A complete set of SANQ!

Yes, I haven’t posted in a number of weeks. Things do tend to get busy around here! Since my last post I accomplished something I’m very excited about! I now have a COMPLETE set of Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly!!

This is my favorite magazine. It is a little more expensive than other US needlework magazines, but is well worth the money.

I’ve had a subscription for several years. To fill in my missing issues I spent time on Ebay (or as my friend Chris refers to it, the Bay of Evil). I did find a few locally at our EGA chapter’s annual stash sale, but by far the majority came from winning online auctions. I purchased some as single copies and others as part of multiple issue lots. 

So why do I like this magazine so much? I love the history. Each issue has several projects that are either actual reproductions or pieces that are greatly inspired by historical needlework. In addition to the projects you can stitch, the editors also include articles on a variety of topics that are focused on needlework throughout history. For example, one issue had a fascinating article on Tartan ware and another had info on tambour hooks and stilettos.

The projects also vary. You usually find a piece that is a sampler, but you also find a variety of other projects. You can see from a few of the magazine covers some of this variety. There is everything from basket toppers to sampler ornaments to purses to pincushions to needlework tool cases. There is a little something for everyone!

If you haven’t yet tried this magazine head click on this link. As of this writing there is a free motif available that was taken from one of SANQ’s most popular samplers. You can also find more information about ordering a sample issue. You have the both print and digital download options. 

Can you tell I like this magazine? Well, as a little bonus for those who have read this far, check out this link for a free sampler—not related to SANQ! Click on Téléchargement gratuit : Marquoir Elise for the PDF download.

April Fool... not!

This morning I opened up my laptop and the temp said it was 18 degrees. I thought to myself, "Good one, Weather Bug!" And then I stepped outside...

So what to do on a chilly April day but continue to work on my multiple projects. I currently have three different EGA Group Correspondence Courses in the works. I am piloting one so no photos until it is officially available. I am doing one with my local chapter. It's a Schwalm piece. The last one is a beaded necklace that I am doing with the Heartland Region. I will post photos of those as I make some progress. Right now they are in the messy, not much to show stage.

I am also working on a set of Hardanger coasters that my friend, Becky, is teaching at a local shop. Of course, starting this project got me doing an internet search. I have had this site bookmarked for a long time. There are a lot of very lovely designs with free tutorials. The blog is in Spanish but Hardanger is very visual so you can easily follow along. Scroll down the page on the link to see the many postings. When you get to the bottom of the page click on "Entradas antiguas" for even more posts!

Since my last update I participated in a smalls exchange with the Sampler World group on Facebook. This is what I received: (pardon the positioning-- I can't get them to post correctly)

 

Isn't this a nice needlebook? The design is a free one from Ink Circles and can be found here. Look under the free charts for 2006, September and October. You'll find quite a few free charts here!

This is what I stitched for my recipient:

It is a pinkeep that became a little larger than I had intended! I found the free instructions here. Just scroll down a little on the page and you will see a link to download the instructions.

Before I finish, I must tell you about my recent Craftsy purchase. I bought a class on knitting with beads. They were running a contest on Facebook that day and I actually won the class for free! As much as I enjoy the quilting, knitting and other classes available, I do wonder why they haven't added any other types of needlework. Wouldn't a finishing class be great? Or what about classes on various ethnic stitching techniques? Maybe if we all ask for them...

Snow Day!

Yes, we finally got one of these storms that keep missing us. We need the moisture but I do wish it hadn’t come on the morning of our EGA chapter meeting. I'm sad the meeting had to be cancelled but that gave me extra time to work on a few things.

First I will share the promised photos of the card table cottage I made for my granddaughter’s birthday. It is a little wrinkly but you get the basic idea.

Isn’t it adorable? There is a barn version that I suspect I will sew for her brother’s birthday this summer.

I also made this cute owl apron for her.

Today I am doing some pre-work for one of my classes I will take at the Nordic Needle Retreat in April. It is a pulled/drawn thread class. I am almost finished with it and then will move on to start the Schwalm group correspondence course a number of us just started. I also need to do the finish work on a stitching small for an exchange with the Facebook group, Sampler World. Photos will follow once the recipient has seen it!

I’ll leave you with a freebie I found while doing a little research on blackwork. It is a book that is full of blackwork patterns and is available here on Mary Corbet’s website.

Now, off to enjoy more of my snow day!

Crafting on Sanibel

I’ve been a little quiet these past several weeks. I’ve been on Sanibel Island in Florida enjoying the sun, surf and sand!

I brought along a few projects to work on while there… the baby quilt I am making for my newest grandchild who was born on Christmas Day and the huge flag from ByGone Stitches. The biggest project was sewing together an adorable cottage that fits over a card table, a gift for my granddaughter’s birthday this month. Photos will be posted when I get it set up properly!

When not enjoying the warm weather or stitching I found time to visit the three crafting shops on the island. I had been to two of them in the past but the third was new to me.

