"By The Numbers"

I have something extremely fun to share with you today. Many of you know Elegant Stitch releases an exclusive, limited edition needlework kit benefiting breast cancer awareness, prevention, and education each year (and some of you may remember the "With All Your Heart" project I gifted to Lois for one of her special kits back in 2007). This year the exclusive kit is quite spectacular and I was lucky enough to collaborate with Lois on this modern (and in her words "kicky and edgy") project. It is appropriately called "By The Numbers" and is a bright and cheerful all-inclusive kit...that's right - the kit includes everything for the complete set shown in the photos. Last fall, Lois showed me the two bolts of fabric she purchased for her 2014 limited edition kit and told me about the fabric tray she wanted to center the project around...she gave me a cut of the linen, a couple snippets of the fabrics, and we pulled a pile of Weeks Dye Works floss to match...I took them home and designed the ruler fob, needlebook, and ditty bag - I stitched and partially assembled them - then sent the pieces and designs back to California, where Lois finished the easel needlebook and embellished the ruler fob and ditty bag. It was quite fun to watch this project grow and evolve into what you are seeing! This gorgeous limited kit includes the fabric tray, the adorable little spool pincushion, the ruler AND embellished laying tool - plus all the materials, charting, and finishing instructions for the needlebook, ditty bag, and ruler sleeve and fob - it is truly an all-inclusive kit - an amazing bargain at $45 + shipping...and, of course, all proceeds go towards breast cancer awareness, education, and prevention. These are very limited and going fast (at the time of this post there are only about 30 kits left), so if you are interested, you will want to get your name on the list right away...you can find all the details here: http://www.elegantstitch.com/bythenumbers/ - Lois is putting the the finishing touches on these unique needlework kits and they will be shipping soon...

Yosemite National Park

Here it is Wednesday afternoon, and I am still suffering from the "California plague" (yes, my diagnosis has been changed from "California flu" to "California plague", which is much more accurate). I have started to feel a wee bit better and I am finally somewhat functional...my temperature has lowered and I almost able to breathe through my nose again, both of which are good signs...I am hoping to be back to normal in the next day or two...fingers crossed.

Today, I will once again let my photos do most of the talking...these gorgeous pictures are from Yosemite National Park. Last week during my trip to California, I was beyond blessed to stay with Lois and Mr. Bear for a few extra days to do some sightseeing...and Mr. Bear was kind enough to drive us to Yosemite for a day. He really had no idea what he was getting himself into, as this Iowa girl likes to stop at every single landmark for photos...he started out by giving me a time limit for each stop and by the end of the day, I was made aware I had reached my quota - no more stops...luckily by then I had a gazillion photos (and really, how many photos can you take of mountains, trees, and water??...it is really something you just have to experience in person). It was another breathtaking day filled with marvelous views and memories...and big, BIG trees (I am in a couple of the photos to show you just how BIG)...

Bridalveil Creek

Bridalveil Fall

Ribbon Fall

The Ahwahnee Hotel

Inside the Ahwahnee Hotel

Tunnel View

Horse Tail Fall

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Bachelor and Three Graces

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Fallen Tree

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Grizzly Giant

Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
California Tunnel Tree
(cut in 1895 to allow horse-drawn stages to pass through)

And for my faithful readers...yes, it is still all "about the squirrel"...and the bird...and the lizard...

 I hope you enjoyed seeing Yosemite National Park through my camera lens....it was truly incredible...

It was an AMAZING trip to California - I can hardly wait to go back in November! A huge thank you to all the attendees at the Elegant Stitch Workshop - I am so glad you requested to have me return - I enjoyed my time with each and everyone of you!! ...and to Lois and Mr. Bear - you know how dear you are to me - thank you for your hospitality, your love, and your friendship - you hold a very special place in my heart...

Teaching and Tahoe...

"Bluebird Sewing Box" - The Class Project

Believe it or not, I am still really under the weather...sick as sick can be...and it is definitely not a cold, as some of the highlights include a 102 temperature, chills, sweats, terrible aches, weakness and dizziness - along with all the regular, nasty head cold symptoms and a terrible cough....so for my purposes, this will be known as the "California Flu". The California Flu has had me in bed or on the sofa for the last three days and is still hanging on...in fact, this post is coming to you via my laptop while I am curled up in bed (hopefully on the mend)...and will probably take me several writing sessions (my focus is limited and only good for short periods of time)...therefore, any typographical or grammatical errors are unintentional and probably a side effect of this gruesome illness...

