New patterns !

Although you saw Strawberry Stitches in the Just Cross Stitch Issue last spring, I thought that for those of you that missed this lovely pattern you could enjoy it now! It is the 10th in the ‘STITCHES’ series and is a pleasure to see unfolding as you stitch it. I love eating strawberries so I was sure I would love stitching them too! I am just working on a strawberry pin button to put on the freebie page for you…. not quite ready, I have to finish it into the button, finally found a mold to fit. There is an embellishment package available as always with  a lovely mixture of Thread Gatherer Silk N Colors, Soie d’Alger, Belle Soie, Gloriana Silk and some Mill Hill beads and a By Jupiter Charm. I couldn’t find a handpainted one that was cost effective! I also have to share the ‘Garden Secrets -Autumn Set’ It turned out great. I put all nine into a quilt, wonderful gal here in Calgary put it into a quilt for me and Flo stitched into a finished quilt and it turned out great. These again are like the spring series which I did in 9 parts but this way you get all 9 at a much better price point, because I don’t have to do nine covers and nine sets of printing, and nine frames….! It uses the lovely Crescent Colours Floss and The Gentle Art Sampler and Simply Shaker threads. I again worked from a wee bit of blackwork and made nine little autumn themed pieces that can be used in any fashion you think might be interesting.

I am steadily working on my stuff for fall, have some done, some not SO done! but it is all coming together. My work is out on some trunk shows, so get to see them at Mom and Me Forever in Bethalto, Illinois and at Cross My Heart Columbus, Ohio.

Always fun to look forward to summer, enjoy your holidays if and when you get them, I know from working in nursing for 30 years, it was not always a given that you got summer holidays. Just when I had lots of seniority I go and quit to do this!! <grin>

Bonne Chance

Good Luck? you might say… what is this about? It is a funny little story and you will have to ask me about it, but I did have such a wonderful, super time both at Celebrations and my 2 classes in Montreal, hence the French! I probably should say BONJOUR! Bienvenue…. to you all… Celebration of Needlework in the New England states is such a wonderful event, everyone is excited and the designers have made so many special things…. it is just great to see some of the class projects in ‘real’ – it does truly make a difference seeing things for real rather than on the net. The vendor marketplace is always so nice too, vendors set up lovely booths and it is a stitcher’s shopping adventure. I was thrilled to see so many old friends and spend some time with some of you in class, what a treat, it was great to see you! Even though Manchester, NH is really quite close to Montreal — when you think how far west I am in Calgary -but there is no direct flight and so it was a trip over Philly to get to Montreal but it was awesome once I got there. I had some lesson time myself in Schwalm- whitework embroidery, and taught at the Lakeshore Stitchery Guild and a group called Les Brodeuses Québécoises . It was exciting to meet with old friends, having taught at the LSG in 2006- and it was a treat and to meet new stitchers to me at the other guild. It was an adventurous few days in the community where we had the second set of classes as the cadets were practicing for ‘Jean Baptiste Day’ and it was a fanfare of either “Oh Canada” or other songs that I didn’t recognize but they could softly hum to, and I was enchanted, at one point they sang a beautiful song in French to me, it brought tears to my eyes. So you can imagine, music and handwork crosses all language barriers and despite the translating we had a wonderful, memorable time.

Thank so very much to everyone on each part of the journey that made it fun and memorable, to each one of you that participated in a class that I taught, and to new and old friends, I am blessed indeed!

Au revoir…. ’til next time….

Off and running.......

Just a quick little note, to say hey, look forward to seeing you all soon! We will have fun and enjoy our stitching time! It is a beautiful day here in Calgary – 26 degrees celsius! Which is terrific for us in the higher elevations and more northern latitudes, now I have a few little things that help me remember Fahrenheit to Celsius and they are 28 C = 82 F and 16 C= 61F, cool eh! That way I kind of know what is what in the temperature area. Here is a lovely picture from being in the Toronto area earlier in April, how I love the first flowers of spring!