This post about stash enhancement is brought to you by iTunes

Okay, on this Valentine’s Day, I’ll just start by saying that my iTunes is shuffling and began with Frank Sinatra singing “Moonlight Serenade”, then moved onto James Taylor singing “My Romance”.  Sheesh.  Can’t a single girl enjoy a quiet Valentine’s Day with something like Aretha singing R-E-S-P-E-C-T?  Oh, and now the thing’s moved to Lionel Richie and “Truly”.  Wow.  I know it’s all my fault that these things are on my iTunes.  I really do.  And, I’ve loved these songs for years which is why I have them.  But, the Apple gods must be playing a joke though and picking these things all in a row. Or someone’s telling me I’m a hopeless romantic hidden beneath the thick skin of a Cupid cynic.

Lest I offend any of you who are celebrating this day of greeting-card days with your soul-mate (or said stand-in until you find him/her), please know I fully support you and am extremely happy that you are!  And, that I’ve had a most wonderful day myself and do NOT long for gooey, mushy stuff.  I did quite enjoy lunch with my brother-in-law, sister and their three daughters.  My great BIL wanted to take us to lunch for Valentine’s Day!  Great guy.  Did I say he’s a great brother-in-law?

I’m now listening to Queen Latifah singing “I Know Where I’ve Been”.  Better.  And a bit ironic after that last tirade, don’t you think?  Okay, maybe you’d think so if you knew more about my life.  Which I’m not going to share on a blog.  Not while I’m sane.  But, I will say that if you think of the princess looking for a prince by kissing a lot of frogs, you’d be really close to knowing a bit more about it.

So, yesterday we had a great time with Cathy B, running around to all the great stitchy spots along the Wasatch Front.  We started at the Craft Center, where my friend Cheryl and I met up with Cathy B, Alice, Lynn, and Brenda.  They had the Homespun Elegance chart in for “Home is Where You Hang Your Needlework”.  I picked that up and after everyone had completed their shopping there, we headed up to the Shrine… the Bush… the place where “the rock stars of stitching” live.  At least that’s what Cathy calls them. And, I quite agree.  Tina and Teri were extremely gracious as always.  It’s so fun to look around and see what they’ve done with new releases.  And, you know even though I make it up there every few months or so, I had neglected some of their shelves with “long lost” designs for a while.  Cathy was immediately drawn to the Mary Garry section… and thanks to her attention to that area, I was able to pick up two charts that are just great.  They are “Friends in the Garden” and “The Ice-Skating Party”.

I was a bit sad that they didn’t have market releases out yet.  But, that was actually fine, and Mr. Pocketbook was grateful he wasn’t punished like he was expecting to be.  I also picked up the remaining supplies for Mary Peacock, which I had purchased the chart for the previous week.  Cathy had her camera there, and she may get to post some pics, but I have some too.  Of course, we were all looking at Cathy’s camera and not mine…here are Tina, Cathy B, and Teri:

And, from left to right: Cheryl, Laura (me), Cathy B, Lynn, Alice, and Brenda:

After our shopping at the Bush, we headed over to Rooster’s for lunch.  Great food and great company.  Cathy, amazing person that she is, presented us all with a valentine… in our cards were hardanger hearts!  Wow.  She even had one there for Cheryl, who was kind of a last minute addition to the group.  How nice and thoughtful of Cathy to do that.  And the hearts are beautiful.

 Then, we went next door to the Needlepoint Joint.  Since I’ve started knitting it was hard for me to make it through the main part of the store and into the next section where their stitchy stuff is.  At one point, I said out loud “I’ll have to get me a sheep.”  I just love yarn.  I contained myself by thinking about the yarn I already have and the three projects that are on the needles.  But, when I caught up to the others in the stitchy section, I was happy to find an old copy of Fine Lines, which has the “Women of the Mayflower” chart in it from Sarah Ullman of Olde Willow Stitchery.  I only have a few copies of this magazine… and they’re mainly just the charts I liked.  I never was able to find this one.  Needlepoint Joint in Ogden has about four more copies if you’re looking.  And, about three other issues were there too.

