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!