I am running rather late this morning…as I went back to sleep after being up around 3am for a few hours! There is a large group of us going to Julienne’s for breakfast. So this will be very short and sweet!

This was the wonderful worrld of color that we walked into on our first day of the Fab Four class at A Stitch in Time in San Marino, CA on Thursday morning.

We had this wonderful goody bags for us! Look at this swag…a scissors fob, a needle threader, a purr~fectly thought up name tag for each and every one of us. Ya think that Alison knows me well enough? And a little box with our names on it for our thread purchases for the day.

and my first stitch of the day…a little Or Nué

and until next time…keep on stitching

and p.s. I think I am checking out tomorrow morning so that I can drive home to the cats after class, so might not be any time Sunday

I was lamenting that the week had gone by too quickly and that the party was over! Technically it was just that my class with Debbie Stiehler was over…but really there is much more fun and frivolity to be had.

Tuesday night was the silent auction that would lead up into the live auction. The silent was beautifully laid out with stitched items, canvases, books, kits and ooh so much more. The bidding was over at 6pm as everybody anxiously awaits the final results.

That leaves just enough time to preview for the live auction before the bidding would start. The live auction consists of all stitched pieces; either by an individual, a well known national teacher or a guild. Unfortunately there was no picture taking allowed of the individual pieces.

This was the first year that online bidding was introduced and it proved to be quite the hit! The auctioneer that comes every year is a Texas cattle fast speaking professional auction guy. How do they talk that fast is what I want to know? I had a nice gab with him last year in Philly as I learned that there is auctioneer school. Did you know that? Go figure!

Now it was really time for us to move onto our next adventure. Headed back to our rooms for packing and getting ready for our morning. There were 3 cars that departed for points northeast as we drove to our new hotel in Old Town Pasadena, the neighborhood where the New Years Day Rose Bowl Parade is! One car picked up a new party attendee at the airport where we all met and checked in.

Back on the road again as we headed to Aristea, which is located in Santa Monica. Two more of our group were flying into LAX would be meeting us there. See where priorties are? Fly in and travel right to the closest needlepoint shop!

A beautiful shop that I love visiting as I always feel so welcomed, inspired and then a little heavy hearted as I think of Wendy. To me this will always be her shop…

There’s my Mr. Crow that I stitched for Wendy! a Melissa Shirley canvas

Beverly Churchfield was teaching and her afternoon class was coming in. Such wonderful canvases and stitches!

Laura Taylor was kind enough to come in and meet us on her day off. We thank you Laura! She wouldn’t let us leave until she snapped this picture of us. Left to right Elizabeth, Chris, Pat, me, Kristen, Nancy and Joanne. We all did some shopping and left very happy, but very hungry…well that was hard work! There is a great little outdoor shopping center across the street with wonderful shops and even better eating. Hamburgers or Mexican food was our choice along with a little souvenir shopping.

We could have done more shopping, but really put 7 ladies together and you don’t think that there would be some serious support the local economy going on? but we have to be mindful of traffic, which really is a way of life and more so here that in San Diego.

A great day, lots of stash enhancment and there is so much more to share, so I guess you will have to come back tomorrow and the next and the next! I must admit that I am really missing my cats.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Today was our 4th and final day of our class with Debbie Stiehler of the Imari Collage. A most delightful and enjoyable class…and as always I learned lots of new things and am now rejuvenated, reinvigorated and ready to stitch!

Debbie looked absolutely stunning in her regal purple top with a Laurel Burch scarf that had a very familiar design and I said “that’s my canvas!” She replied that she had the same canvas.

I really tried to get a good picture of the scarf, but it didn’t happen…but I am sure that you get the idea.

This was a Florentine Pattern that started out our morning. It will be worked in a total of 3 colors.

Where has the last 4 or 5 days gone to? Wow, I can’t believe we have been here since Thursday and it is almost time to move on. Time sure flies when you are having fun!

Our teacher, Debbie Stiehler has been most creative, enjoyable and ooh so entertaining!

You have been seeing the teacher name tags that were stitched for them by the chapter. Here is a closeup of them!

The seminar attendees that were the lucky winners were selecting their door prizes.

A quick trip to the shop in the morning to check out what’s new and exciting! Look at all these snap trays. What a wonderful display.

A few more sections were started on our Imari Collage.

I also worked on my most favorite section of the Or Nué a bit more. I just love, love, love this section.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner out with friends. OMG too much fun to be had… and tomorrow is the last day of class at the ANG Seminar. Where has the week gone? but soon I will move onto my next adventure! A road trip to Aristea with the gang on Wednesday and then onto the Fab 4 class at A Stitch in Time on Thursday.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Now I haven’t stitched at all lately…at all! at all! at all! did I say at all? but I am sure making up for lost time as I keep that needle in my hands morning, noon and night these last few days.

