I'm still here....................

I know it's been a long time but things have been happening here. My MIL is still no better and is proving to be a problem that no one can solve and my wonderful ex-MIL passed away on May 29th surrounded by love and happiness for her long life. I was lucky enough to spend some hours with her before she went and I'm very grateful for that.

So, I have only a few new things to show you. The first is by Sherri Jones of Patrick's Woods and is a piece called 'The Mermaids Two Tales'. I was lucky enough to take this class at Hilton Head on the east coast USA last October. Yes I know how long ago that is but please......... it's all back stitch and I kept picking it up to do a little every so often.





And then ...........I had to finish it.
The scrims inside are not part of the case. I already had these and thought that they would fit in quite nicely. The beautiful thread winder comes from Vikki Clayton



I decided to stitch this Prairie Schooler design over one. I saw it finished when I visited 'The Attic' in Mesa, Arizona. One of the ladies who worked in the shop had converted the DMC colours to Waterlillies and Belle Soie silks and I immediately fell in love with it.

Prairie Schooler

The most exciting thing that I have to tell you about are classes that we are organising for The Sampler Guild. Jackie du Plessis of 'It's Fineally Finished' has agreed to teach for us next May 2010 when she visits the UK. She will be teaching four of her designs over three days. The classes are becoming booked up so quickly which is wonderful. If you would find this of interest please check with The Sampler Guild web site for the information or contact me on my email address.

Isn't It Amazing

how seeing a piece finished can change your mind about stitching it. The Sampler Guild had a get together a couple of weeks ago and I saw this little bird as a finished ornament. Now I had seen it many times before as it is featured in the Just Cross Stitch Christmas Ornament 2004 magazine. Each time I had totally ignored it's potential. At the Gathering I saw it finished beautifully by our friend Sandra Carstairs. Seeing her beautiful model really made me want to stitch it and this is the result.





Then I got carried away and decided to stitch the new small stockings from Blackbird designs. The charts are monthly and each feature three designs per month. I chose one design from January, February and March.

This is my January choice -



This is February with the mandatory hearts -



and this is March with spring daffodils -

An Update

I've now finished my Williamsburg 2008 project which is 'Carried Away' by Jackie du Plessis. Those of you who follow my blog will know, from my previous posts, how much I like her projects and this was no exception. Once again she has designed a piece totally different from all her others. Immediately I saw it, I loved it. Perhaps it was helped by the fact that it was in my favourite autumnal colours which I love. The first picture shows the beautiful box and all the acesories together. The box is lined with solid rust coloured silk and wonderful checked silk.



The next picture is the outside of the needlebook. The inside has pockets made from the solid rust silk.



This picture is of the bottom cushion which lays in the box.



and the final picture is of the bottom of the cushion which has a very clever secret envelope.



I really am so impressed with Jackie's designs and I'm looking forward to taking more classes with her.

The final part of this post shows a thimble and scissor keeper designed by Betsy Morgan of 'Willing Hands'. I found this chart in this month's copy of the Australian magazine 'Classic Inspirations'. As I was stitching it I seemed to remember something similar. When I checked my class kits it transpired that I had taken Betsy's class for the self same design. No wonder it seemed familiar. Am I an idiot or what? The design is three sided and is opened by pressing the edges together.









On another note I had a wonderful time in Paris with friends Bertie and Britta. Catherine, who lives in France, kept us busy for the entire four days. The aiguille-en-fete (French Needlework Show) was wonderful and needless to say I came home ladended with French charts. There is some wonderful talent out there which I tend to forget as I concentrate on the American market.

More Finishes

As anyone living in or around the south of England can tell you we had more snow than we have seen in years. It started to fall on Sunday night and didn't stop until late yesterday afternoon. It was forecast but of cause, this being England,no forward plans were made so no roads were gritted or salted. Everything ground to a halt. London was a ghost town with only the intrepid few making it in to work. My son works in 5 miles away in Harefield. He managed to make it to work and he was one of only seven people in an office of forty-five to do so. Anyone relying on bus or train transport was out of luck. I took my rule outside and measured the depth of snow in my garden. It measured ten inches deep. The dogs were in their element. Even Willow, at fourteen, was charging around with her nose buried in the snow.
As I was effectively snowed in, I decided I would photograph a few more of my finishes to show you.

