Inspired News

And A Forest Grew!

2012-01-21T22:37:00.005-06:00

I have the most talented customers! Look what Pat brought in to show me today!! Unbelievable. This is "And A Forest Grew" designed by Rosewood Manor. It is stitched on 28 count Cashel and stitched over one linen thread. Totally incredible.

She still has a bit more stitching to do (and remove her basting threads), but wowie, this is gorgeous! Look at the fox and the little robins.

How about that deer?

Those trees!

The mama bird feeding her babies in the lower left and then toward the top, the owl in the tree.

The serpent in the tree of life.

Those little bunnies!

I love this design - always have. I love it even more now that I've seen it stitched over one!!! I think there is something to be said for over one stitching. The smallest of details really pop out. Thanks, Pat, for letting me showcase your masterpiece on my blog!

An American Girl Christmas & Customer Finishes

2012-01-11T22:04:00.012-06:00

The twins were here right after Christmas and we had action-packed days for their entire stay. My cousins were also in from Kentucky, so we were able to have a traditional Christmas Eve, albeit several days after Christmas. It's always nice to carry on the family traditions. The day after my cousin Robin's arrival, my sister, Robin and I set about to make pierogi, which is a staple of our Christmas Eve feast.

One of the highlights of the twins visit was a trip downtown to the American Girl store. Angie and I had been together last year, but Robin and her daughter (one year older than Angie) had never been. Sometimes it's best not to let little girls know about these stores! We toured the two-story, little girl's dream shop and then headed over to the American Girl Cafe for our luncheon reservation. Here are the girls deciding what to choose for lunch. Take notice that the dolls get to join us for the luncheon!

Both girls selected the Picnic lunch with mini hotdog, mini hamburger, macaroni and cheese and fruit skewer. Yum! It was a very fun afternoon, one I'm sure the girls will not forget anytime soon!

Marilyn stopped by recently to show me some of her Jane Greenoff finishes. Marilyn is a stitching machine! She not only stitches so quickly, she finishes them all herself, too. Here are Butterfly Needleroll on the left and Flowery Mead Band Sampler on the right.

Next up is Silk Flowers Needle Tidy. It's so amazing, with sections inside for your needles, 22, 24, 26, 28 and a beautiful pincushion in the center. Tied up with a drawstring, even the back is magnificent!

Here's a pic of BBD Morning Star that I stitched for a shop model.

No stitching tonight for me but here was my progress on the 40 count Morning Star as of last night.

Hope to make some x's on the French Vanilla tomorrow evening! Wish me luck.

Christmas, Etc.

2012-01-08T23:43:00.008-06:00

Hi friends, thanks for stopping by! I wanted to catch up and give you an update of things that have been happening in my life. Christmas happened since my last post and I'd like to share some of the gifts I received. My very generous DH showered me with Vera Bradley this year! I received not one, but two new handbags. I love, love, love both patterns. Quick story....I had purchased some Vera Bradley gifts for friends and employees, several of which were in the Suzani pattern. Also, my friend Teresa has a Suzani patterned bag. The more I saw the pattern, the more I liked it. I just happened to mention casually (really! I wasn't hinting!) that the Suzani pattern was growing on me. Well, what a guy! He bought me the chain bag, wallet and loop keychain in the Suzani pattern.

He also picked up the handbag in the Night & Day pattern, another simple, yet elegant look.

My sister gifted me with several things but most special of all was this round beauty. This is from the sister that as of three years ago, did not even stitch! Nancy did such a fab job of stitching and finishing this box all by herself!

I did a bit of stitching myself for an ornament exchange. This is the ornament I gave. Here's the front:

And the back. I was able to personalize for Patti since it wasn't actually ready for the day of the exchange. The gals let me participate even though my ornie wasn't finished. It took about another week to finish the stitching and get it assembled. This is called "Peace on Earth" by Victoria Sampler. You will find this adorable ornament in this year's issue of JCS Ornament magazine.

Here is the ornament I received from Brenda. It's designed by Linda's Designs, distributed by Victoria Sampler, called "Biscornuments." I love these tiny beauties! They are so petite and delicate. I have been wanting to stitch one of these ever since I saw the pattern book. I was so thrilled to get this one in the exchange, stitched and finished expertly by Brenda! I will have to make up a few of these. My tree would look great with a handful of biscornuments hanging on it!

Lastly, I'm teaching a box finishing class next month. We are doing the Blackbird Designs "Morning Star" box. We will paint and sand the box and then mount our finished needlework on the box top. Publishing a date meant that I had to get cracking on the design! Yikes. Here is my progress from earlier today. It is going much more quickly than I anticipated. This is done on R&R 40 count French Vanilla. Stay tuned for an update within the next few days.

I do hope you all are finding time to put needle to fabric!

A Stitching Evening of Surprises

2011-12-21T22:00:00.005-06:00

This past Saturday evening, I got together with a group of stitchers for a festive holiday party. I had to work at the shop that day so I was the last one to arrive. As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with package after package of lovely stitchy surprises!

You will see l to r (top row), a beautiful, quilted candle mat with candle, a stitched and beaded scissor fob with my initial and l to r (bottom row), homemade crackers and holiday music, a perfectly stitched and finished floral ornament and a handmade needle minder.

But wait, that's not all! L to r (top row), the ornament I received in the exchange, a Victoria Sampler "Biscornument", a cute, little snowman plaque, l to r (bottom row) Candy Apple hand soap with decorative snow scene cover and lotion (the Santa in the picture is mine used as a prop, a lovely, golden reindeer ornament and a decorative hand towel and Very Bradley mints!

Am I lucky, or what? I won't mention what I gave because it pales in comparison to all the awesome gifts I received. These gals have really raised the bar! My mind has been reeling as to what I can do for next year. There are 10 in the group, so if it will be handmade, I need to get started NOW!

My dear friends, if you are reading this post, thank you again from the bottom of my heart for gifting me with such wonderful presents. You sure know how to make a gal feel special!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Quick Trip East

2011-12-13T23:11:00.010-06:00

While at the retreat in Shipshewana this past October, I ordered an item from Yoder's Hardware store. I was waiting and waiting for it to come in. I had hoped it would come in during November because I wanted to meet a friend of mine who would just happen to be out in Shipshe on a Quilt Retreat around Thanksgiving. Well, they called last week to tell me that my item was now in stock. It was a large item and I knew it would be cheaper to drive and pick it up then to have it shipped to me. Two weeks before Christmas was not the optimal time to make a quick trip to Shipshewana, but if I didn't go on my day off this week, it would be at least a month before I had an opportunity to get out there.

The drive was pleasant, the temperatures, mild and I was able to stop at the Blue Gate and "Christmas store" to check out what was new. Here are some pictures right before evening set in.

I picked up what I ordered at Yoder's and after quickly making a few purchases of Christmas gifts, I set out for home. I wish I had more time to stay and take in all the lovely, twinkling lights, but that will be for another day.

I was able to snap a quick shot of Rob, the UPS guy that brings all the wonderful, stitchy designs to the shop.

Jill brought in some finished Ink Circles designs a few weeks ago that she will be giving as gifts this Christmas.

Marilyn also stopped by with some finishes of her own. My goodness......so many samplers, so little time!

I hope to bring you some more updates of customer framing and/or stitching projects within the next week. Thanks for stopping by!

Truly Thankful

2011-11-22T09:05:00.008-06:00

I've been fighting a reaction of my body to sugars I eat, whether in sweets or carbs which covert to sugar. The condition is known as candidiasis where the "bad" bacteria feed on the sugars I intake and then overrun the good, beneficial bacteria. It is a hard one to knock out and the steps you need to take are drastic. The first recommended step to rid your body of these nasty bacteria is to do a cleanse. For seven days, you go on a liquid fast, drinking several concoctions meant to flush your system. I decided to go for it since I couldn't continue on as I was. I'm telling you, I was so hungry by the end of the afternoon that I caved! How do people do fasts, let alone for seven days?! I didn't eat much and it was certainly on the list of "allowed" foods, but still, it was food!

This was perhaps a reminder of how fortunate I am to live in this country. I am truly thankful for food. I am thankful I can look into my stocked cupboards and refrigerator and find many things that I can throw together for a meal. I am even more thankful that when the cupboards are bare, I can just drive to the store and buy more food. There are so many other countries where food is a luxury and here in the Western world, we don't even give food a second thought because it is so plentiful.

Definitely food for thought! What makes you truly thankful?

Framing and Finishing

2011-11-21T18:23:00.008-06:00

My customers are quite prolific stitchers. I wish I could stitch half as fast as some of them. I thought I'd show you what they have been up to the last few months. I've had the privilege to frame these beauties you see here.

First up is Linda's All Hallow's Eve. This is a design by Chessie & Me and was framed in a Maryland Hornbook Frame by Pricilla's Pocket. Linda stitched the design in the recommended Belle Soie silks on Meadow Rue by Lakeside Linens.

Then we have a design from the Blackbird's Designs Loose Feathers: Summer leaflet. Terry stitched this with the recommended silks and we chose a frame from Larson Juhl.

Terry also stitched "Think Winter" by Lizzie Kate. It's adorable with the little birdie and JabCo buttons. This is also a custom frame from Larson Juhl.

Marilyn does all her own finishing. It doesn't matter if it's a bellpull, an ornament, a shaker box....she does it all wonderfully. She loves to stitch Victoria Sampler designs and here is "Biscornuments."

Linda stitched "Get Scared" by Shepherd's Bush and then I laced it and put it in the decorative round box. Linda has a collection now of little round designs that she can pop in and out of the pretty black and ivory boxes that Shepherd's Bush loves to use.

This is just a sampling of what's come through the shop in the last few weeks. Stay tuned because I have lots more to show you!

Celebration Midwest Part II

2011-11-14T21:34:00.018-06:00

Similar to the needlework market, the vendors that attended the Celebration of Needlework show displayed banners over the railings inside the Embassy Suites hotel in St. Charles, MO. Here you can see a couple of them.

My neighbor on the one side was Kathy from Kay's Frames and on the other side of her (they had adjoining rooms) was Marj from Hinzeit. Of course, they are friends and you will see all of Hinzeit's designs in frames from Kay's Frames. Check out some of the Halloween designs and don't miss the skeleton on Last Stitch Cemetery!

Down the hall, in one of the corner rooms, was Rosewood Manor. Here is the designer, Karen (on the left) and her assistant, Lisa.

Don't you just love Barnwood Buttons?

The window cornice was the perfect place to hang her stockings!

Next up is Jeannette Douglas. Here she is standing in front of her designs. The nine small, framed designs on the wall are what I call her One, Two Three series. The official name of the series is Garden Secrets. In the display you will find One Key, Two Tulips, Three Bees, One Bird, etc. They look great framed as shown, or you could choose 4 of your favorites and stitch them over 1 to fit into a special little frame we have available.

Next is a not-so-great photo of My Story. Trust me, the design is exquisite!

And lastly, My Storybook. Jeannette stitched little motifs that represented her life on this design to add special meaning. It truly is a storybook of life. These designs continue to be popular sellers. They each have threadpacks which contain all the silks needed to stitch the design and My Storybook also has a separate charm pack. If you'd like to order either one, just send me an email!

I wish I had more photos to show you. There was an entire floor of vendors at this festival. It was stitcher's heaven! Please plan on attending next year at the same hotel. The dates are September 19-22, 2012. Call the hotel and make your reservation 636-946-5544. Mention that you're attending the Celebration of Needlework festival to get the special rate. Then, watch the Celebration website for registration details for 2012. Pass the word onto your friends!

Thanks for stopping by!

Celebration Midwest

2011-11-06T23:14:00.007-06:00

I am seriously overdue for a post about the St. Charles, MO Celebration of Needlework Show. This was a 3-day needlework festival which was held back in September. There were approximately 28 vendors and we filled one entire floor of the Embassy Suites hotel in St. Charles, MO. It was such fun walking the floor each day to look in the windows of the different rooms and see how each room was set up. Here is my room....sorry about the yellow cast to the photos. The lighting was terrible and I forgot to bring my camera (!) and had to borrow someone's to get some pictures.

This is a shot of the Sam Sarah (on the left), Cherrywood Designs (middle) and Dames of the Needle (right) trunk shows. If you need to know the name of a design, just shoot me an email.

Heartstring Samplery on this wall with 2 Cherrywood (far right) and a Prairie Schooler July.

The windows you see on the right of the photo are the windows in front of each suite. If the occupants open the draperies, people walking the halls outside the rooms can look in and see what is on display. Most vendors decorated their windows or featured some special items in the window.

This is a view in the room from the front door. Spinner rack filled with gadgets on the left, chart rack in the center of the room. We tried to utilize every piece of furniture and maximize every inch of space.

This is a shot from the back of the suite looking out toward the front of the room (and that front window).

The little kitchenette made a great display area for the Sweetheart Tree models.

Another shot looking toward the front of the suite. This time you can see the door to the room on your right (which is propped open).

Celebration of Needlework Midwest will be back at the same hotel next September. I'll post show details as soon as I know them. Make plans to attend! I can't tell you how many emails I've received from people that were at the show telling me what a great time they had and asking me to come back next year. Every booth was amazing! With the exception of the 4 corner suites, each room was identical. What I found so thrilling was to see each room set up entirely differently! Of course, the excitement for all stitchers was to see so much needlework stuff all in one location!

My next post will be of some of the other vendor's rooms and their models!

Thanks for stopping by!

We Have Winners!

2011-09-06T11:59:00.004-05:00

Using a random number generator, the following names have won the Penny America charts.

Catherine
Cath
AveryClaire

AveryClaire, please contact me since I don't have an email address for you. Congratulations! Thanks to everyone that commented and took a chance!

Cathy

Prominent, Pleasing Penny

2011-09-02T21:08:00.003-05:00

Penny America, that is. This is one of my very favorite charts to come out of the most recent needlework Market. Designed by Tree of Life Samplings, I loved it the minute I saw it.

I am a patriot and this design combined a love of country with the down-homey life of yesteryear. As a matter of fact, I pre-ordered this chart for the shop and when I saw it hit the distributor list, I ordered it AGAIN. That's how much I love this design! I know many of you are already stitching this design, but we also have some awesome fabric I'd like to show you if you haven't already settled on a linen or evenweave.

To celebrate the upcoming holiday, I am going to give away three of the plentiful Penny America charts. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post. The deadline is midnight Monday night.

Tuesday morning when I get to the shop, I'll take three random comments and post the names of the winners. Please leave an email address so I know how to contact you. I will ship anywhere, so you all have a chance to win.

Have a grand weekend! Happy Labor Day! May your needle be inspired and filled with many restful hours of stitching!

Cathy

Market Mania

2011-08-14T19:31:00.014-05:00

Hi all, today was the last day of the TNNA Needlework Market and it was a FABULOUS day! We finished up the shopping and got all our goodies safely tucked away in our room. Then....I went back to a few designers rooms to snap some photos to show you all. These are definitely some favorites. **Warning: Very picture intense!

Breath of Autumn by Chessie & Me

All Hallow's Eve by Chessie & Me

Emma Rose Freedom by Tree of Life Samplings

You may remember this piece released last Market.
Emma Rose Friendship by Tree of Life Samplings.

Penny America by Tree of Life Samplings

Harriet Redfearn 1830 by Queenstown Sampler Designs

Harvest Sampler by Heartstring Samplery

A Spooky Spot of Halloween by Midnight Stitching

Stitch An Inch by By The Bay Needleart

Then, due to some customer emails looking to know what Blackbird Designs were released, I went up to their room. Here are the photos of the models. Some are from the new charts and some models are from the Spencer Museum book.

And then, the best thing of all......I went into Summer House Stitche Workes booth yesterday to see what new things Beth had. She was running a promotion for her new design, "Autumn Garden". With your purchase, your name went into a drawing to win her stitched model. I filled out the slip and added my phone number, email address and even my hotel room number so that Beth would be sure to contact me when I won the drawing. I popped into her room periodically during the weekend to check on my model and to make sure it was doing well and we would just laugh over my silliness. Well, imagine my surprise when my cohort Debbie came to find me to let me know that I had won the drawing!!!! I was flabbergasted and thrilled at the same time. Woohoo! Thanks, Beth, I love, love, love the design and know it will be a fantastic seller in the shop!!!

This is Beth and I with the framed model. Beth is just the sweetest gal. I hope she sells a million copies of this pattern!

Thanks, everyone, for bearing with the LONG post. Hope you saw some things you liked.

Birthday Fun

2011-08-09T22:12:00.007-05:00

This past Sunday was a stitch-in at the shop. The "girls" surprised me with a lovely card and a gift certificate to Vera Bradley. Yippee!!! I get to go shopping again. I think I will be in the market for a new "Fall" bag, so I hope to find one within the next few weeks. Thanks, my friends, you are the inspiration to my needle!

Even though today is the actual birthday, I had to work all day so my husband took me out for dinner yesterday at Wildfire in Oak Brook. I ordered the Prime Rib. Yummy! They also had an excellent Shrimp Lobster Bisque. After dinner, we split a small half-slice of cheesecake. What was I thinking not bringing my camera??! The cheesecake had a veil of raspberry sauce and a smattering of fresh berries. Delish!

Today at the shop I was kept pretty busy so the day went by very quickly. When I finally got home, this is the sight that greeted me.

That husband of mine is a keeper! Too cute. Then the next sight was this.

Inside the packages were some silly things like mints and gum (that I love), a new mouse for my laptop, a hands-free holder for my phone while in the car and a new Cuisinart blender/chopper. Now before you get too worked up over the fact that my DH gave me a practical gift for my birthday, I need to let you know that he did not want to get me the Cuisinart. I begged him for it. He wanted to get me jewelry or something equally wonderful, but I really, really wanted the new chopper! It is now washed and waiting for our next meal. Here is a stock photo.

My DH also got this cute, little New York Cheesecake. It was quite yummy. I'll have to remember this tiny cake the next time I have a craving for just a small slice.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes today. It was a very fun day!

