Disappearing Act

Sorry, didn't mean to "disappear" for such a long time! Boy, summer sure is flying by fast and before long the kids will be back at school and the leaves will be changing colors. We will be taking my daughter to college in less than two weeks; it's going to be a big change with her not at home!

I've got a few things to share with you. Despite busy days at work, I have still managed to find time for stitching at night.

I finished my blocks for A Token of Friendship (Ackworth). You might recall that a group of us have been working on these squares for the past year. We will all be getting together next week to swap squares and put our books together. Can't wait to see this project finished!

Next up, I finished my pincushion that I started at the Silver Needle retreat! The stitching was done (well, except for the cross stitched eye on the blackbird!) I put the last stitch in it last night and pulled out my finishing instructions and voila! It looks great don't you think?

Birds and Berries Pinkeep
Blackbird Designs (Silver Needle Class project)
30 ct WDW Baby's Breath
CC/GAST Fibers

Here's a side shot of the box so that you can see how we distressed them when we painted, sanded, and waxed them at the retreat.



I also forgot to share with you a pincushion Joan had given me at the retreat. She is always so thoughtful and good about marking the occasion with a stitched momento! (This is from the Autumn Tulip design in the Thank you, Sarah Tobias book by Blackbird Designs.)



And more Blackbird! I started stitching this design when we were down in Tulsa. I thought it would be good to work on there; I wouldn't have to pay such close attention to the pattern since I was using one color of floss! I personalized this with the year my mother was born and then stitched her name and birthdate on the back side. Purple is her favorite color!

Vintage Pincushion
Blackbird Designs (Joyeux Noel book)
R&R 30ct Antique Hydrangea
Belle Soie Elegant Eggplant

I have more pictures to share, but I think I will save them for another time. Thank you for visiting my blog. Have a great day!

BBD Part III

I still have many wonderful photos to share with you, I hope you don't mind if I continue to dwell on last weekend's Blackbird event at the Silver Needle!

One of my most favorite parts of an event like this is spending time with other stitchers who have a mutual love for the art of needlework. Ask Joan and she will confirm for you, I spend more time flitting around from table to table visiting with people than I spend on my butt stitching the project. Clearly this explains why Joan's class projects are already finished and mine are not! But I digress...

It's fun meeting other stitchers, especially those who I have met in blogland. I posted a picture of PJStitcher with my very first post. Here are some other blogger friends that we met up with at the retreat:

Here's a picture of Michelle and Karen. Please check out their blogs for more BBD reports!


Here's a picture of me, Edie (no blog, but stalks and comments, LOL!), and Joan.



See what I mean, Edie and Joan are both busy stitching! Me, I'm working the crowd, taking pictures!


One of the fun parts about visiting with others is admiring their finished projects that they brought with them. There was a table of ladies that had completed this 2006 BBD Loose Feathers called Secret Garden. Here's one of the finished boxes, inside and out - isn't it gorgeous?




Another lady had finished this box using this BBD Loose Feathers #33 Keepsake Box and Pinkeep (thanks Carol!)



And check out this beautiful box finish. This was a class project that they taught at Old Mill Stitchery in Liberty, MO. This stitcher did a beautiful on her box - it was so cool!




Finally, here is a pincushion. I believe this design is from the BBD Loose Feathers called Winter Wonderland.



There were other bloggers there who I really enjoyed meeting - wish I had taken even more pictures! It was a wonderful weekend and I hope to do it again soon!

Thanks for stopping by - hope you enjoy your weekend!

Back for Part II

I'm still reminiscing about the fun weekend in Tulsa. In my last post I told you all about Friday's events; but the main event occurred on Saturday!

Joan and I were up bright and early and one of the first ones in the door when the Silver Needle opened at 8am. We weren't going to buy anything on Saturday, having made all of our purchases on Friday night (yeah, right!) The class with the Blackbird glas started at 9am, so we did our speed shopping and headed over to the classroom.

A retreat with Barb and Alma is like a feast for the eyes...they always bring lots of models with them. From a tree adorned with some of their stocking finishes...



....to some of the Anniversaries of the Heart pieces completed and framed...



I took a picture of this finished design; I think it is the Glad Tidings chart - I really like it!



Here is the most current Loose Feathers project - Hedgerow Birds. The bag is much larger than you expect and the linen color is more gold than pictured on the cover of the pattern. It's really a pretty design!



Scattered about on the table were a number of projects that Alma and Barb have completed using stitched fragments...



... or colored copies of designs that they have stitched.



Here's Margaret Harris:



Our main project for this event was this pincushion in an oval box and a needlebook that folds in thirds.




