It’s the very last day of May already… I guess I’ve been busy?
Anyway, it’s about time I wrote a blog post! It’s been six weeks 🙁
The first thing I do when I sit down with my computer is go through my pictures, and choose the ones I think are worth sharing. It seems like I took a lot of photographs so I hope you will like the ones I have chosen. I think I should split them into three sections.
Let’s start with the first one… the very beginning…. a very good place to start?
Number one: I have been making things.
Signing contracts is fun, but then the work begins. I signed a contract to teach on Galveston Island next February for two, two day wool appliqué classes, something different from my usual intro to wool appliqué class. No problem but now I need to provide pictures and supply lists and all that good stuff. I needed to stitch.
Here’s Let’s Fly. Three flying insects in one small wall hanging.
I have made stitching progress on a new All My Life’s a Circle piece. It’s not finished yet but I think you can get the idea?
There are lot’s of circles for students to add their favorite dimensional stitches to. Here are some looped bullion stitches set around a trellis stitch center.
I’m going to be supplying kits for those that want them. I think it’s going to be a great event. Registration has just opened for Appliqué Away at Galveston Bay. You can find out more by clicking on the link. Four days in a nice hotel down in Galveston sounds like fun to me!
I’ve been continuing to work on a few other new classes. Here’s what you need for the next one…
I am moving on from Dorset buttons and adding Shirtlace Buttons to my repertoire.
They are a bit more complicated than the Dorset buttons so I am making it a prerequisite for the class that students have some experience as buttoneers. As of today I still have room in my Dorset buttons class for CREATE DIY on June 10th (link here) and we added a second class of Shirtlace buttons at STITCHES Expo so there are some seats available here
I’m introducing another new class at STITCHES Expo in June!
Those are Dorset Feather Stitchery needle cases, inspired by a book from the 1950’s by Olivia Pass. I have had the stitching design printed onto Belgian linen and commissioned a new collection of hand dyed threads from House of Embroidery. I assembled a whole table full of kits!
The kits include the printed panel, threads, needles, wool felt and instructions to be able to finish the project. Students will learn chain stitch, buttonhole stitch and single and double feather stitching to complete their needle cases. It should be a good class.
I have a few other stitching projects underway but I have also been knitting! I like the way my pieces look when I have them stretched out to block.
This is a blanket made from baby alpaca yarn. It’s totally impractical as a baby blanket. It needs hand washing and laying flat to dry.
I made a rectangle lacy shawl with a skein of sock yarn.
And a triangular shawl with a lacy edge!
Number Two: Of course I have spent several hours in the Zoom room since I last wrote!
There was the beginner friendly Let’s Make a Quilt class for STITCHES at home. Participants came from across the US and all the way over the ocean from Holland.
I taught English Paper Piecing for Road at Home.
I also taught a Walking Foot Quilting class for Road.
Then there were multiple appearances at various guilds and a spot at the Global Quilt Connection All Star Sampler… lots of time sat in a not very comfy chair. After eight hours in one day it was time to go shopping?
I now have a very comfy chair! Thanks to Gayle at BERNINA of Naperville for having just the right chair in stock and to Chris for assembling it and putting in the back of my car to bring home 🙂
Number Three: We are all vaccinated! It’s been time to get together with the family.
Julia booked a family frog hunt outing at one of the forest preserves in Winnebago County.
Joanne brought her girls to join in the fun.
We had help from an experienced guide who caught the frogs.
She knew exactly how to handle the frogs so that everyone could get a close look.
I was happy to just take pictures!
A good day!
It was time to meet the youngest granddaughter. James and Sarah came to town. We made the most of the sunshine and went down to the Riverwalk.
Caroline, now six months, slept through it all!
She wasn’t asleep the whole visit. Christopher and Caroline spent some quality time with grandpa.
Can you cope with one more set of family pictures?
This last weekend we drove up to Wisconsin, to Joanne and John’s home in Waterloo.
A new toy had arrived and needed assembly. Matt took on the task with some help from Benjamin and Ruby.
Christopher and Emily decided they should help too!
With a maximum capacity of 700 lbs there was room for everyone to ride the new airplane teeter totter…
Oh! The turkeys wanted a closer look too…
John made an excellent lunch with lots of home grown ingredients. We went into the barn to visit the ducks and geese after we had all eaten…
Just time for some family group shots. Believe me, I took lots…
This is the best one of the six cousins (we were missing the Nashville Redford’s).
Adding in the parents didn’t really help much!
But you get the idea? It has been a long time since we got together all in one place. There was a lot of talk of the next time… plans are being made.
I slept most of the way home while Steve drove. Today I did go out for a three mile walk with a couple of friends but now it’s back to Columbo re-runs..
I have some other news to share so I will try not to leave it so long before my next post. As always there are no promises 💕
Happy Stitching 🧵🧵
