Some Models You Might Enjoy

While at the LaPorte Get Together, Sue Hillis finished these models, stitched by Kim.  I love how they turned out.  The first is framed in a frame she pained the perfect color.

The second one is the same chart but stitched all in a row finished as a long pillow.  So creative!

Patriotic Strawberries

Michelle stitched these six patriotic strawberries for me last year, in return for the Christmas strawberries that I stitched for her.  I needed to do the finishing, though, and the finishing elves just didn't come and finish them for me.

While I as at the LaPorte Get Together, I bit the bullet and finished them.  I forgot to bring the silver ornament hangers along that I wanted to use, so I had to wait until I got home to attach those.

Thanks for stitching them for me Michelle!

Look What I Found!

At one point during the weekend, I opened up my rolling stitching bag to get out a project to start stitching and found a Cracker Barrel Bag.  Since I hadn't been to Cracker Barrel in a long time, I was rather puzzled.  Inside were two objects, each wrapped in colorful napkins, and DMC white floss ( in a good length for stitching).

After I unwrapped them, I found this gnome salt and pepper set!  After accusing a few people, mostly Canadians, Barb admitted to being the culprit. 

Thank you Barb, they are soooo cute!

The weekend went by much too quickly.  I was scheduled to only be there Thursday evening and Friday, and planned to drive to Akron on Saturday, but I was experiencing some Vertigo and cancelled my trip to Akron.  I just stayed and stitched all weekend, and it was restful and fun!

House of Stitches

On Friday afternoon, Michelle and I drove to LaPorte to do a bit of shopping at the House of Stitches.  Linda and her staff are always very helpful, and although I didn't really need anything, I managed to pick up some fabric and a new pair of scissors.  Michelle had a list of fabric she needed.





They had a Sue Hillis Designs trunk show going on, and it was nice to see some of the models that I stitched all finished and on display.  Sue herself was planned in doing a meet and greet on Saturday afternoon.

LaPorte Get Together

Here we are, stitching in the conference room at the Hilton Garden Inn in Chesterton Indiana.  It's really a get location, and the hotel staff is very accommodating.   There were more than 40 of us, still waiting for a final count.



 

Some of us brought some show and tell.  What a talented group of stitchers!

You may be asking why it's called the LaPorte Get Together when it is held in Chesterton?  It started out in LaPorte, near the House of Stitches, but the hotel in LaPorte wasn't so great, so we moved to Chesterton, still close enough to the LNS to get some shopping in!

Chesterton, Indiana, Here We Are!

Even though I had to work a bit later than planned, I was still able to pick up Michelle at 4 PM and head to Chesterton Indiana for the annual LaPorte Get Together.  We hit rush hour traffic, which could have been avoided if we left at 1 PM as originally planned, but we made it there by 6:15.  Sue had already checked into our room, and lots of people were already there stitching.  After a quick dinner, we joined them and stitched well into the night.

My Bag is Packed....

....I'm ready to go.... well, my stitching bag is packed.  It contains my laptop, two stitching lights, extra batteries, an extension chord, a power strip, 6 project bags, my glasses, my camera, and few other goodies. 

As you might have guessed, I am going on a stitching weekend, for at least part of the weekend.  I still have to pack my cloths, but they aren't as important.  I leave right after work tomorrow (Thursday)

One More Round Robin Picture

I stitched on Kim's Round Robin over a year ago, but never took a picture of my square.  Kim received the completed piece today, and as she will send me a picture which I will insert it here once I receive it

IHSW Report - April 2013

I finished Sampler aux Bouquets part 3, thus finishing the entire piece during the weekend Hermitage, and shopped for stash (I think that sort of counts) and started and made good progress on a piece I really can't show you just now.  You will have to be content in the knowledge that I did stitch and wait awhile to see the results!

Not quite as much stitching time as I would have liked over the weekend, sometimes life just gets in the way.

I hope all my blogging and hermitting buddies had a productive weekend!

Good afternoon blogging buddies! 

Thank you for visiting my blog and for all your kind comments.

Carol Fun asked for the conversions from DMC to Overdyed floss that I used in my last finish. 

The conversions I used were:

DMC Number
931                          GAST Blue Jay
932                          GAST Morning Glory
227                          GAST Raspberry Parfait
3722                        CC Nutmeggie
732                         WDW Moss
733                         CC Bean Sprout
152                        GAST Clover
3781                      GAST Dark chocolate
3790                      WDW Havana

Sampler aux Bouquets 3 and a Big Happy Dance!

