Delaware Retreat part 2

I'm all caught up with shipping and paperwork, so I can get back to sharing my adventures in Delaware.

While still at Winterthur, we also got to see an exhibit, The Diligent Stitch , where we were allowed to take photos, so below are some of the wonderful items on display.

What a special day!!!!!!!!!!!!

On Saturday, I met with the rest of the ladies who were taking the class .  They did the prestitching for this little stitch book  I designed for them, so after painting, waxing, distressing, and lining the little boxes during class, they were actually able to go home with a "finished project".

I thoroughly enjoyed everyone that came to class......they were all willing to jump in and get messy when they had to and hopefully were inspired to tackle other finishing on their own !!

Sunday, I taught my one and only "Teaching Piece" , The Unfinished Sampler, which is a reproduction that is only partially finished.  In class we discuss how it could be completed and I supply info on the history, symbolism and then offer charted motifs to use in the completion.  It's always interesting to me to see what people plan on doing to put their own twist on the completion.

Ruth and Stacy, working on assembly of the "Delaware House Stitch Book".

Debby, brought show and tell of some of her fabulous finished stitchery........

These pieces are all "Just Nan" .....absolutely gorgeous !!!

The rest are my designs....... I loved how she finished those little "kits" I offer each year.

This last one is a comparison of my model of "Scarlet's Summer Sampler" on the right on 36ct linen, and Debby's done on 40ct........the smaller version is just too sweet !!

All too soon the "fun" was over and I was heading back home to face all the work and projects needing my attention.......

Thank you again Stacy, for all the special treatment over the long weekend, I enjoyed every minute of it !

And to all of the Guild members I had the pleasure to meet, what a wonder group of women you all are.  I was honored to spend the weekend with you and get to know you all a bit!!

Hopefully, our paths will cross again soon!!

Still Obsessed !!!!! Delaware Retreat part 1

Yes, I'm still obsessed with "Jack's Bash" by Paulette Stewart/ Plum Street Samplers !!!!  But now I can show you my finished piece.....just put the last of the grass in this morning !!!

It was such a fun piece to stitch.......and I actually finished in in one season !!!!  Thanks again, Paulette, for a wonderful design!


Last week, I had the pleasure of teaching for a very talented group of women who make up the Delaware Valley Historic Sampler Guild .  I came in a day early and Stacy (far right in picture below) who organized the entire weekend, also arranged to go to the Winterthur Museum for a private tour of the drawers and cupboards that house their sampler and other stitchery collections.  No pictures are allowed, but just to be in the presence of all of these precious pieces was unbelievable !!!!!  We also got to tour the 7th floor which was the DuPont"s private quarters and also filled with more samplers, needle necessaries, and a wide array of other textiles.

This trip has been on my "bucket list" for years and was better than I could ever have imagined !!!!  Thank you again, Stacy, for making it possible !!

And as an added bonus, the Downton  Abbey Exhibit was going on in the Museum, so we took that in as well. 

The exhibit compared the daily life at "Downton Abbey" with the activities at Winterthur during the same time period, which proved to be remarkably similar.  The costumes are absolutely unbelievable.  We could get really close to each piece, and see all the beautiful details.  The attention to detail is amazing !!

Below are a few picture of the exhibit.

That's enough for today......I'll be back soon with the rest of the weekend.  Until then....Happy Turkey preparations !!!

Shepherds' Bush Retreat part 2

Here are the last of the pictures I took at the retreat......

These gals love to be teacher's pet and this year even made their own buttons, in case we wouldn't notice.  They always make me laugh !!!!

This is Saturday night's banquet.......a Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings.......

Somehow, I missed the picture of the main course.....too busy eating , I fear.......

Teri is always all smiles, all the time, no matter what craziness is going on behind the scenes !!!!

Everyone got special gifts at the end of the night......

which turned out to be specially designed kits from Tina and Teri......they're just beautiful !!

As usual, the week went WAY too fast and now I'm back in Wisconsin enjoying the last of our Fall color........

Continuing to stitch on Jack's Bash with my spooky cat mug
and replaying all the fun of the past week in my head.  Tina and Teri really are masters at putting on these retreats.....they think of every last detail that will insure you of a wonderful time and work tirelessly to make it all happen.  Thank you, thank you, thank you  !!!!!!

The "kids" did miss me, but after leaping on my lap every chance they got for  2 days, they reverted to their old habits and have settled in together , so I can get some work done !!!

That's all for now.......I've got to get busy getting kits ready for the Southern Delaware Historic Sampler Guild (hope I got the name correct).......I'll be teaching there in a couple of weeks.

Hope you've all found a wonderful Fall project to stitch on !!

Return from Park City

Hi All, I'm back from the fabulous Shepherds' Bush Retreat in Park City, UT, and of course wanted to share some of the fun we had.  Even though I took an extra day on either end, the time went way too fast (guess that's another sign of getting old, but let's not go there).


Our first stop of course was "The Shop" in Ogden...also known to many as "Stitcher's Mecca".

Unless you've experienced it in person, it's really hard to describe......the shop is sooooo full of goodies.....it's always hard to know where to look.  Every inch of wall space is literally covered with models......it's really unbelievable !!!  

I think you could spend days just looking at everything !!!

As you can see, it's a REALLY  fun place....at least Jeanette, Teri, and I think so.

This was my view of Paulette most of the week....besides being a wonderful designer, she's a professional photographer, at least in my mind !!  if you want to see really great retreat pics, check out her blog next week !!  I'm sure she'll have her "stuff" up by then.

After an afternoon of Oooohing and Aaaahing , we headed into the mountains to Park City.  Below are a few of the breathtaking views out our condo windows and balcony.

Jeanette (Jeanette Douglas Designs), Paulette (Plum Street Samplers), Pat Ryan and Ann Robbins (R&R Reproductions) and I shared a condo and spent many late nights and early mornings stitching and laughing together.  I loved every minute of it !!!

We couldn't wait to see each other's class pieces....so like little kids on Christmas morning, brought out our pieces, laid them out next to each other and "shreeked" because they all looked sooooo beautiful and really complimented each other.  You can't imagine how nerve wracking it is to not know what anyone else is designing until you get to the Retreat......

Here are the fabulous results !!!

First is Tina's for Shepherds' Bush................

Then Paulette's of Plum Street Sampling.......

Next is Jeanette's from Jeanette Douglas Designs.......

Then Pat and Ann's offering from R&R Reproductions.....

And finally, mine...........

The theme was "Over the River and Through the Woods" and Fall, and as you can see we all had very different interpretations........yet they all worked well together.

Cecile from JABCO also designed an adorable stuffed wool pumpkin with buttons of course, but I didn't get a chance to get a photo.

We all participated in making our own buttons under the watchful eyes of Cecil and Rachael on Friday night and I think I speak for all of us , when I say we have a new appreciation for that skill !!!!!

I've got a few more pictures to share, but my blog page is acting up and I'm afraid I'll lose what I've already done......so I'll try to be back with part 2 tomorrow.......stitch on something you love until then!!