Happy Easter/Passover

Happy Easter

 

&

 

Happy Passover

 

 

I hope everyone is having a joyous holiday today!

 

 

The Inspired Stitcher

All Day Stitch-in

Saturday we had our guild's first all day stitch-in of the year.  We started out with a bang!  We had Darlene Anderson come as a guest lecturer.  Oh my what a great talk it was too.  Darlene is a sampler historian whose area of study is Adam and Eve samplers.  She also brought her sampler ornaments to share with us.

She shared slides of all the Adam and Eve samplers she's stitched with most of them being reproductions.  There were over 50 different examples shown!  She gave us a handout with all of them listed by name and designer.  Needless to say the "to stitch" list got longer...again!

She also brought with her some of her sampler ornaments she made to decorate her Christmas tree.  Let me just say, they were amazing!  They covered two six foot tables full!  I purposely left the pictures sized larger than I usually do so they should be clickable to make them bigger!

 

 

 

 

 

She said she gets a lot of her charts from links on Freebie Gallery and The World's Largest Collection of Smalls.  She said several of them were by Threads Through Time too.  Here are some of my favorites.

 

I wish I knew who designed this one.  I'd love to stitch it.

**Edited** My buddy, Paula tells me this is an Eileen Bennett.  Thanks, Paula!

This one was from one of the JCS Ornament issues.  I have stitched this one but it's not finish finished.  I love how she changed the colors.

This one is called Crowning Glory by Homepsun Elegance.  Thanks Robin for letting me know!

I think she said this one came from JCS too.

This one is a Threads Through Time.

 

The thing I found interesting was that most of the ornaments were stitched over one to make them small enough for ornaments.  I hadn't thought to do that.  I may have to give that idea a go.

 

Darlene also brought stitched door prizes!  What generous door prizes they were too.  Inside each one were thread rings and matching scissors.  My friend Ann Marie won this one.  She's a lucky girl!

There were some who won that had already left before we thought to get pictures.  Here are the other ones.

 

 

I know, crazy generous...right?!  Wow!  It was a treat just to get to see them all.

 

Speaking of treats, Christy Y. finished her Immigrant Sampler by Lucy Lyons Willis of La Chatelaine Designs.  I wish you could see the drawn thread work on the flag!  It's amazing.  Congrats, Christy!

 

Just look at this beautiful white work sampler.

 

I love this stitched pocketbook!  One of my regular readers finished this one.  I keep telling her she needs to leave me a comment sometime...you know who you are!  LOL!

I decided to go stash diving when I saw that the program was on A & E samplers.  I knew I had one from way back.  I'm talking before linen and still using Aida days.  I remember when I bought this one thinking that someday I'd stitch it on linen.  I am happy to say that now is that day!

This is Sara Seifer from The Goode Huswife.  I'm using a darker linen than called for so I had to change the floss color for the people.  I think the substitution worked out pretty well.  This is my progress from the weekend.  I'm enjoying it so far.  I've always had this idea I'd have an A & E wall at some point.  This is my start!

If you want to read more about the stitch-in, my buddies Marsha and Ellen both have posts on their blogs about it.  Special thanks go to my buddies Paula W., Janis and Diane for the legwork to get Darlene's visit all set and for making the day a wonderful fun filled day!

Well folks, it was a long one and I'm glad you stuck with me to the end.  I hope you enjoyed seeing all the lovely things I got to see on Saturday.  I really am fortunate to belong to such a talented group of stitchers.  It was a great day indeed.  I hope you are having a good one too!  Thanks for stopping by!

Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Secret Stitcher

A couple Fridays ago I was surprised by my Secret Stitcher at the monthly Tiara Club stitch-in.  Since it was the Friday before St. Patty's Day, her gift was very timely!

She gave me some fun floss with names most appropriate for the holiday too.  I got some Four-leaf Clover, Fool's Gold and Shamrock.  Isn't that fun?!  She also gave me a grow your own Four-Leaf Clover kit too.  I've never had a very green thumb so we'll see how this works out.  LOL!

***

Now fast forward to this past weekend at the Queen City Sampler Guild's all day stitch-in, she gifted me again! This time it was Easter themed.

Just look at all this Easter goodness! Don't you just love that sweet stuffed bunny?!  I love the old fashioned writing on her and the pink skirt too.  She's so very me!

Here's a close up of the bucket with all the goodies still inside it. I love the Reece's Pieces carrot and the eggs filled with M & M's as well as Hello Kitty goodies!

Check out this super cute bunny bee ornament! She's got glitter all over her but you can't really tell it in this picture. Too stinkin' cute!

She also gifted me with a new Lizzie Kate chart called "Spring String" and some holiday floss. This time the flosses are Baby Chick, Blooming Crocus, and Bunny Honey by Crescent Colors. What great colors and of course, I love Lizzie Kate!

Thank you so much Secret Stitcher! You have spoiled me rotten this month. I love everything you sent. What a lucky girl I am!

