December 31

It has been shamefully long since I last posted. So I am going to try to start the New Year with a simple goal....note I did not say resolution.....just too strong a word...

I am going to try to post once a week.....that will be 52 small commitments. I will try to put a pic of Coco since she is just fun to see. There are Christmas pictures with her wearing her new "Snuggie" that are too precious.

Stitching goals are very simple. There is a marvelous young designer named Jackie DuPlesis of It's Fineally Finished. Her things are truly Heirloom/Museum Quality Designs. The kits have the highest quality fabrics and fibers. Here attention to detail in the instructions is just spot on.....

I have several of these kits....Ok, more than several. 2010 is a significant Birthday year for Miss Jackie and I have decided to devote the major portion of my stitching and finishing time to these projects. It is a little way to honor her and for me to finish these projects.

Tomorrow I am going to organize this venture and I will try to take some pics of the current status of each project.

Happy New Year to you all and the very best wishes for health, prosperity, and perfect crosses in 2010.
Sharon

Oh, Happy Day

Who does not love little Puppy teeth! After spending much to much time chasing her around the LR this morning I let her have one of the things she loves and is not allowed....a scissor fob with the scissors attached. It is a mystery why they always want what they should not have.....right now she is looking at me from her Pile with green thread hanging out of her mouth.....Where she finds it is her secret......I am sure her first surgery will be to remove the wad of DMC from her lower intestine......She is a joy and I am happy for my decision every day!

The pumpkin is a revision (what a surprise) of an automatic I receive from a Wool Applique company......I changed it to suit myself and I love the way it came out! I have not done this before so it was fun to design and then stitch. I really should have married a rich man so that I could do this every day! At one point I thought about gifting it but nahhh.....I am going to keep it.

I had a great surprise this week and it was another Joy.....my friend, Gillie, was passing through Chicago and stayed a night.....we did not have as much time as I would have liked but it was wonderful to see her. These women in my life are such a gift.

My EGA had a ribbon class last Saturday that was taught by one of the members and she did a first rate job.....I now consider myself a Ribbon Embroidered! I made two little things when I got home and will photo them soon for you to see.....what a fun and quick stitch....

If we do not meet again before the Holiday, Happy Thanksgiving to you all.................. Be Thankful......

Horribly Guilty!!!

Hello

As with most of things, Coco has taken far more of my time than I expected....not a bad thing but a task, none the less.....

Then I had to travel to Pennsylvania for the World Series and sat next to the rudest woman on the plane who coughed the entire journey.....I came back with a sinus infection that is just clearing.....the older we get the longer these things take to go away.

Have done little stitching.....I seem to jump from idea to idea wanting to try everything.

Just wanted to say hello and that I will put up pics of Coco and some WIP's before the end of the week!

BABY GIRL.........

Here she is....no name, baby girl...nothing has struck me yet as a name for her....She is this strawberry blonde color and full of fun....runs like a banshee and then sleeps for hours...just like any baby....she is already terribly spoiled....I am blaming Elizabeth for that but I am an equal culprit. Right now she is sitting on my lap as I try to type this note.....

She will sit quietly on my lap as I stitch. I am almost finished with a Wool Applique I have been stitching. It was fun but not as much fun as cross stitching......

Well, off to play with puppy so that she does not keep the neighbors crazy today crying....

Thanks

Carol's Birthday

One of the Chic Stitchers is having a birthday. I designed and made this pin cushion for her....She received it yesterday so I can show it to you. The threads, as you can see, are heavily overdyed and it is not my usual favorite. Being autumn, I decided to use them and tried to position the colors consistently.....It was sent from the heart and she is a dear and delightful person to know.

A Little Book.....

This really is centered on the book cover, it is an optical illusion that the top is wider....This is the stitched piece I showed you yesterday, copied onto a sheet of

press apply label and then cut to fit this book cover....I think I like it very much. As the Blackbird girls say, it is a way to share a piece over and over! Tonight I am going to try my hand at using it for a magnetic floss holder!

