The Purple Thread

Who Invented......................

2011-07-17T09:05:00.014-05:00

Who invented prestitching as part of a Teaching Getaway Weekend was a "show off"....of the worst kind. As you all know, I am a lover of the projects of Jackie du Plessis...I truly believe our ancestors will be fighting over them in antique shops as the design and quality they all seek......Having said that....In late June I was at a class in Albany for a new project Jackie was introducing. There was no prestitching....it was a gift from the gods.....Everyone approached this class with a relaxed and really wonderful attitude.....

Jackie's projects for nearly a year are showing an abundance of freedom to create from her heart. I am not showing pictures yet of the new project .....but I want you to know the things we worked on over the weekend put us ahead in the finishing of the overall project and now the stitching will simply add to it's grandeur.......It is my intention to stitch this and have my Mother stitch on it as well and then gift it to my daughter.....3 Generations......

Of course, I had to take gifts to all my friends in the class. The stack of boxes you see at the top is a pile of the gifts. The top is a design I created and then printed on paper that matched the box. It was cut to size and glued to the box top. Then I punctured each side, put through a ribbon and attached to the top with some cardboard punched shapes from one of the craft stores I haunt!

Inside the box was a pin cushion I made.....traditionally, I make each of us a pin cusion of what ever design has struck my fancy that year. The White Paper Bobbins have a stamp of my favorite "zen" leaf. And the pouch....

The pouch contains a picture and all the ingredients to make the little scissor fob below.......the pattern is from the box top!

I hate to admit it but making

this whole thing was more fun than you can imagine.....

On the Thursday of our time together, we made a Bobbin holder. Mary dyed the things we used and provided everything we needed to finish.

Which as you know if you have ever attended one of these is a fabulous thing.....to go home with something finished......Each persons has the same beginnings but a completely individual end!

I am roasting vegetables today for a Quiche for dinner and the smell through the house is marvelous.....one would think I have 10 people to feed instead of my 1.......

BonJour

2011-07-16T07:33:00.007-05:00

J'ai décidé d'être français aujourd'hui.

Which says, I have decided to be French today. This is being accomplish by my surrounding myself with sweet things that I love and sharing them with you. First the flowers on the right are perfect shades of purple and green. You can see in the upper right hand corner of the picture that the river is beautiful and calm this morning. This picture is in my sunroom/studio. It is filled on 3 sides with windows and faces the mighty Delaware river. What you can not see because of my clever photography, is the Dupont Chemical plant across the river. I have only lived here when there were leaves on the trees which mask the stacks perfectly. It will be interesting to see the view when the leaves are gone.

I live in the southern part of New Jersey. It is very rural and filled with farms. I am about 20 miles from the heart of Blueberry country.....I went to the farmers market last evening and bought a bit of all the fresh NJ fruit they had. Peaches, two kinds of Cherries (Rainier and Bull Hearts), Blueberries, and, believe it or not, the last fresh local strawberries. This morning I cleaned and sliced all of them, squeezed a lemon and zested it into the bowl, added some splenda and bisquick (because I did not have any flour or cornstarch) tossed gently. Put it into the Pie Place and covered it with a combination of Oatmeal, brown sugar splenda, bisquick, and toasted coconut.....see the pick below.....after about 40 min at 350 degrees...here is my French Fruit Tart

I spent several hours in the car yesterday and when that happens, I often chat with my mother. Yesterday, we were trying to decide what we would make for meals over the weekend......Poached Chicken Breasts popped into my mind to cool and use in a fresh salad. So, in keeping with my being French today, I gathers fresh herbs from my herb pots, sliced some onion, carrots, celery, and two garlic cloves. Put all of this with water and the chicken breasts (bone in) into a pot and simmered away....the smell was magnifique! The herbs you see in the picture are parsley and sage. I think it is a very pretty broth I have from the poaching.....

These breasts are cooling on the counter as I write this and will then be chopped for a salad for dinner.....not sure what else will be included. Any suggestions??????

