challenges,summer and inspiration

the summer has slipped by and i have not posted once, the challenges this summer have been a bit overwhelming at times. 

i have been stitching but not as much as i thought i would. still working on my daughter's wedding sampler her first year just went by. i hope i will have it done by Christmas!

i am off to Salt Lake City, Utah in a week for a 3 day class with Catherine Theron with the Swan Sampler Guild. My first time taking a class with this guild so i will let ya know how it goes. looking forward to some time just stitching.

there are so many things i want to share i have taken a ton of pictures that i want to share and since i have so little of my own work done i hope these pictures give you inspiration.

enjoy the last of summer and be thankful that your family is safe and near.

 

i love this sampler so much happening and it was impossible to take a full shot of it the glare was just not letting it happen.

here is another view of the same sampler, love the basket.

so many things to look at and to get inspiration from.
i think its time to stitch a sampler with all the things i love on it, a map of my town, my house, my animals and the list goes on.
thanks for stopping by and for not giving up on me!

summer time

summer is here and sometimes fitting in a day of stitching gets harder. gardening takes top priority and then my hands start to look pretty bad and i hate to touch any of my projects.
i have been working pretty steady on my daughters wedding sampler, they just had there one year anniversary and i want it done soon.
it is on silk gauze 45 count and lets just say it is taking some time. i have redesigned it many times but finally i do love how it is turning out. i will post once it is done.

i had a great time at the North West Sampler Guild retreat this month and came away so inspired and amazed at what all of these beautiful woman create. above is just one of many incredible stitched pieces.

 another great piece

This was our amazing breathe taking view that we looked at during every meal.
NSG has the best retreats, this year and next will be held in Gold Bar, WA. come join us next year!

a great place to take walks in the wilderness.

Paper cutting

once again where has the friggin time gone
I did make it to an incredible exhibit at the Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle,WA. and loved it.
below i will share a few pics with you: enjoy

this was so incredible in person floor to ceiling all hand cut on paper!!!

then just a touch of color..

another incredible one
this exhibit runs till June 16 the woman who made all of these incredible magical pieces is Karen Bit Vejle she is a  Danish Norwegian artist.

Animals on Samplers

i spent a few days in Portland Oregon and visited a wonderful woman's house that had many incredible samplers. the stitch group i belong to Northwest Sampler Guilds arranged the fun get together.

i love this little stitched part of a sampler. trees are one of my favorite things but who doesn't love animals.

i decided this time just to take pictures of different motifs. it is so hard when you are standing in a room of fantastic samplers what to photograph or what to make notes on. i have tons of notes and photos of many samplers around the world and it is overload once you get home and try to sort thru them. i have been trying to make it easier on myself and easier to share.

i love these strange big nosed deer on Maria Bullard , her own little touch and it make it whimsical. something i think we sometimes forget when we are creating our own sampler designs.

a jumping bunny with cute little daisies.
of course i have many more to share and will be posting more soon.
enjoy your stitching and i hope life is peaceful and relaxed.
create something unique and whimsical. there are no mistakes when you create.

The Winner Is ... No April Fools Joke Here.

Gift box 1 - Faye

Gift box 2 - Peggy Lee - from S Central Kentucky

Please drop me an email at 1threadbrg@gmail.com with your address and I will get your goodies in the mail!
Thank you all for playing along.  I love giveaways and stop by again for another chance to win some goodies. Too much stash has to be shared!
Enjoy your Spring.

12 days left

time is ticking and i am ready to pick a winner for all the goodies i have posted on the past two blogs.
i will re post just to wet your appetite.
Gift Box One

this box of goodies will include 3 pieces of white, red and brown

silk fabric enough to finish a few small projects.  a chart called "the Cherry Blossom Sampler" designed by Nancy Sturgeon it comes with thread and silk gauze. A Charles Craft Home Dec Pillow Sham to stitch on 14 count." The Christian Proud 1844 Sampler" chart by Handwork Samplers and a cute chart called "Pumpkin Joe" by Mosey 'N Me.

