Stitchy goodness

It's been awhile since I posted last. My goal is at least weekly, sometimes more, but we have been so busy this last week and a half. Summer is flying by, and I am not accomplishing everything that I had planned to do. Such is life, I guess. Last week was a whirlwind of Quest Camp at school for Jake, and working half days for me. In the evenings, Jake went to our church's VBS and I volunteered in the VBS Rome Marketplace. It was a lot of fun. :) Michael (husband) had a conference in Nashville over the weekend for our home business, so Jake and I tagged along. And I am so glad we did. It turned out to be such a fun, stitchy weekend. It started Friday night when we are hanging out in the room waiting for Michael to get finished with his meeting. He called my cell phone to tell me that there is "some kind of cross stitch conference going on in the lobby" and that they have a marketplace that is open to the public, but I need to hurry as it is going to close in 45 minutes. Okay...he is definitely getting husband of the year this year! Not only did he call to tell me about it, but he asked one of the ladies a bunch of questions to find out all this information. Turns out it was an EGA conference, and there was indeed a marketplace devoted to all types of fiber arts. I found a couple of accessories that I really liked--some mesh bags, a pair of those cute little Kelmscott Gem scissors. Fun stuff!!

Saturday morning, Jake and I drove around Nashville in search of two different cross stitch stores. Thanks to my dad's handy dandy GPS (I need one of these!), I found both and had the best afternoon. Jake was a sweetheart...very patient...while I shopped to my heart's content. Both shops were a lot of fun. Below is my stash haul...

At The Stitching Post (love the name of THAT store!! LOL!), I found a couple of goodies...

Bird in the Bower (Plum Street Sampler), Jill Oxton Cross Stitch and Beading magazine, BBD LF It's Berry Time, and Mill Hill Reindog

I was THRILLED to find this particular issue of Cross Stitch and Beading. It has a Voluptuous Mermaid design that cracks me up. I love mermaids...this is a must have for my fledgling collection.

The next stop was at Cross Stitch Corner. I absolutely loved this shop. I was the only one in there, and the owner was just a delight to talk to. She had hundreds of stitched models, and she has stitched them all. I found things that I would not have looked at twice had she not had the models there in the store. Jake really liked a model of Tall Sundae by Kappie Originals . He kept whispering to me to look at it and ask her if she had the pattern. Normally, this would not be something I would stitch. It is tall and has a ton of back stitching. But I couldn't resist when Jake asked if I would stitch it for him. I got the pattern and the opalescent fabric that she used in her model. And it will be fun... he will probably be married and have kids of his own before I finish it, but that is okay. :)

I also picked up American Log by Primitive Traditions (another one that I would not have noticed if not for the model), LK Don't Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle, two Sheepish designs (Hey Ya'll and Starburst Sampler), and Reindeer Yule by Ewe & Eye & Friends.

Another thing I really liked was that this shop owner had a great eye for color and fabric choices. I bought several fabrics to use with designs that I already have because I loved her fabric and thread choices. I am thinking about starting this one today... the fabric is PTP Crystal Legacy with Dark Forest Silk 'N Colors.

Or the sundae...I am really thinking about starting the sundae...

Also last week, I worked on This is the Day. I have run out of some threads, so I am going to have to stop and order a couple before I work on this more. I am posting a recent picture for Julie who asked to see the design. Julie, it is in JCS Jan/Feb 2009 if you are interested. It is a fun sampler to stitch.

I also wanted to thank ALL of you for your kind comments. It truly makes my day to find comments on my blog. I read all of them...usually more than once, sometimes out loud to my husband. :) I am always grateful that you took the time to leave me a comment. I appreciate all the kind comments on my basket. It was a lot of fun and not nearly as hard as it may appear. Martha Wetherbee and her husband Alan make sure that you are doing things correctly. They do not let anyone leave with a less than perfect looking basket. If I can do this, anyone can...believe me. I know Martha and Alan teach a lot of classes in New Hampshire and Florida, and apparently some in Kentucky. If you ever have the opportunity to take a class with them (or any basket class for that matter), I would highly encourage it. It is a very rewarding experience and you come home with an instant heirloom. I think they plan to be back here next year for the next basket in this series, so stay tuned...I plan to be there to weave it. :)

That's it for now. Jake has come back home from next door bringing two cousins with him who want my leftover lasagna for supper. We are planning to go out with BIL and SIL to Chili's as soon as Granna gets here to keep the kiddos. :)

Have a great week!!!

Happy Stitching,

Kellie