Cathy

A Folkloric Kind of Day

2011-07-03T21:55:00.004-05:00

Today was a fabulous day! First of all, we went to church and then afterward, my DH and I drove out to Geneva, IL and had lunch at Country House. Awesome burgers, if you ever get the chance. Then, we followed the explosion of cars over to the Chicago Premium Outlet mall in Aurora, IL. This must have been the choice of thousands of people today. We had to park in the overflow area; right up the curb and on the grass. Holy cow, I've never seen anything like it! What recession??? People were walking around with not just one or two bags, but ARMLOADS of packages! The line for Coach was at least 30 people long (all day long, each time we walked past the store), just to walk in the door. I think they were passing out 1/2 off coupons or something! My sole purpose for going to this outlet mall was because I was given a Vera Bradley gift card at Christmas and was wanting a new, summer bag. Can you believe I held off this long? I have plenty of Vera purses but my summer Vera was tired and worn. Something colorful that shouted "summer" was what I wanted. What do you think of my choice?? I also picked up a matching wallet and lunch bag so I can look very pulled together when I go to the shop. LOL!

I've also been doing a bit of customer framing lately. Here are the cutest little hedgehogs that Jenny has stitched. We are framing them separately and she will figure out some wall arrangement as soon as they are ready.

Next is the continuation of the Drawn Thread checkbook cover designs that Barb is stitching. Barb chose to frame them rather than make a cover. I lace them up and then Barb is able to pop them in and out of a single frame.

Lastly, Linda has stitched Shepherd's Bush "Come Home" and I laced the design and popped it into the Round Ivory Treasure Box. She also had stitched "Hold Hope" and now she is able to switch out the two designs whenever she feels the need.

I came across this piece I stitched several years ago. It's a freebie design by Blackbird Designs called "Tulip Manor." I changed it up a bit to personalize it for my husband and I. Now to just order the frame, lace it and get it hung in our house!

I'm teaching a specialty stitch class on Friday so I had better get stitching on my model design. I'll post a picture next time and let you know how the class turned out!

Happy Fourth!!

Cathy

La-D-Da Is In the House

2011-05-19T21:32:00.007-05:00

I thought I would put up some pictures of the La-D-Da trunk show models that are on display at the shop. Each one is beautiful and unique. You really have to study them up close. Once you do, all you'll want to do is go home and stitch! Take a look; if you're in the neighborhood, please stop by. The models will be on display through the end of May.

Briar Rabbit:

Bubble Gum:

Bushel & Peck:

Christmas Blessings:

Down By The Bay:

Falling Star:

Give Her:

Like Home:

Live Laugh Love:

My Pocket:

My Sunshine: (pardon the glare from the glass-this belongs to a customer)

Quaker Alphabet:

Quaker Alphabet stitched by a customer:

Something Wicked:

Totin Hare:

Yellow Bird:

I'll try to have a few more photos of La-D-Da customer finishes in my next post. The Tuesday night group has been busy!

Celebration of Needlework in Nashua, NH

2011-05-11T23:42:00.004-05:00

It was a two and one half day stitching extravaganza that flew by in what felt like minutes. Getting ready to go was a feat in itself, spending days upon days packing and figuring out what items to bring. My friends thought I was closing up the shop...for good! The shelves and walls were stripped bare all to give the folks at Celebration a taste of what Inspired Needle is all about! Here are my two cohorts when they were still my friends, before they found out how really hard it is to load and unload the van and set up the booth for the show!

This year driving to New Hampshire, we decided we were going to switch drivers every two hours. What a difference that made in being able to get out of the van and stretch a little. We found this little pull-off along I-80 somewhere in Pennsylvania, I believe. The pictures I shot are not-so-hot, but the view was breathtaking!

And we can't forget the shot of the van which is filled to the ceiling! We rented a 15-passenger van, so you can imagine how much stitchy goodness we had crammed into there!

We set out driving on Tuesday morning around 7:45 a.m. We stopped for lunch along I-80 and had dinner in DuBois, PA. We stopped for the night around 9:00 p.m. in Wilkes-Barre, PA. Wednesday morning, we headed out again, arriving in Nashua about 3 p.m. We unloaded the van and put up the walls, lights and tulle in our booth. That took about 4 hours, sweating and suffering in the heat. There was no a/c in the ballroom since the unloading doors were propped open. Needless to say, we all needed showers when we were finished!

Thursday morning we were up early again to eat breakfast and get down to the ballroom to start the task of setting up the booth. We hung stitched model after stitched model and really filled the booth! We even had lots of extra models that we had to hide under the tables because we just didn't have enough room to hang them. I think we finally finished setting up around 7 p.m. and we went out for a nice steak dinner to celebrate!

^if you enlarge the photo, you will see a table with a black & white skirt to the right. That is Judy Whitman's booth; she was located directly behind us.

There has been a lot of chatter about my booth at Celebrations and I'm just tickled that you liked it! Thank you so much for letting me know...it helps to know if we're on target. Plus, the girls will love to hear that their hard work was appreciated!

Debbie came to see me at the shop last Saturday and Pam showed up for work yesterday, so I guess they are still my friends! I am so blessed to have two friends who will work their fingers to the bone to help me! We do have a great time at the show and it is so much fun to see the same faces from last year along with new ones. We hope some of you will be able to join us in St. Charles, MO, for Celebration of Needlework Midwest. It is sure to be as great a time! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, please send me an email and I'll be sure to clue you in.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I love to hear your comments!

Cuyahoga, dude.

2011-04-17T00:15:00.008-05:00

Every since I heard of The Embroiderer's Guild of America (EGA) Great Lakes Regional Seminar to be held in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, I couldn't help but think of Bart Simpson. Funny how I could remember a silly catch phrase from a tv cartoon I rarely watched.

I had received an offer to attend Merchandise Night for the Regional Seminar and considered the logistics. This is an event where many vendors, be it EGA teachers, retail vendors or EGA Chapters rent table space to set out their wares to dazzle the EGA stitchers attending the Seminar. Think of it as a giant stitching boutique with multiple vendors. It was a 6-1/2 hour drive and the event would only last for two hours. Was it worth it? That was anyone's guess, but it would get Inspired Needle's name out there. I was willing to give it a shot.

My husband agreed to be my "muscle" packing/unpacking and hauling boxes. He also assisted in the sale booth as the numbers guy, totaling sales receipts for us. My friend Kathy was present in the hotel to attend the Seminar and she offered to help us in the booth. Here's a picture of myself and Kathy, just prior to the start of the event:

The EGA Seminar was held at the Sheraton Suites in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. This was a five-star, beautiful hotel that catered to the guest's every whim.

We arrived shortly before 5pm, located our tables and began to unload the van. I can't believe the stitching items I was able to pack into the van! After all, I had only rented three tables so it's not like we're talking square footage here! Within the hour, we had set up the display and were waiting for the EGA members to finish with their dinner and the evening to begin.

Here are the EGA stitchers, tummies full, eager to see what exciting goodies the vendors have brought.

The only downside to the Merchandise Night was that as the sun descended, the hall became dim. It was perfect setting for a wedding, but not the best lighting to look at needlework patterns, threads and fabric! We did have a blast, though. I ran into stitcher friends that I hadn't seen for years and met many interesting stitchers. Two ladies, later that week on their way home from Seminar, even took a slight detour to visit my shop!

I miss the excitement and comaraderie of Seminar. EGA is the reason I opened my shop; to help stitchers gain access to the different types of materials (and not locally available) used in increasing their stitching techniques and skill set. Seminar is a four day stitching extravaganza where you take classes and form life-long friendships with other members. It's difficult to get away for four to six days when you run a business, but maybe I'll have to start looking for ways to make it happen in the future!

What's My Zip Code?

2011-03-24T20:37:00.006-05:00

Whew, what a whirlwind week! You might have read of last week's visit from Stitchin' Rock Star Joan Seidel. Well, this past Tuesday I was astounded by another famous visitor. I had to double-check my zip code because with all the celebrities popping in the shop, I was thinking it was 90212! Where do all the celebs go when they want to be seen? I may need to get a red carpet in front of the shop soon!! LOL

I was minding my own business, taking care of shop paperwork & ordering when a customer walked in the front door. I greeted her and left her to her own meanderings. She was there with husband in tow which made me think that they were out enjoying some of the small town atmosphere of Lemont. A lot of times couples will stroll into the shop simply because they want to find out what it is that the store sells.

Shortly after arriving, my customer informed me that she heard of my shop through the blogs and had read of Joan's visit. My customer, Melody, traveled all the way from the Quad-Cities area to visit my shop! Best of all, her dear husband volunteered to drive her to Lemont on his day off! You gotta love a guy like that! Unfortunately, I left my camera at my MILs house so AGAIN I had no camera! Waaaahhh! I apologize in advance for the horrible picture quality but I had to use my phone! Here's Melody and her husband Mike.

We swapped stories back and forth and I also discovered that Melody has a blog. Melody is new to the blog world so swing by and check it out. She loves to stitch Prairie Schooler, Little House Needleworks and Blackbird Designs! She also shows a finish of a Marjolein Bastin piece that is just amazing! I see that this traveling duo have just returned home from a week long trip to the Southeastern States. Do they get around, or what???

Many thanks, Mike and Melody, for driving out to my shop. I enjoyed our visit; I hope you had a good lunch? I know we will run into one another again in cyberspace or perhaps in Lemont one day in the future?!

Stitchin' Rock Star in the House!

2011-03-16T22:24:00.018-05:00

The other afternoon I was tidying up the bathroom after our open stitch Tuesday evening and I didn't hear the customer walk in the shop. I left the customer alone to finish browsing and after a few minutes we struck up a conversation. I understood that she had heard of my shop from a friend and was interested in learning about a retreat. We talked about that a bit, then the topic turned to Blackbird Designs and their stitching retreats. I told her how some of my friends went to several of the Blackbird retreats and how just last week there was a frenzy in the shop over the little wooden boxes that Karin picked up at Hobby Lobby and the Kelmscott thread keeps that they were choosing to put inside said boxes. Laura has written quite the post about that night.

These boxes were featured in the new "A Stitcher's Journey" book that was recently released at the Nashville Needlework Market. Anyway, I don't want to get off on a bunny trail here....so back to my story. This customer was talking about Alma and Barb and had been to several of their retreats last year and did she say she stitched for them? I had to ask, "Did I hear you say you stitched models for Blackbird?" "Yes", she replied. How awesome! We chatted about that and I went and grabbed the book and we flipped through the pages and she pointed out which pieces she received at which retreat (I told you she attended several!) and then she showed me the piece which she model stitched for Alma.....which was the exact design that Karin had just brought to me last night to be framed!! Holy cow!! Do things come full-circle or what??!!

Yes, Stitchin' Rock Star Joan Seidel was at my shop. I am so glad she told me about the model stitching otherwise I might never have known. She also mentioned that she blogs and I made sure I brought it up on the computer before she left.

Here is a picture of Joan and her husband David, who is the reason she is in the Chicagoland area. He is here on business and she decided to accompany him. He is a very supportive DH and even encourages her in her art! He regaled us with a story of his involvement in a bidding war on eBay just to get a pair of scissors for Joan! If you hop over to her blog you will find what a prolific stitcher she is....at least sixteen finishes (and counting) for 2011! Thank you, Joan, for taking the time to stop at Inspired Needle and thanks to your friend for telling you about my shop!

Financial Peace and More

2011-03-12T17:01:00.000-06:00

On the way to our cabin in Tennessee, my DH and I were looking for a Chick-fil-A so we could stop for lunch. We love that fast food restaurant and visit one every time we go South. I have discovered though that there is now a Chick-fil-A in Aurora and Orland Park, IL. Yippee! As we were still looking for the restaurant, we passed a building and my DH exclaimed, "Hey, Financial Peace Plaza. Isn't that Dave Ramsey's place?" Well, my head almost spun 360 to fix my eyes on the building. Lucky me, after lunch my DH drove over to Financial Peace Plaza and parked so I could get some pictures.

Being so close to the financial wizard, I had to go inside to see the lobby. Dave Ramsey hosts a radio show and offers hope to those who are in debt learn to manage their money and "live like no one else." Occasionally, when people that follow Dave's plan manage to pay off all their debts, they will drive out to Financial Peace Plaza so they could shout to Dave in person, "We're debt free!" I just had to go inside and see the lobby that I hear so much about.

As you can see, Dave's lobby is set up so if you happen to stop in while he's on the air, you can sit and watch him at work. It was very exciting to see Dave live and in action on the radio. If you ever wonder where your money goes, I urge you to check out Dave's website. He offers tools and programs to help you live within your paycheck and gives advice on how to pay off your debts and save for your future. It definitely changed my life!

I have been doing lots of framing the last few months. Here are some customer finishes. Below is Snowflake Serenade (Country Cottage Needleworks) stitched by Linda:

Next is the Mighty Oak Sampler (Chessie & Me) stitched by another Linda:

You may remember Jill's Cirque des Cercles (Ink Circles) from a previous post.

Well, here we are a few months later and Jill has finished. She sent me this photo but wow, I wish I was there to see Cirque in person!

The next Friday FunDay, I hope that Jill will bring in her work of art to share with us all.

That's all for today. I hope to have more customer finishes for you next time!
Cathy

Anniversary Trip

2011-02-01T21:26:00.000-06:00

My hubby and I went to the Smoky Mountains for an anniversary getaway this past weekend. In my last post, I showed you what the view looked like when I woke up. This is the opposite side of the room from that view.

A little loft for the kids. We'll probably bring them next trip.

We rented a 2 bedroom cabin in the Pigeon Forge, TN area. The weather was spectacular. It was 45 degrees the day we arrived and it got up to 60 the following three days.

This is the main floor of the 3-level cabin.

There is also a bedroom with bath not shown in this picture.

This is how I like to see my man.

On Saturday morning, I was able to wake up a bit early and get in some stitching time before we met up with some friends from Chicago who relocated to the Pigeon Forge area.

After breakfast, our friends took us into the Smoky Mountain National Park. This is a view of Gatlinburg from a lookout point on our way into the Park.

Of course, everyone that goes to the top wants to take a picture at the Tennessee/North Carolina state line!

Here are the beautiful Smoky Mountains. I'd love to go again in Spring or Summer and see all the lush foliage.

On the Appalachian trail you can hike a couple miles up the mountain or you can keep going all the way to Maine!

It was hard to believe it was 60 degrees and shirt-sleeve weather at the bottom of the mountain!

Back down in Gatlinburg, we got to see the mountains from a different angle.

The rest of the trip was spent just hanging out with me doing as much stitching as I could! It was only a few days, but some very needed, restful days. I know we're both looking forward to our return trip!

A Room With A View

2011-01-28T17:23:00.000-06:00

This was the glorious sight that I woke up to this morning. My husband and I are enjoying an anniversary weekend in the Smoky Mountains. We rented a cabin and are just resting and relaxing for a few days.

I also wanted to share some customer finishes. First up is Snowflake Serenade by Country Cottage Needleworks stitched by Linda. She normally changes fabric colors when picking out supplies for her projects and this was no exception. The linen was changed to Lakeside Winter Sky. I think it gives the piece a wintry, shimmery glow!

Next is the first two designs in the Calendar Cover series by The Drawn Thread. These have been stitched by Barb. She decided to not make the calendar covers but pop them in and out of a single frame. Can you blame her? Who would want to put these lovely designs in their purse? I think Barb did a fabulous job and they will look great in her entryway display.

Barb also stitched Every Heart by Shepherd's Bush. This is the first design in a new series of Christmas Hearts.

That's it for now. I see a steak for dinner and a soak in the hot tub in my future!

Cathy

A Good Ending to a Great Year!

2010-12-31T17:56:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, we gathered at my friend Jayne's house for a Christmas stitching party. Jayne went all out with a wonderful buffet dinner for all of us; each one of us attending brought a dessert. Do you think we needed about 10 desserts? The meal was scrumptious and the company was excellent. I enjoyed a wonderful, relaxing evening of stitching, something I normally do not get to do. Part of the thrill of the night was a chance to participate in an ornament exchange. It was not a requirement to stitch an ornament but I set that as my goal. The picture below is the ornament I stitched and assembled.

We each selected a wrapped ornament, after having confirmed it wasn't the one we brought. I selected my package and then one by one, we opened them. I received a wonderful mitten stitched by Nancy. It is the cutest thing! To top it off, Nancy tucked 4 skeins of floss inside the mitten. Look what cute names she chose: Weeks Santa Claus and Holly. Gentle Art Sugarplum and Mistletoe! How very clever! Here is the ornament that Nancy stitched and finished.

Lastly, over the Christmas holiday, I was able to finish stitching the English Sampler Bookmark. It was adapted by Betsy Evans of Charter Oak Designs using three motifs from her 1832 English Sampler. Betsy came to our local EGA meeting last year and gave a lecture on historical samplers and motifs. This design also fits into a Petite Easel Back Clock by Olde Colonial Designs. I haven't decided yet whether I will finish it as a bookmark, frame it or mount it into the Petite clock.

I'd like to wish all of you a healthy and fulfilling 2011! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to stop and visit at my blog. May you stitch with joy in the coming new year!

Cathy

Customer Finishes

2010-12-24T14:46:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my friend Marilyn stopped in to show me some of her recent finishes. The first picture below is of Jane Greenoff's Dragonfly Garden Hussif. Marilyn did all the finishing of the hussif herself. She chose to use a dangling charm as a weight to hold the hussif closed rather than make the linen wrap closure. I think it turned out beautifully! Click on the third photo to zoom in and see all the numbers that are stitched to represent needle sizes.

Marilyn also finished Spring Quakers by Rosewood Manor. She is a really fast stitcher! This was stitched with the Valdani threads on Picture This Plus linen in the color Valor. Another great finish!

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone!

Cathy

Count Me Inspired

2010-11-16T00:08:00.000-06:00

It has been two weeks since the first ever Inspired Needle retreat. It was held in Shipshewana, IN, nestled in a quaint hotel, surrounded by an Amish community. Our group was comprised of 34 ladies, some beginners, some advanced, but all were a lot of fun!

