Weekend, Part Two

The best part of going to a retreat is meeting other stitchers.  Judy and I had really been looking forward to this retreat because we were going to meet up with some old friends and we were anxious to meet some of our new blogging friends.

The retreat was organized by Jan of Tree of Life Samplings.  She had her entire trunk show there.  It's always fun to see the designs all stitched up.  Here are some of the photos I took of her trunk show:

I bought the pattern for this reproduction sampler and hope to stitch it up some time in the near future!

I also bought this pattern.  It was last year's retreat project and I really like the verse on it - "Beauty and Grace Abound in my Stitching Place."

Of course, Jan had many of her hand-dyed linens and other patterns and supplies available for sale.

During the retreat there was an exchange for those who wanted to participate.  We could bring either a small stitched piece or an ornament; I brought one of each and received two ornaments.  Will save pictures of those for a later post (I need to take the pictures first!).  Here are some photos of all of the exchange pieces.

As mentioned though, the highlight of the retreat was reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones.

My good friend Wendy Jo and her friend Paula (who I have exchanged emails with but had not met until this weekend) were both there.  We enjoyed visiting with them!

Judy and I also had the opportunity to reconnect with Barb (Babs); we first met her last fall at the Dyeing to Stitch Retreat in Virginia Beach.  (Babs is on the left in the lime green top; her friend Ellen is on the other side of the table.)

I knew that some of the Inspired Needle gals were going to be there, but to my surprise nearly all of them had come to this retreat.  It was great fun meeting Laura, Karin, Linda, Jayne, Pat, Patti, Teresa, and of course, Brenda (Brenda and I met a few years ago at the Silver Needle).  These gals are a lot of fun and it's always interesting to see what they are working on (usually documented in great detail on Laura's blog.)  Here they are with their Vera Kiss and Makeup bags (aptly re-purposed to carry stitching supplies!)  Ranae from Stitch by Stitch is also in this photo and sometimes joins these gals at The Inspired Needle!

There was a great group of ladies at this retreat; we really enjoyed meeting with each of them.  Here are a few more photos in the classroom and outside of Cracker Barrel where we ate lunch on Friday.

In another post I will show you a picture of our retreat projects.  You've already seen the set of smalls that I stitched up prior to the retreat (in an earlier post).  We also received a sampler that was designed especially for this retreat -- will show you that as soon as I get a photo taken.  Maybe I'll share some of my stash purchases too!

One last photo -- here I am with my partner in crime.  Judy and I enjoyed our trip and we look forward to planning our next adventure!

I hope to have more updates for you tomorrow - I've been working on some finishing today (it's about time, don't you think?)  Have a great evening.  Thanks for stopping by!

Home Again...

Going on road trips is fun but it's always nice to come home.  As Dorothy would say, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home."  It's going to be a beautiful sunny day here in the Twin Cities and I plan to enjoy it!

I have some fond memories of the past few days to share with you.  My friend Judy (no blog) and I left early Wednesday morning on our road trip; our ultimate destination was Terre Haute, Indiana for the Tree of Life Samplings Retreat.  We mapped out our course to include several needlework store stops along the way!

On Wednesday, we made stops at two shops in Iowa.  The first stop was The Stitchery Nook in Osage, IA.    Nice shop with a nice selection of patterns, they have lots of fabric and fibers too.  The shop owner and her helpers were very friendly.

The shop owner is renovating the second floor of the building and we asked for a tour of the part that was finished.  Excellent space for a stitching retreat.  Large gathering room with tables and chairs (would work great for scrapbookers or quilters too), comfortable sitting area with large flat screen TV, full kitchen and three bedrooms that sleep at least five each with their own bathroom.  Why didn't I take a picture of the retreat center?  (There are pictures on her website; click on the link above.) She's working on the other side now, so in the future there will be even more space.

While we were there some stitchers were gathering at the table located in the front of the store and I asked them if I could take their picture - they happily obliged.  

Got a kick out of these two guys.  One was working on an Ink Circles design, the other on a geometric design; they were doing very nice work.  We enjoyed visiting with them.

Our next stop was clear on the other side of Iowa - Stitch'n & Stuff in Clinton, IA.  This shop was smaller than the previous one, but they had a nice variety of patterns.  They had two chairs sitting inside the front door with a magazine rack that included hunting, fishing, and auto magazines (a place for the husbands to sit and relax!)  

We were impressed with the many finished models - particularly the smalls.  Pat, the shop owner, does lovely small stitching and finishing.  We enjoyed looking at all of her finishes.  A few purchases were made and we continued on our journey!

We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express on Wednesday night - check out this amazing little invention that I was introduced to at breakfast in the morning... a pancake maker!

Just push the button and strategically place your plate under the conveyor belt to catch your pancakes as they magically pop out of the machine.  Cool, huh?  

