Well I don’t know about you, but I am off To The Enriched Stitch in Wilton, CT to teach these 2 fun, fun, fun pieces! I know, I know I already blogged about this, but Suzie has a few openings, so why not talk about it again?

Canvas by Alice Peterson, “The Red Bike” is a class that I will be teaching at this wonderful new shop…well not really new, but sorta kinda new.

A fun canvas to stitch with beads, French knots, Rhodes heart stitch…did I say beads? darning pattern backgrounds and wrapped stitches for the wheels.

I am so looking forward to seeing this exciting shop, feeling the energy, seeing the new classroom that Suzie has designed, along with all the wonderful threads, canvases and needlepoint toys that she has.

I have been seeing some wonderful stitching coming out of here and I am so looking forward to seeing these pieces up close and in person.

Or if the bicycle doesn’t make your heart sing…what about Raymond Crawford’s Trick or Treat?

Halloween is not far away and this is totally doable to have it finished for this year’s Halloween decorating. Explore a variety of beading techniques with a myriad of bead types.

So please come join us for a fun and relaxing day of stitching! Call Suzie at The Enriched Stitch 196 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897. (203) 210-5107 to reserve your spot!

Now if you can’t make it for class, they would be happy to send it to you. There really is nothing much better than getting packages of needlepoint delivered right to your door!

The stitch guides are almost ready. I needed to tweak the Trick or Treat as the ace stitchers that were in my class at TNNA in Columbus discovered that the stitch guide needed a little correction. That’s done and of course I needed to send a corrected copy to Raymond.

The stitch guide for the bicycle is almost done and I just need to add another stitch and proof it yet again. That was an all day affair Thursday as I developed the stitch charts and meshed it together with the directions, check the sizing, check the spelling, check the spacing and check again. Did I say check again?

Plus I am working on the September October stitch guides for Needlepoint Now, trying to get all the plants watered, do some laundry and clean the house. Still really haven’t been stitching, but that needs to change like tonight before I forget how to stitch!

AlleyCat is sunning herself! and until next time…keep on stitching

Wow it’s hot around here! and whew we were soooooooooo close to suffering yet another meltdown! 1000’s of attempts were made to log into the blog, hack and bring down the server…What the hey? don’t you have anything else better to do with your time?

Thanks to my crack webmaster Laura Zickus and that we use NetHere for our server…a catastrophe was adverted! Before I left for market, I just finished up fixing the over 2000 broken links from last year about this time when we were hacked! Maybe it is something with the date?

I think I am getting a very loud and clear message such as…”we are not letting you take this anywhere” What do you think? and not just from AlleyCat

but from Sylvester too! sorry guys I just have a quick weekend trip coming up.

I promise tomorrow back to needlepoint and stitching! I have new threads to share with you and still lots more new canvases from The Summer Market. I’ve haven’t even been stitching this last week and that has to change. Tonight! Tonight!

and until next time…keep on stitching

A little diversion today as the felines and the needlepoint yield the floor…They say that every dog has it’s day, and last night at Petco Park in San Diego, they had theirs! The pooches showed up in numbers with their hoomans in tow. One of my favorite nights at the ballpark.

There were little dogs and big dogs. Medium size dogs, itty bitty little ones and really big ones! They were decked out in their very best Padres gear, even Phillies, Red Sox and Mets jerseys, and some were dressed just like their humans. I met a Fenway and a Wrigley and a Shea and I guess there was a theme going on here, naming their pooches after the iconic baseball parks.

Pooches lining up to get an autograph from Andrew Cashner, a pitcher for the Padres.

I know I smell a treat here!

or playing ball!

am I cute or what?

postition is everything in life!

Okay for this feline fanatic…I don’t get it and maybe you can explain to me why is it that the really little dogs always bark at the really big dogs?

The dog days of summer are upon us. Last night was the annual bring your dog to the baseball game at Petco Park in San Diego. The weather was pawsitively wonderful for a night at the ball yard.

The dog days are known as the hottest, most sultry days of summer In the Northern Hemisphere. The dog days of summer are most commonly experienced in the months of July and August, which typically observe the warmest summer temperatures.

The name Dog Days of Summer comes from the ancient belief that Sirius also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather.

Everybody is waiting for the parade to start before the game. They get to walk around the warning track. The dogs all have their own tickets where they will settle in a specific area and watch the game with everybody else!

Almost time for the parade to start! Once the parade is over, it will then be time for the ceremonial first pitch…

BTW the game was great. and until next time…keep on stitching

Last I left you way back when…it was with this canvas. A fitting image for the 4th of July! Don’t you think so?