Above is a picture of the group hard at work on their felted pincushions. There was no felting involved. The kit came with precut pieces of wool felt which could be embellished and then assembled on top of a vintage thread spool. Each one was unique and special in its own way.

We shared good food, prime stitching time and learned more about each other. Some beautiful works in progress were seen:

In between meals and stitching, we got to peruse the Dinky-Dyes trunk show along with assorted other needlework treats.

By the end of the weekend, we were all relaxed and content, happy to stand for a couple poses. Same time next year?

Thanks for reading!
Cathy

Autumn Fun

2010-11-01T07:34:00.000-05:00

A couple weekends ago, the DH and I went up to Erie, PA with the twins. The views of PA's rolling hills is spectacular in the fall.

We had gone to a local garden center the last few years in a row for a fun day of frolicking with the corn stalks, straw bales, scarecrows and "jump" inflatables. This year, we learned of a nearby farm which offered some fun outside adventures. First there was the expansive corn maze! There were nine "stations" set up within the maze and the goal was to find the station and stamp your puzzle sheet with the stamper found at the station. Once you got the stamp from all nine stations, your paper would reveal the image of the corn maze as seen from the air.

Next was the corn kernel trough. The entire trough was filled with loose corn kernels. What fun the kids and parents had! Corn down the shirt, corn in the socks, corn down the jeans....after the twins tried to pour as much corn as possible down daddy's shirt, they proceeded to bury each other in the corn.

Next, it was time for the pumpkin sling shot. Four pumpkins for a buck got you four chances to fling your pumpkin across the field, trying to shoot through a giant wooden pumpkin head. If you got a mini pumpkin through the mouth, you would win a giant pumpkin to take home.

There was also a hill filled with five super slides. The kids had a great time running up the hill and sliding down. I skipped the slides but did delight in all the fun.

What a wonderful day! We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better farm. We will definitely return here next year!

Ornament Transformation

2010-10-13T23:00:00.000-05:00

Anyone that knows me is aware that I like to change up the fabric on the monthly Little House Needlework ornaments. The recommended fabric as shown on the cover model is fine but I like to challenge myself to find a fabric color that will add some zing to the design.....make it stand out if even just a tiny bit. The latest ornament from LHN is Joy To The World; a sweet angel heralding the birth of our Savior, Jesus. She is just lovely on the Weeks Straw fabric but I wanted her to look stunning. Here is the latest fabric choice, Weeks Sky, 30 count. Don't the threads look great against that blue?

And in local news, I am counting down the days until the new Bolingbrook Costco is open for business!! I love Costco - I think they should hire me to be a spokesperson. I snuck a picture one evening....how's that for sticking to a deadline? It was about 8pm and they were still working on the building! It was lit up like August with floodlights. Yay, Costco!

Thank you all for reading!

Finish line!

2010-10-08T23:17:00.001-05:00

Well, I am home from Market. The bags have been unpacked, the inventory entered into the computer system, Market items arranged on the table in the shop and then rearranged for stitch night. The website is up-to-date with items that arrived up to this past Wednesday. There are a few things that came in yesterday and today that need to be uploaded, but I feel good that finally the bulk of it is done. I love going to Market and seeing all the great new designs. I will share some of my favorites with you on my next post. Today, I want to showcase some customer finishes. They are incredible!

First up is Jill's "Eiffel Quaker" by Jardin Prive.

I first met Jill about a year ago when she came into the shop and purchased an Ink Circles design, "Cirque Des Carreaux". She would come in periodically after that and show me her progress. That piece is incredible and I will share the picture in another post. Jill is a big fan of Ink Circles and has several pieces in progress, such as "Cirque Des Cercles", below:

Cirque Des Cercles stitched on Lakeside Vintage Autumn Gold 32 count with base color thread of Caron Wildflowers in Fiesta - Wow! It pops!

Jill does nothing by the book. She has an eye for color and loves to try new threads and fabrics. She is also currently stitching Ink Circles "Alchemical Romance". Wait until you see what she's done with this one!

Then, this past Tuesday at stitch night, Carol brought in this outstanding finish! This is "The Witches Wheel" by Glendon Place.

She has just started adding the beads. Look closely at the top witch in the picture. You can see the green, purple and orange beads. They really add some color and dimension to the design. Wow! I can't wait to see this one finished!

Lastly, I have my own finish. I had ordered this Rainbow Butterfly kit with my Rosewood Manor automatic and it arrived a few days before I left for Market. Of course I had to slip one pin kit into my stitching bag! One evening at Market as Debbie and I sat entering items into the computer, we did a little FlyLady trick. We worked for 45 minutes and then stitched for 15. I almost finished the outline of the butterfly during the evening, for a total of about one hour. Here is the before pic:

The butterfly is stitched on 40 count silk gauze. You baste it to a piece of muslin, then cut away (carefully) the muslin, revealing the silk gauze. This gives you a stable base with which to mount the muslin in q-snaps or a hoop. As you only stitch a half stitch on 40 count silk gauze, it works up rather quickly. Each butterfly kit is unique as the beads, backing paper and silk threads are different in each kit. After filling in the butterfly wings with Dinky-Dyes overdyed silk, this is the result:

I was so excited to be finished with this pretty butterfly and to actually get to assemble it. I hastily, yet carefully, cut the muslin to fit the glass frame. I carefully counted and added the beads and dangle pieces to the pin. I sat back and admired it and was so proud of myself until I looked closely at the front of the little pin package and noticed something on Karen Kluba's models that was lacking on mine....I forgot to stitch the border! Oh yikes...I can't believe I left off the border! But, the silk gauze is cut and I'm not attempting to stitch on a 1-1/2" square of gauze so it will remain as is. I still think it's pretty and I can just tell everyone that I planned it that way. LOL.

Hope you all get to have a stitchy week!

Cathy

Busy Weekends

2010-09-13T00:03:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we were in PA with the kids visiting my MIL. I wanted to bring the bikes on the trip but the weather forecast was cold and rainy. Why drag the bikes along? When we got to PA, we were pleasantly surprised to find it sunny and 85 degrees after the storms we had to drive through in Ohio. Temps cooled off once we got to my MIL, but it was very refreshing. We spent Sunday afternoon at my nephew's football game. It was warm in the sun but quite windy. What better thing to do while sitting captive watching a game when you're not cheering? Why, stitch, of course! I didn't get to put needle to fabric, but helped darling Angie created some new stitches. She started off making a flag and then I taught her how to do spiderweb roses. Her new stitch was to weave in and out of the backstitched flower stems. I know there is a name to that stitch, but I let her think she had created something new. Here she is, intent on weaving the perfect flower.

This is Angie's second piece of stitching. The first attempt was when she backstitched the pumpkin last summer. She does like to watch me stitch and asks questions about different threads or tools I use. I'm really thrilled what a nice job she did. She even added the floss hanger so she could hang it up in her room. Angie was so proud of her design and I really praised her needlework skills. She told me I could let all my friends know about the new stitch she created. She was so happy that "she could make stitching interesting"!

Oh, the football game? Our team won!

Been busy at the shop this past week, trying to get things in order so I can be gone for five days at Market. As I was leaving yesterday evening, the sun was shining ever so beautifully on the downtown area of Lemont, I had to stop and take a picture. The town where my shop is located is sometimes referred to as the Village of Faith. The many steeples in the picture might give you a clue why it's called by that name! When the Village was first settled, many immigrants helped to build churches so as to worship in their own faiths. The buildings still stand today.

Until next time......thanks for stopping by!
Cathy

and Framing!

2010-08-30T09:47:00.001-05:00

In the previous post, I told you about all the lacing I was doing. Well, here are some of the pieces that were framed as a result of the lacing. First up is "Singing The Blues" by Little House Needleworks which was stitched by my friend, Linda. When choosing the frame, we did like the old, crackly frame as shown on the cover of the chart, but we opted to change the corner design. These little corner pieces on the frame mimic the corners of the stitchery so beautifully. Linda did an excellent job of stitching this sweet birdy!

Next up is "Rose Quartz" by Needle Delights Originals. We offered this as a class late last year and my friend Judy took the class. She recently brought in her finished canvas to be framed. I just love the mat and frame we selected to show off her lovely stitching!

This following design is a program we did at our EGA meeting. It is called New England Button Sampler. You decide on the colors you want to use in your piece, find scraps of fabric and coordinating buttons, charms or other trinkets you'd like to include and then stitch. The checked boxes you see in the design are actually little pieces of gingham embellished with cross stitches, buttons or beads. My friend Pam stitched this Button Sampler and decided to frame it in a shadowbox. It turned out so well and is a wonderful keepsake if you have special buttons or charms from a parent, grandparent or favorite friend. I can also see this done up for a baby's room, using scraps of a favorite blankie, pj's or other clothing. Add a tiny barrette or bitty baby buttons and this will be quite a special gift!

Finally, some Christmas ornaments. CarolS taught this finishing class in July. The students were able to go home with their ornaments almost completely finished. Most had started their outer border embellishing and just had to finish up on their own. CarolS teaches how to cut out the insert for a shaped ornament. She instructs how to mount the fabric on the insert, how to join the front to the back, demonstrates twisted cording and finally, how to create the lovely ribbon edges. CarolS will be teaching this class again near the end of October, so please send me an email (cathy @ inspiredneedle dot com) if you are interested in attending.

Hope you all have a productive stitching week!
Cathy

Whole Lotta Lacing Going On

2010-08-16T08:21:00.000-05:00

This weekend was not filled with any plans in particular. My sister came over Saturday evening and we had dinner together and then I helped her work on my birthday present! You see, my sister is a new stitcher and had made me something (read: stitched) for a present but needed a little help in assembling it and putting it in a frame. Nancy also purchased some pretty little butterfly treasures that didn't come drilled with holes and she wasn't sure how to attach them to the needlework. We had a quick lesson in couching. She had everything else ready to go and I showed her how to lace a piece of needlework to foam core. Which reminds me, I should hold another class like that at the shop, huh? I think she did an awesome job! When you look at the picture, keep in mind that this was her first attempt at working on linen!

A customer piece I worked on was next on my list. This design is "Rose Quartz" by Needle Delights. We taught a class using this piece several months ago and I'm happy to say one of the students finished her design and it's now ready for framing! Here is the canvas laced and ready to be placed in the frame.

Next up was a design my friend stitched by Teresa Wentzler. She had stitched both this fruit version and the floral version and wanted both pieces framed the same so she could hang in her newly remodeled kitchen. I didn't get a pic of the floral piece but here is the fruit. Please excuse the reflection off the plastic. I didn't want to unwrap. The next time I'm at her house, I'll take a picture of the two pieces side by side. The pair should make quite a statement in the room!!

And finally, Angel Train is in the frame! This is a slightly different version than what was pictured on the cover model of this design. I wanted a bolder frame and more in keeping with the darker floss colors. If you look closely at the bottom border of "blocks" in the picture, some are stitched with a light color floss that closely matches the color of the linen. When you look at the framed piece in the picture, you don't really see these rows and the blocks appear to be dancing! I love the effect!

Hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for reading and for your comments!

Cathy

Another Year Older

2010-08-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

I was up for almost 30 minutes the other day before I realized it was my birthday! How does one forget the day they were born? When you're sick to your stomach! I've been battling a weird dizzy/nausea thing ever since we came back from PA. I spent the entire day Sunday in bed because sitting or standing upright made me feel like I was in a funhouse. Monday morning I woke up and I think I was so intent on how I felt that it didn't register at first what day it was. Since it was my day off work, I was able to do a few (read: very few) things around the house. I also went to the shop to catch up on some mail orders and then ran over to the framers. When I got home my DH was waiting to take me to dinner. We went to my favorite place, Longhorn. I got a snap of all courses of my favorite dinner....the one meal I always get if they happen to have it in stock. Believe it or not, I've gone several times when they've been out of Prime Rib!! We started with the Chips Platter appetizer, then the main course of baked potato and luscious prime rib. Look at the size of that piece of meat!! I always order the largest slice because I want leftovers!

We were even able to get in a few spoonfuls apiece of the birthday sundae that the waiter brought over to our table. My DH wanted to embarrass me by having the wait staff sing to me, but luckily Longhorn no longer has such a tradition! Saved! LOL

Last Friday before we brought the twins back to PA, they had a pizza party for me. We all wore Sponge Bob party hats and the kids blew noisemakers and shot party streamers in the air. There was a huge birthday cake (enough to feed 20 people), flowers and presents. The kids bought me the game of Life, I suppose because they wanted to play. LOL

Sickly or not, I had a pretty good day. Thanks, Boobah, for making my birthday special.

Weekend Finish

2010-07-24T23:31:00.000-05:00

Totally unusual for me, but I finished two things in two days! I'm very excited as this piece has been in the works for a year and a half. Shortly after I opened my shop, I decided to stitch Maureen Appleton's "Garden Tuffet" as a shop model. Yikes...who was I kidding? This was 40 count over one!! I was pretty ambitious but since I was going to take the shortcut and only work tent stitches, I felt it was pretty do-able. I finished the front of the tuffet within a matter of weeks but then it languished in my stitching bag for month after month. I would pick it up occasionally, but it quickly made it back into the bag after a couple of hours.

Last month, I was resolute that I would finish this tuffet. Enough is enough and I just had to get it done. So after some other stitching commitments were complete, I quickly finished the stitching. The borders took a bit longer but those were finally done. Now onto the assembly. I was nervous, as I've never assembled a tuffet or biscornu before, but I was confident I could follow the directions. Whip stitch the front and back together, stuff it and pull the middles together to make the indent. Piece of cake! It was quick and easy and now I wonder what I was so afraid of in the first place! What do you think? It is very pretty and now I can't wait to put it on display in the shop!

Thanks for taking the time to read!

Have a great weekend.
Cathy

Sewing and Stitching

2010-07-22T21:35:00.000-05:00

A number of my stitching friends from Tuesday night also quilt. They have me inspired to work on finishing my quilt. I took a class several years ago at Thimbles and now I want to finally get it assembled. Of course, having forgotten how to finish it, the gals kindly offered to help me sew on the binding. I will see if I can get a good picture and post it within the next few days.

While blog-hopping, I came across this beauty! Tote Bag What a great way to display needlework! The blog owner, Margaret, makes some very lovely bags! Now I wish I knew how to sew better! Maybe I'll add that to my bucket list! Take a look at her blog for some Vera-like bags.

And a stitching finish for me!! I was working on The Sweetheart Tree's Spring Blossom's scissor fob. I finally finished assembling it tonight. Here is the front of the fob:

And now the back:

The front is stitched on Antique White Belfast while the back is stitched on Angel Blush Belfast. It was a fun stitch. I love all the sparklies. Sandie uses lots of beads and paillettes to add flash to the fob.

That's all for tonight. Have a great evening, a fun weekend....talk to you soon!

Cathy

Toasty Flakes

2010-07-06T15:37:00.000-05:00

The latest LHN monthly ornament showed up at the shop and is just oh-so-cute. I thought it would look great but decided to floss toss to give the design some added zing. What do you think of our choice? Weeks 30 count Chestnut. We only switched the DMC 869 to DMC 420 to get the branch arms to show up better. I think he's adorable and the Crescent Colours Bamboo and Sassy Brass really pop on this fabric!

Tonight is stitch night at the shop. I'll see what the gals think of the finish. I hope everyone comes refreshed from the long weekend. I know I am excited to be close to my own finish - picture will be forthcoming as soon as it's assembled. I will do that one on my own. Stay tuned!

Never Complain About The Hot Weather

2010-07-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

I was looking through some older pictures and came across this one. The bad weather will be upon us soon enough. I promise to not complain when it gets really hot! No complaining lately for sure because our Chicagoland weather is simply gorgeous! I love the warm weather and wish we could just do away with winter.

About two weeks ago we took a drive out to Kentucky again to visit with my cousins. We had the twins with us and they would have my cousin's eight year old daughter to hang around. One of our friends had recommended we visit Natural Bridge State Park while in Kentucky. We configured our GPS and off we went. The first thing you do when you arrive is get your ticket for the skylift. You can purchase one way or round trip. Since we are brave souls, we opted for the one-way because we were going to hike down. Here's the view as we started up....doesn't look so intimidating, right?
We moseyed along and then all of a sudden there was a sharp ascent! I am terrified of heights but seven-year-old Jack was alongside me and I needed to remain calm so he wouldn't get scared. I looked straight ahead and just snapped some pictures.

This is a perfect view of the sharpness of the incline while standing at the top of the bridge.

Natural Bridge State Park is named after the nature-made stone arch that sits high above the tree tops. There are several hiking paths for the adventurous down to the bottom from easy to expert hiker. We chose the easy path. Well, there was a nicely cut stone stairway down to the path but this was our first obstacle. Easy for the kids but suck in your gut and scoot sideways for the adults!

A view from on top of the bridge. It reminds me of Starved Rock State Park, here in my own backyard of Utica, Illinois!

Here's some interesting trees and their roots that seem to grow out of the rock. This was definitely not an easy trail! I don't know what they were thinking when they labeled this route. At times the path was so narrow, one false footstep and you'd be tumbling over the edge. Several times I had to help the kids down steep sections which were slippery with no good footholds. I was praying that I wouldn't slip and take one of them down with me!

We made it safely to the wooden staircase. It took us about an hour and 1/2 to climb down from the bridge. It was hot, hot, hot (not complaining...see above) and we were not only tired, but sweaty. I wonder how many people fall walking down these paths. Ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little....but really, I was surprised that they labeled it "easy" because I surely wouldn't have!

When our visit with the cousins in Kentucky was over, we headed home through West Virginia. I have never been through this state and wow, it is one beautiful countryside!

Finally, back on I-80, heading home to Chicago, we stopped for a quick dinner at Panera. Now what was I thinking?!!! I know better. I've been down this road before. See this blog post. I had a taste for a nice, light salad since I had been eating picnic fare for the last several days. I walk into the restaurant and this sign greeted me.

