You might have remembered this canvas when I proclaimed “I never met a Charley Harper that I didn’t love” and also enjoying a little stash enhancement!

What is it about these Charley Harpers canvases? This one is called Cat ‘o Nine tails. In case you are wondering where the other cat tails are, the mouse and the tail of the cat round it out to make 9. I see allot of Turkey work in my future, but am using a punch needle…which #1 makes it fun! and #2, it works up quickly. What could be better than that?

Allot of other great canvases were being worked on in Meredith’s class at A Stitch in Time.

There was a Joy Juarez trunk show going on and 3 or 4 of the stitchers selected a piece from this wonderful line. And mind you these are not small canvases at all… Quite an undertaking!

This canvas is by the custom painter for A Stitch in Time…so if you would love it, you would need to call and order it from there-626.793.5217. I just love, love, love all the different stitches that they are doing with each of the birds. Fun! fun! fun!

This is what I say is getting into your work as Meredith and Nancy selected some new threads.

Okay the winners of the blogoversary gifts have been selected and of course the cats lent a helping paw. I really wish that I had one for each and everyone of you who left a comment. I used some randomness and some if your message tugged at my heart strings and…well you get the idea. I have emailed you by now and as soon as you contact me with your address, we will get them out for you.

Wanda-Polar Bear magnet

Pegge-Nice canvas by Pepperberry Designs

Susan-Naughty canvas by Pepperberry Designs

Annie-Bead Buddie Magnet

Mary Jane-Fleur de Lis Magnet

Kathleen-Bumble Bee Magnet

Mary-Crab Magnet

Sharon-Tiffany Box Magnet

AlleyCat has had a tough day. What can I say?

and until next time…keep on stitching

Kreinik…can you think what your stitching would be without this wonderful thread? I have been using it pretty much ever since I started stitching way back when. But then it was called Balger and only available in size 16 and blending filament! I know I can’t even remember the last time I didn’t use any of it in one of my pieces. Can you?

I want to acknowledge that these pictures are from Kreinik and weren’t shot with my handy dandy cell phone. Yes 99% of my pictures on the blog now are taken with my cell phone and not my camera!

So what am I getting to, you are wondering? Kreinik is making room for new colors, like these 6 that were introduced in January…but they are also retiring some.

“Kreinik makes anywhere from 2 to 250 colors each in 28 different metallic thread types. That comes out to be…let’s calculate…(250 x 6) + 81 + (103 x 2) + 39 + 88 +…well, that’s lots of colors. That is a lot for a shop to have to stock, and no wonder we keep adding more shelves and re-arranging at the manufacturing plant. It is time to clean up that color list so that the selection stays fresh with new colors (like the six we introduced to retailers last month, coming soon to stores near you!) plus improve production by not making low-demand colors.”

To read the rest of their announcement, it can be found on Kreinik’s blog, where all of the color numbers that fall into these categories are listed. Of course one of these colors is what I used in one of my pieces that I will be teaching at the TNNA Summer Market! but never fear, Kreinik still has this color in stock and it is one of those colors where 250m needs to be orderd, or 25 spools. I will also write the stitch guide with an alternate color.

This color is called Mardi Gras and it falls into that low demand color that is designated a special order color…this got me thinking about my entry into the Stitcherie Games… Hmmm Mardi Gras, samba, a little black cat, Rio, Carnival…

So I stitched my little black cat last night to the clue of Samba.

“AlleyCat thought that she needed a little excitement in her life rather than snoozing on my lap while I am stitching! A boring life I lead she meowed to me. She wanted a night out on the town and I wasn’t about to change her mind. She quickly ran out the door…and there was no stopping her!

Where are you going I asked? she meowed I am off to Rio for Carnaval where I can take part in the Samba Parade! She told me not wait up for her.”

Stash Enhancement comes in many forms…don’t you think? a new canvas? some new threads? a scissors? a new toy?

or how about some new magnets? I have been wanting the Carmen Miranda one forever and it has been alluding me for just as long. My dear friend Carole actually swapped me her Carmen Miranda one for a new one that we selected from the large collection of Elizabeth Turner magnets at A Stitch in Time in San Marino, CA. What a sweetie! and yes I know that neither magnet goes with THIS canvas, but work with me here.

Okay lets go back to that new toy! I saw this sitting on one of the tables while in class at A Stitch in Time and found out that it is a magnfier.

But not just any magnifier! Tap the top of the powerful 5x magnifier for a shower of light directed right where you need it…

Shine it where those details really matter. Looking for missed stitches? ooh shudder that thought! Three bright LED’s shine downward, allowing use in darker enviroment without glare. Comes with a case so that you can carry to class, the batteries needed and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

So if you just need some stash enhancement today give A Stitch in Time a call… and their number is 626.793.5217 They were very popular in class and I think just about everybody enhanced their stash with one…so don’t delay as you would need to wait till they are reordered.