It has turned cold in Chicago. Wore my Uggs yesterday for the first time this year. I have to figure out how to keep them from getting salt stained!

3 More days to puppy!

Have a lovely day.

Monday Morning.....4 Days

Four days until I get my puppy.....who is still nameless. Send any name suggestions! I promise to put some pictures here next week.....I promise she will never make any posts here.

Things that really bother me.....that I did not notice that I put the I in Virginia over two threads to the right so there is not really enough space between the "a" in Virginia and the "B" in beach.....And I am not going to change it!

This is the Saturday night project that was a joint effort by Shepherds Bush and Dyeing to Stitch at their retreat. The design was SB and Ann dyed the fabric with coffee. Bindy made the bags (not show here yet). They are a wonderful brown stripped pillow ticking AND Charland designed and fabricated the silver acorn charm.

The inspiration for this box came from the BB Ladies at the retreat. They showed us one of these boxes they had made and gave us some hints! It was pretty easy with some rubber cement and this is a photocopy of a fabric I bought at the quilt shop. I also dyed some pins yesterday but you will have to wait to see those!

Have a great week.

Home again Home again........

Isn't this the cutest thing you have ever seen. Happy Birthday to ME from Virginia. When I got back from my long weekend trip, there were wonderful packages for me! Birthday presents from my Chere Ami....(I try at the French language but am very poor.) The first thing I am going to do this weekend is find a dowel rod so that I can hang it in my bathroom! Virginia also sent me a Red Pattern typical of the sweetest French Amitie Patterns....I am so grateful for her lovely gifts and thoughtfulness. You all know that I believe it is the friendships that we have here that will, in fact, be the basis for the peace we all seek in the world. The gracious kindnesses we all show each other transcend everything. Have a great start to your week.......Thank you Virginia!!!!

A Good Description

Two Years ago I made the excellent decision to ask to join a group of women sitting at a large round table in a ball room in the worst hotel (a story for another day) I have ever visited. That decision led me to friendships that are beyond description. Kinship and soul mates in the stitching world. This friendship has led to a visit to the Albany, NY area twice to participate in private retreats with Jackie DuPlesis (The finest finishing teacher working today - if you can ever take one of her classes run to it!) . The group had a name "Chic Stitchers" and shortly after the first retreat I attended in June, 2008, we added a Logo to our group and a Motto that you see on the picture here.


I have admired these little girls in all the blogs I have seen so I wanted to stitch one. She is large...probably 5" high. The band on her hat is a thin felted wool and her bow is an overdyed ribbon from The Thread Gatherer.


The saying is true. Of course, the definition of "Well Behaved" is always open to interpretation! We love the Jane Austin characters because they classically misbehave....The great women of history behaved outside of the current conventions of their time.....Amelia Earhart in her pants and plane flying....Madame Curie in her science and research....you get the drift....

So, Behave well today and make some history!!!!!!

Something Old.......Something New

This is the something old. I designed it about over a year ago and kitted it as a gift for some friends. It was great fun and I had forgotten about it until I was looking at some old photos this morning.

This I designed a few weeks ago. I find myself loving these little partitioned pin cushions. I wanted to see if I could stitch a top piece. The bottom is red silk with a button to lace through. I like the way it turned out and may make a few more as gifts....

Christmas is coming!!!!!

Mary's CS Project

Yes, it really is that long. When you flip open the top in the back, a long clear straight edge is released. Under the Chic Stitcher Motto is a Needle Book and on the bottom of the back is a scissor holder.

You will notice that the stitcher on the right of the picture at the table is taller than the dark haired one.....Mary is the one on the left and I am the one on the right......the light blue silk that makes up the fabric of the case has a beautiful hand.

The button that holds the silk ribbon to fasten the flap closed is just the scale it needs to be for the over all size. This is truly an heirloom piece and I am honored to have it as a gift!

Front and Back.....

