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!

Saturday

Oh Saturday! Day of endless possibilities.....So many things I want to do....So many things I need to do..........Can you guess which is need and which is want?

• Hang out with my friend Lorie. We could stitch, talk, eat lunch and visit Inspired Needle.
• Fly to California to hang with my life-long friend Noreen. We could antique shopping and even walk to the ocean!
  
• Drive over to Homewood, Il to see another life-long friend, Diane. We could also stitch.
• Call everyone in my stitching group for an impromptu stitching session at the shop.
• Hang out with my Mom. We could go to Jackson Square Antique Mall.
• Call Melissa and Sharon. We could bowling with the menfolk!
• Finally drive out to see Trish. It has been way too long!
  
• Start doing my taxes.
• Clean, clean, clean.
• Take the train down to the Art Institute with Mike.
  
• Drive around to all of the Borders going out of business sales with Mike and go crazy.
• Organize financial paperwork.
• Tell Jane, Trish, Julie, Kim and Beth to get ready....we are leaving in 10 minutes for Red Lead!!!!!! Tell Diane that she is going too! And Lorie!!!!
  
• Go sit in the Downers Grove Library and read that Rolling Stone article about Van Halen.
• Sit on the couch and cross-stitch all day (most likely to happen today).
• Go spend my Barnes & Noble gift certificate on the new Jodi Picoult book (also likely to happen).

Even though I know I am staying home today; please know that I love all my friends so! I wish we could be together everyday!!! (I am also wishing for a cleaning lady once a week. Add that to the list of things to research!)

Photo Credit: Such Pretty Things

Sunday Stitching at Inspired Needle

Being able to share a passionate love of one's hobby with others is one of life's most satisfying and exciting pastimes. I am blessed to have a group of friends who live and breathe stitching! Don't get me wrong; they are all well-balanced women who have very active lives with work and family; but we are able to share time together when we can just think about and talk about stitching and how much joy it brings to our lives.

During our recent Sunday Stitch-In at Inspired Needle in Lemont, IL we had another meeting of the minds and hearts which was magical as always.

Here are some of our projects. Above is a finished piece that Barb did. It is a Drawn Thread piece. (I don't know its name; but if anyone wants to know the names of anything in the post that I don't identify, just email me and I will find out.)
Above is a chart I have been obsessing over and wishing for! It is very hard to find and is from Italy. Barb ran across it in her travels and picked it for me!!!! Can't wait to start stitching these dear little pieces!
Here are Barb's selections for our group piece, Quaker Aux Clefs by Jardin Prive. Wow!!!!! The thread and fabric with that frame combines for a total masterpiece. She has exquisite taste! The rest of us our waiting for our charts to be sent to the shop from France and then we can begin. So far, I have picked out my thread, Belle Soie Puritan Blue. But maybe I need to pick out something more out of my comfort zone as this shade of blue is what I always pick.
Here is Barb's finished Quaker a' l'oiseau by Jardin Prive. Jayne and Karin also stitched it; but with different thread color choices. Love it!
The "two Linda's" are doing a stitch a long of Blackbird Designs Birds of a Feather. I think this is a very unique piece with really great colors. Had to get the chart myself.
Okay, here is a first!!! I bought this new BBD Reward of Merit chart on Tuesday and had it done by Saturday!!!!!!!! That is a world record for me. I loved every stitch! What I really fell in love with was the fabric that chart called for Apple Brown Bindy by R & R Reproductions. I need a lot more of this fabric in my stash! The called for thread was Aged Pewter by Sampler Threads. Love those two together!! I am going to have it finished into a pin cushion as it is on the chart.
Pat is doing so well on her Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow!!!!! Her most recent finish was the ice skating block which is so adorable! I really have to get out my CHRH; I am still on block one. For shame!
Here is the lovely and talented Ms. Pat with her entire work to date.

We had a special guest appearance!!! Ranae from Stitch by Stitch drove down to join us! She lives about an hour and a half away so it was really nice for her to come all this way (although if you are a fellow stitcher I imagine you saying, "Hey, I would drive for 3 hours for an afternoon of stitching with fellow crazy people!")

Above and below are some projects Renae recently finished; both of them are by Birds of a Feather. Love!!!
I wish I could find a store that had the entire Birds of a Feather inventory for sale. Who are these Birds of a Feather designers and where are they now? They need to get back out there and design or reprint their charts or something!!!!!! They are too wonderful to not be in my grasp!!! My iron-fisted grasp!!!
Teresa made her pics for our group Jardin Prive Quaker stitch along. I love this combination very dearly!!!
My friend Linda is working on one of the new BBD Reward of Merit projects! It is so adorable (and please note that she has a brand new needle minder fresh from market!)
Please note the complete perfection of her stitches. Gorgeous.
My other friend Linda had a framed piece to pick up. It is stunning!!!!!!! It is by Chessie & Me. I didn't know that each of these charts has a darling little kitty somewhere in the design. I love this kitty! Linda did a beautiful stitching job and the frame is just fabulous!!!!!

Thanks again gals for reminding me that life is so good and friendships are so valuable; and that getting crazy about fabric and thread is one of life's most beautiful joys!!!!

Highly Recommended

I have really been on a lucky reading streak. I read these three books right in a row and they were all perfectly written and endlessly interesting. I highly recommend them all. Click on the book cover to be taken to information about the book.

Stiching with Others

Last week at stitching we were pondering another group project and Barb came up with a brilliant idea. Find a chart that is not to big and that can be done in one color thread. Then, we each get the chart and each pick a different thread color. Everyone stitches up their project and then we photograph them all together to see what fab colors everyone has chosen!!! Brilliant, right??

I must say that stitching with a group of people is so inspiring and so much fun!

The chart we chose is Quaker Aux Clefs by Jardin Prive (pictured above). I am not sure what thread color I will pick. I think we are aiming for everyone to use Belle Soie Silk Floss.

It will surely be fun to look through all of the silks to pick a color! Will keep you posted.

Diane, Nancy and Mike

Last Saturday my friend Diane came over to check out Inspired Needle and then to my house for stitching. My Mom came over too. Of course, we had to do show and tell. Above and below are projects from Prairie Schooler's Chasing Cobwebs that Diane did. Love them!!! Doing them myself as soon as the chart gets into Inspired Needle (the greatest cross stitch shop ever!).
Lookie there!!!! Diane got the new Vera Bradley Folkloric pattern!!! I love it!! We grew up together in the 1970's and I think this purse is an updated version of 70's style. Putting it on my list of things to get!
Okay, about 15 years ago Diane started these seasons from Prairie Schooler. I think she had 3 done and a good start on the 4th one when she pulled these out last Fall. She has a finish folks!
Love Autumn!
Diane purchased her first Needle Minder. Of course now that she has the bee hive I feel that I must get a bee hive!!! Even though I already have two (acorn and sheep); which means that I definitely do not need any more.
My Mom spent the afternoon knitting. I really should have taken a pic of her work in progress; but I think she just started it. Below is a project she is going to do soon. Best news of all; she said she is going to do it twice.....one for Mom and one for daughter!
Below is our obligatory Blizzard of 2011 shot. This was the day after our blizzard. Mike shoveled for hours. He refuses to get a snow blower. I nervously watched out the window as my participation. The night before was so crazy. We put our chairs in front of the window and just watched the howling wind, drifting and blowing snow. Very entertaining.

Can't Wait!

Here is a picture of the cover of the upcoming Blackbird Designs stitching book!!!!!! It should be in our hands in the beginning of March. I can't wait!!!!!!!!!! Go to the BBD blog to read more!!!!!