I am going to spend some time sitting in the sun reading this morning. It is on my list. Then a bubble bath and an afternoon of stitching. My evening is going to be matching finished stitched projects to their perfect fabric matches BECAUSE tomorrow is going to be a finishing Sunday.....that is when I set up the sewing machine very early - attach things together and then spend the day hand finishing them all.

Almost Any Excuse......

2011-06-29T17:25:00.004-05:00

This post is going to be varied and a bit random as my daughter would accuse me of being.....

First the picture depicts my feelings about certain behaviors.....Last Sunday a calamity of errors caused me to make an illegal U turn and the "Well Behaved" line became my reason. Having locked all my keys in my car and having promised to take my friends to the airport, it was a hectic morning......My Friend Connie saved the day with her AAA membership and it took 2.5 seconds for the mechanic to open the door once he arrived 45 minutes after he was called. These things happen and they are the fodder for a life well lived.

COOK BOOK REVIEWS

SIMPLY FRESH soon to be published is simply unremarkable. Beautiful photography and despite the adage that we eat with our eyes first , there has to be a reason for the second step. And yet, it might be a perfect "First" cookbook for a beginner who wants to entertain with simple recipes, no challenge, and ingredients easily purchased at the local supermarket.

AMISH FRIENDS COOKBOOK: DESSERTS Oh, My.....COOKIES, as the Monster shouts. The cookie recipes in this book make my mouth feel the crunch on my teeth and the spices on my tongue. AND my mind wonders to the milk in the refrigerator. The ingredients are unusual and yet easily found. Ever had a rhubarb cookie? You will not find these recipes in a wee book at the grocery store check out counter. My only question, is regarding the quantity some of the recipes make.....will it be enough!

The PIES....I am a woman who does not get a birthday cake, I get birthday pie. The crust recipes will rival my Mothers perfect crust. There are pie recipes here that are company worthy!

I wished for more pictures. When I closed this book, I headed to the kitchen to look for the brown sugar. Buy some on your way home from the bookstore!

I look out the window beside my computer and it is a beautiful sunset across the Delaware River. The sparkling water moves in the breeze and the leaves move like a .............well, like a leaf in the wind....
I am honored and most fortunate to be anAmerican. Celebrate this July 4th with a song in your heart!

In the Mood.............

2011-06-12T07:14:00.005-05:00

My friend Barbara Anne was supposed to visit for Brunch today but she got caught up in a Bid Deadline and had to reschedule. I had all the ingredients for this Quiche so I decided I deserved it anyway! The peas are from the local farmers market and I shelled them myself. The Vidalia is always a welcome addition to any dish. Shrimp are a favorite and these were just sweet and perfect. The Strawberries and Blueberries are some of New Jersey’s finest. A great bonus to living here in the rural part of SNJ.

I think pictures of food are just the most fun…..maybe in my next life I can be a stylist for food pictures. Do you love the little pea pod salt and pepper shakers? I am not a ceramic salt and pepper shaker lover but I think these are just too cute. And they take up little room on a table. The napkins and place mat are antique linens for my meager collection……they are hand stitched and I always wonder - first about the woman who put each stitch in the fabric AND about the stories they have heard as they sat prettily on the table.

I am visiting some friends at the end of the month in New York. I am making them some gifts and it is a perfect Sunday to finish them……look for pics after I my visit.

Jersey Tomatoes

2011-05-26T06:09:00.003-05:00

The book is Tomatoland by Barry Estabrook....I know, I know - a book about tomatoes. Well, I started it last evening and could not put it down. It is not so much about tomatoes as it is about growing tomatoes.

Somewhere Erin Brokovich and Norma Rae are wondering why the palms of their hands are itching........this is a book about the injustice of much of today's agribusiness. The horrible treatment of the migrant workers and the slavery they live. It is beautifully written. Not flowery beautiful - you just are drawn through each paragraph to the next. All I could think of since Oprah's last show was yesterday - who is going to bring this book to the masses?