This is the project we all stitched for each other. It is from The Gift of Stitching and was designed by Thea Dudeck. I changed mine a bit and the button on the front is from my collection of Antique Buttons. The saying on the bottom of the front "Well behaved women rarely make history" is our group motto! The flower in the center of the front is Queen stitches and all who know me know I do not like Queen stitches. It is not something I would have chosen to stitch were it not part of the challenge but I was pleased and happy to make it for Roseann. Tomorrow I will show you pictures of the piece that was stitched and finished for me!

The Very Best......

As my friend Mikki says, "Who would not want to be us?" I have just returned from a long weekend that has been planned for over a year. Originally my friends were going to come to Chicago and spend it here in the city BUT my new job go in the way of getting it all planned and put together. Steph (the black zippered jacket) stepped in and put a fabulous weekend at Lake Como in Wisconsin together for us! You can see the name of the B and B on the sign. We arrived in the Big Ass Van you see above....it was a hoot but I would not trade the ability for us all to travel together! I am sure the crack between my shoulder blades (BAV was a bit stressful to drive to say nothing of having my friends lives in my hands!) will disappear within a few days.

The stitching began as soon as we arrived....Connie, the great smile in a white shirt to the right of the sign, put together the most fun for us.....Camp Connie.....we learned how to make tin lids, we learned how to make magnetic thread holders, and on Sunday morning before we jumped into the van to leave, she taught us how to braid a scissor neck chain. Pictures will follow in the next few days.

As you know, (read June Posts) I went to Mary's house in Albany in the early summer. Last year at the CSW (Chick Stitchers Weekend), we agreed to a challenge piece that had been part of the Gift of Stitching Magazine ....by Thea Dudeck.....Birds of a Feather. Names were picked and you were stitching for someone....the finish was our own decision. I made a bag for Ro and tomorrow I will post some pictures of it. Mary stitched for me and you will be overwhelmed when you see her finish....clever to say the least and of superb quality..........

The picture of the water is from our back deck. The rooms were spacious and we could all be together in the living room of one of the suites to stitch. Connie made a huge pot of soup on Saturday so that we could just grab a quick lunch and keep on stitching! We had a delightful dinner on Friday night and one of those experiences on Saturday night that you tell at Thanksgiving! (Not so good)

It was a wonderful weekend. I will share more over the next few days.

Labor Day........

I am calling this design Christmas Flower. It has a matte sequin in the center. I really can not tell you why it appeals to me, and yet it does. It is Labor Day weekend here in the states and my neighborhood is very quiet. My guess it that everyone is having their last weekends at their lake retreats.

My friends are coming in a very short time. I have been planning their visit and I think the biggest dilemma is where we are going to have our "Chicago Deep Dish Pizza".....It is not something I love but it is something anyone visiting Chicago needs to experience. We are also going to a Ribbon Shop and to Vogue Fabrics. Then on to Wisconsin for a weekend of stitching. I can not wait until they all arrive.

It's Coming..............

I was visiting some blogs yesterday and one of them actually had the number of days left until Christmas....I shudder....so I went to the United Web Site to check the price of tickets back east.....reasonable.....I looked at the calendar to decide how many days I would spend there....a week, I think....and I started to think about this years theme....I usually wrap all of my presents the same way with a small change to identify each persons presents.

So what you see here is another little Christmas design I have designed and stitched. Inspired by my friend, Virginia, who lives in Corsica. The most fun is that I usually go to Babel Fish to translate things, then I stitch them, and then Virginia tells me what they really should be.....I hope this one is ok! Un Jour Beau should have been Un Beau Jour!

I am really looking forward to this weekend. I have some things to photograph and I plan to put my bottom in my stitching chair and finish many things!

Ogden, Utah

Last September, I took Ruth, my Mother, with me to Utah when I went to the Shepherd's Bush Retreat. As is always our custom, we visited the Yarn Shops of any town we visit. The one in Ogden is charming and a woman with the most lilting Irish accent took care of us there. In the window were many knitted pumpkins. She shared the pattern with Mom and what you will see in the next few days are the patch of Pumpkins we now have. Over the last year we have been collecting interesting yarns. The leaves and stems were our own inventions. An early autumn view!

