Monday, January 30, 2017

Snow Day....never happened!

Yesterday when the weather channel announced snow was forecast for us Sara and I started our happy dance.  I noticed it was only forecasting one hour of snow so I knew we couldn't expect a lot, but at the right time of the day it could shut us down....nothing better than a day off when you are suppose to be a work.  But when I got up today, looked out and saw the rain/snow mix I started deciding on what I was going to take to work, and even though it turned to snow by 9...well let's just say by 9:45 there was no sign of it left.  Now it's 11:00 and the sun is out, the ocean is sparkling and we're on track for a beautiful day...no snow left anwhere here.    I needed to come in anyway since I realized when I was stitching last night I left my ring of floss hanging on a  hook on the counter in Sea Trader.  Everyone knows that terrible feeling you get when you realize you supplies aren't with you.  So at least I'm back on track with that project and should have it completed by Superbowl weekend.  As I was walking by my needlework treasures display, I pulled our a gift given me by Stasi Buhrman last year for my birthday.  I know I never showed it to you so I thought I'd pull out things periodically and show you some of the treasures I've received.  They won't be in any kind of order, just as I reach in the display.

The is called "Shepherd's Purse" from Shepherd's Bush.  I loved this from the first moment I saw it and have it in my stash somewhere, never stitched, so I was particularly thrilled to receive it.   When someone stitches something for me that I have in my stash....it's a win win.  One more project I don't have to stitch myself.  However, in this case I love this so much I'm thinking of stitching it and passing it on to someone who loves Shepherd's Bush too.  Stasi did a lovely job at stitching and her finished is fabulous.  And the delicate button she used (the one in the kit was on the one she stitched for herself )is actually more delicate than the one in the kit.  Beautiful!  


I would never actually use this for fear I'd pull out a thread, or damage it in some way, but I still put the things I would keep in it as if I would use it.  So inside my little purse is a pack of needles, a small pair of scissors, and a tape measure.  


Sara got me the information on Betsy Morgan's classes yesterday so I got tha on the website under events so if you think you might be interested in either the Virgin Queen Sewing Wallet or the Bristol Bag just let Sara know.  




Have a great day!  Don't forget this is Superbowl Weekend coming up.  We'll be having our day from Friday through Sunday so call us, e-mail us, text us, or just come on in and see us.  

Sunday, January 29, 2017

More Nashville 2017


New for Nashville 2017 by Mani di Donna
Roses Melody – sewing casket (Chart with finishing info with photos)




New for Nashville 2017 by Mani di Donna
Land of Freedom Sewing Box
Lone Elm Box






Friday, January 20, 2017

I'm back to stitching....

A dreary day in the shops so I'm blogging.  I'm thrilled to say I have finally kicked my IPad habit, or at least I was able to for a couple of days anyway.  As you can see I'm almost done with my Bunny Egg, which is my challenge piece for May.  Everything but the rabbit is done,  which I'm having issues with as I want to do it my way and that is creating a problem for me.  However, this weekend I'm tackling it again and will get it done or die trying.  But I love it and I'm going to send it away and have it finished as an egg....so cute!  And a Thank You to Stacy Stinson who gifted me the tool you see.  It's used in the orthodontist office where she works and I was telling her about a pair of scissor looking needle pullers and she mentioned they used something similar and snagged a pair for me.  (Apparently they have to replace them in her office periodically so I was in line to get a discard...yea!!!)  I seriously needed this to get some of the thread through the canvas so I am thrilled with it.



While going through my cell phone pictures I also found the Lizzie Kate "Flora McSamples 2016 treats" piece that I finished for Christmas, which I thought I'd forgotten to take a picture of.  As you can see I used the "Do You Hear What I Hear" for the pin cushion and then used the "Dasher" for a needlebook.  Inside the needlebook I attached a scissor sheath made from Weeks wool on one side and on the other I attached Weeks wool needle pages.  The scissor fob was taken from the pin cushion sheep.  I thought it made a nice set for Christmas and was fun to stitch, and easy to finish.  That's a win win for sure!   

