Post IHSW June'13 and a surprise

June 19th.... can you believe it is already fraking June 19th!!!

Source: http://www.straketch.com

Sorry I've been a little absent on my blog.  I hope to get back to blogging more frequently soon, or at least try!

I did manage to stitch a bit last weekend and I went to my friend Beatrice's house.  I worked on my Autumn Leaves while I was there.  Sunday was assignment day so no stitching done.

I don't have a pic to share :( but will try and do a pic update of my WIP's when I get back.

BACK you ask???

Well I'm going on a little adventure starting tomorrow morning.

Image Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/

Can't tell you where i'm going but will tell you all about it when i'm back :D

Hope you all have a great stitchy weekend!

IHSW 3.0 Report and Spring Retreat 2012

This weekend was another International Hermit and Stitch Weekend.  I signed up even though I knew I wouldn't be stitching alone all weekend.

This weekend was also the annual Knowledge and Needles Spring retreat.

I arrived a little early and set my spot up.  I decided to start on my summer mandala as progress for Hermit weekend.  This is where I got during my alone time

Lots started eh! lol  Unfortunately I realized Saturday afternoon that I actually started Autumn and not Summer... so a frogging I went.  Oh well at least I didn't have much done!

After people starting arriving, I went back to spring.

 Before I left for home today this is where I am at.

I did manage to "hermit" again for a bit this afternoon, and this is where I'm at tonight

So all in all got a good amount of stitching done, but not much alone ;)

Retreat was great as usual and here are some pics of the finished work that was displayed

Christin's Tribal Butterfly 

Dani's Enchantment of Winter

Judie's 

Rebecca's Tulips

SAL

Fall Retreat 2011

This past weekend I attended the Knowledge and  Needles Fall Retreat.  This is the third one I have been to.

I arrived friday afternoon and quickly got all my stuff upacked.  Friday afternoon and night we just stitched away.  I did manage to get some pics of some finishes that were displayed.

Nan's quilt squares.  I did the L for leaves

Beatrices Halloween Spicy Spiral

Barbs trees

Saturday was more stitching and eating.  Around 1:30 we headed over to Ann's for lunch and some shopping.  Lunch was absolutely AMAZING!  check out what we had

The menu

Potato Soup

The Entree

Very yummy dessert

We also got little gift boxes at the table when we arrived.

Lovely carries threads, a note pad, chapstick and a charm.
I got a little kitty face :)

Saturday night we did your ornament exchange.  It was a lot of fun and all the ornaments looked amazing.  AGAIN, no duplicates!  Here are some of the ornaments.

Nan, who got my ornament.  I did it on 25ct over 1

Tracey's ornament.  This was her first year attending.

Adriana's ornament.  She doesn't attend, but wanted to be in the exchange.
Can you believe she is in her 90's!!  Her work is amazing!

Dani's Ornament

Rebecca's Joy Ornament

Beatrice's ornament.

Sunday is always a bittersweet day.  We had a great weekend, but it is hard to say good bye to some friends that won't see each other for at least a few months.
Here are some other random pics of the weekend.

Beatrice
Waiting patiently for pick her ornament

Lianne
All snuggled in the couch

Sheila
Working on a santa

Dani
In her element... witth tea and her camera

October outing and an update

I have one more "picture post" to publish from the photography club, but thought I would sneak in a stitching related post.  I am actually heading to my next meeting in less than an hour.

On Saturday, Beatrice had a few of the "Travelling Stitcherhood" over for a stitchy day.  I actually went up on Friday night and stayed until Sunday morning.  I didn't get any pics of the actual event, but you can check out Dani's page for a few pics... including a horrible one of me!

I did manage to take a pic of my Cirque des carreaux before and after the weekend.  Other than working on Sabrina friday night, I only worked on CdCx

As at Saturday morning

As of Sunday night

A frog, an open house, and a finish

While at Rebecca's a few weeks ago I realized that I had two different dye lots for Cirque des Carreux!  I contacted Ann at Knowlege and Needles.  She said she had 6 skeins of Carries Autumn Leaves and would put them aside for me.  If it was one type I would have to frog about 1/3 out of what I had done.  If it was the other, I might as well start over.  Was I ever happy to see that she had the right ones I needed!!  On sunday, I frogged while I listened to a lecture.

What was left of CdCx after the frogging.

(less the re-start in upper left corner)

The whole top portion was completely stitched

And here are the threads after I pulled them out

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Last Saturday (20th) I attended my third open house at Knowledge and Needles.  Read about my first and second times if you wish.  It is amazing the friendships I have created over the past 3 years... and it all started with opening that car door ;)

I forgot to take my SLR, but did get a couple of pictures.  I couldnt' decide what I wanted to work on, so I took out the JBW angel I started last week.  I am glad I decided on that since I was up and down most of the day.  I did do some shopping... some thread and some fabric.

Anne, Kathy, Christin, Dani

Chatting

Some of the beautiful work

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After most people had left, Dani and Christin were heading back with Kathy to her place.  Kathy invited me to come back with them and stitch some more if I wanted.  Of course I said yes!  While I was there, I had a.....

FINISH!!



It was a small finish, but still a finish in my books!!  Upon the finish Kathy handed me the finish pom-poms.  I had intended to take some cute pics of them, but later on in the night, Dani also had a finish on a RR she was working on.  I imediately handed them over to her.  Check out her blog later and she might post about them.  I wonder who will get these next??

JBW Angel

Not sure what I am going to do with it yet...

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I also realized it has been a while since I have posted my WIPS.  While not all of them are here, these are the main ones I am working on besides Cirque des carreux.

Letter "L" for another stitcher. She is going to make these into a quilt.

Magnificent wizard - aslo known as Blair's stupid dragon

Lots of colour changes, but getting there

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I also have made some new scissor fobs for birthday gifts this year. 

For Christin

For Dani

For Kathy

For Beatrice

I also made one for Rebecca after she informed me I should make one for her back in June.



 Well, that is about all I think for tonight.  Hopefully I can get back into posting more!  Hope you all have a great Friday and a even better weekend!



Spring retreat and a lesson

This weekend I attended the Knowledge and Needles annual spring retreat.
Christin arrived around noon on Thursday and hung out with "the boys" while I was at work.
Friday morning we went for breakfast with Blair, dropped him off at work, did a little antiquing in Cobourg, and then we were on our way to the retreat.

We arrived just after noon and there was a few others already there.  We got all our stuff set up and had a quick lunch, then settle in to a weekend of stitching, eating (not much by me this time) , chatting, and some sleep thrown in there too.

On saturday we headed out to Knowledge and Needles for lunch and some retail therepy.  I did not purchase any stash as I spend my retreat budget the week before at K&N open house.

Speaking of which, I visited with Beatrice last weekend and both of us went to the open house together.  It was a great afternoon and evening!

Today, before we left retreat, Christin fixed the scissor fob she made me last year and then her and Dani explained how to make beaded scissor fobs and went through what I needed to make my own.  After reatreat I drove 20 minutes out of my way and stopped at Micheals in Belleville and picked up a few things I needed.  Thanks to a 40% discount and a gift card from my mommy, I got the basics of what I needed.  When I arrived home, I unpacked the car and got to work on my first beaded fob.  I AM HOOCKED!!!
After my first one I started a second one.  Here is a pic of the two I made.  The scissors where both gifts from great stitching friends

Top - Dovo scissors from Christin and Dani

There is a D & C in the beads, and the charm is the chinese symbol for friendship

Bottom - From Kathy

Haven't found the right charm for these yet, but at the moment a dragon is attached.

As for stitching, I worked on Paradigm Lost all weekend... and was very proud of myelf for that.  I didn't have time to take a picture yet, other than a during pic, but hopefully will update this week.
Here is the pic I posted on facebook while I was stitching

Working on Paradigm Lost while relaxing at reatreat

Finally an update

What can I say.... the last 3 weeks have been crazy!
Little Peru took a lot of energy out of me, and then I had Retreat, and then I felt under the weather

PERU
My little budy keeps getting bigger.  I still stop in the store every other day and check in on him.
Cathie has been doing an amazing job with him ever since she got home from her Holiday.
He is now almost completely house trained - only one little accident since she got back
WAY TO GO PERU!!!
He is also getting better on bitting (Big yah lol)

Cathie and Peru

RETREAT

2 weeks ago (Nov 12-13) I attended the Knowledge and Needles fall retreat.  This was my 2nd year at this retreat and loved every minute of it!

Friday afternoon I arrived early and was soon met by Beatrice .

Later on Dani and Rebecca and Ann herself arrived as well as others without blogs.

Friday night we ate some yummy food and stitched.  I can't remember exactly what time, but we were not up too late Friday night. 

Saturday morning after breakfast, Dani and I went for a walk.  What a beautiful morning!

Morning walk - Brighton Ont

Corner of 64 and Barcovan Beach Road

I took my Iphone with my Nike + sensor on our walk - We almost did 5km!!

Nike + statistics

Saturday afternoon we went to Knowledge & Needles for Lunch and some stitching.

Lunch was amazing as usual

Chicken Parm, Rice, Butternut squash, brocolli

Blackforest Cake

After lunch I did some shopping at the store.  I got some Carrie's Creations threads, some fabric, and some JBW Designs patterns.

After we got back to the Timberhouse, we stitched some more.  Saturday night again wasn't too late of a night.

Sunday mornings are always bittersweet since they are they day we have to come back to reality.  After breakfast we did more stitching and then people starting leaving.  My hubby picked me up around 1pm.

All in all it was a great weekend

OTHER UPDATES

I am in the middle of studying for my first CGA Exam.  It will take place on December 1st.  I am starting to get very nervous.

Last weekend I was feeling really crappy and didnt' get much studying done.  Hubby and I basically watched TV all weekend and I did get some stitching done.  Maybe it was what I needed...

At retreat I started one of the JBW mittens.  After I got the one done, I decided to do the next on the same piece of fabric with a different over-dyed thread.  Then kept going.  This is how is ended

JBW Designs

Red Mitten Collection I & II

1st Mitten - Weeks Dye works

other 3 Mittens - Carrie's creations

I also started and finished the French Country Snow Globe

JBW Designs

Frech Country ~ Snow Globe

Suggested Weeks Dye Works