Beading Happy Dances!

Ten years seems like a long time, right?  Unless you are a stitcher, then it is generally understood that ten years is not really that long.  True story - in 2006 I attended my first EGA National seminar in Richmond Virginia and fell in love with the whole experience.  The beaded name tag below was designed specifically for the event.  Knowing the limit of my abilities with beads, it was something I mentally back-burnered... for ten years...

2006 EGA Gentle Pursuits name tag

design by Elizabeth Graff

Fast forward to 2016 (exactly one decade later), and I participated in a beaded bracelet class that offered me the skill and experience needed to tackle the name tag.

EGA exclusive Designers Across America project

Beaded links bracelet by Karla Gee

So, after baby sister stole this bracelet (directly off my wrist I might add), I made version 2.0 to keep for my own self.  It was only after I completed the second bracelet that I mustered the courage to tackle the name tag (above). 

Not stopping there, I fell head over heels in love with this 'Prissy Peacock' fob and actually finished it in one day and an hour.  Considering none of them have fallen to pieces (yet), I am a bit more than pleased with myself and feeling way more confident when confronted with a pile of loose beads and a beading needle. The moral of this story is Never Say Never.

Prissy Peacock fob by

Fern Ridge Collections

And, that sums up Beading palooza 2016.

Stitch Happy!

Old UFOs, New Happy Dances

Hello friends, it is I, the (unapologetic) lazy blogger... I have rediscovered my stitching mojo and made the most of it this summer/fall.  Having grown disgusted with the number of pieces I have "half-finished", I made a concerted effort to polish a few of them off before the ball drops on 2016.  And, I'm happy to report that it has been a productive season.

Primarily though, we are enjoying the newest edition to our family (granddaughter Kamrynn).  She is almost 19 weeks old and changing so much.  We are excited to visit her again in December for her first Christmas.

And, here are the stitching finishes I'm pleased as punch to share with you:

Kelly Clark Needlepoint

Irish mini stocking

too many threads and beads to list

(began in 2013)

"Turning Leaves" by Laura J. Perin

threads:  Watercolours, #5 perle cotton, metallics and beads

(began November 2013)

"Gathering Pinecones" by Hillside Samplings

(began Spring 2011)

In addition to these, I also finished Kamrynn's birth sampler, as well as two small huck weaving pieces taught during EGA monthly meetings.  I'll show you those three next time.  Until then,

Stitch Happy!

Happy Dance x 3

***

As the temps have risen above freezing, I have felt my brain slowly reawaken from its winter stupor.  Now that I'm full alert and feeling like a human again, it is time to address the ever-growing "To Do" list.  First on the list was to spend the $50 gift card I won last Christmas at the annual guild luncheon.  Framing for Needleworker took care of that "To Do" item:

Needleworker by

Little House Needleworks

Second up was to finish a few things in the WIP/UFO/Monthly Education basket.  Since this little cutie had me at Hello, it moved to the top of the list for finishing and framing:

Clover from Stumpwork Flowers book by

Sachiko Morimoto

And finally, my tiny little Contemporary Forest necklace from the Catherine Jordan class my guild hosted in March.  What a fun piece and outstanding designer/instructor.  

Reversible pendant (front on left, reverse on right)

That's all the news that is fit to report for now.. Until next time, STITCH HAPPY!

Snowmageddon 2015

I feel like a cry baby when it comes to nasty weather since I see folks who have it so much worse on the evening news every night, but... today makes Day 5 that hubby and I have been snowed in.  Thank goodness I bought extra supplies at the grocery before it hit.  I normally think the warnings are excessive and consequently tend not to stock up like it's the end of the world.  Glad I did this time.  Thankfully, we have several more days worth of real food before I have to make shoelace soup.

With record low temps and snow deeper than the top of my boots, I'm staying put for yet another day...

And, even though I thought I had updated everything yesterday, I found a few things I forgot to share:

Fresh finish from last night.. seasonal freebie (so hard to resist, aren't they?) 

My new favorite scissors sheath, on the right:

The tin topper and scissors fob were completed by me eleven years ago (much to my dismay).  It is hard to believe it has been that long.  I always thought they needed a third piece to complete the set.  Two things hardly constitute a set, right?  But, the chart was only for the tin topper and fob.  So, a few weeks ago while browsing at the Stitch Niche in Lexington, I saw the ultrasuede scissors sheath (with plain white 18 ct. monocanvas insert).  The color of the suede immediately reminded me of my little bargello set.  I adapted the pattern to fit the sheath, and I'm totally pleased with the outcome.   Now it looks like a "set", yes? 