Charlie Rick, Alexander Livingston, and John Warner Scott are names you have never heard. They are the Babe Ruth's of tomato genetics and tomato history. Who knew? What would possess you to spend a part of their life in South America collecting tomato seeds? I don't even like dirty hands and yet, I wanted to be with them in those fields.

Then, of course, we have our heroes....Tom Beddard of Lady Moon Farms in Florida who is good and fair and smart. He grows tomatoes that taste good! What a novel idea for Florida growers. We have Tim Stark who makes that trek from his nearly organic farm in Pennsylvania across Rt 78 to the Union Square Growers market. Stark is a farmer and business man who sells off tons of wonderful tomatoes to the people of New York City and the restaurants that have discovered him......

Now, somehow, I do not understand how Mr Estabrook could write a book about tomatoes and not have included the famous Jersey Tomato. My whole life, Ruth (my Mother) has proclaimed their perfection of taste and beauty. The sandy soil, she says, is the secret.

This book is worth every minute you will spend reading it. Imagine how you will impress everyone at this summer's BBQ with your vast tomato knowledge!

Really Good Fiction or Not

2011-05-25T05:01:00.004-05:00

Yes, that does say J. Austen....

Good Morning or Good Day depending on your time of visit. As many of you know, I am a voracious fiction reader. And, I must admit, much of it is escapist romance fiction. HOWEVER, I find that I am outgrowing this genre! Literally. The heroines are becoming 40 something or even 50 something and I no longer relate to their time and issues of life.

Now that I am 60 something, I need someone to write about the things in life that I am facing and their completely unrealistic solutions to the problems. Yes, I can still enjoy that well written story of the "Catch Up" generation such as my most recent read of HEARTACHE FALLS by Emily March. A husband who leaves his recently appointed Judgeship in Denver to follow our heroine to a small town to the west where her lifelong dream to run a small restaurant can be achieved......

Of course, they are more than comfortably well off so that we have none of those worries. and their children are all on their own with no crisis, and we have a suitable slightly curmudgeon father and dear female friend who can point us all in the right direction to find meaning in our lives. Ok, Ok, so maybe it was not well written but I read it in an afternoon. For the price of a movie ticket, I was able to escape for some time.

What do you suggest?

Maybe my Most Favorite.......

2011-05-16T05:28:00.026-05:00

Celebration of Needlework was held in Nashua, New Hampshire several weeks ago. Jackie DuPlesis of It's Fine-ally Finished taught several classes and the one I had not taken before was "Purse Party Etui". It may be my most favorite. I spend much of my leisure time visiting antique shops and flea markets looking for the needle work of women of the past. I love to collect it and wonder what they were thinking when they created it....was it a gift, did they make it for themselves, was there a pattern or did they create the design. The little purse I show you here is worth of becoming antique treasure status and would be prized by anyone......

This view shows the beautiful handle. It is a very stiff piece of wire (Our friend Darlene bent them for us into this perfect circle during the class) It is covered with the same silk ribbon that is used for the embellishment and closure. The handle is looped on each end and attached to the purse.

The tiny ribbon on the back edge is also silk and wraps completely around this piece. The pocket is created with a folded piece of silk that is woven to appear to be checked. I have put a pack of needles into the pocket so that you can see the size.

The front leaf of the purse is made into a pin keep with black silk grosgrain on the edge. I actually took apart one of my antique pin cubes to use the black head pins. Jackie included the large round pin you see as the closure I used to hold the silk ribbon in place.

This view of the inside shows you the fabulous striped silk and the sweet little needle page that is inside. I should tell you that Jackie gave us enough fabric, fiber, silks, wire handles, and ribbon to make 3 of these little purses. I chose the combination that I loved best and it is what you see here.

The finished product with some old cotton crocheted lace. It sits proudly on my fireplace mantle and now I wonder who will have it in the future. Hopefully, Elizabeth will treasure it and the efforts Jackie took to design it and create the wonderful fabrics, fibers,and ribbons that make it so special!

