Stitching Update

Time for an update! It’s been over a month since I last posted. I’ve been really focused on trying to finish WIPs, but have had less stitching time in the last 30 days. Nonetheless, I have a few things to share.

Let’s start with a finish. American Welcome from Plum Street Samplers. There’s a lot of stitching in this design! It was the retreat project in Amana in the Spring of 2023, so I’ve been working on it for more than a year. Stitched on 40 ct  Vintage Sand Dune by Lakeside Linen using called for threads.

We have a second finish! I’ve started this last year too and it was high time I finished it. The design is from MoJo Stitches and it is called Humble Stitcher, Harriet Turner. Also stitched on Lakeside Linen. 36 ct. Vintage Antique Bisque. The linen color is a little more accurate in the second photo.

And, I’m still working on Erica Michael’s Sampler Book. The letter “U” for Umbrella or Upright Cross Stitch is now complete. (Since taking this photo, I’ve completed the over one label.)

Last weekend I traveled with a friend to Beresford, South Dakota to take a finishing class with Cathy Habermann from Hands on Design. The class was hosted by Shanty Stitchers. It was a great class. Best part about Cathy’s classes is that you always leave with a finished project! It’s called Midnight Garden.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of Cathy’s delightful trunk show!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Finishing Frenzy

I stayed home this weekend (all weekend) and as a result, I was able to work on some finishing. Feels good to have some of these pieces finished!

First up is Flag Day Pincushion from Chessie and Me.

It joins my other patriotic stitches in this shaker tray. I think I’m going to need a larger tray!

Next up is the Tomato Girl from SubRosa Designs on Etsy. She’s only about four inches tall. So cute!

I had these two pieces ready to be framed. The frames were purchased at Stitchville last year. The design on the left is called Wild Garden and it’s from Blackbird Designs. The design on the right is from La D Da and is called Catherine’s Big Heart.

Also waiting to be finished for a long time, this is January from Prairie Schooler. It’s mounted on mat board and finished on a board.

Last but not least, is Midnight Ride from Blackbird Designs. I found the Lone Elm box at Lynn’s of Madison last fall. Lined the inside of the box and finished the pincushion too!

I have more projects waiting to be finished. Next time I have an entire weekend at home, I will tackle more!

Primitive Gatherings

Road tripping again! This time to Primitive Gatherings in Larsen, WI. Thursday was a travel day and we had enough time to incorporate three stops. (We didn’t visit Boyd, WI, but I had to snap this picture!)

Stop #1 was The Needle Workshop in Wausau, WI. We’ve been to this shop before. You really need a lot of time to dig through all the treasures they have here. Lots of older charts mixed in with new ones. And, there’s a quilt shop attached too!

Stop #2 was The Stitching Bee in Green Bay, WI. We’ve been here before too, but we were happy to visit again. It’s a cute little shop with lots of models and friendly owner.

Stop #3 was Hometown Needleworks in Green Bay, WI. The shop just opened a few months ago so they are just getting started, but there are lots of possibilities! Great space.

We arrived at Primitive Gatherings on Thursday afternoon at about 4pm and went straight to The Gathering. Let’s just say that the space is stunning. It’s a quilter’s, crafter’s, cross stitcher’s heaven - lots of light, open space, tables, comfy chairs, cutting stations, iron stations - it’s amazing.

Just off The Gathering is a hallway with sleeping rooms - singles, doubles, triples, and quads. All equipped with sink, toilet, and shower in each room. And of course, the rooms have quilts on the beds. The walls in the hallway showcase various quilts too. Comfortable and convenient!

We slept, ate, and created all in the same space. We never had to leave the building! Continental breakfast each morning (with whole milk fresh from the dairy!) and amazing lunches and dinners prepared by their onsite chef! 

So why were we there? Our good friend Linda Lautenschlager from Chessie and Me was teaching a weekend workshop and it was the perfect reason to be there. Linda’s project used motifs from an antique sampler that had belonged to a friend of ours. The motifs were incorporated into a pillow design. We spent most of Friday stitching on our new project.

Linda brought a trunk show. Here are a few of the things she had displayed.

Linda prepared a small project for us on Saturday too. We each made a strawberry to match our pillow using a gold colored velvet and green wool for the top. Sweet!

Friday and Saturday were shopping days. The Primitive Gatherings shop was right next store. Lots of fabric, wool, and cross stitch to tempt us.

It would seem appropriate to end this post with more of the beautiful quilts displayed throughout. We will definitely plan to attend future events at Primitive Gatherings. Great weekend!