Elizabeth and I were working on our Tapestry Tent 4th of July March. Which is the first Stitch-Along piece that will be featured in the July/August issue of Needlepoint Now that will be mailed on July 8th.

We were getting setup for an afternoon of stitching. Let’s see, canvases, threads, frameweights along with a gourmet snack of cheese, apples, raspberries and blueberries prepared by Elizabeth’s husband Jay. What was missing?

ooh the wine!

or was it Mabel? who had stopped by for a little look see. Or maybe she was hoping for a little bit of cheese!

So please join us for the first ever Stitch-Along piece featured in Needlepoint Now. Stitch guide by Susan Portra and I am the lucky one who gets to work with her on a monthly basis as we fine tune the guide that she wrote for one of her students at Newport Needlepoint.

Now we all love our stitch guides! Some of us stitch everything exactly as it is written, but if you are at all like some of us, you change a little here and a little there.  So order your canvas from your LNS, get your threads ready, which the entire list will be on Needlepoint Now’s website and stitch along with us. This is going to be so much fun! There are now 6 or is it 7 of us? now that are stitching on it already. We encourage you to post your pictures on Facebook as you stitch it. Enlighten us as to why you selected this stitch or that stitch. It is going to be a party and you don’t want to miss out now…do you?

I had a wonderful 4th and hope you did too…

Did it rain?

Did you BBQ?

and were hot dogs on the menu?

or how about the beach?

and a little ice cream?

See I told you there was a party to be started. A stitching party.

It’s good to be back! and until next time…keep on stitching

Where ever your days leads you, I am wishing you a safe and COOL 4th of July! Maybe a little parade viewing…

To The Enriched Stitch in Wilton, CT on the weekend of July 20th. Canvas by Alice Peterson, “The Red Bike” is a class that I will be teaching at this wonderful new shop…well not really new, but sorta kinda new.

A fun canvas to stitch with beads, French knots, Rhodes heart stitch…did I say beads? darning pattern backgrounds and wrapped stitches for the wheels.

I am so looking forward to seeing this exciting shop, feeling the energy, seeing the new classroom that Suzie has designed, along with all the wonderful threads, canvases and needlepoint toys that she has.

I have been seeing some wonderful stitching coming out of here and I am so looking forward to seeing these pieces up close and in person.

Or if the bicycle doesn’t make your heart sing…what about Raymond Crawford’s Trick or Treat?

Halloween is not far away and this is totally doable to have it finished for this year’s Halloween decorating. Explore a variety of beading techniques with a myriad of bead types.

So please come join us for a fun and relaxing day of stitching! Call Suzie at The Enriched Stitch 196 Danbury Road, Wilton, CT 06897. (203) 210-5107 to reserve your spot!

I am still at the Poodle Plantation in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where it has been hotter than in San Diego? what is wrong with this picture?

We are working away in the studios of Needlepoint Now as we start the process on the September/October issue. I know that when I get back home in San Diego I will need to hit the ground running between magazine work, stitch guides and stitching. Not to forget spending lots of time with the cats and then of course lots of time with the cats. I wonder what they are up to? and how much mischief they are getting into?

Lani is always a must stop and shop destination at market for me. She never seems to disappoint and she has some wonderful new florals! Many I would love, love, love to put on my must stitch list, including both of these.

and this one…

or all of these! I hear that Susan Portra is working on all of these with one of her students. There are 12 in this grouping of smaller florals.

or 6 in this larger size!

These 2 new dog canvases from Lani are spectacular!

I love the background on this one!

Lani is wonderful African ladies is now available in a smaller size if the original size was a little daunting for you. Another canvas I would love to find the time to stitch. Imagine the possibilities.

I am safely ensconced at the studios of Needlepoint Now as we ready for stitching and piloting a class with Terry Dryden. My travel day was rather eventful yesterday as my 6am flight was cancelled and was rerouted through the scenic route to get here. But I arrived safe and sound and have really been bonding with the poodles and my BFF, Elmore James the cat!

AlleyCat was showing me that position is everything in life. and until next time…keep on stitching

It seemed like a good idea at the time…a new canvas by Associated Talents. I guess someone might be on the naughty list! It would make a great pillow or a wonderful standup to set on the mantle so Santa would see it when he gets to your house.

Threads are needed to stitch all of these wonderful canvases. How about the selection of Painter’s Threads by Tentakulum of Germany? They really are hand painted and named after the famous artists such as Matisse, Monet, Van Gogh and so on.

I met the lady from Germany who really does paint these threads!

Access Commodities, home of Soie d’Alger and Bohin needles….2 of my favorites!

Planet Earth Fiber, home of Pepper Pot Silk, 6 ply Silk and more…

A colorful display of beautiful Treenway Silks which is now located in Colorado instead of Canada. I look forward to using their threads soon!. I know that Tony Minieri is a big fan of their line.

Speaking of Tony, a great picture with Suzanne, Doug Kreinik, Beth and Meredith…

Lots of errands today, watered all the plants, laundry and repacking to get ready to leave for Oregon before the sun is up. Sylvester is supervising the packing and gives me that look “can I go with you Mom?”

I still have lots more new to share with you, stitching and so much more, but it may be a few days until so, and again depending on internet connections. and until then…keep on stitching

I came home on a pretty plane. Wonder what tomorrow’s will look like?

 It is always so exciting to see the new designs at market! and what is even more exciting than that, is when we get to see that there is a new designer!

Introducing Pepperberry Designs! This is just a sampling of what they introduced at market and these are my favorites, ones that I would want to pick up and stitch myself. I love, love, love did I say love? Well I love these canvases! A very nice young couple with the wife designing and painting and her husband encouraging her to do so, thus realizing her dream. Isn’t that wonderful? Their booth was located right next to Raymond Crawford and he was offering his sage advice. I look forward to seeing many more designs from Pepperberry in San Diego for the Winter Market!

Not a new designer, but a new branding as Kirk & Bradley, formerly of Kirk & Hamilton. I got to meet Vernon and he is quite delightful! Their new florals are amazing.

A little close up of this gorgeous floral!

A new design by Labors of Love! This is so realistic that I was waiting to see fish swimming. The canvases that you see below could be stitched and placed on top of this canvas to really make it look the fish really are there!

Two more designs from Labors of Love…

Have you seen the 2 larger bunnies from Labors of Love that Laurie Walden stitched? Well they are a family and have now had children and this is just one of them. Laurie’s stitching is just amazing!

I did get some of my threads ended off. I really didn’t get as much stitching done as I thought as I was keeping busy looking for new stuff!

It’s good to be home, albeit for a very short time…sshhh please don’t tell the cats that I am leaving them again as I head to Oregon. Great timing as we are expecting a heat wave where it may hit a triple digit reading on the temperatures.

I have lots more canvases and threads and stuff to share with you. I am taking the Mac with me, but then you never know! and until next time…keep on stitching

Well yes, l I’ve known that for years…but for those of you who don’t know her, read these awesome article about The Divine Miss M. Meredith Willett that is…and I am sure that you will agree with me! I don’t know how she does it all, 2 retail stores, a wholesale line “Elizabeth Turner Collection,” finishing, her line of Needle Bling and then traveling and  teaching at shops all over the place!

Back to the market reports…

We were all made to feel like stars as we entered the show floor…

Inside now and I need to Discover What’s New…

So much to see…

A new fabric by Atenti, yarns, buttons and so much more…

or the new colors in the Oh Snap bags by Namaste…

Needlepoint Now is in row 1200…

Our booth is set up and ready! Chocolate of course along with magazines, subscription cards, rate cards, note pads and of course some stitching. My new project? I have been teasing you with it lately. The sky, the fireworks and the flag that you have seen is all part of the 4th of July March that will be in the next 3 issues of Needlepoint Now! Stitch guide by Susan Portra. Stay tuned as Elizabeth has some fun ideas planned as we stitch this piece along with the magazine and Susan.

My plan is to work on ending all my loose threads over the next few days…you know all the spaghetti, of which I am not a fan of. Well at least on my stitching I am not.

Or I could work on this piece? the dede Winter face which is a model for Fleur de Paris. I have had this canvas way too long and I really need to get busy.

I was going to start with beading the snow flakes, but I failed to bring size 0 beading thread with me and I didn’t like how it was showing too much of the beading thread. Then I tried using the Accentuate that the background will be stitched with for beading thread, but it was making my beads too dark.

Aren’t these 2 purses by Sandra Gilmore just too cute?

Check out the handle which has shoes on it too!

A bountiful basket of Paternayan yarn by the Saco River Dye House. It is so great to have this yarn back!

I am heading home later today and back to the kids. I am sure that the brat, AlleyCat herself will give me quite the mouthful when I open the door. I am thinking that they will be even madder with me when I turn around and leave them again in a few days to head up north to visit with Elizabeth and the poodles at the studios of Needlepoint Now.

I remembered today that I forgot to put away the purple felted cat which I am sure that she has gotten ahold of by now as she thinks “I will teach you to leave me!” and until next time…keep on stitching