Back from the dead?

It's like I died or dropped off the face of the earth, isn't it?  Really, it's just adjusting back to life-after-vacation.  Plus, the college kids have been in and out.  Soon they'll be home to stay with another year of college under their belts.  They have a 6 or 7 week hiatus between school and summer jobs.  I need to bask in the glory of my house to myself for as long as I can.  (The one non-college student is so busy at school that she's easy-peasy.) 

Anyhow, before vacation I'd taken 2 quilts to the super fast quilter.  They're bound and ready for their debut.  I started both of these at my quilt retreat in January.

This Bow Tie quilt in Civil War fabrics is the 6th and final quilt in the first Pioneer Women's quilt series.  The first 5 were small...which I love doing.  This one hung around in my to-do pile for a year or two.  

The quilting, which is hard to see on such a busy quilt, is pine trees and bears. 

 Next is the cover quilt from Cheryl Wall's Country Comforts book.  It's called Over, Under, Around, and Through.  Cool, isn't it? 

 The quilting is a cute little smiling flower that suits the fabric perfectly. 

I have a few more projects to show...they just need photographing. 

In the mean time I have a conundrum.  As I've previously posted, I went to a cross stitch retreat last month.  We received some wonderful goody bags which included patterns donated by designers.  Many of them are free patterns but some are patterns that would have been sold but the shops or designers gave them to the shop to give to us stitchers.  I've picked thru and taken what I'd like to stitch and can't figure out what to do with the rest.  So here's the question..... if I do some sort of give-a-way (one that might involve encouraging people to pick what they want, add to the collection, and send it to someone else to do the same) am I going to come under fire by critics of pattern sharing or giving or whatever might feel like undermining the designers?  It's not worth it if people are going to get themselves worked up about it.  However, I'm of the waste not, want not school of thought and I hate to waste something that someone else might enjoy.  Quite possibly something they'd never buy.  Let me know what you think.

Libby

March is over!

I've never liked March.  It's long, it's boring, it's dark, it's cold, it's muddy and a few other things.  When I originally wrote that sentence I said it's too long twice.  The upside is that when it's past, it's spring. 

No matter, it's over once again.  I also managed to post every single day.  I almost didn't have to struggle for a post.  In fact, I had an extra in reserve I never used.  One day I'll pull it out. 

Right now I need to work on packing for a trip to....

The husband and I haven't been on vacation together in over a year...and then it was only for a long weekend.  We'll have 2 kids with us for part of this vacation.  She has to return to school half way in so we'll be left with one.  Poor kid.  Nothing like being the only child on a family vacation.  It's a tough life, you know. 

I hope to stitch and read to my heart's content. 

Libby

Retreat Part 2

I've saved the best for last. 

I've always liked Lizzie Kate patterns but after meeting Linda and hearing her talk about her business I'm now a Lizzie Kate LOVER.  She was such a genuinely likable person that I became instantly enamored.  First she gave a power point presentation about the development of her business then a talk about how a pattern goes from an idea to a full blown pattern ready for distribution.  It was very interesting.  Not that I want to scare her or anything, but if I could be a groupie, I would. 

So, here's the project she had for us.  (The theme of the weekend was 'fall') 

Sorry, it's sideways.  You know how it is to move pictures around once they're uploaded, right?  This will just have to remain sideways because I already uploaded them out of sequence.  I'm done adjusting!

Look, there are Jelly Bellies in there!

Another cool thing was that the chair across from me remained empty all weekend, so Linda often came and sat.  Here she is signing fabric. 

 And, here is my finished project....

 signature and all!! 

I don't think I'll wait for the summer framing sale this time.  I can't wait to get this framed and hung. 

So, go forth and keep Lizzie Kate in business!  It's truly a joy to know someone so cool is designing these fun and whimsical patterns. 

Libby

So, where did I go last weekend?

I attended a cross stitch retreat hosted by Stitcher's Garden.  That link will take you right to the retreat page but you can navigate around and find the shop's home page if you'd like. 

While this was the 10th retreat hosted by Stitcher's Garden, it's the first one of theirs that I've attended.   This shop finds a designer or two to present, which was also new for me.  I'm usually just happy to sit and stitch and visit for several days with no worries about household chores.  Not to mention how fun it is to get away for a weekend and visit a new shop. 

This retreat included Linda Ebright of Lizzie Kate and Lori Markovic of La D Da.  Both of these designers are favorites so I couldn't let this opportunity pass by. 

I hate to admit to being bad about picture taking since I had my camera with me every minute, but I didn't really know the other ladies and don't want to assume it's OK to post pictures. 

I have a few, though. 

This is the shop.  It's in an old Erie Canal barn.  Cool, isn't it? 

Linda spotted the camera and posed.  Lori is in the background. 

Lori's project was a needle book that slides into a cover.  She premade everything and we did the stitching on a piece of wool using waste canvas.  I've done stitching on waste canvas before but I don't think many of my retreat companions had.   I'm not sure anyone loves this process.  The end result is cool, though. 

Once the stitching was done we applied the piece of wool to the cover of the pocket using a piece of double sided fusible paper.  Easy enough. 

Tomorrow I'll show you the project from Lizzie Kate. 

Until then....

Libby

One last ornament.

Last fall I participated in an ornament exchange that was really fun.  We each bought the Just Cross Stitch Ornament issue and chose an ornament to kit up.  We put together 6 kits of the same ornament.  That meant we only had to buy the special threads, beads, fabric or whatever for one ornament.  Often, one skein of thread was enough to assemble all 6 kits.  When we got together for our usual Fall weekend, we exchanged kits and came home with 5 new kits.  I was the keeper of the page number each of us chose our ornament from.  If anyone told me the same page number I'd have to get more detail to be sure we weren't choosing the same thing.  That way I got to be surprised, too.  Although, truth be told, I knew exactly what ornament some people WOULD pick.  Some of us just have a style that is easy to spot.  Anyhow, it was tons of fun and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. 

So, on to my final ornament finish from our fall exchange.  M Design's Geometric Floral Ornament.  The finish is kind of predictable, given my latest discovery.  Pinking shears this time, though.

I really like red on a Christmas tree. 

Be sure to stop back tomorrow because I've been holding out on you.  I've saved the best for last...although I only just participated in this event last weekend so I couldn't post anything...although I could have basked in your jealousy and envy up until last weekend.  Guess I didn't think of it until now. 

Libby

I'm sure getting

a lot of mileage out of this finishing style...not to mention my money's worth from the wavy blade.

After having such success with Fresh Fallen Snow, I thought I'd use the same method to finish a couple more large ornaments.

First is 'Joy' by Little by Little Design Company. 

I put a piece of batting between the stitching and the felt to add some thickness. 

I used a herringbone stitch around the edge and the same silks it's stitched in to make a piece of cording. 

 And, since I was on such a roll, I did the same with 'Naughty or Nice' by Lizzie Kate. 

I used a little stitch that doesn't show.  It's a straight stitch that goes over and catches the stitched piece every other stitch. 

I'm pretty sure everyone can manage this finish.  Give it a go and see....

Libby

Taking a break from

cross stitch projects for a minute...to show you how my pumpkin patch is growing.  I completed the 5th block of The Great Pumpkin.

This has proven to be an easy block of the month to keep up with...knock on wood.

Libby