Dyeing to Stitch Part Two

Here is the sign for the shop!!!!  Get ready to get excited when you step inside!  This is a must see shop for stitchers!!!!

 See what I mean?????

This is what it looked like in Friday when everyone was there for the BBD meet and greet!!!  Happy chaos!

 Ann showed us her finish of the Ann Rayner sampler!!!!  Stunning with a capital S.  This is an out of print chart.  The only shop that may still have it is The Attic in Mesa, AZ.

 At the Friday night open stitch back at the hotel Ann and Pat brought in some of their antique samplers to show us.  Wow!  They were so amazingly gorgeous!  We all wanted them reproduced stat so that we could stitch them too!!!  This is Pat who knows a ton about the history of samplers.  She wrote a book titled Historic Samplers.  

 

 We were very serious about looking at the samplers.  I even got to hold one!!!!!! 

True Confession:  I was so hepped up on Friday night that I had to take an over the counter sleeping pill to get to sleep!!!!  That is how exciting all of this was!!!

Saturday brought about our long awaited class with Blackbird Designs!!!!  They used an antique sampler from their collection to inspire the projects they designed for us. 

 Isn't it just amazing!!!  It is dated to around 1835.  

 When we checked in we received the kit for this beautiful pin pillow!!!!  I started it immediately.  

 Class on Saturday was spent making the wonderful pin keep holder you see in the foreground.  They turned out so beautifully!!!!

Crafting pictures!!!

 Here is Alma showing us some tips.  

 From left to right:  Ann, Pat, Alma and Barb.  They were telling us about the sampler Alma is holding. 

Barb showing us the pin pillow.  Barb and Alma are two very dear people.  They are so kind and talented.  We all just love them!

 This is the project we received that is based on the middle part of the historic sampler.  I cannot wait to start it!!!!!

Below is the pin keep with its special project inside.

Then we had lunch!!!!! 

 Karin and Patti. 

Brenda, Kellie and me. 

Teresa and Pat.

Debra and Deborah.  These gals are aces!!!!!!  We met Deborah at the Tomorrow's Heirlooms retreat last year and started a fast friendship.  Debra is coming this summer to that retreat and we are planning on hanging out extensively.

And do you know what that sweetheart Debra did for me???? She got up early on Saturday morning and went to Harris Teeter (never even heard of it!!!) and found me some Tab!!!!!  That earned her the following hashtag......#newBFF!!!!!!!  That was so amazing!  

Here is a great picture of our wonderful gifts from Dyeing to Stitch!!!!!  They were baskets from 1803 Ohio Farm Baskets!!!!!!!!!! We were so excited!

This lovely is in the new BBD patriotic book!  It is just being released now.

We also got to meet Sherri and Terri!!!!  They are wonderful gals, twin sisters and framers extraordinaire!!!!!!!!! Sherri stitched this piece for Pat and Ann.  

Pat, Ann and Brenda.  We had so much fun hanging out with everyone!!!

 Pat, Ann and Teresa.  Shiny happy people!

 Stitching peeps with full hearts!!!

Thank you to Ann, Pat, Alma and Barb for such a wonderful weekend!!!!!!!  We are filled to the brim with great memories!!!  

 

Dyeing to Stitch/Blackbird Designs Retreat!!!!

Lucky, lucky, lucky!!!!  That is me.  I was able to go to the Dyeing to Stitch Spring Retreat in Virginia Beach, VA last weekend!!!!!  Karin, Patti, Pat, Kellie, Teresa and Brenda and I all went.....we met the wonderful Ann Robbins and Pat Ryan of Dyeing to Stitch.  We met Barb and Alma from Blackbird Designs.  We got to see our wonderful friend Deborah Bixby again.  And then we met many more wonderful stitchers!  It was a true dream come true.  

As always I plan in my head to take meticulously timed pictures so that you can see everything that happened in the order that it happened.  Of course, that never happens and this time is no exception.  So, over the next couple of days I am going to post pictures so you can get a flavor of the amazing time we had. 

First we went to the shop.  See the picture above.  Pat stitched the hot off the press BBD stockings.  So, that was an immediate purchase!!!!

 There was a lovely array of BBD projects on display.  See how this picture is a little blurry?  That is because I had the shakes because I was hyperventilating with excitement!!!!!  Oh my, but this shop is stock full of great models!!!!

 Here is Pat at the famed cutting table.  People line up for miles to get some of that great R&R fabric!!!!  Amazing and gorgeous!!!

 We all have a very special fondness for Miss Paulette of PSS.  She is such a wonderful gal and designs such amazing pieces.  The top piece is American Sampler.  We are going to start a SAL on May 1st with this fabulous piece.  Right now it is exclusive to Dyeing to Stitch so if you want it.... call Ann or Pat. 

 Tulips in the shop!!!  I had at least one moment of calm while looking at them.

 Pat, Kellie, me, Brenda, Patti and Teresa.  We went out for lunch on our first day there.  Waterman's down at the beach was recommended and we loved eating and looking at the Atlantic Ocean.  

 Here are myself and Pat chatting with Ann in the lobby.  We had so much fun talking stitching, reading and all the things we love to do. 

 Friday marked the arrival of Barb and Alma with the hot off the presses patriotic book.  You can imagine the frenzy!!!

 We were also gifted our first retreat project.  This is so so darling!!!!  I started it right away.

 The wonderful and talented Mona made lots of project bags for sale.  I picked these up because they are totally me.  Love!!!!

Okay, more pictures tomorrow~~~~~~