Love Me, Love My Birds

My love birds

Hi everyone,

On Monday and Tuesday our stitching group drove (I flew) to Naples to take our first class with Susan Portra at Needlepoint in Paradise.  Wow, we had a wonderful time!  Tonight's blog is going to be mostly the photos that I took at the class.  I was overwhelmed by taking notes, trying out stitches and listening in on everyone else's project.  The greatest part is that there were 4 of us in the class so we get to see 4 projects come to life under Susan's guidance.

Here are Susan and Mary - she always ends up being the teacher's pet.  How come?

And here is Mary's project.  Her sister lives in Hawaii.  We learned a lot about making cording with this one and all about ribbon flowers!

Here are Millie and Frances with Susan

Poor Frances - we had her taking notes on her iPad AND doing videos on her phone

Here are some of the other canvases:

Millie's flower is ALL beads,  Frances has the most exquisite background, and Lisa's is going to be so wonderful you will see it on season 3 of Downton Abbey...

Millie's flowers

Frances' bird purse

Lisa's Mary from Downton Abbey

We met new friends and I have just found out one of our dear friends that we will be visiting in a few weeks when we take a boat trip to the west coast of Florida has taken 3 classes with Susan!  I will have to get cracking!!!

Happy stitching,

Linda

Stitch in Public Day

Frances, Lisa and Marsha

Hi everyone,

These are photos from last Saturday when we stitched in public to raise awareness of needlepoint.  We had a great time which I guess is the main point!  There is Frances on the left with her latest "car project".  She spends a lot of time in the car!!   Lisa in the middle who is finally finished with her stitching  on the Blair chair (3 Months) and Marsha on the right with the Spread Eagle Witch that we are stitching as a group this year.

Lisa doing something small!

I also took a photo of the bag that I made for Marsha years ago.  It's one of Beth Hunt's girl canvases.  Marsha is a big swimmer so this was my needlepoint image of her.

Marsha lost a belt she was working on and I told her that if she ever loses the bag she is NEVER to tell me!

Have a happy stitching weekend,

Linda

Santa Baby

Santa Parade

Hi everyone,

I have mastered my fear of the punch needle (maybe).  A few years ago we did a class project at Absolutely Needlepoint on the Needlepoint Queen and I dutifully did my homework UNTIL it came to the punch needle coat.   I'll bet you can guess what happened...I stabbed myself!  And when you stab yourself with a punch needle it is bloody and you do not forget about it and try again.  It is NOT like getting back on a horse!  It is more along the lines of a young child putting his hand on the stove (is that orange glow really hot?) - yes I did that too.

I was working on the pompom on Santa's hat and the stitch guide called for turkey work.  I got out my Amy dvd to review and did you know there are several kinds of turkey work depending on the look you want?  I wanted the pompom to stand straight up so I opted for "jump through the loop" turkey work, but when I put it in it was just too thin.  So I studied Amy doing the punch needle and of course she made it look so easy!  That's what it's actually called...Oh Sew Easy!  I practiced on the doodle canvas - yes that's necessary- and I managed to get it in to the canvas and then when I was trimming and feeling Oh So Good and Proud, I stabbed myself with the curved task scissors.

Santa with punch needle pompom

Santa and his bear

Tomorrow is "Stitch in Public" Day so we are taking small projects to the shopping mall.   Enjoy the song..







Linda

A Day with Mag Friends

Lisa and I at Naples Airport

Hi everyone,

Yesterday was Lisa's birthday.  I'll bet you thought it was Florida Primary day!  We had already voted early so Eric, Lisa and I decided to take the day off and hand deliver magnets to Needlepoint in Paradise in Naples. (Somebody's got to do it).

We also got Eric's manatee belt fitted and I turned in my canvas for Susan Portra's class that we will be taking at the shop in a few weeks.

Lisa (so sweet)  asked if the magnets would disrupt the controls and then wanted to know if she needed to put her phone on airplane mode... not that she could hear it with her headset on!

Lisa in front of our transportation

Canal in the Everglades -looking for gators!

Lisa in front of the Mag Friends display

Our pilot patiently waiting

And last but not least....MY set of keys with my custom made heli fob!

We had a wonderful time...the weather was beautiful and back to normal today.  Those of you who have primaries coming up --- enjoy the ads!

Linda