Stitch-a-thon

The hubs is out of town this week and it's raining . . . again . . . sounds like a stitching day to me!  I've got a couple of designs I'm working on and a few designs to chart up, but I've been finishing up a couple of the smalls from last weekend's class with Clara L. Blalock (The Stitching Parlor).  Her design is so cute!

I've finished the pinkeep and floss tag so far.  There are several specialty stitches in these pieces and my first attempt at the Detached Buttonhole stitch was not pretty.  I redid this stitch (which is the girl's skirt) and it was as much of a challenge taking it out as it was putting it back in!  I'm not looking forward to doing it again on the large pincushion.  I know my pitfall is thread tension . . . wish me luck!  I enjoyed the Nun's Stitch around the edge of the floss tag and like the look of the fringed edge.  We did a Spider Web rose, Smyrna Cross for the rose buds, Satin Stitch for the girl's hair and bee bodies and Lazy Daisy for the bee's wings . . . those stitches I've done in the past . . . piece of cake.

On the pinkeep we made 3-D wings for the bee using wire, tulle and a Buttonhole Stitch.  Some of us had better luck with this than others.  I actually made a second set of wings when I got home that I shaped a bit more like real bee wings for my final piece.  Here's the front and back of my pinkeep.

I can't wait to finish this darling project.  I love the way she has finished the caddy (silk lined with side pockets), the large pincushion with the "boxed edge" and the scissor holder on the back.

Clara is perhaps the most organized teacher I've ever met.  She gave us a notebook full of pictures, charts, materials and instructions!  It is unlikely that anyone will have any questions unanswered somewhere in this book . . . THANKS CLARA!

Now . . . to start the needlebook or the large pincushion?

Happy Stitching!

         ~*

A Month Full of Gardening, Fund Raising and Stitching

We've had so much rain this month that it's amazing that I've gotten any gardening done!  Everything is growing like crazy . . . that means the weeds are as well.  I try to get out there early and I've usually had it by lunch time if we haven't had a storm by then.  It's also been hot and humid and I become a puddle by noon . . . more puddles we don't need!

My poor hydrangeas . . . they've grown almost as tall as I am and have been beaten down by the rain!  (They were blue earlier in the summer . . . now, fading to purple)

Last year:

This year:

I was out this morning and a beautiful yellow finch paused at the empty bird bath . . . no rain yesterday and I haven't fill it today.  Then as I was trimming the spent flowers on the butterfly bushes, a humming bird was no more than 3 feet away from me.  I went inside to get my camera and neither of them showed up again.  I did capture some butterflies and a strange looking bee(?).

On the back porch, the hubs moved a shelf out of the way to remove a wasp nest in the corner of the ceiling.  We can't move the shelf back because a bird has made a nest . . . 3 little eggs inside!  I won't let the hubs remove the nest until the babies leave home.

Don't know if the 3 little bird candle holders attracted it's attention or it really liked the blue serving bowls that were sitting there!  I'm a little concerned about the neighborhood outdoor cat . . . although I haven't seen him lately.

I participated in Relay For Life (being an almost 7 year survivor of Breast Cancer) and made the front page of the Herald & Tribune in Jonesborough, TN.  That's me carrying the banner (second from the left) leading the survivor walk.

They had a dunk tank at Relay and for a donation you could dunk the local mayors.  That's the Jonesborough mayor Kelly Wolfe in the lower left hand corner.  He got dunked many times . . . a good sport . . . and a very talented Elvis impersonator . . . well, he sings like Elvis . . .  haven't seen him dress like Elvis!  Nice guy.


I've been stitching in the evenings working on an upcoming design (which has morphed several times),

letters for a cross-stitch/quilt that our EGA is doing for the Birthplace of Country Music museum that's being built in Bristol  

and a needlepoint piece that a member of our EGA is coaching us on.

I think I need remedial training for this one!  I'm way behind . . .  couldn't get the outline to line up and had to take a lot of it out.  It's FULL of beads . . . I'm in trouble!!!

We have an EGA teaching weekend coming up this weekend with Clara Blalock (The Stitching Parlor).  Her piece is adorable . . . a small garden toolbox with a stitched lining and smalls . . . can't wait!

We had a regional director of the EGA visit our meeting earlier in the week.  She has completed the Master Craftsman Program . . . took her 9 years designing and completing 6 (different techniques) good sized involved projects!  They were all beautiful!  What an accomplishment!!!  Think I'll pass!

Can't believe July is almost over . . . time is just passing  

w a y  t o o  f a s t!!!!    ~*