A look to 2011

It was such a terrific time in Alameda, CA across the bay from Oakland. I enjoyed it immensely. Wow, the stitchers were awesome and to see Cathe's lovely new digs at Needle In A Haystack - it was a treat. We enjoyed fabulous weather some great stitching and just plain old fun. Cathe and I even sang for the group, imagine, me a rather rusty choir veteran...... she did great doing " Oh Canada" ...it was pretty cool to sing my national anthem in Amercia. Thanks Cathe! Thank you stitchers for all your gifts and company, the weekend went just so fast. I also really enjoyed being to able spend some time with Anne Frazier of Gloriana Threads and talk about colour and threads, so fun. It was a lovely spot on the water for the event and then this landlocked Albertan got to enjoy the ferry ride over to San Francisco on Monday on a bright sunny day. I have updated the events page for next year, I believe there is just one more to post - the event for Dyeing to Stitch in Virginia Beach in the fall. I am so pleased to be going to some great places next year. I am thrilled to say that I am coming to Minnesota, it was a very event filled time to go there in 2004 and I will never forget it. Suffice it to say that it was a grand border event in Homeland Security style!

I am madly or actually in a big muddle trying to get my projects done for next year, Nashville is mostly done..... not quite.... but getting there and then all the new projects for the events. I have pulled out every thread, every stitch book I have and made a thorough mess. I can't seem to work on just one project, I feel pressured to do all at one time, how goofy... I wish I didn't do that. My mind twirls and goes in all different directions, so yes, I couldn't get to sleep last night, too many ideas and racing thoughts. Nevertheless, I was able to put some of those thoughts to computer and paper today, so hopefully it will go better tonight. There is a ton of snow outside and below zero, we were having such a wonderful fall, it's too bad, but it is very pretty.

Here are some pictures to enjoy. One of our wonderful stitching group at Needle In A Haystack's event and one of Cathe and I in San Fran.

Owls

A quick little note just before I leave for San Francisco in the am. and the event at Needle In a Haystack. I am so looking forward to this. It will be the 8th making of The Common Thread - it is a beautiful piece and has truly lended it self to all the different places that we have been with it. On the piece we have taken away The Peace Bridge for Buffalo but replaced it with the lovely Golden Gate. It has been a challenge to create the section depicting each area and I think each time that it is the best. Interesting... in terms of design... how can one piece be good with the differences.... Someone once asked how do you know when what you have designed is what you want and how can you say this is it and stop refining? I think it's a mixture of things... of time constraints and of a vision of what it will look like. Something to ponder maybe as I sit on the plane tomorrow....I did want to tell you of the new release of Forever Owl as part of  "What a Hoot"  series. I have designed a set of 4 owls to be released the next 4 months, and the first is Forever Owl. I have used a bit of a play on words and the little saying with the cute little owl is "owl love you forever' and the rest will be like that. I am bringing another little piece to NIAH -using the Soie Surfine threads - silk 130/2 dyed by Gloriana Threads - I used all the colours that they have released at present. I ended up stitching it on 40 ct over 2 and then on 40 ct over 1 and made a needlebook out of the bigger one and a tiny scissors fob out of the other and placed it on the owl scissors by Kelmscott - cute. See you soon in Alameda/San Francisco!

Canadian Thanksgiving

We have fall here in Calgary, the leaves are yellow on the poplars and beautiful reds and oranges on other kinds of trees, no maples or such here but nevertheless can be lovely. But the wind is blowing even though it is really nice out and the trees are dropping their leaves. I had hoped they would stay a little longer, at least for Thanksgiving on the weekend.I am looking forward to it, to see my daughter who comes home from university and my Douglas side of the family. I have hardly decorated like I used to..... but my office is like a hurricane hit. I still haven't sorted through my stuff from teaching in the UK and now the SB stuff is added on a different pile to sort through when I have a minute! I am madly trying to get through getting my stuff ready for California - Needle In A Haystack event. I have these owls that I mentioned.... well I am not happy with one owl.... and I am redoing him.... he just wasn't right, he was framed and everything.... but oh no, he has to go.... so now I am restitching him. So maybe I won't release him till the end.... and get going on these other ones! Coming soon, I shall say!

I am trying to design all my projects at once for next year, Nashville stuff excpet for one or two things is done.... but for those events.... my mind is twirling. I try to focus on one but then I think of something for the others.... ha! I will try to add to the events page here in a few days but I need to load all my pictures for the On line Needlework show which will be October 21-26. So that is first priority and then hopefully I will have time for loading events. But I will say I will be at Gitta's Getaway in Toronto and at Stitchville USA, Minnetonka, Minnesota in April 2011, at Embroidery Ass. of Canada Seminar in Sackville, NB; also at Where Victoria's Angels Stitch in Clifton, NJ and at Golden Thread Needlearts in Rochester, NY in May 2011.

Wow! what a great time we had in Ogden and Park City, UT. Tina and Teri of Shepherd's Bush, thank you for such a terrific week. The venue was super, the weather was excellent and you stitchers were just the best! Thank you for your lovely gifts, I so appreciated them, I am using some of them and I am eating some of them, both wonderful! It was truly special to meet so many of you and I have to sincerely thank Don Hendrickson for lending his absolutely stunning JDD stitched models to the event. What an honour Don, I loved seeing them! I am lame, I thought I had a picture of the table, but oh no, got lots of pictures of flowers and such but none of the models! But I do have a picture of some of the designers for the SB event.