Shopping, Stash, and Surprises

My final box arrived from California late this morning...it was the box I was waiting for...the one with all my stash and surprises! Opening the package was treat, as I was excited to see all the pressies and pretties I collected on my trip...

This first photo is of the special Elegant Stitch Workshop gifties...the terrific treats that each attendee (and me) received...a wooden thread pallet and corner gauge - both engraved with Harvest Workshop 2011...and the most adorable little Moda pouch with three pockets and three tiny jars inside - one with needles, one with buttons, and one empty for tiny treasures.

...and I just had to show my name tag - how cute is that?! - with a pumpkin and a blue ribbon - all the attendees had one...so very creative and I just LOVED them!

I received several WONDERFUL gifts while at the Workshop - I am always touched by the kindness of retreat attendees....seems I always have a few special presents to take home. Pam, Lara, and Kim brought me the largest bag of Ghirardelli Chocolate I have ever seen (I plan to bribe my husband with some of it!)...thanks to the three of them, my sweet tooth will be taken care of for quite some time...here is a shot I took of just a few pieces....

...and after class I found out Sandy had left me a surprise gift bag...inside, it had the sweetest card and this LOVELY lavender scented sachet. Sandy - I'm not sure how you knew that I adore the scent of lavender - it is one of my favorites - thank you so very much - I love it!

Finally - take a really good look at this...it is my favorite new piece of jewelry! This is one special beaded button bracelet...Lois made it especially for me...all the buttons represent autumn motifs I used in the "Harvest Huswif" piece that I designed for the class. I truly adore everything about this bracelet...seeing it instantly makes me happy...and I will treasure it for years to come. Lois thank you so much for making me such a gorgeous memento of our time together....I heart you!

I did quite a bit of shopping at Elegant Stitch - in fact, after the events were over, I *made* Lois take me back to purchase a few more things. I can't show everything here, as I did some holiday shopping for my close friends...but I will show you what I am adding to my stash...

First of all - this beyond beautiful needlework accessory from La-D-Da (the very talented Lori Markovic) - I can't wait to get this on the arm of my stitching nest chair - the photos do not do it justice - it is spectacular...

Of course I picked up more pins and buttons...note the larger version of the owl button from my bracelet (I love him!)...and the pretty petite pins on the light blue card in the lower right-hand corner - these are Lady Dot's Marking Pins and they are just precious...

And finally, Annie had the newest installment of Blackbird Designs Loose Feathers Club ready and waiting for me (look at the fabulous autumn floss colors) - I have every single Loose Feathers design that has been released from the beginning - I have been on the automatic with ES since day one - now I wish I could find time to stitch them all... I also picked up Barb and Alma's latest book "A Schoolgirl's Work: Samplers from the Spencer Museum of Art".

I was lucky enough to spend a day in Berkeley, CA with Lois - she planned for us to visit some great shops and (as usual) I was a good little shopper. Our first stop was New Pieces Quilt Shop - and I LOVED this place...it had a lot of fabrics I had not seen before...and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly! As many of you know I love looking for fabric with trees...and I found several great whimsical "tree" fabrics...along with a fabulous panel style fabric with the best owls...plus a lovely line of modern vegetable fabric...yep, all these came home with me...

We then headed to Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics - and this shop did not disappoint - it had the most remarkable selection of fabrics for sewing, garments, home decor, and quilting - the aisles of bolts seemed endless. I was quite impressed with their selection of Japanese fabric and found a couple to splurge on - and of course the subjects were trees and owls. I also found a unique pile of quilting cottons. It was fun being in this shop on Halloween day - some of the staff were in costume and many shoppers were picking up last minute costume materials. The first photo is of the sign in their front window...

Our final stop in Berkeley was the Lacis Museum of Lace and Textiles. I had wanted to visit this shop for quite some time, as they are known to have a very extensive collection of needlework books. This shop was a hodgepodge for me - the inventory was extensive and the book selection was fabulous...there were many treasures...but the treasures seemed to be mixed in with low-end merchandise. I did find a couple Japanese books to bring home - one on tiny embroidery and one on sashiko - there was a plethora of wonderful Japanese books and I had a hard time narrowing my purchase down to just two...I also picked up a copy of "Embroidered Stuart Pictures". It was a unique and interesting place to visit and I am so glad we stopped...

