Sherri Jones....we love you!!!

What a wonderful time we all had last weekend with Sherri Jones.  Students started arriving on Tuesday and we ended up with over 20 people in the classes...Hare Pyns and Blue Ribbon Box.  A few stitchers even ended up taking home their completed Blue Ribbon Box...kudos to them.  Poor Sara had to keep hopping up and down so she didn't get hers done, but we're hopeful that she will before Sherri returns.  Anyway, Sherri taught the Blue Ribbon box on Saturday and the ladies were so excited and did so well and loved Sherri.  She is a wonderful teacher, so organized and helpful...we loved her.  If you have never taken one of her classes...put it on your to-do list stitchers...it's a must.  Anyway, Hare Pyns was done on Sunday and we hated to end things we were having so much fun.  Sherri brought her trunk show...but frankly I wasn't willing to risk my life as the stitchers were all over it and fighting to get things...mercy ladies...so I stepped out and let them fight over the kits.  She also brought her class pieces for us to see and everyone was picking their favorites so we made a list of the classes we wanted her teach in 2014 and also in 2015 (why waste time I say).  Anyway, we pleaded with her to return and we are thrilled to say after going home she was able to figure things out and has let Sara know she will be able to come back in 2014....Wonderful news for us.   I got so excited after seeing her Button Book that I went on Ebay and bid on 10 blue calico buttons and won them....yes, I'm preparing in hopes she'll come back in 2015 for the button book.  Thank you Sherri for a great weekend...we can't wait to see you again.  I hope your trip here isn't as difficult as it was in 2013.  The flooding in the midwest created delays and Sherri was delayed.  She wasn't alone, one of our students trying to reach us from Texas was 1 second late getting to her gate (she went to the wrong one first) and heard them give her seat away as she arrived at the correct gate.  That just began her horrible ordeal but she finally got here around midnight on Friday.  But regardless, she had a wonderful time and enjoyed the class.  I was exhausted and needed a couple of days to recoup.  Yesterday I was just getting back to normal and was in Salty Yarns by myself working when a man walked in with a southern accent with a "twang",  looking like he'd been working for days, and he starts rambling on...and frankly I wasn't thrilled as I was trying to get tickets done.  But I finally realized he was telling me something about furniture and a truck and he was selling it out of the back so naturally...that got my attention.  First, this isn't the first time this has happened to me.  Last time it was about carpeting in the back of a truck and I got my apartment (this was almost 30 years ago) completely carpeted for about $500 (a real bargain at the time and I was thrilled...although I was certain the police would arrive at any moment and rip it out).  Anyway, I finally said, "O.K., you have furniture that you are trying to get rid of...where are you parked."  He said he was making the delivery from N.C. to Cape May to a new store, but the store wasn't ready and they couldn't take delivery.  He had a shipment he was suppose to pick up in Salisbury and needed to get this stuff off his truck.  We all knew that didn't make a lot of sense, but when you are being handed a gift.....well you say Thank You.  I called Sara, told her what was happening and said to rally the troops.  She Mary, and Vernon walked down to 6th st. to see the furniture...next thing I knew they were here and unloading it.  Sara ended up with a new chair(rocker recliner) for Vernon, Mary got a new sectional sofa and a matching chair (recliner), and I got two sofas and a matching loveseat, as well as 3 new chairs (victorian looking) for the lobby.  While it wasn't what I had envisioned for the hotel lobby, it really looks great and everyone that has seen it so far (it's been less than 24 hours so it's only the stitchers and housekeepers) has said it looks better, like a living room really, so it was a win win.  The strangest things go on here...like the furniture truck...it sure does make the day more interesting.  I found it hard to get back to work after that.  Trying to figure out where to put all of it was exhausting...and of course getting the old stuff out...well I was exhausted just telling the men what to do.  Today Renee and I are trying to get new inventory out for the Delaware Valley Sampler Guild who is retreating with us this weekend.  Renee is a real task master and I have no time to play hearts.  The only way I'm getting to blog is I'm doing it while I'm eating.  Good Golly, a girl can't catch a break.  Anyway, we're having fun here....the sun is shining, it's a little cooler than we'd like, but still able to walk around without a jacket...a sweatshirt perhaps, but not a winter coat so we're good.  We've got the wood carvers in town along with the bikers....busy weekend, and then next weekend is Sunfest in town and our Stitcher's Retreat.  I've actually been too tired to stitch (I hate to admit it), so I haven't finished my Noah's Ark, but I'm hoping that I'll have it done tonight.  I hate it when I don't stitch.  And I've decided to work on Quaker Diamonds, Quakers and Quilts, Spring Quaker and the new Winter Quaker and I'm not certain in what order.  Oh, yeah, and I have the Betsy Morgan pre-stitch to do.  Oh, my I better stop typing and start stitching.  Have a wonderful day....talk to you soon

Another beautiful day in the neighborhood....

