A Gift Received

Last Wednesday we got together to celebrate our friend's birthday.  We met at our usual Panera.  We chatted, ate, and the guest of honor opened her gifts.

We had intended to gift her with When Pigs Fly by Sam Sara all stitched and finished.  However, fate intervened and it didn't quite happen.  Two of the pigs are stitched.  The two stitched pigs and supplies for the third pig were passed on to one of the members of our group to be stitched.  Little did we know that she would be hospitalized days later and remain that way for about three months until she lost her battle with cancer.  So, the project is at her house.  We've asked her husband to keep an eye out for it and to let us know if he finds it.  Otherwise, I guess we'll have to start over.  This get together was bittersweet.  Our first since we lost one of our group.  But it was good to get together and talk, laugh, and remember.

While I was in Ocean City last month I purchased this case by Namaste which is actually red not pink like it appears in these pictures.

When I got home I kept thinking how great this would look with the case.

I sent my friend an email and asked her to pick it up for me.  Imagine my surprise when she presented it to me as an early birthday gift!  Thank you, Debbie.  I can't wait to get started on the stitching.  It's over one and I've found that lately I have to choose my times for stitching over one very carefully.  I am having a very hard time seeing it lately.

Keep on Stitching!

Jamboree

Ladies started to arrive on Thursday and Friday for Jamboree which officially started on Friday night with dinner by Sara, Sally, and Mary.  Dinner was followed by a Meet and Greet with appetizers and dessert.  At that time our teachers for the weekend were introduced and Sara went over some basic rules for weekend.  Like, no saving seats in the lobby.  A problem in previous years but not  this year.  Nothing too difficult.  

We were each given a goodie bag that contained these items.

A needlework tray filled with goodies.  There was also a bag of lizard litter which I've put away with my other finishing things.

The inside of the tray, and

a pair of Sullivan's scissors was included to go along with one of the projects we would be working on in class.

Classes started on Saturday morning.  My first class was with Lori Markovick of La-D-Da.  We had pre-stitched the name tag.  Class time was spent assembling the name tag with Lori's guidance.  I think everyone finished theirs.  Here's mine:

Lori had all the pockets prefinished for us.  So nice to just sit and put this together.

After lunch we returned to our classrooms. The class angels had set out a primitive looking pumpkin at each seat that contained a gift card for Salty Yarns!

My afternoon class was with Maegan and Vickie of Needlework Press.  Their piece was also a pre-stitch.  And we each left class with a finished piece.  These pieces are replicas of antiques that Vickie has found in her travels.  At one time these paper patterns were given away by advertisers. 

My final class on Sunday morning was with Sharon Verbos of The Purple Thread.  We made the little thimble box and the pinkeep.  The thimble box is the same technique used to complete the larger piece in Salty Caramel.  I had never made a pinkeep like this and could see lots of possibilities for these with different fabrics, etc. 

We were each given this little kit on Sunday morning.  Such a cute idea.  And a quick one. This kit is in a matchbox to give you an idea of the size.  What a great idea!

Jamboree was a wonderful way to finish my week in Ocean City.  And I brought home two finished projects!  You can read the Salty Yarns post about Jamboree here.

Keep on Stitching!

The Rest of the Week

I settled in for the rest of the week and got some serious stitching time in.

I worked on these projects:

I finished stitching The American Star Fob by The Sweetheart Tree;

I put the final stitches in Love Is by Summer House Stitchworks.  I kept thinking about the comic that was in the paper when I was growing up called Love Is.  I don't read the paper any more and I'm not sure if Love Is is still around.

 

The last stitches were added to Candy Corn Stocking by Blackbird Designs;

and the first stitches were put on the Eye of Newt Stocking by Blackbird Designs;

and I started Country Sampler's Jack's House Pinkeep by Stacy Nash.  I only had the top quarter of this design done when I got home. I have been working on it a bit since I got home.  The house is a bit daunting because it is so large.  I'm getting there.

More on Jamboree tomorrow.

Keep on Stitching!

The First Few Days on My Own

When I left off last night I mentioned that it was snowing here.  This morning we woke up to what I think of as a 'Christmas card morning.'  The trees were covered in snow.  That only seems to happen in our early season and very late season snows.  These pictures were taken as the sun was coming over the hill.

