Well of course it will be cat related! Would you expect anything else? I am not stitching on anything Valentine’s Day related at the moment to get you all in the mood. I guess I could assemble all of my red threads in a beautiful display to photograph, but then I would need to put them all away! I have enough threads to put away at the moment, so I didn’t want to add more to my already busy schedule.

Doesn’t this feline look handsome in his red bow tie? It looks like he is ready for a night out on the town. I will be staying in and stitching the night away, which for me is a very enjoyable evening.

Speaking of cats and everything hearts; check out Catsparella for all of these special markings sure to out you in the mood. Now is that a little PhotoShop? or the real thing?

I can’t start my day off without first reading Mutts! I used to get the paper just for this, but now that you can get today’s strip in your inbox, I head to my computer early in the morning.

Every so often there is a special Mutts strip that I will have framed and add to the cat walls in the house. This way I can enjoy Mooch all the time.

I am headed off to The Cottage for breakfast with a few great friends this morning. The kids want to send me a new orchid for Valentine’s Day, so I will visit Adelaide’s and help them select just the purr~fect one! I hope that everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day and you get whatever makes your heart sing…gorgeous flowers, sinful chocolates, a decadent dinner, a beautiful new piece of jewelry, a new canvas or all of the above!

I came across this picture of Sylvester as a little kitten with Felix, his big brother watching over him. They were such great buddies. and until next time…keep on stitching

Well if you are not, you should be! You need to be! Let me introduce you to Chris Mann, the young man with the amazing voice and those eyes. He sang his way into our minds and hearts last week on The Voice, debuting right after the Super Bowl.

So what does Chris Mann have to do with needlepoint? Well his biggest fan, Patti Mann a.k.a. Mamma Mann is a designer of needlepoint canvases. Patti is best known for her “Pudgies” and other articulated animals. I have stitched a few of her canvases and I am sure that a few more of hers lurk in my ever growing pile of stash!

His voice is beautiful and is likened to listening to Sinatra…be still my heart. Chris sang his heart out for the judges. He sang his heart out for all of us with his rendition of Andrea Boccelli’s “Because We Believe”. Team Christina snatched up the man with the golden voice on Sunday’s Season 2 premiere of The Voice.

So if you missed seeing Chris on The Voice, you can find his performance just about anywhere on the internet. He sang in Italian and when asked by Ce-Lo if he was American or where he was from, Chris quickly told him “I am from Kansas!”

So please, look and listen for Chris’ performance on the internet and then… go and vote for him! Vote now and often…go and like him on Facebook. I don’t get how this all works, but I know that I am NOW a Mann Fan! and you should be too…

for the record, AlleyCat’s deep slumber upon my lap while stitching tonight was not disturbed by moi…

I am sure that you have been thinking lately…so what the h*** are you stitching on these days? Inquiring minds want to know! I have been telling you that I just have been stitching for hours on end, but nothing to show for it.

This canvas is so new, that it doesn’t even have a name yet! don’t you feel sorry for this beautiful tree? Canvas is by NeedleDeeva and is one of 9 trees done in the same shape as The Creepy Characters. This is one of at least 4 projects that I need to be working on. The first is Kelly Clark’s Spring Crazy Quilt, these being the next one and the others…well you will see soon enough!

I will be teaching this one at the Destination Dallas Market which is the first weekend in April, so I guess that I need to get my act in gear! I have purchased allot of different threads for this, beads and bling. S & J Designs has sent me a large selection of wonderful accoutrements to select from to make this just wonderful. I will spread it on the coffee table so I can see it and study it as I stitch on the Crazy Quilt. Believe it or not, these feline children of mine very rarely get up there. That was Felix’s domain and they seem to still respect that.

I do have black and white silks selected along with some gold beads, Swarovski red crystals and well, after that I have no idea what I am using! I am not worried as my inspiration will come to me, sooner or later. Hopefully it will come more sooner than later.

AlleyCat has been quite the brat lately. Yes believe it or not she has been. For those of you that have known her since a little kitty, a dear friend of mine did knickname her “The Brat” and she has lived up to her name! last few nights she has been sleeping on my lap all night long as I stitch, but as soon as I turn the lights off and go to bed, she disappears. I guess she is telling me that she had enough of me, goes off on her own and she is just being a brat.

