• Market,  Stitching,  Travel

    Nashville Market 2016, Part 1

    March 15, 2016

    Hello from Omaha! I'm back from Nashville, but not fully recovered, I don't believe. I'll check again in a little while, after I've poured my fourteenth cup of coffee for the day.

    Market was so much fun, although a little more eventful than I expected! I brought Sophie and Sabrina with me this year, and both girls were very excited: Sophie, because she loves the market atmosphere and getting to meet lots of shop owners, and Sabrina, because she's never been to a market and wanted to see what it was all about. However, she ended up missing the whole thing, thanks to her wisdom teeth becoming impacted and us having to take her to the emergency room at about midnight, the night before the show started. I felt terrible for her, because my girl is not a complainer or a crybaby, so to see her in so much pain was hard for me. She ended up sleeping through most of market, but did manage to get out and about here and there.

    Since I was down by one assistant, Carol and Denise came to my rescue, and Sophie and I cannot thank them enough for all their help. (As I type this, Sabrina is upstairs sleeping – again – but this time it's because she just got home from having her wisdom teeth pulled! I've been laughing at her all morning because of how goofy the medicine has made her, although I spared taking any video of her.)

    I left the room on Sunday to visit a few suites and take some pictures, so here are the first batch.. I don't always remember who the designer is (shame on me!) because of the hundreds of photos I take, and it can get a little confusing. Only a handful end up edited and on my blog, because we would both be here all day if I uploaded every single one! But if you see something you love, and don't know who the designer is, ask your shop owner to take a look, and she/he should be able to help you. 🙂

    Here we go! Some you will recognize, and some you may not! 🙂

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    Here is Mrs. Twist from Heartstring Samplery, on the same mission as I am. Be sure to visit her blog to see her market post – it's wonderful (and you get the names of the designers too)!

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    I think we'll stop right there for today! Thank you so much for stopping by, and come back soon for more market photos! What a privilege it was for me to see all of these in person.. the cover photos on the charts never quite do them justice.

    See you soon!

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  • Retreats,  Stitching,  Travel,  Workshops

    You’re Invited!

    March 17, 2015

    I'm honored to have been asked to teach a class at Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach this spring, and I'd love it if you could attend! The weekend will be full of merriment in the form of stitching, shopping, eating, coffee-drinking, and relaxing with old friends and new. If you've never visited Pat and Ann's shop, now would be a great time to do so! I'd love to meet you (and so would they!), and it all starts on Friday afternoon (April 24th) into Saturday evening (April 25th).

    Spring Weekend Blog Announcement

    The event begins with an Open House at the shop from 12-5 on Friday, and there will be a special kit for the attendees. Then on Saturday we'll be at the Greenbrier Country Club where I'll be presenting a new sampler with fourteen colors, a generous stitch count, and a theme that will help to usher in our upcoming season of patriotism. There are two class times to choose from – morning or afternoon, and all the other details can be found here.

    The registration for this Spring Weekend opens today! I hope you'll be there!

     

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  • Market,  Stitching,  Travel

    Nashville Market – Part 3

    March 10, 2015

    Welcome back! Here are the last set of photos from this year's market, hosted by Yarn Tree and Needlework Retailer. They did such a wonderful job, right down to all the fine details, and I can't thank them enough for everything! I hope they continue to host more markets for all of us – just as soon as they recover from this one, that is. 🙂

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    I hope you enjoyed looking through the market photos.. again, if there is anything you'd like to have stitched for your home, simply contact your shop owner and let them know what it is you'd like! They most likely already have it in their shop, with your name on it. If you're not sure what the name of a chart is called that you see here, you can give your shop owner the address of this blog and the number of the photograph (hover your mouse over the image and it will reveal its magic number to you), and they should be able to do the rest.

    Have you hugged your shop owner today? 😉

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  • Market,  Stitching,  Travel

    Nashville Market – Part 1

    March 8, 2015

    What a fabulous market it was!! I always have so much fun reuniting with good friends, going out to fun restaurants in big groups (there were 20 of us one night!), chatting with all of the shop owners, and getting to see all of the new designs (and some of the previously-released ones) everyone has worked so hard to get released in time for the big weekend! I stepped out a few times and snapped some pictures of some of the models and the cute decorations. If you see a design you like, please contact your shop owner and ask them about it, because chances are, they will know exactly what it is and how to get it into your hands!

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    This picture is for you, Niky!

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    I think we'll stop there for today! Come back tomorrow, and I'll have Part 2 posted!