In honor of.....

2011-05-05T20:16:00.002-05:00

Last weekend many of my stitching sisters were at the Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, New Hampshire. To say the least, a good time was had by all. I made a little gift for them. The stitched piece you see on the left, was photographed, laminated and then I punched some holes in it and turned it into a thread keeper. The crown and queen stitched are in honor of the more than lovely wedding that took place on Friday.

Thanks to all who have contacted me off line about sending things to the ladies of the south. It is the very least we can do!

A wonderful Mother's Day to all of you who have children or who have nurtured the child in us all.......

Our Stitching Sisters

2011-05-04T10:43:00.002-05:00

No pictures today.

Several years ago I sent Boxes of Patterns and Stitching stuff to Australia after the fire. Over the last several weeks our stitching sisters in the south have been devastated by tornadoes.....I have to believe more than one sampler was swept into the sky from which it has never returned.......

Imagine your stash of Weeks Dye Works flying overhead in that awful whirlwind.

Many many of you stepped up during my last venture.

I would like to see up put something together....if you are all in, let me know and I will start to research the EGA's in Alabama and Mississippi to see how we can help.....

At the very least, I would like to recommend that when ever we gather everyone bring a kit you are sure you will never make and as a group send them off to the south.....

I would love to hear your thoughts and especially ideas.....many of you may have ways we can get things to our Southern Sisters!!!

Coco - A Year Later

2011-02-16T16:42:00.003-06:00

Many of you saw the pictures of Coco as she was growing up and living in Chicago. Well, last Winter when I was getting ready to move, my daughter, Elizabeth, took her for a few weeks until I could get settled. This is where the story diverges....My version is that Coco and Elizabeth plotted against me so that Coco could stay a country dog instead of a city dog. Elizabeth's version is that I drug my feet so long to get Coco back that she fell in love with Elizabeth and would not leave. Which ever version works for you, this is Coco taking a nap on Elizabeth's lap and enjoying her life!

My best girls...................

I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED......

2011-02-16T16:28:00.002-06:00

To make one of these, but I never take my glasses off except to sleep. Then in October when I was in Utah, my friend Mary complained about looking for her glasses! There it was, the perfect opportunity. So I made it for her for her birthday. Which is in January. It finally was put into the mail.

It was great fun to make. I did not have a pattern just a picture of one I had seen while surfing the internet. But once I thought it all out, it was fine. It is weighted with round pocket weights I sewed on to a piece of batting and then basted to the bottom of the pincushion....The Glass pocket is lined with Warm and Natural so that it cradles the glasses..the Pincushion can, in fact, function as such.

I think she is using it. Mary took this picture and sent it to me.

I FEEL SPRING.......................Also, look for a new picture of my little Coco!

A New Day

2010-12-09T17:58:00.002-06:00

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

2010-04-15T08:07:00.002-05:00

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

2010-02-09T04:04:00.005-06:00

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

2010-01-27T04:58:00.006-06:00

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

2010-01-22T05:32:00.004-06:00

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

2010-01-06T07:42:00.005-06:00

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!

December 31

2009-12-31T04:45:00.004-06:00

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

2009-11-20T05:27:00.004-06:00

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!!!

2009-11-09T04:47:00.002-06:00

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.........

2009-10-19T04:19:00.002-05:00

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

2009-10-15T04:08:00.002-05:00

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.....

2009-10-13T04:35:00.004-05:00

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

2009-10-12T05:04:00.005-05:00

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........

2009-10-05T05:28:00.006-05:00

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

2009-10-01T04:37:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-28T05:39:00.004-05:00

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

2009-09-22T17:42:00.003-05:00

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.....

2009-09-22T05:07:00.003-05:00

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......

2009-09-21T05:13:00.006-05:00

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........

2009-09-07T05:43:00.002-05:00

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..............

2009-09-03T04:37:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-30T20:13:00.003-05:00

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.....

