Surprise In The Mail

I had ordered this tote bag with canvas from Pische Pockets about a month ago. It arrived today. The tote bag is beautifully made. The canvas is painted on ten mesh and the threads are all wool. The kit comes with instructions to finish the canvas and attach it to the tote bag. They even have a video on their website http://www.pischkepockets.com/ that shows you how to attach the canvas to the bag. This is going to be such a fun and quick project to do. I will use the tote bag for needlepoint and to carry around some of Jake's things when I get him in September.
Check out their website. They have some beautiful canvases to choose from and all the totes are made to match the canvas colors. Great place to deal with.

Linda

Lunch and Shopping At Amy's

Amy had just gotten these cute scissors from the Columbus Trade Show. Of course, everyone in the class went crazy and we all had to buy one. The lady scissors come with different color hair so you can match them to yourself. They also cut thread well. Amy still has a lot left and they are $6.00.

Lunch on Saturday was delicious as always. The cupcakes were the hit of the day. They were not only pretty to look at but delicious too. They even had a surprise filling in them. We had baked potatoes with all the trimmings for lunch. My mouth is still watering. Lunch is a special event. You are never disappointed and there is so much food.

Amy was gracious to go out to dinner with us and we had the best time. One night Amy and I were the only ones to order dessert. It was the most decadent dessert and Amy and I finished every last bite. Cannot wait to go back.

This was my second trip to Amy's and it was even better than my first. Next year cannot come soon enough.

Linda

Home is Not Amy's

Back in the real world, I quickly learned that home is not Amy's, with her charming hospitality & classroom surrounded by new friends all sharing the same passion. To cheer myself up today, I am posting a few photos of our classmates & their works. In reverse order, you can see Michelle's perfume seller; look at that hat!! That was two days work, but what a beautiful result!! And this is Charlotte, who is working (very happily, can you tell?) on a pretty limoge box. When Charlotte sent the canvas to Amy, she was in the middle of a very complicated project, and asked Amy for a simple guide with no complex stitches. She's long done with that, & as she was working, wanted a little more challenge. Amy quickly worked with Charlotte to modify some areas. I think Charlotte will be pleased with the result.

The last photo is of Linda & I with Amy. Sigh. This work stuff is certainly quite annoying.

Denise

OMG!!

Do you think the Stitching Sisters had a wonderful time in Memphis? Uh...YEAH!!

After struggling through the security gates at NY's LaGuardia airport (no, we did not try to sneak on with illicit scissors, the lines were just SOOOOO long), our fully packed plane departed more or less on time (brief aside: air travel is much more awful than the airline industry would like you to really know. The whole process is just so time consuming now-a-days. This is not to dissuade you from getting to Amy's--it's definitely worth it! But in the interest of fair disclosure we thought you should know). We arrived in Memphis Thursday afternoon, with plenty of time to zip ourselves over to Amy's Golden Strand.

Linda & I went right on in to the classroom, where Amy was busily preparing for the days ahead. The classroom was just as Linda described it last year, bright and well lit, a full bookcase wall of reference materials, tons of worked up samples on the walls (not so much completed projects but more partially completed or doodle projects, so students could study techniques up close). We walked around to our spots, & then Amy encouraged us to look at the other students' canvases as well. So interesting! I have to admit there were no canvases that I wouldn't have wanted to at least try....

Up at the top of this post you will find our new friend Marlene's canvas, called "Bad Habits." It is just a fun, fun canvas, nice and big to try out all sorts of interesting new tricks. I was sure that Amy had quite a few in that stitch guide.....

And my canvas! And the threads! Oh, so exciting! I couldn't wait to get started!

We did go into the store and I met Jill and Peggy (Linda had met both of them last year). There were already a few items I found that I "had to have," including a little canvas for Ashley.

Linda & I took our stitch guides & threads back to the hotel. After dinner, we organized ourselves for the next day, putting our threads in floss away bags & our guides into the sleeves and folders we had brought along. We checked and double checked our tools, reading through those beautifully written guides a few times. We couldn't wait until Friday when class got started, and we got to meet our classmates!

Denise

Wonderful Weekend At Amy's

I just want to let you know what a great time I had this weekend. Amy is not only a wonderful teacher but a wonderful person. She welcomed all of us with opened arms and make us feel right at home. Southern hospitality just pours out of Amy. Amy is such a caring and loving person.

You are so comfortable taking her class and meet such wonderful people during the three days.

We made such wonderful new stitching friends. One of our new friends, Marlene, invited us back to her home to sit and stitch. What a fun time we had at Marlene's. She make us felt like we were old friends coming to visit.

I gave Amy the New York Santa by Kelly Clark to do the stitch guide for. I was totally blown away by what she came up with. During class I stitched most of the taxi, coat and robe. I was told to ignore the painted canvas. I stitched over the shopping bag that Santa is carrying and will applique it on later. Cannot wait to get back to stitching him.

We enjoyed ourselves so much we already booked our return trip to Amy's. We are going back November 2011. If you want to go, please call and reserve soon. The classes are really filling up quickly.

My stitching sister, Denise, will be posting about her experience and I will be posting about mine all week.

