Great Weekend with Betsy Morgan....

Yes we are in Betsy Morgan mode today with our annual finish class taking place right now and then the new classes start tomorrow. (obviously this posted started last week.)  My dear friend Paola arrived on Monday at 2:45 and we've been hanging out since.  So much fun and she brought me a birthday present....whoppee .  First picture is the back of this dear sweet needlebook....

  

then you see the front of the needlebook and the little doll tucked inside the box with it

The inside

then the box it all came in....a small candy box that looks like a little book...a gift within a gift

Thank you Paola for such a lovely gift....stitched on 52 ct. linen (can you imagine?)  Paola's stitching is unbelievable, especially as she stitches on 52 ct. a lot, in fact I feel safe in saying she using stitches on counts above 40 ct.  Beautiful stitching and beautiful finishing.  Just a pleasure to have her here and just so much fun to be with.  

And two new finishes for the week....

Festive Fobs-Americana Edition from Heartstring Samplery

As many of you are well aware (sometimes I do go on too much), I love this series of which there are many.  But this is one of my favorites to date (I think I've said that before as well.)  Anyway, I stitched it on 32 ct. Antique White linen...over 1.  I did use the recommended threads (shocking I know), and instead of finishing it as a pincushion and a fob, as I have done in the past,  I'm crazy right now for the hornbook finishing (so easy) so I decided to finish it that way.  And I had the decorative ribbon in my stash and hadn't been able to use it before so I threw that in.  I just think these little samplers are too cute for words, even if that isn't what Beth  designed them to be.  In case you aren't familiar, Beth designed these motifs to be used on pinkeeps, fobs, strawberries, everything but a sampler.  But she shows them all together in a square which when I saw one of the charts, for the first time trying to decide which pieces I was going to stitch,  decided they looked cute all together...hence my mini samplers.  Takes no time to stitch, just a couple of days and of course an easy finish.  

Now the second finish is also an over 1 piece...Brenda Gervais, With Thy Needle and Thread's Holiday Hoopla-4th of July

This is a picture of the metal box which I wrapped with a patriotic ribbon and then glued the American flag to the front (thrilled to be able to use that ribbon again)

This is the design on the top of this box,  which I framed with red rick rack.  Stitched over 1 on 32 ct. Vint. Blue Whisper linen,  using threads recommended,  except I stitched the 4 in Balger Blue Metallic #4 Braid and the fireworks on the top are done in Balger #4 gold braid.  An easy 2 day stitch and an easy finish.  Love it.  The beard on the original was done with Rainbow Gallery Wisper, but stitching this over 1 wasn't sure that Wisper would have worked, I don't think, so I just satin stitched the beard.  I have loved both of these Holiday Hooplas.  Easter was so cute with a little bunny I have this in my stash but didn't have time before Easter to get it done...I'll get it finished for 2020 though.  And I have become obsessed with the tin box I attached it to.  Brenda had kits made up for Nashville which I showed finished a blog post or two before.  I'm so obsessed with them I'm going to be doing these for every holiday and then some.  The designs only have to be 59 stitches or less to fit.  Anyway, not only do they make a cute ort box, but for a little gift box for a stitcher filled with packs of needles, needle threader, little pair of scissors, etc.  Or perhaps a gift card to their favorite store.  Anyway, expect to see more and more of these.  And we carry the tin boxes in the store so I can do one whenever I want.  

It just feels great to completely finish the projects as I get them done.  I ordered a carton of Crescent mat board for backing so I never run out and I have a case of the tin boxes at home, so I'm good to go there, I've ordered a point setter so I don't have to get to the shop to use that one....now if only I could find the bolt of interfacing I purchased several years ago so I would never ran out....I should have known sooner or later I'd lose it (an entire bolt so it's not little but leave it to me to do it.)  Anyway, I'm having a good time this week.  I rested up all last week and my ankle is finally feeling better.  The sharp pains are a thing of the past and as long as I keep off it a day now I can bounce back with just an ache in the ankle.  So I'm well on the road to recovery....Thank you Jesus!  Renee on the other hand had a much tougher road than I did, and was in the hospital for several weeks but finally came home about 10 days ago and was in the shop soon after.  She looks a little weaker but other than that she looks great.  (I was home resting but Sara called me to let me know she's up and walking.)  So I was thrilled with that news.  I can't believe these are the golden years....but at least I'm on this side of the dirt.  Anyway, hope you are all well and stitching on vacation.  For those of you who have to work....I feel your pain (now that we are going to 2 shifts Sara has called me in.)  I'm much better off, of course, because I can stitch at work, but I'll be thinking about those of you who can't.

There was one more finish which I forgot to show you in the last post....With Thy Needle & Thread Thread, "Strawberries & Stripes".   While Brenda designed this to be used with a peat pot, I found this cute 2" round opening flower pot which was  than 3"tall in my laundry room, which I used (not sure why I purchased it since I don't garden, but I was thrilled to find a use for it    Stitched the design over 1 on 28 ct. linen and as the design was small, approx. 54 stitches by 54 stitches it became a fast stitch and the finish is relatively simple.  While Brenda added a handle to her pot, I think it makes a cute pin cushion without any handle.  Looks like a flower to me.  Love it!

   

And I can't sign off without giving you another update on my ankle injury.  I am thrilled to tell you that I am now well on the road to recovery.  I rested the foot, ankle, leg for 4 days prior to Paola's arrival hoping I'd be able to join Paola several times.  The Wednesday before she arrived I was not in the best of shape so I was a bit concerned how I would do.  However, when I got up the morning of her arrival I was thrilled to see that the pain was greatly relieved and I was able to get around O.K. this whole week.  The fact that I can get around without excruciating pain is so thrilling for me and for a while I thought I was never going to get free of it.  But, I'm slowly giving up the wheelchair at home (don't use it anywhere else) and trying to get rid of the canes...but baby steps, baby steps for now.  Renee is also out of the hospital, finally, and while she's a little weaker at the moment, she did come up to the shop a couple of weeks ago and Sara said she looked amazing.  So we are both doing really well.  Sara helped me home last night, all though I was on my scooter so I told her not to bother, but anyway, when I was preparing to park the scooter in the garage she got a little too close and I ran over her foot, so now Sara has an injury.  Unfortunately she can't take time off so when I checked this morning she informed  me it hurt but she was out and about getting things done.  Oops, sorry Sara.  Have a great week, stay hydrated, out of the direct sun as much as possible and try to get a little time working on your projects.