Step into My Day.....

.....I am at the Little League World Series and have done almost no stitching! I have been spending time photographing my Mom's Stockings....am about half way through.....At first I was going to arrange them with Christmassy things BUT that got old quickly! Most are hanging on a wall, but I did find I had to take them from some different angles and sides....

I also had some of my antique sewing things stored at Elizabeth's and rummages through them yesterday....pictures soon!

And I made a trip to the Trimtex Outlet Store....oh the glory of it all! That is the picture you see here....it is less than half of the store....I left with a shopping bag of things and spent less than $20. Two of my friends are getting their own bags of trim! This is the most stimulating place for a creative person....A scissor Fob grows from the ribbon that will attach it to the scissors!

Enjoy this day....

Another Place To Visit

I have added another Blog to my collection. It is Ruth's Legacy...... http://www.ruthslegacy.blogspot.com/ For as long as I can remember, my mother, Ruth, has been knitting Christmas Stockings....in my adult years I have spent untold amounts of time searching for more patterns and more Yarn.....I have decided to share these lovely parts of my life and to create a History of the Stockings.

I will try to post something at least once a week....I am asking her to give me some of her stories about each of them.....Where we found the patterns, who of the family may have requested the pattern, the ones she enjoyed knitting and the ones she didn't. It is important to know she always knits 3 of the same pattern. One for me, One for my sister, and One for herself.....which actually translates to one set for each of her Grandchildren. Thus the Legacy!

Enjoy!

Christmas Ornament

I have participated in an Christmas in July Ornament Exchange. This is what I received. It is really spectacular! Clever and beautifully stitched. I am grateful for the thought and effort that shows in all the Exchanges I receive! I wonder who's pattern this is? Anyone know?

Old Buttons and Strawberries.....

I collect old buttons....once again, things that were a part of someones everyday life in a time gone by. The ones showing in this picture and the one from yesterday came from
an Antique Shop in Colorado and have been in my collection for years. They are mostly from the 40's and came to me in this sting with the knots. The little Strawberry is from a scrap of fabric and I have no idea where I got the little design. I like these strawberries and I think it is about my Mom.

Ruth is gifted with the ability to make Strawberry Jam that makes grown men weep and beg. My ex husband and our friend John would take a new box of Ritz Crackers, a Jar of Peanut Butter and a New, Large Jar of Jam and make these little discs of Joy and eat until they were both sick.

My Mom would measure the sunshine and rain from the last weeks of May till early June and on the precise Saturday morning of peak ripeness we would be awakened to head to the "Pick UR Self" Strawberry Farm. We would fill basket after basket till mid morning.
Home to wash and clean. Because as she would tell you , the optimum taste is from newly picked and sun warm berries......She does not make the regular recipe on the Sure Gel Box Instructions, but rather, the "Freezer Jam" recipe. Diane and I would take turns stirring the pot waiting for it to come to a rolling boil! Soon the kitchen would be filled with jar after jar. We waited anxiously for the click that the tops locked in place. Every spring we still make a batch or two of Jam. We buy the berries but Ruth inspects them carefully and passes judgement on their size, color, and sweetness. It, in some ways, defines another year!

Mom says it is for Elizabeth, who probably does eat a jar or two a year. Some things are more important than the results they provide.

Have a great weekend.....

It is NEVER too early......

It is never too early to start thinking of Christmas....and i like to be ready. This is just a sweet little Christmas Flower and a happy greeting.

Hold on to your seats, but, last night I attended the Cubs vs Phillies Baseball game. I know...what in the world was I doing at a Baseball game......the very nice man I work for thought it would be a wonderful treat to mark our 1 year in Chicago.....I think I saw 3 or 4 home runs, several line drives to center and the laziest out fielder in the world.....now, I am not sure if the baseball thing is like stage left or right so if it is as you face the outfield, it was the left fielder for the Cubs....unfortunately, they do not have the mercy rule in MLB so the score was 50 to 1 or something like that.....we left at the end of the 5th inning, which was a mercy move!

