Seattle - Seattle Needle and Chihuly Gardens

I'm in Seattle for work. I've visited here before but I never get tired of it. Such a pretty place. After a full day of meetings. We enjoyed time at the Seattle Needle and Chihuly Gardens.

The Space Needle in Seattle was built for the 1962 World's Fair. The views of the city, of Mt. Rainier, and the Bay Area were stunning!

Chihuly Gardens features the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly. All of the flowers in the outdoor gardens are glass. We also were able to walk through the indoor exhibit. The colors were stunning.

There was also this stunning collection of Navajo blankets in the exhibit.

After a night of fun, it's back to work today!

 

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Tribute

On this Mother's Day, I want to take a few minutes to reflect on some of the special women in my life.

My maternal great-grandmother, she lived in Tadten, Austria.

My grandmother, who at the age of sixteen sailed by ship searching for a better life in America. She left her parents, her brothers and sisters, and her friends behind and would never see them again. I never knew her, but over the years I heard many stories about her. She was hard-working and dedicated to her family.

My Auntie Theresa, the first of ten children in my mother's family. She was a character. She took me with her on many excursions and taught me to live life to its fullest. I think I got the travel bug from her! I also love hot, open faced beef and pork sandwiches because of her. :)

Resi, our neighbor lady and my Auntie Theresa's best friend, she was like a grandmother to me. She was an excellent seamstress and she loved to crochet. We enjoyed visiting with her for treats and conversation on her back porch. (Resi is on the right.)

My Auntie Betty and Auntie Florence...boy, do I miss them. They were talented Needleworkers. Auntie Betty could knit and embroider. She also created beautiful crocheted doilies and tablecloths with thread. She also knew how to do cut work. I wish I had learned how to do that from her.

Auntie Florence was a talented knitter. She could knit anything from TV slippers to mittens to afghans to beautiful sweaters. We enjoyed watching football games and going out to dinner with her.

But the most special lady in my life is my Mom. She raised five children by herself and we all are who we are today because of her determination, dedication and love for us. You all know her as the Mad Tatter, but we just call her Mom. Happy Mother's Day Mom.

 

 

 

 

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More Pre-Work in the Works

Working on the pre-work for another Betsy Morgan class. Two squares (Spring and Fall) done, four more to go!

 

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Harvest Home Sampler

Not much time for stitching this week, but I did have enough time to finish up another partially finished project for my sister-in-law.

This is what it looked like when I started:

And now it is finished:

It's called Harvest Home Sampler from Heart in Hand. Like the piece I finished earlier in the week, it will be returned to my sister-in-law.

Looking forward to a nice weekend...

 

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Alphabets

I finished the alphabet for Stitch, Mend and Mark.

Since I didn't really feel like over one stitching tonight, I pulled out another project with an alphabet.

This is called Pine Tree Sampler from Forever in my Heart. My sister-in-law started this piece and had about half of it stitched. It was easy for me to finish. I will be returning it to her.

Today was my husband's birthday. Here he is relaxing in his recliner with our Josie.

Have a great week!

 

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Stitchy Weekend

Have enjoyed my weekend thus far...it started with stitching at Stitchville last night. A regular group of stitchers gather there on the last Friday of every month; my friend Chris and I decided to join them.

Then today, we met up with members of the Minnesota Cross Stitch Facebook group. Stitching goodness two days in a row!

I'm ready for "Betty." Looking forward to this class in May with Betsy Morgan.

 

 

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A Hard Act to Follow

I feel bad for tonight's post. It just doesn't compare to last night's post. It's hard to top two finishes! Thank you all for your very kind comments.

Tonight I started something new. Didn't get very far. I was also watching Dancing With the Stars!

 

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Finishing Day

It was a rainy day, the housework and laundry were done, so I thought it was a good day for some finishing. I always underestimate the amount of time that is needed to put these pieces together; all of the handstitching takes a lot of time!

First, I started my morning off with a bit of finishing for a friend. You might recall that I stitched and finished one of these for myself recently. I was happy to finish this one for my friend Jana.

Next - I'm pleased to share with you my Bristol Sampler Stitching Bag. This was our project this year at Stitchville's Spring Fling. We enjoyed three wonderful days with Betsy Morgan. She is such a great teacher!

This pincushion is not part of Betsy's set. It was gifted to me by my friend Sue from IN. It's a perfect match though - don't you agree?

I had completed much of the finishing while at retreat. The entire bag, including the lining, is stitched by hand. I am really pleased with it!

Finally, I took time today to finish my first Merry Cox piece. Much of the work was already done, but I still had quite a bit of "detailing" to finish off. The needlebook on the left needed to be trimmed and attached. The scissors holder on the right needed to be attached and the small tassel made and attached. I just love it!

I found this wooden thread keeper in my stash. It fits perfectly in the pocket behind the scissors!

Back to stitching ....I have pre-work for two more classes that needs to be stitched.

Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Ready for Finishing

Not a great picture, but my stitching is done and I am ready for finishing!

 

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