 Gift Box Two:

this box of goodies has 6 issues of Fine Lines magazine tons of great charts and ideas in each, A chart designed by Nancy Sturgeon called "the Yellow Rose" Sampler which comes with thread and silk gauze, 2008 Schwenkfelder Days of Remembrance a great booklet published by "In the Company of Friends" with a ton of wonderful photographs, A Charles Craft Pillow Sham 14 count, A fun display booklet which has 20 clear storage pages. a chart called"Weeping Tree Sampler" by The City Stitcher and a chart by Margaret and Margaret Inc. "Mary Virginia Lafon Sampler circa 1821.
i can't wait to see who the winners will be
make sure you join my blog and leave a comment in order for your name to be entered in the drawing.

good luck and see you on April Fools day for a terrific fools day gift.

Enter To Win

i need to pick a date for all the goodies i am giving away. check out my last two blogs to see all the great things i am offering to a lucky follower of my blog.
silk,book, charts, kits and on and on.
i have decided that i will pick the winner on April 1st what better day than April Fools day.
i am still going thru my craft room and i might have a few more items to include in the giveaway so stay tuned.

i belong to the Northwest Sampler Guild in Seattle, WA. and the last Sunday in February they have an annual  tea. We have a speaker and classes the weekend before the Sunday tea.

This year we had Amy Mitten and if you don't know who she is be sure to Goggle her name and look at her amazing charts. i have bought one other kit from her many years ago when she designed a special sampler for our Guild's 10th anniversary (yet to be stitched) but this year she taught her "Mary Queen of Scots" Mystery Sampler and purse. I took the stitched purse (pictured above).

In person it is incredible.

I spent the weekend at my friends Beth's and Amy was staying with her.

We had a great time getting to know one another.

she is full of laughter and great fun.

She puts on an amazing class. 

Her classes and designs are centered around a Mystery, part History and part Fiction.

this one was, of course "Mary Queen of Scots" i loved it.

 She has class mates read out the story and then you learn the stitches and look at slides.

 If you ever get a chance to take a class by her you must.

she dyes her own thread and the colors are beautiful and the names unique!

i can't wait to get back to stitching on this.

i am now stitching and designing my daughters first wedding anniversary sampler.

i have to have it done by June 2 this year!

yikes

don't forget get a friend to sign up for the giveaway and you will be entered twice.

enjoy the sun if you can find it...

 stay tuned for April Fools Day!

Enter and "WIN"

part two of the "Spring Give Away"

i love magazines and my hubby and i subscribe to over 10. you would think i would remember that they will arrive in the mail but when i see them on the newsstand sometimes i can't help it and i have in the past bought them so needless to say i have a few doubles of some what i consider great magazines.
Included in this giveaway are  "6" "Fine Lines" Needlework magazine. for those of you who don't know this was a great magazine for many years and suddenly just went out of business. No notice, no sorry just gone.
i have Volume 2 Number 1997, Volume 2 number4 1998, Volume 4 number 4 2000, this one has a nice sampler designed by Kandace Thomas called "Bluebird Sampler" also a great article on Welsh Samplers by Mary Jenkins,Volume 6 Number1 2001, Volumn7 Number2 2002 and last Volume 6 number4 2002. i hope one or more of these might complete your collection of this magazine.

to add to the fun-
i have "2"  Nancy Sturgeon "Threads Through Time" charts. i love stitching these on silk gauze, they look wonderful on any count. each one has the threads you will need and one even has the silk gauze. wonderful miniature sampler charts with house,trees and alphabets, a pleasure to stitch.

yes more..


1 chart by "HandWork" a reproduction design "The Christian Proud 1844".

1 chart by "Margaret & Margaret inc. "Mary Virginia Lafon" Sampler circa 1821

1 chart by "Mosey'N Me" called "Pumpkin Joe"

this is not the end of what i want to give away, stay tune there are many more drawers, baskets and shelves to hunt through.
remember all you have to do is become a follower of my blog, leave a message and for a second chance to win this big giveaway get a friend to become a follower! the more the merrier as someone once said.
be sure to take a look at the last post to see the other great give aways include in this Spring fun.

Another Giveaway!! Yikes

before i get to the giveaway i wanted to share with you my finished little pattern booklet. this was taught by Vickie Lo Piccolo Jennett at Attic Needlework Sampler Symposium in January.

this is it in pieces but stitching completed. I did change the stitching added my initials and a few other motifs.