2009-08-26T05:35:00.003-05:00

.....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

2009-08-23T08:51:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-19T19:20:00.002-05:00

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.....

2009-08-14T04:57:00.003-05:00

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......

2009-08-13T06:00:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-11T06:00:00.004-05:00

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

2009-08-09T05:32:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-08T05:58:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-08-02T10:01:00.004-05:00

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

2009-07-30T05:11:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-24T05:50:00.003-05:00

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,,,,,

2009-07-22T04:45:00.003-05:00

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

2009-07-19T13:23:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-15T05:46:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-14T05:07:00.006-05:00

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

2009-07-12T10:15:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-10T18:38:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-10T18:30:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-10T18:25:00.001-05:00

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

2009-07-09T07:14:00.003-05:00

A Visit East

2009-07-05T17:08:00.003-05:00

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

2009-06-21T05:55:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-19T05:23:00.002-05:00

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

2009-06-15T18:39:00.004-05:00

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!

Friendly Stitchers....Really Are

2009-06-15T18:34:00.003-05:00

I am chaneling Lily Tomlin....But is this the cutest Floss Tag you have ever seen....there is a single lady bug on the other side....Plus all the wonderful Floss Mary send with it....and a sweet note. The name of the Yahoo Group is Friendly Stitchers....it is out of the UK and they are a terrific group of women.....Thanks Gillie for connecting me to them....and a Giant Thanks to Mary for sending the good luck bug!

Another Sunday

2009-06-14T18:01:00.002-05:00

Hello
It is another Sunny, Breezy Sunday in Chicago. Having awakened early, stared at the tabby cat in the window across the street, stitched, designed, chatted with Elizabeth, had a pedicure, shopped at Filene's Basement, read a romantic novel I picked up in Borders, and took a lovely bubble bath. What more could you ask of a decadent Sunday!

I did not grocery shop....alas, I will have to buy bananas at Starbucks this week - which is a HUGE waste of money, I did not finish the Prestitch for Jackies Class in two weeks....I did not finish the CSW Challenge Stitch I am supposed to have done for the same visit....

One can not always complete everything of the list. And since I love making lists this just gives me the opportunity to make more.

I did receive the next round of squares from Maren from Fair and Square. Hers will go into the mail tomorrow. They are lovely and picture will appear her soon.

Yesterday I completed the stitching on the floss Tag for Mouse.....I will put it together tomorrow evening and send it off to England on Tuesday.

A full weekend....a lovely weekend.

EGA SHARED IDEA

2009-06-11T05:50:00.003-05:00

Some day I will figure out how to actually make a post larger....until that time you will have to endure my putting the information under the picture!

What you see below is a gift I made for my friend Connie for her birthday. Several months ago one of the generous members of my EGA Chapter, brought one of these for us to see. Hers was made from an Oriental Design of a Tea Towel. It was sewn onto itself approx 2 1/2" across the bottom and then that was stuffed into a roll and the ends of it gathered shut.

By now most of you know that I can not leave something alone SOOO, I made mine out of a quilted placemat as I thought it would give some bulk. I sewed some rings along the stuffed roll as a thread keeper. I cut a matching placemat and made it into a scissor Fob. The Fob has a snap on the ribbon and on the Matt so that you can snap it into place or have it separated to use! I used some china buttons to sew the ribbons in place on the outside. You put a project and all it's thread into the Project Keeper, roll it up, and tie the ribbons on the outside. It is perfect for small projects and you can put it into your purse!

I had made one of these for myself. Connie liked it and wanted to know how to make one. It was a perfect idea for her Birthday!

I realize the directions might not be great and if you want more details, let me know - I will try to explain better.....perhaps with a little drawing!

EGA SHARED IDEA

2009-06-11T05:41:00.005-05:00

Floss Exchange - Stacy

2009-06-05T15:02:00.002-05:00

I made this Floss Keeper as an Exchange on TTE...it seems I did not put the card into the package and poor Stacy had to track me down. It is a design of my own and I fell in love with the idea of the spring colors and simplicity of it.