After perusing some more there, Cheryl and I took Cathy to the airport.  It was a really fun day, and I especially loved the time we had getting to know Cathy.  What a sweet person!  I hope you enjoyed your time in Utah, Cathy.  We had a great time!

Okay, I don’t have any stitching progress to show, because I’ve been finishing an exchange.  But, that’s done, so I just need to wait until Tuesday to put it in the mail.  It’s a tiny bit late for mailing, but not anything that a reasonable amount of postage can’t cure.  I think.

Oh, and if you’re wondering, I’m now listening to David Benoit & Russ Freeman…  love this stuff.  I do have the ability to control this iTunes/iPod thing right?  (In the time it took me to post the pics for this along came Michael Buble singing “Call Me Irresponsible”, and the smooth talent of Marc Antoine.  I’m now enjoying the timeless Ella singing “Miss Otis Regrets”.  Love it.)

Happy day to everyone!  Take some time to stitch and listen to some fun tunes… or whatever relaxes you.

 

Oh… I so need a stitching weekend!

I am really looking forward to the small amount of time I’ll have this weekend to stitch. It is a three-day weekend, but I will be spending the majority of my time with the youth in my church/ward at a youth conference. We’ll have a speaker/dinner and then dance on Friday night, service projects, workshops and a late night at the recreation center on Saturday, and then we’re heading up to Salt Lake to be at the Mormon Tab broadcast early in the morning on Sunday. Afterwards, we’ll have a lunch and there will be a special speaker. I do enjoy the time I spend with the youth. They are great. I’ll be really tuckered out when it’s all over though!

I finished my mom’s little Valentine gift late last night. I found a cute pillow/insert pattern for her at Gardner Village last Saturday. She was thrilled. And, she said, “Wow, this was a sacrifice for you… to stitch on that kind of fabric.” You see the kit came with 18 count Aida cloth. I didn’t switch it out, because I didn’t have a Jobelan or something more substantial than linen that would hold up in the little pillow insert. So, she knows me well. It was a sacrifice. My fingers will appreciate stitching on linen once more this weekend.

And, she surprised me this morning in my lunch (don’t I have a great mom… I really am an adult, but it’s so nice to have her around still). She put in a handmade card, and a little handmade paper box that was filled with chocolate. And, she asked when I’d be home tonight from school. She has a nice steak dinner planned!

Who needs a husband? Okay, well, I know having two women in the house sharing the same kitchen can sometimes be hard… but if I have to go it alone and be a single person, I’m sure glad she’s around to help me out! And, it works out for her too. She is retired and I am able to support us.

Oh, and I’m so excited! I am trading a chart with Jacque in Missouri. She has DT’s Holiday Hearts, which I’ve been looking for and I am sending her DT’s American Spot sampler via Elegant Stitch. I just completed the order. Of course, I had to add a few more things for myself from market. When they arrive, I’ll report on my new stash! I did also order a little late Valentine’s day present for a friend who’s been away from the stitching world for too long. While shopping on Saturday, she saw a chart she liked, so I am having the ES magic ladies send her the chart with threads and fabric as well. She’ll just have to start stitching a bit more now!

Sorry no pics today. I’m away from my camera. And, my home computer is on the blink a bit. I hope to fix that tonight for good!

 

Slight Stash Enhancement

Well, yesterday was finally a beautiful day here in Utah. The snow storms have started coming at a slower pace and it seemed everyone was out of their homes in full force yesterday, enjoying the beautiful, crisp blue sky that caps the snow-covered mountain ranges around us. I decided it was a good time to run up to Salt Lake and get a set of scroll rods big enough for my Mary Busby quaker. I’m almost to the point that if I use the Q-Snaps anymore, some stitches will go under the clips. I don’t want that to happen on this piece, with the Pearsall’s silk, especially.