So let's talk about my teaching trip to California...
It started out a little hectic...I was supposed to fly from Des Moines to Denver to Sacramento...well, it didn't work out that way. My flight (on Thursday) was several hours delayed getting out of Des Moines (the plane was coming from Chicago and it happened to be on the day with the terrible thunderstorms and flooding)...and although they held my connection in Denver to Sacramento for a couple hours, a sprint from one end of the Denver airport to the other found me out of breath and watching the last daily flight to Sacramento taxiing away from the gate. Ugh. All the flights for the following day were completely booked and I got an immediate notification that I was scheduled on the 6:10 AM flight for Saturday morning - well, that wasn't going to work, as I had a class to teach on Friday evening (and I really didn't want to spend 36+ hours in the airport). I started the tearful walk to the airline help center to see if there was anything they could do...I knew there was one last flight to California on Thursday evening (I had done my homework)...and as I was passing through the airport on the moving sidewalk, I saw the gate for the 9:45 PM flight to San Francisco (the last flight of the day and my only hope of getting to CA). I  hurdled the sidewalk railing (seriously), headed straight for that gate, and prayed for a miracle. Once the counter was open, I was put on standby for the flight to San Francisco...and I was (you guessed it) number eleven...bye, bye hope. I called my dear friend who was going to pick me up at whatever airport I could get to and broke the news...it was not looking good. Somehow, they made room for twelve passengers and I got on that flight - it was a blessing - and I am so glad I was proactive and hurdled the rail of the moving sidewalk. Great news, I made it California - it was after midnight and we had a long drive to Modesto, but I made it to California!! I think we arrived at about 2:30 AM...too bad my luggage was still in Denver. I won't go into too much detail - but let's just say, all the attendees got to see me without make-up in day-old clothes with my hair tied up...basically at my worst (I just used the explanation that I was practicing for the Koman 3-Day event I am participating in this coming November)...how embarrassing. My suitcase did arrive at 2:19 Saturday morning...and even more convenient, it was "signature required" - yep, doorbell ringing, dogs barking, everyone awake at 2:20 AM. But I must say, after all that, it was a fabulous trip!

It was so much fun to see all my California friends and stitching family...and we had such a marvelous time! Friday morning/afternoon, I got a chance to see many of the attendees at Elegant Stitch (of course everyone wanted to do some shopping - including me)...that evening we had a wonderful light dinner at the hotel...then started the "Bluebird Sewing Box" class. I was thrilled to see everyone finish their floral scissor fob and we even had time to start covering the rest of the class materials. Saturday everyone had a chance to start stitching...and many had a very good start on the project! After breaking for lunch, we finished covering all the class materials...I signed all the class notebooks...and I had a chance to visit with each attendee, one on one. After class, we headed back to Elegant Stitch for more shopping and visiting. It was a FABULOUS couple days and I truly enjoyed the entire event. It is always such a blessing to travel and meet fellow needleworkers...and even more fun when I get to return and see so many familiar faces...plus there were new faces, as well. I just adore Elegant Stitch and all my California friends!

Once the Elegant Stitch Workshop was complete, I had plans to stay in California with Lois and Bruce and do some sightseeing! Lois and I had made plans to spend a couple days in Lake Tahoe...and a day in Yosemite National Park...both of which I had never visited before...yes, I know I am such a lucky girl! Sunday morning we were up bright and early - we did a ten mile walk in Modesto, then set out on our journey to Lake Tahoe. This (born and raised) Iowa girl was pretty much blown away by the entire trip - the snow-capped mountains, the HUGE trees, the water, the wildlife - it was incredible (I will let the photos do the talking). We drove the entire 72 miles around the lake - stopping at ALL the scenic overlooks, where my jaw was consistently dropped...we picked up a late picnic lunch and ate on the beach...we stopped at Vista Point and Memorial Point...checked out Emerald Bay, King's Beach, Crystal Bay, Fannette Island, Eagle Falls, Heavenly Village, and the Y (to name a few places)...we saw it ALL. Around 6:15 PM, when we were finishing our scenic drive and heading for the lodge (are you ready for this??) we actually saw a tagged momma California brown bear and three (YES, THREE) bear cubs...seriously...we saw four bears along the roadside! It was a challenge to get good photos from a moving car (sorry for the blurriness, but I had to show you my proof!)...at first we only saw one bear (the one I have a close-up of)...but then we saw the momma and two more cubs in the distance - it was incredible and unforgettable...I can't believe I actually saw bears!
So without further ado, here is just a tiny bit of Lake Tahoe through my camera lens...

So there you have it, just a taste of the beauty I was able to take in while I was visiting Lake Tahoe...it was truly breathtaking! I will be back with more photos from my visit...including a few from Yosemite National Park. For, now it is back to bed for me...I *have to* get rid of this terrible "California Flu"...

California Bound...

