Merry Christmas!

Hi everyone! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful Christmas Day.
I have finally turned the corner with the awful cold/cough/sneezing/sniffling/sore ribs/headache bug that has laid me low for the last 7 days. It didn't help that Dan had it before that so the lead up to Christmas was  sort of none existent for us. Fortunately I had mostly everything done before hand so Dan did not have to do too much running around on Christmas Eve Day.
Right now I am home with the dogs. He is gone to take Marion to see his Dad in the hospital, to meet David and hand off presents. I thought it best that I stay home  and not infect everyone who may have the misfortune to come in contact with me. I am sorry to be missing Christmas with David and Erin and the grandsons but really making them sick would not be a good gift! Dan, bless his heart, is also foregoing Christmas with his son and grandsons to come home and be with me so I won't be alone all day. Sweet eh?

In the odd hours in the last week when I was actually able to lift my head off the couch I was able to indulge in a bit of beading and I have this to show for it...be impressed....be very impressed!

I can only repeat...rotations do work! Here is the proof. Of the three pieces in the rotation only my White Lilies are left and they have only 2 and 1/2 pages remaining. That is what I will work on till the end of the year (!). Then I will start a new rotation with  whatever is left of White Lilies, something new and another UFO, probably Rosewood Manor's Inspiration.

Merry Christmas every one!

No Boxing Day sale

Just to let you know...I have been under the weather this past week and am just not up to a big sale next week. Don't despair though I have plans... In the new year Knowledge and Needles will be launching a new and improved website. At the grand unveiling of the website I'll plan a big sale to get everyone off on the right track for stitching in 2013!!!
Meanwhile...what's been going on??
Last Friday the Friday stitchers gave me this lovely 4 seasons teacup bellpull...stitched by Fran, Kathy, Sharon and Cheryl.

Merry Christmas everyone and all the best in 2013!!!

More Finiative

I have spent the last couple of mornings  exercising  finiative!

These 4 are for my 4 great nieces. A couple of years ago I started giving each of them an ornament and I  kind of like the tradition. They may not see me very often but they will have something to remember me by.

These three are to give away. The hope one is for my friend Bernie who is always doing lovely things for me and other people.

These three JBW doves are also gifts, but I do not know who will be receiving them yet.

These Blue Ribbon design ornaments will also be given away...but I think I'll keep one to remind me not to finish ornaments in this manner any more. I may lose the tips of my fingers to glue in other ornies  but sewing all those beads on these is just plain tedious.

I'd love to say I did the hardanger on the left but alas I did not. It is Fran's work. She gave me the ornament and I have finally finished  just in time to hang on the tree which I will definitely put up within the next few weeks.  I stitched the little stocking at some point within the last couple of years and now it has actually become an ornament.

Friday Stitchers

As you know, in Brighton we are fortunate to have a thriving stitching community. Last year we welcomed a new member  Ann (on the left) to our Friday stitching group. This year Ann and her husband Bob  became Canadian citizens. Sharon, on the right saw Jeannette Douglas's "My Story" and decided to stitch it to welcome Ann and Bob to Canada. Here she is presenting her finished , framed  gift to Ann at Friday stitching.....

This is the gang, minus a few members, who are not only pleased that Ann and Bob have chosen our neighbourhood to settle in but that Ann has chosen to join us on Fridays 

And here is my progress on White Lilies.  Only 4 pages at the bottom to go!

Big Weekend!!

This past weekend 18 of us enjoyed our annual November Stitching retreat at  Timberhouse Inn in Brighton. 

We had a fabulous time stitching our little fingers to the bone , staying up late, eating and generally carrying on having a good time. 

While we were carousing at the Inn,  Dan and his helpers where at home preparing our Saturday evening feast. Here are some snapshots of the kitchen crew hard at work.

A big Thank You goes out to both the retreat attendees and the friends who generously came by to lend a hand. Dan created an excellent menu and the gang followed through with a fabulous meal!

There will likely be pictures on Dani's blog as well.  

 Fran created these tomato slices with an unpronouncable and unspellable type of delicious cheese artfully arranged on top.

Bob is busy fondling, or so it appears, the baguette slices in anticipation of adorning them with bruschetta.

Ann is preparing vegetables.

Fran, with help from Mollie, is setting out dishes for the dessert...which she made and for which she has provided the recipe on her blog.

Fran, Bob and Ann are examining a fancy corkscrew, which they obviously figured out because the wine did get opened.

Back at the Inn we had our annual ornament exchange, all of which were displayed on Barb's tree. As usual there was a wide assortment of ornaments all of which were stunning. I took pictures of only a few but you can see how wonderful they were from the tree and these few pictured below.

Sharon made this one.

Dani stitched this cute mouse.

Barb stitched this one and it is the one I got to take home. 