I hope she enjoys it as much as I enjoyed making it!

Arizona - Native American

2009-06-03T19:58:00.003-05:00

Last weekend I attended a Retreat (ASG) taught by Rae Iverson. It was the first I have ever done that was inspired and charted around American Indian Motifs and Folk Lore.

The main piece is a pin cushion fashioned around a Cradle Board.....the scissors slide beneath it as a sheath. There are several additional pieces. A needle book and a thimble keep. The chances I ever complete those are not good but I am pleased and proud of the piece you see here.

Where you see the beads on the edges were to be Queen Stitches....I do not like queen stitches and am not good at them so I decided to put beads and was very happy with the outcome.

The very best part of this event was the wonderful time I got to spend with dear friends. We were very helpful to the economy by visiting the Attic, a local needlework shop. The owner could not have been more attentive and helpful....it was a fine example of service!

Cradle Board

2009-06-03T19:55:00.003-05:00

Left and Right Sides

2009-06-03T19:52:00.002-05:00

Victoria

2009-05-22T05:54:00.002-05:00

It is the memorial day weekend and I am going to honor it by telling you a memory. My dear grandmother, Victoria kept one of those large spouted metal watering cans on her back porch near the steps. It probably held close to 2 gallons of water. How this wisp of a woman lifted it is a marvel.

As I remember it, my grandmothers flower garden was huge. And yet, when I think back to it's actual size it was not so big. The roses grew along one side from the house to the back fence. Perhaps 20 yards. In the early morning when the dew was still on the grass, she would travel this line pulling the Japanese beetles from the heads of the roses and putting them into an old Coffee can which I now know held kerosene. There would be no spray on her flowers. She daily protected them from her arch enemies!

The peonies were pink and the size of saucers. Their leaves lush and dark green. I can not bring back the memory of their location in this garden. I can only remember them cut and ready.

As memorial day drew near, the old metal flower containers would begin to appear on the back porch next to the watering can. On the Thursday, she would begin to clip these prize flowers and put them in to the containers to get ready for the cemetary. You see, my grandmother had a beloved husband and son to remember. And she did it with pride and simple grace. Her heart was in this chore.

On Sunday we would load the flowers and watering can into the car and make the short drive to the cemetary. I was too young to understand the emotions that were going on for her. I can only imagine the flood of memories each and every Memorial Day. My job was to go across the cemetary to the water spigot that stood on the very far side. This was a prized job for me as it seemed a long way to travel alone to fill the watering can and lug it back by myself.

These days, it will be my job, in a week or two when I travel back to Pennsylvania, to take my mother to the cemetary. We will t ake preplanted flowers in wooden containers....My grandmother is there and so it is important to remember her as well. I own the watering can now and it is a treasure. I will still made that trip to the spigot but it is not so far any longer.

We all have memories to share on this weekend and I am glad that we set aside a time to Remember. There is a sweet Shepherd's Bush Pattern that simply says "Remember".

Spend some time over the next days doing just that. Remember all those you love or have loved.

Diane's Gift

2009-05-18T07:22:00.003-05:00

My Sister made a heart just like this for me so I made one for her and a little Strawberry with her initial.

DAVIE'S SHOE

2009-05-18T07:21:00.003-05:00

This is a birthday gift for my friend Davie Jane. She is an excellent Shoe Shopper and this is to hang on her closet door knob!

AUSTRALIA

2009-05-14T08:08:00.001-05:00

A Fair and Square Exchange I sent to Australia.

The pattern is an adaptation from the Antique Pattern Library. It is on 32 count Evenweave with overdyed silks.

Tenderness Of Heart....

