It's All About The Squirrel

Squirrels in my "Schoolgirl Samplings" design...

Today's post is all about the squirrel - this might sound funny, but I do have a reason for this statement...and I might just make you giggle while I make my point...

Squirrels have been mentioned several times on my blog...mostly when I am traveling and manage to get a photo or two....they are also found in my design work - in fact, there are multiple Blue Ribbon Designs that contain a squirrel or two...and squirrels have been part of multiple classroom conversations during my recent teaching events. In fact, on my last journey, during the New England Stitcher's Retreat, a squirrel pewter pincushion was the gift everyone wanted during the "Yankee Swap" game - that cute little squirrel was stolen quite a few times during the game (can you believe it - someone actually stole it from me! - boo hoo) and was the definitely the most desired gift...we had a lot of fun giggling about that special squirrel. On that trip, while visiting King Arthur Flour (before the Yankee Swap game), I even purchased an adorable little squirrel cookie cutter.

Since September, when I  traveled to Buffalo, New York, squirrels have come up multiple times in conversation...especially after I posted a photo of a black squirrel I took at Niagara Falls State Park. It always interests me to see the color of the squirrels at each of my teaching destinations - here in Iowa, our squirrels are mostly fox squirrels...but as I have traveled, I have seen grey squirrels, black squirrels, and red squirrels...it always seems to become a topic of conversation...one day I hope to see a flying squirrel (a girl can dream!).

A black squirrel I photographed a Niagara Falls State Park...

A squirrel I photographed at Camp Bethel in Haddam, CT (staying at Sue's Cottage
before teaching at Stitcher's Hideaway)

An Iowa Fox Squirrel

So, I guess I should (finally) get to my point - on Friday, a surprise package arrived in my mailbox...it was the cutest T-shirt...of course it has a squirrel on it and the words "The Squirrel Whisperer" - I started giggling immediately - what a delightful gift! It was actually a random act of kindness (RAK), as there was not a card or note enclosed (it came from the manufacturer)...no information, whatsoever (I am not sure if this was intentional or not). Those of you who know me well, know I send personal hand-written thank you notes...and without the information of the sender, that is pretty much impossible...so here I am publicly thanking the wonderful individual who brightened my day and sent me such a fun gift (I hope the sender is reading this)! You made me smile and I am truly thankful for your thoughtfulness and kind gesture - please know you made me so very happy, I adore my new t-shirt, and I appreciate you!

Stitcher's Hideaway Needlework Retreats - Mystic I and II

I am home and ready for a good night of sleep in my own bed. What a fabulous time I had teaching at Stitcher's Hideaway! It was two wonderful retreats - both filled with amazing, creative, talented, and unique students - it was so much fun to expand my stitching family. Each attendee did a great job with the class project and many, if not all, had a finished ornament to take home with them (some of my over-achievers had two!)....and some of those who took the beading class the night before even had a finished beaded ornament to take home, as well. It was a true delight spending time with each of the attendees - hearing about their hometowns, their stitching stories, and their personal experiences - I am so excited to have all of them in my stitching family! I took along a trunk show of 15 models and a bunch of my smalls...and piles of charts for shopping...and shop they did...plus Chris and Pam from Chris's Collection set-up an entire needlework shop in one of the hotel rooms which was AMAZING. I managed to purchase two bags of stash and gifts - which I will share next week - I had to ship home all my purchases, as my suitcase was pretty close to maximum capacity at 48 pounds. Several of the students brought me the most special gifts (thank you so much!) and I had to ship those, as well, so I will have a very fun post next week when UPS rings my doorbell. There was a visit from Santa Claus, goodie bags, door prizes, an ornament exchange, and a show-and-tell filled with gorgeous needlework and crafts. Overall, it was the most fabulous experience and I have many wonderful memories of my time in Mystic, CT. Thank you so much to all the attendees - for the laughs, the learning experiences, and the smiles - you are all special.

Mystic I Photos:

I wish I could share them all, but that is not an option - so I am sticking to just a few. The first couple are my hard working students...followed by Santa stopping by for a visit and a photo of him with Sue (Stitcher's Hideaway creator and my lovely, gracious tour guide). The next photo is of the ornaments for the ornament exchange...followed by a couple show and tell photos - sorry I can't share them all, these were some VERY talented needleworkers. The final photo is of Christine - she was my first deaf student with a sign language interpreter - this was Christine's first time stitching on linen and it was sheer joy seeing her eyes light up and her facial expressions each time she mastered a specialty stitch or technique - she was a shining star and all the other attendees cheered her on and assisted with her learning....she even managed to visit Mystic II for the second day to learn even more...

Chris's Collection Shop Photos:

Chris and Pam from Chris's Collection provided a great shopping experience for all. They had such a great assortment and a bunch of new items from the recent St. Charles Market. I honestly couldn't believe how they could fit so much into a tiny hotel room....they did a fantastic job! If they can make a small space this wonderful in a few hours, I imagine the shop in Southwick, MA is pretty perfect....