I finished part 3 of Sampler aux Bouquets on Friday evening.  It would have been done a day or two sooner, but the frog paid me a visit and I was to anal to just fudge it, I have to take out two entire motifs to stitch them two threads over.....








Since part 3 is the last part, that means I have a huge Happy Dance!  This piece was stitched on 49 count fabric over two fabric threads with one strand of floss.  Lynn had converted it to overdyed floss instead of the regular DMC that the charts called for.  Since I had all the colors already, I used overdyed also.  This is not my normal style of pattern to stitch, but I really enjoyed it.

 

 

 

 

Another Round Robin Comes Home

Look what was in my mailbox when I came home on Thursday evening.  I had to go look for the button to attach, and now it is complete.

This is Four Seasons Baskets by Sue Hillis, stitched on some 28 count mystery fabric with DMC floss.

Thank you Sue, Darla and Leta for stitching on my piece!

I will be heading out to Welcome Stitchery on Saturday and hopefully I can find a ready made frame for this one.

It's International Hermit and Stitch Weekend Again!

Even though I have to teach at German School on Saturday morning, make a run to Welcome Stitchery for their Birthday sale and go to work for awhile on Sunday, I plan to stitch, stitch, stitch the rest of the weekend.  I stocked up on chicken salad and sandwhich fixings so that I don't have to waste precious stitching time cooking dinners.

Another Framing Finish from Last Year

I keep finding things that I forgot to show all of my blogging buddies!


This is From Sea to Shining Sea by Little House Needleworks.  I just love those little houses!

It is a set of 6 charts that came with the silk floss to stitch with.  I stitched it on 32 count fabric over two fabric threads on fabric that was very close to the recommended fabric.  Because you had to buy 6 chart packs, it got rather expensive, but both Michelle and Trudi borrowed the charts in turn, and both were able to stitch their pieces completely with my leftover silk floss, so it ended up being quite economical after all.  Michelle stitched hers on a pale green 36 count fabric over two fabric threads, and Trudi stitched it on a pale blue 25 count fabric over 1 fabric thread.  Each piece turned out great!  I am almost sorry I didn't do it on 25 count fabric too.

April TUSAL

Here is the April TUSAL report, just a few days late.  There really was a bunch of stitching going on, but most of it was over one with one strand, so the the ort jar isn't as full as it should be. 



Halloween House #9 Finish

In the wee hours of Saturday morning, I put the last of the back stitching into this piece.  When I started the back stitching at 9 pm, I figured it would be done in no time.....I guess I miscalulated how much there actually was!  (I should mention that stitching until 3:30 am does not make for a pleasant morning the next day.....)

It is Judith Kirby's Halloween House #9.  The fabric is 28 count, custom hand painted for specifically for this house and house # 15.

I will be stitching house #15 adjacent to this one soon.

ANG Annual Luncheon and Exhibit

This past Saturday, the Fox Chapter of ANG (American Needlepoint Guild) held their annual luncheon and exhibit.  It was held at the Crystal Lake Country Club.  The lunch was yummy and the converstation was lively.  We do love to discuss our hobbies!

We were able to preview the progams and projects that are planned for the year and there some very interesting topics, and lots of new things to learn.

A Framing Finish

I finally finished the stitching on this one (remember, I hate queen stitches?) last summer, but never showed you how it was framed.  This is Cloister Garden by Drawn Thread.

I am so pleased with the framing and matting!  I love the top of mats with the arched cut out!  I plan to stitch more of the Drawn Thread Gardens, and will use the same frame molding for each, with similar mat cut outs. 

Mom and Me, Again

Last July, Michelle and I were on the road to Branson, Missouri, to attend a retreat at Cecilia's Samplers.  We planned to stop and Mom and Me 4 Ever in Bethalto, Illinois on the way.  This time I called ahead to make sure they were open.









It was a lovely shop, with lots of things to tempt any stitcher, and the owner was very helpful.  Michelle wanted the Crabby all Year charts, which were in stock.  She didn't have all the buttons in stock, but was very happy to order them and send them to Michelle.












I managed to find a Bent Creek chart that I had never seen before!  I also got the JCS Halloween
issue, wasn't sure if I was going to keep it or give it as a gift, but I ended up keeping it.  I don't know why, I don't even like Halloween!

Quaker Rose, Page 2

I finished up page two of the Quaker Rose Sampler in the wee hours this morning (see, I do 'stitch the night away').  I am so tempted to start on page 3 because it is very enjoyable to stitch.  I am stitching this on 25 count ivory lugana, with one strand of DMC over one fabric thread.  