Our journey then took us to Illinois and we stopped at two wonderful shops in the Chicago area.  We promptly arrived at Tomorrow's Heirlooms in Glen Ellyn, IL right as they opened on Thursday morning.

This is a great shop for uncovering hidden treasures.  It's a small shop, but jam-packed with patterns, fibers, fabric, and other stitching supplies.  I spent quite a bit of time in the back looking through all of the their older patterns - wow!  

Next stop - The Inspired Needle in Lemont, IL.  We weren't expecting to see shop owner, Cathy, as we knew she was headed to the needlework market in Columbus, but she was there!  Had a great time visiting with her and seeing her shop.  Friendly, friendly, friendly shop.  Cathy often takes patterns and converts them to silk and then kits it up with just enough silk to complete the project.  Brilliant!  

With our purchases made, it was time to head to our final destination of Terre Haute, IN. Navigating our way through three states to four different needlework stores was quite easy.  Judy had taken great care to MapQuest our route and printed directions to follow for each step of the journey.  We also had our handy dandy road maps just in case there was any question about the route.  But our most favorite companion was....

...MRS. DASH!  I know that some of you call it a "Garmin", but this is a special model and I grew quite fond of her.  We didn't always get along --- got a little annoyed with her when she would say "Recalculating!" but over all, between her guidance, my navigating, and Judy's excellent driving skills, we made it to everywhere we wanted to go without incident.

We arrived in Terre Haute around 4pm on Thursday...got settled in our room...we're ready to stitch!

More to come...

The Perfect Gift

I just have to share with you the gift my brother gave to my mother for her birthday.  A woman he works with has one of those sewing machines that does embroidery.  The two of them came up with this design and embroidered two t-shirts and a kitchen towel for her.  I can guarantee though that this towel will never be used in her kitchen!!!

Don't you think they are darn cute?  The perfect gift...

Well, I'm busy packing my stitching bag.  Tomorrow my friend Judy and I will hit the road and head down to Terre Haute, Indiana for the Tree of Life Samplings retreat.  We've got a few stops planned along the way.  I'm not sure whether I will update my blog during our travels; more than likely I will wait and provide a report when I return.  Looking forward to meeting many online blogging friends at this retreat!

Have a great week!

A Day of R & R

Good morning and happy Monday!  I have six days of vacation ahead of me...woo hoo!

Thanks to all who sent birthday wishes for my Mom.  We had a great party yesterday -- about 75 people came and celebrated with us at my mom's house.  Unfortunately, it did rain, so we could not use the yard, but somehow it all managed to work out.  Here's a shot of the food - three different salads, veggies & dip, fruit, croissants:

In another room, we had her cake and lots of delicious bars.  I should have taken a picture of the bars!  Lots of chaos with people coming and coming and my mom had a blast.  Here's a picture of three generations:

Thanks to my fabulous family (brothers, sister-in-laws, nieces and nephew) we got my mom's house all cleaned up and back to normal before we all left and went home last night.

Not only did we have the party to contend with this weekend, but we also made a trip to the ER at 2:30am Sunday morning....now it's not exactly what you are thinking.  This little one....

...ate a whole bag of chocolate chips AND a whole bag of butterscotch chips (for the bars I was going to make) while my husband and I made a quick trip to the grocery store on Saturday night.  The chips were pushed way back on the cupboard, but as the vet said "where there's a will, there's a way!"  Maggie has a habit of getting into things, so even though we know that chocolate can be lethal for dogs, we decided to just monitor her (she has a stomach of steel)....as it turned out, that wasn't the case this time, and at 2:30am we had one sick little dog on our hands.  Maggie is doing great now, but she spent the night and most of Sunday at the animal hospital complete with sedatives and an IV to pump fluids into her system.  Morale of the story is, if your dog gets into a significant amount of chocolate like ours did, call the vet right away.  Maggie came home last night and has been spoiled royally with love ever since!

Enough about birthdays and mothers and sick dogs...this is a stitching blog after all...we will resume regular programming soon, I promise!

Before I go, I need to share with you a gift that arrived in the mail on Saturday.  Earlier this year, I signed up to participate in a Pay It Forward offer with Maureen from Maureen's Mountain of Stitching.  My Pay It Forward gift arrived on Saturday.  It was such a treat to come home last night after a full weekend and open her gift to me.  Had I been smart, I would have taken a picture of all the pretty little gifts and how beautifully wrapped they were, but I wasn't thinking....here's a snap of the beautiful stitching accessories Maureen sent to me:

The envelope (patriotic fabric) was made by Maureen and will be a great place to store a scissors, needles and other small accessories.  Maureen also made a thread picker with a beaded attachment (to help me keep track of it) and some counting pins.  Cute scissors, some ribbon and leaf buttons, and some GAST fibers in fall colors rounded out the package.  Thank you Maureen!

