Russellville Recap - part 3

Finally, an annual favorite and the grand finale of the weekend...the stitched gift exchange.  I've saved the best for last.  I know I've said it before, but we are a really talented group of stitchers.  Go grab a cuppa, there's lots to see and this is going to take a while!

Design: Summer/Bee Happy (freebie)

Designer: Lynn B @ Happiness is Cross Stitching

Fabric: 28ct. Antique Ivory

Floss: DMC as charted

Started: 5/28/16

Finished: 6/25/16

Completed: 7/4/16

This was my contribution to the exchange.  The minute I saw this one on Lynn B's blog, I knew it was what I wanted to stitch.  I did my finishing a bit differently than she showed.  I decided to try knotting the cording, fraying out the ends into a "faux" tassel, and attaching it on either side.  I like how it turned out!

Belinda's

Bobbie's (front view)

Bobbie's (back view)

Dee's

Diane's (outside view)

Diane's (inside view)

Evie's (front view)

Evie's (back view)

Judy's

Kathy's

Nancy's

Patti's

Sandy's

Sue's

Valerie's

The funny part of the exchange is that I got Valerie's gift and she got mine!  That happened for two other folks too.  Also, speaking of Valerie, she's our hand model in all the pictures except the first one, that's me.  Thanks, Val for helping me get pictures of all this good stuff.

~*~*~*~

That brings us back to the return trip on the ferry and back to reality.  Oh how I wish I could just stitch all day with the peeps like we did this past weekend.  I really needed this getaway in more ways than one.  I've also had another finish since returning home but I'm going to save it for it's own post.  I think you all will be pretty excited to see it.

More soon,

The Inspired Stitcher

Guild Ornament - Finish!

This year our guild's Christmas party is super early for reasons I'm not totally clear on but I suspect it has to do with our guest speaker's schedule.  We will have Theresa from Heart's Ease Sampler Workes coming to lecture on designing our Guild's anniversary sampler.  No, I'm not stitching it.  It's a BAP and I'm limiting my self to one at a time.  I've learned my lesson.  LOL!

So anywho, tomorrow is the party.  Typically we have it in the first half of December. I am not ready to even think about the holidays yet but I did manage to stitch an ornament for the annual exchange.  Want to see what I came up with?  You know you do!

Here's the chart I used.  This chart has so many possibilities!

Here 'tis with the stitching finished...all but the initials and date on it.

Design: Christmas Alphabet Book #64

Designer: Prairie Schooler

Fabric: 40ct. mystery scrap

Floss:  Called for DMC

Started: 10/18/15

Finished: 11/2/15

Completed: 11/4/15

I chose to use the initials of the Guild in this configuration so it would end up square.  I chose the 40ct so it would be relatively small or at least an appropriate ornament size.  The fabric in the background is what I used on the back.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.  So if you are a guild member reading this, you could be the lucky one to get this cutie.

I'm planning to take a bunch of pictures tomorrow.  I have a feeling the show and tell is going to be fantastic and I'm hoping there will be lots of ornaments on the ornament tree too.  Stay tuned!

~*~*~*~

Thanks so much for visiting today and listening to my rambles.  I hope your weekend is good and you get to put a needle into something.  I know you all can barely stand it that I've actually posted twice this week.  You just never know about me.  I'm a wild one like that.  LOL!

More next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Russellville Recap part 3

So, back to the recap.  I had way more to share than I first imagined.  You know how I love to take pictures and share things with you all.  So let's get back to it!

Saturday afternoon the peeps from Post and my peep, Evie and I all piled into the car and went into town.  The Post girls had spied an antique store Evie and I didn't know about and we visited the one just down the street from our old location.  

Here's my haul.  I got the glass flower frog and the scarf at our first stop and the two tins at the second.  The rectangular tin is the perfect size for scissors and the square one was a mini cigar tin.  Who knew there were mini cigars?!  I just liked the color.  Right now it has buttons in it.

Progress as of 7-11-15

Since I finished the retreat project early, I worked on "Heaven Above."  This is where I left off on Saturday night.  I also worked on "Speak to the Earth" but not enough to show any progress yet.  I'll do an update on that at the end of the month.

~*~*~*~

So lets get to the grand finale!  Our exchange this year was no less awesome than last year.  Seriously, I know I say this every year but we are one super talented group.  I'll let the pictures tell the story.   You are going to love this!  Go grab a cuppa, you are going to want to spend some time looking at all this goodness.

 This was the little cutie I received from Kathy!  OMG, how I dearly love this.  I had wanted this when it first came out and waited too long.  The LNS sold out.  Now I have one of my very own and it is even more special because a dear friend made it for me.  I loved it so much that I went online and hunted down the companion piece.  It should arrive on Monday!  Thank you again, dear friend.  I will treasure this forever.  Your stitches are perfection!

 

Design:  Count Your Blessings

Designer: La D Da

Fabric:  36 ct. mystery fabric gifted to me by Linda

Floss:  DMC as charted

Started:  6/12/15

Finished:  6/13/15

Completed:  7/5/15

This is what I made for the exchange.  My friend Rosie got it and it now lives in the southwest.  She's the one who made the tatted bookmark above.  She gave us a demonstration on how to do tatting after the exchange.  So fascinating!