Mmmmm, perfect. I love this salad! Those strawberries are luscious and those blueberries.....I could pick them right off the picture. So, I go up to the counter and order the Strawberry Poppyseed and Chicken Salad. The cashier says to me, "We're all out of chicken." Excuse me????? How could Panera be out of chicken? She asked if I'd like another kind of meat. I toyed with turkey but I only eat turkey once a year on Thanksgiving. The other days of the year I can do without it. I ordered steak strips. It was a big disappointment. At Panera. Again. Never stop at this Panera. Ever. Again. Two strikes and you're out! No third chances! It was a miserable dinner and we still had about six hours to get home. I was happy to get a latte at Starbuck's and that satisfied until my head hit the pillow.

I hope you all have a wonderful Fourth of July!! Eat some watermelon and wave your flag! I think I'm going to a waterpark. Maybe I'll have some fun pictures to post!

Of Fins and Feathers

2010-05-28T08:28:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, my DH and I went to Bass Pro Shop. Not to shop for a new boat or sporting accessories, but for dinner! I had heard nice comments about the restaurant so we decided to give it a try. The atmosphere inside was serene and lodge-like. Fish were mounted on the walls and there were various framed artwork of fisherman-in-pose with the catch of the day, but the scene-stealer was the enormous aquarium filled with all varieties of fish. The food was excellent and the prices reasonable. We both had a cup of clam chowder soup and I've never had this soup before with so much clam in it! DH had the Sportsman's Platter with Fried Shrimp, Catfish and Alligator. Yummy! I had the catch of the day, Snapper, and it was served on a bed of rice pilaf with fresh vegetables. Outstanding! We chose not to have dessert but they all looked great. If you're ever in the area (or check for other locations), I would highly recommend this restaurant.

On my way to work yesterday, I was driving down the frontage road and what do I came across? Just waddling free and easy, right down the middle of the road.

There was no yellow bus and no flashing lights, but I stopped anyway. :) Too cute. As I sat and waited in my van, momma or poppa, not sure which one, came up close to the driver's side and started honking at me, probably to warn me away from the babies.

This morning I noticed the family sleeping next to the pond of the subdivision next to mine. Maybe yesterday they were enroute to their new home.

Happy Memorial Day! I'm going to my cousin's graduation party in Kentucky. I'm looking forward to the drive where I can stitch and a couple days of R&R. Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Cathy

More on Celebration

2010-05-18T08:22:00.000-05:00

If you have the opportunity, check out Celebration of Needlework. This was an event I attended at the end of April for the fourth time. However, this year was to be much different as I was not just attending as a consumer, but as a vendor. I snagged two friends, Debbie and Pam, to come along with me to help in the booth. I don't think any of us realized just how much work it would be to set up and tear down the booth. I have definitely learned a lot this first time out. It was fun meeting new stitchers and reuniting with others that we had met in previous years.

One of the big highlights of the festival was the Saturday Evening Event. Owner and designer of Olde Colonial Designs, Pam Reed, puts on the Celebration Festival every year. She said she loves to play games with her family, especially her grandsons, and she incorporates games into the Saturday Evening Event. Each table of guests had to assign a captain. The captain then assigned participants for the upcoming game. There was a "Wheel of Fortune" at the front of the room that the captain of each table spun. This is based on an existing game show, but having never watched it, the name escapes me. Maybe those of you out there might be able to help? Here's Master (Mistress) of Ceremony, Susan Greening-Davis, at the Wheel, calling up the next team member.

There were many different "tasks" that were on the wheel and when our table's captain spun the wheel, we were assigned, "Separation Anxiety". Our four team members had to go to the front of the room and stand in front of a table with six jars. They were each given a bag of M&M candies and required to separate them by color and drop each color into the appropriately labeled jar. Sounds easy, right? Well, in order for our team to "win" this task, two of the four team members had to do it in under one minute! It was fun and a great kick-off to the other hysterical "tasks" that were yet in store for us.

In this photo, the task was "Ping Pong Shake". Each team member had to tie a kleenex box filled with ping pong balls, covered with a pair of pantyhose, around their waists. When the clock was started, they had to shake, shake, shake their booties to shake all the ping pong balls out of the kleenex boxes! Do I even need to add that we were all doubled over with laughter and crying?!

You might have read in my newsletter that the Silent Auction for Breast Cancer takes place at this Saturday event. The prizes were all wonderful. One was a chart of Autumn at Hawk Run Hollow by Carriage House, the fabric, the threads and a Larsen-Juhl frame. I know that prize brought in a nice sum for the auction. Another prize was a hand-stitched sampler by Susan Greening-Davis on some linen imported from Germany. That prize brought in over $2000. You can see pictures of the urn that was donated by Inspired Needle in the newsletter.

Here are some additional pictures of our booth. We did have a lot of fun. If we go again next year, we'll definitely have to attend the Saturday Evening event and plan in a few more hours of down-time!

Thanks for reading!

Primitive Needle Trunk Show

2010-04-11T00:48:00.000-05:00

Hi, those of you out in blogland that happen upon this blog....I just wanted to let you know I added a slideshow of the Primitive Needle trunk show that is currently on display at Inspired Needle through May 3, 2010 to the blog sidebar. If you live within driving distance of Chicagoland, come on out and see it for yourself. The models are amazing. The framing is amazing. The sheer number of models in this show is amazing. The pictures do not do it justice. We'd love for you to come and ooh and aah in person!

I hope everyone is having a fresh, Spring-y weekend!

Cathy

Angel Train is at the Station!

2010-04-05T17:55:00.000-05:00

Woohoo! I don't get to do the happy dance too often, but I have been dancing all day. I finally put the last stitches in Angel Train. I love this piece. Even though the border boxes took forever to stitch I really think I would do another "train"....maybe not for a while, though. Here are a few pics. As soon as I pick out a frame, I'll have to do an update.

For shop news, The Primitive Needle trunk show arrived today. I popped in the shop today to do a few things (I'm not open on Mondays) and found all the boxes. Luckily, I share a building with the florist next door and she will accept my packages when I'm not there. There were FOUR huge boxes so I'm sure it will take all morning at least to unpack and hang on the wall. I can't wait to see the models. The Primitive Needle is another favorite designer....sigh, there are a LOT of favorites!

Thanks for reading and for all your nice comments!

Cathy

Next Station, Finishville

2010-03-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

We drove this weekend to go see the twins so that means time to stitch in the car! I will give you a stitchy update in just a bit. First I want to tell you about a cemetery we drive past each trip. The area in PA where we go is pretty hilly. Imagine you are climbing and descending, twisting and turning for about 30 minutes once exiting the interstate. You're driving up a hill and just as you reach the top, there is a small cemetery on your right. There is a huge, iron gate opening the way to the center path and just inside the gates, several hundred grave markers. Passing this small cemetery each and every trip, I always wondered what the gravestones looked like up close. I persuaded my husband to stop the car so I could take a look around. Some of the stones were a bit older, but I was hoping for at least a hundred years or more. No such luck. Regardless, there were a lot of veterans buried here and those stones had an additional metal marker beside them. This is a view from near the front entrance.

I walked around for about 15 minutes, reading the inscriptions, wondering about the lives of those buried beneath the ground, playing out my own story in my head.

One of the things the twins like to do is go to the zoo whenever we're in town. My sister-in-law and her kids came along with us and we enjoyed a breezy, but warm day in the sunshine. Here's Daddy and his little girl playing music for some of the animals. The instrument in the picture is a huge xylophone.

All aboard! The Angel Train is heading out. Next stop, Finishville! I am getting excited because this past weekend I finished stitching all of the box border of Angel Train. There are just some motifs left inside the border to finish in the blank area at the top of the design. Don't get me wrong. There is a lot more stitching to do, but I can see the finish line! I have been working on this piece for well over a year. It is stitched on 40 count R&R 18th Century Brown with one strand of DMC. I really love how this is turning out and can't wait to see it all finished! In case you're interested, the designer is Prairie Moon. They have also designed other "trains", "Spring Trainin'", "Ghoul Train" and "Freedom Train" if you like the look but are not into Angels or Snowmen. I also spied another design, similar but not a "train" called "Holiday Farm" that looks very interesting!

A newsworthy note...at the end of the month a trunk show from The Primitive Needle will arrive at the shop. If you're local, be sure to stop by to take a look at all the awesome models!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope your needle is not only inspired but smokin', too!

Cathy

I Scream, You Scream

2010-03-08T19:41:00.000-06:00

Hi, last time I promised you a post about the world's best ice cream. I mean, it might be possible that there is a more creamy, delicious ice cream out there, but in my experience, this is the best I've ever had.

My husband and I were returning home from Tennessee after Market and it was getting to be late afternoon. I usually enjoy a nice cup of coffee around 3pm every day to perk me up, so I started watching the road signs for a Starbucks. We were driving through Indiana and saw a sign for Fair Oaks Farms. My DH had stopped there in the past for coffee and said there was a small gift shop, too. That's all I needed to hear! I'll take any excuse to shop. Hey, I've hit the jackpot at truck stops! So, we exited the highway and pulled up in front of the place. Fair Oaks is an operating Dairy Farm so there are tours of the birthing barns, cheese factory, fun activities for the kids (jumping pillow, rock climbing wall) and of course, the gift shop. They make their own ice cream on the premises and my husband decided to get a small cup. I had to try a spoonful and wow, it was the most buttery, creamy, dreamy, silky, "you can feel 10 pounds attaching themselves to your hips" kind of ice cream you'll ever want to eat. I wanted my own cup once I tasted his, but after a couple spoonfuls, he was finished, saying it was so rich, he couldn't eat anymore. I helped him out :) If you could imagine a stick of butter, softened to room temperature, that was like the consistency of the ice cream. Not hard at all. My spoon just swished through the cup and rich, yummy goodness was on my spoon. Ahhh, I can't wait to go back! The coffee is not bad, too! They do brew Starbucks brand. Fair Oaks is worth the stop if you happen to be driving on I-65 through Indiana.

No stitchy reports to tell. I've been working hard getting my paperwork in order to take to the accountant today. Don't you just love tax season? Well, at least that is over with. I have a bit more paperwork to catch up on and then maybe I'll sit and stitch for an hour tonight. I'm working on one of the Little House monthly ornaments. I took a break from Angel Train to do something quick and easy. The easy part is true. I'm just having a rough time with the quick since I rarely have more than a few minutes to stitch. But this weekend will be all mine! Woohoo. I'm going away with a group of friends for our annual retreat. I am so looking forward to sitting and stitching and chatting with friends. Some I see all the time; others once a year at this retreat. It will be fun!

I hope everyone has a stitchy week! Thank you for reading and commenting!
Cathy

Shepherd, the Bush

2010-02-24T21:15:00.000-06:00

I have a funny Market story to share. We woke up early Saturday morning, the first day of Market, to get showered and down to the lobby for our breakfast, so we could be ready to go at 9am when the vendor suites opened. Shepherd's Bush does not normally attend the Nashville Market, so this year was a treat. I assumed that their suite would be swarmed, and it was, as my DH and I walked toward their room. There were about 20 people in line! I quickly glanced over the balcony to see what the Just Nan suite looked like. Ah, there was a shorter line. I made a decision and asked my DH to remain in line for Shepherd's Bush while I ran down one floor to get my order in at Just Nan. I figured I could do my shopping and make it back upstairs before my husband got through the doorway. I wasn't even in line at Just Nan 10 minutes before my cell phone rang. It was my husband and here was what he said, "You need to get here quick....I'm at the Golden Gates". I told him I'd be right there and I jumped out of line and ran back upstairs to help him out. I'll tell you, Shepherd's Bush ran their suite like a well-oiled machine! You go in, ooh and aah over the new stitched designs, wonderfully displayed in true Shepherd's Bush style. I grabbed an order form, quickly wrote down the quantities I needed and handed it over to Tina sitting at the order table. She took my form, thanked me for my order and told me I could pick it up later that day. Wow. I was in and out of there in under 5 minutes! The funniest part of the Shepherd's Bush event was when I found out later that my husband, in order to amuse himself, brought out his cell phone and made a little video of the crowd milling about their room. He panned the "Shepherd's Bush" banner hanging in the window and added his own humorous commentary on the number of people piled into the room of the "SSSShhhhepherd.......,the Bush". He's a guy and one of those that doesn't quite understand what all the hoopla of stitching is about. Most of all, though, he's a good sport and would stand in the line for me, even if it took two hours!

On our way home from Nashville, we stopped off in Kentucky to visit with my cousins. I was looking forward to spending some time with my Great Aunt, whom I had not seen in many years. Unfortunately, my cousin informed me a week before I left for Market that my Aunt had passed away! Saddened and disappointed, we still went to Kentucky, and we shared some memories of my Aunt with my cousins.

To keep the van ride from becoming too monotonous, I was able to stitch on a cute, Springy design for the shop. Here's my finished piece, ready to be framed. Well, I'll need to stretch and press it first, but you get the idea. I haven't finished any stitching in such a long time. It felt great to actually get something completed! This is "Easter Stuff-Hop" by Poppy Kreations. I changed out the fabric and a floss or two, but the rest is as charted.

For my next blog I'll tell you a bit about the World's best ice cream! I am not kidding! I've never experienced a richer, creamier ice cream than what we found on our way back to Chicago.

For now, though, I must inform you that I have drawn a new name for the Blackbird Designs "Winter Wonderland". I'm sorry that the orginal winner did not contact me as I'll bet she would have been thrilled. Lucky-duck KarinZ is the new winner! Congratulations. I'm sure I'll be seeing her soon so I won't need to mail her package. Thanks again to everyone that participated. I hope you all have your own Winter Wonderland soon!

Cathy

Off to Market!

2010-02-19T09:24:00.000-06:00

We're on our way to Nashville! Yee Haw! We stopped this morning for breakfast in Seymour, Indiana, at the Waffle House. This restaurant is not part of the typical "Waffle House" chain. It is honest-to-goodness down home cookin'. The coffee hit the spot after a long night of driving.

We set out driving last night and then pulled over in a rest stop to catch a couple hours sleep. When I awoke this morning, this was the view that greeted me.

There's a lot more snow here in Indiana than back home in Chicago! I feel for you, my friends. The last few days we have been enjoying warmer temps (30-ish degrees) and the sun has been warm and melting all the snow.

I am really pumped up about Market. There has been talk of new Market items, but not as much as usual. I think there will be some wonderful surprises in store for all of us!

I do have my Customer Shopping List with me so if you are out browsing the web and happen upon a photo or description of a new release that you would love to get your hands on, just shoot me an email to cathy at inspiredneedle dot com. I will be at Market until Sunday morning and as long as the item is still in stock, I will be sure to pick one up for you.

Here's a Winter Wonderland update. The winner of the drawing has not yet contacted me. If I don't hear from her by Monday (one week from the drawing), then I will draw a new winner.

Woohoo, we just crossed over into Kentucky! Aww, I just saw the Louisville Marriott hotel where we stayed when attending the Celebration of Needlework festival that was there in the fall of 2008. Louisville is also the home town of the National Headquarters of The Embroiderer's Guild of America. So many stitching memories! I'll have to tell you all about my upcoming stitching event with Celebration of Needlework in April. I'll save that for another post.

Until then, get inspired! I know I am!
Cathy

And the winner is....

2010-02-15T18:33:00.001-06:00

Thanks everyone, for entering the drawing. It was a lot of fun reading all the comments and I wished everyone could win. As it was, I put all the names in my snowman bowl and drew out one. The big winner is T. Whitesell. I don't have an email address for you, so please contact me so I can get your snail mail address. Congratulations! I hope you enjoy stitching this beautiful design.

And holy Toledo, did you see the awesome giveaway that Alma is doing on the Blackbird Designs blog?

Cathy

A Wintry Giveaway!

2010-02-10T16:35:00.000-06:00

Since it seems that everyone is getting pummeled with snow this past week, I decided a little wintry fun is in order. What would be more appropriate than a giveaweay of Blackbird Designs new release "Winter Wonderland"? Inspired Needle will send a lucky someone a new "Winter Wonderland" chart along with a cut of the R&R Dark Chino 30 count fabric on which to stitch the design.

For a chance to win the chart and fabric, leave a comment on this post. The offer is good through Sunday night, 2/14/10. I'll draw a name Monday morning and post the winner Monday afternoon. If you'd like a second entry, mention the giveaway on your blog with a link to this post and send me the link to your post. No restrictions, I'll mail anywhere USPS delivers.

Stay warm and keep stitching! May your needle be inspired!

Cathy

An Anniversary and some Exercise

2010-02-09T00:01:00.000-06:00

Last week was our wedding anniversary. Look what my husband had waiting at home for me. He also cooked dinner!

The DH also decided to buy us the Wii Sports Active. It offers a 30-day workout challenge. It combines aerobic activities with stretching and toning exercises. There is a leg band that you wear on your upper thigh that registers leg movements and you hold the Wii remote in your hand. For some of the arm workouts, you hold both the Wii remote and the nunchuck in your hands. The first day that I worked out did not register for some reason. I must have backed out of the program before it saved properly. I'm hanging in there because thankfully, it gives you a day of rest after two workouts. Today, though, it kicked my butt! There were so many leg lunges and leg kicks. I feel like my legs are going to snap at the knees!

I'm going to go pass out now! Thanks for reading.

The Prognostication

2010-02-04T22:41:00.000-06:00

Don't you just love that word? Such a big word about such a little rodent. LOL That's what my DH calls the groundhog. The rodent or the rat. This past weekend was quite the eye-opener. The town of Punxsutawney, PA, pulls out all the stops to celebrate this little animal that lives in the Groundhog Zoo with two other groundhog pals, Barney and Stinky. Our family decided to join the festivities this year. We started out Saturday morning at "Breakfast With Phil". The event was hosted by the Chamber. The guy holding Phil is Ben Hughes, one of Phil's handlers. He was also the guy that got Phil out of his stump this past Tuesday morning to check for his shadow. After breakfast, the kids had swimming lessons so we did that, then returned to the community center for "Phil" crafts. They made snowflakes from coffee filters, "prediction" posters and black top hats. The posters were cute. The kids got to decorate with stickers of Phil seeing his shadow or not, there was a sun or clouds and sticker phrases like, "Six more weeks of winter" and "Spring comes early". The top hats were cute too. They looked like those worn by the guys in the Inner Circle.