While at the Craft Center, I was able to see some fellow Swans, and to browse a bit. In addition to the scroll rods, I picked up a few other things… OH, you knew THAT was coming, didn’t you! I decided it was time to buy the updated clamp for my lap stand. The clamp that came with mine has a more rectangle shape and has a hard time keeping longer scroll rods horizontal. They droop with the weight. The new clamp has more surface area that touches the scroll rod, and so it’s supposed to hold better. We’ll see. I also got LHN’s “Home of a Needleworker (too!)”. I have always looked at the first one LHN produced and for some reason, I didn’t like it that much. But, I really like this new one, and so it came home with me, along with the CC threads for it.

I also picked up two fabric and thread kits for the new Drawn Thread freebie “All You Need is Love”. I was so happy to see that Jamie had kitted these up. I really didn’t want to purchase 7 skeins of Gloriana silk for a little freebie. I was planning to change the colors out. And, another fun thing the ladies at the Craft Center have done is to take the newly minted Utah state quarter and add very powerful magnets to them, to create a new needleminder! I got two. I could do this myself, but hey, they’ve done it for me, and I love them. I also picked up some needles there.

After we hit the craft center (my friend Cheryl was with me), we drove to Marie Callendar’s and picked up some pies… mmm. And, then we stopped at the Hires Drive In and ate a meal that we shouldn’t, but if you don’t tell anyone I won’t. We had Roquefort Bacon H Burgers, Root Beer, and Onion Rings with fry sauce.

After that stop, we headed to Pine Needles at Gardner Village. I just love this little shop. They used to be in a small little pioneer house in the village, but a few years ago they moved to a larger house on the property, and have expanded their quilting side of the business. They still carry a bit of cross stitch, as well as wool and punch needle supplies, but the bulk of their business is quilting now. They always have the cutest things, and they make me want to get the sewing machine out! I picked up Bird of a Feather’s “Holiday Seasons”, some R&R 36 ct light cappucino linen for my new LHN purchase, and some wool felt to have on hand for some existing projects.

They had the cutest pincushions made out of wool felt at the counter. One was a cupcake, another an ice cream sundae, and another was an easter egg. Very clever, and I guess they’ll have classes for these. They always have the shop decorated for the season, and there are lots of options for the person who likes a bit of every needle art. I picked up one of their own productions which is a little pillow with a stitched insert (I’m stitching it now) for my mother for Valentine’s Day.

What a fun day! I’m still waiting for more votes on my choice of project. I suppose if I posted more often, I’d have more people checking my blog!

 

Help Me Decide

With Nashville Market releases making me all excited for new stash, and recent purchases of the Mary Busby quaker repro and other fine things, I think I need some help in determining just where I’ll put my money first. I really shouldn’t order everything at once! So, I borrowed a trick from Melissa and have added the following poll:

Vote and help me decide what my stash purchasing priorities ought to be. Know that I usually purchase the threads if there is a package discount. But, what I want to know is this: what would you pick to purchase for your stash first? I have too many WIPs right now, so although I’ll be tempted to start what I buy, I will try to have some self control in that area. Oh, and I guess I was typing really fast and re-named the new HRH chart in the poll. I wonder what CHS would come up with for SHORTS of Hawk Run Hollow? Could be pretty funny…

Let me know by voting!

 

The Mailman is My Friend

I ordered three charts from Crabapple Hill Studios. I purchased “Winter Wonderland”, “Vintage Strawberry Pinkeep”, and “Summer Pears”. Who knows when I’ll work on them really, but I knew I had to pick up the quilt pattern for “Winter Wonderland”. My goal is to get the fabric by the Christmas break, so I can begin the stitching while I have a few days off.

I can’t believe summer is nearly over. School starts next Wednesday, and I almost can’t take it. But, I will continue to plug along. I enjoyed my summer too much. Didn’t accomplish nearly as much as I’d like, but really enjoyed the restful break that I made myself take (when I was away from work at least).

Happy stitching!

 

A Smidgeon of Progress

Hello fellow stitchers! I have made some progress on Ellen Chester’s needlebook from A Needleworker’s Sampler Huswif project. I really enjoyed the class, and was able to finish most of the bands during class. I’ve completed the rest since then. The picture isn’t great, but you get the idea.

