Memorial Day

It was a rainy Memorial Day for us in Chicagoland.  My husband had to work so my Mom came and we had a sleepover!  The rain did not bother us a bit as we had planned to stitch!  As you can see I had a finish!  Threadworks Primitive America pinkeep.  I felt so lucky to have matching scissors and threadminder!   Also, the beautiful ribbon you see is from Country Sampler and was a gift to me from my friend Kellie.  I think I might frame this little piece and use the ribbon in the framing. 

My Mom started out knitting; but she switched to embroidery.   She is working on some Christmas embroidered pieces that are going to be part of a quilt!  Just darling!!!

 She really got a lot finished!  Those deer are just too darling.

I spent most of the day working on Peace House by La D Da and I think I could have finished it.....but I ran out of Onyx thread by Weeks Dye Works!!!  Arghhhh!!!!  I will have to get some ASAP and then I can finish this one (and get it framed!!!)

We had a lovely evening and day together.  My brother came over too and we had pizza!!!  What a treat.  Hope you all had a good long weekend too.  

Of course, we also reflected on those who gave their lives so that we can live freely.   That it the true meaning of the day.  

Threadwork Primitives

Do you know about Threadwork Primitives?  I just wanted to make sure that you do.  Nan's designs are just GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!! and so Prim!!!!!

Here is a link to her Etsy site:  CLICK HERE    Also, a lot of shops are carrying her designs now too!

This American flag piece is currently in my WIP pile and I love it.  I want to stitch everything pictured on this blog entry (and more!) of her pieces.  

Just thought you should know about this fabulous designer.

Naw-tee!

 One week is all it took....yes, I "received" all of this stash in one week!!!!  I am on official lockdown until at least September! 

 Country Sampler did A Quaker Study in reds instead of browns and it was so lovely!

This Spot Motif Sampler was never on my wish list....until I saw the model of it at Country Sampler.  Just amazing!!!

 My friend Linda stitched up Mercy Mercy....and it is stunning.  I had to join in the fun.

 The four previous pictures are of charts I got at Lynn's in Madison, WI. 

Thanks to my friend Julianne for a gift certificate to Anita's Little Stitches for my birthday!  I got these three charts!!!

 I think Betsy's House is pure genius!!!!  I wouldn't care if I didn't have food for lunch for a week...I would get this chart!

The charts above are ones I had my eye on before Country Sampler...so, since I had already been so liberal with myself....I just went ahead and got them.  There were all must buys...no questions asked.  Had to have them.

Mystery Samplers

Here are the shop models that were in the back room at Country Sampler.  We did ask permission to take a picture.  I think this may be the shipping room.  It sure was glorious back there with all the models.  When I saw this Sweet Land of Liberty I stopped in my tracks and proclaimed that I would put aside every other thing I was working on to be able to stitch this.  

Of course I am sure it is long out of print.  We think it is by Hinzeit.  I can't find it anywhere.  If anyone has this chart and would like to sell or loan it, please let me know.  I am having heart palpitations just looking at the picture again!!!!

My friend Patti spied this beauty on the wall.  It looks like a Carriage House Samplings design; but I am not sure.  Does anyone know who it is by and if we might be able to find it for sale somewhere?  

Thanks to all the junior detectives who are willing to analyze this highly important data!!!!!!  The search is on!!!!

Happy weekend to everyone!  Thank you for so many wonderful comments on my blog this past week.  Each comment means the world to me!

Country Sampler - Last Day (for now)

Well, as you have seen over the last couple of days the shop models and the staging at Country Sampler is top notch.  Here is a project that I have all kitted up at home and needs to be stitched stat! Except for the fact that I got about 10 new projects at Country Sampler..........

Here is another fab Pineberry Lane project that I have at home too.  Love it!!!

This is Margaret Cottam which was a mystery sampler by La-D-Da.  I just bought all 3 charts recently.....I got the threads and fabric at Country Sampler after seeing the shop model.  What a total beauty!

This shot is blurry, but that is because people were in a frenzy!!  Here we are looking through the Stacy Nash stash.  Amazing stuff!

Down the street from the shop is an excellent bookstore!!!!  It had a great selection and a great vibe with coffee and wine and snacks to be had.  

 Here is where we parked when we arrived and we did not get in our cars all weekend!  We walked everywhere we needed to go and it was so relaxing. 

On Saturday night we gave Kellie a break from cooking and went out to dinner at a great place called Freddy Valentine's.  It is in an old bank.  Great food and atmosphere.  We took an outside and inside shot.

The shop next to Country Sampler is called Nina's and is like an old general store.  They have such interesting things and here are some of them that I bought.  

I could not resist these two flower vase ladies!  I think the one on the left looks like my Mom and so I am the one on the right!

Pat had the perfect way to end the weekend...a great finish!!!!!! This is such a gorgeous piece!

 What an amazing and wonderful weekend this was.  Thank you to my stitching buddies.....you gals are just the absolute best!!!

One more post coming up.....I took a picture of two shop models that I need your help locating charts for.  They are out of print; but they are so great I am going to impose on my blogging buddies to see if we can find them. 

Country Sampler - Day 2

 We started off with a gourmet breakfast made by Kellie.  Ginger filled pancakes with lemon sauce and sausage!!!  Brenda made us a fruit salad too.  Yum!!!

 Now to the main event....shopping at Country Sampler.  Here is Butternut Tavern by Stacy Nash all done up as a pillow. 

This little piece is called Home and is by Pineberry Lane.  Teresa and I immediately snatched up kits of this.   Country Sampler had so many projects all kitted up which made it very easy to get into a frenzy!

Here is a super duper piece that I had seen the chart of before; but when you see the model....well....I just had to get it and so did several others in my group.  I had not noticed before that there are four couples in this piece.  They start out with a Revolutionary War couple, then Civil War, then Spanish-American War (i think) and then World War I.  Can't wait to start this one!

 Here is the model of Peace House.  You can see why I had to start it immediately!

 There were several prim prints throughout the store.  I bought two and this is one of them.

 As you can see; there were things to look at everywhere and all of them were winners!

Here are Teresa, Karin and Pat looking over a quilting book.

 Karin and Linda kitting up some projects.

Karin bought the Lincoln quilt kit so she had to have her picture taken with the shop model.  Gorgeous!

We all fell in love with the wooden risers that this notebook is on.  Of course, I had to purchase one of those handmade notebooks too.  Old-timey kids with flags!  I am in!!!

 Above is one of the new Stacy Nash market pieces.

Below is the basement of the Country Sampler where everything is on sale!  So much fun!!!

Guess what?  I still have some more pictures in my camera to put up on the blog which I will do real soon!

For those of you who have asked, I am trying to get the name of the chart that Kellie is stitching in the previous post and I will let you know as soon as I do.  

I wish every weekend could be a Country Sampler weekend!!