Sylvester looking on and thinking “you just don’t get it, you are supposed to get in the bag, not on it!” and until next time…keep on stitching

The Easter Egg House by Needle Deeva is finished. You may or may not have already seen a picture of this from market…but anyway I wanted to show it off. This was really fun to stitch and the flowers at the end were my very favorite! Especially after channelling my inner Wendy Harwood & Laura Taylor while growing my garden. Thank you for inspiring me.

This is very exciting for me, seeing my stitching on the back cover of the March/April issue of Needlepoint Now. Wow!  Elizabeth is adding the final touches to the magazine as she gets it ready for the printers. She wanted me to let you know that it will go into the mail on March 8th and could take up to 4 weeks to arrive in your mailboxes.

The finished piece arrived safely at the studios of Needlepoint Now in plenty of time for the photo shoot, but it was just a piece of stitching for the moment. Elizabeth had an idea and embarked on a road to trip to Mindy’s Needlepoint Factory, where she hand selected the ribbons and trims for the finisher. Cindy Humbard of Needlepoint Plus in Beaverton, Oregon worked overtime to create this darling stand-up sure to catch the Easter Bunny’s eyes!

Look at the details, the eggs and little chicken nestled into the bow!

Look at the feet! Aren’t they too cute?

I love what Elizabeth did with the photography, adding the fresh tulips and the fabric for just the right touches. The stitch guide for Needle Deeva Easter Egg House will be in this magazine, along with the stitches charted out. Thank you too, Elizabeth and Sherrie for adding the finishing touches on the ribbon stitches as that part of Illustrator I have not mastered yet! Of course as you, I will anxiously await my issue to arrive.

San Diego saw a day of rain, then a few days of beautiful blue skies and sunshine…but I hear that there is more rain coming this weekend. Great stitching weather!

You must think that I am a terrible housekeeper as yes, this box is still on the floor…and yes AlleyCat still continues to convince herself that she fits into it! and until next time…keep on stitching

Hari kuyo, The Festival of Broken Needles is taking place today in Shinto shrines & Buddhist temples in Japan. Embroiderers, seamstresses and needlepointers take a day of rest from their stitching and bring their used, bent and broken needles and pins to the temple or shrine. It is to honor the needles for their hard work and give thanks for their service. An old Shinto belief is that inanimate objects, as well as living beings, have a soul and a spirit. To simply discard the needles that have served you well is disrespectful and would anger the object’s soul.

Prayers of respect and thanks are offered and then the needles and pins are stuck upright into slabs of tofu. It is believed that the soft texture is thought to soothe the needles after their hard work, effectively wrapping them with tenderness and gratitude. They are then laid to rest and at times are farewelled by being floated down the river.

The needles and pins are laid to rest in another colorful ceremony in a respectful way for their hard work. Just a few of my needles that have served me well over the last year. By showing respect and offering prayers it is my hope that the power and the energy of the needle will pass to me and make me a better stitcher.

In a class with Meredith, I remember so well how she spoke about the importance of changing your needles often. Of all the things that we buy to stitch…think about it, the needle are the least expensive. So why do we hang onto a single needle forever? I have seen beautiful work completely ruined by using an old needle that has left streaks of color in the stitching.

One of my favorite bogs Plays with Needles is celebrating Hari~Kuyo in her own special way. I would love to follow along and make one of these beautiful needle books! Susan’s work is amazing and I am always in awe of what she creates.

I will honor the tradition of disposing of my needles in a respectful way today, but I will definately spend some of the day stitching away. Too many canvases and not enough time!

AlleyCat is giving us a Kodak moment as she poses for us in front the basket of sunflowers. I think I see a needlepoint canvas in that arrangement! and until next time…keep on stitching.

The Super Bowl commercials sure went to the dogs! and in the most wonderful way as the 3 ads starring man’s best friend were the hit of the commercial world. Ooh the game was pretty good too, even for this non football person!

If you didn’t see the commercials or the game for that matter, you can find all of the commercials somewhere on the internet. My favorites are of course the Dorito’s ad with man’s best friend. Then there is Weego, the rescue dog in a commercial by Budweiser which was so clever and sent a message to adopt these darling dogs. Of course you can’t leave out Bolt, the dog starring in the VW commercial that decides that he needs to loose weight. I read where he, well the dog of course was fitted with a “fat suit” so that he couldn’t fit through the doggie door in the beginning of the commercial. Too cute!

Clint Eastwood’s commercial shown during half time was very powerful too and really had quite a messgae. I hope that we will see all of these ads on tv some time again.

