Friday, May 28, 2010

3 of the 12 days

I have been doing some stitching ...Here are three ornaments from The Cat's Whiskers ...On the 12th day...814 DMC on 32 Cobblestone linen.





And an old WIP is getting some attention...but I am sure to get tired of it soon...I have been working on my website this morning and getting pretty frustrated. I am trying to make some changes but one of the pages will not change or update. This happened once before with a different page and then I had to erase the entire page and start over. Part of it gets corrupted or something and nothing will change. Oh well..I guess it is time for something new anyway....but I have messed with it enough for one day...that is a job for next week!



Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Other people's work

As you may recall a number of us have been working on "With My Needle's" Mrs Waddelow's huswif. Here are Sharon's two stitched pieces...the huswif itself and the needlebook cover, which she stitched over one.
She has some gorgeous fabric for go with it and I will be sure to publish a picture of the finished products.
This is a feebie from TW's site which Cheryl stitched up and you can see the matching fabric she has to go with it. I am not certain what her plans are for a finished product.


I have been dabbling at this and that. I am attempting a rotation yet again. While I get something done on three peices, there is not a lot to show on any of them ..I have also been working in the evening on ornaments but have no pictures yet.
My rotation is consisting of There are Fairies in the bottom of my garden, My blue toile pillow and the Memory Keeper.
I also spent a couple of days last week when I had Marie Paule's new magnifier light , working on the JCS magazine sampler from Nostalgic Needle which I am doing on 40 count fabric. The LED light/magnifier was incredible...so much so that I ordered 6 of them for the store...there is one left! So today I ordered 6 more. These lights are fabulous and once I have kept all my customers who want one happy I will buy one for myself and also have it as a sample in the shop so people can see for themselves how much easier it is to stitch on high count fabric...when you can see it!!!




Saturday, May 8, 2010

Siam Fusion

Siam Fusion comes with two versions...a larger sampler where the various motifs are arranged sort of geometrically throughout the sampler and this one which has the motifs in bands.
I started it in Florida in February and finished it yesterday. It is done on a lovely purply 32 linen which was a gift from my friend Sharon.

Here are the fabrics that Fran has chosen for her huswife...very pretty. She has even started stitching as you can see.And here are my beautiful girls all groomed up and sporting their new neckerchiefs which I sewed myself on my 50 year old sewing machine!
The fabric was purchased at the Cataraqui Guild's Needle Arts fair from Elaine Quehl who sells a variety of gorgeous hand dyed fabrics. Her website is www.equarelle.ca It is worth taking a look it. Her quilts are magnificent!




Paddy



Mollie






Sunday, May 2, 2010

What a good day!

Saturday was the Cataraqui Guild's Needle Arts Fair in Kingston.
Knowledge and Needles has been priviledged to have a booth at the fair for the last few years and I must say it is one of my favourite events of the year. This year was no exception.
We arrived around 8am and with the help of two good friends and capable helpers we had the booth set up in no time. Here are some shots of Susan, Dani and Dan setting things up. And a picture or two of some of the other vendors, also in the process of getting ready. Once things were up and running I had no more time for pictures.
Dani and I were busy all day selling stuff to some of the 160 stitchers who attended . For their $7.00 admission fee, they had about 12 or 15 vendors all in one place, a lovely lunch and an incredible exhibit of the fabulous work the Guild members have completed this past year. Some of their work was just mind boggling; it was so exquisite!


















Among the visitors to the the Needle Arts fair were some very good and loyal friends of mine from the Friday Stitching group...Here are Cheryl, Catherine, Fran and Sharon. I have shamelessly lifted this phot from Fran's Blog.
You may not be able to see it in this picture but three of them are wearing Knowledge and Needles logos on their shirts. Fran can sew anything! Cheryl's is red on her black Tee shirt, Fran's is yellow on yellow and Sharon's is gold on her black sweater.
On Saturday I was so pleased at the ladies who came up to tell me how they were progressing on their projects. One woman who had seen my Prairie Schooler quilt two or three years ago, and who had purchased all the charts for it brought her finished letters to show me. Next year I hope to brings along the finished quilt!
Another one let me know that her Blackstone Fantasy Garden was on display in the exhibit hall...of course I looked at it and she had done a fabulous job.
I only see some of these women once a year but they are becoming like old friends and it is a joy to go back each Spring and renew the friendship.
Thank you so much Dani and Susan and Dan for the help. The setting up went so much faster with 4 of us setting up. I could not have kept up with the customers without Dani being there as another salesperson. And of course my walking advertisers...Cheryl, Fran and Sharon! Thank You all so much...and also the loyal stitchers who came out to the Fair!