HoopLa

Saturday we had our HoopLa get together to work on our Embroidery Hoop Stitcher's Box and Embroidery Hoop Scissors Pin Keepe, ala Vonna .  We had soooo much fun.  All of our projects aren't finished, but we made some headway on Saturday.

It was a great day.  Everyone pitched in and helped others in their own special way.  It was heartwarming to experience that and just have fun and laugh.  Six years ago I didn't know any of these gals, except, of course, my daughter.  Three years ago I still did not really "know" a couple of them.  Now they are all very special friends.  I know that all the stitchers who might read this must have very special stitching friends as well.

OK, on to the photos.  Rose received her Certificate of Accomplishment 2011 from Western Reserve Sampler Guild for completing Anniversary Roses, the beautiful sampler designed by Lauren Sauer.
I mention that here because this piece was also voted Members Choice for 2011.

A happy Rose!

Great accomplishment.
This sampler is magnificent...
and big!

Now, on to the work of the day!  I have to include the first two photos for several reasons.  Toni is one of our unofficial cheer leaders and great helper.  She spent much of her day cutting out mat board and covering buttons and other helpful things...for others.  Toni has decided to stitch a different piece for the top of her stitching box, so most of her time was spent on our projects.  She gifted all of us with a little note pad with the cover stating that Arts and Crafts Keep you Sane, from Mary Engelbreit.  I immediately questioned that statement.  So, looking at these two photos this morning had to make me laugh.  BTW Toni is dressed in some left over Mardi Gras regalia, just for the fun of it!

OK...she looks sane and is having fun.

Well, maybe not so much on the fun part!

OK, finally some pictures of our projects:

These are Linda's finishes.
The photo does not do her stitched top justice;
her fabric choice absolutely set this piece off perfectly.
Thanks to Linda for encouraging us to have a day for hoops!

This is Lenore's hoop stitcher's box
and her coordinating prairie point pincushion.

A close up of Lenore's stitched box lid.
Really nice.
I love the charm she chose for the center.

Oh, I am so mad.
Blogger is not cooperating and 
will not allow me to add any more photos
to this post, so I am going to 
end this now and make a 
part two post.  
So sorry!

February Hermit Weekend

Well, I have no photos to show from this weekend, but I had a lot of fun on Saturday.  Carol and Toni came for the gathering.  We got off to an over-exuberant start with everyone talking about new things, looking online at things Toni purchased or bid on, etc.  In the midst of all the excitement Rose and her SIL from PA, Jodi, came for a visit...more fun, laughs, and chit chat.  We all got a big laugh when Jodi, who is not a stitcher, looked around at everyone and then asked, "So Rose, do you wear two pair of glasses, too?"

Carol did great work...finishing off a couple of small projects and completing steps on her hoop project which we will be working on next Saturday.  Toni did a little stitching, and some unstitching, on a prestitch that she is working on for the second weekend in March.  I did no stitching, but thought about some projects and had lots of laughs.

We had a great pot luck dinner.

Hope you other IH&SW participants progressed more than I did.

Fun in February

Valentine's morning I spent a leisurely hour cruising through different stitching blogs and totally enjoying everyone's wonderful heart and love themed posts.  I was totally negligent in coming up with anything similar on mine.  Thanks to those who did create these lovely posts.

I had Valentine lunch with my daughter, granddaughter, and great granddaughter.  The lunch was so so, but the company was quite special.  Here is my 19 month old GGD enjoying her time with three older generations.

Saturday a couple of stitching friends are coming over for some IHSW time.  Hermit weekend is something new for me this year; another fun excuse to get together for a while.  My plan at this point is to stitch on a small spring project or work on the sewing machine to make a patchwork type pincushion...our group has become pincushion crazy the past couple of years, along with most of the rest of you!

Last week was a truly hermit type stitching weekend...me alone, stitching a few hours on Saturday, while about six inches of snow piled up.

Next weekend our group will be having our HoopLa get together...we will be attempting to put together our embroidery hoop boxes ala Vonna.  Boy, I sure hope the hoops cooperate!  More on this to come.

Have a cozy, stitchy weekend everyone.  Look forward to seeing what everyone worked on this weekend.

2012 WIPocalypse - Second Full Moon

So, where does time go?  I can't believe a month has passed since our last WIP post.  The night before last the almost-full moon was magnificent, especially while on the rise.  I definitely am a Moon Child.

I've stitched a little on a couple projects during the past month, but the only thing worth showing is my first little finish for 2012.  This is BBD's Summer House Pincushion.  This will be used as the top of a project I am planning to do over the next three weeks, Vonna's Embroidery Hoop Stitching Box.  Instructions for this project can be found here:  http://tts-learntofinish.blogspot.com

BBD's Summer House Pincushion
Stitched on 32 count Antique White Belfast Linen
HDF:  Steelies 2449, 2451, 2453
I used "premium" fibers for a bolder look on 32 count linen

I chose the thread colors to coordinate with BBD's Blueberry Crumbcake quilt fabs which I plan to use for a pincushion and maybe some other pieces.  Hope you like it so far.

Being part of the WIPocalypse group is having a good impact on some goal setting for me so far.  Now, if it could only make me a faster stitcher!  I look forward to wandering the web to see what all of you have been up to over the past month.

How Do You Swallow?

So how do you swallow when you are eating like this?  

This little gal held on for about ten minutes to eat some nuts 

on a recent cold January day in Cleveland.

Sorry the photo isn't better,

but I had to shoot through the window.

Hermit Stitching

Well, it was confirmed to me...like I hadn't figured this out before...that you get much more stitching done while on your own, but stitching with friends is much more fun.

I got off to a fair start on my January Cottage while here as a hermit on Saturday.  Remember, I am a pathetically slow stitcher!  Sunday afternoon I had three friends over, and all I got stitched were two snowflakes, but we had to take time out to eat Panera, delivered by my daughter...thank you...check out the latest stitching catalog, look up interesting stitchy things on the ipad, and play hostess.  A fun way and a good excuse for lots of stitch time on a wintry (but not bad) January weekend.

A couple of photos are shown below:

Toni decided it was time to leave all her WIPs go
and stitch something for Valentine's Day.
I forgot who she said the designer was.  Sorry.

Rose worked on another block for BBD's
Casting a Spell and showed us how her
first block looks in the shadow box.

I received my January and February Cottage patterns Friday,
just in time for Hermit stitching.
Here is my meager start, most of which was stitched
on Saturday.  Hope to get this January one finished
within the week, if possible.

I hope everyone who participated in IHSW had as much fun as we had.

Hermits

Hi, Fellow Hermit Stitchers -  I don't know about where you live, but here in the Cleveland area it is perfect hermit/stitching weather!  We had about four inches of snow last night.  The driveway has been plowed.  I had nothing pressing for today, except some tidying up, which I am doing between stitch sessions and bouts of reading.  What a luxury!

I am working on my Cottages since the patterns arrived in the mail yesterday and I am two months behind.  If I feel another project calling tomorrow, and that does happen here, I will spend some time on LF Autumn, BBD Summer House Pincushion which I am stitching in preparation for trying to make Vonna's wooden hoop pincushion stand, or BBD Christmas Garden which I have just begun.

Tomorrow I have three or four fellow hermits coming to join me.  I look forward to the increased activity and chit chat levels around here then.

Hope everyone's weekend is going stitchingly well.  Keep at it.