Speaking of sets... once upon a time, I bought this Fern Ridge "shear hospitality" felt pineapple kit.  Nearing the end of the blanket stitching around the fronds, I ran out of thread.  So with a good amount of mumbling, it was tucked away, out of sight... for years... Truthfully, I'm making an effort to finish a few UFOs from "way back", and this little guy was so close to being finished, it was one of my first UFO finishes of the year.

File this under "Just for Fun":

Pumpkin pinkeep

tiny felt ball mounted on oversized wooden button

And lastly, I'm just remembering to share the final finished pics of the Blackwork Band 
Sampler class I facilitated for my EGA chapter last fall.  Because I love color so much, it is hard for me to stick to black thread only for blackwork.  The design itself inspired the colors I selected.   Because I'm running out of wall space, I finished mine as a combination teabag/marking pin wallet.  This band sampler is part of the Petite Projects series from the Embroiderers' Guild of America which provides members with free small educational projects in varied techniques.  The cutwork nametag I shared yesterday is also an EGA Petite Project.  If memory serves me, I've completed four of the petite projects and am always glad I did.  You can learn a lot about a new-to-you technique in even a small project.

Blackwork Band Sampler

by Julie Fera

for The Embroiderers' Guild of America

And that's a wrap for this frigid Thursday friends.  Until next time, Stitch Happy!

Time for an Update

Two months in between posts is probably too long, but honestly, I didn't plan it that way.  You see at Thanksgiving, the hubby and I found out we are going to be grandparents for the first time and I think our brains exploded.  We are thrilled beyond words and have been busy getting our lives ready for the new edition.  The parents-to-be live a full days drive away from us, so you know, we've had to kill our cats, sell our house and find new jobs in NC.  DON'T PANIC.. We haven't really killed the cats, sold our house nor moved to NC, but trust me, we thought about it.

At the parents request, hubby made a crib from gorgeous maple wood he selected from Ohio Amish country.  It is packed up and ready for us to deliver, so no pics for now.  Rest assured there will be plenty of pics later, when it has something beautiful inside it.

I've been pinning (Pinterest) baby things like a crazed grandmom-to-be, and have occasionally taken a break from pinning to actually make a few baby things like talc-free powder and adorable onesies.  We soon find out the gender of the baby and I expect to go into total Freak Out mode at that point.

Since December, my Embroiderers' Guild chapter has also been participating in a group correspondence class on bead fringes.  It's been quite the challenge so I'm pleased to be finished with mine ahead of schedule:

"Frenzy of Fringes"

Group Correspondence Course for members of

The Embroiderers' Guild of America

Here is a peek at the other stitching finishes I've managed these past few months:

Oak Island needlepoint oval ornament (gift)

EGA chapter monthly education programs (above and below)

(Bargello bulb   &   Cutwork nametag)

Another luggage tag gift for my real-life Sis (and Eastern Star sister)

I could not find any Eastern Star painted canvases on the internets, so I used a Google image and transferred the image from paper to canvas.  It wasn't as hard as I expected it to be, but it wasn't a piece of cake either.  I give Janet Perry of Napa Needlepoint and Nuts About Needlepoint credit for giving me the confidence to try my hand at this.  I participated in her Create Your Own Stitch Guide cyber-class last year and learned a ton about needlepoint.  Her e-classes are very affordable and she gives you a boatload of information.  It was a great way for me to try to understand more about needlepoint.  

The WIP of the Month is the Wedding square I hope to have finished and framed before May:

.......and I'll get right on that after I finish the Small of the Month (a freebie from Rainbow Gallery and Erica Michaels) "V is for Valentine".

So, until next time friends, I certainly hope you all are warm and safe, wherever you are!

Slow Hand (as in Geez, am I slow or what!?!)

***

Good day, friends!  It has been forever since I've update my corner of the world wide web and I thought it was high time to do so, a month ago, and then two weeks ago, and yesterday...  So!  Without further ado, allow me to apologize for myself.  I have several excuses.  Select whichever one you like best.

#1) I retired at the end of February.  Yes, like I am no longer in the work force and loving every minute of it.  But, like so many of you know, one doesn't just dive headfirst into the stash pile upon retirement.  No.  "Things" must be done like major housecleaning, closet purging, trip taking, establishing a new routine.  Yes, these things I felt had to come first - so that was my March.

#2) Stepson 1 AND Stepson 2 got married (March and May).  I was asked to photograph the May wedding, hence the photography class in March-April.  Taking the wedding pictures was an honor and a pleasure but one that put me into a state of panic, for a couple of months.  Let me state it clearly for the record, I am not a professional photographer.  I am just an avid shutterbug, doing the best I can.