I'm putting together a post about the guild's all-day stitch-in last Saturday. We had a guest speaker, Darlene Anderson. It was so much fun! I won't spoil it by telling you too much today. I'll save it for next time! Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

More later,

The Inspired Stitcher

Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket...DONE!

I finished the Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket yesterday!!  I couldn't be more pleased.  I love how it turned out.  You'll notice I just had to put the acorn motif front and center!  You know how I love my acorns.

Design:  Quaker Motif Scissor Pocket

Designer:  Barbara Bernard

Fabric:  32 ct. Country French Latte

Floss:  My own conversion (see below)

Started:  12/29/12

Finished: 3/14/13

Completed: 3/17/13

The fabric you see in the background is what I used to line it.  I had originally thought I'd line it with an acorn fabric I have in the stash but the background was too grey for my taste.  Then I found this one and it suited me just perfectly.  The button is from the button show my mom and I attended last year.  It's a vintage carved nut button.

Would you believe there is a full 5 yard skein of red in there?!  Yep, sure is!  I tried to stay with the colors that were called for but as you'll remember, my dye lots were really choppy so I went with my own choices from the stash.

In case you are wondering what I used, I know you are, here's my conversion.  Keep in mind your mileage may vary when it comes to dye lots.

Red = WDW Baked Apple

Blue = Threadworx #2010

Green = Waterlillies silk #106 Olive

Brown = GAST Apple Cider

Gold = CC Honey Comb

Orange = WDW Tiger Lily

Beige = Kreinik silk #7024

Backstitches and twisted cord = DMC Perle #642

 

Several of you have asked me how to get in touch with Barbara Bernard for her charts.  I have been in contact with her recently and she can be emailed at babernard@verizon.net.  I'd love to see your rendition if you stitch this chart!

Thanks goes to Barbara Bernard for designing such a wonderful project and a most enjoyable stitch!  Thanks also goes to Faye aka Carolina Stitcher for inspiring me in the first place.  Had I not seen her incredibly beautiful version of this chart I would have never known it existed or stitched it.

I truly enjoyed this project from the first stitch to the last.  I found myself not wanting to put it down!  There's just something really pleasing to my eye about it.  Now I have a wonderful place to keep my stitching tools!

Thanks for stopping by to share my happy dance today.  This is one finish I'm very proud of and will miss spending time with too.  I hope you have a great week!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope everyone has a wonderful St. Patrick's Day today and I hope you don't get pinched!

 

 

Irish Blessing

May your troubles be less
And your blessings be more
And nothing but happiness
Come through your door

 

Until next time,

 

 

The Inspired Stitcher

Lemonade from lemons

Ever have a burst of creativity when you least expect it?  Well, that happened to me last night.  I was rooting around in my stash for something else and ran across some wooden thread spools I'd saved from my Granny's sewing basket.  Then it hit me!  Check this out.

 

A little back story, I had stitched this heart at Stitchaway for a covered button scissor fob.  Only I cut the fabric too small and it wouldn't work.  Of course, I couldn't throw it away since my peep, Marsha gave me the pretty red silk floss to stitch it.  So there it sat in my stash.

 

Then I saw the spools!  Ah-ha!  I knew instantly what I wanted to do with this tiny piece of stitchery.  I'd turn it into a small make-do pincushion on top of one of my Granny's spools.  This little cutie only stands about 1 1/2 inches tall or about 4 cm.

 

To hide where I attached it to the top of the spool, I twisted up some DMC that matched the silk and glued it in place.  Ta-da!  A special little pincushion was born.  It's special to me because Marsha gave me the silk and I reused my dearly departed Granny's spool to combine into a cute place to park my needles!

 

So there you have it!  I just had to share my little brainstorm with you in hopes it might inspired you to try this with some little bit of stitchery you've got hanging around. This would make a great gift for a stitching buddy.  Hmm...I may have just come up with another idea!  LOL!

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!


Until next time,


The Inspired Stitcher


P.S.  Just for fun, if you are interested in learning more about old wooden spools, here are a couple good links to go check out:

Thread Spool Sizes and Shapes chart
Vintage Thread Chart
Thread labels (there are three pages so click next at the bottom of the page)

Seasonal Exchange - Fall received

I came home on Monday night to a nice surprise left for me by the mail carrier!  It was my Seasonal Exchange made by my buddy Lisa S.  She'd given me a "heads up" it was coming so I was really thrilled when it came so quickly!

Design:  Skating Party

Designer:  Mary Garry

Fabric: 32 ct. Queen Anne's Lace

Floss:  Lisa's conversion using DMC, CC, and GAST

Lisa knows I love Mary Garry designs.  I've had this one on my wish list for a while.  Now I have an extra special one made by a friend.  I have it sitting where I can see it from my stitching nest.

 

Check out the cute box finish!  Lisa told me she'd had the "Think Snow" buttons for a while and added them last minute.  I think they are perfect for this design!  I love how she matched the blue dress to the box color too.  She painted and lined the box herself.  Such talent!

