Another Visit to My Happy Place.....and a New Stitch Stroll Piece (455)

Well, I can see not blogging on a regular basis makes for looooong posts when I finally do one, so hang with me and hopefully enjoy---I will try to be as succinct as possible. 

I was able to plan a visit to Salty Yarns/Lankford Hotel last week and managed a 6 day stay...boy do I LOVE retirement!!! I was attending a class with Sherri Jones on the weekend, but a couple of friends (one from Europe) were arriving the Tuesday before and I drove up to spend some extra time with them. We visited a quilt shop, Berlin MD, and enjoyed each others company on the days leading up to class. 

Wednesday we spent in Salty Yarns and here is my haul from there :

Some finishing velveteens and 56 count cotton fabric (for needle pages) from Lady Dot Creates and Puntini Puntini Christmas buttons

I love this tree and am planning to do over 1 on 32 ct. green slate Lakeside linen

I already had the chart but bought the two tart tins

Dinner was at Fagers Island where we timed it perfectly to see the sunset. As the sun sets on the bay, they start to play the 1812 Overture, and just as the sun hits the horizon the music reaches the crescendo..pretty exciting! I wish I could have captured on video but we were blocked by people at the windows, so you'll have to use your imagination.

On Thursday, we went to Serendipity quilt shop in Dagsboro, DE. Lots of beautiful fabric and wools. I restrained myself and only got a few pieces.

Those are tiny scissors on the top fabric!

That night dinner was at Mickey Finns where I think I had the best cream of crab soup ever!!!

Friday I took it easy and chilled. Sara had a reception for us that evening in the hotel lobby with lots of delicious appetizers and desserts, after which I hung out with the ladies in the lobby and stitched! I managed to get this stitched for my grandson, Asher, for his birthday in May. I found the baseball fabrics at Serendipity and need to thank Judy B. for the inspiration to make this into a pillow.

Play Baseball by Sue Hillis

Saturday was my class with Sherri Jones, the most fabulous teacher!!! It is called Fanciful Fragaria; fragaria means strawberry. It is a delightful design consisting of two parts, the tiny scrimshaw basket pincushion with a pair of silk gauze strawberry emeries and a needle roll stitched on 40 count silk gauze. We mounted some gauze and started a strawberry emery in the morning and made the velveteen pincushion that will go between the two scrim pieces in the afternoon. 

Edited to remove photos due to unscrupulous stitchers using the photos to copy and stitch from.

Sherri is a wonderful teacher with a great sense of humor and sadly is retiring...what are we going to do???

Sunday I hung out in the shop cutting fabric, since they were short handed, which I love to do and hopefully am a help ...not a hindrance!  Sara, Sally and Mary are always so generous and hospitable with us. Here is the goodie bag we received this time with all the trinkets inside: 

Lots of great supplies for finishing

 Now on to my latest Stitch Stroll addition...I made this for my friend Paola, a small token of our friendship. It is Friend So Dear Pinkeep by Merry Cox. I had a little mishap with the cream ultra suede that was included, but had some lilac (thanks Phyliss) on hand that I think actually made the colors pop more. I added the itty bitty bee! Stitched over one on 32 count linen, the size is approximately 1 1/2 inches.

I think that's about it...hope I didn't bore! I appreciate you sticking with me and enjoy any and all comments, that I try my best to respond to. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi


 

Some Weekend Stitching.....

We had a busy week here, with my younger daughter visiting and the grands being on spring break. So, not much stitching was accomplished until the weekend. I was able to complete week 15 (we're past the halfway point) on the Red Band Sampler SAL.

And I managed to get the blackwork band on Celtic Banner done, even with a visit from the frog. I had about 3/4 of the band stitched when I realized I was off center by two stitches--UGH!!! As I've matured on my stitching journey, I've learned to sometimes let this go...but not this time. I knew this would eat at me every time I looked at the piece....sooooo...out it came. Luckily, it wasn't that large of a section and was rectified quickly. How do you all feel about this type of issue? Can you "live" with errors or do you have to remove and start over? Or does it depend, like me, on the situation....is it really noticeable? Is it more trouble than it's worth to take out? Could you damage the linen while frogging and create more of a problem? Does it give you an opportunity to change things up and make the design your own?