#3)  I accepted a regional position with the EGA and had to learn a whole new raft of things in preparation for the regional meeting in June in Knoxville.  My stitching pals and I had a great time in Tennessee and didn't make any new enemies - always a plus!!!

#4)  SISTERS TRIP to Cincinnati to see the Princess Di exhibit.  If you are close enough to go see it and haven't yet, go now before it returns home to England  (closing Aug 17th).  Not only are the contents of the exhibit extraordinary, the museum must be credited with putting it all together beautifully.  Truly, one of the best exhibits I've ever seen - and I'm a museum hound.  Oh, did I mention that the hotel valet service in Cincinnati lost my car?  Yeah.  Long story.

#5)  June - the month of wine and roses.  Multiple major family events in June.  I can write off the month of June every year due to back-to-back-to-back celebrations for my baby sister (birthday), husband (birthday) and father (father's day), and my wedding anniversary.  Whew... 

Then, hubby retired at the very end of June.

Now, throw in three funerals between #1 and #5.

Which brings us to JULY and can you believe I actually have an actual FINISH to share?!?!?!  Yes, a stitching finish...

A couple of my sweetest stitchy pals gifted me this kit when I retired.  How sweet is that?!?

Additionally, I am totally chuffed to show you this near-finished Little House piece:

But wait, there's more!  After carefully reading Mary Corbett's recent tutorials about her Tudor Rose project, I could not wait another minute to start my luggage tag, which has had me mystified for over a year.. (I know - it's not rocket science, but needlepoint is new to me).  Mine isn't supposed to be like hers, she just inspired me to find my round 'tuit'.  Working with the Neon Rays and Very Velvet and Planet Earth silks has been a ton o' fun.  The Gumnut wool french knots were just the thing for the center, I thought..

 

 

I'll leave you with this last pic of my soon to be complete wedding sampler WIP called "The Wedding" by My Big Toe Designs.  S2's wedding was in lavender, purple, grey and white so the ground fabric is a platinum linen.  The threads are two shades of GAST overdyed purple (lavender potpourri and hyacinth).  The center section is designed to read "two shall be as one", but I think I will chart their married monogram and stitch it in the center instead (as inserted with photoshop below):

 

 

Me thinks this is plenty for today.  Tune in next time when I tell you all about my super terrific Charley Harper canvas called "And One To Grow On".

 

STITCH HAPPY!

 

 



Seminar Summary 2013

***

This year, the EGA national seminar slogan was "Winner by a Stitch" and boy-o-boy did I feel like a winner by the end of the week!

For starters, let me back up and say that earlier this year, I purchased a few opportunity tickets for a quilt drawing.  And....since my sister has all the luck o' the Irish, I put her name on my tickets (I know, I know, shame on me...).  She (aka "I") won.  The quilt is phenomenal in design, piecing and quilting.  I am extremely fortunate to have it and will treasure it forever more.

Fast forward one month and I see this spectacular quilt at the EGA seminar:

It was not for sale or auction; you could only purchase chances for it.  I thought, "What the heck"... even though I knew there was absolutely NO WAY I'd win another quilt this year, it couldn't hurt to try.  Right?  Right!!  And, would you believe they pulled my name out of the hat?  Talk about stunned!  I didn't even hi-jack my sister's identity to win it.  Just to gild the lily, it came with a big-ol'-bag of taffy from a 50 year old candy shoppe in Oregon.  YUM YUM YUM!

With all the quilt-flaunting I had to do, I'm glad the drawing was held on the final evening of the convention.  Even though I only took one class, Catherine Jordan's River Bottom box, I took full advantage of having some down time:

Believe it or not, I finished (or nearly finished) all of the above during my time in Louisville.  I can't remember the last time I had five finishes in a single month!

 

I even had time to start this adorable Lizzie Kate fall/halloween biscornu which I just finished today:

 

 

 

And just for good measure, I finished another Christmas ornament this past week while on vacation in Washington D.C.
 

So with jsut about five weeks left until Christmas, I hope you all are finding time to finish a few gifts and maybe even a few keepers... :o)

Have a great week, friends!

Sweet September

***

Greetings Friends!  Let me just say how wonderful it is to see "September" on the calendar header... This summer has been great (a bit on the rainy side) but great none-the-less.  However, nothing compares to my love for September.   Another year older, well... yes, but that's okay too.  New years bring new challenges and opportunites am I'm looking forward to all of it.

In July, I was pleased to learned about Tenerife embroidery from a very accomplished needlewoman, Lois Threlkeld, of Tennessee.  Lois traveled to WV just to visit the chapter and teach this project.  I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I loved how it turned out:

Thanks again Lois!  It was a lot of fun!!