Now I have seen a game at Wrigley Field and given my track record, it will torn down in a few years....like Yankee Stadium....

As a note, we had dinner at a wonderful Italian resteraunt but the strange thing is as we walked down the street and people recognize Garry they stop us and take pictures or start to talk to him and show him that they know his number and record.....Not something I have experienced before....he was patient and kind!

At Last and Thank you Jane

This is a line from one of Jane Austen's books....not sure which one. but I think it is so true!

I feel like I have been stitching this forever....now my dilemma is whether to make it into a pillow with frilly ribbons and lace OR to send it off to Jill Hensil to frame. I think it needs another button or two or maybe a silver crown charm....opinions are welcome....

It is VERY hot here in Chicago and I have the awful humid/curly hair that I hate. Cut and color on Friday.

I am sorry to hear of the death of Eunice Shriver....she was a good woman...made a difference in the world....with her children and beyond!

Calling the IT Department

I need a bit of help.....I love the comments you all leave here....I would like to say hello and thank you. Is there anyway to access email addresses of Followers or comment leavers? Someone with much more IT knowledge than I may know the answer and I would really appreciate it. I also understand from my friend Gillian that there is a way you can list Blogs you admire so that others can visit them....I am a great user of this feature on the awesome French Blogs I visit.

Any knowledge would be appreciated. If it is too much to leave as a comment, my email is sgvchicago@aol.com.

Have a wonderful Sunday. It is melting hot here!

One Fine Day

One of my favorite movies is One Fine Day with George Cloney and Michelle Pfeiffer. When they make the movie of my life I think Michelle will be perfect in the role of me......Diane Keaton had the role at one point but she seems to be aging!

Anyway...my friend, Virginia, inspires me to learn some French and I will be visiting there with some stitcher friends next spring so I decided One Fine Day should be in French. This is the Babel Fish translation.....not sure it is perfect but it works! I have made a kit I am sending off to Virginia as part of her Birthday present.....

It is to be 95 degrees in Chicago today and I have my EGA meeting on the second floor of an old Horner Park Building...no elevator, no AC, and a great old curmudgeon of a guy at the front desk.....one of my joys is making him grumble "Hello" at me.

As some of you know, I had a presentation last week that was, again in my opinion, a near disaster. Well, wonder of wonders, we made the short list and may get the project. Mysterious things happen.

Today shall be one fine day!

Another Finishing Sunday!

How these things upload is a mystery to me. These should be side by side....

This is the Pinkeep for the Illinois Day....at last finished and ready for display......

We are going to kit them up next weekend.

I put a little scissor pocket in the back....because as Jackie says, "We Can"...the cording is from a fringe sample I took apart....Someday soon I am going to learn to make cord. I dyed the pins to match...thanks Blackbird ladies for that wonderful lesson! Even if my fingers are an odd shade of rusty brown this morning.

Week from the Other Side of Wonderful

Well, let's just say this week has had it's share of really good things and really bad. The picture is some friends on my Albany adventure earlier in the Summer. We did a Road Trip on one of the days of my visit. Driving to Vermont we passed this fabulous giant painted moose. I asked if we could stop and take a picture on the way back. We did. The gentleman who took this picture was 3 sheets to the wind smoking and leaning against the Moose who shall be known as Marty....and Marty was none to happy with this smoke blowing into his face. After must instruction and re-instruction, to get him to understand you point the camper and push the little button on the top, he took this picture. I am to the right of my friend Mary in the Pink Shirt but the scowl on my face at the photographer caused me to exercise my Editorial ability and crop myself right out.

I have had this picture for several months and you are seeing it today because I needed to see them and remember how important they are to me. These are some sisters of my heart. Embrace the sisters of your heart today and send them cyber hugs.

A Good Cause

The picture is the Pinkeep I designed for my EGA Group. We are going to kit them at the next meeting and then sell them at the Illinois State Day in September. I am going to finish it this weekend with the silk fabric you see in the background. I think I will make it with a scissor pocket on the back....since it will be mine at the end! I will probably make a strawberry to match.....I am thinking about a scissor fob also....the obsession continues!

I love fall colors so this one was a joy.

We are going to use the money to pay for a place to have our meetings. The park where we now meet is upping our rent AND it is really not Handicapped accessible.

So Much Trouble,,,,,

The pictures on the left are a compilation of things....the Little Square Fob is a Drawn Thread pattern from this years Celebrations of Needlework....The Cushion is a Shepherd's Bush Pattern made with the left over thread and fabric from the Drawn Thread Kit and the little Strawberry is made from the same Kit leftovers. I LOVE the colors and the little set of smalls.

Now, you are asking yourself, what does that have to do with trouble. Nothing...it has nothing to do with trouble. When I visit the blogs of others, I like seeing pictures.

My daughter has complained. That is the trouble reference. Although I had told her about this Blog, it was my assumption that she did not read it. I was wrong. On several fronts. She tells me that I have ruined surprises by posting her birthday pillow and the little chicken. I am chastised! Since a very significant birthday is coming, I shall cease all information regarding it until it passes. It would be a wrong for me to describe her as the wind beneath my wings......she is the very reason I need wings! Forgive me if I have been maudlin. She forgives me and as an only child realizes these "Quirky" habits of her mother are simply something she has to embrace.

Seize the Day!

WOMEN WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

When I was a little girl.....(maybe 4 ) my family lived in a tiny town in Pennsylvania. We lived on the second floor of a small clapboard building on the main street. The first floor was the home of the town newspaper, The Mountain Echo. I have these shadowy noir memories of going in the front door. On my left is a huge oak roll top desk ( I am sure that at the age of 4 I did not realize it was oak) and seated at the desk in a wooden swivel chair is Mrs Adkins. Picture tall, stately, grey hair pulled into a washer woman hair do. I see a voile dress with small flowers. There is no voice and no conversation that I can remember......

She had to have spoken to me. At the very least to allow me entrance.

Their was a GIANT printing press in the back of the building.....It made very loud noises. On the right at the back are several men with oil skin aprons setting type. There is a hole in the floor where the excess ink is put. The smell is glorious....paper, ink, heat of the press running. In today's world, I would never be left to wander this space. I do not know why Mrs Adkins let me do so then....but she did.

This is what I have found about her...she was a woman far ahead of her time and wasn't I just the luckiest child to have been near her. Imagine being a woman editor and owner of a Newspaper in the 50's. I now understand that she must have been an older mother and had much sadness in her life. One son died at 2 and the other in a tragic accident in the late 40's.

"Mrs Adkins was a native of Light St. Columbia Co., and a daughter of of the late Franklin Pierce Kelly and Mary Ammerman Kelly. The family moved to Shickshinny in 1885 where Mrs. Adkins was enrolled in the Shickshinny Public Shools.Following graduation she took the state examination for teachers and began teaching in the Shickshinny Valley School. Later she was appointed to North Main St. School. She devoted 18 years of her life to teaching. In 1916,Mrs. Adkins gave up that position to become a housewife. She was married to the late Mason Hix Adkins, then a partner in the Mountain Echo, in the 1st ME Church,Shickshinny, by the late Rev. E. E. Harter. In 1930 her husband became sole owner of the Mountain Echo and they worked side by side in promoting the affairs of the newspaper. Her husband died in 1945 and Mrs. Adkins then assumed the full responsibility as editor and publisher and continued to do so until her death."

It is no wonder that I believe women can do anything....from very early, I saw them doing everything. Oh, how I wish I could talk to Mrs Adkins today! I am going to see if I can find some copies of the newspaper at that time and find some editorials she may have written....

More to come...........

SISTERS OF YOUR HEART

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden. ~Author Unknown

I have a sister who lives in Colorado. We share the same DNA and uniquely altered memories. And resolve....we definitely share resolve. AND I have connected her to the peace that being a needleworker can bring to your soul.

I have other sisters. They have come into my life in various ways. Each of them brings something very special to me and I am grateful for their love. I call them the sisters of my heart. The picture here, is of the buttons I purchased at the quilting show last winter. They are made by women in South Africa...they are lovely.

I have a sister that does not even know she is my sister....she has a blog called "Spinster Stitcher". She writes every day or so about her life. I read it and ever though she talks about her DNA sister, Chris, I know that if she ever needed me to come and dig her garden, I would go in a heart beat....although we would have to talk about the Diva -Stewey that rules her life.

I have a sister who lives in the Northeast who has two little grandsons. They are a delight of her life and I adore hearing her talk about them....the love is palpable! She is a sister of my heart. In the novel Sense and Sensibility, one sister tells the other that she measures what her behavior should have been by her sister's example. That is how I think of this dear sister. She works very hard to make sure her behavior is always good, and kind, and fair, and healthy.

I have a sister who lives in Corsica. She is a Stitching sister and I think of her often. Right now she is going through a difficult time and needs some loving support. She and her family want to relocate to a place that will bring them some peace and happiness.....keep her in your thoughts and maybe we can send some good vibrations to her.

So this is the beginning of stories about my Stitching Sisters....look for more as time passes......

Ribbons and A Chicken

Whatever makes me think I can actually see to take pictures at 5 AM is a mystery. And yet, before you are pictures of a sweet little Chicken who is named Claude and a ribbon flower that has no name.

The flower needs serious color correction but I don't know how to do that. The ribbon is actually copper colored and not the pinkish shade you see. It is made from a remnant end I bought this weekend at a FABULOUS ribbon store here in Chicago. I am going there in mid August to take a ribbon embroidery class....something I really want to learn. I am sure posts will follow.

Ahhhhh....the chicken. Elizabeth, my daughter, for an unknown reason, has inspired a friend to give her something Chicken related for Christmas every year. These odd objects reign over her Kitchen. When she and I were in New Hampshire earlier this spring, I bought here a fun pair of scissors that have a Chicken on the hinge...they were incomplete to me until they had a Chicken Fob to hang on the handle. After searching many options and even stitching one that ended up the size of a paperback book, I found this little fellow in the Antique Pattern Library. He was these vibrant colors and I replicated them as best I could with some overdyed threads. I hope she likes it and yet, I can pretty much predict she will wonder why in the world she is being given another Fob!

EGA - ILLINOIS STATE DAY

My EGA Chapter is sponsoring this event..... I have not included the Registration form but if anyone is interested, please let me know.
Thanks!

ILLINOIS STATE DAY The Underground Railroad Quilts By Eileen Bennett
SPONSORED BY THE WINDY CITY CHAPTER – EMBROIDERY GUILD OF AMERICA GREAT LAKES REGION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, 2009 - Registration 8:30 AM
Teaching site: NOBLE-SEYMOUR-CRYPIN HOUSE 5624, NORTH NEWARK AVENUE, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
Teacher: Eileen BennettMax: 60 StudentsLevel: Beginner / IntermediateDescription: Exclusive Teaching Design
Price: $120.00 FEE - FEE INCLUDES LUNCH AND SNACKS SEND FEE TO KATHY ZMICH (KZMICH@COVAD.NET)
"Conceal and yet reveal" ....the story of the Underground Railroad is told in simple quilt patterns on 32ct Tan linen. The patterns were roadmaps helping slaves to flee north to their freedom. The displayed quilt was a message to pack provisions for the journey, paths to follow, how to dress for Concealment and to identify a 'safe house'. Eleven miniature 'freedom quilts' will be included and the traditions of these designs will be shared as you work. You may work in simple crosses or take a 'step beyond' with a variety of decorative stitches as done on the model. Hemstitching as a finishing technique is included during class time. Kit includes: 24" x 55" linen, DMC fibers, #24 needle, 11 quilt charts, stitch diagrams, instructions, photo, washing instructions.Bibliography Lecture: included with class. Sign up and join Eileen beginning this wonderful journey into the Underground Railroad. Bring

England - Mouse

This floss keeper was sent to England to a young woman who answers to the name "Mouse"....I hope she enjoys using it as much as I enjoyed making it for her.

