So says AlleyCat lets me know that last night as I open the door and she runs out… so much for welcoming me home in proper fashion. But that’s AlleyCat for you!

I am home for a few days (seriously!) after spending some glorious days in the south at In Stitches in Atlanta. A beautiful shop and I would have loved to stay longer! More about that soon.

A travel day yesterday that I soon hope to forget as I was waylaid, detoured and delayed over and over. My suitcase has yet to land in sunny San Diego, but I am sure it will be here soon. I am already out and about as I have a list of errands a mile and half long… and am planning to be home by first pitch.

I am headed to the Embroirders Guild Seminar in Phoenix early Friday morning! This time I get to take the class…I am bringing mt laptop and plan on blogging through my time there.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Just a quick update on Sparkles… She’s living at Newport Needlepoint for a few weeks since I am going to be on the road pretty much nonstop. I just need to finish the hat, the borders and come up with something special for the white on the hat. Remember the class will be on November 7th!

I need to finish Mrs. Cat, a piece for Point of It All Designs and… see what I mean? so many canvases and so little time.

Looks like Sylvester’s not going to let my close my suitcase!

and as usual AlleyCat is unfazed by it all!

see you sometime next week and until then…keep on stitching

Just so you don’t think that I am goofing off! I am getting ready to head to Hotlanta to In Stitches to spend 3 glorious days teaching Meet Mr. Cat and….

Patches on October 10, 11 and 12. I love that city with it’s Southern Hospitality and it’s needlepoint, so what could be better than that?

In between my magazine work for the January/February 2015 issue, I am working on 3 of my own stitches guides for a class later this month and stitching Sparkles.

Here she is! Now the beaded snowflake border is a commitment of both time and beads. One of these days I will confess how many beads I used and how much time too! When I write the stitch guide I will include an alternative stitch suggestion or two, just in case you don’t want to devote that much time!

Pepperberry Designs usually designs a smaller ornament that color co-ordinates with the larger snowperson. We have found that there is enough threads from the larger one that you can stitch this too!

For now the only place you can get this canvas is Newport Needlepoint! If you stitched Patches, Sparkles would be that perfect companion piece. Call Peggy at Newport Needlepoint 949.650.8022 so you can get yours too…you don’t want to miss out on all the fun. Class with be Friday November 7th, with lunch and am sure a surprise with it. Join us in person or via snail mail!

AlleyCat was getting adventurous! Check out the snap trays…guess I better put some of that stuff away before I leave again.

and until next time…keep on stitching

yes I am! and just wait… wait… I’ll get there! Of course I had to get in a game at a different park if I could, and what could be better than Fenway?

My day in Boston sorta kinda started here. This is the finish line for the Boston Marathon that is run every year on Patriot’s Day (April 16th.) It is one of the elite marathons and of course we know the history of a few years ago. If someone hadn’t told me about where the finish line was, I would have never seen it. It was said that this historic marker is repainted fresh every year for the race. One of these years I would like to be there for the baseball game that the Red Sox play on that day. It is a day off from work too for those Bostonians!

As I came up stairs from the train, this was the first think that I saw. I would do lots of sightseeing around town…the historic sights, the Duck Boats, the Old South Church and so much more. Weather was absolutely beautiful, sunny blue skies with no need for a jacket! Never had time for Quincy Market and Fanuel Hall, disappointed to say. Next time for sure. Later in the day I would get back on this train inorder to get to Fenway.

Getting off the train, so I guess that I was headed in the right direction!

It was the Yankees and Derek Jeter’s last weekend…but sad to say that he did not play this night. I believe at this moment he walked across the field and everybody was going nuts. I have seen him play many times, but if I didn’t say that I was disappointed thar he wasn’t in the lineup, I wouldn’t be truthful.

It was great being in Fenway for my first time!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Karen, the brilliant artist of the Zecca line… you know the canvases with the amazing color lines stopped into Wellesley for a little visit, some stitching and some threads.

I was totally flattered since it was about a 2 hour drive for her. It was a beautiful day in the neighboorhood, and not very fallish weather at all!

Karen is stitching on her new piece that will be introduced at the Winter TNNA Market in January…this gorgeous flamingo. It will be part of a chair back, but there is no reason why you can’t hang it in your wall. The colors are amazing and so lifelike, that I was just waiting for it to walk right off the canvas! I joked with Karen that I see lots of long and short in your future, which is really the only way…but not too long as you don’t want it to snag.

Cindy, the owner of Wellesley sat down next to her and is stitching on a shop model. That is the life of a shop owner you know, stitching on models! In front of Cindy is the other canvas that we worked in on class by J&J Designs.

It was a wonderful day and all too soon it was over. It was time for some food and a little relaxation. Cindy commented that we were going to the The Cottage and I thought nothing of it since that could be a common enough name… but a funny thing did happen on the way to dinner.

We pulled up to the front of the restaurant and I looked at the sign which I recognized immediately and I started laughing!  and you wonder why? well my Cottage in La Jolla has a few sister restaurants and this was one of them. Go figure… of all the places that we could go and eat, but I finally did have my lobster roll.

