Saturday Night Stitch

I think I am the luckiest stitcher in the world because I have a group of friends who are as obsessed with stitching as I am. Even better, they all like to get together and get all torked about stitching together. Last night was stitching night at Jayne's house. She has a group of us over about once a month and it is always an amazing night. By the way, "tork" is a local stitching term for getting all crazy and excited about stitching. The term was coined by Jayne.

Here are some pics of some of the many projects that were worked on. Above and below is Barb's progress on Garden Fair by Courtney Designs. I decided last night that I am definitely getting this chart and doing this design. I have been looking at it since it cam out at market and then to see it in all of its beginning glory; well, that was it. I am in!!!!
Another one of Barb's WIPS is Rose Quaker. This is simply stunning in every way possible. Another definite must stitch!!! The colors! The motifs!
Below is one of Jayne's counted thread pieces! Talk about gorgeous colors!!!!!
Carolyn is stitching this beautiful fall cross. She did a spring cross also. This is a breathtaking piece. It is beyond description! Amazing!
Jayne finished stitching this spring bunny piece by Danybroad. Darling!
Jayne gave us a treat by showing us some of her WIPs. The colors on this Priscilla Eddington pinkeep are so pretty!!! Add this project to my wish list!
Jon Lee finished the Skating Party by The Sampler Girl on Saturday night. I took a picture before the exciting moment was achieved. I LOVE this piece!!!! Jon Lee personalized it by putting in her grandmother's name.
I could not get my stitching groove on last night. I worked on a couple of things, one of which is It's Berry Time by BBD (those geniuses!).
Below is a true representation of the times we get together and stitch. Frenzy, pure glee, and unadulterated passion.
Here is Teresa's progress on a gorgeous sampler from the SANQ magazine. Totally fab colors!!!!!
Cathy is working on this majorly great sampler by Mary Garry. Love it!!!!
Cathy finished this poinsettia candle mat. I believe she is having a class at the Inspired Needle about finishing these.
Nancy worked on this really cool lighthouse candle mat. Makes me want to go to Cape Hatteras right this second!
Pat was working on one of our group projects, Primitive Betty's Spring Tuck Pillow. Gorgeous silk threads with great variation!!
Patti finished our first group project last night! My picture of her finished work did not turn out as well as this progress picture earlier in the evening. Absolutely gorgeous color choices by Miss Patti!
Marcia worked on smoking this dress. Wow! I have never seen smocking done before and it looks very intensive. Aren't smocked dresses for little girls just one of the dearest things on this planet????
Barb finished this dear design from Jardin Prive. I think it was a fund raising design and is no longer available. Okay, besides the design being so cut and the thread choice so gorgeous, Barb stitched this on 50 (five-oh!) linen!!!!!!
See below for a good representation of the size. We covered the whole design with a 3" square Inspired Needle corner gauge!!!!
I want to thank all of my stitching friends for a lovely evening and to Jayne for being such a wonderful hostess! What an oasis stitching is in our crazy lives!!!

Also, may I also sincerely thank you all for your comments! They make me so very happy to read! I mean really, my stomach does a little jump when I see what you have to say. I get really torked!!!!!!!!! Thank you.

In No Particular Order (except for the first pic!!!)

A masterpiece was completed this past week. Karin picked up her framed Mary Peacock sampler!!!!! It is breathtaking!!!!!! Congratulations to Karin!!! There are several others of us who are stitching this but we are nowhere near done (well Pat might be but she is the closest). We all fell in love with this sampler while Karin was doing it and the conversion she has from Shepard's Bush is extra special!!!
File this under "We are Crazy!" A few of us picked out another group project for everyone. I don't think everyone even knows about it yet! Primitive Betty's Spring Pillow Tuck is next up. I have recently fallen in love with the fabric Lentil by Lakeside Linen and I will be using that linen (36 count!!! I am getting really comfortable with it now!!!) and my thread is called Clay Pot.
Above is Pat's Quaker auf Clef's combo. Highly gorgeous!
Above is Linda's finished (and gorgeous) Quaker auf Clefs.
Above is a little piece I stitched over the weekend for an April birthday present. The chart is by The Sampler Girl and is so wonderful. Please note that I did it on Lentil and this is where I came to love this fabric!!!
Above is one of Jayne's current WIPs.....love it!!!!! I have this in my stash too!!
Here is a chart we were ogling at the shop. I love it very much; but then I looked at the chart and thought that it was a bit too much for my skill (patience) level. It is truly a masterpiece though.
On a total whim I purchased this chart from Danybrod who is a genius of color and style!!!! Check out her website!!!
Above is Barb's finished Quaker auf Clef's and below is her progress on the most beautiful Quaker Housewife.
I may have misnamed things and not spelled everything correctly in this post. I am pooped and I want to go work on my Spring Pillow Tuck.....and watch more of Bleak House which I have been thoroughly enjoying! Happy Stitching to all!!!!!!