 I got an e-mail this morning from a major cross stitch retailer saying they were going to an all downloadable format for their store. They will not be selling hard copies of charts, fabric, fibers, etc. ..... only charts that you print out yourself. I have conflicted feelings about this! Yes it is a quick, convenient way to get a chart and you save on shipping, but I have not found downloadable charts to be much less expensive than a hard copy. I'd much rather have a good quality chart than a piece of copy paper with mediocre color images....or will we have to invest in expensive home printers? And then there is the instant gratification thing...everybody needs everything yesterday...what about the excitement of waiting for the mailman to deliver a special package? On the other hand...you have to do what you have to do to make a success of your business...times are tough for small businesses, so I understand the need for alternate ways of selling. It just makes me sad....I love a brick and mortar shop...what do you think? And now, I'm off my soapbox!!!

 Another busy week is in the works....a visit with friends to start to plan a trip to Yellowstone, a trip to Baltimore to get my parents and bring them back for a visit with their great-grands, soccer games, baseball games, babysitting, a haircut and all the usual chores and errands. Whew...I thought I was retired!!!

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

Post Easter

I am not exactly sure where the time goes but it does seem to fly by!!! My younger daughter is visiting this week and we're keeping busy with the grands on spring break, so this will be a quick post.

Last week I was busy making dresses for the girls to wear on our trip to the American Girl store and a gift for a baby shower. Here is a shot of the girls in their dresses. I tried to add a video of Cora doing a "twirl" but I couldn't get it to work. :(

 

They were very easy to make and a fun outcome!!! I wouldn't mind one for myself!!!

On the stitching front, I managed to get weeks 13-14 done on the Red Sampler Band SAL. I changed things up a bit and added these two weeks at the top...luckily I had left enough space. I also switched out the  ABC at the top with my initials and the numbers at the bottom with the year. I then stumbled across a chart that a designer was offering for free on a FB page. It had a nice "box" in the center of it with numbers. I put that on the banding where the original weeks 13-14 would have gone. 

I hope you are enjoying your Easter week and the weather is cooperating. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi

Happy Easter

Photo by Amy Lauren Photography

My daughter's blog

 Good morning!

Many of you have been interested in my daughter's journey with her adopted children and I thought I'd share her two latest blog posts. We weren't allowed to share much personal info, names and such, while the adoption process was going on, and I've been hesitant to share much because of their privacy--it is their story to tell. But now that everything is truly finalized, I thought I'd let you have a peek into their story. We are so very proud of Kristin and Chad; they truly walk the walk!  They are raising a loving, caring family who I know will continue their giving spirit. I will leave you now before the tears start falling on my keyboard. 

I hope you have a Happy Easter and thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship.
Stasi


And the rest will fall into place March 19

and the rest will fall into place March 29

Back to Reality...

So as much as I enjoy myself at a stitching retreat, I am always happy to get home and sleep in my own bed and stitch in my own nest.....not as happy about the piles of laundry, bills needing paid and grocery shopping.

That being said, I had another fabulous time at Salty Yarns. We take class, we eat, we share, we shop and I even got walks in two mornings on the boardwalk. They were chilly, windy walks but helped wake me up for the day to come. The stitchers that attend are always so nice and inspirational. We have a "show and tell" and the ladies share their finishing ideas and support. 

Here is the chock full goodie bag we all received...some finishing supplies from Lady Dot, doctor's flannel, a thread holder, waxer, clips , chart minder and the bag to hold it all.

I got there Thursday afternoon and sat and stitched until my roomie arrived, then dinner and more stitching. Friday and Saturday were open days for me (I had already taken the Saturday class), so I wandered Salty Yarns picking up projects from the recent Nashville Market, chatted, went to lunch with friends and stitched. I got quite a bit accomplished:

Week 12 of the Red Band Sampler SAL

Finished the ABC de la Brodesue

More motifs on the Celtic Band Sampler

 We had a reception with the most delicious food Friday evening in Sara's home and a dessert reception followed by stitching on Saturday evening. We eat good, there is no denying it.....hence the attempts at walking in the mornings.

