Lovely Finishes from Joan!

I have been greatly remiss in posting photos I've received of some completed With My Needle projects.  Please accept my apologies.

Today I want to show you photos from Joan S. of Minnesota. She likes getting together with friends to stitch projects. Choosing a group SAL project is an annual event for them. The following photos are of some of the With My Needle projects they have stitched over the years.

Joan wrote, In 2008, five of us decided on stitching "My Favorite Things Stitching Basket", and three of us finished it. They were Jill, Chris and myself.  

You've already shown Chris's basket on your blog.  Here is mine.

In 2010, we stitched the "Ackworth Friendship Book". We stitched our needlebooks on 36 count flax and chose our own thread colors. I stitched mine with Belle Soie Enchanted Forest. We stitched two pages of each persons needlebook with the exception of Lori and Jackie who stitched one page each since we had six people and only 10 pages. You showed the completed books here. (Click on the word "here" to see the previous photos.)

In 2012, we decided to stitch "My Needle's Worke Box".  Mine was stitched on 32 count belfast baby lotion with DMC threads. 

My Needle's Worke Box lid

Inside view of My Needle's Worke Box 

One of the sides of My Needle's Worke Box

Another of the sides of My Needle's Worke Box

Another of the sides of My Needle's Worke Box

Perhaps you may remember seeing Joan's beautiful Mrs. Waddlow's Huswif previously. (Click here if you want to see it again.) 

As you can clearly see, Joan is a beautiful, and prolific, needleworker. She told me in her email she has several other With My Needle projects she wants to stitch. I wonder which one she'll chose next.

Thank you, Joan, for sharing photos of your wonderful projects.

Saturday's Show and Tell

Today I have photos from three very talented needleworkers.

The first photos are from Patti D. in Colorado.  I showed you Patti's My Favorite Things Stitching Basket a couple of weeks ago.  Now she has also completed the needlebook, threadwinder/waxer pocket, scissors weight,  and pincushion.  I wish I knew Patti's secret for getting so many projects done.

Next is Mary D.'s A Child's Prayer.  Mary is one of our wonderful French needleworkers.  Like Patti, she is also a very beautiful and prolific stitcher.

I found the wonderful prayer on this project on one of my antique samplers.  This project has become a very popular birth, baptismal, and confirmation gift.  Of course, it could also be stitched for an adult.  My dear Aunt Frances fell in love with the piece, so one year her daughter Nancy stitched it for her for Christmas.  Now, whenever I look at my model, I can't help but think of my Aunt Frances.

And last, but certainly not least, are Denette's Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif and Mrs. Waddelow's Needlework Basket. What wonderful lining fabrics you chose, Denette!  

Looking at Denette's beautiful work, you probably couldn't guess that a couple of years ago the idea of assembling a project intimidated her.  No more!  She has since completed a couple of fairly involved projects.

Dennette included this lovely note with her photos:

I started this project shortly after Christmas but had to put it aside on and off until recently as we moved across town in early April. I must tell you that having one of your projects to work on in the midst of moving kept my sanity. I would pack a few boxes and then rest by stitching for an hour or so before I went to bed for the night. My husband thanks you from the bottom of his heart for helping me keep my wits about me. I just finished the basket last night so of course I had to take pictures and share with you.  Thank you once again for the wonderful instructions and for helping me create another wonderful heirloom.

My next Ellen project is the "Family Record Sampler". My very special niece  is expecting her first baby in November. I have all the supplies, I am just waiting to hear if it is a boy or girl. Two more weeks until the big reveal. I guess I can get started anyway. There is no way I can go two weeks without stitching!

Thanks Patti, Mary, and Denette for sharing photos of your beautiful work.  Other needleworkers love seeing completed works, especially when they are beautifully done like these.

My Favorite Things

Patti D. from Colorado recently finished My Favorite Things Stitching Basket. I can't believe how quickly Patti she completed the basket lining and pincushion!  It has only been about 6 weeks since she got the chart and basket and during that time she has completed lining and pincushion, but also two class projects.  In addition, she works full time.  I wonder if she ever sleeps!

Patti still has the needlebook and scissors weight left to make, and she says she'll send photos when she gets those finished.