Our main project on Saturday was to paint and wax the boxes. Barb told us that when we were finished with it, the box needed to look worn - like it had traveled across the prairie in a covered wagon! Here's a picture of some waxing and buffing in progress:




My pincushion is not quite finished yet, but it will be soon. For a look at a finished pincushion, check out Joan's post from Sunday, July 18.

Well, I think that's enough for tonight. Believe it or not, I have more to share with you. You will have to wait for Part III...

I Heart Blackbird Designs

I love Blackbird Designs. I love everything about them - their charts, the fabrics and fibers they choose for their designs, their finishing ideas. And then the two women behind Blackbird - Barb and Alma - they are just amazing. So creative, warm, and fun to be around. After seeing them this Spring at the Stitchville retreat, I hoped that I would be able to spend time with them again. Little did I know that it would happen again so soon!

My friend Joan and I were fortunate this past weekend to be able to attend the Blackbird Designs event at the Silver Needle in Tulsa, OK. It was my first trip to the Silver Needle.

The best word I can use to describe how I felt when I walked through their front door - mesmerized. The Vera Bradley collection was to my left - to my right and straight ahead was a multitude of charts, fibers, kits, fabrics, and finishes. I know I had this "kid in a candy store" look on my face for a few seconds! The shop was filled with other anxious retreat goers - it was a hoppin' place! Here's what I enjoyed most about this shop -- all the finished samples. Many projects were stitched over one and were finished into flat folds, boxes, ornaments - it was such a delectable feast for the eyes! I regret now that I did not taking pictures of some of the displays in the shop...

Our retreat started on Friday evening at about 6pm. There were many blogger friends that both Joan and I looked forward to meeting. Here's a picture of me with PJStitcher. Pam does not have a blog, but she frequently comments on blogs. It was a real treat to meet her!


Just to give you an idea as to how popular this event was - take a look at all the stitchers!


There were about 150 stitchers from 20 different states and Canada that came to this event in Tulsa!



After dinner on Friday night, we had the plesure of listening to Barb and Alma share some of their stories with us - how they met, how Blackbird Designs got started, where they get their inspiration from, etc.



Barb and Alma had brought some of their sampler collection with them. These samplers have been found at flea markets and thrift stores and have inspired some of the fabrics and cross stitch patterns. (Sorry, the pictures of Barb and Alma are a little bit fuzzy.)




One of my favorite samplers from their collection was this orphan sampler done with black thread on a white/cream colored fabric. Do you recognize it? This sampler inspired the alphabet sampler design that was used in their first fabric line.



This is the original Sarah Tobias...



And this is the sampler that inspired some of the designs in Joyeux Noel...



And some of the other lovely samplers that they brought along...




Our first afternoon and evening in Tulsa was quite nice. Joan and I went back to our hotel and looked forward to the day ahead. More to come....

Random Act of Kindness

Before you continue, I have to warn you that my pictures for this post are not the greatest. It's late and my pictures are dark. You'll just have to deal with it!

A most special thing happened today - I received this lovely pincushion in the mail from Faye (Caroliner Stitcher). I'm touched that she thought to gift me with this lovely finish. It's adorned with some really cute pins that Faye also made. Just love it. Thanks again Faye!

On the stitching front ...

...two more blocks done for A Token of Friendship. These are Lori's.

...and Lizzie Kate's limited edition summer fob. Just the stitching is done; I still need to finish it. If you want to see the finished product, check out Jill's or Joan's finished fobs.

Counting down...in less than three days I will be at the Silver Needle enjoying a weekend of stitching and stashing and visiting with Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs!

Happy Independence Day!

Hello Dear Friends!

It's Monday, July 5 and I am enjoying an extended weekend with a holiday from work today. Yesterday was Independence Day and we celebrated by grilling burgers and watching fireworks. Of course, there was time for stitching too!

I'm also celebrating another finish! I just loved this design so much that it was hard to put down. This is Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers #3 - Evening Shades the Garden. I've stitched it on WDW 35ct Light Khaki; it's a creamy soft yellow. For the most part, I used the recommended fibers, with one or two changes because I think the dyelots weren't quite right. It's not very big, approximately 5 inches X 6 inches. This one will get framed soon!

Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers #3
Evening Shades the Garden
35Ct WDW Light Khaki
GAST/DMC Fibers

I've also been working more on This is the Day. I had run out of GAST Tomato and picked up another skein the last time I was at my LNS. Now I've run out of Picnic Basket and Pumpkin Pie! I can finish the lettering at the top and do the filling stitches top and bottom until I get more of these other two colors. I also want to find a replacement fiber for GAST Camouflage; it has too much blue in it (IMHO).

Hot, sticky, cloudy, dark -- not a fun day outside today in Minnesota. As I right this blog post it just started to downpour outside! I've been working on various projects around the house and am in the midst of cleaning through my stitching stash and finishing supplies. Couldn't be happier!