Sunday was my class and here is what I got accomplished. The whole piece is bordered by a row of black smyrna stitches...good thing I like to do them. Aren't the colors yummy? Catherine is a great teacher, very laid back; if you ever get the chance to take a class....DO! I showed what the finished piece will look like in my previous post.

And, of course, some shopping therapy was in order and this is what went into my bag:
 RJ..this first one has your name written all over it! :)

French Schoolgirl Sewing Case and Smalls by Needlemade Designs with banding

L-R: Small Matters by Noteworthy Needle, Letters from Mom by Jeanette Douglas, Soul Sisters by Plum Street Samplers and Oh Say Can You See by Hands on Design (I figured I had to have that one being a Baltimore girl and loving the beach)

Waxers by Stacy Nash...can you believe the detail in these?

Pins by Puntini Puntini

Thanks again Sara and Sally for a wonderful weekend--you are the hostesses with the 'mostesses' and always make us feel welcome. Thanks also to the lovely ladies who never fail to inspire and enable!!! :)

Now, onto a sewing project (sorry this is getting so long) but since I'm back to not posting every day, I have more to share at once! The girls asked me to make them dresses so Esther and I went to JoAnn's to pick out fabric for she and Cora, who couldn't go. This is what we're going to make.

  
 Esther picked the Shopkins fabric for herself and I picked the polka dots for Cora. Esther wanted to help make the dress, so she came over yesterday and we got the bodice done before she jammed up my serger. :) She really wants to do things herself and I'm encouraging that but..... I'll be finishing the dresses at this point. LOL

In closing..... a quick "grands" story......my daughter had asked me to babysit the girls and have a sleepover last Friday and, since I was going to be away, my hubby bravely stepped forward and offered to do it. All went well except for the 4:30 wake up again for Esther. He even made Cora her favorite chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast....Esther ate leftover pizza! While here, the girls were playing with their Barbies and Esther decided they were at the beach. She drew a picture of a beach and taped it to my floor. She found a couple small wooden chairs in my sewing room and sat them around the "water" for the Barbies to lounge in....if only Rich had thought to take a picture! So, the "beach" is staying for awhile as a reminder of good times in OCMD and the playful imagination of children.

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

Stasi
 
 

Happy Spring.....(453-454)

......or is it??? We've got snow in the forecast for tomorrow (3-5 ") and I know some of you are gearing up for your 4th Nor'easter in a row. March is definitely going out like a lion!

I've got a couple Stroll pieces to share, one to celebrate the end of winter and the other to celebrate the beginning of spring. A Pixie for all Seasons Winter by Bent Creek is the last in a series; I showed the other three last year. I chose to do the "signs" and not the pixies and swap them out every season in the same frame.

To welcome spring, here is the final season from the chart, Holiday Seasons, by Birds of a Feather. I have them all framed together in a 2 X 2 black frame I found somewhere and was just the right size. I love all the quirky characters and bright/happy colors in these.

We had a busy last weekend with the grandkids....the girls spent the night Friday, two soccer games on Saturday and some recuperation time as the girls woke up at 4:30 Saturday morning, two baseball games on Sunday and a trip to JoAnns with Esther to pick out fabric for a dress we're going to make. Whew!!! 

 I have been getting some stitching done in the evenings....Week 11 on the Red Band Sampler SAL and I got back to working on ABC de la Brodeuse.   

I have still been working on the Samsarah calendar when traveling in the car. Here are four more of the pieces. I finished the first of November's designs, so only 7 more to go!!!! I can't wait to get this behind me....I am so tired of stitching that black/white checkerboard border (have done it 41 times so far). I need more trips where I'm not driving!!!

I'm off to Ocean City for a class with Catherine Theron this weekend,  Stitcher's Envelope.  I plan to leave Thursday morning if the weather cooperates--wish me luck! I started packing and am always amazed at the amount of stuff I NEED to take; this time is no diffferent. I may/may not post this weekend but if I don't, I'll try to touch base when I get back.
 

 

Hope you are enjoying your first day of spring or at least "springy" thoughts of what's to come. Thanks for stopping by and your "twisted threads" of friendship!

Stasi 
P.S. The grands situation has been improving, but I don't want to jinx it!!!