The evening concluded with most of us in the needlework industry tuning into “The Voice” as we called and texted and e-mailed each other to make sure that we were tuned in and watching. Well Chris Mann was going to be on! Of course you are saying who is Chris Mann? He is the son of Patti Mann, the canvas designer. Patti is well known for the 3 dimensional animals that she creates for our stitching pleasure.

Chris is amazing and has such a powerful voice! He wowed us all singing Andrea Bocelli’s “Because We Believe.” Patti looked wonderful in her television debut too! You know you guys sent me running for a Kleenex or two. I know that I will be watching and cheering Chris on through his time on “The Voice”

I will have stitching pictures soon…I promise. I stitched and I ate and I stitched some more and I ate some more throughout the day.

AlleyCat doesn’t get it that she is supposed to get in the bag, not on top of it! Well you know her, she has her own agenda. and until next time…keep on stitching.

Okay, I will admit, I am not a football person, I don’t watch it, I don’t get it and especially don’t get how sports talk can analyze a single game ad naseum for hours on end! I am not voicing my allegiance for either side…I just look forward to the great commercials, some great stitching time and of course the food!

The Dog Strikes Back: 2012 Volkswagen Game Day Commercial is already my favorite commercial. If you don’t plan on watching the game just for the commercials, you can see most of them on You Tube. While you are there, make sure that you check out the Bark Side too. Of course there is a new e~trade baby…and ooh the Dorito’s commercials!

Super Bowl Sunday is a great day for stitching away and I sure have plenty of that to do! When the commercials aren’t that good or the game either for that matter…there is always the food.

A few of my favorite things… Avocado salsa and make mine hot please!

Buffalo wings and a beer. I take one of those artisan brewed beers, please!

You can’t forget the 7 Layer bean dip and I do like mine hot and spicy.

There will be lots of stitching going on today, whether it be a get together in a shop or at someone’s house for those that are not interested in the game. Ruth is having a party at Bedecked and Beadazzled! What a brillant idea…save me a seat and I will be right over.

Or if you are not in the stitching mood, this is a great day to go shopping or to the movies or out for something to eat.

AlleyCat is already settled in for our long day on the couch. May the best team win! Right now I am off to Target to see if I am lucky enough to get one of those Jason Wu new bags that he designed for them. Not like I need a new bag, but it has a cat on it,and a black cat no less, so what can I say? and until next time…keep on stitching.

Have you noticed the Blogoversary Countdown? Well in just 2 short weeks I will have been doing this for a year! Can you believe that? Where has the time gone too? Talking about stitching, the needlepoint industry and my love for the felines in my life. Well there are a few other passions too, such as baseball, my orchids, taking classes and spending time with great friends stitching away.

I do love doing the blog so very much. I especially reslish all the wonderful compliments that you send my way. When you say “I just can’t start my day without you” or “I end my day with a little peak to see what the cats are up to” it makes my heart sing! Stick around as I will have a few giveaways for all of you, my family of blog readers as that special blogoversary day approaches. We need to celebrate!

In case you weren’t with me from the beginning, this was the canvas that started it all! Rainbow Birds by Laurel Burch, a Danji Designs canvas. Stitches and threads selected by Brenda Hart, with my interpetation of course! It all started with my trip to Baltimore and classes at Bedecked and Beadazzled with Brenda. This hangs in my bedroom now amid several cat canvases and other framed cat artwork. I am sure that Sylvester & AlleyCat are waiting for them to fly off the canvas one of these days.

This was another canvas that I finished just before I started writing the blog. Canvas by Ruth Schmuff and he is “Tigger,” one of Ruth’s boys. In order to get a great picture for you to see, the frame was cropped out of the picture. I stitched this for Bedecked and Beadazzled and wrote the stitch guide. I loved it so much, that I stitched another one for myself!

Another canvas that I just had to stitch was this little black cat by Eye Candy called Peek A Boo Cat. Background stitch and thread selection of the background stitch and the eyes by Brenda Hart.

Sylvester is playing cute with me as he gets my attention! We had a nice play time with the laser light, his favorite. AlleyCat couldn’t be bothered. and until next time…keep on stitching

You saw this, the beginings of The Spring Crazy Quilt by Kelly Clark. It sure seems like I haven’t stitched forever! Well except for my class with Meredith Willett last Saturday, my needle hasn’t been in my hands in a really long time. I sure hope I still remember how to stitch!