It's a gorgeous day today, sun is shining...light breeze blowing off the ocean...people are walking, dogs are strolling, and the bikes are cruising.  Salty Yarns opened full time with spring hours...10am. - 4 p.m. (except when it's slow (and we close at 3:45 p.m....since those last 15 minutes might kill us.)  Anyway, we came in energized and ready to go.....for about 15 minutes, then I had to start taking 1 hour breaks between 15 minute work periods to play hearts.  I tried to suck up the cobwebs with the hand held vacuum and it wasn't picking up a thing so I took it apart and honestly, that filter had never...and I mean never...been dealt with.  I had to scrape the crap out of it with my nails...ugh!  Needless to say, after using it in the windows I then had to take a 1/2 hour break.  My work is exhausting.  I did get Amy Brueckens "Whatever" finished.  I finished the stitching a few weeks ago but never found a pillow I wanted to use.  Because it's such a contempory piece, I wanted something funky that a teenager would want in their room.  Sara drove me crazy when she was a teenager saying "Whatever" with attitude and eyeballs rolling.  She still says it when I try to emphasize my point when our opinions differ, with the same darn eye rolls and attitude.   Nothing pushes my button more than her "Whatever."  So this pillow is a tribute to Sara.  Anyway, it's fast needless to say as I stitched it on 20ct. fabric over 2.  Then I went to Walmart where they had the perfect funky pillow which matched the colors (miracles do happen) and they also had those funky buttons for me to use.  It was meant to be.  Quick finish with little or no sewing.  Just attaching the linen to the pillow at the buttons.  Last night I worked on the "Needleworker"...I love this piece, and again, it's going to be finished this weekend...should be tomorrow so it's just a few days of work..and then it's on to another project.  Since I still have to block my Sherry Jones pieces I might tackle that next and the Jeannette Douglas suitcase since I've finished her pieces.  Finishing...ugh!!! Not my forte or my love...but a necessary evil.  Sara, Mary and I are also gearing up for next weekend and our Sherry Jones classes...it's so exciting.  Can't wait to see everyone and to get to the finishing.  Well, I won't actually be finishing those pieces...I just do the pre-stitch and then Sara takes the classes.  It works out better since I panic in class worrying that I won't get it done.  Sara does not care if she gets it done or not .... so we're the perfect pair.  Well, it's 3:54 p.m. and Sara's staring at me since she wanted to close at 3:00 p.m. so I guess we're closing....I just hope she waits until the customers leave otherwise I'll be sleeping in the shop tonight....well, that wouldn't be so bad...oops no T.V., no I better start flickering the lights and asking folks to make their final purchase....we're out!  Have a great night and I'm sure boredom will set in tomorrow and I'll be talking to you again. 

Last Week was another busy stitching week....