2009-05-06T08:10:00.004-05:00

My dear friend, Virginia, has stitched a chart I designed...it is a quote from Jane Austin. I had originally charted it in English and Virginia inspired me to try it in French. She helped me with several translations and you can see it finished on her blog....she is a follower here so you can access it in that way. She has been asked about buying the chart. It is my first venture out in the world and I do not want to sell it. I will glad to share it, however. So, Virginia has suggested that I put it here to be downloaded.

Now as much as that is a great idea, it is going to take some tech knowledge that I do not possess at this moment. Be patient with me and I will figure out how to do it. If anyone has any suggestions, let me know. It may be easiest for you to leave me your email address and I will send it off to you.

I also have it charted in English and am working on it myself....

Successful Exchange........

2009-04-24T08:02:00.005-05:00

A wonderful exchange Pinkeep from Lynn.....It is so lovely to receive something that you know was stitched with you in mind!

Thank you.

A Wee Treasure

2009-04-22T16:55:00.007-05:00

This was designed by Abi Gurten of Friendly Stitchers. A lovely and generous woman. She sent us a pattern and told us to do with it what we wanted....I took part of it and made this cheeky little needle roll....it spoke to me Abi!

Thank you

Two Exchange Gifts

2009-04-22T16:48:00.003-05:00

These treasures came to me from two exchanges in which I participate. The Biscornu came from Poland and the Squares came from Autralia....both will be a welcome and delightful part of my life.

Shepherd's Bush "Remember"

2009-04-13T10:32:00.003-05:00

I love the sentiment of this pillow and added charms and memories of my own.....I am sure many will be added over the years.....

Exchange Pin Keep

2009-04-13T10:29:00.002-05:00

This is an adaptation of a Shepherd's Bush Scissor Fob.

They are so generous with their fabric and threads that I had enough to do it twice.

I dyed the pins to match the house with Rit Dye.....It will be part of an exchange.

EGA GIFT

2009-04-13T10:27:00.001-05:00

I have designed and will be kitting this Pinkeep as a Gift in a basket we are putting together for a Regional EGA Meeting.

They are not colors that I would normally pick but every thing in the basket is to be Blue! I dyed the pins with Rit Dye to match the Darkest Blue.

Filled with Lavender

2009-03-23T10:59:00.000-05:00

I think this would be very sweet filled with lavender and hung on a bed post.

Luckily .....

2009-03-23T10:40:00.001-05:00

My Daughter does not look here so I can post a picture of what will be her Birthday Pillow next October....

Variation on a Theme

2009-03-23T10:38:00.001-05:00

I made a variationof this in a Long Narrow Ornament. It is a clever design and I live the monochromatic finish.

Did it Again

2009-03-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

I made this pattern to give away last December and wanted one for myself....

Busy Weekend...

2009-03-23T08:27:00.003-05:00

Two little finished ornaments.

Another "Finish" Sunday

2009-03-22T12:13:00.002-05:00

Not to be confused with a country in Northern Europe! I have spent the day sewing and finishing the myriad of pillows, pockets, fobs and ornaments I stitched in the last few months. Tomorrow I will photograph and put them here. Some are my own designs, several are Shepherds Bush, of course, and some I can not recall the designer!

There is something satisfying about completeing them.....it inspires me ...j

FAIR AND SQUARE EASTER

2009-03-17T07:11:00.002-05:00

These are the beautiful squares I received from Mary Kathryn ....the colors are very pretty and the design is most appropriate! Thanks so much for you glorious efforts!

Pay It Forward

2009-03-11T05:18:00.002-05:00

Hello and Good Day.....
As I have been the recipient of the lovely idea of Pay It Forward, it is my welcome obligation to, in fact, do so.

I have decided that each entry will need to tell me of their "Most Favorite Day" ....it does not have to be elaborate and yet it needs to be true to your heart.....it may have been that first sweet kiss, the first look at a welcome child, the first time you heard "I love you". There is no wrong response....

The Deadline will be March 21....I will pick two "Winners" and send them a unique and custom designed piece that I will stitch and finish - inspired by their "Most Favorite Day"!