The first is an old class piece that I took at Sampler Gathering in Plymouth.As far as I can remember I took the class in 2003 or 4 The design is by Wendy White of WeeWorks and is called 'A Sailor's Valentine' I have put one of the few pictures my Mother allowed taken of herself inside. I thought this would be much more difficult to assemble than it actually was. I'm very pleased with the outcome.






The next piece is a Breast Cancer piece from Blackbird Designs called 'Buttons and Blooms For The Cure' I had never sewn piping around a finished piece and was very pleased that I managed it.




In October 12008 I was lucky enough to attend Rae Iverson's ASG on Hilton Head in South Carolina. This class was taught by Catherine Jordan. We had to prepare our linen and paint the background colours before we started stitching the design. I think most of us were very hesitant but Catherine was very good and helped us all to achieve the finished product.

Back Again

'At last' you might cry. At least you might if you were even a tiny bit interested in what I have been doing. I know I havn't posted in 6 months. At least that is what my friend Patti just told me. So now I have made a New Year's resolution to try and post at least twice a month or whenever I have soemthing new or interesting to tell you. Life just ran away with. I'm looking after 2 (yes - I did say 2) Mother-in-Laws which has taken it's toll on my time. Not that I'm complaining as I have still managed to attend classes and stitch. I have a new 'Favourite Designer' I have taken 3 classes in the past year from Jackie du Plessis of 'It's Fineally Finished' and her work is superb. Her designs show such brillance and her class teaching is just wonderful. The next two pictures are of her design called 'La Vie en Rose' which I took in June 08. The finished piece opens up to show a needle page and a small scrimshaw with an S on it. Naturally as my name starts with an S.







The next two pictures show her desing called 'My Plum' and I was lucky enough to take this class as an earlybird class at Williamsburg in December 08. The two end panels have a lovely little silk bag sandwiched between them.







For my main class at Williamsburg I took Jackie's class called 'Carried Away'. It is a small carrier with pin cushion, needlebook, waxer roll and a lot of other goodies. Now, although I have finished the stitching, I havn't as yet put any of the pieces together. You will see them here as soon as I have completed them.
As I enjoyed them so much that I have booked another two classes with her next year. One at Elegant Stitch in Modesto, USA in October and one at Williamsburg next Christmas. If you have a chance to take any of her clases you really shouldn't miss out.

And finally Jackie's Breast Cancer Awareness Piece for Lois at Elegant Stitch, This is called 'Pretty in Pink' and it's beautiful.

This Retiired Business

Life is such fun at the moment. I so busy that I haven't had time to update my blog lately. I have several finishes to show you. Firstly, I found this just started the other day and decided to finish it. It's by Hillside Samplings and is the 2006 Folk Art Sewing roll.







The second finish is one that i am particularly proud of. It's the Americanna Sewing Case by Catherine Theron. This is one of the classes that i took at Criss Cross Row this past March. I changed the count of fabric and only used 1 strand of wool for the bargello. I replaced the inside linen with a particularly beautiful R & R 400 count linen but used the same threads that were in the kit.





and finally a shawl that I knitted whilst on holiday last month. I cannot stitch in hotel rooms as the light isn't good enough. However I can knit and this is the result. The shall is knitted width ways and the frill at either side is knitted on afterwards. The yarn is a very stunning colour way from 'Posh Yarn' They hold their sales on a Sunday evening at 6pm GMT and their yarn is so popular that it is a fight to get the yarn you want. It certainly gets the adrenaline flowing.

Beautiful Day

Today am finally over the horrible cold/virus. It hit my asthma head on and for the past 10 days I have felt 90 years old. I have hardly moved from the house except to take the dogs walking and that took three times as long as normal.
Today, when I woke up, I could breath. Such a difference. However nobody wanted to hear me moaning so I'm going to show you the rest of the finishes.

This little needle case is 'Be True' by Blackbird designs.



This one is a beautiful design called 'Needles and Pins' by Gloria Moore of Milady's Needle.



This next one is a design by Ellen Chester of With My Needle. It is called 'Beauty and Grace.





I have finished Catherine Theron's Americanna Sewing Roll and am stitching a small piece by La-D-Da called 'Briar Rabbit. Then I feel a shawl coming on. I'm away from 22nd May and I can never see to stitch in my hotel rooms but I can knit. Let's see how I get on with the lace knitting.