John's FAVORITE Present !!!!!

There is no stitching involved, but for those of you who loved hubby, John's, "packing for Nashville" outfit.......... I had to share with you his favorite Xmas present this year.

We did a "White Elephant" gift exchange at brother Bill's on Christmas Eve, and John fought and finally won the panda ski mask.  Needless to say, he has been having a wonderful time with it ever since.  He wore it to all the other holiday stops we made for the next two days, and since we've gotten home, has been plowing snow, feeding the birds and terrorizing the cats as a giant panda.

Now, I'm waiting for a phone call from the sheriff, when he ventures out to the local gas station ......... believe me, it wouldn't be that far fetched!!


Meanwhile,after the "Panda trauma",  the babies have settled into their favorite present .............and seem quite content to stay the winter.  With temps at -11 this morning, I can't really blame them.......I just wish they were willing to share !!

Have a Happy New Year....stay warm and find some time to stitch !!

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!

Can't believe where the time has gone again.......it seems like I just finished cleaning up from Thanksgiving and if I blink, it will be Christmas !!!  Guess that's a true sign of getting old !!

Before John and I start our holiday travels, I just wanted to share a few sights of our season.

My dear friend, Jeanne and I, made our annual trek to Monches Farm to load up on our supply of fresh greens and boxwood wreaths ...........and other assorted goodies. 

It really puts us in the Christmas spirit !!!!

 Inside, the old farmhouse is jam packed with goodies!!

And this year we even got to hold Henrietta the chicken.  She loves people and actually snuggles into you when you pet her...just like a cat !!

This year my decorations are pretty simple.......I find I don't tire of them as fast that way , and I seem to find beauty in just a few individual pieces and some fresh greens.

Yesterday we started to get some serious snow.....it was very gentle, but continued on for most of the day and into the night.  I baked all day and enjoyed peeking out at the buildup of flakes.

The trees were all perfectly covered.....truly a winter wonderland !!

The "Babies" were pretty content to sleep away the day, with the occasional "glare" when I made too much baking noise !

This morning , the sun came out and the whole yard just "sparkled" !!!!

I've got to finish wrapping presents and get packed for our travels.......but before I go, John and I would like to wish you all a Blessed Holiday and a hope that you can spend it with someone you love !!

Show & Tell

I know that Halloween is over, but I just couldn't stop stitching , so before I haul out my Christmas projects to work on, I wanted to share my finished piece with you.

Oops......I forgot to rotate the picture...but you get the idea.  It's "Black'd Skie" from Primitive Needle.  I've been working on it for  several years ........and always with Lisa in my thoughts......she was such a sweet soul !!  It was such a fun piece to stitch and like I said, when it was time to put it away for another year, I had only one panel left to stitch, and just couldn't  stop.

Now, I've got to get the house in shape for Thanksgiving.  My brother and his family always come and since one of my nephews is a chef and my niece is a great baker, we all enjoy cooking together and since we're all "foodies" we  love to experiment with new concoctions.  They stay for the weekend, so we have lots of opportunities to "test" new recipes.

Here are my "helpers" fighting over the powder room sink !!

Have a wonderful holiday......I am most thankful for you all!!

Liberty Weekend !!

Just got back from teaching in Liberty, MO for Old Mill Stitchery and as usual I think everyone had a GREAT time !!!

It really is like coming home for me......there are so many loyal stitchers that come back again and again to take my classes at the Old Mill and I am forever grateful to you all !!!

Every year I try to come up with something a little different just to get them out of their comfort zone and each time, they seem willing to follow along and give the project a try.


This time we not only painted the book boxes but I had them do some stenciling and then we lined the inside as well........lots of painting and gluing for these stitcher ladies !!!!

They got very serious about fitting the journal paper for the lining of the book.

Here's a peek of the finished project from Friday's class.  I'ts called "Queen Bee Stitch Book" and will be released next year.

During "Show & Tell".......Shelly and Diane both showed off their finished "Seasons of Chessie" Club pieces and discovered they had mounted them in the opposite directions on their horn books.  Both looked great !!

The most amazing piece at "Show & Tell" was stitched and finished by Jeanie Bundy.........I believe it's another fabulous design from Sherri Jones of Patrick's Woods.