And, when I was in Salt Lake last week, I picked up a new Drawn Thread release from the Craft Center. I believe this was something Cynthia taught through Elegant Stitch at one point. It’s the Box of Stitches. I also picked up the chart for these little stocking ornaments by Hands to Work. I didn’t like the drab needlepoint silk colors, so I converted them to some new Crescent Colours, while I was at the Stitchin Station.
I also picked up the Autumn Snapper charts by Bent Creek, because I’m enjoying the other snappers so much and I love the phrase on the chart that groups them all together. And, I picked up a chart and fabric for my friend for Mother’s Day.

I then stopped by Pine Needles at Gardner Village, and found a pattern for a really simple quilted bag. I decided that I wanted to give it a try. I took my friend to a quilt shop here in the valley the next day and we picked out fabrics for three bags. One for me, one for her, and one for my mother. I used fabrics from Blackbird Designs’ Chelsea Boutique for my bag. If these work out (it’s been a while since I sat at a sewing machine), then I will probably make more! I saw a wonderful spa blue and chocolate brown line of fabrics at Pine Needles. Here’s one swatch… they’re designed by Michael Miller. I can just see that big floral on the outside of the bag, with a matching, contrasted polka dot fabric as an accent and the fabric called “word search” in the same line as the lining of the bag. Fun stuff!

Here are the sets for the three bags I’m going to make. Mine, my friend’s, and my mom’s, in that order:

My mom didn’t like the fabric at the far left in her set (pink set just above), because it’s for the bottom of her bag, and she want’s something darker. So, I’ll be looking for something else for that.

Thanks for all of your comments! To answer your question about the Ellen Chester class Deb, it was really fun! I don’t get the opportunity to take many classes, because I’m usually so busy with work and other things that I don’t get away. I also received my Friends in Stitches kit and I love it! The colors are a bit more muted than I thought they would be from the picture, but I like colors that are more muted anyway, so this will work out just fantastic. I won’t be starting it for a while though. I have a ton to do first! For now, I’m off to wash the dog (Chloe the wonder mini-schnauzer), clean house and sew today. Have a great weekend!

 

Teaching an Old Dog Old Tricks

New life, sunshine, green grass, running outside… Chloe and I have really enjoyed the change in seasons. I didn’t realize just how much I was looking forward to spring. I’ve had a nasty headcold that has migrated a bit lower and made it awfully hard to breathe, sleep, stay conscious… you name it. Thank goodness for sick time. I think that Someone is trying to tell me to slow down. In my last post, I said I would be a finisher this year. And, I have been. But, I’ve also decided it’s okay to just loll around, or start something new just for fun. I’ve finished a semester (except for one assignment, which I really don’t care about now… it’s a liberating feeling). I’ve finished a big project at work.

I’ve been on a stash binge for a while. I’ve decided that this has been in anticipation of a much slower pace of life. One where I have time to sit down, enjoy a good movie and stitch. One where I’m not worrying about classwork, work-work, or any other type of work. And, actually, I’m looking forward to being able to spend time in my yard. It feels that with one home improvement project after another I have neglected my yard. There are things in and outside of the house to finish up, but they are minor details, I’ll enjoy the time working with my hands and check more things off on my “finished list”.

Of course, through all of this, there will be craziness at work, and in life. I just have to turn on the news to have craziness if I really feel the need. But, somehow I think I’ll avoid the news for the next few months. Chloe sure won’t miss it either. She’s especially happy with long walks, fetching a stick or toy, and just laying on the cool grass in the warm sun. There are things I can learn from my dog. And, I intend to spend the summer learning as much as I possibly can.

 

Outta Control

Okay, I did attend the Swan meeting a few weeks ago. And, it was the start of something BIG. First, Emie Bishop was there to tell us all about her latest sampler. And, she mentioned that several of her charts are near extinction… so, I whipped out the checkbook and ordered three charts.

Then, I heard there was just one more silk kit for Spanish Wine, just a few miles away… and you know I’ve wanted to join in on this. Lynn was her usual, helpful, enabler self. I didn’t blink an eye before she had pulled out her cell and called Carolyn at the shop to reserve it for me. So, I trucked on over to The Craft Center after the meeting. Of course, I also picked up a few other things, and asked them to order the chart for me. The linen is 40 count vintage navy bean, and it arrived at about the same time I was able to pick up the chart last week. I’m itching to start this.