The 2nd day of our class with Debbie Stiehler found us mainly working on our section of Or Nué. A few other areas on the Imari Collage took up our afternoon stitching hours. Check out the geisha magnet which was a gift from one from our little group. What a special memento to remember our time together this week!

A new way that Debbie taught us using Japan #5 Gold as the base thread. It is cut in smaller lengths and the pattern is stitched over it.

I really love, love, love…did I say love? the results! the sheen is amazing and I hope that I will still love it when I need to sink all those ends to the back of the canvas!

The laid filling stitch worked with Japan Gold, laying down the grid pattern. Couched down with that wonderful Vicki Clayton hand dyed fibers that were in our kits.

Candy stopped by to check to make sure our class was aokay as teach was chatting away with us.

I caught Brenda Hart in a rare moment of stitching away, with Mary Alice supervising! Mary Alice was showing off her beautiful beaded purses in Japanese style beading. I look forward to taking one of her classes and soon.

Sunday sees the opening of the exhibit where most of the ribbons are awarded. I entered 2 pieces this year. Kept it quiet and under the radar. They were sent in with no expectaions, no hopes…just entered for the love of sharing my work.

Well the judge’s awarded my Sharon G piece of Cat’s Night Out with a blue ribbon! So very thrilled and excited. Sunday night will be the opening banquet where the special ribbons will be awarded.

The opening favor was quite the hit! A covered, insulated glass, which around our stitching is absolutely purr~fect.

The Wearable Art Award was given to my piece! Tiger’s Eyes, a canvas by Lee’s Needle Arts. All in basketweave with Paternayan and Kreinik. Marlen Custom Pillows did the finishing and she did not dissapoint!

All the ribbons awarded…and now it is time for me to go to class. You know I can take pictures here, but can’t take them in the exhibit! Go figure. and until next time…keep on stitching

We’re here in Anaheim, CA at the American Needlepoint Guild Seminar which is being held at a gorgeous Hyatt…where you can see that they have rolled out the welcome mat for us!

Of course there always needs to be some stash enhancement at the shop that is set up for us just a few steps from our classroom!

Looking for just that special magnet for my canvas. Decisons! decisons! which one do I want?

I really am not doing any sight seeing this seminar, since I sorta kinda know this area. One of the tours that departed today was off to San Juan Capistrano…and I wonder if they spotted any swallows? Now if the Angels were in town (baseball that is) I am sure that I would have been off to a game, but looks like that’s not going to happen.

I am in a 4 day class with Debbie Steihler “Imari Collage.” It is a wonderful piece with lots of great stitches inlcuding laid filling, Or Nué, bamboo beads and a 5 yen Japanese coin.

We are stitching with hand-dyedfibers from Vicki Clayton. Wonderful threads! The put ups are on these darling little spools and our kits were assembled with so much TLC. All the spools are placed in little bags with the corner split so that you can pull the thread right out. Oh that teacher of ours is so clever!

I am enjoying my class so much. Debbie is a wonderful teacher and I am sitting next to Elizabeth and Pat and Debbie (another one) and Kristen and Denny and well you get the idea!

Today is day 2 of class and this morning we will be working on the section of Or Nué. The exhibit opens today (where I can take NO pictures) and the opening banquet tonight. A busy day for sure and until next time…keep on stitching

I’m off! I’m off for a very important date! I am so excited and can’t wait for all the festivities to start at the ANG Seminar…and I am missing market. First one in a very long time.

It seems that Sylvester has other ideas. I was packing up my threads for the 4th of July March that we are working on for Needlepoint Now. Can I tell you that the new issue is at the printers? and just like you I anxiously await seeing that in my mailbox very soon. The 2nd part of the stitchguide for the 4th of July March will be in there as we now work on part 3….okay I digress

Just a little more packing to do, a quick shower as why waste allot of time and water? pack up the car, stop for gas and a Starbucks and on the road. It is a 90 mile drive for me and being after morning rush hour, it should be a pretty smooth drive. It is a beautiful morning in Southern California, blue skies and purr~fect temperatures!

AlleyCat just loves her little egg crate! and actually she got a new one this morning to tide her over till I come home. Not to worry… Rose, the cat nanny will be here to take good care of you kids.

Seminar doesn’t really start till Saturday! and until next time…keep on stitching

I went to my ANG meeting last night and this is what I saw. I’m in love yet again! This is not fair…

San Diego (CA) ANG is excited to announce a workshop by Margaret Bendig, called East Meets Southwest on 27 & 28 October 2013. The design is stunning and pictures simply do not do this stitched design justice. There are many laid and composite stitches that fully cover the 18 count canvas. The background is a subtle cream colored bamboo design that enhances the kimono perfectly. Margaret is offering 2 color choices, Turquoise/Copper or Sage Green/Copper/Cream. The workshop registration fee includes canvas, stitch guide, full skeins of silks and metallics, color photo, and 2 days of instruction. Ghost stitchers are welcome. The registration deadline is September 14, 2013.