The following day we spent at Jack's wrestling tournament. This was another unbelievable event. There had to be close to a hundred kids from 5 or 6 different schools, all competing against one another. It was amazing, walking into the gym and looking at all the kids sitting in the bleachers, heads tilted down, eyes intent on their Nintendo DS's.

Monday morning, we headed over to Barclay Square for Groundhog Day festivities to see a magic show, followed by a puppet show. Here you'll see a pic of the magician working his magic with a cloth bag and some handkerchiefs. Aren't the groundhog hats on the kids adorable? The magician's wife did the puppet show and she had some of the coolest marionette puppets. She made each one from items around the house; things she was going to throw out, such as the styrofoam packing from a t.v. box. There was an Italian opera singer puppet made from olive oil, diced tomatoes and sardine cans. Afterward, the magician made each child balloon animals. Jack, a new groundhog balloon hat and snake and Angie, a balloon puppy.

A few more walks through the park and we caught up with a full-size groundhog. Not the real Phil, but a cute imposter. The kids played some carnival-type games, like balloon dart pop and choose the duck and they won some prizes. They had all kinds of food; pizza, funnel cakes, kettle corn; there was live music, souvenir huts, Groundhog Banquets, craft fairs and warming huts. Yes, the strangest thing about this event is the fact that it's the middle of winter! There were more activities to do, like Groundhog painting class, a hayride town tour, ice carving demonstrations but we didn't stick around for those. The kids were anxious to go see their cousins, but more importantly, the cousin's new puppy! So, we walked back to the car with our treasured prizes, happy for spending some time celebrating Groundhog Day in the Weather Capitol of the world. It was a fun weekend and something we might repeat again, maybe when the kids are older and can handle the trek out to Gobbler's Knob for the official prognostication with Phil. Until then, the fun around town suits us just fine.

Dashing Through the Fog

2010-01-23T00:55:00.000-06:00

Last Sunday I awoke to a strange sight. Did it snow? Was it ice? Whatever it was, it certainly was beautiful. My DH and I were able to drive through the woods on our way to church that morning. I snapped a couple pics.

I heard reports that it was frozen fog. I guess this occurs when the humidity approaches 100%. The fog just magically appears and sticks to everything that is standing still. I thought by noon it would have all melted off, but it was still hanging around well into the afternoon. It made the landscape look so fresh and undisturbed; it was disappointing to no longer see it there.

One sight I'm grateful to see everyday is my friendly USPS. There are some hard-working men and women at this location. If you should order something from the shop (or even better, win a prize!), this is from where it is usually shipped. The Post Office is a mere two blocks from the shop so it is quick and convenient to handle all the web and phone orders that come in. Best of all, I rarely have to wait in line, except maybe during the Christmas season. It's a creaky, old building, with original floors, counters and doors. Stepping inside the front door is like being transported through time. It's nice to still have this little bit of history, only minutes away. It's fun to visualize all the thousands of people that have walked through the door over the last 75 or so years.

And now, here's some more traveling, not through time, but across the globe.

I'll take you up, up, where it's cold and snowy and Christmas all year long. Where little guys with pointy ears and pointy shoes are busy making toys for good girls and boys. Where Santa keeps track of his growing list and is busy reading those letters and fulfilling wishes. Next to the workshop is the spa, where those 4-hooved reindeer are busy exercising, toning and eating right to be strong enough to pull the sleigh all over the world. Here they are with a little added *bling*. These guys, or gals, if you will, are designed by Hinzeit and can be stitched and framed individually. We love the impact of all eight reindeer displayed in one wide frame. Of course, my friend Debbie stitched this group for the shop in record time! You gotta love friends like that! Look closely at each of their outfits. So appropriate to their names. Careful attention should be given to Comet. Do you see the little rocket on her back? That rocket is what is attached to Debbie's needles! LOL She is the fastest stitcher I know.
The Crystal Reindeer model was stitched for Inspired Needle's Reindeer Club. When you join the club, we'll distribute a pattern per month. Each pattern contains the chart for one of the reindeer and six Swarovski crystals. You get to choose your choice of 18 count Ivory Aida or as pictured in our model, 36 count Lakeside Magnolia overdyed linen. Another great choice is 36 count Cream Edinburgh linen. You can't go wrong any way you choose. When you're all done stitching and ready to display your reindeer, we're offering Club members 25% off the Kay's Frame.

More to come later but I see a free evening ahead of me and I'm going to sit down and stitch!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cathy

Back to Reality

2010-01-08T09:26:00.000-06:00

(A scene from the corner near my shop)
Here it is, the first week of January already almost over, and it doesn't even seem like Christmas was here. Why is it that time flies by so quickly? So many things I wanted to do, yet didn't find the time to fit them in. Christmas cards didn't get sent, favorite cookies didn't get baked and there were some additional decorations I wanted to display. I think this year I will *try* to get more organized. A business blog I follow is encouraging us to take a few hours every week to plan ahead to keep our businesses moving forward. Similar advice that FlyLady gives to those that follow her plan. She recommends setting aside a small amount of time to go over menus, create a shopping list, pay bills, etc. to help us get through the following week. Truthfully, I do not follow this faithfully every week, but of those weeks when I DO plan ahead, my week goes much more smoothly. There is dinner on the table every night which because I cook double, means I have lunches for the next day. When I'm "too busy" to make the time to plan, my meals suffer and the DH and I are eating out or we're eating bacon and eggs for dinner!

So, my goal for the new year is to become better at planning ahead. I discovered a great little purse planner that I hope to make. All this blogging is really bringing out the creative person in me. The planner is something I hope to make and if successful, I will share with all of you.

Now, onto the rest of my story. There is a group of ladies I met through my shop that have quickly become friends. They are all talented in many ways; some you may already know them through their blogs. First I will tell you that a couple weeks before Christmas, Laura surprised me with this.
Laura is an antique shopper and she hit the jackpot with this treasure! Laura happened into my shop one day and proceeded to tell me about her blog which opened up a new family of bloggers to me. Many have become my friends! I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with this lovely magazine. I hate to seal it up in a shadowbox frame because then you can't see the wealth of goodies found on the pages. I will check with my framer to see what he recommends. Any suggestions from any of you?

Then there's Patti . Patti and Laura met through blogging, from what I remember. Laura introduced Patti to my shop. I discovered that not only can Patti stitch, she also writes poetry! I admire people with a gift for words as many times my words just get jumbled around in my head and don't make it out onto paper quite right. Patti presented me with this as a Christmas gift. Patti beaded the earrings and bracelet herself. That girl is really talented! I love my beaded jewelry set and will definitely not reserve it for the holiday season!

Another new friend is someone many of you might know, Karin . Karin came to Chicago by way of New Jersey but is originally from the Netherlands. Funny, Laura commented on Karin's blog about her LNS and brought her here to the shop. It's amazing how all our lives are intertwined with stitching and blogging and crafting in general. Stitchers are just the greatest people. Karin gave me this lovely gift. The cute little clogs will hang on my Christmas tree and will be a remembrance each year. The cookies, unfortunately, didn't last very long, as I served them to my family after Christmas Eve dinner. Karin explained the proper way to eat the cookies is to place one on top of a hot cup of coffee so that the carmel inside melts into gooey lusciousness. My family gobbled them up and raved about them the whole time!

So, dear readers, thank you for following along. I have so many thoughts racing around in my head and want to share it all with you. Stay tuned for future releases of some of the fun things I did while the family and twins were in town!

Stay warm and keep stitching,
Cathy

Christmas already!

2009-12-22T21:18:00.000-06:00

I have a head-start on Christmas. My husband surprised me on Saturday evening by cooking dinner for me. When I got home, this was waiting for me on the table.

He also decided I needed some pampering (I've been asking for a while now - hint hint) and gave me a gift card to Jeffrey Lamorte Salon for a pedicure. Wow, what a salon. I haven't had a pedicure in a couple years and this was sure a welcome sight:

I walked in, gave my name, and Lindsay was waiting to take me back to the throne. The chair was awesome. You could recline the seat if you wanted and have the massage and heat going at the same time. I selected my polish color and soaked my feet for about 10 minutes before the pampering began. It was an awesome gift and I'm glad my DH let me have the treat before Christmas!

Friday night was a get-together with some stitching friends. I do exchange gifts with a couple friends. Here's what I got from Debbie:

It's a pretty bookmark with an initial charm. It's very beautiful and I hate to hide it away in a book. For now, it's hanging on the tree. Speaking of trees, isn't mine pitiful?

We don't have a "real" tree. This was one I picked up a couple years ago. I lived in a two-story townhouse and there was a ledge at the top of the landing going up to the second floor. I used to put this tree on top of the ledge since the ceiling was so high and the living room area was open to the second floor. But now, this poor tree is so skinny and sad looking in the living room. I do love it though. There are little bird nests and birds and berries tucked in the branches. Maybe some day I'll have a larger tree. My favorite is a real one; the smell is wonderful and makes the house more "Christmas-y". Another gift from Debbie is a Starbuck's gift card. Some people may not appreciate a gift card but for me to buy a coffee at Starbuck's is a real splurge. I just won't spend the money on myself. But a gift card is a great present because I can enjoy the coffee without the guilt! Thanks, Deb!!!

Pam surprised me with a gift. Isn't this the cutest bag?

Inside the bag was a Bath & Body hand soap in one of my favorite Christmas scents, "Winter Candy Apple". The other part of my gift was a Pandora charm! I recently bought a Pandora-style bracelet with two beads. I am also known to travel everywhere with my coffee mug so Pam has added some fun to the bracelet!. Another great gift!

I am blessed beyond belief by my husband and friends. I pray you will be blessed also by your loved ones. Encourage the blessings by spreading your own Christmas cheer! Merry Christmas to all!

Turkey, Cranberries and Yum!

2009-12-05T21:35:00.000-06:00

A few more weeks have come and gone and wow, it's December already! I love the fall and I think Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It's too bad that in this country we seem to go from Halloween to Christmas without much fanfare regarding Thanksgiving. Well, I did not succumb to the decorating rush and my Autumn decorations were left up until December 3rd in the shop. Yesterday I put new lights in the front window, added the greenery to the top of the shelves and today KathyM put up the Christmas tree. It still needs lights (might be able to do without them) but it has lots of ornaments and a cute, wintry tree skirt.

I want to extend a HUGE thank you to all of you that came out to the shop during November to help me celebrate the First Anniversary of Inspired Needle. What a fun month! I wish I could give prizes away every month....it is so much fun to see the surprised looks on your faces when you win. I did send out emails to my last two winners and I have a few more prizes to put in the mail. I got a bit behind when we went to PA last week but I am catching up!

It's too late now for you to use the following recipe, but save it for next year or maybe Christmas, if you have turkey for dinner. This is a recipe I got from a friend. I've made it several times and it is fabulous! It sounds a bit weird, but trust me, you'll make it again and again.

Turkey Wild Rice Pumpkin Soup

2 T butter
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups chicken or turkey broth
1 can (16 oz) solid pack pumpkin
2 cups (10 oz) cubed, cooked turkey
2 cups cooked wild rice
1 cup half and half
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Cook and stir butter, onions and celery in Dutch oven over medium heat until vegetables are crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Add broth and pumpkin. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in turkey, rice, half and half, salt and cinnamon. Heat to serving temperature; do not boil. Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion and cheddar cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Now here's a recipe you can use from Thanksgiving all the way through Christmas! It's perfect for a pot luck; everyone will ask you for the recipe!

Apple Cranberry Dessert
(courtesy of KathyM)

3 cups sliced apples
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice

Mix and put the above ingredients in a greased, oven-proof casserole dish.

Topping:
1-1/2 cups oatmeal
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 to 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts (quantity is your preference)

Combine topping ingredients and gently spoon on top of apple-cranberry mixture. Pour 1 stick melted butter on top of it all in the casserole dish.

Bake uncovered at 325 degrees for 1 hour until topping is browned and fruit is tender.

I don't have a picture of the above recipe, but I'm making it for a Holiday Party on the 18th. I'll try to snap a pic and add it later.

Have a great day!

Cathy

Second Week of Winners

2009-11-15T21:17:00.000-06:00

I think I am going to miss doing these weekly drawings. It was sad when I was finished drawing names because there were still a lot of names in the jar and no more prizes to be distributed. Well, there are more prizes, but I am saving some for next Saturday and the Saturday after that. So, here are the winners and their prizes. If you do not live local, I will be mailing out your prize. Congratulations!

Kathy-Spring Seasonal Bitty Buttons & Fiber pack by Cathy Jean
Vicki, Gentle Art Special Edition Perle Cotton
Arlene-Fall Seasonal Bitty Buttons by Cathy Jean
Jane-Seasons Changing Bellpull by Rosewood Manor
Carol-Summer Seasonal Bitty Buttons & Fiber pack by Cathy Jean
Jamee-Gentle Art Spring Bag
Marilyn-Lilly Flower Sachet Sac by Fern Ridge Collections
Patricia-Chessie & Me Blackbird Houses (Norden Crafts)
Pam-Gentle Art Backyard Blooms
Paula-Lizzie Kate Sampling Christmas Quick-iT and Calculator
Phyllis-Chessie & Me Blackbird Houses (Norden Crafts)
Kay-Monogrammed Cosmetic Bag by JBW Designs
Beverly (Yes, again!)-Seaside Stitches Accessories by Jeannette Douglas Designs

A huge thank you to all that have come out during the week and/or sent me an order. You are all the reason why I love my job!

Cathy

and the winners are.....

2009-11-07T17:29:00.000-06:00

Ok, my stitchy friends, today was the first doorprize drawing of the month! This is my Anniversary month....actually my one-year anniversary is tomorrow. Yea! Can you believe Inspired Needle is a year old? To help celebrate, I contacted a bunch of my vendors and asked them to provide some prizes. Many have complied and now I can share with my customers. Here you see the jar of drawing slips. Each time a sale was made this past week, the customer's name was written on a slip and placed in the jar. Internet orders, phone orders, walk in orders....it didn't matter. I will mail your prize if you live out of town.

Here is the group of prizes for the drawing this week. We have three thread packs from The Gentle Art. One is "Autumn", one is "Harvest" and the other is unnamed but contains both Sampler Threads and Simply Wool fibers. Then there is a wool kit from SamSarah, a "Dear Santa" kit with pouch, chart, beads and buttons from JBW, two Cathy Jean charts called "Wintertime" and "Fall" with fiber accessory packs and "Birthday Bellpulls 1" from The Victoria Sampler charted for September, October, November and December bellpulls all with accessory packs.

And the winners are.....
Autumn thread pack - Amy A
Harvest thread pack - Jenny
Sampler Thread/Wool Thread pack - Barb
Sam Sarah wool kit - Jill
Dear Santa kit - Debbie
Wintertime - Lori
Fall - Beverly
Birthday Bellpulls - Pam

The jar has been emptied and now all sales from next week Tuesday through Saturday will be placed inside. Those customers will have a chance to win a door prize next week! I have more goodies to win. Charts and kits from Jeannette Douglas, Fern Ridge, The Gentle Art, JBW, Lizzie*Kate, Victoria Sampler, Cathy Jean, Norden Crafts.....stay tuned for next week's winners!

Good luck!

Has It Really Been That Long?

2009-11-03T17:08:00.000-06:00

Sheesh, I can't believe it has been almost a month since I posted! I always have good intentions but then time has a knack for getting away from me.

Lots going on. The Online Needlework Show has come and gone and now the "trial" Needlework Retail Show will be here in a few days. I have also been busy at the shop getting things ready for my anniversary celebration. Yes, Inspired Needle will be 1 year old on November 8th! I can't believe it! What started out as a pipe-dream has developed into full-blown reality. It is so wonderful to wake up every morning and WANT to go to work. I have such fun setting up displays and putting things together at the shop. I try to guess what the customer will like and sometimes I hit it on the head and others, well, we won't talk about them! LOL

Well, the twins have turned seven. They really are growing up. We went to PA two weekends ago to celebrate their birthday. We had fun at the local pumpkin farm, which really isn't a farm but a nursery which does it up big for fall. They have lots of blow-up amusements for the kids like a slide, crawl-through maze, obstacle course, mountain climbing wall, corn maze, etc. We went last year too, and the kids enjoyed themselves. Not a bad price either. I think for $13 the kids could go on all the rides they wanted.

I did get some stitching done too, believe it or not. Check out my Cherie. You will notice that she has quite the full coat of wool since you saw her last! .
I also completed all the cherries so now Cherie will have something to nibble on until I finish the greenery

And this one is Chessie & Me's Pumpkin Stack. I decided to finish it as a pin keep but thought it looked cute enough without the pins.

Last, but not least, I am almost finished with Jeannette Douglas' First Chapter of My Stitching Album, Mosaic Muse. That one is a killer because it takes so long to stitch a Mosaic stitch compared to a cross stitch. I love the result and this will probably be one of my favorite chapters. I'll wait to update you with a picture and post one when the chapter is complete.

Thanks for checking back!

Cathy

I'm Thankful For....

2009-10-07T10:14:00.001-05:00

Electricity! I know it's not quite Thanksgiving, but I feel I ought to send my praises heavenward. Last evening was Open Stitch Night at the shop and I'm usually there until 9 or 10pm, depending on how much we get to talking! My cell phone rang about 9pm and it was my DH telling me the power was off at home, probably due to the high winds we were having in the Chicagoland area. Well, I ended up not leaving the shop until almost 10:15pm and sure enough, the power was still off when I got home. But it was weird. Some lights worked, some did not. I thought I'd have to get out of the van to open the garage door, but the opener worked. So, I trudged up the stairs (elevator, not working) and stepped into a mostly-dark house. My DH had made some salmon on the grill and some green beans on the stove. Forget about heating it up in the microwave, so I just warmed up a bowl of soup in a pot on the stove. Can't browse the net since the router didn't have power. By candlelight, I brushed my teeth, washed my face (brrr, cold) and jumped into bed.