 

Thank you so much, dear friend for stitching for me and for coordinating the exchange!  It was totally worth the wait and I didn't have to stalk the mailman for too long either.  LOL! 

 

As always, thanks so much for stopping by to visit with me today.  I hope everyone is having a good week!

 

 

Until Next Time,

 

The Inspired Stitcher

Road trip and an auction!

On Sunday, I had a fun day going on a road trip with one of my favorite peeps, Paula and attending the Kindred Spirits Sampler Guild fundraiser auction together.  I recently joined this guild and wanted to help support their fundraising efforts.  It was an awesome day for several reasons!

Design: "P" from "Spring Alphabet"

Designer: Lizzie Kate

Fabric: 32 ct. cream

Floss: DMC as charted

Started, Finished, Completed: 3/9/13

Before we left on our grand adventure, I surprised my travel buddy with a belated birthday surprise. She had a birthday last week and this was the first time I'd seen her since. I just couldn't help myself, this just screamed her name and it turns out she loves blue!

I like to personalize the backs of gifts with initials stitched over one and the date. I've had more fun using these charts! They always turn out so cute and make perfect little gifts. I just love stitching for my friends.

***

One of the things that made the day awesome was that  I got to meet Terri!  Yes, the Terri of Chocolates for Breakfast; Stitching for Lunch fame!!  She is just as sweet and wonderful in person as she is on her blog.  She extended the warmest welcome to me and it was like meeting a long lost friend.  I never imagined I'd ever get to meet someone who reads my blog that isn't local.  It was so fun!

Terri was the auctioneer for the event.  Oh my goodness that gal is a bundle of energy!  She had us crackin' up the whole time and really kept things moving.  Want to see what got auctioned off?  These are just a few of the lovely things that went up for live auction bidding.  I didn't even think to get a picture of the silent auction tables!

With Thy Needle and Thread's Be My Valentine

 

I love how the maker of this set painted the Whitman's box and decoupaged the lid!  You can't see it, but there's a tiny little envelope needle case underneath the stitched heart too.  This one was so sweet!

With Thy Needle and Thread's Gathering Acorns

This one was filled with walnut shells and really had some weight to it.  I was very tempted by this one with my love of acorns and all but I was holding out for something else!

Pea Pod pincushion (I don't know who designed this one)

Now isn't this pea pod just the cutest thing ever?!  Those little peas were made out of the softest velvet.  Yep, it was hard to resist this one as well.

Hardanger Set

I liked how the maker of this one used a salt cellar to make the pincushion.  I'm going to have to try this...the salt cellar idea not the hardanger.  LOL!

Sampler's and Santa's Pear VI freebie

It was so fun to see one of Marly's pear charts stitched and finished. The maker rolled up brown fabric to use as the stem! What a really cute idea.
 

Tomato Cardinal Candlestick Make-do

Terri won this little cutie! Everyone was eyeing it too. The maker's husband drilled holes on either side of the thimble so she could turn it into a little basket pincushion!  This was just too stinkin' cute!

Sewing Basket (designed by a guild member)

Can you even believe this was designed and stitched by a guild member?  OMG, what talent!  It was truly drool worthy.  Apparently several people thought so too!  The price just kept going up and up on this one.  It really helped build the guild's treasury!

This one made me swoon!  This sewing box was made using The Twisted Stitcher's tutorial.  The maker told me the design on the lid came from My Aunt's Attic blog using the her own color choices.  Isn't it simply amazing?!  I love that she painted the box black. 

Sewing Set complete with personalized smalls!

This was one awesome set to see in person!  The maker put a lot of thought and effort into this one.  I can hardly believe she was able to part with it.  All the smalls were personalized with the guild's name on them.  This too had the bidding going wild!

The Drawn Thread's Sampler Necessaire
 

This is what I was holding out for and I won! I've had the chart for this one for a while and have been searching for the box ever since. Now I don't have to search anymore because I have one of my very own that's already finished!   I can hardly believe someone could give this up but I'm thankful she did!  I'll always remember the auction when I use it.

I was also lucky enough to be gifted with these two wonderful Berlin style charts to add to my collection!  The winner of this silent auction pile didn't want them and I asked her if I could have the DMC one.  Then she gifted me with the other one.  Aren't stitchers just the nicest people?!

I commented to Paula on the way home, how impressed I was with how nice the auction items were...everything was perfectly stitched and finished.  If this is what these folks stitch to give away, I can't imagine how amazing the things they make for themselves must be!  Wow, what a talented group of stitchers!  Seriously, I wish you could have been there!  W-O-W!

***

Thanks so much to Terri for a super fun auction and thanks to my peep, Paula for a grand Sunday adventure.  It was a day filled with stitchy goodness, new friendships and a whole lot of fun.  I'm looking forward to more road trips to this guild's events!

I hope everyone is having a good week so far!  Welcome to my new followers.  I'm so glad you are here.  Thanks to all that take the time to leave me a comment too.  You all really make my day!


Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher