I started this canvas a really, really long time ago…so long ago that I really don’t want to admit exactly when I took the first stitch.

or the first bead. Whatever… I found these absoluterly purr~fect brown beads and I beaded the words. And then, well you know. It gets put away because there is something else that you really want to work on. Or in my case it is because I really need to be stitching on something else.

I am always saying while teaching when the students lament that they don’t have enough time to stitch…I tell them something I learned from my sistah Meredith years ago. “Just an hour a day, that’s all! you will be surprised at how much stitching you can get done.” You know what? Meredith is right…but shhhh, please don’t tell her I said that!

So I made a commitment to myself that I would spend an hour of my stitching night on something for me. Like this canvas or my Stitcherie games piece or my Bastet the Cat…okay you get the idea.

Moving along…

I am ready to bead the lotus. Easier said than done. The dark brown beads that I have will work great for the dark brown in the flower. I found a great bead that I used for the medium color beading with dark brown beading thread and the intention was to use the same bead for the lighter color with a light colored beading thread.

There must have been a heavier silver lining in this bead than I thought, so plan A didn’t work. So plan B was to use a lighter brown beads that I had… well I don’t like ’em. No actually I hate them and they gotta come out. Along with the clear white beads. I auditioned a few colors and you know what, you need to bead a small section to really know if you are going to like ’em.

Normally I would bead a new section before I took the beads out that I didn’t like. Why is that? well you may not like the newer color and then all of a sudden realize that the first color wasn’t that bad after all! Then you would need to rebead the same beads that you just took out. Well I disliked that first color so much, that I knew that wasn’t going to happen!

The background is done and after the lotus is beaded I just need to stitch Buddha. I must have selected every single Kreinik color known to man that was even close. He is not really shiny, he is matte with a great patina. So do I want to stitch him in floss? or Kreinik? well I am sure that I have a few weeks yet to make up my mind!

This is AlleyCat sleeping on my lap while I am stitching. Every so often so sticks that little back end of hers up in the air as if to say “scratch me! scratch me!” and I do… and then we go back to stitching. Gotta love her.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Isn’t that like the best word ever? Finished! Finished! Finished! Now you are going to say, you’re not finished. What about that blue line around the canvas. Well, I purposely did not stitch that last blue line around the canvas.

And you ask why not? well just because I can! no, that’s really not the reason. I could’ve stitched it, but I believe with just that single line that it would be covered with the finishing… whether it be framed or a pillow or a box or a banner. The blue line is probably painted there to let you know where to stop the border of the canvas, otherwise you would be stitching forever!

Patches is a Pepperberry Design and what a fun canvas to stitch! If you love it and gotta have it, I will be teaching this at Newport Needlepoint on Friday April 25th. A day of stitching, lots of laughs and lunch! What could be better than that? Well if you can’t make it, Peggy would love to ship one to you, stitch guide included! Just give her a phone call 949.650.8022 Give her a call!

This was my Felix as he loved, loved, loved to drink my tea! AlleyCat waits for the ice cream, preferrably the sea salt gelato.

I think that I need this on a canvas…what do you think?

Don’t forget…we spring ahead this weekend to daylight savings time. Well most of us do.

and until next time…keep on stitching

Was held a few weeks ago deep in the heart of Texas…

well actually on the outskirts of Austin. Is that considered deep in the heart of Texas? Anyhow it was at the Lost Pines Resort and Spa. A wonderful facility, where the food is awesome, the ambience sublime and the laughs and good times plentiful. Oh did I mention the great stitching too? Stash enhancement at The Needleworks and some great Texas bbq all rolled up in the same weekend.

This was the amazing selection of teachers, from Japanese embroidery to studio time to everything in between. Leave it to Brenda Hart to be messing around with her cell phone… rather than looking at the camera!

Here she was with Bam and what were they whispering about? or is this a selfie portrait?

This is the Melissa Shirley canvas that Meredith was working on with Nancy. She was running pearl cotton through Flair to make the watering hose just a little more realistic. I have committed that technique to my memory banks!

Hi Nancy and so glad I finally got a chance to meet you…Suzie speaks so very highly of you!

I was working on the background of Patches as I waited my turn with Meredith.

Meredith turned my camera on moi! I was working on cast on bullions for this canvas. Gosh I haven’t attempted them since and I sure hope I remember how to do them…or you might be getting a phone call sistah!

Ooh these guys sure have had a tough day!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Let the Good Times Roll! Tuesday is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. Mardi Gras is a season of Parades, Masquerade Balls and King Cake Parties. Tuesday also is the final day of Mardi Gras, the day before Ash Wednesday which will then start the 6 weeks of Lent, leading into the Easter holiday. It is has been celebrated in Louisiana since the 17th century. In the Catholic religion, Lent begins the season of fasting or sacrificing by giving up one of your favorite foods. Say such as chocolate…ooh shudder that thought! or your favorite glass of wine.

“The King Cake is a New Orleans tradition that involves a pastry, a small plastic baby, and a party. The King Cake is baked with a baby hidden inside, the person who gets the slice with baby in it hosts the next party!”

While we were at the Blue Bonnet retreat, someone brought a King Cake. We all enjoyed a slice, and another slice and another slice and yet another one. No one was finding the baby…well that is until Meredith did. Here she was so excited that she was kissing that baby! Did anyone tell her that she is to give the next party?

The weeks leading up to Mardi Gras in New Orleans is quite the place to be. I have been to New Orleans a few times, but never during Mardi Gras. This is definitely on my bucket list! San Diego celebrates Mardi Gras tonight, but nothing like this.

Well you just knew that there would be a cat in this somewhere, somehow!

The traditional colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. (not quite right on this cat, but work with me here) These colors are said to have been chosen by Grand Duke Alexis Alexandrovitch Romanoff of Russia during a visit to New Orleans This was reaffirmed in 1892, when the Rex Parade theme “Symbolism of Colors” gave the colors their meanings of justice, power and faith.

While going through threads today looking for just that purr~fect Mardi Gras colors, look what I found! AlleyCat is posing for us against purple, green and gold!

and until next time…keep on stitching

Our annual Oscar movie menus are the ultimate intersection of food and film, and feature recipes and drinks inspired by each of the nine Best Picture nominees. This year, we’re cooking up spicy clams and “piccata of the gods” for American Hustle, outer space–themed dishes for Gravity, fruitcake and tea for Philomena, and an over-the-top menu that includes sushi, steak, lobster, and Champagne for The Wolf of Wall Street.

Hosts can plan their night around their favorite movie or the menu they can’t resist. Another option? Pick one or more recipes from each and create a one-of-a-kind Oscars feast. We can’t promise an exciting telecast, but with so many great dishes, it’s guaranteed to be a fun and festive night. To see all nine movie-themed menus, read on.

It’s time to make your own movie magic at home!

Canolis from American Hustle…

Caviar Moons from Gravity…

Golden Omelette and Porter Cake from Philomena

and Salt Roasted Porterhouse from Wolf on Wall Street.

I know that I will be stitching and watching…and you?

and my Oscar goes to AlleyCat who never ceases to amaze me with her performances!

and until next time…keep on stitching

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