I woke several times during the night wondering if the power was back on, but the clock radio on my nightstand remained dark. I was semi-conscious around 4am when I thought I saw a light shining from the living room, so I thought all was well with the world.

When I awoke this morning, there was still no power! I must have been dreaming about the light last night. I shuffled to the kitchen as is my usual routine and stopped dead in my tracks. NO coffee!! Whhhaaaaaa! But wait, there was a working outlet over by the stove because thank-the-Lord the refrigerator had power. I was able to brew my java and my world was restored. Now onto the daunting task of a bath. I pulled out the largest pot I could find and filled it with water and set it on the stove to boil. Two potfuls and I was ready for the tub. Sheesh, this is a lot of work! Breakfast was challenging, too, since I still couldn't use the microwave for my bacon.

I did get through the morning - had to flat-iron the hair in the kitchen (eeeewwwwww) and when the power is restored, I'll have to do a good job of vacuuming. Am I spoiled or what? We have it so easy, yet we complain all the while. I slept in a comfortable bed, I had wonderful smelling candles for light and I took a warm bath this morning. Yes, I had to expend a bit of energy to make some of it happen, but it wasn't all that difficult. The little things I don't think about every day, I certainly don't want to take for granted. I have it so easy compared to my ancestors! I am so grateful for electricity and how it makes light my tasks every single day!

Have a great power-filled day today!
Cathy

A weekend in St. Charles

2009-10-02T00:42:00.000-05:00

Missouri, that is, for all you Chicagoland folks. St. Charles, MO is where the Fall Needlecraft market was held. I was excited to attend as this was the location of the very first Needlecraft market I ever attended. Last year, I was green, haven't not yet opened my retail needlework store. This year, I can say I'm "less green". LOL I still have a lot to learn, but it's getting better. We all make good decisions and then, well, there's some bad decisions mixed in there, too.

My cohort, Debbie, and I headed out for St. Charles last Friday morning. We had scheduled some classes for Friday afternoon, which meant we had to drive, allow time for lunch and arrive at our hotel by 1pm. We left early enough from Chicago and arrived with time to spare. We decided to make a stop off at the local needlework store. Some things never change, do they? After browsing for a bit, we asked for a recommendation for lunch. Lewis & Clark's was a few blocks away, so off we went. Cute place with a balcony on the top floor for those willing to brave the cool breeze. We weren't. Debbie ordered a chicken salad sandwich and I had a grilled chicken breast atop a bed of greens and steamed vegetables. Sad to say, lunch was lackluster. Somehow "bed of greens" to me does not mean iceburg lettuce!!! That's what I got. :( Anyway, we wished we could have hung out more in the historic district of St. Charles, but we had classes awaiting! Here is a view looking down the street. Very quaint town with lots of nice shops!

The class I attended was to help in running a business so there's no fun pictures to post, but Debbie took a felting class with Judy Bielec of Mosey N Me. Here is the cute scissor fob that she made. Heck, that is no "little" scissor fob.....maybe she could attach it to a full-sized pair of dressmaker shears!
(For size perspective, the witch is leaning up against a medium-sized pumpkin)
Watch this space for more posts regarding my trip to St. Charles.

Until later,
Cathy

Cherries, anyone?

2009-09-20T00:14:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, I woke up to a spooky kind of morning. This was the view from my kitchen balcony.
It felt very fall-ish and I wondered if I should be watching for things flying through the air?!

I also had the opportunity to take a class with Barbara Jackson of Tristan Brooks Designs. I wasn't able to attend her basket class on Saturday, but I really wanted to take her crewel class, Cherries for Cherie, and I was so fortunate the class was on Sunday, when I could attend. Barbara is a crewel master and she certainly doesn't design the old-school crewel that our mothers used to stitch. Take a look at some of these beauties.

These two photos on the left are Barbara's new teaching pieces. The class piece that we were taught is below:
("Cherries for Cherie" above is Barbara's, not mine!) I'd love to show you what I accomplished in class but I was a bit rushed this afternoon and I left my stitching bag at the shop. I will have to post a pic next time for you all. I'll try to actually work on this piece some time soon before I forget all that I've learned. Be on the lookout for Barbara's crewel designs to show up in the shop....I can't resist!

A group of us met at the shop this afternoon to work on Jeannette Douglas' "My Stitching Album". I showed you the Mosaic Muse chapter last time and here is another progress pic. I really like this stitch but it does move pretty slowly. What do you think so far?

Thanks for reading, my friends! Until next time....

Have you tried Mirai?

2009-09-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

Have you ever heard of it? I didn't either until this summer. Someone from my Village Office was going door to door of the businesses of Lemont, informing us of the Farmer's Market and inquiring if we'd like to set up a booth. One of the "perks" of this particular Farmer's Market was that a vendor would be there selling Mirai pronounced ME-rye) corn. One of my first trips over to the Farmer's Market, I purchased 6 ears of the bi-color corn. The flavor of this sweet corn was awesome. It was some of the first pick of the crop this season and the ears were not very large. Even so, they were sweet, juicy and a reminder of summer's past.
Just this past Tuesday, I purchased a dozen ears of corn, this time 6 bicolor and 6 sweet yellow. The kernals were huge! No mushy spots, no bare spots....just pure, kernal-y bliss!
I was wondering if you could eat the corn raw as it is so sweet. I happened to check out the website and found that they recommend eating the corn either way; cooked or raw! The corn was first introduced in Japan in 1995 as a super-sweet corn. The Japanese named it Mirai, meaning "taste of the future". Try an ear of Mirai instead of a plum some evening. Yummy! The Farmer's Market will be in the Historic Downtown part of Lemont through October every Tuesday from 8a to 1p. Get there early for the best picks!

On a stitchy note, I did several bands of My Stitching Album's Mosaic Muse over the Labor Day weekend. A couple members of my Jeannette Douglas monthly stitch group complained how difficult this chapter was to stitch. I can see how they would think it was tedious, but for me, it was fun! I love the mosiac stitch and I just love how it forms little bumps on the linen. Here's my progress so far. I am going to push myself to do a little bit every night.

Tomorrow at the shop I'm hosting an open house for the Waterfall Glen Chapter EGA. Some members will be there to promote EGA and all types of embroidery. They will have stitched pieces for show and can talk to interested parties about what EGA is and how it benefits them personally. I, myself, have been a member over 10 years. I don't think I would have expanded my stitching horizons had it not been for EGA. I hope to update you all with some pics from the big event in the next couple of days!

Have a good evening! Thanks for reading!

Where's the meat?

2009-09-08T23:45:00.001-05:00

Another whirlwind weekend with the twins has come and gone. My DH and I headed out to PA early Friday morning. We left at 12:30am....it makes for a long drive when you're so tired that you should be going to bed. Rather, we head out for a 10 hour drive! I slept a good portion of the way; heck, who was I kidding....I slept the whole way until DH could drive no more. We pulled into a rest area and slept for 4 more hours. I woke up rested and refreshed and drove the remainder of the trip while DH continued to sleep on and off. Of course, by this time I was starving so I began to look for a nice place to eat breakfast. When you've traveled that far northeast and you're not on the tollroad any longer, the pickins get pretty slim. I spotted a Cracker Barrel and headed on over. Now, I used to dislike Cracker Barrel as I feel their food and service became very sub-standard but they redeemed themselves due to our last "emergency" visit (no other choices). The breakfast I had last time was so outstanding, I can still smell the bacon! Needless to say, Friday morning I hoped to duplicate my wonderful breakfast, so I ordered the same meal. It arrived in fairly short order but you probably could have watched my face drop. The scrambled eggs looked fake and rubbery, the bacon looked as if it had been sitting 4 or more hours and the toast was burnt along the crust. Surprisingly, the waitress wandered over to our table to ask how everything was. Why do they do that? If I had served the meal, I would hightail it out of the area and not show up until the plates looked cleared! I was pretty speechless and DH had to tell the waitress that I was disappointed in the meal. I finally found my voice and said the meal looked awful. She offered to bring me a new meal but no, I have heard horror stories about that. I suffered in silence. She did bring me new bacon which looked slightly less old; maybe had only been sitting 3 hours. I still have to go visit crackerbarrel.com and let them know what I thought of their restaurant.

Meals with the twins are usually on the go and I'm lucky to get a decent meal all weekend. There was a rainbow in this stormy, overcast, bad meal weekend as we stopped at a place in Erie called Backyard Burgers. Great "fast" food. If you have to eat junk, this is a good place to eat. Burgers were yummy, the waffle fries great. Even my Cajun Chicken salad was good. It would have rated "awesome" if it contained leafy greens other than iceburg lettuce.

Monday morning we packed up to head back home. We had a quick lunch of hot dogs and mac & cheese. We dropped off the twins and then started our long drive home. I was just biding my time until the toll road where I could get a Starbuck's and perhaps a semi-decent dinner. Again, slim pickins, but we lucked out at one Plaza which contained a Starbuck's and a Panera. I was too happy! I don't much care for the bread (s) at Panera but do like their salads. Well, they were promoting their new soup/salad combo, a bowl of Tomato soup and the Napa Almond Chicken Salad sandwich.
Yum, yum. Against my better judgement, I ordered the combo. I normally pass on all the sandwiches because I just can't handle all the bread but this one looked too good to refuse. Take a look at the advertisement....your mouth is watering, huh?

Now at the table, I thoroughly enjoyed the tomato soup. A big thumbs up for that one. However, I opened up the sandwich and to my dismay, I saw about a tablespoon of chicken salad atop two tomatoes, atop a monstrous piece of lettuce, sandwiched between two thick slices of bread. I don't know about you, but to pay $7.69 for a lousy 4 chunks of chicken breast, chopped celery and about a half a grape makes me a little upset. Sorry for the lousy pic; I had to use my phone!

Shame on me for not taking the sandwich back to the counter. It was crowded and this particular Panera was having some "grumblings" behind the counter with the staff. Maybe the cook was having a bad day or he was in a rush. Either way, it was a terrible waste of money for two slices of bread, two slices of tomato and a huge lettuce leaf. Next time I'll know better and won't even bother trying to do the "fast food" thing. Are there any good, somewhat healthy food places out there? Maybe I'm just missing them...every restaurant seems bent on serving huge bread sandwiches with a little bit of meat. Bread is not my idea of a meal. Maybe I'll just save a few $$ and pack my own lunch!

Thanks for reading!

Lions and tigers and sweat, oh my!

2009-08-23T00:15:00.000-05:00

A couple weeks ago was my birthday and we decided to make a family day of it. The twins were back home already but Daddy had taken them to the zoo the previous week. It had sounded like fun, so I chose to spend my birthday there. The temperature was probably close to 93 degrees that day and the heat index was 100. There was NO line to get in the zoo; as a matter of fact, they weren't even collecting guest passes. We have a membership and my sister was along as our guest. The zoo workers at the gate were just waving anyone in....we quickly figured out why.....the place was deserted because it was so darn hot!! The animals were suprisingly active and this little critter was quite entertaining, forcing his keeper to sweat even more as she shoveled dirt back in the holes he was so fond of creating.

We didn't ride the carousel but I snapped a pic of the ferocious animals stuck in an eternal dizzy spin.

Did you know that there were dinosaurs at the zoo? This was a surprise to me but Brookfield Zoo now has a "Dinosaurs Alive" exhibit. My DH took the kids to see it last trip, but we passed on the fun. The closest we came to a dinosaur ourselves was this animatronic Ruyang Yellow River replica which not only roared, but also spit at passers-by. Here's my sister trying to make a quick get-away.

Beautiful flower beds, too. I think I enjoyed them as much as the birds and bees. If you look closely at my favorite cone flowers, right in the center of the picture, you will see a lovely little bird. Bird-watcher I'm not, so I can't help you with the name of this feathered friend.

And now for a stitchy bit of news....a while back I posted pics of my Knotted Tree piece, "Summer Floral Sampler". Here it is framed. I love this design as it is so vibrant and colorful. It hangs in the shop where I can look at it every day.

And before I close, I thought I'd share Angie's first stitches. The piece on the bottom is a heart and her first attempt at stitching on her own. (Hey, where did that Fluffy come from? Sneaky kitty!) I drew a heart shape on the fabric and she was able to backstitch it. I think I will frame it and place it in her room. She was able to stitch that the first part of the summer. On the orange fabric is a pumpkin I drew. Angie added the jack-o-lantern face (you will have to look closely at the pencil markings) but did the backstitching on her own. I hope to share with her my love of the needle. I do hope she keeps up with it as she likes to stitch, likes to help me stitch and for her age, I feel she does well sitting for extended periods of time, concentrating on perfecting her stitches.

Thanks for checking in to see what's new! Now that the summer is winding down, I hope to be a bit more regular in posting!

Cathy

A Loose Feathers Special

2009-08-08T16:29:00.000-05:00

I am so happy to be back home after being on the road so long that I am running a Loose Feathers special on my Facebook page. Check here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lemont-IL/Inspired-Needle-Ltd/84293506602

You will need to leave a comment on the Facebook page in order to qualify so you might need to get a Facebook profile. It's quick and easy!

Here's what's on special:

Hope you're staying cool on this hot, hot Saturday!!

Cathy

Homebound and Melancholy

2009-08-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

My DH and I are now driving back to Chicago after dropping off the twins in PA. It's rather depressing, this part of the trip. We had such fun with them this summer. I will have nice reminders though of them playing at the shop. We colored or used Play-Doh or they helped me take packages to the Post Office. Here's a pic I shot on our walk back from the Post Office. This was on Stephen's Street, heading toward Illinois Street. My shop is just around the corner on the right.

One thing that will help me when I start to miss the kids is that Angie left behind her Fluffy kitty. She left it behind the first part of the summer and I took pictures of the mischief Fluffy got into while she was alone in the shop. When Angie came back to Chicago, I showed her the photos and I think this time, she "left behind" Fluffy on purpose so I could take more snaps and mail them to her. I will have fun with this! It's similar to a Flat Stanley if you are familiar with that concept.

It has been a beautiful day even though my DH dragged me out of bed at 5:30am so we could get on the road. It's about a 10 hour drive to PA but look at the beautiful landscape we get to enjoy.

My niece, Stefanie, who has been manning the shop for me, tells me that it's raining back home. I'm sorry to hear that because it has been such a great drive. I dislike to drive in rain and to take the kids back in the rain would have been a double whammy.

I'll be back in the shop tomorrow afternoon. I missed being there even though I was there part of each day. Class coming up on Saturday, August 22, is Country Cottage Needleworks Garden Party. There are 4 insects to choose from. This is a beginner/refresher stitch class. If you'd like some pointers working with over-dyed threads, this is the class for you. Call me at the shop to schedule your place. This stitched model is Ladybug and was worked up by Carol T who is also teaching the class.

Lastly, Stefanie stitched a Blackbird Loose Feathers from my stash. Unfortunately, the chart is no longer available. It is a wonderful sampler and I have already ordered the frame. I will get it laced up this weekend so I can drop it off for framing on Monday. You won't see it at the shop, but I'll post a shot of it once it's in the frame! The design is called Sunflower House and I believe it is Loose Feathers #11. Stefanie says I have to hang the sampler on the wall behind the chair she sat in at our dining table. If she wasn't sleeping, Stefanie was in that chair, stitching away.

Until another day, my friends. Thank you for reading!

Cathy

Is it Tea Time?

2009-07-18T21:20:00.000-05:00

For those of you in the Chicagoland area, here's a chance to take a class with a National teacher, Barbara Jackson. Barbara will be teaching classes for the Lake Michigan Sampler Guild on September 12th and 13th. Come create a charming tea time basket band. The motifs are reminiscent of those sea faring days when tea was quite a luxury. Barbara has arranged motifs around two tea time sayings, but you can alter to your liking. The embroidery was designed to fit inside an adaptation of a beautifully constructed Nantucket shopping basket. Just the thing ladies carried when they visited their friends for tea! The sailing ships, mermaids and delightful colonial maids are all ready to grace your work as you create your own "needle story" on 36 count Edinborough linen. The basket measures approximately 7" x 9" x 6" high. The assembly of the lining is quite easy and will be demonstrated in class.

The kit contains linen for the band and accessories, silks, complete instructions, extra graph paper, photos, needles, cardboard for base and Nantucket basket from Olde Colonial Designs.

For more details and to register for the class, visit Lake Michigan Sampler Guild Sign-up deadline is August 12, 2009!

What a beautiful piece! If you have the chance, take the class. Barbara is an excellent teacher!

Cathy

Can I get a little sympathy?

2009-07-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

I really don't expect too much, just a little "awwww, I'm so sorry." I've heard horror stories about people's air conditioning going out during the hottest days of summer but I've always been fortunate that it never happened to ME. Well, until yesterday, that is!! Yesterday afternoon I noticed it getting warmer and warmer here in the shop and sure enough, the compressor is not running outside. Poor Debbie covered my evening shift because I had to attend my EGA meeting. She even changed into shorts and a tank top but it didn't seem to help! Today the repairman has not come yet and I am sitting ever so still so as not to expend too much energy. I have a fan blowing on me, but the temp has crept up to 80 degrees. I'll say a little prayer that the repairman comes SOON. How did people ever survive without air conditioning? Oh, we are a spoiled bunch of humans, aren't we???

I also promised you a full pic of my "1776" by Carousel Charts. I couldn't type on my blog what it was for, but I did this piece for my friend that got married on July 4th. I removed the "1776" from the design and added the couple's last name and the wedding date. She loved it! I really enjoyed stitching this piece and love the R&R Americana Blend fabric I stitched it on so much more so than the Oatmeal the design called for.