For the past two days I spent hours reorganizing (for the 2nd time since January1) the 6 tote bags stuffed to the brim sitting in my living room (behind furniture so hopefully I'm the only one that can see them).  But I was looking for something to stitch for February and that meant going through every bag so I reorganized by the season.  So now I just have to go through one bag to find spring, winter, summer and fall.  It will be so much easier, however, this doesn't even take into account all the charts, kits and stuff in the stitching room.  But the living room is holding the most current items that I just have to stitch.  So tonight's plan is to get the rest of the supplies for the February project so I can get started on that.  Then, of course, I might work another small kit.  I love getting several pieces done and since I haven't worked on anything for awhile I need the instant gratification of finished stitching.  I'm dying to start Blackberry Lane's, "All Dressed Up For Winter" snowman.  I love her designs as they are so detailed so I might have to stitch that...which is O.K. since I consider January the month to do winter and snowmen.  In fact I've absolutely talked myself into starting that tonight.  Then I'll start on Valentine's Day.   But it's so good to be back into stitching.  My life had a missing joy by my not stitching every day.  And even though I knew all I had to do was put away the IPad, I just couldn't make myself do it.    But I have to thank everyone who posted their projects on facebook because I looked at them everyday on the darn IPad and I think it eventually helped to pull me back into it again.   To thanks for showing me all your current and finished projects.  Sara just told me about a problem with Belle Soie again.  There seems to be a problem for them getting the silk so therefore we will be having a problem getting Belle Soie until it gets worked out.  We still have quite a bit in inventory but I always start panicing over things like this way before it becomes urgent.  But keep that in mind when you are picking fibers and need multiple skeins.  And since it's the base silk that is the problem, most of the companies supplying silk fibers are probably running into the same issue.    For those interested in the classes we offer, we still have openings in all classes at this point.  You can see what the classes are on the events page on the web site.  Don't forget the Super Bowl Sale....with the discounts offered it's a great time to get those shaker boxes, Lone Elm Boxes, etc., that are a little costly so the discounts help with that.  Also a great time to increase your stash with fibers, charts, etc.  In the meantime, have a great day and keep those needles moving.

                                       

