Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

Happy First Birthday, Lizzie! We’re going to play lots of catch today!

Final Farewell

We said our final farewell today. Judy, I hope you are stitching with a golden needle in heaven. You will be deeply missed.

For Judy

One of my stitching friends died last month. This was the doily she had taken with her to work on while she was recovering in the hospital. She had most of the foundation stitching done. I did the cutting and wrapping. It’s finished now. I will return it to the family at the funeral on Saturday.

I decided to give my blog an update. I renamed it “Alphabet Stitcher” to mirror my Instagram name. The blog address will remain the same.

Putzing around tonight. No stitching. Sometimes putzing is okay though.

Road Trip! A Visit to Blue Earth, MN

My PIC (Partner in Crime) and I went on a road trip today. We traveled to Blue Earth, MN to visit Welcome Stitchery; today was their grand opening. Cathy Habermann and Carolyn Manning were special guests.

We both are big Cathy Habermann fans. If you know Cathy Habermann of Hands on Design well, you know she likes flamingos. So we thought it was fitting for her “flamin-gals” to make an appearance!

Cathy had a great trunk show on display and had brought the charts for her new designs.

It was a great morning, we saw many friends, old and new. After our visit at the needlework shop we went to the quilt shop in town and then to lunch.

On our way out of town we stopped to take some pictures of this handsome guy.

Since it was on the way home, we made a quick pitstop at the Calico Hutch in Hayward, MN.

Great day! It was so much fun to be out and about and to spend it with friends!

Rubbing Elbows With Rock Stars

Not much stitching to share, but I do have a couple photos to share.

When I was at the Attic, I had my picture taken with Jean. She puts on such wonderful events. She’s an industry legend!

I also had my picture taken with Merry Cox. Another rock star in our industry. I’ve enjoyed taking some online classes with her recently. She was a participant at the Bristol weekend event.

I visited the Mad Tatter this past weekend. She just finished stitching and blocking this doily. Isn’t it lovely. The thread color appears kind of yellow because of the lighting, but it is actually white as snow. The Mad Tatter is a rock star too!

Hope your week is going well.

Remembering Barb Adams (cont.)

My last class with Blackbird Designs was held at the Attic in Mesa, AZ in November, 2019. Little did any of us know that this  would be our last retreat before the pandemic. And it was the last time I would see Barb Adams. It was a great weekend, no painting or waxing, but wonderful projects all the same. I’ve finished all of them.

On Friday night, our project was this sweet sampler called “My Heart Can Rest.” When I stitched it, I dedicated it to my paternal grandmother.

On Saturday, we received the kits to make the top for this box (pattern can be found in the Sewing Club book. We also received the kit to make this stitched tomato; I finished mine into a drum.

This is the top of the tomato pincushion (the model).

My drum finish is in the back on the left.

And in the back, on the right in this photo.

Thanks for sticking with me over these last few posts. Such great memories. I’m grateful to have had so many opportunities to connect with Barb and Alma over the years. Barb will be truly missed.

Remembering Barb Adams (cont.)

My ode to Barb Adams and Blackbird Designs continues. We were fortunate to have Barb and Alma for two more Stitchville Spring Flings, in 2017 and 2019.

In 2017, our projects were the designs featured in their book “And Blossoms as the Rose.”  And yes, they had us painting and waxing again. Always fun!

In 2019, our projects were designs that would later be included in the “Sewing Club” book. We painted and waxed again!

I am so fortunate to have had so many opportunities to take classes over the years with this dynamic duo!

Remembering Barb Adams (cont.)

After the 2010 retreat, I didn’t see the Blackbird Designs duo again until 2016. Neither rain, nor sleet, nor visitors from Austria would keep us from our planned excursion to The Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin. Had there not been a conflict, we would have probably made a weekend out of it, but given the circumstances we elected to get up early in the morning and drive to Spring Green in time for class. After class was finished, we drove home.

An afternoon with Barb and Alma is totally worth the drive!

Our project on this weekend was later released in the book “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer Day.”

Two more weekends with Barb and Alma coming up next!

Remembering Barb Adams

My love for Blackbird Designs continued in 2010, beginning with Stitchville’s first ever Spring Fling. I was delighted to learn that Barb and Alma would be the featured designers. We were a small, intimate group that first year and it was oh so much fun. They made us paint. Yes, they made us paint. And we waxed. On Friday, they wanted us all to leave with a finished project. Barb sat at a sewing machine in the back of the room sewing up the little sachets that we had each stitched our initial on. We enjoyed their stories and were treated to a gallery of Blackbird Designs projects, a testament to how beloved they already were in the stitching community.

Our weekend class projects…

Alma, Deb from Stitchville, and Barb

Once was not enough for me though. In July, I tolerated the heat and humidity of Tulsa so that I could spend another weekend with the Blackbird girls. This crowd was not so intimate - 150 in total if I remember correctly. They made us paint again. I think we glued pins too. They always pushed us outside of our comfort zone encouraging us to try new and creative things.

Here’s Barb addressing their adoring fans.

And Alma…

Here is the class piece from the Silver Needle weekend.

I was a lot younger then. I had more hair too!

Such fond memories — but wait, there are more!

In Memory of Barb Adams

The needlework world lost a legend today. Was shocked to learn of the passing of Barb Adams, one half of the Blackbird Designs team. So very sad for her family and for her business partner and best friend, Alma Allen.

I first met Barb and Alma in 2007 is Strasburg, Virginia at a Hands to Work retreat. That weekend began my infatuation of all things Blackbird Designs. I remember being mortified when they took used coffee grounds and rubbed them into the stitched project to “grunge it up” and give it an “aged look.” You couldn’t help but love them. The stories they shared - they were just so entertaining! I am so glad to have had this opportunity! (Pictured below Alma, Cathy, and Barb.)

The project that weekend was called Flowers for Sarah Needleroll. I did not finish the project until 2011, but I did finish it! It was the longest piece of linen I have ever stitched on! The linen is folded in three places to make the pockets. The bright colors of the fabric on the backside were toned down by dipping it in some Rit Dye (another Blackbird trick).

In memory of Barb, I had to work on a Blackbird project tonight. All Joys For Thine was in my stash and kitted up and ready to go. This piece was designed and stitched by Barb. I got a good start on the border.

I will continue to honor Barb’s memory over my next few posts. Rest in peace, Barb, and thank you for bringing so much joy to the needlework community.