Till tomorrow

Linda

Merry Christmas, Jake's Hat and Memphis

I am finished with the Merry Christmas Mystery Canvas Class given by Ruth Schmuff. The canvas is a Raymond Crawford with stitch guide by Ruth Schmuff. What fun I had stitching this canvas. Just have to do two rows around the finished canvas to help the finisher. Ruth did such a great job on the stitch guide. The threads, stitches and beads really makes the canvas pop. I hope to send this off to Ruth for finishing when I return from Memphis. Ruth worked her magic on the stitch guide and now she will work more magic with the finishing. This will be Jake's frame for his Christmas picture.

We bought Jake this funny hat for the beach. He really looks so cute in it. Just had to post a picture of him. I also want to let you see him sucking his thumb.

Tomorrow we are off to Memphis. I cannot wait. I really need a break. I am so excited and Denise is just jumping with joy. I cannot wait to see what Amy did with my canvas. Just know it is going to be spectacular. Unfortunately Jen will not be coming with us. She is really upset but she just cannot leave Jake. Denise and I will just have more room on the plane. Never cancelled Jen's ticket just in case she changed her mind.

Linda

One Week to Memphis!

As I am buried behind mountains of paper here on my desk, it just dawned on me that next week at this time I will be happily stitching away at Amy's Golden Strand! I am so excited! This is the canvas I will be working on, a wonderful Sharon G work.

http://sharong.com/catalog/architecture/images/D30PositanoCourtyardDoor.jpg

I am not sure what Linda will be working on, but I am sure that Amy will be doing plenty of magic on both canvases. Linda & Jen had such a great time last year, I am so looking forward to the experience.

I have been somewhat on the rocks on my Ponza canvas, and I am stalled there. I hope my inspiration returns. Perhaps I need a trip to Ponza to shake me up.

Denise

My Outrage Over Politicians Who Won't Listen Gets Me Published

Those of you who know me in person know that I am keenly attuned to politics, both local and national, as well as international. I follow a bevy of blogs & newspapers every day, and will read the books of those leaders with whom I agree as well as those with whom I disagree...no matter how outraged I get reading those books!

Last week, I was ranting about our local County Board of Legislators, which opposes every cost cutting measure introduced by our County Executive. Our County Executive swept the former Executive out after 3 terms, as our former Executive managed to get our County the distinction of being one of the highest taxed counties in the nation. Local taxpayers cried "enough!"

I sent a letter to the local newspaper about a recent decision made by our new Executive which would save the County $3 million per year, which our Board of Legislators denounced. I think our Executive is listening to us, & that's what I said in my letter. You can read the letter here:


http://www.lohud.com/article/20100608/OPINION/6080306/1016/OPINION01/County%20legislators%20are%20out%20of%20touch

Ok, off my soapbox now. Back to stitching--well, really, off to work---so I can pay my taxes!

Denise

Jake's Christening

Today was my godson Jake's christening. He was an angel in church; in fact, the little boy next to us was crying, & Jake kept giving him dirty looks. He looked so handsome in his christening outfit. Afterwards, the parents, grandparents, godparents & other relatives went to a neighborhood Italian restaurant for a good meal to celebrate. As you can see, Jake preferred the cake to all else.

Wait a minute. Is this a needlepoint blog? Oh, yeah, it is. Ok. Well, we need to ask Linda to take a photo of the completed framed piece I gave to Jake today for his room. I forgot to take a picture of it. Sorry. And I am (still) working on Ponza 3, and am on the rocks, and so moving very, very slowly. I was delusionally thinking I might finish Ponza 3 before we go to Amy's, but it doesn't look good. We're home pretty early from Jake's christening, so I might just get some of Ponza done tonight. I have a few other items I am working on as well, but I can't discuss them as they are gifts for family members who just might peek at this blog. I haven't had much time to stitch, what with working a whole lot, and having summer planting to tend to, and......I just don't know where the time goes!

Enjoy these photos of Jake. I know I loved spending time with him today. I may just steal him away for some time with his Godmother......

Denise

Jake and Frank

Here are some recent pictures of Jake. They were taken over the weekend. He is in one of the outfits that Aunt Denise bought for him. He is such a happy baby and a bundle of joy. His Christening is on Sunday and I am sure that you are going to be seeing a lot of pictures of the Little Man. Aunt Denise will be posting - I am sure.

Frank is completed. I really enjoyed stitching him. Amy has really gone over the top with the Halloweenies. Frank is just a magnificent work of art. The stitches, threads and techniques used really just bring Frank to life. I was afraid of the fingers only to find out that they were not hard to do at all. I am happy with the way they came out. They are not as good as Amy's but for not having done stump work before I think they came out pretty darn good. I am very proud of Frank. I hope when Jake gets older he will love and cherish them. The Nativity and the Halloweenies are needlepoint pieces that are to be past down from one generation to the next. I know that they take a lot of time and work but the satisfaction of knowing that a piece of you will live on in them makes them worth all your time and effort.

Off to work on the Shepherd. Have to get the last three pieces of the Nativity done before Christmas deadline.

Linda