Stormy night here in the Twin Cities and today is going to be a rainy day.  Just before I started to type this post, I looked out my kitchen window and there was a deer standing in the neighbor's driveway (behind our house) -- by the time I grabbed my camera he had already walked across the street and started munching on that neighbor's bushes.  Still had to take a picture of him.  Have a great day!

A Tribute

Today is a special day.  It's my mom's birthday.  Not just any birthday though - today my mom celebrates her 80th birthday.  Quite a milestone.  I am so lucky to have her as my mother.

My mom, Marlene, was born on June 14, 1932; she was the youngest of 10 children born to Hungarian immigrants who came to the United States just after the turn of the century searching for a better life in America.

She had older brothers and sisters that doted on her; my grandmother, my mom's sisters and one sister-in-law and some neighborhood ladies all turned out for this photo when my mom made her First Communion.

My mom attended Catholic grade school; the school was just three blocks from where she lives (as a child and still today!)  In those days, the only teachers in the school were Benedictine nuns.  Those nuns took a liking to my mom, they taught her how to play the piano and how to play the cello, and when she got older, they also taught her how to play the organ. Most importantly, they taught her how to tat! Those of you that follow this blog have seen pictures of my mom's beautiful tatting.  (My mom is front and center in this photo!)

My mom also attended a nearby Catholic high school.  After high school she became a secretary and worked for the State of Minnesota.  Rumor has it she was quite the party girl with lots of friends.  There were Saturday night card parties and afterwards they would roll up the carpet in the dining room and dance until the wee hours of the morning.  And if the party was on a Saturday night, then on Sunday morning the whole group started off their day by going to mass!

In 1961 my mom met my dad and they got married followed by five kids in five years (can you imagine what that must have been like?)  I am the oldest and the only girl.

On December 27, 1970, my dad suddenly and unexpectedly passed away.  My mom was widowed with five children under the age of 10.  As tragic as this was, we were the luckiest five children in the world.  My mom never remarried.  She dedicated her life to the five of us ensuring that we lived the most normal life possible.  We always had good food on the table and clean, new clothes to wear.  We all attended Catholic grade school and high school.  There were music lessons and girl scout meetings for me; my brothers played hockey and baseball.  At Christmas there were many gifts under the tree.  I know that this couldn't have been easy, but somehow she managed to do it all.

Once my youngest brother started high school, my mom went back to work full-time, this time working for the Federal Government; she was a computer trainer for the Soil Conservation Service (you never want to use the word "dirt" around my mom!)  My mom enjoyed traveling around the state of Minnesota and surrounding states to train in the field offices.

I don't remember what year she retired from the Federal Government, but you can see that they had a grand party to celebrate (I'm going to guess that it was about 1996?)

Since retiring she has continued to play the organ at several area churches - she plays for Sunday mass, at funerals, and at school masses.

She has fully enjoyed her retirement -- loves to go to baseball and hockey games (prefers local high school and college teams over the pros); she's a fabulous cook (think apple strudel, dumplings, etc.), she continues to tat, and she loves to travel. (If you revisit my archives from last July you can read a full report on the trip my mom and I took to Austria and Hungary.)

Her world continues to revolve around her children and grandchildren (seven total!)

So mom, on this your 80th birthday, I want to thank you for your love and your support and for everything you have ever done for me.  I wouldn't be the person I am today had it not been for you.  Have a wonderful birthday.  I love you.

My mom will be celebrating her birthday exactly as she wants to -- she'll be attending the high school boys baseball tournament games.  We will be having a big party to celebrate her birthday on Sunday!

Drive By Post

Sorry folks for not being around much - busy time.  In a few weeks I will be able to resume my regular blogging activities.

Just wanted to give you a quick glimpse of what I have been working on; pictures are not the best.

First up - I Sigh Not for Beauty...all I have left is the over one verse at the top and the over one personalization at the bottom.  I'm making progress, but it's slow progress.  Remember, I'm not a big fan of over one stitching!

I pulled out one of my WIPs this weekend.  Remember this one?  The Mystery Sampler from With Thy Needle and Thread.  All I had done was the border.  The alphabet is almost finished and I've made a good start on the tree.  Lots of leaves need to be stitched yet!

Finally, this is a project that I am working on with others from Needlework Guild.  I'll have to share the details in a later post.  For now, you will have to try to guess what this is going to be!

So, there you have it.  Gotta run...late for work!

Missing...

Sorry for disappearing on you! My how time slips away so quickly!  May has turned out to be an extremely busy month for me; I just haven't had time to post.  Put your seat belt on...here we go!

Later in June I will be attending the Tree of Life Samplings retreat and we were sent pre-work and asked to complete it prior to the retreat. The stitching for my needlebook, pincushion, and scissor fob is all done!  Here are some close ups:

I've also been busy stitching away on a few other projects...

I'm going to need to get busy and do some finishing one of these days.

Here's Chessie and Me Glory House:

And the LHN/Shakespeare's Peddler collaboration pieces that were released at the Nashville needlework market:

Finally, I tried really hard to resist joining the Prim Sister's club through the Country Sampler shop in Spring Green, but after I saw all of your lovely posts of the first project I just couldn't help myself.  I think I'm actually going to have this piece framed.  I really like it!

I've also been working on the over one stitching on I Sigh Not for Beauty - all I have left now is the over one verse at the top and bottom.  I'm not a big fan of over one, so I'm doing it a little bit at a time!  Hope to have it finished by the end of June - that's my goal!

So, that's my update.  I'll try not to stay away so long next time.  If you are here in the U.S. I hope you are enjoying a fabulous Memorial Day weekend with your family and friends.  To all in the military - thank you for your service!

The House Is In...

Where does the time go?  Sometimes life sure gets busy; can't really complain though - glad I'm still on this earth to experience it!

It has been a busy spring - it kicked off with the Stitchville retreat about a month ago, followed by another Saturday of stitching with friends at the end of April.  Since re-joining our needlework guild, I've been taking full advantage of every opportunity offered, including their annual meeting which also occurred in April.  All these various stitching events have been fun and have kept me hopping.  My daughter is coaching her high school's girls lacrosse team this spring and we've been trying to go to as many of those games as possible.  Somehow I manage to work full-time too; pays the bills, pays for my addiction.  Yes, it's been a busy time but enjoyable.

Not too much stitching to show, but I do have an update.  I'm close to finishing I Sigh Not For Beauty.  The house is in and I'm working on the landscaping!  The trees are in, the grass will go in next.  This design was originally charted for DMC and I'm using Belle Soie silks.  The house was charted with a dark red stitch and then a lighter red stitch, with the two alternating throughout.  It was suggested that I could divide the pieces of Belle Soie into dark and light sections, but I have to be honest, I don't like stitching with short pieces of floss; the longer the better (but not as long as what Chris uses - Chris, you know who you are!)  I decided to use the entire length of Belle Soie and stitched every other square of the house.  Then I went back and filled in the remaining squares of the house. In doing this, I was able to eliminate the "stripey" look that I normally would have had, and IMHO I feel that the end result looks more like an actual brick house.  I'm happy with it.

So, now I have a story for you about this sampler. You all know Ellen Chester of With My Needle, and hopefully many of you read her monthly newsletter, With My Needle and Pen.  Every year, she selects two samplers and if interested, her newsletter subscribers work on those samplers as a SAL.  There are group leaders who include monthly "assignments" for the SAL.  In theory, everyone completes their sampler and has a lovely finished piece at the end of the year.  (Key words in that sentence are "in theory.")

One of last year's projects was the piece I'm working on, I Sigh Not For Beauty from C Street Samplerworks.  Many of you wonderful stitching bloggers worked on it last year along with the others who were doing the SAL.  Me, not so much.  I am determined to finish it this year though.  Ellen happened to notice that I was working on it and asked me to send a progress photo for her newsletter.  I happily obliged and not only sent a photo of this piece but also two other C Street Samplerworks designs that I had stitched and a nice little article to go with them.  If you would like to read it, please go to Ellen's website for With My Needle and then click on the link to With My Needle and Pen Newsletter (#4, April 30, 2012.)

Now, you'd think that might be the end of it, but it wasn't.  A couple days later, I received an email from Jean at the Attic asking if I would be willing to send her a picture of my sampler for her newsletter.  You see, I had purchased my supplies for this sampler from the Attic.  Remember, it was charted for DMC.  The Attic had done a lovely conversion to Belle Soie silks and a lovely Lakeside Linen fabric.  I happily obliged. It was kind of fun to see a picture of my sampler in the Attic newsletter last week!

Story is not over yet...a couple days later I get an email from none other than Ruth Ann Russell, the mastermind behind C Street Samplerworks!  What a delightful lady!  In our email exchange I encouraged her to publish more of her designs; of those that I have stitched, I have enjoyed stitching each and every one. Many of her offerings were originally published in SANQ magazines, but many of them are so old that they are impossible to find - even on the bay of evil (eBay).  However, when one has connections, sometimes they are successful in locating those very old magazines......there are more C Street Samplerworks designs in my future!

Well, I've rambled on long enough for one day.  Here in Minnesota the sky is blue, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping - I think it is going to be a lovely day!  Thank you for stopping by.  Hope you find some time today for some stitching!