Praying for the People of Japan

Prayer in Response to Natural Disaster
Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of the Commonwealth

Sovereign of the universe,

We join our prayers to the prayers of others throughout the world, for the victims of the earthquake which this week has brought destruction and disaster to many lives.

Almighty God, we pray You, send healing to the injured, comfort to the bereaved, and news to those who sit and wait. May You be with those who even now are engaged in the work of rescue. May You send Your strength to those who are striving to heal the injured, give shelter to the homeless, and bring food and water to those in need. May You bless the work of their hands, and may they merit to save lives.

Almighty God, we recognize how small we are, and how powerless in the face of nature when its full power is unleashed. Therefore, open our hearts in prayer and our hands in generosity, so that our words may bring comfort and our gifts bring aid. Be with us now and with all humanity as we strive to mend what has been injured and rebuild what has been destroyed.

May it be Your will, and let us say Amen.

So Much Fun!

We gathered round the stitching shop again last night for a fun-filled evening of crazy stitching time. Karin, Barb and Linda all stitched Quaker a' l' oiseau by Jardin Prive. I think they all had them stitched and framed within two weeks! Each one of them is so gorgeous!!!!!
Linda found the PERFECT frame for her new BBD finish!!!
Okay, if you have seen the new BBD Stitcher's Journey book you will appreciate this next story. Karin brought some of the boxes that are pictured in the book for us. She found them at a local craft store, Hobby Lobby. I think they should be in most craft stores though. Maybe in the wood working section? You will note there is a mother of pearl thread keep pictured in one of the boxes divisions. See below for what happened next.

Yes, a frenzy occurred. Hence the blurry shot. Barb brought over the entire Inspired Needle supply of Kelmscott thread keeps (not even sure if this is the correct terminology) from a corner we had not scoured in the previous several months and a right then and there commerce occurred!
Barb picked up a newly framed Drawn Thread piece (I think it is called Big Brown Cabin). It is so cool!
Note the crane on the roof!!! He is stitched over one. I love, love, love this crane!
For more show and tell Barb brought in the recently stitched April by The Drawn Thread. Note those Easter eggs in the trees. They are stitched!!!! Wow.
The silk thread colors in this Quaker Pocket Needfuls are STUNNING! This is Barb's progress so far. I have another of the charts that is similar to this one and I am saving my pennies for the silk threads so that I can start it soon. The colors look good in this picture; but they are even more awe inspiring in person!
Here is something Barb stitched a while ago. It is now doing duty as a shop model in Cathy's Inspired Needle. Love the piece and the frame!! It is A Quaker Floral by Midnight Stitching.
Karin finished this hot off the press Just Nan design, Bluebird Alphabet. She also happened to find a totally perfect frame! Highly gorgeous. I would like to do the same piece and get the same frame. Stat please!!!!
Karin finished this BBD piece which she started at the Shepard's Bush retreat last fall. The good news is that this chart is in the new BBD book so we can all stitch it!
Did I mention that I am in love with Apple Brown Bindy? It is a linen color that I used on the BBD Remember Me piece I did a little while ago. I am about to stitch everything using this fabric!! Here I started on this free BBD chart with the ABB (that is Apple Brown Bindy for those of you not in the know!!) I am using Plush Plum Belle Soie silk thread to stitch it.
Oh yes, the real purpose of the gathering yesterday was for everyone to get their supplies and start on our little group project of stitching Jardin Prive's Quaker auf Clefs; each with a different fabric/thread combo. I will put each person's name under their choices. When we are all done we plan on taking a big group picture of everyone and their finished piece.
Jayne
Karin
Linda
Patti
Teresa (sorry about the blurriness T!)
Laura (that's me!) The thread I am using is Puritan Blue by Belle Soie and the fabric is from my stash so I don't know what it is called.

Pat was in Florida so she still has to get her supplies. I forgot to ask Cathy if she is stitching this with us. I also think our friend Linda M. is going to participate. If anyone else wants to join in that would be fab!!!!

Patti's Birthday

My stitching, stamping and blogging buddy Patti has a birthday this month....the big five-oh!!!! Our stitching group wanted to do something very special for Patti because of the momentous occasion and because she is such a very special person.

We each stitched a motif on this new Shepard's Bush design and then Cathy put it in the lovely round box you see here. The amazing thing is that all eight of us were able to pass it around and stitch it up in one week! Patti was surprised, she loved it and she cried; so we felt our gift went over very well. Happy Birthday Patti!!!!!!! Love you girl!