Several of you commented about on the hornbook frame that was in my last blog post.  I gave some ideas to Valley Primitives, and that is what they came up with.  I think I may have also sent some photos and asked about adding a metal strip along the inside opening and the tacks.  I was thrilled with the results. 

Grab a Cup of Tea and Get Ready for LOTS of "Eye-Candy"!

Bright and early last Friday morning I headed north to Onalaska, Wisconsin to teach two classes--the Fruit of the Vine Sampler Huswif  for the Coulee Country EGA Chapter and A Lady's Worke Box for Crosse Stitchery and Main Street Framing.  Attendees were from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa.

I wish I had taken a photo of my car all loaded down!  I don't think I could have added anything else to the load.  (I knew things would be pretty packed, so I did a "test" packing the weekend before just to make sure I wouldn't have to ship anything ahead of time.)

Despite rain most of the day, there was still quite a bit of beautiful fall foliage along the way. 

Approaching the hotel, this is what first greeted me.



Was I at the right place?  Indeed I was!

Once inside, this is what I first saw!

While waiting in line to check in, I couldn't help but notice the group of ladies in front of me, all with their Vera Bradley bags.  I wondered if they were part of the class.  It only took a few minutes to find out.  One of them, Cathy B., turned around and greeted me.  Cathy had recognized me from photos she had seen.  Cathy and her friends, Chris, Judy, and Mary Kay, had driven from Minnesota for the classes.  They live about two hours away but made a full day of it with stops for shopping, including antiquing, and a stop at Crosse Stitchery in nearby La Crosse.

Bright and early the next morning (7:30am to be exact), it was time to set up the room with the class kits and trunk show.  The classroom was quite spacious.  The tables were arranged in a U-shape, which I've now decided is the perfect configuration when I teach.  It was easy to get around to everyone.

One of the benefits of driving is that I can take lots of models.  I took only 3-dimensional pieces and put them on a table in the middle of the room.  That was especially nice because the class attendees could walk completely around the table.

Below are some photos of the models I took.  Since the photos were taken on two different days, the layout is not the same, and some of the project pieces ended up being separated from each other.  (Things were neater earlier in the day.)

In the next photo, I'm explaining how I, along with nine other designers, created the collaboration sampler, A Most Noble Pursuit.  We did all the planning on-line.  Many of the designers didn't know each other before the project began.  We met in person the night before the tradeshow at which we released the sampler.  There is still a limited number of charts available, but once they are gone, they'll be gone forever.  Last year we gave our model to Jean at Attic Needlework to auction off at her annual breast cancer auction.

In my next blog post, I'll show you some class photos; I'm devoting the rest of today's post to photos of the wonderful projects the class attendees brought for me to see.

First up is Cathy B. holding her Blue House Needle Primer.  Cathy told me she changed the verse I had on my model from "parents" to "mother" because her father died when she was very young, and her mother raised her on her own.

Here is a close-up of Cathy's Blue House Needle Primer and her Ackworth Friendship Book, which she stitched with her friends Chris, Judy, and Mary Kay.

Next is Cathy's very good friend Chris C. with her completed Ackworth Friendship Book and her My Needle's Worke Box.  Chris, as you'll soon see, is not only a beautiful stitcher (and finisher) but is also very prolific.

And look what else Chris brought--her My Favorite Things Stitching Basket!  I love the basket she chose to showcase her stitching!

Here are some more projects from Chris--one of A Pair of Pin Cubes and one of the Floral Needlerolls.  (Both of these products have two versions.)

And Chris isn't finished!  Here she is with her friend Judy S.  Chris and Judy are each holding their own completed Petit Samplings Etui.  This was another collaboration piece I did--this one with three other design companies.  (I always chuckle when I hear the word "petit" associated with this project.  It sure isn't "petit" in my humble opinion.)

Wasn't it sweet that both ladies turned their etuis so the side I designed would be in the photo?

Below are two more photos of Judy's etui.  The first shows the side designed by my friend Louise Henderson (Cherished Stitches).  The second shows the inside of Judy's etui.  I'm sorry I neglected to photograph the other sides of both etuis.

I hope your eyes aren't getting tired, because I still have more to show you!

Here is Deb W. with  her Floral Needleroll and also her Acorn Sampler Sewing Case.  Deb did a different version of Floral Needlerolls than Chris's version which you saw earlier.  Deb chose to stitch the over-one version and used the other color palette.  I wish I had thought to take a photo of the inside of her Acorn Sampler Sewing Case.  It was just wonderful!

