saw the photo just now. Yikes!!! The stitched design is from a freebie called Bee Sure of My Love by Queenstown Sampler Designs. The right side is from a quilt fabric.


I have been moving along on Needleworkers Pocketbook by Amy Mitten. This is the flap. I love the colors and Amy's silk threads; her instructions are very detailed. 

I am hoping this rain will stop tonight since I'm planning on going to Boonesborough Days tomorrow in Boonsboro, MD. It's a great show with lots of crafts...and who knows... I may run into Nora Roberts!!!!

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

Stasi

Pre-stitch for Jamboree.....check!

I am so far ahead of the game I can hardly stand myself!!! Yes, I have the pre-stitch done....and yes the class isn't until the second weekend in October. But it was so cute, I just had to jump on it!!! Can't wait until class and the finishing!

Class will be taught by Cathy of Hands On Design. She and JABCO are collaborating that weekend for three classes. Can't wait to see what we do!!!

Next up--I'm starting the Needleworkers Pocketbook by Amy Mitten. This will be a challenging piece but I am ready. I have it on scroll bars and have put the first stitches in. That's always my favorite part...putting the first bits of floss on the naked fabric. 

I've been posting a few things on FB to sell but have been buying more than I am selling. I bought some back issues of Fine Lines magazine yesterday, and today I bought one of the Grip and Stitch frames from a lady who had bought it but didn't care for it. I've been on the fence since April when I saw a couple stitchers using them at Salty Yarns. They seemed perfect for smaller sized pieces, keeping them very taut. I've mostly been an "in hand" stitcher, but it's getting harder and harder to "hold" just fabric and I thought I'd break down and give this a try. 

Well back to my stitching chair and a Happy Labor Day to all in the US.

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

Stasi

Where I Long to Be..........

Stitching by the Sea is complete! Is this not too darn cute???

I did change fiber and fabric colors to use items from my stash, but remained fairly true to the original. I added the "OC" at the top as a nod to my favorite "stitching by the sea" spot--Ocean City, MD. The adorable JABCO pins are on order and will finish it off nicely.

Here's an interior view of the basket. I did not used the called for wool felt, but found a nice cotton print that reminded me of waves to go inside.

Here's the bottoms of the pincushion and basket:

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


Stasi