All Hallows' Eve

Happy Halloween to all my friends, family, and followers! A while back, I mentioned I would post an early photo of me dressed up for Halloween...well, yesterday I was sent a gentle reminder of that statement...so here I am making good on my promise. This is an early childhood photo of me dressed up for Halloween (well actually two photos I scanned and edited to make one)...don't I make an adorable monkey??! Truth be told, these are the only two photos I have of myself dressed up for Halloween...and seeing them always makes me giggle...
My sister and I loved to go trick-or-treating each year...and our goal was to go to every house in our small town...we would run from door to door and collect as much candy as possible...plus, back in the day we would get all sorts of homemade goodies (popcorn balls, caramel apples, cookies, etc.). I remember helping my mom pop popcorn all day and filling small Halloween paper treat bags...we would add candy corn and small sweets to the popcorn bags and hand them out to children who visited our house in costume. I also have vivid memories of my mother placing our bags of Halloween treats on top of the refrigerator, so we couldn't "fill-up" on candy....the day after Halloween, my sister and I would trade candy with each other, so we each would have our favorites...and I'm sure mom and dad got some of our goodies too!

Over the past ten years or so, I have celebrated my love of Halloween by designing quite a few needlework charts and patterns especially for this time of year...I thought you might enjoy seeing a collage that includes many of my spooky pieces...you can find additional information on each of these pieces by exploring my website...enjoy!

May Jack-o-lanterns burning bright
Of soft and golden hue
Pierce through the future's veil and show
What fate now holds for you.
                                                           -Author Unknown

Exploring New Hampshire and Vermont...

Each time I travel to teach, I always try to make a little time to see the area and explore - it is such a treat for me to visit other parts of the country and do a little sightseeing! Lucky for me, my dear friend Ruth lives in New Hampshire and agreed to take me on a little excursion Friday morning/afternoon before the New England Stitcher's Retreat started that evening. Before we begin, I should tell you, it was pouring rain all day - normally I take a lot of outdoor photos and show you the area...but on this particular day I was only able to manage some indoor camera shots...

We set out bright and early Friday morning...our first destination was King Arthur Flour...now, you know I love to bake and I was definitely familiar with King Arthur Flour...however, I didn't quite understand how this could be a "destination"...but oh my goodness was this ever a great place to visit! King Arthur Flour has a brand new campus in Norwich, VT that houses a phenomenal retail store, a baking education center, and a bakery and a cafe - it was FABULOUS! I could have shopped for hours and easily filled a cart - however, knowing I could only add a few pounds to my suitcase, I showed some self restraint (making sure to sign up for their e-mails, grab a catalog, and write a mental list for some online shopping!). There were a few goodies I had to purchase on the spot and ship home...and Ruth did a little shopping for me too - picking me up an adorable owl kitchen towel and a jar of Maple Pumpkin Butter (delicious!). The staff at King Arthur Flour were so very kind and accommodating and allowed me to take a bunch of photos to share with you...

After a delightful morning at King Arthur Flour, we headed to Brattleboro, VT (a little over an hour away) - a couple retreat attendees had shared with us about a fabulous shop called Delectable Mountain Cloth...and all I needed to hear were the words "hundreds of crystal dishes filled with buttons" and "silk fabrics" and off we went! It was an enjoyable drive through Vermont...and yes, it was still pouring rain...but it gave me and Ruth a chance to chit chat and catch-up (after all, we only see each other once a year). Once we arrived in Brattleboro and found our destination, we did a quick drive around the area and found a place to park...then set out to explore the oldest town in Vermont. Main Street had a wonderful assortment of shops - including In The Moment Records (yes, a record shop!), Beadniks (a bead shop), Vermont Artisan Designs & Gallery, and Kitchen Sync (a wonderful kitchen shop)...and I am positive there were many more great places to visit, but the rain definitely hindered walking from shop to shop. We spent a good amount of time in Delectable Mountain Cloth...and it exceeded all of our expectations! This quaint and cozy Main Street shop was full of treasures...all sorts of textiles, silks, velvets, organzas, chiffons, and specialty fabrics...and yes, hundreds of crystal dishes filled with buttons (a feast for the eyes)...along with trims and laces...they also have handmade jewelry and large assortment of scarves. I will let the photos do the talking...

How was that for a large dose of "eye candy"??!! Seriously, if you are ever in the Brattleboro, VT area, this shop is definitely worth the trip...Ruth and I have already discussed that this will be permanently on our yearly itinerary. Oh, and I must mention, if you visit this shop, be sure to cross the street and enjoy a meal at Amy's Bakery Arts Cafe (113 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT) - it is all fresh ingredients - wonderful soups, sandwiches, and salads - DELICIOUS...

