Crabapple Hill Saturday & Garage Sale Friday

I attended a class with Meg of Crabapple Hill Studios on Saturday.

Here are the two designs we were given. We could stitch on either one.  I haven't seen these designs before and am not sure if they are a future release.

This is the one I chose-

Here is how mine looked at the end of class-

Below is the other choice.  Both were finished as small wallhangings. These designs use a coloring technique with crayons.  Am I the only one who has not heard of it before? 

Did I mention that I won a door prize?  (Yes, that makes 3 door prizes in the last month! Why do I go for years and never win one?? Then, bada boom, 3 in a row)

Here are the towels all stitched up from Meg's show and tell-

Since I am not a big Halloween fan, I came home and dug thru my stash and look what I found. Guess which design will go on the towels :)

Check out the new Crabapple Hill design that Meg passed out to all attendees-Harvest Hopscotch! (sorry for the crappy pics)

Here is some show and tell-

This one was my favorite-

This one was an amalgam of two of Meg's Christmas/winter designs-really cute!

A wonderful time was had by all.  It was my first class thru my LQS and I found out that they have an "eat every 2 hours" rule.  Oh, my!

Do you remember this framed duck picture that I got at a garage sale last summer? (yes, the ducks are cross-stitched)  I was planning to put Le Printemps in it. But, once I got it home, it looked too old-fashioned.

On Friday I went to a garage sale and bought a wonderful, large teal frame for $4. Look what fit in it perfectly!  Now where to hang it? It's a good problem to have :)

Thanks for stopping by my blog!  I appreciate each and every one of you. Your comments make my day.

$100 Visa Card Spending Spree & SAL Update

Do you remember that I won a $100 Visa gift card opportunity basket at the closing banquet of the regional EGA seminar about 2 weeks ago?  It has been burning a hole in my pocket ever since then! 

Here are the results of my stash enhancement moment at my LNS.  (It only takes a moment to spend $100) Doesn't look like much, does it?  But I was able to indulge myself for the first time with some Belle Soie silks for kitting up Mary Roe.

Also, I was able to kit up the new L'Atelier Perdu Mystery SAL. It is a large sampler and I didn't have a big enough piece of light sandstone linen.  Good thing because I received Part 1 in the mail today!

There was also 5 pair of stretcher bars (one pair was already in use on Merry Cox's So Dear to Thy Heart before I took the picture :)  And there was a handful of DMC threads not shown.

Here is my progress on SAL Sopresa 2. Part one is finished!!  I love the tree design on this part. Now onto Part 2.

I am off to an all day stitching class tomorrow hosted by my LQS.  It is being taught by designer Meg of Crabapple Hill.  Don't know much at this time but she is bringing a special design for us to do.  Not sure if it's an existing pattern or something exclusive for us???  I'll update you on Monday.  Looks like the rest of my weekend will be picking and canning green beans :)

Have a great and stitchy weekend!

A Finish, Mystery SAL, and CJC Progress!

Here is how it looked last time I updated you--

Here is how it looks now--

Le Nouveau Palais Royal

Merry Cox

Fabric from kit

Gloriana thread from kit

Finished and ready for Merry's class!  Please click on the pic for a closeup.  This is tinier work than I am used to.  Now I am going to start Merry's So Dear to Thy Heart.

Crazy January Challenge #9-Smell the Flowers

L'Atelier Perdu

28ct evenweave-ivory

Called for DMC threads

This is tiny work too!  I just put the first few stitches into the little girl on the left flap.

After much thought, I have decided not to participate in future CJC's.  There is so much I would like to do each year-surprise SAL's, new designs, etc.  But I feel obligated to keep working on the CJC's I picked in January.  Don't get me wrong, I still love the designs I chose, but I'd like to be able to change my mind!!  lol

I do love Natalie's work (L'Atelier Perdu) and I signed up for her mystery SAL that is starting this coming week.  It will be 4 months long with one installment each month.  I participated in the Stitch Me Club in 2011 and absolutely loved the result. See below-

OK, admit it-who else has signed up?  I know Chiara did.

I haven't posted for awhile about Bountiful Baskets.  I picked one up yesterday and this is my haul.  It cost $15 plus $1.50 for handling.  I am consistently pleased with the quantity, quality, and variety of the fruits and vegetables I get. You can click on the pic to get a better view. Here is a link to see if it is in your area. Then, click on Locations at the top, then use the states drop-down menu.

Seminar Is Over and More Stitching Updates

2012 Greater Pacific Region EGA Seminar is over.  It will happen again in 2014 in Reno. Here is a view of the boutique set up by Jeannine from Acorn & Threads in Portland.  A little bit of everything a stitcher could want.  There was also a book store set up by Ruth Kerns.

I forgot to mention that the opening and closing banquets had favors on the table at each place setting.  The hand-blown glass apple is mine from the opening banquet.  And the hand-blown magnet is mine from the closing banquet. The floss is just to give you some idea of their size. They were boxed and we couldn't see what was in the boxes when we sat down. There were many colors of magnets and apples, but I like the ones I got. :)

There was also a merchandise night on Sunday night and I forgot to take a picture.  It was a chance for the teachers, seminar staff, LNS, and a few others to sell to the attendees. It was very crowded and I was happy to pick up a smalls project from Haberdashery (remember the LNS in Spokane?). Brenda, the owner, designed several original projects and held classes for many years.  I fell in love with some of them, but only a few patterns were left by the time I "discovered" her store.  So this was an unexpected windfall. :) If anyone has unwanted Haberdashery designs, please let me know

These are the "opportunity" baskets at the closing banquet (the ticket bags had already been collected). Each EGA chapter in our region could send a basket as a fundraiser. They get to keep 100% of the money raised. Do you see the blue Tiffany bag on the right end of the table?  It had a $100 Visa gift card in it (and a giftpak of DMC floss).  Guess who won that one?!  Yes, it was me!!  Woo Hoo-it is already burning a hole in my pocket!

I forgot to show you the latest on Holiday Patches on my last post.  Just LOVE the red cardinal fabric! And I'm tickled that the borders are finished and the "fun stuff" is about to begin. Hope to have this one finished by Chrismas (2012).

Here is my start of SAL Sopresa 2.  I'm using 36 ct. Lakeside Linen Maple Syrup. And DMC threads-one thread over 2.

Have a very fun and stitchy weekend.  Keep cool-I hate to mention that we seem to be nearly the only area of the U.S. that is keeping cool.  We hit 71 today-sprinkles off and on.  About the same forecast for tomorrow.

More Stitching, 2 Finishes, and Seminar has Started!

Here is what I decided to stitch on recently.  Due to the upcoming deadline for Christmas finishing I wanted to get this one completed-

Six Patchwork Stars Shimmering

Renaissance Designs Thirteen Days of Christmas series

Stitch Guide by Pamela Harding

Various threads with many Vineyard Silk substitutions by me :)

This is my Crazy January Challenge finish #8. The stitch guide was wonderful and had a really beautiful star-like background stitch.  I decided at the beginning of this series to let the background be a place to rest your eyes and it is basketweave. There are a few beads that I still need to apply.

Progress has been made on Sewing Chest Designs Pincushion Doll. I am using the called-for threads in this design, but moving them around as some of the colors are muted and hard to see on this fabric.

This is the beginning of Betsy Morgans large helix etui from my class in Spokane in May.  It is a Celtic cross stitch border.  My first time trying it.

Here is the progress on my first start for Merry Cox's classes. It is Le Nouveau Palais Royal. This is tiny work but going pretty fast. 

I have also started SAL Sopresa 2 but not enough done to warrant a picture this time.

I won the door prize at last weeks EGA meeting. Pretty nice, huh?

As the post title mentions, the Greater Pacific Region EGA seminar has begun in Tacoma, WA.  Here is my finished nametag. It was a hard decision but I am not taking any classes, merely volunteering and attending opening and closing banquets. 

Here is opening banquet. Our guild president was awarded a national Golden Acord award for her work in many different outreach programs.  Her primary outreach is with the Kissing Pillows for Soldiers.  She has spearheaded over 20,000 pillows being handed out to deployed soldiers at Fort Lewis/McChord in the past few years.  I'm off today to sell "opportunity basket" tickets as WA state does not allow raffles.

I will leave you with little Amber's big week. She is 5 months old today and getting rice cereal and starting on baby food. She is also loving her walker. They grow up so fast.

And the Giveaway Winner is.....

Thank you so much for all the entries of my 300+ follower giveaway!  Welcome to all my new followers!

Without further ado, the winner is --

Congratulations!

The Winner of my 300+ follower giveaway is ..........NatalyK over at Nataly's Needle Kreations!

What to Stitch Now??

I need to make some decisions about the rest of 2012 stitching.  I still have 8 more projects to finish for the 2012 Crazy January Challenge-see my sidebar--->

And guess what came in the mail last week when I was at the retreat?  See below-

Three gorgeous kits from Merry Cox that need pre-stitching for the November classes. A lot of over one stitching in these babies!

And I have the rest of the Helix Etui from Betsy Morgan stretched, tacked and ready to start stitching-really anxious to get going on this one!

Are you familiar with Theresa Baird over at Heart's Ease Examplar Workes?  I just discovered her and ordered her beautiful Regal Bee design.  She is a delight and her work is so beautiful! And I even got a Quaker box off of ebay specifically for this finish-I really want to start this one!