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  • Class Pieces,  Friends,  Retreats,  Stitching,  Travel

    Fall Back

    December 8, 2014

    I have no idea why I don't post photos when they're freshly-taken, but I tend to stay away from my computer for long periods of time. Every day I think to myself, "I really should post the Shepherd's Bush retreat pictures," and every day I put it off… again, my hip issues hamper my enthusiasm for blogging!

    But I've culled the retreat photos and edited them in batches, and here they all are, finally! Well, not all… I seem to be missing some important folders that contain the other designers' teaching pieces in their entirety, and I'm completely missing the Just Another Button Company's pumpkin project they taught! (I sincerely hope you've been able to see it elsewhere online, because it's so sweet!)

    I'll just start posting in no particular order… you've most likely seen all of the projects and boutique designs presented here, but just in case you suddenly get the urge to add one or two to your Christmas Wish List, then I will be thrilled that I posted them!

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    The famous sisters… one can't help but be very happy around these two!

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    I wanted to know what these girls were laughing so hard at…

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    … but when I saw who was sitting across from them, I immediately knew. Anywhere these amigos are, there is bound to be a lot of laughing!

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    Aren't these miniature versions of the His & Hers Thanksgiving Stockings amazing? Three adorable friends made them and wore them, and of course, I was very impressed (and honored!)…

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    Here they are, and such lovely friends! I had so much fun being around them! Their stories and tattle-tale adventures are quite hysterical.

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    Another close-up of Chessie and Me's class piece… stunning!

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     The Giving Season pinkeep (pictured above) was part of R&R's class.. here are some closer looks at their main sampler. Again, I've got several photos missing that show these outstanding class pieces in all their glory! I'm so disappointed!

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    From around the boutique, set up in one of the resort's large meeting rooms…

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    Okay, I have to admit that I was sorely tempted to stitch this using Shepherd's Bush's conversion and the JABC buttons – not to mention the outstanding frame job that Jill Rensel did on it!

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    More class piece close-ups…

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    The pincushion exchange for the heifer project was a huge success! What fabulous little works of art!

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    On the last night, Tina and Teri organized the most bountiful banquet for all the attendees! The fun included a delicious dinner and dessert, Thanksgiving Bingo, prizes, and a whole lot of laughter and friendship…

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    I love this picture.. she found something awfully surprising!

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    One of the prizes was an entire frame and mat set from Rensel Studios for the Shepherd's Bush class piece! What an outstanding prize, and the recipient of this generous gift from Jill was more than thrilled…

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    One of the attendees stitched one of the mini pieces from my class while she was there (so fast!) and had some of the teachers sign it with a Sharpie, which I thought was such a fun idea! We were all nervous about putting permanent marker to linen, but it all worked out beautifully!

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    The kit for this beautiful project was a parting gift from Tina and Teri to all the attendees…

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    The 2014 Shepherd's Bush retreat was a highlight of my year! It was such a wonderful time spent with old friends, new friends, lots of stitching projects, and the beautiful scenery, all at the Canyons Resort in Park City. My hope is that Tina and Teri will continue this every-other-year tradition, as it wouldn't be an every-other-year without it. 🙂 I'm so thankful for the time I spent there.

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  • Market,  Travel

    Market Off My List

    November 14, 2014

    Okay, so I don't exactly have a list to mark anything off of; perhaps if I did, I'd have posted these market pictures ages ago! Although they're not exactly new releases any more (most of them were released in August) maybe you'll find one or a few that are new to you… (And get a head start on next fall's stitching!)

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    I regret that I couldn't make it to all of the rooms to get pictures of everyone's things – there was so much to see! – but I hope you've enjoyed this small glimpse into how market went in St. Charles this year. I am so excited for the new Nashville market in February of next year! I think it's going to be so much fun, and I can hardly wait for the buzz of it to begin!

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  • Stitching,  Travel

    Shepherd’s Bush

    October 25, 2014

    Well, by the time you read this I'll be out of town again! I just thought I'd pre-blog the photos from one of the most wonderful places on earth: Shepherd's Bush, in Ogden, Utah!

    I didn't get a lot of different pictures this time because the shop was packed to the rafters with delighted customers, filling their arms with new stitching goodies, and I kept bumping into people and saying, "Oh! Excuse me!" So I thought that I'd best snap as many pictures as I could (which wasn't that many) before Tina or Teri had to call Cross Stitch Security on me.

