A finish finish!

Well...here it is ...my version of Jeannette Douglas' "My Stitching Album"
I am very proud of it!
This has been an ongoing project since September of 2008 and while each page gave me immense satisfaction, you cannot imagine how great it feels to see the whole thing right there before my eyes and knowing that I stitched the whole thing.

I was very uncertain as to how I would finish it. My good friend Sharon was here at Friday stitching last week and brought along some pages she was attaching together in an accordian for the guild. That was it, I knew that was what I wanted to do as well. She had tried to describe the technique to me but until I actually saw it I couldn't visualize my book done that way. But once I saw it on Friday, I got myself in gear...finished my last page, went for backing fabric and timtex , and then spent 2 1/2 hours Tuesday with Sharon and all day Wednesday and voila the book is complete. (Well I am omitting the last "wrought by..." page since my name is inside on the final stitching page)So thank you Sharon for taking so much time to teach me that lacy stitch between the pages and showing me how to attach the backing and make the pages stand up...and thank you to the guild for teaching Sharon the technique in the first place!
And Jeannette...what an undertaking...thanks for designing such a great project...even if I strayed a bit from your suggested colours and book design.

And if I wasn't pleased enough on Thursday and Friday to show off my newly completed masterpiece to the stitchers, look at what Fran made for me to wear when I go to Nashville...you can be sure I won't be waiting that long to get into it. Aren't I just the luckiest person to have so many generous, thoughtful friends??

There are more pictures of me in the sweatshirt on Fran's blog,

as well as some of the Friday stitchers.

I have one last question ... Dani, Beth, others??? How many new starts does my finish finished Stitching Album qualify me for?

Also...next blog...I'll tell you a true story about a local teacher and a project she and her students have tackled and if you are interested in helping out I know she will appreciate it.

MAJOR Happy Dance

I just finished my last page of Jeannette Douglas' My Stitching album...well the last page I am going to do. She has a back page that says ... wrought by.... but I am leaving that one out since I put my name on the bottom of this one...Herringbone Hour...
I had let this page languish over Christmas but I got inspired during our Friday stitching session when Sharon showed me how they are finishing a project they did at Guild. That was it...I finally knew how I wanted to finish finish this book. As soon as Sharon is free to help me with the finishing technique I will get all the pages finish finished and display them here. I would like to have it done before we go to Florida and on to the Nashville show. I'll be seeing Jeannette there and would love to show off my version of her great designs.

I sometime cursed my choice of black fabric but all in all I am terribly pleased with the project and with the fact that I kept up with it. I have learned many new stitches and feel that not much in the stitching line can intimidate me now!

40count

I bit the bullet and am finally working on some 40 count fabric. This is the sampler designed by Sharon Cohen that appeared in two parts in JCS magazine early last year. I am using the called for GAST threads and am quite enjoying the 40 count experience. I especially like the tiny stitches. If you are familiar with the design you may notice that I changed the colours of the large flowers. There were 4 colours in each petal and I chose to go with only one. Also...lest Dani think she is the only one with two finishes so far in 2010...let me tell you that I also have two finishes. This is the first one and once I take another photo of the second ornament I will edit this post and show it too.

I found this year that I gave away more ornaments than I stitched so I have decided to try to make at least one ornament per month so I am not in this deficit predicament again.

The two ornaments have been stitched entirely from stash and that is the plan for the rest of them as well.

Look at my great gift!

My nephew Clancy and his wife Lisa and their three gorgeous daughters stopped in for a visit yesterday on their way home from visiting Lisa's family for Christmas. They joined Bruce and Luci and Dan and me for dinner. They brought me this beautiful photograh of the girls with the pictures I cross stitched for each them. I was so touched that I choked up and tears came to my eyes. They are darling children and we love them to pieces.
This phot0 will be displayed proudly and prominently in the shop!

After finishing the William Morris bag, I concentrated exclusively for a couple of weeks on the stained glass landscape. It is progressing well.After Christmas I started something new!!! The latest project is the Sampler from JCS magazine (Jan/ Feb and Mar/April 2009) designed by Sharon Cohen of the Nostalgic Needle. I am using the recommended GAST threads and doing it on...drum roll please ... 40 count fabric!
So far I have the first band completed and I am loving the look! Pictures will be forthcoming.