Until next time friends...

Road Trip!

Yippee yippee ya ya!  Bright and early tomorrow morning my BSFF and I will pile her trunk full of everything we 'need' for a four day stitching convention and hit the road for Kingsport TN.  I'm very excited to have several straight days to work on the Monet piece but I'm also super excited to see all the girls from EGA again.  I didn't attend the National seminar in Naples FL last fall so I feel like it's been a long time since I've had a chance to catch up with all the ladies and see what wonderful things they've been creating since the last time we all got together.  Many of the member of my local chapters are going to Kingsport this week, so it will also be a great time to catch up with them.  I'm really excited!  Can you tell?  Honestly, except for the gray hair, we could be confused for a bunch of teenagers at summer camp when we get together at these conventions.  We talk our fool heads off until our throats are sore about stuff nobody cares about but us.  We stay up way past our bedtimes, visiting up and down the hallways just to see what everybody else is doing.  We let someone else cook and clean for us.  We form lasting friendships and renew those we made the year before.  Throw in a bonfire and we are one "Kumbaya" short of summer camp.  And, it all does my soul a world of good.  I think every die-hard needlewoman should be able to experience one of these conventions at least once.  You just might become addicted!

Lee needlepoint luggage tag

18 ct mono canvas

threads: perle cotton #5 in 310, 321, 738 and blanc

And, how about my new needlepoint luggage tag?  These little guys are so fun and fast to stitch up, I really would like to make a whole batch of different ones.  This one is the well-known Burberry plaid that is so popular today.  I have a book of plaids and just followed the photo. The colors I chose are 310, 321, 738, and blanc.  It would be pretty in pink and grey, too.  If you are interested in making one for yourself or as a gift, check with your LNS first but if you can't get them there, google "Lee needlepoint luggage tags".  They are currently available on eBay and few other stitching websites.  Prices vary.  I paid $20 for mine but I've seen them as high as $30 (canvas not included).

So, until next time friends, keep your needles threaded and have a great week!

Let the BAP begin!

***

Alright sports fans... today is a BIG day.  It is the day I put Stitch #1 into a BAP that I've been dying to sink my teeth into for years.  I've finally decided to let it wait no more.  Next week, I'm headed off to Kingsport TN for the EGA Regional seminar and only taking studio time so I should be able to dedicate at least three full days to this beauty.  The piece is straight-forward;  100% cross stitch, except it has about a bazillion color changes and the graph looks like confetti.  I guess that's what you get when you want to recreate an impressionist painting with needle and thread.

Here's the "AFTER" pic:

Wish me luck!

Assisi GCC progress

...

It's not much, but it's something!

I had hoped to have all the background, fill-in stitches done by today but...as you can see, I have a little more to go.  Each thimble is a wee bit different from the other but the goal is to stitch each in such a way that you can't tell the back from the front (reversible).  If I showed you the back of mine, you would know it is the back, so I think I'll just skip that pic.

GCCs (or Group Correspondence Courses) are one of the best things about belonging to the Embroiderers' Guild of America.  They offer a fantastic variety of courses at bargain basement prices all year long.  I still think the best way to learn any needlework technique is hand-to-hand, but as much as I would like to attend every retreat and seminar coming and going, I'm only able to make it to one or two a year.  Participating in a GCC once in a while is a great way to sharpen my skills and keep my checkbook balanced (sorta kinda more or less..). 

Furthermore, Ms. Marion Scoular is one of my personal all-time favorite people.  She is such a delightful lady with a sparkling personality, amazing needlewoman, and superb teacher.  I adore her, can you tell?  So, I'm taking my time and trying to be extra conscientious with this particular class.  

Two years ago (yikes), I signed up for Marion's "Finishing with Flair" course but was not able to keep up with the rest of the class.  Instead of rushing through it and sending her an inferior finished product, I opted to drop out. 
:-(   

Does anyone else hear "Beauty School Drop Out" playing in the background?

One day, I hope to go back and complete it.  I'd love to add another color to my GCC pin.  :-)

My GCCs:

#1)  Beginner's Hardanger (Marion Scoular) 

how I fell in love with hardanger..

#2) Mariposa (Dakota Rogers)

I'd rather clean prison toilets for a week than stitch this again..

#3) Finishing with Flair (Marion Scoular)  -  not yet complete

#4)  Assisi (Marion Scoular)  -  currently in progress


#5)  Plum Blossom Sashiko (Lois Kershner)  -  next!


So while I've had a mixed bag of experience with the GCCs I've participated in, I have to say that by in large, they have been outstanding educational opportunities.

You can check them out at http://www.egausa.org/.

                                                          Hugs,