Hope you had a nice weekend; thanks for stopping by!

Two More Squares and a New Start

Howdy friends! How was your week? Mine was filled with rain and thunderstorms, plus I made a quick trip to Grand Rapids, MI for a business meeting. Never a dull moment in my neck of the woods!

Two more squares complete - yahoo! I may actually make the August deadline. If you've dropped by before, you know that I am working on this project with a group of friends. I am stitching two squares each for Joan, Jill, Chris, Jackie, and Lori, plus two squares for myself. Finished up Jackie's squares this week, now I just have to stitch Lori's squares and my own. The pattern is from With My Needle and it is called "A Token of Friendship." These are Jackie's squares:



I also think I need to have my head examined. I started a new project last weekend; just couldn't help myself! I had the itch to stitch this design and picked up the fabric when I was at Stitchville last Saturday. The pattern is Loose Feathers #3 and it is called Evening Shades the Garden. The fabric is a really soft yellow (it doesn't look yellow in the photo though, sorry.) As you can see I have most of the outside border stitched and most of the alphabet. I'll start on the flowers next.




I went searching for this pattern after seeing it finished on Irma's blog. Irma hasn't posted for a long time; I really miss her posts. She was always working on projects that appealed to me and she had a real talent for photographing her finished pieces.

We were going to go up to the lake and try to spend some time cleaning up the yard, but we've had so much rain lately that we decided it would be a wasted trip. Hopefully it will be drier next weekend and then we can get the lawn mowed and do some trimming and then maybe have some time left to enjoy the cabin and the lake!

Hope you all enjoy today and the week ahead. Thanks for stopping by!

Time is Flying By

Oh my, it has been a long time since I last posted. Where does the time go? Granted, we've had a busy spring with a graduation and all kinds of grad parties to attend. I hope things will start slowing down a little bit soon! With all of these parties and other activities, I haven't done very much stitching lately.

I have stitched a couple of hardanger doilies; this is my favorite pattern which I acquired several years ago. I copied the actual doliy that my cousin had obtained while traveling in Norway. I only have a picture of this one - forgot to take a photo of the other one before I gave it away. The filling stitches do not show up real well against the green background fabric, oh well....


And here are a couple more completed blocks for the With My Needle A Token of Friendship project that a group of us are working on. These blocks are for Chris.

The first block for Jackie is started:

I've completed three sets of blocks (two-each) for Joan, Jill, and Chris. I still need to complete Jackie's, Lori's and my own by our mid-August deadline.

I am looking forward to July. Want to know why? Joan and I are heading to the Silver Needle to see Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs. We had so much fun at the Stitchville retreat in April that we had to do it again. The bonus is the trip to the Silver Needle. I have never visited their shop and can't wait to see it. Anyone else in blogland going to attend this event at the Silver Needle?

Looks like it is going to be a beautiful day in Minnesota - we could use a nice day. Last week some terrible storms ripped through our state, killing three people. It sounds like there is more rain and stormy weather coming in the week ahead.

Happy Stitching!

Finally Something Stitchy!

I've had a horrible case of the stitching blues lately. I seem to spend more time thinking about stitching than I spend actually stitching! Well, I've had a few distractions, like DD's graduation. By the way, thank you very much for all the congratulatory wishes! One more event to get past - the grad party is this weekend. Maybe then life will return to normal or something that resembles normal.

Here's what I have been working on lately; I pulled out a WIP and decided to put a few more stitches in it. It looks like I started this back in September of 2009 (and if I used labels it would have taken me less than 15 minutes to figure that out!) I can't find any other posts about my progress on this one after that. Let's just say that I had about 2/3 of the border complete. Either I became bored or just experienced a bad case of startitis because the piece went into my WIP basket.

I pulled it out last weekend and put in a few more stitches -



For those of you who might not recognize it, this pattern is from Hands to Work and it is called "This is the Day." The pattern was published in the February 2009 issue of Just Cross Stitch. I am stitching mine on 32ct WDW Cappucino (the pattern calls for LL Autumn Gold.)

Now, I must admit, I'm having trouble with this one. Either I've lost my ability to count, or I'm challenged by the fact that the pattern is spread out over four pages in the magazine - but I spent a good portion of Saturday night pulling out everything I had stitched that night. On Sunday I re-stitched and thought everything was good, only to realize that it's still not quite right. I ran out of the Sampler Threads Tomato thread so I can't stitch the word "Glad" until I get more. I think may need some additional Picnic Basket too. At this point, I'm going to make it work. Many of you stitched this one last year, did anyone else have trouble or is it just me?

Regardless of my counting troubles, I still love this design. I think it will look great when finished.

Guess I better run. Need to catch the news and then it's bedtime. Thanks for stopping by.