Monday, January 16, 2017



While I didn't do a lot of stitching for Christmas, I did do a couple of things.  This was a Homespun Elegance piece, "Merry Eweies."  It was shown as a framed picture on the chart, but I've become addicted to making the drums so decided to do that with it.  I actually stitched this on 18 ct. linen over two thinking it would be big enough for a pillow, but it just wasn't so that's when I looked at it and tried to think what I could do with it other than frame it and the drum became a reality.  Also I have had great success with finishing drums, but I have to admit this looked a little wonky at first but evenually I got it so it was presentable.  I just have it sitting on the candle holder to show you, that's not how it was gifted.  Anyway, I will try to show more but as usual I forgot to take the picture of the Lizzie Kate piece I did.  I  stitched Flora McSamples 2016 Treats and turned the long piece into a pin cushion, and the reindeer piece into a needlebook and then took one of the sheep off the pin cushion and made a scissor fob.  This I forgot to take a picture of.  Duh, my brain seems to be dead at times, especially around Christmas. Who am I kidding...all year long!   I'm sitting in the shop today, wondering what time the snow will happen (they say it's going to...although there is often a change we get rain instead) and hoping we get a snow day tomorrow.  Yes, I didn't work on Tuesday through Thursday and yet I'm hoping for a snow day.  There's something really decadent about a snow day for me.  For one thing I'm freezing in the shop.  It never ever seems to get warm enough when it's in the 20's and 30's outside.  I still have 3 layers on top plus my winter coat which I've had on since I arrived.  I'm about to put my gloves back on, although the little packs that you can put in your shoes and gloves to keep everything warm and toasty were sitting on the counter so perhaps I'll have to break one of those open, even though I got them for Sara.  I can't imagine anyone will be coming in today, so I'll use the time to catch up on social media and the catalog postings.  I always thought I would do that at home since I was suppose to be retired, however, I can't seem to get off the friggin IPad I purchased for work.  First of all, I've never even brought it to the shop so I don't know what the hell I was thinking.  But between it and Roku my stitching is taking a hit.  I have worked periodically on my needlepoint project, but even that should have been done by now.  I keep looking at the January challenges on Facebook hoping that would move me along, but no, I check them out, think to myself that I'm missing valuable time stitching by playing with the IPad and then pick up the IPad and play somemore.  I need a Facebook intervention.  At least with Roku I can stitch along.  I am pleased to say I have kept up with the reading and managed to get 32 books read in 2016.  But that's because I've refused to take the IPad in the bathroom (also know as my reading room) and I won't put a T.V. in there either.  It is strickly for reading.  I'm also distracted this week helping Michael with a research paper.  I loved school and writing was my thing so everyone felt I might be the best one to give him some instruction.  The problem for Michael is that I research endlessly and rewrite a paper everyday until it's due.  He's more of a one day, a couple hours at most and God forbid he reread anything.  So it's a struggle but we are muddling through.  I'm not sure I'll be his go to person next time.  First paper he's done and it's 7-10 pages.  He got to pick his topic and I just had to roll my eyes when he told me what it was.  I should have known since he watches very little T.V. but will watch the programs on Discovery over and over.  He picked "Moonshiners" as his topic.  Needless to say it wouldn't have been a topic I would pick, but I'm rolling with it and have more information then I would need in a lifetime on it. The only interesting part for me is studing prohibition, and that's probably the only part he doesn't want to read, and for that reason that is the first thing I had him study and write a report on for me.  Yes, it's like we're back in school again.  I'm thankful it will be over January 20th when the paper is due.  Skip a week...yes, I forgot to post the first part and we did get 3 snow days last week as it snowed Friday into Saturday night.  We got a total of 11 inches apparently so I didn't go outside for a total of 5 days.  And yet never stitched a thing.  We had Camp Wannastitch in town this weekend, 174 stitchers in all, so we were busy, busy, busy.  A bit shout out to all the stitchers and our thanks for making a wonderful weekend for us.  We were incredibly thankful that Stasi Buhrman drove over from Richmond to be our fabric cutter for the weekend.  She is our shop angel a lot and we always loved her, but boy we really love her now.  For some reason she loves cutting, although by the end of the weekend I'm sure she's rethinking that.  But by the next event where she's free and can come over to help, the memories must fade because she's willing to help us once again.  Thank you Stasi.  You really can't imagine how much that's appreciated.  Our Judy was babysitting the new babies, and frankly Sara and I would have killed each other if no one was here as a buffer.  I'm practically useless anymore so poor Sara is called on for everything in both shops and tempers flare, but at the end of the day we go out to eat and it's laughs and chuckles again.  Now while I loved seeing many of the stitchers we've come to know from this event, I'm thrilled to say the stitching gene has kicked in again and I've managed to finish stitching a small project....now I have to assemble it...UGH!  But it is small so that's on tonights schedule.  And I started another project which I was worrying about even stitching as it's on dark fabric, gunmetal, but I found my fears were baseless as it's not that hard to see...very different from black which I struggle with.  But while I still check out things on facebook, I'm not glued to it permanently anymore.  It's such a relief.  I really missed stitching.  So I guess the intervention can be called off.  Sara will be disappointed as she and her friends were going to make it a vodka fueled intervention as any excuse for a party will do!  Sorry Sara, the only intervention we may see is a vodka intervention for you and your friends.   So we're back open, snows gone and we're gearing up for our annual Super Bowl Sale.  It will be held as usual Super Bowl Weekend and will start Friday and continue through Sunday.  So get your orders ready and call it in, mail it in, e-mail it in and better still come in and join us for our Super Bowl party on sunday where we add food to the shopping experience.  And for those who are retreating here on the property or anyone really, if you have certain fabrics, fibers or charts you know you what please let us know as soon as possible so we can make sure they are here for you.  We still have a little, and I do mean  a little time left in order to get things.


Nashville Market-2017

As I find new items coming out in Nashville in March 3-5, 2017,   I thought I'd give you a sneak preview so you can start making your plans for new stash. If you see something you have to have let us know before market to be sure we get it. At this point I have no idea the prices on any of the pieces but as soon as I find out I'll post it here.



Land of Freedom Sewing Box
Simona Bussiglieri


I am a Needlesmith
By The Bay



Seashell Wreath
White Lyon  Designs



Nora's Pillow
GPA Designs


"Izannah Walker's Box"
GPA Designs




"Pink Picotee Begonia Sewing Clamp VI" ... a complete KIT shown on 40ct white linen with ten shades of DMC cotton floss; quite easy to stitch as the entire design is comprised of only cross-stitches and has an attractive Palestrina Knot finishing edging. All stitching and finishing instructions are included, as well as the handmade metal sewing clamp painted pink to match.

