I just want to take this moment to thank you all for a fabulous year. It is has been so wonderful to see so many of you this year. Everywhere I go I am always sure it is the best weekend retreat or THE best event ever. How that can be I'm not sure, but what I do know is that it is YOU that makes it so special. Thank you for your generosity in taking the time to come to events and taking the time to purchase a pattern and stitching it and sharing it. It is so appreciated. All the best of the holiday season to you.
Design Time
My flurry of fall activities has come to an end and with that it seems on to the new for next years events and releases. But when I look back this fall - I just want to thank you all for your friendship and cheer along the way. Shepherd's Bush retreat was so much fun. I loved my lunches and dinners with you, thank you for the invites and sharing times, it was greatly enjoyed and I continue to enjoy the memories we made. It made the event very special along with spending some fun times with the other teachers and of course the Bush girls. I had a blast being a 'helper' in the store in Ogden, I became a bagger of goods extraordinaire! So happy to see all your faces and share in our passion of stitching. The retreat event itself was in Park City at The Canyons and we certainly had some good classes and you all were terrific students! I think there are some that are already finished their 'Over the River' JDD project! Yay! Please check out Paulette's Blog -http://plumstreetsamplers.typepad.com/ or Linda's Blog -http://chessieandme.blogspot.ca/. They have done a fine job giving a nice overview of the retreat and took pictures when I totally did not! From there I had a lovely direct flight right from SLC to Spokane, WA. The ladies had prepared and done some pre stitching so they did leave with one little finished pincushion! While it was a tight fit to slip in the Spokane ladies, it was delightful. In my 8 days home I had orders to fill and the instructions to write for the Saskatoon ladies! I had been so very busy it was tough to fit all that had to be done in the short bursts that I was home since mid Sept. As you know those charts are pages long and I get caught up in making the specialty stitches work out and be the same on the main chart..... often what I have originally drawn doesn't work out and then there is the redraws.... and confusion!! But it did get done and what a super time in Saskatoon, SK too. The Bridge City Needlearts guild had rented space at the Western Development Museum! Our class was at the Palace Theatre above the Boomtown Cafe- where we had lunch -circa 1910 Boomtown- a western town on the prairie. Right up my historical heart. It did have all the modern amenities and I got to use my powerpoint for this piece which made it so much easier to teach! What a treat, and what a great fun time we had. Lots of gals got quite far in the stitching which was terrific.
I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for the lovely gifts, such thoughtful little things that make a memory. I have a shelf that I put all my fun things on and enjoy all through the year. Thank you!
Thank you everyone for participating in events this year. It has made it an awesome year in friendships made and nurtured - and in lessons learned and shared - you know how I miss my nursing days for the visiting at the desk us nurses do..... sometimes a lonely day here at my computer with no Cleo. I miss her and even though Walter faithfully comes everyday, he just isn't her is he. So Dale is looking.... I'm not sure I am ready. Walter's owners went to Mexico for a holiday and as he is a Mexican rescue dog they returned with this very cute hat for him!
Here are a few pictures of my time in Saskatoon. One is of the ever popular Take Time Series - the quilt ones - all four seasons done on one linen piece and Sue took the words out and put a stitch in the spot from the sampler. I think it looks amazing. Great idea. Another is a picture of The Common Thread 1 - a la Saskatoon, the first city I did the Common Thread piece for. They gamely made changes and have the Bessborough Hotel, a landmark in downtown Saskatoon on several of their pieces. It is a Canadian National Railway hotel. The other is the Palace Theatre where we had our classroom and some time pieces as I love that!
And so that brings me to now.... working on all new for next years events and releases. Fun and challenging at the same time.
The following are events that are in the works: March 27-29, 2015 -Needle in a Haystack, Alameda, CA. May 12-17, 2015 -EAC Calgary, AB. May 22-23, 2015 - place TBA. mid July -Tomorrow's Heirlooms, Glen Ellyn, IL. Sept 11-12, 2015 Buffalo, NY. Sept 16-18, 2015 -Cambridge, ON - email JDD via website re: this event. Oct 16 -19, Cape Cod, MA - check with Pam Reed of OCD -2015 Chatham Brochure. Ending the year with a bang- Nov. 30 -Dec 7, 2015 Europe -with a Christmas Markets cruise!! that is sold out already!
Jeannette
Home on the Range
Thank you so very much to all the lovely ladies at the Portland, OR event with Acorns and Threads. What a treat. I thank Wynter for a beautiful bracelet, another stitcher for her lovely handmade ort boxes for all of us, and to Nancy for handmade lovely keychains for all of us, and Liz for some lovely threads by her company Dragonflylotus Designs http://www.handspunthread.com/ and all of you for coming to this great little event on the west coast. Thank you Jeannine and Roz for your hospitality and fun company. With everyone having done their prestitching it was great to see some finishes of the little pincushions and even the needleholder for their Bird Box project. Portland is a lovely city and I enjoyed a couple of days seeing the quilt show and a beautiful walk in the Rose Garden - rather some healing time for me as I did not realize how affected I would be with the loss of our family pet. The house is rather empty and no greeter when I came home but the neighbours saw us return and kindly sent out Walter for a great doggie greeting. I flew from Portland to Kalispell and Dale met me at the Glacier airport at a very late time of 1245am - the flight was late leaving Seattle.... and we spent the week in the Whitefish area of Montana enjoying some lovely autumn days with our family. Upon driving the way home we saw the buffalo on the range and I had to share that rather western picture.
Now we are on to the next event at Shepherd's Bush in Ogden Utah and then Park City for the retreat. How exciting this little adventure is. I think sometimes my excitement is because I get to stay in mountain time and have a direct flight -whereas most trips are not that! I am really looking forward to seeing you all and hope that you have a wonderful time. I have checked and all my boxes have arrived at SB - Hallelujah! - no worries there - and I have my little pile ready to pack on Monday for going. Do you do that too.... make a little pile of things that you want to take as you think of it.... and just keep adding to it? When we are done on Sunday I fly out to Spokane, WA and enjoy a few days with the ladies there teaching the Bird Box. Then I am home for 10 days and get out to Saskatoon and the Bridge City Guild and teach The Common Thread 2 - a mate to the first one! A very fun stitch with lots of new stitches - or rather different stitches than the first one!
I did purchase a "Stella" light for stitching and it is amazing! Wow, what a treat that is. I hadn't bought a new light in 10+ years so this is a delight.
Next years events are shaping up and look for the events to start being released. I can tell you that I am teaching at the annual Embroiderers’ Association of Canada Seminar, May 12 to 17, 2015 - in Calgary!!! http://www.eac.ca/seminar/main.html What a thrill to teach in my own city. Thank you to the Stampeding Stitches team.
I am sure I will think of something else I wanted to say the minute I hit post! but nevertheless this where I am at and look forward to seeing you all soon!
In stitches, jeannette