The design has a special significance to the group.  Every year the Queen Bee sings this song to us and we all join in.  It's a wonderful reminder of all the good we have in our lives and how lucky we are to have each other.  I might just have to stitch this again for myself.

Our return trip across the Ohio on the ferry!

Sadly our time together had to come to an end.  We only had the extension office facility till Saturday night so we said our goodbyes at the hotel on Sunday morning after breakfast.  I always enjoy this getaway.  We've all become so close to each other and it really does feel like a reunion of my extended stitchy family.  I'm already looking forward to next time. Miss you girls already!

~*~*~*~

Well friends, that's the recap.  I hoped you enjoyed the visit as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you.   I hope your weekend has been good as well.  Thank you for being here.

Until next time,

The Inspired Stitcher

Russellville Retreat Recap and catching up

Hello friends!  Are you still out there?  I sure hope so!  It seems like this summer is just speeding by already.  I've been on the go every weekend it seems since the middle of June and I don't mind one bit!  No complaints here!

Two weekends ago DH and I rode the motorcycle 950 miles round trip to a motorcycle event in Pigeon Forge, TN.  It was my turn to "give back" since I've dragged him to many a craft/quilt/stitching event over the many years we've been together.  A good time was had by all.  Yes, I even managed to hit a stitch shop!  I can sniff out a stitch shop no matter where I'm at dontcha know.  Check out the gear!  It was raining when I went in and it had stopped when I came out.

 Happy shopper!

 Fabric Wall

 Charts and things!

 And yes, there was stash!  I even bought the plastic zipper pouch to protect it in the saddle bag on the way home. Always thinking ahead dontcha know!

~*~*~*~

The fourth was our in-between weekend.  We did the usual trip prep stuff that weekend...laundry, shopping, grass mowing, etc.  Nothing too exciting.  We both went in different directions last weekend...he to another motorcycle event and me to Russellville!  Okay, now we are caught up.

~*~*~*~

The main reason I'm checking in today is to do my annual Russellville recap.  The past weekend was our reunion.  I promised the "Queen Bee" I would share the love with all of you as well, so I know she's waiting for this.  Waves to the Queen Bee and the rest of the retreat bees who are reading.  Wish y'all would comment once in a while...ahem, just sayin'!

I started the morning on Thursday meeting the peeps at our friend, Patti's house.  We took the ferry across the river to get to the highway.  I absolutely love that ferry!  The peeps get tickled at me when I get a excited about it.  I never tire of riding across the Ohio on it.

Here's my attempt at a front seat selfie.  It looks like the camera flipped where we were sitting.  I really wasn't driving.  I was the passenger seat navigator.

We drove as far as Louisville for our first stop.  We always like to pay our friends at The Finishing Touch a visit when we find ourselves down that way.  Here's a look at the outside and a few from the inside in case you are curious.

Oh yes, and there was stash to be had.  Here's what I couldn't live without.  My peep, Linda spied the "Pin Money" kit and I kinda lost my mind.  I couldn't live without that one.  I also love this year's JCS Halloween issue.  There are several things in there I really like this time.  The fabric and the floss are for one of them!  Of course I couldn't leave the Drawn Thread chart behind either.

After we enhanced the stash and boosted the economy, we went to lunch on the suggestion to go up the street to Caffe Classico.  It's a cute little local restaurant with a decidedly Italian I leaning.  Of course they had me at "Vespa" when I saw this parked in the corner of the dining room.  Oh yeah!  I want one of these so very badly.  Someday!

After our sustenance, we piled back into the car and kicked it on down to Russellville.  It's an easy drive straight down route 65.  Of course it seemed as though every bridge in Louisville had construction going on which made for a tricky drive through the city but we made it through unscathed.  Whew!

Once in Russellville we checked into the hotel and did our annual peep gift exchange.  I alluded to my "super secret" gifts I was making in my last TUSAL post.  Now I can share what they were!

Design: Shaded Spools Fobs

Designer:  Inspired by Faye

Fabric: 40ct. 18th Century Brown

Floss: various DMC colors

Started:  6/18/15

Finished:  7/6/15

Completed:  7/6/15

Here's what I made for the peeps.  I took my inspiration from a post that Carolina Stitcher did a couple years ago.  Our peep, Marsha won the cutie Faye made. These are pretty close.  I like how they turned out.  Mine doesn't have an initial on it because Hobby Lobby was out of the letter "L."  I matched the spool colors to the scissor colors.  I think they turned out nice!  I'll show you what I made for the main gift exchange next time.

 From E.

 From L.

 From P.

Here's what I received.  My peeps know me so very well.  I love everything so much.  You girls are the best peeps anyone could ask for...seriously!  Never underestimate how much we need our peeps.

 ~*~*~*~

On that beautiful note, I think I'll leave you for today.  I promise to come back and share the group project, show and tell, and of course, all the amazing gifts that were exchanged.  I can hardly wait!  Stay tuned!


More next time,

The Inspired Stitcher