Exchange - Fair and Square

This square went to the sweetest person who just moved to Kansas....in the midst of her move, she still managed to send me the square. I hope she has enjoyed it....

GILLIE'S POCKET AND FOB

I was part of an exchange done "on line" for a Scissor Pocket and a Fob. Gillie and I are friends....it was great happenstance that we were paired for this exchange. I am going to give them to her tomorrow. I love the colors and I hope she likes them as well....the pocket is not what I had hoped to have for the finishing but it is completed!

Remember

A Visit East

I spent the last several days visiting my family in Pennsylvania. As it is our custom to do, we visited a farm market (Strite's) and found heavenly fresh fruit. The tart you see on the left is made with Blueberries, Red Raspberries, Black Berries, Sour Cherries, Apricots, and Fresh Peaches....the cobbler topping was made with oatmeal, flour and sugar substitute. It was delicious and we enjoyed it thoroughly for the entire weekend! I did some stitching on my designs and even got a little Christmas ornament complete.

I have had little time to tell you about my trip to Clifton Park, New York. The project was very beautiful and I shall post some pictures here soon....I want to complete another piece or two. Jackie is a talented woman. Not just creatively but her teaching skills are beyond compare. Take 13 type A women and put them in a room where they swear they are not competitive and she manages to make the event a joy to share. I have taken many classes at many retreats and no one has come near to teaching me the things that Jackie has taught me. It is an uncommon combination of teacher and artist.

The woman who hosts this event at her home is generous and gracious - to a fault. She opens her home to us and rearranges her house to accommodate all the things needed for a fun and enticing event. I am grateful to be included in this group of women. Serendipity exists!

A Stitching Week

I am looking forward to a fun/shopping filled stitching week. I am traveling to Clifton Park New York to spend time with my dear dear stitching friends. We will be working on a Jackie du Plessis piece called Hands to Work....you can see it on her site www.fineallyfinished.com as with all of Jackie's pieces, the stitching is a challenge and the finish is superb!

The best thing about this week is the time I get to spend it with friends. I could expound on the great virtues each of them brings to the group.....or the wonderful things each of them has taught me.....we are each the best of women! I am grateful for each and every one of them.....

Hopefully, I will have some pictures to post for you next week!

In Memory of A Stanger

I belong to several blogs...one of them is the Sampler Life. Yesterday one of the founders of this blog....named Marc....passed away. I have seen his postings more than a few times. They were always witty and smart. I can tell you little about his life and yet the out pouring of affection from his cyber friends is envious.

I often marvel at the world this internet has created for us. Each morning I sit at my desk and read the messages that have congregated since this time yesterday. News of a miscarriage in the UK. The preparations for vacations by "going silent". The births of most beloved Grandchildren. Beginnings of new projects, continuing WIPs, and the most delightful....pictures of those finishes.....not all beautiful but all charming and loved. (Not unlike all of us)

Everyday, we share here what we seem to hold within our hearts in our walk around lives. As you can see this has made me sad and more than a little reflective. Those of you who know me, know of my great reverence for women as a group!

Enjoy every moment of your day.....
It is not that life is too short, it is that we wait so long to begin it!

Swell Day ...Fair and Square

Look at this square...the light pink are actually beads....The colors are wonderful spring/summer and I think it MUST become a holder for dried flowers and put on my bulletin board! I am the luckiest of women. These squares came from Maren and they are beautifully stitched. Thank you Maren!