Canadian Thanksgiving

We have fall here in Calgary, the leaves are yellow on the poplars and beautiful reds and oranges on other kinds of trees, no maples or such here but nevertheless can be lovely. But the wind is blowing even though it is really nice out and the trees are dropping their leaves. I had hoped they would stay a little longer, at least for Thanksgiving on the weekend.I am looking forward to it, to see my daughter who comes home from university and my Douglas side of the family. I have hardly decorated like I used to..... but my office is like a hurricane hit. I still haven't sorted through my stuff from teaching in the UK and now the SB stuff is added on a different pile to sort through when I have a minute! I am madly trying to get through getting my stuff ready for California - Needle In A Haystack event. I have these owls that I mentioned.... well I am not happy with one owl.... and I am redoing him.... he just wasn't right, he was framed and everything.... but oh no, he has to go.... so now I am restitching him. So maybe I won't release him till the end.... and get going on these other ones! Coming soon, I shall say!

I am trying to design all my projects at once for next year, Nashville stuff excpet for one or two things is done.... but for those events.... my mind is twirling. I try to focus on one but then I think of something for the others.... ha! I will try to add to the events page here in a few days but I need to load all my pictures for the On line Needlework show which will be October 21-26. So that is first priority and then hopefully I will have time for loading events. But I will say I will be at Gitta's Getaway in Toronto and at Stitchville USA, Minnetonka, Minnesota in April 2011, at Embroidery Ass. of Canada Seminar in Sackville, NB; also at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch in Clifton, NJ and at Golden Thread Needlearts in Rochester, NY in May 2011.

Wow! what a great time we had in Ogden and Park City, UT. Tina and Teri of Shepherd's Bush, thank you for such a terrific week. The venue was super, the weather was excellent and you stitchers were just the best! Thank you for your lovely gifts, I so appreciated them, I am using some of them and I am eating some of them, both wonderful! It was truly special to meet so many of you and I have to sincerely thank Don Hendrickson for lending his absolutely stunning JDD stitched models to the event. What an honour Don, I loved seeing them! I am lame, I thought I had a picture of the table, but oh no, got lots of pictures of flowers and such but none of the models! But I do have a picture of some of the designers for the SB event.

And now on to Shepherd's Bush in Ogden, UT

I am flying out the door again to the airport to SLC - a much warmer spot on the map than here. I am so looking forward both to the weather and the event. I hope that you will come and see me and/or are in my class so we can meet and touch base for the first time or meet like an old friend, what a treat.Upon return I am home for a bit and hope to release a set of 4 owls over the next few months. I will just have to fly out to San Francisco for the Needle In a Haystack event and then it is down to some very busy months designing. I will try to add on to events for next year on the events page and let you know if I will be in your neck of the woods! Look forward to seeing you Shepherd's Bush retreat girls soon! Getting excited now!!

A Cumbrian treat

What an absolutely lovely time I had in the UK teaching for Beverley at Fobbles in the Cumbrian fells. I cannot fully express my delight at the countryside, the stitchers, the charm of place. It was a truly great time. The stitchers were very enthusiastic and we enjoyed learning and sharing with each other. I walked to 'work' every day and had to wait for the cows to cross one morning as they were being moved from one pasture to another. With sheep in the fields dotting the hillsides I at once felt transported to a more gentler time. One stitcher kindly took me to York one day which I thoroughly enjoyed also. A walk on the old wall, the bells of Yorkminster ringing and some great shopping and scones with clotted cream at Betty's were highlights, along with a lovely quilt show of Canadian Red Cross quilts sent over the ocean during the war.

Thank you ladies who came to Fobbles to take the classes, I loved every minute. Here are a few pictures to enjoy.