First let me just say while last week was iffy, weatherwise, today it is 72 degrees, slight breeze and the sun is shining.  Glorious!!!  People are on the beach and in the ocean (which is ridiculous since it is probably around 40 degrees)....but I'm sure someone got sunburned today....it's simply fabulous.  Now back to business...I finished "Blessed are the mothers"  after deciding to border it as they showed it on the chart (at first I was leaving the border off, but it was just too plain).  I stitched it on a lilac fabric and used just 2 shades of purple and 2 shades of green.  This is one of the pieces I started in 2012 for mother's day and didn't get it finished...imagine how excited I am that this will be framed and on the walls this year...such a sense of accomplishment.  To add to my delight,  I also finished the June Wordplay also started last year.  I'm telling you it feels better than starting and finishing a new piece.  But of course, to celebrate I also stitched Liberty (Lizzie Kate) which is from 2012 and I loved it, but just never started it.  I didn't even take it home so it wasn't even in my stash.  But it's been calling my name since last year so I awarded myself the prize, plus we already had the frame in stock so I was able to stitch it and finish it immediately...whoppee!!!  I also finished every piece of the Jeannette Douglas Isle of Hope accessories, but have I finished the suitcase...NO!!!  But darn it I swear I'm going to start the process next week.  Start and finish!  But since that is already stitched I went ahead and did my "Come Down to the Sea" pin cushion as a gift...stitched but not assembled...so I need to get it put together...not as tramatic for me.  And last night I started "Needleworker" which is the Nashville release from Little House Needleworks and comes with Crescent Colours floss.  Sara pulled a fabric which is perfect (but not the one they used) and I'm about half done and I love the look of it.  Fabulous.  I was tempted to stitch over one, but in the end did it over 2 threads (mainly because I love the frame they put it in and want to frame it the same way).  But it would be so cute done over one.  Tonight is Stitch 'n Bitch so I arrived early to help set up for it.  (O.K., I actually came early to play Hearts on the computer since all my computers are here...I took my home lap top to work so I wouldn't waste so much time playing Hearts...which might explain the increase in stitch time and finished projects I now have).  Anyway, my arm hurts from playing so I decided to get my update on the blog done.  I was working on it on Sunday but the pictures didn't come through so I never sent it.  I was blogging while a customer was here and she aggravated me to the extent I had to blog about it, but somehow by Tuesday it just doesn't matter anymore, so I'll just wait until the next person aggravates the hell out of me to rant.  Sara had to go to the christening of her first grandchild Sunday.  No Michael didn't get married at the age  of 12 and procreate, but Vernon's daughter got married last year and had her first child a month ago.  He's a bruiser and cute as he can be.  Now, please note, that while I don't mind when my grandchildren get married and have children,  being a great grandmother, but when someone said "oh, you are a great grandmother", I had to correct them.  I really don't even know Vernon's children...they have been down here, but they don't come to see me and rarely speak to me if they do pass by me, so I don't feel any ownership in their children.  When I first told Sara she was a grandmother (she hadn't realized the birth of Vernon's grandchild affected her) she said "no mom, that's Vernon's daughter not mine."  Apparently in Sara's world you can marry someone and still not claim his relatives.  But she's on board now...looking at baby clothes and showing pictures (of the child wearing the clothes).  I did have to say good-bye to C.J., Mary's step son today.  He's been home on leave for about 10 days and today he left for his next assignment...JAPAN.  We've all encouraged him to find a nice girl and get married so we have an excuse to go see them in Japan...he just doesn't seem to be on board with that though, so it looks like we'll have to come up with another excuse to go.  Frankly afte hearing how long it takes...I think everyone else can go and just leave me on my sofa...drinking soda and stitching.  My favorite place.  Well I better get some work done before Sara finds me sitting so I'll sign off.  Have a great week and I'll talk to you this weekend.


New day and it's Glorious here!!!!

Oh what a beautiful day we're having!  The sun is shining brightly, the boardwalk is busy and the mood is much better than yesterday.  People are out in t-shirts and sandals...while it may be between 55-60, on the boardwalk there is a right good breeze which brings the temperatures down a bit so I'm not sure sweatshirts aren't needed, but it is gorgeous.  I finished putting "Seaside Squared" in a frame so that's what you are looking at here.  LOVE it!!!  Last night I finished the needlebook that goes with the Isle of Hope Accessories by Jeannette Douglas, and then I worked on June Word Play which was sitting over half finished in a bag.  Tonight I plan on finishing the June Word Play and start and finish the Scissor Fob from Isle of Hope...oh, my...I'm like a buzz saw going through my unfinished bags.  I can't wait to start something else already.  Had a wonderful dinner at Sara's last night.  A lot of my favorite foods...yummo!  Small group as Mary and Brian managed to get sick and they kept Izzy and I brought Solomon and C. J. with me.  C.J. is home for a few days before being shipped off to Japan, he's so excited and I am for him.  After dinner we played Zingo which turns out to be a favorite game of Solomon's.  At 8:00 I was on my sofa and stitching like a fiend.   Sara is still working on her "Clean & Green" by Raising Roof...and she says she's on the downhill side...we can only hope for so much.  But it will be cute once she's finished....but oh, my the process is killing me.  She's been working on this for well over a month...it was suppose to be done by St. Patrick's Day....oh, my...we'll be lucky if she has it done for Memorial Day...but don't tell her I said that!  Anyway, just wanted to stay in touch....I swear I'll do better in 2013 than I did in 2012...well I couldn't do worse could I?  Have a great day and unless something absolutely astounding takes place I'll talk to you on Friday when I'm back in the shop again.  Have a great week.