And what is going on with SAL's this year?  They are popping up everywhere!!  Here is the latest one that I couldn't say no to--SAL Sopresa 2 from Les Trois Brodeuses.  It is a little difficult to read as most of the postings are in Italian and French.  There is a small cost (I think 10 euros).  And Sara accepts Paypal.  My first email came within 1 or 2 hours from my payment and it did have English in it.  There are some photos of the finished Part 1 on Sara's blog.  Good news-no showing of finished stitching before getting the next part :)

And what about the 2012 SAL on Les Grilles de Maryse? This one is adorable! I just sent off an email today to see if I can still join. Don't know yet if it is closed.  I think this one has a small fee too.

Whew!  Too many great projects to choose from!!  Did  I forget to mention the 6 smalls that I started on retreat? And Holiday Patches? And Betsy's Morgans other set of smalls? And...... well, you get the idea.

Celebration Giveaway!

In honor of reaching 300+ followers, I am having a giveaway!

In honor of the NW Sampler Guild retreat I just returned from, the giveaway will be for samplers.

(Click on picture below for a closeup.)

Available in this giveaway are-

4 beautiful With My Needle samplers-

Agnes Scott 1810-new

Caroline Bevan 1845-new

With My Needle Examplar-new

and

Let Virtue Be a Guide to Thee-new

Also included is-

3 beautiful Sheepish Designs samplers-

Infatuated (#84)-new

For You (#81)-new

and

Just Cross Stitch Magazine-Feb 1989 with

A Man of Sense sampler (see cover)

(so cute! In case you can't read the words it says When in Love I do commence, May it be with a man of sense)

Here are the very simple rules-

1.) You must be a follower or become a follower to enter.

2.) You can get an extra entry by posting on your blog about my giveaway.

3.) Please be sure your entries are in separate comments.

4.) All followers are included-yes, that means from anywhere in the world!

5.) Entries will be closed on Sat. June 23rd. Drawing will be on Sunday, June 24th.

Good Luck To All!!

Northwest Sampler Guild Annual Retreat

This was my first retreat with the Northwest Sampler Guild.  Unbelieveably, I came down with a head cold about 2 days before it started.  So, of course, I spent the whole weekend, coughing, hacking and blowing my nose!  The ladies couldn't have been nicer and more understanding.  I sat in the corner and warned others to stay away :)  I certainly had a wonderful time and got  much accomplished stitching-wise.

Aury Designs

Patriotic Heart 2009

35 ct natural linen scrap

Misc threads from my stash

I took all smalls with me to work on.  This was my one and only finish of the weekend.  But here are the other smalls I started-

Top row (l-r) BBD Pumpkin Blossom Box and Pincushion, Northwest Sampler Guild nametag, The Sticherhood Merry Christmas ornament  Bottom row (l-r) Jardin Prive Carre d'Abeilles , and BBD Crowning the Tree ornament

I also took the BBD Pumpkin Blossom Needlecase but didn't have enough linen to stitch it and Aury's 2011 Patriotic Heart but didn't get to it either.

I also took 2 of my Crazy January Challenge and made some progress on both-

Sewing Chest Designs Pincushion Doll and Brightneedle Pretty in Pink

We also had a sweet bag exchange and here is the bag that I got-

A Quaker design stitched with an overdyed green thread. Loved the little scissor fob that came with it!  Here are some of the others-

I am always amazed at the stitching skills of my fellow members. Here is some of the show and share displayed-

This is the first time I have seen the Berlin Woolwork Sampler totally complete (on the right above).

A stitching casket-still incomplete-but wow!!

There were four of these samplers all completed and framed-sorry I forgot the name.

Did you notice the smalls on the table above?  Here is a better picture-

Yes, it is Betsy Morgan's smalls from the Inspiration magazine that I have been going on about ad nauseum!! Who thought I would actually be able to see and handle a complete set just when I want to start it??!  Jan Petersen did an absolutely gorgeous job-they are lined in ivory silk dupioni--even cuter than I expected :)

Only 2 more photos then I will stop-here is one of half of the workroom-

And I can't say enough about the favors!  After every meal we would come back to a "little" surprise-

First was a special folded cardstock ort container.

 Then a working pen with everything needed to complete a little tribute to the weekend (which I finished and put in the pen).

Then an adorable bird pad of paper which fit into the needle roll which came next.

Then a matching needlebook, a pair of scissors and a strawberry scissor fob. Don't forget the custom needle roll kit, printed paper award, and a package of needles and needle puller that I forgot to put in the photo.  Many of the goodies fit into the needle roll perfectly!

Oh, did I forget to mention that I won a door prize too??  A weekend that will be a hard act to follow-thanks, NWSG!