As to the snowman which is named Patches, a Pepperberry Design…he is almost finished. Just the pompom and the fringe and a few more stitches on the inner border. Thank you to Sandra Arthur who shared with me how she made the pompom on her snowman (also by Pepperberry Designs,) but her technique didn’t work with the threads that we are using… so we came up with another idea. But I thank her for her generousity of sharing! Isn’t that what needlepoint is all about? sharing?

As for the Charlie Harper canvas, don’t you think that I just needed one more canvas in my stash? and I will save talking about it for yet another day. We have lots to keep us busy…the Oscars, Mardi Gras, the first spring training baseball game, the winners of the blogoversary gifts, my time spent with Meredith at Blue Bonnet stitching retreat and at A Stitch in Time. Whew I am tired just thinking about it!

Speaking of being tired, Sylvester was bound and determined that he was going to nap on the couch with me and my stitching!

and until next time…keep on stitching

or is it in the needle? we really do create magic with our needles and especially when that needle is in the hands of the Divine Miss M!

Meredith was showing off her new mystery class to us at the Blue Bonnet Stitching Retreat that she will be starting very soon. I love, love, love this piece! You know you are going to always have fun and learn so much when you are stitching along with Meredith.

Every 6 weeks starting in May, you will get a stitch guide by Meredith Willett and the threads…and the surprises! Knowing her she has some creepy stories up her sleeves or under her hat to share with you. So don’t delay and give M’s Canvas House a call 859.253.1302. I’m in…how about you?

Meredith was sharing some of that magic with us at A Stitch in Time in San Marino, CA. I had a great time as always and learned some amazing techniques! A little stash enhancement…well maybe more than a little and I have a new toy to share, but I need to photograph it yet.

I am home now for a few months. Can you believe it? Lots of stitching time and so much more! I want to thank everybody for the great comments that you have been leaving as we celebrate. The cats and I enjoy reading them so very much.

They should be happy that I am home with them for awhile. Here they are waiting patiently for their treats. Most of the time it is a piece of Costco’s rotisserie chicken. Do you know that most times AlleyCat holds out for dark meat? What am I to do with her?

and until next time…keep on stitching

Yes we are! and it’s not a champagne party either…well what’s the party all about? In case you haven’t noticed, mostlyneedlepoint.com 3rd blogoversary came and went! Do you think I forgot all about it? Of course I didn’t and its never too late to have a party. And you get the presents! First we have…

a choice of one of these canvases by Pepperberry Designs. Thank you to Diane for her generousity. I will even print the stitch guide to send along with it!

A bead buddie by Elizabeth Turner Collection

a Fleur de Lis…or the crab, both by Elizabeth Turner Collection.

a bumble bee magnet

or a polar bear magnet

or a Tiffany box magnet.

I want to thank everybody who reads my blog, and those who read faithfully everyday, those who comment and especially those who mention when I don’t include pictures of Sylvester and AlleyCat! Originally when I started the blog, I was going to occasionally add a picture of them, but after so many of you would ask “where are the cats today?” well the rest is history! I love it when someone mentions “hey I read your blog everyday!” and I thank you. AlleyCat and Sylvester thank you too.

So these presents are for you…leave us a comment to be entered in the giveaway and if you really want one thing or the other over another mention that too. I will use some sort of random generator to select the winners. No guarantees! Select from the Naughty or Nice canvas or the Polar Bear Magnet or the Bead Buddie or the Tiffany Box magnet or the Bumble Bee Magnet or the Fleur de Lis Magnet or the Crab Magnet… Sorry AlleyCat is not included in the giveaways! I will leave this open until Friday February 28th and announce the winners on March 1rst.

I will leave this post up as for a few days, so no one misses the party. Then I will start sharing the wonderful time I had at the Blue Bonnet Retreat.

I just would like to thank Laura Z. who keeps everything in great working order for us… answers all of my silly questions and takes care of any little bumps in the road!

AlleyCat thought that I had stitched way too long last night, so she jumped on my lap and insisted that I pay attention to her!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Just got back from 4 amazing days at the Blue Bonnet Needle Arts Retreat held at the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa, located in the outskirts of Austin, TX. This was the 4th year and it is growing and getting better and better!

Lots of stitching, great friends old and newly found, wonderful new stitches, lots of inspiration, delicious food, adult beverages and oooh so much more! It is held President’s Day Weekend and you can go for 2 days or 4 days. You should really look into it! There was a 24-hour stitching room this year, a little boutique where you could shop while classes are going on, a merchandise night with plenty of retail therapy, a banquet one night and so much fun that it should be considered illegal and immoral…

I figured out how to let the cats let me sleep in past 5:28am…don’t serve their dinner till around midnight! Then it’s like they don’t even want to get up at all. Lazy bones!

and until next time…keep on stitching

So you wonder what am I stitching lately? Let me introduce you to Patches…a really fun canvas by Pepperberry Designs. Now let me say that this only one canvas of many more that are in the working queue! Too many more to mention at the moment.