Ta-Da finished i love it the little patterns that open up as you untie the ribbon. it always feels great to finish a project. one down and umm hundreds to go
Now for my giveaway. i have been trying to create room in my craft room and in order to do this i need, i must get rid of patterns, material and many other items. i figure at 59 i will be lucky to finish even half of what i own. so it is time to share. all i ask of you is that you leave a comment and you must be a follower and if you find someone new to follow my blog you get a second entry.

this is the first batch of giveaways 3 different kinds of silk, red,white and brown all beautiful and enough to finish a stitched project or two. plus a Presentation Display book which my sister in England sent me many of these and i want to share them. it has 20 pages of protective sleeves to insert anything you wish. i was thinking of putting together a booklet of various stitches and ideas. also there is a Charles Craft Home Deco pillow sham 100% cotton and room to stitch on the front any design you like on 14 count. will fit a pillow of 16 by 16inches.

here is a beautiful little booklet ( that i found i have two of) of Schwenkfleder 2008 Days of Remembrance. it has tons of pictures of their needlework collection and it was put together by my friends Becky deVries-Wong and Julie Buck of
"In the Company of Friends"
and to follow are many charts stay tuned the list goes on.

Home from Arizona and The Sampler Symposium

i am a cold weather kinda girl. i love snow and i love rain so going to Arizona is not my idea of a vacation, yet i must admit i did enjoy this past weekend in Mesa, Arizona at The Sampler Symposium that Attic Needlework put on and the 70 degrees was perfect.
i arrived on Thursday around 7pm and checked into the Hyatt in Mesa what a great room, it overlooked a beautiful pool and had a great couch to sit and stitch on in the evening.
finally with my stitches out and my bandages off my left wrist i could reenter the stitching world!

our first class on Friday evening was taught byVickie of Needlework Press. it was a piece that had originally been presented in  the 2003 Summer issue of "Sampler and Antique Quarterly" Vickie LoPiccolo Jennett redesigned it especially for the Attic Sampler Symposium. i will post mine hopefully in a few days just a few more stitches and i will be finished.
it is a great little accordion small pattern book just like those in the case above.

Lorraine Mootz above traveled all the way from Celle,Germany to share her incredible knowledge of these little sampler booklets . did you know that most young stitchers back in the 1800's used the patterns from the Sajou booklets and you see them now on many antique samplers.that is why when you look at antique samplers today you see many of the same motifs. why reinvent the wheel as they say. if it fit they would stitch it or maybe if they liked the motif. Remember there was no inventing your own motifs as we do now with paper and pencil or on a computer.
Lorraine was such  fun if you haven't been at one of her lectures make it must on you list.
Lorraine brought along a few of her charted samplers and we were lucky to receive one of her charted antique samplers called Marquerite Dumas 1895 similiar to the one below.

these are two of Lorraine Mootz charted works that she shared.

she also has a book out called "Mestertucher" a must.

two more days to go stay tuned...

birth day post

I love Birth Days I woke up to this box all wrapped up from my hubby.... umm what is in it?

 all kinds of goodies and what a great sewing box

a little pin keep





and he also found some cute little kitty buttons













plus a beautiful silver teeny tiny chair to add to my chair collection

a great day
off to Attic Needlework in Mesa, Arizona for classes all weekend
i will take lots of pictures and share when i return
hopefully i will be able to stitch once i get my bandages off my hand tomorrow! wish me luck.





Happy 2013

i am in awe of people that can blog daily, weekly. How do you do it?
i feel bad that i haven't been attending to my blog lately. hopefully i can be a better blogger in the new year.
i have tons of projects that i want to get finished this year, ( as always) but at least i feel healthy and ready to get started. i am  excited to be going to Attic Needlework in Mesa, Arizona January 17-21 to attend some great classes. i love Attic Needlework, one of the best places to shop and learn.

i designed and made this for my daughter and her new husband for their first Christmas in their new house. the picture isn't that good but ya get the idea.
i used ribbon to make bushes out front and i strung beads to make a wreath on the door and  beads to look like lights looped up by the roof. i was happy to get it done in less than a week.
always a last minute girl i guess.

my good friend Becky of "In the Company of Friends" made this cute stocking ornament. so beautiful and so delicate i love it. thanks again dear friend.

just a start of a new project
i love when you start a project and the first few stitches seem so precise and perfect. now i have to decide what to add to this initial and how i will finish it stay tune...