Back to vacation and warmer weather.

When I packed for Ocean City  I packed a bunch of WIP's and some kitted projects.  Way more than I could accomplish in a week or a month for that matter!  But I had a hard time deciding exactly what I wanted to take.

So I worked on these projects -

To the Flag by The Purple Thread, stitched with wool.  The blue seemed to take forever, but I did it.

I finished stitching January House by Country Cottage Needleworks;

and I finished stitching Be Brave by Shepherd's Bush.

I did some shopping at Marshall's while I was in Ocean City.  I took a ride out to Assategue to see the horses.  I did see some near the road.  And on my way back I saw a sign for Berlin.   Berlin won the award for America's Coolest Small Town for 2014.  I wasn't exactly sure where I was going but figured I had Mrs. Bossypants (my GPS) in the glove compartment to use I felt that I was lost.  The road I was on took me right into town.  I walked around and shopped a bit.  I had wanted to have tea at Main Street Enchanted Tea Room. They were closed the first day I went.  I did go back another day and enjoyed the lunch tea.  What wonderful food, freshly prepared to order.  If you are in the area, I definitely recommend it.

On Wednesday my friend Debbie arrived for Jamboree.

I'll be back with more of my week tomorrow.

Keep on Stitching!

Final Day of Retreat Weekend

On Sunday lots of ladies packed and left to get back to their families.  I was sad to see them go.  However, I knew that I would see some of them the following weekend.  And others this coming weekend.

I did learn about a few new blogs from these ladies:

Susan's Blog and

Robin's Blog.

On the final day of retreat I worked on and finished this:

February  Cottage by Country Cottage Needleworks stitched over one.

It's a snowy night here.  Our first of the season.  

Time to run.  Scandal is on and I don't like to miss that.

Keep on Stitching

Fall Retreat

Thank you for your lovely comments.  They mean so much to me.

I missed the first evening of the retreat because I was traveling.  That means I missed Sara's delectable appetizers and desserts.  I did have to work Friday, so that couldn't be helped.

Saturday was my first full day and I got in some great stitching time.

I worked on Bittersweet September by Blackbird Designs, probably the first time I touched it since retreat the year before.

And I worked on November Cottage by County Cottage Needleworks.

And, I put the last stitches and attached the embellishments on Be Nice by Shepherd's Bush.

I believe that we took a little stroll down the boardwalk to the Alaska Stand for burgers and fries.  A nice lunch eaten outside with friends.  

In the evening Sara brought out the leftovers from the previous night and I think some new desserts.  Lots of delicious choices.

I'll be back tomorrow with more.

Keep on Stitching!

Something for Me to Think About

Today I was goofing around on the internet and read a post by Ree Drummond called Ten Important Things I've Learned about Blogging here.  I must confess I don't watch a lot of tv and haven't ever seen her show.  I'll have to make it a point to find that one of these days. If you are a blogger her ideas may intrigue you as well.  She recommends blogging e-v-e-r-y day.  Hmmm, I've thought I'd like to aspire to that, but then, well, it can be so much trouble to take a picture and upload it (seriously, that's what I tell myself most days!)  But, I'm gonna try much, much harder.

The truth is, I miss blogging.  You folks are such an inspiration with your great comments.  And that's why I started this blog in the first place.  To show what I'm doing and read about what you're doing because this can be a pretty solitary pursuit.

Since, I wrote last time, I've been away on vacation, again.  I know, it seems like that's all I do.  But really, I do have  a job, and that job lets me take vacations.  I spent 9 glorious days in Ocean City, Maryland at the Lankford Hotel with many, many visits to Salty Yarns.  I started my vacation by attending a retreat sponsored by one of the guilds I belong to.  We were presented with a goodie bag upon arrival.  A zipper pouch with a small kit inside by The Purple Thread and a package of Bohin needles..  Some of the ladies were stitching that over the weekend.   I saved mine and will start it one of these days.

Well, it didn't take me too long to find the kit, the camera, take two pictures, and upload them.  Note to self, a post a day may be doable!  Just like Ree said.

I'll be back tomorrow to share more about the retreat and the balance of my vacation.  I did take my camera with me but never took it out of the case.  So I don't have any pictures from my time away to share.

Keep on Stitching!