Fair and Square

2009-03-10T12:08:00.001-05:00

These are the Squares I made for the Easter Exchange
They are more spring than Easter....
Mary Kathryn has received them so I am posting
them.

Same Gift

2009-03-04T16:08:00.000-06:00

Different Angle....Their are losts of little flowers under all the ribbons.

Birthday Gift

2009-03-04T16:06:00.001-06:00

This is a Floss Holder Birthday Gift for My Friend Rosie.

I have not mailed it yet, but she does not even know this blog exists!

It was a fun thing to do....I added the ribbons for some depth and softness!

Admission!!!

2009-03-04T08:48:00.001-06:00

Hi
I designed the Biscornu Chart. I would be very happy to send it to you....just send me your email addresses and I will scan and send. Glad you liked it.....

BISCORNU

2009-03-03T09:26:00.001-06:00

I don't feel as if I have fully described what I meant to show in the previous post.....the picture on the bottom is actually what I think of as the top of the Biscornu....the top picture is actually the bottom....and the middle picture is just a close up of the edge.
Whew!

Biscornu Tiny Treasures

2009-03-03T09:20:00.005-06:00

I am participating in the Tiny Treasures Exchange. My very first Biscornu is shown here.....it was more work than I thought it would be since you have to stitch a bottom and a top....It went together very easily and that was a good thing!

Decision

2009-02-26T08:01:00.002-06:00

Good Day to you all...I have been inspired by the many and varied Blogs here....some of these stitchers could make a living writing.....I don't think I am one of them and yet, I do have some words to share and am going to begin to share them.....

I am overwhelmed by the camaraderie of women here....here is the blind and soulful Internet we all roam .........women who would not be kind to one another, help one another, and see all the flaws in one another are the epitome of politeness and goodness here. Why? What changes us in this unseeing world? What enables us to share the very sadness we do not tell our best friends to the strangers who blog with us? What has us rushing to this world to tell of sick children, passing parents, and untrue men....to women who will stroke us with kind words always? Is it that we can stroke and move on without the need for actual action? Is it that we can send the kind words that would be so hard for us to say in person? Is it the sense of real connection by that fine red thread we so often hear about?

I don't know the answer. And yet, I do know that when I read all these posts and I see all the incredibly creative stitching, I want to gather you all in my arms and share the comfort and brilliance!

"There is nothing wrong with the world that a sensible woman could not settle in an afternoon."
J. Giraudaux

FIRST FAIR AND SQUARE - SQUARES

2009-02-09T11:48:00.003-06:00

These are my first Fair and Square Squares and I love them...the stitiching is beautiful and the colors are favorites!

Antique Pattern Adaptation

2009-02-09T11:44:00.003-06:00

This is an adaptation of a Table Cloth Edge from the Antique Pattern Library. I added the hears for Valentines Day.

OL Tannenbaum

2009-02-09T11:43:00.001-06:00

I love to vary the colors from the traditional red and green....this is my soothing winter tones!

For the Quilt Folks in England

2009-02-09T11:41:00.001-06:00

Sent this off the Jayne for her to post on the site!

I will probably send her the original to use on a quilt even if they do not decide to use it.

Bushy Weekend

2009-02-09T11:39:00.002-06:00

I spent a busy finishing weekend!

Fair and Square.....First Exchange

2009-01-26T07:38:00.001-06:00

These are the Squares I sent to Susan for my First Fair and Square Exchange....I love the icy colors of Winter.

JENNY IN SWEDEN

2009-01-23T07:46:00.001-06:00

This is the bookmark I made for Jenny in Sweden. She likes Frank Lloyd Wright and this is an adaptation of a stained glass window he designed.

Exchanges....

2009-01-22T18:27:00.002-06:00

I find I want to keep the things I make for the exchanges.....I hope the recipient is as pleased with the results as I am.

Tiny Treasure

2009-01-20T10:03:00.001-06:00

Scissor Fob and Strawberry I sent to Robin....It is a wonderful feeling to have something received so graciously!