Day Two in Arizona - Hanging with Tanya

Day 2 was a Thursday.  We stayed at the Hyatt Mesa which is a lovely hotel with a wonderful complimentary breakfast in the morning where we started our days in the dining room at a high table with our food and phones.  We are able to find endless items of interest to Google and track down.  Total Fun!  Our plan for the day was to visit the totally lovely home of Tanya who is the fabulous person behind the designs of The Scarlett House.   Here is a link to her blog so you can visit some of her fabulous projects:  CLICK HERE!

Before we left I had to again make fun of Pat for the length of thread that she finishes with.  It is so small!  When I get to about 3" left of thread I change it.  I don't have the patience to fool around with trying to get every last bit of thread used!!!!  What about you? 

Then I needed to show off my red scissors purchased the day before.  They are from Bohn.  I think I first saw them in Tanya's stitching kit and was duly impressed; so when I saw them at The Attic I had to get them!  

So, we were off to Tanya's!  A word about our transportation (why did I not take a picture!!!) We rented a mini-van!!!!  It was fab that all five of us could ride around together!!!  You know how in the winter you go out and start your car ahead of time so that it is warm enough when you get in????  Well, that is what we would do in the Arizona heat!!! We started the car and ran the air conditioning so that it would be cool(ish) when we got in!!!!

Above is one of the many, many, many charming and brilliant design details at Tanya's house.  Her home is perfectly wonderful and I would move right in given the chance!!!!!  Her taste is flawless and her stitching is all around.  You can imagine the heart palpitations that were going on!!!

I love this square bowl of smalls!!!  Especially the George Washington silhouette!  It is a chart by Heartstring Samplery and is stitched on 28 count linen over 1.  I am going to try this soon.

Everywhere you turn there are samplers on the walls.  To put it bluntly, when I was looking around I got so excited I nearly fainted!!!  Also, the paint color on the walls is a perfect backdrop for all of the samplers!

Tanya has stitched pieces everywhere that capture your eye and your heart. 

We were very lucky to see some of her antique samplers.  Here is one of my favorites that I need to get back to.  This is Mary Betchell 1810. 

I am working on both of these samplers (above and below).  They are so stunning!!!!!

We even made Tanya pull out her Fall things.  Love this little pin pillow!!!

 Here is the model for a club piece from Dying to Stitch. 

 This is one of the three Boston Terriers that live with Tanya and her husband, Scarlett, Ruby and Henry.  They are adorable.

 A painter has a pallete of paints and a sampler designer has a pallette of threads!!!  This designer stores her threads in a very artful manner.

 Gorgeous entryway!

 Another inviting vignette!!! 

 Here is the most recent reproduction sampler Tanya has out.  Gorgeous!!!  Maria Pillings 1818. 

 Another basket of goodness!!

I think we can all agree with this sentiment. 

After looking at all of the stitching goodness we worked up an appetite.  Off to lunch at La Casa Blanca which we went to last year too.  They have the best Mexican food!!!!  Double Yum.  At the table you can see Pat, Brenda, Karin, Tanya and Teresa.  Love these peeps!!

And the fun did not end there!  We were off to the shop for Thursday night stitching at The Attic!!!  We hung out with the lucky "regulars" who live close by and shopped and stitched some more.  I "stitched" so much I had to go get some pop!  And by "stitched" I mean shopped!  I mean look at the background.......there is stitching inspiration as far as the eye can see (and then some!!)

 I kitted up this chart I brought with me.  Actually put in the A and the B!!

I also purchased Pretty Pair by Linda Danielson of Samplers Remembered and kitted it up.  It calls for silks but since I plan on stitching it on a lower count I had my personal conversion consultant, Ms. Pat, convert it to overdyed cottons for me.  Aside from being my personal nurse, she does a bang up job with conversions too.  It is her personal calling.  

As you can see, Day 2 in Arizona was like being in a dream come true.  And we still had three days left!  More to come.....and thanks again to Tanya for hosting us at her home and making us feel like giddy teenagers.  We had such a great time and were inspired greatly.