Thanks for stopping by! Stay cool!
Cathy

Bridge Out Ahead!

2009-07-11T15:30:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm, that would have been a helpful notice if it had been posted yesterday, or last week or even two weeks ago, but there were no signs indicating the fiasco that ensued today. I left my house at my usual time to make the short drive to the shop in downtown Lemont, IL. I was meandering along, moving over to the right lane because for the last three weeks or so there has been construction on the Lemont Avenue bridge which is over the I&M Canal and the Des Plaines River. The Northbound lanes have been closed for resurfacing and the Southbound lanes have been used to move traffic in both directions. So, as I drive closer to the bridge I see the notice that the bridge is closed and Lemont Road South detour is permitted a U-turn. I could not make heads nor tails of the Detour signs and I live here and drive over this bridge every single day! I exited to the right and followed along some quarry road but quickly decided this was going nowhere fast, so I whipped a U-ie and headed North down Lemont Road.

I was only 20 minutes late to the shop and Pam followed closely behind so it wasn't a disaster, but all this was to say, "Why weren't we notified?" Such frustration! There are very limited routes that cross over the Canal and River and if you don't have a GPS at your disposal, you'll be calling your husband like I did to find out where to go next. I decided I was going to call the Village of Lemont and voice a complaint about the lack of information regarding the bridge closing, so I went to the website to look up the phone number. Here is what I found:

The "news flash" would have been so helpful if it had been posted at the foot of the bridge yesterday! A customer of mine and her friend came from the Northwest suburbs this afternoon and tried to follow the detour signs. An hour and a half later, they were closer to the shop, about 10 minutes away, when the detour wanted them to head South on State Street. Luckily, they didn't follow the sign or they would still probably be driving around!

On another note, I'm in the process of setting up a new blog. I've been having problems interacting with Blogger and Wordpress blogs and they don't link properly to mine. I'm going to try to bring over all my posts to the new blog and when it's all ready, I'll switch the addy the website points to so you get redirected to the right place.

That's all for now, folks! Thanks for listening!

Open Stitch Night

2009-07-11T15:26:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd give you a peek at what takes place at an Open Stitch Night at the shop. Here is just one table of stitchers, engaged in some form of stitching, talking, eating or browsing. Tonight was pretty crowded. We had three tables set up - you're looking at the table with the most people. It's a lot of fun to come and hang out with other like-minded needle workers. You're away from the "everyday" at home and you share a common interest with everyone at the shop. There is only one danger, however, in such an environment......your friends will find items that you've never seen before and that you just "have to have"!

A suggestion was made to have an Open Stitch Night twice a month, perhaps on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Opinions? Would you be willing to come to both nights? How do you choose which night to attend? Any other suggestions?

Thanks to those of you that did come out tonight. I really enjoy these evenings as it's my chance to see what everyone is working on and to catch up with friends. I hope you did not mind the "coziness" and that you will come back again next month!

Bloggin' On.....

2009-07-11T15:24:00.000-05:00

It has taken me over two months to get through this magazine since I have little free time to read but I wanted to be sure not to miss a single article. This is a wonderful magazine and thanks to Laura's drawing, I was the lucky recipient of the mag. I would love to return the favor and will hold a drawing a week from tonight, July 9th to pass along the issue. If you'd like to be included in the drawing, please leave a comment.

Good luck!

Americana update

2009-07-11T15:23:00.001-05:00

Several weeks ago, I posted about the design by Carousel Charts, "1776" that I was stitching. I promised some updates but due to the swiftness of my stitching (very unusal for me!), I had already stitched some sections that were personalized which rendered the pictures unpostable. Well, here is my piece back from the framer and while I had to do some significant cropping, you can still get a good idea of how the design looks on the American Blend fabric by R&R. Give me another week or so and I'll be able to post the entire pic.

Happy Independence Day!

Cathy

Me and my shadow

2009-07-11T15:18:00.000-05:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...been busy writing newsletters, sprucing up the shop and getting my niece trained to run the shop in my absence. I am typing this while traveling along I-90 (how cool is that??!) on my way to pick up the kiddos to bring them to Chicago. We'll have them here for a few weeks and then we're taking off for Cedar Point for a few days. We'll hook up with my husband's sister and her family and do a little splashing in the water park and roller coaster-ing at the amusement park. So, just to let you know, the shop will be closed Wed/Thur/Fri June 24, 25 & 26. The shop will reopen on Saturday, June 27, thanks to Pam's willingness to run things while I'm gone! I will post a note on the front door, update my Facebook page and send out an email. I hope no one is disappointed by driving out to the shop on those days only to find it closed!

Here's what I've been doing the last week: we went for a very long walk through the Waterfall Glen forest preserve in search of the elusive waterfall. It wasn't really elusive but yours truly seriously miscalculated the distance of the waterfall from our house! After walking 4 miles, we realized it would be another mile and a half before we reached the falls. Sorry, no can do. There wasn't enough time and Stefanie's feet were starting to hurt her. So, we turned back and hobbled home. Every chance we could, we stopped to admire the wildlife. Froggy-went-a-courting can be see out on the log:

I remember that song from when I was a kid. On long car trips, my Aunt would sing, "Froggy went a courtin' and he did ride, um hum, um hum...." Now everytime I see a frog, that song runs through my head.

We also happened upon some toddlers out frolicking in the pond:

But, as in any adventure story, there has to be a villian. We saw a sneaky snake hiding in the cattails, hopefully just taking a nap. We didn't bother too much with him; just snapped the pic and went on our way. We hoped he wasn't waiting for a chance to munch on some duck for lunch!

Since arriving in Chicago, my niece, Stefanie, has been stitching her little heart out. I sent her "Mermaid Sampler" by Shepherd's Bush a few months ago but she hadn't started it yet. She was afraid because it was on linen and she had only stitched on aida. Here is her finished sampler, specialty stitches and all:

Stefanie takes to stitching like a fish to water. It's wonderful to have a young lady to teach to pass along this art. After all, someone has to inherit all my stash when I die, right? Here's a close-up of the mermaid. She is really cute. Stefcha, you did a great job!

We just stopped for breakfast so it's time to get back on the road. Have a great weekend, everyone!

A star-spangled, beaded necklace!

2009-07-11T15:16:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe "star-spangled" is pushing it a bit, but I did manage to finish all the beading for Rosewood Manor's "Gathering Flowers" beaded linen necklace over the Memorial Day Weekend. This is the class piece that will be taught June 5th at 6pm. The class will be taught in two parts. The first part will be general stitching instructions and assembly of the beaded neckchain. Homework will be to stitch the front and back sides and be ready to attach the beaded swags and neckchains in the next class session. After we attach those, we will attach the two sides together and go home wearing our new necklaces! How do you like the model so far? It sure was fun to make the chain, even though I did it twice. The first time I found I didn't make the chain long enough so I cut off the beading and started over!

Lately I've been having a problem with being on my feet all day at the shop. I was blog hopping on Monday morning and came across a blog that had a link to the Crocs website. My DH has a pair of Scutes slip-ons and those are the ultimate in comfort ~ like walking on pillows. I think all Crocs are rather unattractive (putting it nicely) and had never considered a pair due to that reason. Browsing the website, I saw a pair called Malindi that would look really cute with crop pants. I have been wearing my Nike's to the shop to save my feet but even those fall short on comfort some days. At only $30, I thought I'd give them a try. So, DH and I headed on out to Dick's Sporting Goods to look at the Croc's they had in stock. Right away, I didn't care for the Malindi style, but I did find Olivia which were ok looking and comfortable, too.

I purchased a pair of Olivia in brown and put them on in the car. I wore them the rest of the day and my feet did not feel tired at all! I think I would have worn them to bed if not for that "no shoes on the bed" rule that I have! They were warm and cozy and there is definitely no "break in" period as with all other new shoes. The only thing that is a bit bothersome is that my feet feel sweaty after just a few minutes. Seeing that I've had them on all day today and my feet and legs are not sore from walking around the shop says quite a bit. I am sold on Crocs. Ok, I won't wear them for our next night on the town, but for a general purpose, I-need-comfortable-shoes kind of day, the Crocs fit the bill!

I hope you all had a pleasant long weekend and got lots of stitchy things done!

Treasure Hunting part II

2009-07-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

I have finished the backside of my linen necklace and just sent out a shop email informing my readers of the class that is scheduled. This hand-stitched wearable was fun to stitch and it will look great around my neck! The first part of the class is scheduled for June 5th, a Friday evening. We will get started on our stitching, talk about placement on the fabric and I'll expound a bit on the embellishing. We'll also put together as much of the beaded neckchain as possible. When we come back together on July 10th, another Friday evening, we will assemble the entire thing so that you will leave class with a fabulous piece of wearable art! Check back soon for more pics with the beads/Treasures.

More to write as I want to update you on my relaxing weekend with the kids! .....to be edited.... Ok, I'm back! We had such a glorious day in PA on Friday while folks back home were dragging out the canoes and dinghies. The weather was perfect; 74 and sunny. By the time we reached Erie, it had cooled off somewhat but still nice enough to head out to Presque Isle State Park. This peninsula is a fun place to go to walk, bike, hike, swim, skate or drive. There were several groups of people having picnics on the beach and our little group was skipping stones!

We searched for shells and feathers and came away with a pretty good haul.

We marveled at the vegetation and drank in the beauty of this natural, national landmark.

The kids had fun; we had fun. All in all, it was a perfect ending to a perfect day.

Americana on my mind

2009-07-11T15:05:00.001-05:00

Ever since Ranae was in the shop last weekend and purchased some R&R linen, "Americana Blend" for a chart she wanted to work on, I've been mulling it over in my mind about what I could stitch on that fabric. When we pulled the 32 count fabric, we ooh-ed and aah-ed over the very cool blue/green color. It was not quite what she was expecting but we both really liked it and she left very pleased with her selection. She will have to refresh my memory what chart the fabric was for, but I think it was a La-D-Da.

This week I've been in a very patriotic mood. I changed out the display in the front window and now there are lots of Red, White and Blue themed charts in view. One new chart that has come in the shop is "1776" by Carousel Charts.

Getting ready for my long weekend, I wanted to cut linen and pull fibers to stitch this design. The chart calls for 16 count Fiddler's Oatmeal Light Aida. Now I like linen. All kinds. I didn't want Oatmeal, Antique White or Cream fabric and was thinking that the design would lend itself to a blueish fabric. So I turned to my fabric cabinet and started looking and my fingers fell upon, yep, you guessed it, Americana Blend! I pulled the 30 count I have in this color and it is certainly blu-er than the piece that Ranae got, but I like it equally. I always marvel that I can look at something day in and day out and not really see it, but let someone "discover" it and suddenly, I see it in a whole new light! That's what I love about stitch nights. I like to see what others are working on. They always lend inspiration and while I may not choose to stitch what someone is working on, I may get new ideas just from seeing their current work-in-process. Here's my "before" pic. I'll post progress pics as I can.

I'm heading out of town for a long weekend. The shop will be in capable hands. I'm very torn when I have to leave town as I really want to go, but I know I'll miss out on what is happening around the shop. I hope the gals take notes and let me know what I will miss! Take care and have a great weekend!

Going Treasure Hunting

2009-07-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

for Mill Hill Treasures, that is! I finished one side of the "Gathering Flowers" necklace by Rosewood Manor. All I have left is to sew on 4 Mill Hill Treasures. I'm already stitching on the 2nd side with my initial. There is hope yet for a May class!

Had a good Mother's Day. Did some grocery shopping after church today then out for a quick Chinese lunch. My favorite for Sunday afternoons! Cleaned up the house a bit, did a load of laundry and started packing for our trip this weekend. DH grilled me a steak for dinner and we had cucumbers and fresh mozzarella again - not that I minded one bit! I hope you all had enjoyable family time this weekend and were treated royally!

Catching up is hard to do...

2009-07-11T14:58:00.000-05:00

(sung to the tune of "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do") .. It seems like I've been failing to update the blog as frequently ever since I created a page for Inspired Needle on Facebook. Wish I could clone myself. Then I'd be able to keep up with the website, Facebook, the blog and stitch! I'd be supremely happy!

Not much stitching done this week. I did lace up Spots III by Lilybet. As soon as I get it from the framer, I'll snap a pic. My friend Carol stitched it up as a shop model and she did a fantastic job. She also is a speedy stitcher and her work always looks exceptional!

The day at the shop was busy again. I had two new-to-me customers, one of whom found me through blogging! I was so thrilled to find out that tidbit of news. Apparently, Ranae read about my shop on Laura's blog so today she and her DH took a drive from up north to check it out. Thank you so much for making the trek! I hope you find it was worth the drive and your time.

Speaking of Laura, I was the lucky winner of her giveaway last week. Her blog was written up in Artful Blogging magazine and to celebrate, was giving away a previous issue. When Laura came to the Open Stitch night last Tuesday, she handed me the magazine (and some extra stitchy magazine treats!) and said I won. Now, I had even checked her blog earlier in the day to see who had won and even remember reading the name, but it did not register that *I* was the "Cathy" that won! Woohoo! Thanks a bunch, Laura. I am a new blogger and I need all the pointers I can get!

After work, I came home and DH and I went for a walk outside. It was quite lovely; a little cool-ish, but since we were walking, we didn't need jackets. When we got back home, we both worked on dinner. He grilled some bacon-wrapped sirloin (got it at Costco....DH loved them...I thought they were just ok) while I made some cucumbers with sour cream and a plate of fresh mozzarella with tomatoes drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Scrumptious!

Dishes were cleaned up and then I settled in to stitch on my next class piece, Rosewood Manor's "Gathering Flowers" linen necklace. It seems I should have gotten farther than I did; after all, I was stitching for more than 3 hours! How could I have so little to show for it? Anyway, here is my start. Class should be late this month, but it might be early next month. Watch your email box for more details. If you'd like to be added to my shop email newsletter list, please leave me a comment.

Shortly after I sat down this evening, I looked out the front window and this was the sight I beheld:

Such a view! It was the last of the sun for the day and within moments, the marvelous red was gone.

Good night. May you enjoy the remainder of your weekend!

Another weekend gone....

2009-07-11T14:54:00.000-05:00

Saturday was a busy day at the shop and before I could finish my lunch, it was 4 o' clock. The DH decided to meet me at the shop and take me out to dinner. Well, actually, he drove his motorcycle and followed me to the restaurant. There is a new restaurant in downtown Lemont that opened that looked promising, but I chickened out from trying it. I hesitate when spending $$ for a nice steak if I'm unfamiliar with a place. What if the food is bad or not what I expected? I really dislike spending good money for dinner and then not being satisfied. So, we opted for one of my favorite restaurants, Longhorn. I have never had a bad meal there and Saturday night was no exception! My usual fare is the prime rib ~ mmmmm, yummy, however, I had a hankering for ribs. That in itself is unusual because if you know me, you know that I almost never order ribs. I was just in the mood, you know? So, I fretted and worried that I would be sorry I veered from the tried and true prime rib...well that is until my dinner came and I took one little bite of the ribs! Never had to fear! They were outstanding!! The DH had the prime rib and he was equally pleased with his meal. Two thumbs up, Longhorn!

Then, for the really good news of the evening, I worked on my little blackbird and he is finished. I added my initials and year at the bottom but first stitched them in Cinnamon to match the alphabet up top. I didn't like how it clashed with the greenery, so today I ripped it out and re-stitched with the same silk as the leaves and stems. Everything blends together well and you hardly notice the initials. Sorry for the wrinkled linen, but I was in a hurry to snap the picture as we were heading back out the door to the Sunday evening service.

Then when we got back home, I laced up "Hot Cider" by Little By Little. Pam did a great job on this design. She whipped it up in no time at all and I've been lax in ordering a frame for it. Well tonight it is ready for a new frame and a new place on the wall. You'll have to wait until I get it back before I can post a picture.

That's all for now! Happy Monday, everyone.

Harvest sightings.....

2009-07-11T14:52:00.001-05:00

As promised (but alas, I'm a bit behind schedule), here is "All In A Moon". This is second in a series by Miss Crescent's Crowne. Thanks to the quick stitching by Jean, this design is now hanging in the shop. Great work, Jean! The colors are fabulous. The fabric used was changed to Weeks Guacamole, which we felt gave the Crescent Colour fibers a bit more pop. Stay tuned for "All In A Heart" which will be posted as soon as Jean brings it to the shop!

Top 4 reasons how you know spring is here....

2009-07-11T14:49:00.000-05:00

4. Hyacinth, Daffodils, Tulips
3. Freshly mown grass (and the smell)!
2. Rain. Lots of it.
1. And the number one reason how you know spring is here.....DANDELIONS!

Ok, this can be edited to add more reasons. I could only come up with 4 - at least the top 4 that have been on my mind the last week or so! Here's a beautiful sight that greets me every morning when I leave my house. This was taken yesterday when there was a bit of sunlight shining down. Today it was overcast and gloomy (again...) and those pretty tulips were closed up tight.

A different, pretty little sight is "Friendship Samplers" by Country Stitches~With Thy Needle & Thread. These are miniature samplers and are shown stitched and mounted into little tin frames. They are so sweet. The designer has threaded the tin loop through with twine and affixed these precious samplers to rusty cans, a tattered old novel, a much-loved teddy.....you can even put it on a chain and wear it around your neck! Look at the lovely colors! Recommended fabric is Platinum Belfast and the DMC threads. I can just picture the ornament tree in my front shop window filled with these. Maybe my dear shop associate, Pam, can be coerced into stiching one (or two or three) for the shop??? :)

Look what Santa brought!