Saturday's project was the spring version of "Where Stitching Leads", Breath of Autumn", and Thoughts of Christmas" called "Hope of Spring".

Mary, Barb and Denise worked tirelessly (as usual) to make the whole weekend  very special and we shared many laughs and fun stories and ate WAY too much good food !!!

Now I'm back home staring at the cats and wishing we were still all together..........there's nothing that renews my soul, like spending time with my stitching "friends"........and if you've never taken a class or stitch retreat, I highly recommend it........it's just so rewarding to be in the company of people who understand your passion for stitching !!!!

May you all continue to find time to take a stitch each day !

Return from Ocean City

WHEW !!!!  What a whirlwind weekend !!

I'm back from teaching for Sally and Sara at Salty Yarns in Ocean City, MD and as expected it was a crazy, wonderful experience!!

The weather was one of the stars of the show.  Unlike the last time I was there, a small Nor'easter  decided to give us all a run for our money....crazy wind, rain, and waves!  Very exciting !!!

The pictures really don't do it justice .......I nearly blew away trying to take a few outside pics........this was Friday AM.

The much anticipated stitching time on the front porch never did happen............

but by Saturday and Sunday, people did appear on the boardwalk.......we even got to see a little kite sailing on the beach and a few brave soles were kite boarding in the ocean.

Thankfully , stitchers don't get too excited about bad weather.......so as long as we were all together....we were just fine!!!!


Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of classes or class projects........way too busy having fun !!!     One of the gals in class brought in an old, old piece of mine (Pumpkin Hill) that she had done on 40ct and made into a tiny pinkeep....adorable!!

Most of the ladies, when not in class, were scattered around the fabulous big old hotel lobby........stitching, eating, visiting, laughing, and just generally enjoying time with each other!!

Many brought and shared projects they're working on and the level of the stitching was unbelievable !

Sara and Mary, two of our hosts worked tirelessly the entire weekend to keep things running smoothly. Sally disappears every time a camera comes out.........but her stories are not to be missed.  I always find myself staying up late every night, so that I don't miss any of them!!

Lauren (Forget Me Not In Stitches) shares a new design.

Patty (Sam Sarah) and I enjoyed spending a little down time together.

The whole weekend went way too fast.......but I thoroughly enjoyed every minute .  There is such satisfaction in spending time in this magical old hotel with people who share a passion for stitching.

Thank you all for another wonderful Jamboree

The Cat Ate my homework???

Can you believe it.......I was ready to put together my new little design for the Old Mill Stitchery weekend (Oct 25 -27) and I couldn't find the stitched pieces.
After much searching, I was able to locate 2 of them, but the inner lid panel is no where in sight.......and little Miss Chessa's not talking !!!!  In fact she seems rather put out that I found the other two pieces.

So, while I'm restitching, I'll give you a peek of what's left of the Friday night project........

Hope to see you there..................

Happy Fall !!!!

Another Sneak Peek !!!!

Gosh, I thought I had sooooooo much time until I started traveling to my October teaching assignments, but actually they are just around the corner !!!

October 11th-13th 2013, I'll be in Ocean City,Md at Salty Yarns, and that piece is actually done and framed....YEA !!!!!

Since I'm a fall lover, I couldn't resist doing a little Halloween piece........it's called "Tombstone Mansion".

Can't wait to get to the big old front porch of the hotel, put my butt in a rocking chair and stitch as I'm looking out at the ocean....it just doesn't get any better than that !!!


Yesterday, I finished the main piece for my annual trek to Old Mill Stitchery in Liberty, Mo.  I'll be there October 25th-27th, 2013........we're hoping some of Chessie's Club members will be able to join us there.......it's always a fun weekend !!  Mary and Barb manage to come up with new ideas every year, and I really look forward to seeing everyone and just enjoying time spent with "Stitching Peeps" !!!  (wow, it's soooooo nice to NOT have to explain why I'm obsessed with linen and thread and samplers)

Below are a couple of peeks at "Hope of Spring"   which is one of the pieces for the Liberty Retreat............

There will be another piece as well.......but it's still in the works !!

We're finally getting some "Fall" weather and as usual the babies are taking full advantage of it .......it's cuddle time again!!

Have a great day........hope it include stitching , cuddling or both !!