    I hope you enjoy this very mini tour! It's a shop that's brimming with something new and lovely and soft and happy in every nook imaginable. Being there makes you want to stop and stare for a few moments, and then  start joyously collecting new projects that you didn't know you needed.

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    I had a fit over this "Wicked Plant" by Barbara Ana Designs, and will indeed be stitching it just like Shepherd's Bush has it.. and then sending it right off to Jill Rensel for that fabulous set of painted mats and moulding!

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    After visiting the shop for all of about 22 minutes (I had a lot to do to to prepare for my first class), so I couldn't stay as long as I wanted to!), we whisked off to Jill Rensel's studio to see what stunning new pieces she had waiting to be picked up by their owners.

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    Does anyone know the designer of the piece below? I think it's fabulous! (Sorry for the glare!)

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    Jill had these sweet little ornaments she was giving away to visitors in the shop…

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    And here is Norma with one of Jill's sweet babies…

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    It was such a delight visiting sweet Jill and Amber, but I don't have photos to share here because I just realized they're all on my phone! I was wondering where they'd all disappeared to..

    I'll be back soon with pictures from the retreat at The Canyons, with some of the teachers' projects, the pincushion exchange, and the retreat boutique, which was literally a store-away-from-the-store, packed with loads of stitching treasures!

    In the mean time, to those of you who attended, I hope you're enjoying all the projects you came home with! It was one of the best times ever, getting to visit with you all!

    See you soon!

     

     

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  • Friends,  Stitching,  Travel

    Karin’s Stitching Room

    July 2, 2014

    Oh how I wish you all could see this room in person! It's so lovely and serene and feminine, and I enjoyed every moment in there, just gazing at the softness of it all. Since the Inspired Summer Seminar was held very close to where Karin lives, Karin attended the workshop, as well as invited me to stay in her gorgeous home while I was there.

    Everywhere I looked, there were lovely stitched creations set about, each one quietly tempting me to pick it up. (But as every good stitcher knows, one does not simply man-handle another's lovely stitched creations!)

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    I've had this Jeanette Douglas design kitted up for ages, and now I wonder why I never found the time to stitch it…

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    This design was so delightful to me! But Karin couldn't think of the name of it at the time (perhaps all of my oohing and aahing was ringing in her ears, causing her to have a mental block); the lilac and black of the design was just so striking…

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    I loved the wall unit in the room, laden with so much stitchery-fabricy goodness…

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    (Are those drawers in the background not giving you palpitations? I need the smelling salts.)

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    Karin, when I left your home, I wanted to come home and literally stitch my guts out. I love you for that. 🙂

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    P.S. The samplers throughout the rest of her home are outstanding as well.. simply marvelous! But like this stitching room's contents, they are all off to a new home in New York, where Karin will soon be moving to.

    P.P.S. Where there is stitching, there is home.

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  • Class Pieces,  Friends,  Retreats,  Travel

    An Inspiring Weekend!

    June 26, 2014

    What a fantastic time I had last weekend at the Inspired Summer Seminar! It was one of the best times I've ever had, meeting so many new friends and visiting the gorgeous Inspired Needle shop, owned by Cathy Roginela. She was the most perfect hostess, and everyone had such a fun time.

    Friday night I got to visit the shop, and everywhere I looked, there was something new to see…

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    I've never seen so many fibers in one place!

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    This isn't the whole shop; up around the corner on the left, it continues on, where she had some of my models displayed for a trunk show…

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    To welcome all who visited the shop that night, Cathy had set up the most beautiful selection of appetizers…

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    She had several varieties of mini cheesecakes, and they were all absolutely delicious. (Salted Caramel, Vanilla Bean, Blueberry, Raspberry… too many to choose from!)

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    The next morning our workshop began at the Ruffled Feathers Country Club. It was a gorgeous venue, with beautiful sunny windows all around. We even got to witness a wedding outside! (But I didn't take pictures of that, don't worry.)

    Here's one of the tables, with everyone busily stitching away on Liberty Inn…

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    Cathy had the most wonderful thread-minders made, modeled after the flag star in the sampler, and with the weekend's inscription on the flip side!

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    It was such a lovely day, and if she holds another workshop, I'd highly recommend attending! Thank you to Cathy and to each person who was able to attend (we had 52 stitchers there!) for being so warm and welcoming to me. I'll never forget the fun I had with you, and I look forward to hopefully visiting with you again some day!

    And a huge thank you to my dear friend Karin, for allowing me to stay in her lovely home. (I'll be back soon with pictures of her beautiful stitching room!)

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