Angel Cat, the Ewe & Eye canvas that I worked on with Meredith has already been tucked away for a rainy day with all the threads and the notes. So you ask why did I take the class? Well, I will tell you…first of all I absolutely love, love, love Meredith and we go way back. Second of all there is so much to learn about all of the newer techniques that are being used in needlepoint these days, that I am always taking classes when the opportunity arises. I will add into my memory banks all of the wonderful new stuff that I learned and someday…someday I will use it.

While you weren’t looking though I have been making progress on the Crazy Quilt piece. I am really enjoying it so much! I love the changes of threads and stitches from area to area. It is so enjoyable as new colors and new stitches are introduced. I love the combination of the black Planet Earth Silk and Neon Rays Plus in the area behind the basket of daffodils. Very effective! I must admit that the black section of the fan area though is very challenging as it gets smaller and I just can’t see it. It may be time for a little change in my stitching glasses, well just for the black that is.

I am making a few changes in mine with the thread selection…well you know cause I can! There is no such thing as needlepoint police out there and you need to stitch in the manner that pleases you. I love the stitches and thread choices, I just am using more of the silks in some of the stitches. It will also make it mine, with my style and my touch.

Elizabeth of Needlepoint Now fame and I are both working on this canvas. Have you seen how gorgeous it looks on the cover of the latest issue of Needlepoint Now? I was fortunate enough to have taken the class with Kelly right after market, so I will share with her what I learned as we continue to work on it for the magazine. So if you just have to stitch this along with us and the magazine, BeStitched would have the threads, the specialty threads, the beads, pearls, Swarovski bicones and all the other accoutrement’s that you need to stitch this piece.

I have allot of stitching in my future…and when I say allot, I kid you not, I really mean allot! There are 4 projects that need to be in my stitching rotation and 2 of these 4 projects have multiple canvases, all with deadlines of course. I will be working on getting the threads together, canvases on bars and then tweaking the threads to just the purr~fect colors over the next few days.

Sylvester thinks that AlleyCat gets way too much press…so here he is curled up on this piece of tissue paper. I just don’t get it! and until next time…keep on stitching.

I want this car! I have been doing absolutely no work at all whatsoever since I have been back from market…so why change that for now? What a fun way to spend the day, well for me anyway would be at the San Diego Cat Show! I am sorry for everyone who I am driving crazy and they are now moaning “What? cats again?!”

I really do need a new car, but with all the freeway driving that I do, maybe this is not the car for me. I love it though!

There were cats everywhere! I was in my glory and was wishing that Robin was with me, but you were there with me in my heart. Cats riding in style, fat cats, skinny cats, long haired cats, all kinds of cats and cats even having a bad hair day.

I have never seen a long haired Cornish Rex before and that’s what this breed is. He is being judged at the moment and maybe will come away with a ribbon or two!

This poor kitty with no fur was cold and was dressed to the nines. It was freezing in the show hall and I sure was wishing that I had a sweater on too!

Amid the cages of the purebred kitties and the judging, was this group of black kitties vocalizing “take me! pick me! take me to my furever home!” It was tough to walk away.

The judging from what I can see is allot different from a dog show. They are brushed and loved and scratched and played with. There are feathers and toys hanging and all sort of tempting things to spark the cat’s interest. I think that the judges are recording their reaction time. Now notice the cat in the cage marked with #239. As if I care would be the word of the day for this character as the story unfolds.

I apologize for not the best picture, but this was so precious that I had to share it. This cat stood up and headed butted the judge against his face and evoked lots of oohs and aahs from the crowd. Notice cat #239…

It is cat #239 turn on the judging table. Hmmm…a little cattitude there? There was aboslutely no interest in the feather, none whatsover.

Okay lets try this hanging toy and see what this does. Absolutely no interest in this either as cat #239 stared into space as if to say “as if I care” The judge started into space too as the crowd roared. It was quite amusing! I was wondering if this American Shorthair walked away without any ribbons?

This pile of fur melted my heart and especially the one in the front. I had to tell myself, “step away from the kittens”

This Japanese Bobtail named Netsuke stole my heart and I could have easily catnapped him. Very vocal and ooh so sweet, but I am sure that Sylvester & AlleyCat would not approve!

I really need to get back to work and my stitching…my fingers are itching! Tomorrow. Tomorrow! I know that I will pay for goofing off. and until next time…keep on stitching