2009-07-11T14:46:00.000-05:00

Yes, it would be nice to think that Santa actually could fly here in April, but the reindeer haven't recovered yet from December. I've always been taught that they sleep for several months when the Christmas rush is over and then they start up training in July for the big event. So, let's just say that if Santa could, he would have brought this:

Instead, my friend Jean, who is Stitchy Royalty too, whipped this Christmas beauty up in the time it takes to say, "Dash away, all!" This is Miss Crescent's Crowne, "All In A Sleigh". There will be four designs in this series. Watch this space in the next couple of days for "All In A Moon". It will be a fav of all you Halloween fans. The third design released is "All In A Heart" and last I heard, Jean was almost finished stitching that one, too! As soon as I have them framed, they will be posted here. Thanks for a great stitch, Jean!

Happy Birthday, Debbie!

2009-07-11T14:45:00.000-05:00

What a beautiful day it is here in Chicagoland! The temp climbed to a high of 81 degrees today.....the windows and back door to the shop were open. There was a soft breeze drifting into the shop. It remained comfortable inside; I just couldn't bring myself to turn on the air after being cooped up all winter long!

I must send out birthday wishes to Her Royal Stitchiness, Debbie! She is my good friend and a supersonic stitcher. What did she do just prior to her big day? She stitched another model for the shop!! What a fab friend! She is enjoying time with her family that are visiting after a long stint overseas. I know they had a busy few weeks planned. Yesterday was spent at Brookfield Zoo and today they were going downtown to the Sears Tower Skydeck. Debbie, enjoy the wonderful day you were born! You are a gem of a friend.

Here is the sweet little scissor case Debbie whipped up. It is a Limited Edition design by The Cat's Whiskers called "For My Friend" stitched with those luscious Dinky-Dye silk threads.

A croaking finish!

2009-07-11T14:43:00.001-05:00

My framer dropped off Ink Circles "Croakworth" that my friend Deb stitched as a shop model. It is stunning!! I don't want to hang it on the shop walls; I want to take it home with me!! Deb, you did an excellent job stitching. This little beauty has a slight glare in the glass in the photo but I'm sure you'll drool just the same. :)

A downtown visit

2009-07-11T14:40:00.000-05:00

Although the reason we were downtown was not a good one, I did manage to snap a few pics of our beautiful city. The day was drizzly and overcast as evidenced by the low clouds obscuring the Sears Tower. If you look at the 2nd car on the left in the photo and then scan straight up with your eyes, the dark thin building is the Sears Tower. You can't see the top of the building nor the antennas due to the clouds.

Then, while waiting at a light, I looked up and there was the John Hancock building! It's the one with the antenna showing. Directly behind it, kind of whitish with a row of dark windows on the top floor, is the Chase Building, or as I remember growing up calling it the First National Bank building. That was an aquisition, but does it seem like every building gets renamed at some point? Even our beloved Marshall Fields is now Macy's. It will always be Marshall Fields to me!

Since I had lots of waiting time available to me, I was working on Summer Flower Sampler by Knotted Tree. Granted I did a lot of this during the last few days, but I did get a chunk done today. I made some progress, huh?

The picture does not do it justice. The silks are just so vibrant! I truly love this design and will enjoy looking at it hanging on the wall. I'm not sure about the specialty stitches, though. The design calls for some Rhodes stitches and a few other stitches (I can't remember off the top of my head) done in black and scattered about the design. I'll do a couple and see how it looks. I may decide to just leave them out.

Feel free to leave comments if you have something you'd like to say. I do enjoy keeping up with the blog and sharing with you all a little part of my day. :)

Glorious Day

2009-07-11T14:35:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to take pictures of the signs of Spring but up until yesterday, it has been gloomy and dark. Here are some lovely sights I get to behold on my way into the shop every day!

If you remember, a few posts back, I had finished stitching "Patriotic Landscape" by Homespun Elegance. It is finally laced and in its frame. I think it turned out well. I love the simplicity of the design and the fact that if it hangs on my wall for the next 30 years, I will never grow tired of looking at it!

That is two pieces laced and framed today! The other is by Sam Sarah, called Pearls Egg Delivery! Pam stitched that piece for the shop and it is now hanging on the wall! I'll try to snap a pic of it tomorrow.

Have you checked out the Online Needlework Show yet? www.needleworkshow.com I need to have your order sometime Monday evening. The show closes at midnight, 4/20, and I'll need to finalize my orders with the vendors and still get to sleep at a reasonable time! There are lots of designers that are new to me and I've seen many wonderful new designs. Browsing is free so hop on over to the Needlework Show and drool a little! :)

Didn't make the finish

2009-07-11T00:45:00.000-05:00

My local chapter of EGA will be assembling a biscornu for the "Program" portion of our meeting. The story began back in February where our Program Chairman cajoled the members to stitch a tuffet. Now, most of our membership is a little intimidated by the assembly process of the pincushion, but Joyce, our Chairman, patiently and gently explained how it was done. She instructed us in the up-front basting and backstitching that needs to take place before ever putting in those first stitches. We all left that meeting confident that we'd return for our April meeting finished with the stitching and ready to tackle the assembly.

Well, here it is....tomorrow is our chapter meeting and I haven't finished stitching my biscornu. I guess I will have to sit attentively and take lots of notes!! I am so close with the finish....one more motif to stitch and then the border. However, there is a 2nd side to this tuffet so I'm not really all that close. The progress continues. Now that I see how lovely this is turning out, I can't wait to finish! (Rindy, what do you think??)

Designer: Maureen Appleton ~ The Heart's Content
Design name: Garden Tuffet and Fob (haven't even thought about the fob yet!)
Stitched on "Muffin" Glenshee Linen with DMC floss

Little Gems have arrived!

2009-07-11T00:42:00.000-05:00

What a story to tell, but the precious Little Gems scissors from Kelmscott Designs have found their way to the shop! These six vibrant colors were lost on a shipment in France somewhere, promised to be redirected, but alas, they are still touring the French countryside. Paula, the designer, manufactured another batch of these tiny darlings to replace the lost shipment. Here they are and aren't they just so sweet? These new colors (green, white, red, blue, orange and yellow) now join their siblings (purple, silver, pink, gold and black) that have been in the shop since February.

These scissors are perfect homes for all those fobs we love to stitch. Or, tuck a pair in your travel bag for they are very airplane friendly. At the great price of $9 each, you can slip a pair into each of your project bags and never be without a way to cut your threads!

Need some inspiration?

2009-07-11T00:40:00.000-05:00

This treasure-trove of gems was hauled into the shop today by the UPS guy! Can you believe these colors? Mmmmm, mmmmmm......my mind is reeling with all the possibilities this little windfall can create! We are in Picture-This-Plus heaven here with yummy shades of Belfast, Cashel, Lugana and Aida in the following colors: Monet, Crystal Monet, Fizzle, Heritage, Willow, Mirage, Legacy, Crystal Legacy, Whirlpool (makes you want to dive right in), Jade, Jazz, Crystal Mercedes, Stellar, Crystal Meditation, Sorbet. Some of these are earmarked for my clients but most will join the basket of PTP fabrics out on the shop floor. These jewel colors make me think of the Easter Eggs I'll be dying later tonight with the twins!

My day off

2009-07-11T00:37:00.000-05:00

Sunday and Monday is my "weekend" but on those days, I tend to be more busy than when I'm at the shop! I had so much running around to do. The shop needed a good vacuuming so that was first on my list. I moved everything and vacuumed behind it all. There were so many dust bunnies, you'd think that I hadn't vacuumed since I opened the shop! I'm pretty regular when it comes to cleaning but the floor was really dusty. Next I mopped the floor. I also did a little rearranging, so let this be your warning for your next visit to the shop! LOL

Next, it was off to the bookstore, drop off "Croakworth" at the framers (I already laced it and it just needs to be popped into the frame) and then headed on over to Kohl's. My step-kids (twins!) are coming for the Easter break and I wanted to pick up some new Easter outfits for them both. I found Jack a "big man" outfit - those matching pants-shirt-tie-vest ensembles and a new pair of shoes. Angie is getting a pretty pink and orange dress with a matching pink bolero jacket and a new pair of white sandals. The twins will look so Spring-y this coming Sunday. I remember as a kid all the excitement of getting dressed for church so we could show off our new Easter clothes.

After several more errands, I finally arrived home were I cooked dinner, cleaned the dishes and finally sat down to stitch. This is a rare occasion and I'm grateful I had the time to relax. I am working on Summer Floral Sampler by Knotted Tree. I love the vibrant silks.....they are awesome to stitch with and really pop against the drab fabric. It almost reminds me of dried soil, hardened by the sun in the dead heat of summer. Could it be what the designer was trying to portray in this design? This piece is being stitched on R&R Creek Bed Brown, 30 count with Silk N Colors and Belle Soie silks, 2 strands over 2. I'm not happy with one row of the blackbird. The silk got thin and actually broke. Now that I look at a picture of the piece from a bit of a distance, I can see that row jump out at me. It's toward the back of the bird, by his tail. Too much ground fabric shows through so I think I will frog that row and restitch with fresh silk. Take a look. What do you think?

That's it for tonight. Tomorrow is Tuesday and it will be a long day for me.....Open Stitching at the shop from 6-9pm. I really think this is my favorite day of the month! I just love to see all the projects that everyone is working on. Good night!

Oooohhh, Spoooooookkkkkkyyyyyyy!

2009-07-11T00:35:00.000-05:00

This pic is from my friend, Tara, who is working on her own version of Lizzie*Kate's Boo! Flip-its. She has lined up her Flip-its in two vertical rows, giving her a window pane effect. Looks ghoulish! Great job, Tara! Thanks for sending the scan!

Another finish

2009-07-11T00:31:00.000-05:00

I did finish Homespun Elegance's Patriotic Landscape a few months ago but didn't have the little sheepies done. I was waiting on some Wisper which I finally picked up but then other things became more important and I never finished. The sheepies were stitched on my last trip to PA and tonight ~ since I'm in a finishing mood ~ I sewed on the Olde Brass Buttons. I love this piece! I love the colors, I love the American flag landscape and I love the soft, curly sheep. Can't wait to get it framed and hung in the shop.

Stitched on Ivory Cashel with Weeks Dye Works, DMC and Wisper by Rainbow Gallery. Olde Brass Buttons by Homespun Elegance.

Bargello Easter Eggs

2009-07-09T23:17:00.000-05:00

What a wonderful Sunday! Today was a nice relaxing day. I actually got to stitch a little bit and I finished off the Sekas Bargello Easter Egg I was working on. I'm not a big fan of working on perforated paper but I saw these eggs stitched up and on display in the Sekas booth at Nashville Market. They were so cute. I have a wire "tree" in the front window of my shop and here I will hang my little Easter Egg. Of course, it will be lonely, so I'll get busy and stitch another to keep it company. I don't think there's enough contrast with the Caron Watercolours I choose, so I'll use Williamsburg for the predominant stitch and Rosebud for the accent color.

Ink Circles "Croakworth" is laced onto foamcore and ready for the frame to arrive. As soon as it's ready, I'll post a picture for you to see.

How do you like the blog skin? I wasn't happy with the original, default skin so my DH and I worked this afternoon to change things around a bit. I've also added some new links on the sidebar. As I find interesting blogs and websites, I'll include links to them as well.

Is it Christmas yet?

2009-07-09T23:15:00.000-05:00

No way, we haven't even had spring yet, but thanks to my friend, Pam, we have Gingerbread in the house! Pam whipped up Poppy Kreation's "Gingerbread Stuff" and brought it into the shop to hang on display. It is so adorable - those little chubby cheeks look fresh from the oven. The chart is available now; however, there is a waiting list for the frame. They are made one at a time by Poppy Kreations and should be arriving sometime in May. If you'd like to reserve one for yourself, give me a call!

For the love of fractions

2009-07-09T23:11:00.000-05:00

Had a visit with my framer today. I brought over a new shop model to be framed, Croakworth by Ink Circles. Such a lovely piece. We had fun playing with the different mats and frame corners. I won't tell you what we selected; you'll have to wait and see it in person. I was working on lacing the piece this evening. I snapped a pic while preparing the fabric for the lacing.

Debbie did a wonderful job stitching this design for the shop. In about a week or two, the finished piece will be hanging in the shop, so if you're local, stop and by and see it for yourself.

Lots more to get framed. I know I have at least 4 other pieces that I have to select frames for and then get busy lacing. Here is a question for you all..... How many of you lace your finished design onto foamcore (archival, of course) or do you let your framer do that step for you? Lacing is not hard at all and you can save significant $$ by lacing yourself. I might put together a tutorial on lacing in the near future, complete with pictures to guide you in the process. There are various schools of thought on this subject and it's interesting to read what individuals do when it comes to their own stitching. If you have thoughts on this subject, please post a comment. I'm interested in hearing your opinion!

I apologize for not getting the new items loaded onto the website yet. It seems there is always something more pressing at the moment and I feel I'll get to it, but always one more thing to do pops up. I will do my best to get the new stuff loaded by the end of Tuesday.

And speaking of Tuesday, Erin Dekker of Myrtle Grace Designs will be in to drop of the trunk show models. Yes, we are having a punch needle trunk show! It should be lots of fun. If you havn't had a chance to take a peek for yourself, please do so. Erin's designs are so unique and beautifully done. I will try to set up a punchneedle class with Erin for after her wedding. Watch for it this summer (or sooner if I can manage it).

I hope it's springtime where you are located! I awoke yesterday morning to this lovely sight:
Luckily, by the time evening rolled around, most of it was gone. Whew! I felt bad because a lot of people had already put away shovels, heavy winter coats and some even drained their snowblowers. I've seen some weird weater in March and April in years past so I'm glad this snowfall is behind us.

Feeling Patriotic!

2009-07-09T23:08:00.000-05:00

Well, lot's of new stuff came in the shop today but I've been busy with so many things today that I won't get a chance to update the website. Check tomorrow in the New Products listings. I did want, however, to show you all a piece stitched by my super-sonic speedy stitcher friend, Debbie. That girl must stitch in her sleep! She must have been feeling pretty bad for my shop walls because she offered to stitch Little House Needleworks "Sea to Shining Sea". Now, those of you familiar with this design know that this is NO SMALL FEAT. The design was released a chartpack at a time; first the border chart with the silks, then a separate chart pack with silks for each of the 5 houses. Now Debbie didn't decide to stitch this for the shop when the border chart was released. No. She started stitching it when the 4th house had been out for several weeks! She kept me up to date with her progress and would bring the piece in to the shop from time to time. She even decided to keep track of how many hours it was taking her (I think she intends to call due the favor at some date in the future)! I lost track of the hours when she was up to 89! I will have to ask how many hours total that she has in this piece and report back to you all. Anyway, in honor of her stitching prowess, I present to you her completed "Sea to Shining Sea". It is stitched as charted with those luscious Belle Soie silks on Zweigart Natural Belfast. Enjoy.

Here's an up-close view of the last two houses of the design.

Thanks, Deb! You did a wonderful job!!

Surrounded by frame corners!

2009-07-09T22:52:00.000-05:00

Today I'm setting up an Excel spreadsheet with all my frame corners. Going to send this to the framer so we know what I have here in the shop. Wow, I didn't know I had so many. This just gives you all a much better selection when framing your stitched piece! Hope to finish this soon so I can move on to balancing the check book....ugh.

So far no new items by mail. UPS may still be coming. Sometimes he gets here as late as 1:30pm. Yesterday the June Cup O' Tea by Just Another Button Company arrived, along with the newest Bauble, F is for Farm and Pearls May Flowers! Also, the Just Nan Charm Garden pins came in, so those are now back in stock.

Nancy, my tote bag source, brought in some really great handbags yesterday. These are zippered bags with lots of pockets for catching all those items that seem to get lost in our purses! The outside has generous-sized front and back pockets plus a little cell phone pocket to keep the phone nice and handy. The first bag is a wonderful paisley mixture of reds, oranges and blacks. The bag size is 10"w x 7"h x 5"d. Take a peek first at the bag:

Now look at the inside:

The bottom of the bag has a nice, stabilizing insert that you can remove when you wash it. These bags are machine washable on gentle cycle.

The next handbag is fun blend of blues and tans. Again, you'll find nice outside pockets for catching those extras plus 6 inside pockets and a solid bottom insert for stabilization.

Those of you that are in the Lizzie*Kate Boo! Club auto, this is your heads-up that the last three charts will be shipping to the shop on April 1st. Once they are received in the shop, I will turn them around lickity-split and get them out to you. I know some of you are waiting with bated breath for the next charts. If you have started on your Boo! series and have a progress pic to share, please send it to me. I'd love to post your progress here on the blog for all to see.

Speaking of Lizzie*Kate, the other two designs released at Nashville have been doing really well. I still have some left in the shop. Chicky Easter would look wonderful on my front hall table for all my Easter guests to enjoy. Where in your home would it look cute? The kit includes both the fabric and buttons.

ABC Lessons has been a bit of a diversion for Linda. Here are some of the "ABC's" for you to ponder: "Accept differences, Be kind, Count your blessings". What an encouragement to stitch and look at every day!

And lest I forget, a great, big happy birthday (3/25) to my friend Art!! I know Rita's planned a wonderful day for you. Hope you enjoy your "birth" day!

Check back tomorrow for more updates! I'm expecting a new shipment so who knows what surprises await??

2009-07-09T22:43:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am excited! I found a project keep that will work beautifully with the Little House Needleworks Traveling Stitcher design. This project keep was an exclusive available only to those that attended the Nashville Market. To top it off, we were only allowed to purchase a certain number. Of course, demand for these pouches far exceeded the supply and many stitchers were disappointed. Well, be disappointed no longer! I found a project keep with matching needlebook in the same colors and it looks as beautiful as the original. My friend is stitching this design so I'll ask her to bring it in and I'll snap a picture so you all can see how well it looks together. Take a look at the project keep:

2009-07-09T22:33:00.000-05:00

Needed some help from the DH to get me started again with my blog. Tons of stuff to do but some days I just don't kow where to begin.

I finished a shop model last night! It is so cute and was stitched by Carol S. She did a great job. I didn't have the Dinky-Dyes silk to finish the cording, so I just used a skein of DMC 3802 that matched and made the cord. I had some floss left over, so decided to make a tassel too. How do you like it?