Heart's Content



Baskets

Just a sneak peak of the new chart being shown on hand-dyed linen using a new collection of Valdani threads.

Rosewood Manor

Monday, January 2, 2017


While I haven't been to active on social media, I've been actively stitching away while turning into a ROKU zombie.  Honestly, at first I found ROKU to be a blessing...no more of those 15 commercial breaks, but I'm now addicted to it and have found myself sitting in front of it for endless hours and while I'm stitching....it's an enormous time suck.  I have a plan though to get back to work.  Back to getting out of the house periodically.  Of course, as of Thanksgiving I am back to work 4 days a week in Salty Yarns so that will be helpful.  Sara gave me the class schedule for March and April and I got that up on the web site today and because the update to that has become such a problem it took me 2 hours to do what it use to take me 1/2 hr to do, but at least I'm away from the T.V.  So perhaps I will get more done now and this is my start.  "Witches Night Out" was one of With Thy Needle and Threads designs, which for those of you who don't know me, is a favorite of mine especially when I can stitch them on the large count fabrics (this is a 16 ct. Legacy linen) so the design which would normally be small enough for a pin cushion becomes big enough to be a banner.  Plus I had the metal stand to put it on so it was a win win.  Loved stitching it and do so using Weeks Dye Works and DMC Perle Cottons.  Fun, Fun, Fun.  I highly recommend you do this periodically especially after a time consuming major project.  Anyway, I didn't even add embellishments to this one which was unusual, but I did satin stitch the pumpkins on the ground.  I love the dimension it added.  The second piece is another Old Colonial Polish Pottery piece.  It has a dear little blue bird stitched over one on it, but I didn't want to show it from the top because the finishing wasn't as perfect as I've managed to do on the other 2 Polish Pottery pieces.  I worked and worked and worked, but never got all the creases out around the edge.  But love my Polish Pottery so if you are loving it too you want to get in on this craze now as they are limited and while we had 24 we are down to 6 in only a very short time. Well that's it for today.  I'll try to post again tomorrow before I report first to the doctor's for a physical (that should put me in a bad mood) and then report for 2 days of active grandmothering duty so that Mary and Brian can get away for a couple of days to celebrate their 10th anniversary.  This will be the first time both parents have been away at the same time.  I'm not expecting problems and let's face it with school in session I do get the daytime off, so I figure it's only first thing in the morning and after 4 in the afternoon, and if they go to bed around 8...well that's shouldn't be too exhausting.  I'm pretty sure I'll have to time to stitch though so this could spell trouble for me.  Anyway, if I can I'll report in periodically to let you know how it's going.  Hope you are having a great week.  Well I wrote the previous part of this blog before Thanksgiving and it's now the day after New Years.  I certainly have taken a break from everything constructive, but hopefully I'm getting back on track.  I have a bet with one of the stitchers that attends our retreats and so I'm working on that piece.  She was struggling to finish a piece and I have been struggling with this needlepoint piece.  It's not that either piece was hard, just pieces we both kept putting down and working on something else.  So the bet is, we each put up $25.00 and the person who finishes their piece gets to keep all the money.  If neither of us finish...well no one gets the money, and if both finish we each keep the money.  I'm determined and I'm sure she is too, so while no money might exchange hands it's still a win win because we will both have finished projects we struggled with.  I had a wonderful Christmas and got wonderful gifts from the family but also from stitchers.  I only hope you had as wonderful a Christmas as I did.  We also had several days of beautiful balmy weather...more like spring than winter, but today it's gloomy and wet outside and they are also talking about snow flurries by the end of the week....of course we expect more rain but no snow so we're not too worried about the prediction.  But mercy I looked at the weather some of you are experiencing and can't imagine having to deal with that much snow.  While I love staying home, it's easy to love when you know you can get in your car anytime and go to the store with no weather issues, snow banks or anything else.  When it snows here I don't get in my car, hell I don't leave my house I'm so afraid of falling.  Snow is not a fun time for me unless my refrigerator is fully stocked and the snow is gone in a few days.  Anyway, just wanted you to know I'm alive, well and living my dream in Ocean City.  Stay warm and hope to see you in 2017.