A New Day

Isn't this just the most adorable pin cushion. I know it has been over 7 months since last I posted here, but I have been enjoying the beautiful french blogs and thought it only fair that I put something here to share.



This pin cushion is made from the corner scraps of a large round one that has these same fabrics. It is finished except for being stuffed and tufted so it shall be here another day!

Not about Stitching

I have been terribly delinquent on keeping up with this blog and yet, I have good things happening in my life that seem to be taking up some of my time.......these are my two girls and they are as beautiful as the picture shows them to be.



I am working on my projects for Europe....am 25% complete with Treasures of Comfort and 5% complete on Briar Rose....maybe pictures next week.



Travel between Chicago and Philadelphia have become routine! I hope to join an EGA in Philadelphia some time this summer.....



Oh, and who would have thought I would find myself a White Sox fan. For that matter, who would have though I would find myself a baseball fan. The scratching and spitting have never been attractive and yet, I find, there may be other things of interest that happen on the field. And off!



I will try to be back sooner than later! Miss you all.

Thistlewood

Well here it is....stitched, pressed and ready for the trip across the pond! The pincusion is also stitched at the bottom of this fabric but my photo skills are not what they could be.....I LOVE the colors of this piece and can not wait to finish it.

Jackie has offered to chart something that will add a rememberance of out trip to England. I thought of putting something here but the beautiful painted button that actually is to be in the center is something I can not leave out.

Someone who knows Thistlewood might notice that the inside of the leaves are not the charted tent stitch.....In an effort to retain my sight, I made them a padded satin stitch. I love the sheen of the silk with this stitch....Jackie will not mind, she is very good about things like this .... generous of spirit!

Coco is in Pennsylvania visiting her sister.....I miss her more than I imagined. It does not take long for the little buggers to become part of your life.....

Chicago is bracing itself for "weather".....There is a heavy dusting of snow outside my window this morning and they are promising more by the end of the day.....I am concerned I will not get to Des Moine tomorrow. Very early flight and they may not have things cleaned up.....What will be, will be.

Elephant Dog

I could have begged and cajoled for a million years to get her to do this BUT I let her steal the vac part and she ran around for 10 minutes so proud of herself....and I got this pic....I can not believe she can see...

Sorry for the pet pic but she does make me laugh!

I made this little Pin Cushion Forrest as gifts.....and the red button pins were dyed in the BBG method! They are fun to make and I put large old buttons on the bottom for stability and weight.

Good Day

Last year one of the members of my EGA Chapter put a challenge together....She made some little thread paddles and our challenge was to make a cover for it....the challenge came in the bag you see here and it could be part of the challenge or not...

When my friend visited in September we went to the fabulous Ribbon store here in Chicago and I found this ribbon....I love pears...so I designed this reverse of the ribbon and stitched it. The thread color was perfect and it was something we had been given as a give at the First Dyeing 2 Stitch Retreat several years ago. And as you all know, somethings just take on a life of their own. There was a bit of extra ribbon so it became a Humbug Scissor Fob and the other little Patch became an open needle page with the button in the center. I had photo copied the stitching with the ribbon and so that became the picture on the cover of the book.

It was all great fun. We presented them at the last meeting and I have to tell you the work of these women was beautiful. One made a Crazy Quilt out of the bag. I count them as one of the great joys of my Chicago Life!

Here she is....4 Lbs of trouble....she thinks she is hiding so that I can not get to her to put her into her Crate so that I can leave for work....At this moment she is whimpering beside me because she wants me to throw one of her fetch toys....Lots of Work this one!

NEW YEAR BEGINNINGS

The needlebook on the right is one of the things you should never admit. I was part of a needlebook exchange and did not realize that I was not to send to the person who sent to me. So the first one I made was promptly sent off to the woman who sent me one......Only for me to find out later that this particular exchange did not work that way. So since I really hate stitching things twice, I borrowed this pattern from my daughter and made a different one! I hope the woman in Austrailia who waited an inordinate amount of time, liked what she finally received!




This Stocking is part of a Blackbird - Loose Feathers that had an exchange. This pattern is from a spring book that is in other colors but I thought it lended itself to a Red and Green theme.

The other day I told everyone I was going to do the projects of Jackie Du Plessis. The one above was my very first and I got it at a Stitcher's Hideaway Retreat in Sturbridge Mass. By the way, if you ever have a chance to go to one of Sue's Retreats, run don't walk. They are a joy to attend. There is a not a detail she does not perfect! (I don't know why this is blue and underlined.....)

Any way, The pictures you see above are the first project I am doing. The box on the right slides into the cover you see on the left....I have all the pieces of the box cut and covered....(ok, so that has been done since the class in the summer of 2008)...I have started the stitching on the cover and will post pics of the progress as it is worth showing.

As some of you know, I am visiting London and Paris to take classes with Jackie. There is (of course) prestitching that is to be done. My goal is to complete the prestitch and this project by the trip. I would love to be able to take it with me complete....

This is my little bundle of ( 4 lbs) joy. It is rare that she does not have some toy in her mouth if she is awake! Pic was taken this morning as I chased her around the Living Room!