I had already ordered several Prairie Schooler charts from ES via their Hoffman sale, and the Sampler Sweet Bag chart by Nostalgic Needle to prep for the June Swan project. Of course, I decided that I should order the small skeins of AVAS to go with that project. When I picked up the Spanish Wine chart, I also saw several other things I’ve wanted for a little while. So, here’s a bit more of my stash binge.

In total, I have added 19 new charts, two skeins of Gloriana silk (Schoolhouse Red and Cranberry), the Spanish Wine silk pack and Lakeside Linen, 13 small skeins of AVAS for the Sampler Sweet Bag, a cut of linen for the sweet bag and two odd skeins of overdyed cotton I needed. Whoa!

And, next Saturday I’ll pick up my two kits by Ellen Chester at the May Swan meeting. I’m taking Ellen’s “A Needleworker’s Sampler Huswif” class, and have also ordered her “Friendship in Stitches” kit.

Methinks I need to go through my old stash and have a cleanout! Maybe? Maybe not. I sure am going to enjoy my summer.

Oh, and I added a new pic to the top of my blog. It’s a wonderful lilac I have in my yard. I have four varieties of lilacs, and they’re all blooming. I love spring too!

 

New Stash

I’m just tickled that my package from Elegant Stitch has arrived. It came yesterday, and I received:

My Bee Safe chart by It’s Fine-ally Finished
Fabric/Thread/Silk pack for My Bee Safe
Peacock Stitching Chair chart by Cat’s Whisker’s Designs
Pearl Grey belfast for Peacock Chair
Silk n’ Colors “Royalty” for Peacock Chair
Silk Ribbon by Dinky Dyes for Peacock Chair
Whitman’s Vintage Sewing Tin chart by Fancy Works with the tin
Christmas House chart by Brightneedle

I want to start them all NOW. If I can hold out, I’ll finish the Carnation Sampler by Needle’s Prayse, and then I think I’ll start the Whitman tin set. I can’t decide whether to do the Christmas House on 40 count, or over one on 28…

And, I’ve decided to sign up for Ellen Chester’s class (http://www.withmyneedle.com/teaching.html) with the Swan Guild next May. I’ll be there on Saturday to work on “A Needleworker’s Sampler Huswif”. I’m also ordering the extra kit available to all Swan members, “Friends in Stitches”. I won’t be ordering the scrimshaw pieces. I just can’t justify the cost, especially when I have a woodshop where I can take a really nice piece of walnut or cherry and make a ruler or threadwinder. Who knows. I haven’t even decided if I’ll do the huswif or use the kit to just frame a sampler. I am thinking of changing the wording though. It’s all a bit expensive, but I am so sick of school, and I figure that by May, I will want a day of stitching on something new!

 

I wish there were a stash fairy

There are some wonderful pieces being released at the Nashville needlework market. I have high hopes to own many of them someday. My wish list includes the following so far:

1) The Cat’s Whiskers Design Studio: “The Peacock Stitching Chair”
2) Crescent Colours: Some yummy new silks
3) Guilia Punti Antichi: “Queen Sofia’s Sewing Bag and Chatelaine”
4) It’s Fine-ally Finished: “My Bee Safe”
5) It’s Fine-ally Finished: “Pineapple Fob”
6) It’s Fine-ally Finished: “Ella’s Slipper”
7) Little House Needleworks/Crescent Colours/Kelmscott Designs collaboration piece

These are just what I’ve heard about so far… Sheesh. Some of these have limited availability either on the chart/package, or on some of the supplies to finish them, so I guess I’ll have to jump on those if I want them. I haven’t listed these in any particular order, but I must say, I have to have the peacock chair. I will have it, I will have it, I WILL have it!

And, I am sorely tempted by the pieces that Ellen Chester will be bringing to the Swan Sampler Guild in May. Of course, I’m hoping that braces/gloves and medication will keep the pain in my hands at bay.