Cool July

I know that most of the rest of the continent has had hot hot weather but here in the foothills of the Rockies in the city it has been cool. No complaining mind you as I said before good for working, getting lots done, which is awesome! Then I can take a week in August and enjoy my week off! I have several things to post for you, one is huge! Diana Sheppard has finished her book and she has sent me photographs of the finished thing which I will load up here.

She has done just a terrific job and used the Album to it's potential! She has also given me permission to post her notes! Diana Sheppard Background Notes (PDF) »

I have also received some lovely pictures from Dana Spernal. Just a treat to see some of these pieces that are my favourites done by stitchers. I love it! Here are her pictures too.

My Stitching Treasures a perennial favourite, Take Time to Read - my most favourite thing to do besides stitching, and Mandala Sampler - a truly wonderful stitch for modern times. I most tell you I also took the photo of my shot of Mandala Sampler and put it to canvas, oh my gosh it is just grand. I put it on 16 x 16 and now it hangs in my living room, it looks just like I stitched it just bigger. Seeing has how my samples are always on the road I needed my picture for my wall and now I have one!

I have also received lovely pictures of a new piece that Pam of Olde Colonial Designs and I have taught at a few places. We will be releasing this at Nashville next February so look for it to come, I know some of you have been asking! I won't post those pictures till February!

Love that you are sending pictures and I will get better at inserting images into the posts and adding to the 'zen cart' and all these computer things that are always a huge learning curve for me!

We were in southern AB last weekend and I have to show the canola fields - they are beautiful!

Have a great few weeks ahead -I will post the new pattern in a month - Take time for Friends, the match to Friendship Sweet Bag! Look for it to come.

New for June

Well it has been raining and raining.... good for working, but where is my summer? Nevermind, I am getting lots done, yahoo! Yes, it is almost Calgary Stampede time. Not that I even go that much anymore. Used to take the kids etc. well now they take themselves... but it always makes the city a livelier place. On to my new projects for release. We are opening for general release "Once Upon A Tree" the popular pattern first designed for Just Cross Stitch Magazine that started in 2008. As usual it has an embellishment package available for it that has all the silk threads and beads used in the piece; skeined per season. There are 4 skeins - one for each season and then the beads are labelled.

To finish off the series of biscornus started in February we now have Summer Biscornu Stackers and Winter Biscornu Stackers. Summer comes with the buttons and one length of overdyed silk and Winter comes with the buttons. They both use DMC floss as did Spring and Autumn. They are such fun to look at, I have them in my office where I can see them readily and enjoy - it is summer right!

I am hoping to work on the website with some more pictures, some corrections to a few things and generally try to make sure the patterns and embellishments that go with each other are the right ones! This is my wish to do over summer along with continuing to design for all my projects next year and events. I hope that you all have a lovely summer and get some vacation in and enjoy family and friends.

Ahh... home!

Well what do they say absence makes the heart grow fonder? I did miss my family and my dog Cleo, what a greeting I got when I returned, never did a tail wag so hard. My family did come to meet me in Ontario for my niece's wedding and we had a lovely time with extended family. I even got away for  a few days with my friends from childhood to Stratford - saw a play, took pictures on the Avon etc. it was great, all the spring flowers in full bloom. But I have to tell you about the 'Lima' boys! What can that be you say! Well to get to Celebrations in Nashau, NH it is an all day affair with the airlines, and of course on the day I left Calgary the rain went to snow and our plane was late leaving then we had to get de-iced and so that made me miss my connection to Manchester, NH in Toronto so along with 2 young fellow who were travelling to Lima we got stranded in Toronto for the night.Now it is not what you think, we only had a drink and dinner! On a full plane out of Calgary all other passengers could get connectors that afternoon on later flight except for me and the boys from Lima, as I came to call them. It made for much more fun than a dreary evening in the hotel room waiting to leave the next day.

The gals who got me for class at Celebrations a mere hour after arriving in Nashau had a bit of a surprise as I was rather wound up but I did settle down and thank you girls for not making me feel so bad about my first 1/2 hour rant! I got it out and on we went with a lovely Thistle lavender bag class. How wonderful to see you all at Celebrations, it is so nice now that I am getting to know some of you by name and face! I love that. Thank you all for your words of encouragement and lovely visits in between all the busyiness of the show.

In Montreal with the Lakeshore Stitchery Guild we enjoyed our luncheon immensely and what a great little place - they let us visit all afternoon. A view of the Lake of Two Mountains (lac des Deux Montagnes) and a beautiful day was a treat. On my flight out of Montreal to Toronto I have to tell you - those of you who watch Hockey Night in Canada will know - I talked/met at baggage claim and walked out of the baggage area to the main arrival level in Toronto with Ron Maclean and Don Cherry!! Imagine! It was great, I was hoping I wouldn't make a fool of myself, but I did tell them that I stitch while my husband watches hockey, and they both said "STITCHING?" and were probably disappointed they weren't the main event!

Once in Toronto I taught for the Niagara Guild in St. Catharines, my home town where I went to high school and once again had a surprise when I went to Fort George;  working in the kitchen circa 1812 was a highschool friend who I hadn't seen in many, many years, well since grad, and she recognized me right away and called me by my maiden name - very cool! The stitchers in Niagara were awesome and we had a wonderful time sharing and stitching together for 2 days - it went by all too quickly, it ended rather abruptly when the power went out but we were almost done the second day anyway.

As you can see it was a fun filled month and some exciting things making for good stories. Now I have to be back on the designing board and get some of my projects for the end of this year and next year started and done! Look for fun things to come, look for me at an event to come, you know I love meeting you so make sure you come and say Hi!

As ever, jeannette