Joyce, Debbie and Sharon

Lianne, Dani and Christin

Dani, Christin, Bonnie and Beatrice with the cool stockings!

Clare and Rebecca

Nan and Anne

Sheila

Dani, Christin and Beatrice's feet

Cataraqui Guild Needle Arts Fair

We had a wonderful day last Saturday at the Cataraqui Guild of Needle Arts annual Fair. There were at least ten vendors in the wonderful new location they have found for the event. The Salvation Army building was perfect...large, clean, modern and provided ample space for the vendors, the luncheon tables and other rooms for the incredible display of fantastic needle art which these women have produced.

These pictures were taken before the doors opened and I was still fresh and the display was still reasonably neat.

Many thanks to all those who attended to support the guild and the vendors. 

I also wish to thank Ann Miller for all her help. I would have been swamped without her assistance. 

An excellent day was had by all

Rotations work

This piece called "Sun bathing" from Bizzi Designs  is proof. It was started in May of 2008 and finished in October of 2012.All it took was  four 4 day sessions and viola...a finished piece. Of course pleased as I am to have a finish I am now faced with the decision...start something new? or be good and pick up another WIP for the rotation?  

This is Adrianna's latest finish. It is a huge piece and beautifully done. Have I mentioned lately that our Adrianna is 96 years old?

Progress and visitors

We noticed these visitors the other day. If you look to the left on the first picture you can also see my giant puff balls. One is past its prime but the other two have grown to the size of soccer balls since this picture was taken.

It is lovely to have wild creatures come by for a wander through our yard.

Cars are very respectful of the turkeys as well and I have seen many slow down to let them by or just to have a good look at the birds.

I am working on a 4 day stitching rotation. Even though it sometimes takes 6 or 7 days to get in 4 days of stitching my pieces are moving ahead. I started this one "Sunbathing" by Bizzi Designs in 2008. I guess that pretty well explains why I needed to get into a rotation!

And my beautiful "White Lilies" from Mystic stitch. I do love working on this design. 13 out of 20 pages are complete.

2 small finishes

I have a number of these ornaments stitched  but only this one finished. It takes me a long time to go all around the ourside hand sewing it together with beads...I may be rethinking that finishing method! I am also unhappy with the beaded hanger and it is going to be replaced with a narrow ribbon hanger as soon as I find some narrow ribbon in the right colour.

This little JBW door hanger  is for my friend Heather who became a grandmother for the first time on September 2.

She can keep it at her house or send it home with her daughter...My thinking is...if the babe is at her house everyone will know he is sleeping because he will be right there in Heather's arms!

Save the world

I cannot say I have been doing too much world saving this summer, but then I am sans cape and tiara so that must explain it.

I have spent the morning finally updating my website and the last two hours trying to figure out why the new pictures are not loading and showing up on-line. It is a total exercise in frustration. The first time in months that I got around to my website and  something major is screwing up!

My stitching has been on and off. I had cataract surgery in July and am finally just getting new glasses to adapt to the new lens next week. I expect my stitching volume will increase as my eyesight is restored and the cool weather settles in...I hope so anyway.

Stitching Day 2012

Warning...numerous pictures!!!

We had a fabulous day on Saturday , with around 37 or 38 stitchers in attendance. There was a lot of oohing and aahing, talking, laughing (sometimes uproariously), eating, shopping, comparing techniques, learning techniques, eating, visiting, giggling and generally enjoying being with like minded stitchers.

Here is a hodge-podge of photos of people's work and some of the people themselves...

This cardinal pair is from a magazine...stitched by Barb

On the left are pieces from Colleen, but I do not know the names of the pieces and the black fabric on the right is Cirque des carreaux (Ink Circles) in progress...by Beatrice

This Gold Wing motorcycle was not on display because by Saturday it was in the hands of the friend for whom Sharon had stitched it. He is in the last stages of cancer and Sharon wanted to get it to him to have it asap. It was a photogrph which Sharon converted to cross stitch. There are over 40,000 stitches done with one strand over 2 on 40 count fabric.

Carmen and Isode hard at work.

                                                                        Eveline and Colleen

Dani's Faberge egg...made for her dad.

Linda, Christin. Bonnie, Dani bending over, Beatrice's hair, Sherry and Teresa

Mary's Christmas stockings

Kathy A's Mirabilia round robin

Beatrice and Kathy A's Desert Mandalas...with corners of Betrices Ink Circles and Long Dog WIPs

Isolde and Eveline choosing colours. The only time I picked up a needle all day was when I found one on the floor beside these guys!

Bonnie's arms, Dani, Kathy A, Beatrice and  Barb

Christin, Bonnie and Dani

Eveline, Wendy and Marg

Carmen, Isolde and Colleen

All in all...I'd say we had quite a day !!