Whew...I had no idea I had so many things shipped home...what a great trip...I could not have asked for anything more - everything was perfect! Now to make time to put all my new stash to good use...

Winter Inspiration

I have been on work overload the last week...playing catch-up after being gone most of the month of October for teaching events. Yesterday, I finally got my desk under control and the to-do list is almost manageable. Late last night, I was able to sit down and work on some long overdue model stitching...I actually got quite a bit accomplished (which was encouraging). Before heading to bed, I decided to sneak a peek outside to see if the snow had started yet...and sure enough, the ground was covered with big white flakes...with it being late at night (well, actually early morning at 1:48 AM) and our first snow of the season, I quickly grabbed my camera and got several beautiful shots from our front steps. The snow was so peaceful with the night sky...and the big fluffy flakes seamed to float through the air...I just had to share these whimsical photographs with you...

Later today, I am expecting a package from California...you know, the one with all my stash purchases and goodies (all the great stuff that I couldn't fit in my suitcase)...so, hopefully I will be back soon with some fun, creative things to share with you! ...and if I am really lucky, I will find some time in my hectic schedule to do a little sewing and/or machine embroidery today - the holidays are approaching quickly and I have so many gifts to prepare....

Captivating California

As many of my regular readers know, my teaching trip to Elegant Stitch in Modesto, CA was my first ever trip to The Golden State. I have wanted to visit California since I was a little girl...and now I definitely know why...the area I was able to see was incredible. After taking care of business, I was invited to stay two extra days with Lois, Mr. Bear, and kiddies...we spent one extra day in San Francisco sightseeing and one in Berkeley doing a little shopping.

San Francisco was breathtaking...and I could not have asked for a better "tour guide"...Lois asked for a postcard day - and we had the most beautiful day I could have ever imagined. We saw ALL of San Francisco...we saw EVERYTHING...we left no stone unturned....and I think my jaw was dropped for most of the day. What a treat it was to see the city with someone from the area who knew exactly where to take me! We went on a Sunday, which greatly helped with traffic and congestion in the city...plus we left bright and early so we had an entire day to play. We did so much - I couldn't possibly cover it all...so, this will be the digest version with some of my favorite photographs...

We started the day by taking the Bay Bridge and stopped at Treasure Island for my first big view of the city:

After I took a bunch of photos on Treasure Island, we got back on the Bay Bridge and headed into San Francisco. We drove along the Embarcadero and I was quite taken with the waterfront and the piers. We made a stop by Ghirardelli Square on the west end of Fisherman's Wharf and walked out by the San Francisco Bay...where I got a couple good photos of Alcatraz Island:

We then took the Golden Gate Bridge to Vista Point and I was mesmerized by the size of the bridge - it truly left me speechless...

Next we drove through Sausalito (which I absolutely loved!) and Mill Valley before heading to the Marin Headlands. The Headlands were spectacular and Lois had to pick my jaw up a couple times - the views of the entire area were breathtaking...

After heading back over the Golden Gate Bridge, we made our way to Crissy Field and Fort Point. The walk was absolutely beautiful and I was able to take some AMAZING photographs...

Our scenic tour continued as we passed Lincoln Park Golf Course and Cliff House (just to name a few places) on our way to Twin Peaks. Twin Peaks gave us some of the most incredible views of the city - I took hundreds of photos.

Our sightseeing took us through Diamond Heights, The Castro, and The Haight....and we stopped at Mel's Drive-In Diner for a bite to eat. We then drove on the famous Lombard Street - the one-way section on Russian Hill between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets, where the roadway has eight sharp turns - this street has the distinction of being the crookedest [most winding] street in the world...when we reached the bottom, I jumped out and took this photo:

Coit Tower was our last major stop - and of course there were more beautiful views to photograph...

Before leaving the city, we drove through Chinatown, Union Square, and Downtown...where we stopped for a Starbucks...then we headed back along the Embarcadero to the Bay Bridge and back to Modesto. As you can see, it really was a picture perfect "postcard" day - I truly could have a love affair with this city - I can't wait to go back!!

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....