Galena, Illinois

This past June our ANG chapter (American Needlepoint Guild) held our anual retreat in Galena, Illinois.  It's is a charming town on the Mississippi River about 2 1/2 hours northwest of Chicago.  It's an easy drive, the first 90 minutes on the interstate and the last hour on some senic country roads.











 We held the entire thing at the DeSoto House Hotel, the oldest continuously run hotel in Illinois.  It is a very historic building, as many presidents have stayed there.  I just loved the hotel.  It has a lot of charm and makes you want to go back to a by gone era of gracious living.





We arrived on Thursday at noon and left around noon on Sunday.  Many of the ladies went out of the hotel for meals and for shopping, but I almost never left the hotel!  I did make a quick drive to Thomson Illinois to visit Barbara and Gayle for a bit, but other than that, I stayed put and stitched! 

We received a goodie bag, and a doorprize!  The doorprize I won was a Gift Certificate to Welcome Stitchery! 

On the Road to Galena

On the road to Galena, you pass right near Rockford, Illinois, which isn't really very significant, except that Rockford was the home of The Needle and I, a lovely needlework shop that was having a "going our of business" sale.  Nancy was still going to sell her own designs (From Nancy's Needle) on her website but was retiring from owning a brick and mortar store. 

That being said, of course any self respecting stitcher needs to check out the sale, both coming and going.......and I did fairly well!  Lots of stuff at 40% off!

Finally, a finish!

 I started this table topper in February of 2010.  It was to be a 59th birthday gift for a friend.   It was quite a chore getting this one done.  I was really rather bored with stitching the same thing over and over again, so it ended up in the "works in slow progress" pile.  Last year I got quite a few of these WISPs done, and I am determined to get at least two of the remaining five done this year. 

Tonight I finished this table topper.



This is the view of the side panel.

 

 

And this is a view of the corners.  The chart is from a very old out of print Rico booklet, booklet number 8 to be exact.  I am so glad it's finished!

Folk Dance Workshop in Tulsa

The real reason for my trip to Tulsa was to attend a folk dance workshop sponsored by the American Federation of German Folk Dance Groups.  The host group was the German American Society of Tulsa, and the event was held in their lovely facility.

 A 'new to me' folk dance was the sword dance.  It is a men's dance and very interesting to watch.  The men march around with their flat broad swords, and do some intricate figures with the swords.

The finale is when the swords are intertwined and then one of the dancers is lifted up on the swords and toast the audience.

Needlework Shops in Tulsa

I arrived in Tulsa, safe and sound after a very long drive.  First things first, I needed to hit the needlework shops!  I didn't really "need" anything, but need has nothing to do with it. 

The first shop on the list was the Silver Needle.  I had been there before, and this visit was not different.  I wanted a laying tool.  I was greeted by Lindy, the owner as I walked in the door, who asked how she could help me.  I told her I was looking for a laying tool, to which she responded:  Cross stitchers don't use laying tools.  I assured her that I did use one depending on the project.  She did manage to show me a few in a case.  I chose one, wandered around the shop for awhile, then paid for my purchase and left. 





The next stop was Stitchworks, across the street.  I had also been there before.  No change in that shop either.  I did find a few things while I was there.







The third shop I visited was Stitches, which is a needlepoint and yarn shop.  I had been there before, and I was saddened to see that the shop was only half the size it was since my last visit. 










 I did manage to make a purchase or two in each shop.

A Stop Along the Way

On the road to Tulsa, I drove past Joplin Missouri.  I needed to get out and stretch my legs a bit, and saw sign for the Precious Moments Chapel.  I was curious, so I followed the signs and found it without much trouble.  Even though the parking lot was large, it was hard to find a spot. 









Turns out I picked the wrong day to stop.  It was a Precious Moments Collectors Club event and the place was packed!


I did take some time to walk around.  The grounds were lovely and peaceful.

The I was curious to see the chapel itself.  It was small, and nice but not really spiritual. 

There were some cross stitched pieces on the walls.  It was sort of worth a short stop to use the rest room and stretch you legs, but since I am not a Precious Moments fan, not the sort of place I would visit again in the near future.

On the Road Again

Last June I took a road trip.  Destination: Tulsa, Oklahoma.  Of course I wanted to check out a
new needlework shop along the way.  I found that there was shop in Bethalto, IL called Mom and Me 4 Ever.  It is not directly near the interstate, but I was determined to check it out.  I made sure that I checked the website for their days and hour of operation, and off I went.