Merry Christmas and Merry Boxing Day!

Merry Christmas everyone!
We are off shortly to see the grandchildren and celebrate the day with family.
However before we do that I wanted to wish all my friends near and far a very Happy Christmas Day.
I also want to spread a bit of Boxing Day cheer. Yesterday I decided to hold a 25% off Boxing Day sale on in-stock items in the shop. E-mail me between 12:01 am and 11:59 pm on December 26 to receive this discount. The e-mail address is on the website.
www.knowledgeandneedles.com
This discount covers charts, kits, patterns, fabric and thread and anything else in the shop...but it must be in stock! More details on the website. Paypal, cheques and e-mail transfers accepted.

Merry Christmas!
PS...Wendy... your 40 ct cream fabric is in
Clare...there are two charts here for you
Sharon A...your Cricket Collection stuff is in
Kathy A...some 36 ct fabric came in as well...maybe one that you asked for???

Amazing stitching

I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such talented and creative stitchers. I have frequently mentioned the ladies in our Thursday Stitchers group, but I also have a dedicated group who come on Friday to stitch as well. This is Anne, one of the Friday stitchers. She is holding up her daughter and son-in-law's wedding picture from 25 years ago which she stitched. Sharon, another Friday stitcher, took the photo and used her PC Stitch programme to make it into a Cross stitch chart which Anne then stitched and this is the result. It is hard to believe that this is really totally stitched. I believe Anne said it has taken her 3 months to do it. Her daughter is going to be so surprised and I hope very impressed by her Mother's work. In addition to Anne and Sharon on Fridays we also have Fran who can turn her hand to anything it seems. She knits both by hand and machine, quilts, designs mystery quilts for an on-line group, teaches machine embroidery and oh yes, she cross stitches too! Lucie, in addition to stitching can also cook and sew. As a matter of fact I conned her into leaving the little pot of homemade pate she brought to our last stitch-in of 2009 yesterday. It is delicious. Cheryl does the most exquisite over one stitching on 25 count fabric. Catherine is new to cross stitching but determined to master it. She has completed one sampler on aida and is currently working on a bookmark...on black fabric !
Dani, in Ottawa, always marvels at how lucky we are here in our little town to have so many talented and zealous stitchers when she struggles to find a group in the big city. OK Ottawa is not that big but compared to here...it is!

This is my completed William Morris bag. It is on its way to my friend Heather in Virginia. She and I are both turning 60 on our next birthday (hers is this month!) so I thought that milestone deserved significant recognition! I hope she likes the bag. Diana did such an excellent job of finishing it that I had to show you all the inside as well.

Really it could be reversable, it is that well done!

Joyce's Finish

My friend Joyce, with whom I stitch on Tuesday mornings, has completed her HAED "The Tempest" She did it on 32 count lugana over 2 threads.

Doesn't it look fabulous?

On Friday while Dan and I were in Mississauga taking Dan's Dad home from the hospital, two decorating faries named Marie Paule and Louisa came to the shop and decked it out in some Christmas finery.

Do I have wonderful friends or what?

And speaking of great friends...I am so fortunate... Fran came on Friday and looked after the Friday stitchers, Sharon was here as well and even stayed with the dogs until we got home around 6 PM. We were particularly concerned with the dogs because they had each eaten a sparerib bone on Thursday evening and complications could have arisen. Fortunately guzzle guts that they are...well really canine vacuum cleaners.. they suffered no ill effects. But that did not keep us and the vet from worrying...and dear Sharon stayed with them all day just in case, while we were gone.

We had to be gone on Saturday as well and then we had Wendy to check in on them and she ended up staying with them all Saturday evening until we got home at 10:15 PM. She didn't know about the bone incident because they were fine by then...she just didn't want them to be alone!

So Dan and I are very fortunate in our friendships and we appreciate you all!

Saturday 35 McDonalds got together for our Christmas gathering...lots of good food and good fun...we took our annual pic of my brothers and me and here it is...do we look alike or what?