My suitcase is packed again...and I am ready to fly back to the West Coast - today I leave for one of my very favorite destinations (Elegant Stitch in Modesto, CA) for another teaching trip. I am so excited to see good friends (there will be quite a few familiar faces) and add more new members to my stitching family! I absolutely adore traveling to meet fellow needleworkers and spending time with each of them in class (and yes, I am giddy to be escaping the terrible Iowa weather!). I will be teaching "Bluebird Sewing Box" (shown below) to a nice large group...and I just know we are going to have a fabulous time! As a bonus, all of Team Twinkle Toes will be in attendance and we will be taking a group photo...and who knows, we might even be able to get in a walk...after all, it is sunny and 80+ degrees there! I am currently finishing up a few details, packing my bags, and getting my camera ready - I leave in just a few hours - I plan to take lots of photos to share with you (Lois has been kind enough to let me stay a couple extra days and be my tour guide...she has no idea what she is in for...well, actually, she does...and I am sure we will find some trouble to get into)! I will not be taking my laptop on this trip, so my communication will definitely be limited - please be patient with my response time...I will return all messages and reopen my Etsy shop upon my return next Thursday (April 25th).

To those of you attending - I'm counting the hours - I can't wait to see you - we are going to have a MARVELOUS time!

Elegant Stitch Workshop

I made it back to Iowa safe and sound...and thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to California. I truly feel blessed...I got to teach "Harvest Huswif" - add a huge list of names to my stitching family - shop at the AMAZING Elegant Stitch - spend quality time with Lois, Annie, Mr. Bear, and all the kiddos - and do some major sightseeing in the area...the list goes on and on...it was one of the best teaching trips EVER!

The first couple days were spent at the shop...meeting all the creative, talented, friendly attendees...teaching the class...doing some major shopping...it was such a fun event. Lois does it up right, which was no surprise to me - very special gifts for each of the attendees (which I will show in a later post - I had to ship them home), great food, and personal touches all over the place - everyone felt comfortable and right at home...and seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves (especially me!).

The shop was spectacular - truly fabulous! I have been a customer for years...WAY longer than I have been designing...in fact, Elegant Stitch was one of the first shops to ever carry Blue Ribbon Designs. I have been dreaming of visiting this shop for as long as I can remember - and it definitely did not disappoint. It was spacious, well-stocked, clean, organized, and the displays were wonderful - it took me multiple trips around to even begin to see everything...and I made Lois take me back after the events to take another look and purchase another bag full of stash - yep, I found a TON of things I could not live without. There were threads, fabrics, embellishments, gadgets, and tools galore....there were gorgeous treasures on every shelf and rack (and in every drawer, basket, cabinet, and tub) - there were unique and limited edition goodies everywhere! To a needlework fan like myself, the eye candy was almost overwhelming...like I said, SPECTACULAR - if you have a chance to visit, you MUST do so - it will be SO worth it!! Okay, I know you have been waiting for photos and Lois was kind enough to let me take a bunch...so here goes..."just a touch" of what Elegant Stitch has to offer:

The workshop was held next door - which is also a treasure trove, as it contains all sorts of goodies for distribution. Lois and Annie had their work cut out, as they consolidated all the stock, storage, materials, and shipping supplies to make room for ten (or so) round tables and chairs....plus several long tables up front for food and my trunk show. It was so much fun having the retreat right next to the shop...and before and after class everyone definitely took advantage of it - shopping until their hearts were content. Everyone was comfortable and everything they could possibly need at their fingertips. Lois and Annie made sure things ran perfectly smooth throughout the entire event - it was sheer delight being a teacher in this organized atmosphere....it is no wonder many of the guests have been to every single retreat at Elegant Stitch since they started years ago. Here are some photos of all the smiling faces...minus just a few - one student had to leave a little early...and one table is mysteriously missing (you know who you are - Robin, Carole, Sharon - who didn't speak up when I asked if I got a picture of every table)....don't they all look like they are having a grand time??!

And finally today, I will share a photo of Carole with her gorgeous framed Red Velvet Inscription Sampler (and me). A photo of this fabulous finish has been posted on my website "Gallery" for quite sometime, so it was a true treat for me to meet Carole and see it in person. Carole - thank you so much for bringing it along!

So there you have the first of my trip posts - now you can see why I had such a GREAT time! There will be a couple more posts coming soon - one of my sightseeing in California...and one of all my stash...

To each of the attendees - thank you so much for making this event one for me to remember - you are all so talented, creative, and unique and I thank you for welcoming me and becoming part of stitching family. I heart you all...and truly hope our paths will cross again in the future...

To Lois, Annie, Mr. Bear, and all my new furry friends - you were delight to spend time with - thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You are all special and dear to me...and are stuck with me for life. You made my first trip to California more special and memorable than I ever imagined it could be....