When I got there, it was closed!  There was an additional sign on the door that said closed Wednesday due to surgery.  But it was Thursday!  

 

I hung around for a bit, but no one came and there was no movement in the shop.  Oh well, it looked like a nice shop.  Perhaps I can stop another time.  I knew I wouldn't be able to stop on the return drive, because that would be a Monday and the shop was closed on Monday.

 

 

Public Service Announcement

The Center for Disease Control in Atlanta today announced the identification of a new disease.

Tentatively named Acquired Needlework Syndrome, the disease is highly infectious. Scientists at CDC say the disease is caused by a
bacillus called staphloaiguille because of its needle-like shape. Under the microscope the bacillus is long and slender with a long narrow opening at one end, from which trail thread-like cilia. Symptoms of the disease include feverish babbling of letters such as DMC, WDW, AVAS,
GAST, etc. Other symptoms include feverish buying and storing of woven goods and printed pamphlets, and a 'smoking' credit card.
... The disease is especially dangerous because it cannot only be passed along directly from one infected individual to another, but documented cases have been found where the sufferer caught the disease from reading a magazine, or attending a craft show.
The CDC says that while the disease is especially prevalent in North America, cases have been found in every country on the globe. Family members should be aware that while the disease may occasionally enter remission, it is at present incurable.
The patient should be given a quiet corner with a comfortable chair and good lighting. Interruptions should be minimized.

NOW, where did I put it?

A few weeks I was looking for a kit that I had promised to send someone and came across an unstitched runner that I forgot I had. 


I needed to stitch something for a silent auction and this was perfect!  I put the runner away carefully in a safe place so that I could grab it and stitch once I located the chart.  I found the magazine with the chart in it, pulled all the fibres and then went to get the fabric.......now, where did I put it?

I have looked, and looked and looked some more.  I found a lot of other stitching projects that I forgot I had, but still no runner......and the auction is this Thursday (yes, that's in two days.)  I had already promised the runner for the auction, so no what do I do?  I could give them the one that is already done, and restitch it for myself once I find the fabric....but, what if it is lost forever? 

I called Stoney Creek (from whom I originally purchased many of these runners) to see if they could point me in the right direction to find another.  Much to my surprise, and theirs, they had one (yes one) left in stock!   They are mailing it to me as I type!   Of course, the minute I finish stitching the new runner I will find the one I was looking for.....



March Progress and April Goals

Not as much stitching time as in previous months, but I am happy with my progress and finishes.  (6 finishes in all!)   I didn't work on as many projects from the list because I was on a roll with Sampler au bouqet part 2.  I do want to get that one finished so that I can pass on the charts. 

I want to point out that I have now finished 22 of the 23 Crazy January Start.  I only have one WIP and 5 WISPs...I need to work on those WISPs......

I should also point out that I have managed to post a blog post every single day since the first of the year! 

March

WISPS:
Work on Bavarian Table Topper 
10 hours on Rocky Mountain Christmas  
work on Logan’s stocking 
Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler

In Progress

Poinsettia Stocking finished
Halloween House #9 
Sampler au bouquet 2 finished
Marnee Ritter blue heart  finished

Crazy January starts

Natalie’s Birth Sampler 
Quaker Rose Sampler page 1 finished

 Future New starts

Joy and Peace
Snow in Love
Good Tidings
afghan pillow bear
afghan pillow moose
Crystal Violets
French Alphabet block sampler
Silent Night (CCN)
Around the World in 80 Days
Owen’s birth sampler
Peter’s Birth Sampler
Natalie’s Stocking
Owen’s stocking
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Darla’s RR finished
Sue’s RR finished
Sampler au bouquet 3
Quaker Rose Sampler page 2

April

WISPS:
Work on Bavarian Table Topper 
10 hours on Rocky Mountain Christmas  
work on Logan’s stocking 
Antique Map and Needlebook
Heirloom Christmas Sampler

In Progress

Halloween House #9 

Crazy January starts

Natalie’s Birth Sampler 

Future New starts

Joy and Peace
Snow in Love
Good Tidings
afghan pillow bear
afghan pillow moose
Crystal Violets
French Alphabet block sampler
Silent Night (CCN)
Around the World in 80 Days
Owen’s birth sampler
Peter’s Birth Sampler
Natalie’s Stocking
Owen’s stocking
Peter’s stocking
Mark & Karen’s wedding sampler
Tony & Melissa’s wedding sampler
Sampler au bouquet 3
Quaker Rose Sampler page 2