Mystic II Photos:

I was so extremely blessed to teach a second retreat...and this group was so much fun - they had me laughing a good amount of time and were very quick learners! The first photos show some hard at work and opening door prizes....followed by several photos from our visit from Santa. Next is a photo of the ornaments from the ornament exchange, followed by several photos from show and tell. Again, there were wonderful stories and pieces of needlework shown and I was in awe of all the talent in the room!

There you have it - my two retreats in a nutshell - I tried to show you as much as possible in a short amount of space - there were so many fun images, it was hard to pick the few to share. As you can see, I really enjoyed my visit to Connecticut....I hope I will have a chance to return soon! Next week, I will share some shopping, stash, and gift photos....I can hardly wait for my boxes to arrive....

On Our Way To Mystic, CT...

Hello friends! Well, it is a good thing I had a day to play before the Stitcher's Hideaway Mystic I and Mystic II retreats, because my last week has been full of excitement. After staying up way past my bedtime to bring you last post...we departed the cottage grounds on Thursday morning....ready to make the trip to Mystic, CT and start meeting the retreat attendees.

After taking a final walk around the campgrounds, taking loads of photos...and even spotting an eagle (more on that in a later post - I took some great photos, but am waiting to find out the type of eagle from a local expert before posting the pictures), we packed up and started on our trip to Mystic. Our first stop on the way to the retreat hotel was Goodspeed's Station Country Store - right along the Connecticut River just a few moments from Sue's cottage. This was an amazing gift shop - one of the best I have ever visited - lovely - beautiful and unique gifts...and they had an amazing candy area with all sorts of special treats (we all know I love me some candy)! I managed to purchase a few gifts to ship home and then we were on our way again.

Sue decided to take the scenic route, so I could take in the gorgeous Connecticut foliage - it was a gorgeous drive! While making our way to Old Lyme to see a needlework exhibit, we happened upon a marvelous little cemetery tucked in a grove of trees, right alongside the road. Sue was kind enough to stop so I could take a closer look and get lots of photos. Most of the headstones were dated during the 1700s and early 1800s....and many were quite well preserved. There were really interesting epitaphs and tombstone angels and I was so happy I was able to see this area of history....

Our final stop before Mystic was the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT to see the "With Needle and Brush: Schoolgirl Embroidery from the Connecticut River Valley" exhibit. Oh my goodness, this exhibit did not disappoint - it was SPECTACULAR! The exhibition included approximately seventy embroideries, watercolor sketches, and portraits - most from private collections - and all in excellent collection. I was in awe as I studied the various techniques and read the histories - the use of silk was incredible and I was quite surprised at many of the materials used. Although no photography was allowed in the exhibit halls, I have a clear vision of many works in my head, as they were absolutely gorgeous. A book to accompany this exhibit will be available in late 2011. If you have a chance to visit this marvelous display of needlework and history, don't miss it - it is definitely worth the trip.

Lasty, we pulled over at a scenic overlook as we headed into Mystic, CT - the photo below was my first vision of this historic New England town. We had reached our destination and were ready to set-up for both retreats!

I will be posting another update tomorrow with some photos from the needlework retreats....for now I am in the process of traveling home (in fact, I am in the airport as I write this)....it was a fabulous experience - I wouldn't trade it for the world...

Stitcher's Hideaway Here I Come...

Tonight will be a short post, as I am leaving in the morning for my teaching engagements at Stitcher's Hideaway. I am headed to Mystic, Connecticut first thing in the morning and will be gone for just over a week. Lucky me, I am flying out a day early to spend some quality time with Sue, the retreat coordinator at her lovely Connecticut River cottage - I just can't wait to see New England in the fall - it is going to be gorgeous! We have some fun things planned for my "day to play", including a river cruise and a needlework exhibit at the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT...and possibly a trip to the local quilt shop...so I should have plenty to share upon my return...I am sure I will be taking lots of photographs.

I will leave you with a progress photo of my Winter Wonderland by Blackbird Designs...I found a little time to work on it this past weekend. It will be my travel companion this week, so we will see if I get much done on my trip...

I hope you will be here upon my return...I will have TONS to share...and it looks like a new giveaway is on the horizon, as I am extremely close to my 300th follower...have a wonderful, happy, and productive week!

Finishing Frenzy

The last few days I have been preparing some new class tutorials for the retreat I am teaching in a couple weeks at Stitcher's Hideaway. For my class binders, I like to have photographs of each step in the finishing process...so I had to finish several more ornaments for the tutorial images...the result? - a new pile of ornaments ready for holiday hanging. Now I know my faithful readers are chuckling, because I am yet to purchase a Christmas tree...over the years I have designed well over 100 ornaments...but alas, no tree...maybe this will be the year....



















I am almost finished will all my preparations and will be shipping all the class materials in the next couple days. I was excited to have the binders done today, but of course, I run out of toner for my color laser printer and no one in the city has it in stock, so now I'm waiting for a delivery tomorrow or Tuesday...ugh....nothing like cutting it close! For those of you attending one of the Mystic Retreats, you are in for a treat - lots of fun things are planned...and I may have a surprise or two. I can't believe I leave in a little over a week - seems like just yesterday Sue was inviting me, and now the dates are almost here. Tommorow I will be deciding which models to take for the marketplace...and which charts to bring along - this is always a tough decision, because obviously, I can't bring them all....then it will take a few hours to get everything ready for shipping. Whew...so much to do, so little time!

I did find a little time to start appliqueing my table runner - I have about half of the snowflakes done, so I will have another update for you soon. I also managed to stitch a bit more on my Blackbird Designs "Winter Wonderland" - yep, I got in about an hour of stitching on it late at night when I was having difficulty falling asleep, so I will get an update posted on that sometime this week, as well....

Excuses, Excuses....

I know, I know, my posts have been few and far between lately...and I do have (what I feel is) a good excuse...I have been getting the new designs ready for release at the TNNA Fall Needlecraft Market (a large wholesale trade show for needlework shops, designers, and manufacturers) next weekend in St. Charles, MO. I picked up my printed designs several days ago and since then, I have been in a sea of charts, poly bags, and Stitch Starter rulers. Here is a brief look at the floor in my warehouse...keeping in mind some stock has already shipped for display/sales in St. Charles...

I am happy to say, I finished up the last of the bagging last night and now I am on to invoicing, packing, and shipping...so these new pieces will be arriving at your favorite needlework shops soon!

Although time for "me" has not really been an option for the last few days, I did manage to piece the quilt block I mentioned to you in my last post ...it took about 20 minutes to put together, as I had cut it the day before. This is block #4 (September) in the Accuquilt BOTM series I am working on and is called "Hourglass Star". I am super excited to have the first four blocks all complete and will be looking forward to seeing block #5 in October...

I am off to do a little charting tonight - I am working on some teaching designs for 2011...and if I can keep my eyes open, I may do a little prep for my upcoming class at Stitcher's Hideaway. I can't believe I am heading to Mystic, CT in a few weeks to meet two new groups of students...it is going to be a wonderful event...and since this is my first trip to Connecticut, I can't wait to see the area. I still have some work to do on the class kits and binders (and a few surprises), so that will be on the agenda! I will do my best to make time to post this week - I have several things I want to share with you...

"Pocketful of Peppermint" - Ornaments

Now that the new designs have FINALLY shipped and are on their way to a needlework shop near you, last night I had time to finish up the Christmas ornaments for the Stitcher's Hideaway Retreat in October. As most of you know, I really enjoy the finishing work and had a nice time working on these while listening to the Olympics. Poor Sue, I have been promising her a photo of the ornaments and the framed sampler since January - she has been so incredibly patient! The sampler has ten specialty stitches (in addition to basic stitches). The class will cover stitching the sampler, how to work each of the specialty stitches, three types of ornament finishing, adding beads when finishing an ornament, personalizing your ornaments, and making twisted cord. This class has been filling up super fast...and I can't wait to meet the stitchers that are attending (I've read they are a TON of fun!)...I hope to finally put some faces to names and email addresses! And before I get asked this question again, I will answer it - yes, this piece will be available to the general public, but not for at least one year after the class dates. I have never been to New England before, so I am really looking forward to teaching in Enfield, NH in May (photos of class piece can be seen in my January 8th post) and then in Mystic, CT in October!

...and lastly, now that I am finally starting to get things under control, I will start taking photos of my grandmother's needlepoint pieces - I know several of you wrote to me wanting to see pictures of her framed work...and I will get them posted here soon!

Stitcher's Hideaway Teaching Design

If you read my blog regularly, then you know I been a little lapse on my posts lately...I have been stitching up a storm, working on two new teaching pieces for 2010. Yesterday, I finished model stitching a Christmas Sampler for the Stitcher's Hideaway needlework retreat I will be teaching in Mystic, CT (October 2010). This retreat has a holiday theme, so I have designed a piece called "Pocketful of Peppermint" that can be stitched as a sampler...and the separate sections can be stitched as ornaments! This pieces has ten specialty stitches (in addition to basic stitches). The class will cover stitching the sampler, how to work each of the specialty stitches, three types of ornament finishing, adding beads when finishing an ornament, personalizing your ornaments, and making twisted cord. I am currently in the process of stitching the ornaments, but I thought you would like to take a little sneak peek at the sampler...before framing, of course. Tomorrow, I will be off to the framer with this design and a new piece for February titled "In My Heart". I will have more fun things to share with you soon...