I really love these Pepperberry Designs and not that I am counting or anything like that, this will be the 5th canvas from their line that I am stitching or have stitched…and I have one more too that I am working on. They are fun, whimsical and ooh so well painted!

He’s looking pretty cute isn’t he? Actually I have more stitched on him that what this picture shows. The hat is finished, as is the scarf, the inner white border, the blue corners and half of the background has been stitched. I was trying to finish up on his mouth yesterday. My original idea was to string size 11 beads for the mouth, but that wasn’t working so I am beading ontop of the already stitched Flair. I was bound and determined that I wasn’t about to unstitch all of that Flair and then have to stitch it again. Whew! I said as it is working and it wasn’t necessary to double stitch the beads.

Love him? gotta have him? well I will be teaching Patches at Newport Needlepoint in Costa Mesa, CA on Friday April 25th. If you just can’t get away for the day or for a little weekend trip, Peggy (the owner) will be thrilled to send you a package full of wonderful threads, the canvas and the stitch guide. Just give her a call @ 949.650.8022…(well actually she is off today.) We don’t have a price for it yet as we are still working out a few more of the stitches, but want to make sure that we get enough canvases ordered!

Not much stitching will be going on today as I ready for my trip to the Blue Bonnet Retreat! First and foremost stitching needs to be packed, along with all the necessary paraphernalia that goes with stitching. Then I will think about clothes, checking to make sure that I have enought cat food, cat litter, maybe buy a new toy, leave a note for the cat nanny and all that stuff.

I am wishing you a Happy Valentine’s day, and I will wish us a Happy Blogoversary. I may or may not blog while I am at the retreat…depending on internet connections and time! But I will have lots and lots to share when I get back and we will have a celebration too.

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile, you know that I love, love, love Mutts comics. My day is not complete if I don’t read it. As we near Valentine’s Day, the strips are about love. And how could I not notice the last name of the quoted author today as it happens to be be the same as mine. Not to say that we are related or anything like that!

Sylvester was keeping my threads for Patches well protected. Now how am I supposed to get a thread out of that bag without disturbing you?

and until next time…keep on stitching

They have been stitching so much! they are so creative! and the stitching is so motivating! It made me want to join in the Stitching Games.

and what exactly am I talking about? well check it out over on Stitcherie, a forum of stitchers that talk on line in a forum that was started by Ruth Schmuff. You know, Ruth of Bedecked and Bedazzled… did you read about it in one of the latest issues of Needlepoint Now?

I have had this piece languishing in my stash that I want to stitch. It’s a Maggie canvas. I have good intentions, I really do.

Well every month, our fearless leader K.B. posts a clue. A clue that is supposed to inspire us, give us ideas and lead us into a stitching zen. The first clue in January has come and gone and all I was able to do was get the canvas on stretcher bars. No threads, no ideas, no nothing.

Okay now this month is the second clue and I guess that I could say that I am “clueless” at the moment as to when I am going to start stitching this piece. Some of the stitchers have already finished their stitching for February…some of “them” have written clever poems and spun these great yarns…put me to shame, why don’t you?

Everybody that stitches for that month and completes their clue is entered in a drawing at Bedecked and Bedazzled as Ruth prepares the names. Sterling, the best UPS man ever, (well according to Ruth) has the honor of selecting the winner! Congratulations to Jan and to our youngest stitcher Logan for winning.

Okay it’s not that I am NOT stitching. Actually I have been stitching up a storm! Class pieces, models, Halloween, Christmas and so much more. Sunday will be a marathon of stitching for me between the Olympics, Pebble Beach and Dowton Abbey.

Okay so if you want to play along, it’s not too late. Check it out at Stitcherie and the only thing is that the canvas needs to have no stitching on it, and that there would be 10 stitchable areas for each and every clue.

AlleyCat is still having too much fun with that empty spool of Kreinik! I really shouldn’t give that to you as you want be able to tell it apart from one that has thread on it….but you are too entertaining with 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.

Ole Man Winter is really on a tear this year. Snowing in Dallas, Oregon and just about everywhere inbetween! I do feel for you with all the snow and cold…as I have been there, done that. So I am thinking that this new canvas by Elizabeth Turner Collection might evoke thoughts of warmer weather, sunshine and ooh so much more.

snow, snow go away!

Here’s another canvas to help you think of warmer times. A new design by Needle Deeva which lives in my stitching bag right now…on bars and with some threads selected!

I fell in love with these Russian Santa’s by Leigh. This one is in my stash too! and soon I will start searching for stretcher bars, threads and stitch ideas. My intention is to do a stitch along with you sort of as Jane is doing on Chilly Hollow with her Russian Santa.

and to help me with those stitch selections is a new book by June McKnight soon to be published!

or how about this new book? It is wonderful. Check with your favorite needlepoint shop and get yours today!

AlleyCat is having a little play time with an empty spool of Kreinik.

and until next time…keep on stitching