My first stop, and I made several here, was at Three CraftyLadies. They are on the main drag of the island, Periwinkle. This shop features a variety of crafting supplies. About half of the small shop is quilting fabric. Here you will find a nice selection of seashore/ocean themed prints and batiks. There are also other non-beachy fabrics to be found. You can pick up bits and pieces for painting, beading, needlework, scrapbooking and there’s even a small children’s section that features books and activities with a beach theme. I purchased quite a bit of the fabric I needed to make the cottage here as well as a couple of patterns and a  batik I liked.

Next on my list was Geez Leweez. This is a combination needlepoint and yarn shop. It is a small, family owned shop. The day I was in mom, dad and daughter were all working. They have canvases on display all around the shop with a nice selection of Sanibel Island and seashore pieces, including the Sanibel Lighthouse. I picked up a few hanks of cotton yarn in bright tropical colors. I forgot to ask for them to be wound so now will need to do that myself, which will be tricky without a yarn swift! 

While there I learned that this shop will be moving “off island” in April to a new space near the outlet mall that is just on the other side of the causeway. They said they need more space but I imagine they need more visibility. Right now the shop is located in a small strip mall on a side street and the bridge toll of $6 may keep some from driving over. 

On an interesting note, I needed to find either Q Snaps or stretcher bars while I was on the island and neither of these shops carried them, not even the needlepoint shop! I found that to be somewhat curious.

The final crafting shop on the island is the Sanibel Bead Shop. This is on Periwinkle and in an almost hidden shopping center that is right across the street from the Dairy Queen (one of the very few national chains found on the island). The shop is small but the woman working that day was very personable and helpful. I purchased a fun bead with Sanibel inscribed on it. They also have them for Captiva.  I picked up the supplies to make a Sanibel bracelet. Don’t you love the fishy toggle? The Raku beads are exclusive to their shop. And, of course, I had to pick up a little drill to make all of my shells into jewelry!

A confession...

It's a new year and so I must start it right and make a confession. I have a new addiction. It's called Crafsty.

I discovered this wonder of online lessons right around Thanksgiving while reading a blog for a local quilt shop. Craftsy was having a big sale on their classes that weekend so I succumbed and registered for one on making lace shawls. Now I'm hooked!

So, what exactly is Crafsty? Well, it is a resource for online classes in quilting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, food arts, weaving, gardening, etc. They have several free classes for you to try out, including a year long Block of the Month quilting class. You can also pay for classes.

When you pay for a class you get forever access to the online streaming lessons. You can pause, review, skip ahead, watch multiple times... you get the idea. What I love about the paid classes are the special features. As you are watching each lesson there are questions that scroll on the page. These are from other students. If you click on those questions you can see the answers. If you have a question, just post it and the instructor, or maybe even another student, will respond.

The part I really love is that you can "bookmark" the videos. The first class I signed up for was on knitting lace shawls. Some of the stitches are a little involved so as I'm watching I click on a Take Note button and type in whatever I want, like maybe the name of that stitch. Later on when I need to review the stitch, I just go to my list of notes, click on the stitch name and Voila! I am taken right to that part of the video! Isn't that awesome??

Each class also comes with materials that you can download and print as needed. Things like material lists and patterns.

I have now signed up for several paid and as well as free classes. They are always adding new courses so there is always something there to peak my interest.

Craftsy has sales quite frequently. To find out about their sales you can join their email list or, better yet, Like them on Facebook. I signed up for a class that was a Facebook special for an amazingly low price.

So, there you have it. A confession and an addiction that I hope no one develops a twelve step program for!

Assisi and Secret Stitcher

This is such a busy time of the year! I have been working on a Christmas gift for my 3 year old granddaughter. She likes to play dress up so I am sewing an ancient Egyptian costume to add to her collection. I am hoping it will still fit her as she seems to be growing like a weed right now. I’ll post a photo of her modeling it…if it fits!

When I’m not working on the Egyptian costume I have been working on one of my EGA Group Correspondence Courses in preparation for my next step in the Master Craftsman program. I have been learning quite a bit about Assisi work through the process. Most of the time we never see the backside of stitched pieces. Why would we? So I assumed that Assisi was simply cross stitching and backstitching. Well, not quite.

The method I have been using results in either vertical or horizontal lines on the back of your work. When you finish a row and begin a new one you jump up or down a row to retain that nice linear look on the back. This does require a little planning and sometimes you need to begin a new thread to avoid any diagonal stitches.

front side

back side

When stitching your motif and your border you do it so it is reversible. The course instructor, Marion Scoular, suggests using a chenille needle to pierce your stitches on the reverse path so your stitches lay nice and flat.

During this process I have found a couple of interesting sites. The first one is Tanja Berlin’s website. She offers free mini lessons in Assisi, blackwork and goldwork.

The second offers a free pattern for an Assisi needlecase and is from GPA designs. The link takes you right to the PDF download.

I designed a very simple scissor holder for my EGA chapter. We will be celebrating 30 years as a chapter in 2013. I stitched one up for our secret stitcher exchange a couple of weeks ago. We exchange our gifts at our annual December luncheon.

My gift was a lovely stitcher’s barbell to be used as a frame weight when stitching. This was a project that was taught at our chapter just before I joined the group. This particular one came from the stash of one of our longtime members who passed away and was stitched by a current member. The gift card was one that was designed by yet another member, so this was a very special gift indeed!