The registration flyer and color photo are available at our website www.sdang.org. Please contact us if you have additional questions or need more information at [email protected]

The pictures do not do it justice. It is really absolutely breathtaking in person! and what am I thinking? By the time that this class starts, I will have just begun stitching on 2 new large projects from seminar et al and be in a stitching frenzy for the 2014 Winter TNNA Market held here in San Diego…again I will say, what am I thinking? Ooh, help me I have no will power.

I came across the cartoon last week and it brought back purr~fect memories of Felix. He loved, loved, loved sleeping on top of the tv and also riding around on my shoulder! In his aging years, he couldn’t jump up that high anymore so I would help him. As big as he was he would never have been able to fit on top now…I still miss you buddy.

and until next time…keep on stitching

I am thinking…since I have not been doing much stitching as I ready for my excursions, have nothing new to share in the way of canvases, threads, bags and toys…and to spare you the boredom of going on ad naseuam about seminar and Fab 4 class, I think that the blog and I will just take the week off. See you from the ANG seminar…soon!

I swear! I kid you not! even though I did not stitch yesterday, I swear, I promise it’s coming soon. First today I am headed for a little thread enhancement as Susan made a change for us in the threads for the 4th of July March. I also need to look at some threads for another magazine project. Even if you have started stitching it already, it won’t affect you as it is in part 3….so I am the designated thread shopper for the rest of the group. After all I will be seeing all of them soon. You know it’s a tough job that thread shopping, but someone’s gotta do it, don’t you think?

I do have homework, self imposed no less on the 4th of July March as I divided up this last section among us. Ooh that reminds me I never heard from Pat which section she is going to stitch on! Knowing Pat she is probably just going to stitch all of it!

I am going back to see Susan Portra again on Tuesday and will go over again the hair for the flag bearer on the March. I want to get it just right so I make sure my explanation is as clear as can be.

I spent the weekend on the computer most of the time working on the November/December issue of Needlepoint Now. I am really trying to get as much done as possible so that I will really enjoy my vacation!

Okay so I start off with seminar arriving next Thursday…OMG is that time already? class for 4 days starting on Saturday and then and then… we head out for our next excursion. A road trip to Aristea on the way to The Fab Four class at A Stitch in Time in San Marino, CA

You remember these guys? Tony, Suzanne, Beth and Meredith. The Fabulous 4 and they sure are all that and more. Doug Krienik is standing in the middle in this picture, but he won’t be coming. Wish he was, but he’s not!

Here is my canvas and I can’t wait to see the magic that they work on it! and then I will have plenty to write about!

AlleyCat is being a funny girl thinking that she fits! and until next time…keep on stitching

But I am ready to start packing! I think that Sylvester has other ideas. The stitching suitcase came out and always comes out first…see where my priorities are? Stretcher bars, tape, staple gun with extra staples will start my packing off. Or whenever I can get his royalness to move. My stitching light, frame weight, probably a snap tray, a book, maybe even a hammer and a few other odds and ends will start getting thrown in the bag. My tea bags to make iced tea and hmmm, maybe I better make a list.

I have been in a stitching funk these days, and really haven’t been doing much stitching at all…so I am using my time to get my work started for the November/December issue of Needlepoint Now. Doing some projects around the house and I really want to organize I mean really organize my threads. See I am not one that wastes time as to me every moment is precious. I very rarely ever sit and do absolutely nothing!

I am looking for the thread that I used on the sand in the NeedleDeeva Thanksgiving Set. I know the ThreadworX number, I probably can even tell you the name, but where it is I have no idea! See I am very good with organizing my Kreinik, tubes of beads and cards of Rainbow Gallery threads, but those odd ball threads…well it could be anywhere! That’s when I tell myself that it is easier to buy another skein then wasting time looking for it. The problem is now I have looked in 3 shops and no one had it. I did buy some Gentle Arts threads, which will work just fine, well you get the idea!

I am looking forward to seminar, but then on the other hand I am going to miss the Fall TNNA Market in St. Charles, which is scheduled for the same weekend. The nerve of them not checking with me first! This will be the first market that I will miss in about 7 years…wow that will feel strange. So like the rest of you I will rely on everybody’s Facebook postings, the shops websites and blogs and all that stuff. Yes I too long to see the brand new stuff fresh off the artist’s table. Raymond has a new series of Robot and Rockets that are just as cute as can be! Leigh is working on new Halloween series, Maggie and Ewe and Eye have already been teasing us with new pieces, Melissa Shirley has her new Halloween basket and I am sure there will be more new stuff coming!

Okay it’s time to think about a little more packing, but AlleyCat has different ideas. and until next time…keep on stitching