Overwhelmed

 I know that I am not the only stitcher in this boat..... I pulled a bag full of projects from a closet.  See above. 

 This is the closet it came out of.

 This is another room with more bags. 

 Same room, more bags.  I did not photograph the bags downstairs by the couch.

I thought that I would empty out each bag and organize the projects by designer.  Maybe go through a bag a day.  Well........

Here are the rough contents of bag one.  (sorry about the "cat blanket" background.  I should have been more artsy about this photo shoot).   Note the C Street Samplerworks "Need Has Nothing to Do With It" in the middle.  Ironic isn't it??

As you can see, the contents of one bag yield about 3 years worth of stitching (actually, it could even be a decade of stitching for me since I am a slow stitcher!).  It is a good thing my husband does not read this blog!  

My plan is to go through all of the bags and get projects organized by designer as mentioned before.  I think I will get some big tubs from Target and divide them up that way.  This is a pretty sorry situation.  I never could understand stitchers who would work on one thing at a time and finish it before they went on to the next.  Oh, how I wish I was one of you!!!!  I definitely am afflicted with startitis!!!

Now, here is the kicker.......my friends and are I going to visit The Attic Needlework Shop in July!!!!!!!  Yikes!

Inspired Summer Seminar with Plum Street Samplers

What a special day!!!!!  June 21, 2014.  My LNS hosted a Summer Seminar with Paulette Stewart of Plum Street Samplers!!!!!!!  That means that Paulette came to town with a special project designed just for us!!!!  Liberty Inn!  Isn't it just the best?  So excited to stitch on this exclusively until it is done!!!!  (a total change of pace for this stitcher!).

Cathy of Inspired Needle had some special gifts for all the participants.  This thread holder was designed so it matched the American flag in the star on the piece.

It also had 8 holes; one for each of the thread color choices.  Very cool indeed!

Paulette's attention to detail is so great!  She packages everything we would need in this beautiful little box.  I am keeping that box forever!  Love it!

Along with the sampler piece there were the ingredients and extras to make these darling strawberries.

Here is another shot of the sampler.

We also received this lovely project bag.  I am addicted to project bags.

Great patriotic centerpiece!

Here is little 'ole me with the star of the day!  Paulette!  I can't say enough how wonderfully friendly and kind Paulette is.  She is a gem.  She is also a most fabulous designer.  I love everything she does!!!!  I need to go on a PSS stitching kick for sure.  She is a genius!!!!!

Plus, her sense of humor shines through in all she does.  See above.  Darling little graphics and jokes in her directions.  Love!!!

Aside from basking in the glory of Paulette and all that she does I was able to spend the day with other stitchers!!!  What a treat.  Here are some pics that tell part of the story of the day.  Above, what looks like a pretty dull picture is actually pretty earth shaking!!!  My friend Linda usually takes about 2 hours to start a project.  She has to iron it.  She has to figure out what side is the best side of the fabric to stitch on.  She has to really really really figure all this out.  At home.  In peace and quiet.  

Well, she took a really big step at the seminar.  She started the class piece!!!!!  You can see it up in the upper left hand corner....the first stitch!!!!!  Personal growth people!!!

I finally met Pam H.!!!!!!!  We have been corresponding via email through the years and now we are actually meeting in the flesh!!!  What a dear she is!!!  I learned that Pam does not have 500 WIPS as I do!  She has some self control!!!!

My friends Pat and Linda are both working on Paulette's reproduction sampler Esther Syer.  Needles to say it is super gorgeous!!!!!  Here they are showing Paulette their progress thus far. 

A challenge was issued to have it finished by October when they attend the Shepard's Bush retreat so that they can show the finished samplers to Paulette there in Utah.......I also decided that I need to jump on this bandwagon.  What a gorgeous sampler!

I must say that my pictures do not capture all of the fun that was going on.  It was so great to meet so many people who love stitching!!!  I wish I could have sat at each table for an hour and just listened to people talking.  However, I was so overwhelmed with the glory of my new project I could barely move!  I should have taken pictures of my friends Ranae and Anna!!  It was so good to see them!  

I met the bloggers behind The Southpaw Stitcher and Winding Vine Wanderings!!!  It was just a whirlwind of a day.  It went too fast.  I want a do over!!!

Before the seminar actually started we did a little show and tell.  Teresa is almost done with Threadwork Primitives Civil War Needlebook.

Pat was working on Sweet Land.  Another one in the "want" category.

Brenda showed of her fab finish of Patriotic Poppies!!!  Love, love, love.

As always, the best part of the day was hanging with my stitching peeps.  Words cannot express what they mean to me.  Your girls are just the best and you keep me sane!!!!