So that was how we spent our rainy Friday in Vermont - it truly was a stellar day! That evening and the next couple days were filled with event activities and lots of stitching, but we did get a few more hours together to explore on Monday. After a final breakfast with the retreat attendees, packing up, and saying tearful goodbyes, we had a few more places to see before I headed to Boston where I was to catch a flight home to Iowa. We made a final trip to ABC Stitch Therapy where Ruth got in some last minute shopping and I dropped off all my classroom materials to ship home...then we headed cheerfully to Quilted Threads in Henniker, NH. I was so beyond excited to see this quilt shop, as I had heard all about it...and the feedback was exceptional; I couldn't wait to visit a new quilt shop and find some goodies to take home! Well, the excitement didn't last long - as we pulled into the parking lot, I was quite discourage to read the sign "Closed On Monday"...how disappointing...but we weren't going to let that ruin our day. We continued our drive to Concord, NH where I was to catch a bus to Boston....and made the best of a SUNNY day! I was able to see the Capital of New Hampshire, walk Main Street and visit a few shops, and then have a spectacular lunch at The Barley House. I have already added The Barley House to my list of places I must visit again - both the atmosphere and the food were WONDERFUL - believe it or not, I had a Lobster BLT...yep, a BLT with lobster meat on it and it was scrumptious! It was the perfect way to end my visit to New England....and I can hardly wait to return next year...

An extra special thanks to my friend and chauffeur Ruth - you definitely made this a special trip to remember...thank you for exploring New England with me...I love you sis!

There you have it, my final post on my recent trip to New Hampshire for this year's New England Stitcher's Retreat - it was another AMAZING visit - I got to see more of the East Coast - I got to see old friends and make new ones - I got to share my passion for needlework - and I got to smile and laugh for several days. Now I have a full year to look forward to my next trip...it can't get here soon enough...

To see all sorts of additional photos from my trip to New England, check out the albums on my Facebook page...and smartphone users can check out my Instagram album (user: BRDGIRL)...

A Tea Party at ABC Stitch Therapy

I am finally back with another post about my recent teaching trip to New England. It has been a few crazy days playing catch-up after traveling for most of the month...I still have a pile of correspondence and various work tasks to accomplish, but things are slowly getting back to "normal". As of this afternoon, the to-do list is completely out of control, but I hope to get a handle on it over the next week...in all reality, I could really just use a day or two off to catch my breath and get some much needed sleep - but right now, that is not an option.

Today I wanted to share with you a little more about the New England Stitcher's Retreat that was held at the Enfield Shaker Museum (The Great Stone Dwelling House) last weekend. Marie (owner of ABC Stitch Therapy), Tricia (the shop manager), the entire staff at the shop, and Gail and Jackie (the marvelous hosts for the weekend) made sure everyone had a phenomenal time. Every little detail was taken care of, including: little gifts each day, special treats and snacks (some warm right out of the oven), a fun "Yankee Swap" game where everyone got a stitching prize...and even a tea party at the shop! I was able to spend lots of time with each attendee (my favorite part of my job!) - and I was happily surprised to see each of them in the classroom extra early in the morning...and each staying late well after class was supposed to disperse...and many stayed up with me until the wee hours stitching, giggling, and laughing - many finished their scissor fob and some finished their fob and pinkeep (or got a really good start!). The entire dwelling house was full of enthusiasm and smiles and it truly filled my heart with joy!

Earlier in the week, I shared some photos of the Dwelling House, the classroom, and the Enfield area with you - today, I thought I would share some photos of ABC Stitch Therapy...including the grand tea party! Marie recently moved the shop to a new location, just a "hop, skip, and a jump" from her previous building...and the new shop was incredible! There are lots of windows and good natural light - and TWO floors - when I walked in a was completely astounded. Standing in the doorway, there was a "mecca" of threads to my right...linens and fabrics with a cutting table straight ahead...and cross stitch charts, kits, accessories, and notions to my left...with models EVERYWHERE...upstairs was needlepoint heaven, with hand-painted canvases galore. If you are a needleworker, this shop is definitely worth a trip! So here are some photos I took of the shop (with Marie's permission) and a few photos of the tea party (as always, click on the photos for a larger view)...

ABC Stitch Therapy - Grantham, NH

Thread "mecca"....

Looking down from the upstairs level...

Stairs to the second level...

Needlepoint Canvases (Upstairs)

Me surrounded by beautiful needlepoint canvases...

Teacups for the tea party...

I'm pretending to serve the tea...check out all the wonderful treats....

Sharing a cup of tea with my dear friend Ruth (Sis, you look happy and beautiful!)...

My English Breakfast Tea and plate...
(a scone, an apple spice petit four, a roast beef tea sandwich, and a fruit tart)

I think you can see why I love teaching at the New England Stitcher's Retreat - the events, the shop, the food, the area, the accommodations - everything was a treat! I have to thank everyone who worked on the event planning - the hard-working and happy hosts (Jackie and Gail)....and all the attendees who made the journey to Enfield, NH - I hope to see you all again next year!!

In the next day or two, I will share some photos of my sightseeing with you...including some from King Arthur Flour...and a few from Delectable Mountain Cloth in Brattleboro, VT. To see all sorts of additional photos from my trip to New England, check out the albums on my Facebook page...and smartphone users can check out my Instagram album (user: BRDGIRL)...