The kids are waiting for a treat of a little taste of chicken.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Wellesley Needlepoint that is! A darling little shop in the heart of the quaint little town.

Reminds me of what La Jolla was like years ago with all of these wonderful shops.

Of course this is my favorite shop!

Cindy Mathews, owner of Wellesley and I were busy little bees on Saturday as we readied the canvases for class on Sunday. That’s good cause it kept me off the streets and my charge card in my wallet, but I did make just enough time for a visit to Wellesley Bookstore. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, as if the San Diego weather had followed me there!

Selecting just the perfect threads, beads, Kreinik and embellishments, while I was agonizing over the just right stitch combined with the amazing thread selection that was in the shop. Canvases by Annie Lane along with J&J Designs.

Moo Chef

Red Rooster

Danger Lurks

Finding Agnes

Cape Cod Houses by J & J Designs. There was one more J & J canvas, but I forgot to take a picture!

Class was wonderful and the stitchers were very enthusiastic! I gave them lots of ideas, several stitches personally charted for them, handfuls of threads, some direction and they just ran with it. Makes it very exciting for me to see the canvases come to life with stitches.

and meet Famous Amos! a real love…

We had a special guest come and stitch with us for the day and then a funny thing happened on the way to dinner… tell ya tomorrow!

and for now it is Saturday morning, so I am sure you can guess where I am headed? Plus I need a 14″ mini bar for my class at EGA seminar in a few short weeks. I probably have 10 pairs of 13″, but do I have a 14″? Go figure!

and until next time…keep on stitching

I love to travel and exploring new places, new shops, new stitches and threads and of course meeting more stitchers!

I was kindly reminded towards the middle to the end of my stay that “it has been 6 days and counting!” and I knew exactly what she meant! Even though I did have my laptop with me, by the time the day was over and spent part of the evening coming up with stitch ideas and drawing them… well it just didn’t happen.

For today it is unpacking, a run to stock the refrigerator…not forgetting the ice cream and of course baseball… There are 4 games on today and I will be in heaven!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Leaving on a jet plane at 0dark30 tomorrow…

So what do you think? should I take Sylvester with me? hmmm…

Even though my laptop will be going with me and it travels in that bag that Sylvester is snoozing in, I’m not sure when I will be able to blog. It always depends on if I have the time and if I can get a connection.

and until next time…keep on stitching

okay where has this summer gone to? I’ve blinked and now it seems like it’s all over.

The last week of the regular baseball season is upon us. The days are getting shorter and the temperatures are a bit cooler in the mornings and evenings.

I’ve worked so hard this summer, I never even made it downtown for a baseball game, not one! and for you who know me, really know me, you know that that so not me, a former season ticket holder. So exactly what have I been doing, you wonder?

Stitching! Stitching and more stitching… as I sit here and count up all the canvases that I have stitched and finished for shop models, for designer models, for Needlepoint Now, to teach here and there, well I came up with a total of 22. Funny thing, look at todays date and they match!

So now its time to start getting ready for my month of travels. The needlepoint stuff gets packed first and then… What clothes to bring?

and my next stop after Wellesley and Enriched Stitch? In Stitches Atlanta where I will be teaching October 10, 11 and 12…

Meet Mr. Cat… and I will be bringing Mrs. Cat with me too!

and Patches

I will be bringing this new one with me too, so you can see how she is coming to life!

Someone was keeping me company last night!

and until next time… keep on stitching

Sorry I couldn’t resist with the title today…somedays it comes to me right away and well somedays I really need to work at it and today was one of those really need to think.

More new colors of Silken Straw…or Silk Road Fibers Straw Silk. One of my new favorite threads!

I have stitched a beach house roof with it, a haystack, bristly brooms in a natural color and my latest I used Ocean Floor to give Mrs. Cat an aged looking broom that was full of soot!

The new colors are Ciao Bella, a grape wine color; Blue Lagoon, a great water color; Tarnished Brass, a gorgeous golden hue; Sterling, the first gray in the line and Olio d’Oliva, just like the first press of EVOO.

You may see this thread out there with 2 different labels…but rest assured it is still the same! I am on auto-ship from The Needlepointer as new colors come out, they show up in my mail box.

How about some new colors of Pepper Pot Silk? Cinnamon and Sriracha. They might look wonderful in the tile floor of this canvas:

Moo Chef by Annie Lane. This is one of the Annie Lane canvases that we will be working on in my next classes at Wellesley and Enriched Stitch. Stay tuned!

Now you see how the magnet looks just like the canvas, Danger Lurks by Annie Lane. This reminds me of a cat of mine that has long since crossed the Rainbow Bridge… well he thought my big beautiful asparagus fern was a great nap spot!

It never ceases to amaze me… AlleyCat will be sound asleep for hours, did I say hours? and just let me decide it’s time for a little ice cream, and guess who shows up? and she meows till she gets a taste!

and until next time…keep on stitching