Here is another photo of Deb's lovely work--Flowers for Lily.

And now look at Linda B. and all her goodies!  Linda actually brought more than what is in the photos.  I'm sorry, Linda, that I didn't get photos of all your pieces, especially your Acorn Sampler Sewing Case.  The lining fabric you chose for that case is wonderful!

Linda's projects are Quaker Needlework Treasures, A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif (a class project), Long May She Wave (also a class project), and Quaker Hornbook (a group project).  Linda took the two classes several years ago when I taught for the Mississippi River Sampler Guild in Dubuque, Iowa.

Next is Sarah H.'s A Needleworker's Sampler Huswif.  This can be framed as you see here or made into a huswif as Linda did.  Sarah, who is the owner of Crosse and Main Street Framing, was in the same class in Dubuque as Linda.  Sarah's choice of a frame and mat are exquisite!  I couldn't take my eyes off of it.  I'm just sorry that this photo doesn't do her work justice.

And last, but not least, is Marybeth's pin cube which is one of the two designs in A Pair of Pin Cubes.  Like Chris, Marybeth chose to stitch the Quaker design.  The other design has strawberries on it.  You can see both versions on my website.



This is a view of the bottom of Marybeth's pin cube.

I think there may have been some more projects that I neglected to photograph. Please accept my apologies if yours was one I forgot, and please send me a photo.  I need to do better at remembering to take photos. 

Thank you to Cathy and Marybeth for sending me photos to augment the ones I took.  If anyone else in the classes has any photos from the weekend, please send them to me.  My next blog post will be about the actual classes.

Last week we stopped by Keepsakes, a needlework shop just a couple of miles from our home.  The owners are Barb Hils and her husband Joe.  Every nook and cranny of this old house is filled with cross stitch goodies.

Approaching the front door via the sidewalk, we passed the cutest cat nestled among the flowers.

Here is Barb, with her beautiful smile, and with My Favorite Things Stitching Basket, Quaker Turtles, and Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif, which she stitched as shop models.

Now here is a close-up.  I wish I had taken the needlework accessories out of her stitching basket so you could see them.

Next is a close-up of her turtles.

And last, here is the inside of her huswif.

Barb told me that one of her customers made a wonderful rendition of Mrs. Waddelow's Huswif using beautiful reproduction fabrics for the lining.  She is now working on the basket.  Hopefully she'll send me photos to show you.

On the home front, our kitchen is now back in order.  This time, we went with a glossier floor finish than in the past, and I love it!  The dust wasn't too bad--the refinisher told us that thanks to new improved equipment they are able to eliminate most of the dust.

How much fun it was to receive these photos of My Favorite Things Stitching Basket from Ellen L who lives in Bismarck, North Dakota. At first I did a double take when I saw my name stitched on Ellen L's basket lining. Read on, and Ellen L will tell why she stitched my name on her basket.

Ellen wrote, Just finished “My Favorite Things Stitching Basket” and it has been my most challenging project to finish so far, but I’m getting better. J Have enclosed some photos as proof!

I don’t normally make changes in the pieces I stitch, but instead of the verse around the opening of the basket, I stitched “My Favorite Things Stitching Basket designed by Ellen Chester”. I find as I get older, I don’t always remember the title of the pieces I stitch. Usually the designer has a reason for choosing the title and I like to have it on the piece. Also on the waxer pocket I stitched my initials on the bird side and my husband’s initials on the flower side. Thank you so much for this awesome design!


basket, scissors weight, needlebook, and pocket

 


close-up view of the scissors weight, needlebook, pocket, waxer, and scrimshaw ruler and threadwinder



view of the basket bottom

 

view of the basket inside and the back of the scissors weight, needlebook, and pocket



inside of the needlebook

view of some of the pockets

more of the pockets

more of the pockets

Thank you, Ellen, for sharing these photos of your wonderful work. I'm honored that you included my name on your basket lining. What a creative touch to your project!

I hope that your assembly of the basket and accessories has given you new-found confidence in your finishing abilities. The "sky is now the limit". I also hope that you're enjoying using your stitching basket. I find the pockets so useful for storing my needlework tools. Don't you?