Stitch Away

Keepsakes Framing and Stitching hosts a great Stitch Away retreat in January.  This was their 10th year.  Lots of friends, stitching and sharing.  A nice dedicated time for stitching.  I love it.

Here's our friend Toni.  She makes us laugh like crazy. She has a heart of gold and I'm so glad I count her as a friend.

Here's Linda sporting her Valentine's day head gear.  Every day she wore a different tiara.  She works like crazy to help with this stitch away.

Here are Meem and Anna Mae stitching.  Meem is the extrovert and Anna Mae is quiet and rolls her eyes at our antics.

Christie of  Indigo Rain and Lisa The Inspired Stitcher my stitching peeps.

Here's a room view.  80 plus women attended this year.  80 women with like minded joy in stitching. Yeah us!

One highlight of the weekend was getting to meet Lisa's girl, Shelby. What a sweetheart.  Her DH was kind to bring her over for a little visit with those of us who hear about her and love her from afar. A very pretty lady with nice manners.

One of the highlights of the weekend comes Saturday night when people share what they've stitched.  Here is a view of the beauties.

I was a part of this show and tell. (Lisa has more pictures on her blog)  I did the black variation.

While I was on the weekend, I spent each day stitching on one thing.  I didn't flip from one thing to another but stay focused.  It helped me get a lot done.  First is Susan Singleton my Scarlet Letter SAL.  I love it.

Here the latest on my La D Da Margaret Cottam.  Bad picture, sorry.  It's on 35 ct. Confederate Grey.

I also worked on I Sigh Not for Beauty.  I really want to finish Beauty this year.  She's a fun stitch and deserves to be done and framed. I'm getting close.

It was Keepsakes 10th year hosting the stitch away.  Our first gift, when we arrived was this box filled with treats and free charts.  Through out the weekend we received 10 gifts.

These are some of the gifts. Eight of the gifts are notions.  One of the gifts was a gorgeous necklace.  Lisa has more information on her blog.

Last, was my stash enhancement for the weekend.

I love this linen.  It's shadowy but it shows the silver flecks that are scattered throughout the linen.  It will be perfect for a winter or Christmas sampler.

Well, that was my wonderful weekend.  I think at great time was had by all.  I know I had a great time.

Marsha

Under the Wire

I finished two more things this week.  Happily before his Mommy, my DD, took her Christmas tree down, I finished my grandson, Evan's, ornament.  There's a lot of stitching in this one with a couple of stitches I haven't done before. The two bands on the sheep are done in a mosaic stitch and a double tie stitch - I think that's the name of it.  There's also a small piece of cording that attaches the sheep to Old Saint Nick.

Here's the back, with a very old piece of material that matched perfectly.



This is Mosey and Me's design from this year's JCS magazine.  I used a 32 ct. Picture this Plus linen in Earthen and all the threads called for. 

All week I've been hand stitching, and hand stitching and hand stitching the binding on this queen size quilt.  I am so happy this is complete.  It's been stitched and quilted and just waiting for me to sew down that binding. I decided I wanted to complete it before the end of the year.  I'm so happy it's done.

The pattern is called Five and Dime.  This is my second quilt.  Here is the back.

I call it my Little Red Riding Hood quilt.

I have it on my Grandma's sleigh bed.  She quilted most of her life and I'm so happy to honor her bed with a quilt of my own. 

That's my story for this year.  Hope you all have a Happy New Year.

Marsha

Christmas Goodies

This is crazy picture heavy.  Would have tried to spread it out but then with shopping, wrapping etc.

In my last post I told you I'd share how I finished this piece.  Diane of Nan's Needlework Notions taught me how to make a cube this past summer.  I finally made one on my own.  I love how it turned out.

Linda K. (pictured below) has been gifting me all year as my secret stitcher.  I thought I would give her the cube.  Something a little different.

She made me this wonderful ornament.  She made me some wonderful pillows this past year.

Our guild celebrated with a Christmas party earlier in December.  Lisa, The Inspired Stitcher showed quite a few pictures from the party so, I hope some of these are different.  We have two ornament exchanges.  The secret stitchers and guild members who wish to exchange.  There also is a display area to show stitched pieces.

Christie of Indigo Rain stitched 'JOY'.

Maribeth stitched this sampler.  The birds are in her favorite color, purple.

Group photo op.  Meem, Lisa, Patti and Christie.  Stitching peeps.

This is the ornament I got in the exchange .

I was Christie's secret stitcher all year and she stitched this one for me. Pretty.

Patti gave each of her peeps a salt cellar with our initials stitched.  I LOVE this.  Extraordinary. Tiny. Gorgeous.

Christie gave each of us a jewelry pouch and yummy chocolates.

Lisa gave us each a cool new tin and matching floss to stitch the inside goodies.  My favorite colors.

All the guild members in attendance received a cute jar pin cushion.  I chose blue, my favorite color.

This was my last gift from Linda, my secret stitcher.  A 31 container holding lots of goodies.

Love all my goodies.

I have one more ornament to show you.  Next time.

Marsha