Hearts

We will be teaching a girl scout troop on April 9. The girls will be working on a small heart. We enjoyed working with the last troop. It's wonderful to be teaching kids how to stitch! Hopefully, I'll be able to do the pictures this time.

Getting Ready for a New HVAC System

We will be closed for a week starting on Monday. It's a first for us but we really needed a new heating and air conditioning unit. We were lucky to make it through the winter but want to make sure the summer will be tolerable.

To prepare, we've taken things off the walls. But tomorrow will be the big put away and cover up day!

I'm hoping to use the week to get more pictures up, to work on Stitch guides and to work on my projects for Nan Certification. I also want to do some stitching!

I'm looking forward to the stitching time. I'm still working on the Rockerfeller Center Christmas Tree Stocking and I also have to work on Candy Village. I've also started to work on the May paper doll with a stitch guide by David McCaskill! It's been fun and I hope to get it done soon.

National Assembly of NeedleArts

Helen and I enjoyed the Natioanl Assembly of NeedleArts. We both learned lots of techniques for teaching and are excited to learn more. Helen took a class with Debbie Stiehler and I took two days of a class with Shay Pendray. I got to work on the canvas from Shay's "Stitching Towards Perfection" while learning a little about Japanese embroidery.

Kansas City was lovely.

Of course, I now have lots of work to do. But I am looking forward to expanding the stitching == and teaching it.

David McCaskill's Visit

We've just finished four great days of classes. David McCaskill did three canvas enhancement classes and one thread program. He came up with fabulous stitches for at least 24 canvases using great threads. I was particularly impressed with his approach to Susan B's roosters. His treatment of the sun was fantastic.

Thirteen people were able to attend his Thread Program Class. He addressed overdyes and how to work with different threads. It was amazing what he did with the threads. I can't wait to try them on my own canvases!

National Assembly of Needlearts

Helen and I are leaving on Wednesday to attend the National Assembly of Needlearts. We have both been accepted in the teacher certification program. On Thursday and Friday we will be immersed in sessions on teaching. On Saturday and Sunday, we are each taking a class.

Rockerfeller Center Stocking

On Sunday, the class met again. We had the opportunity to discuss possible stitches for the buildings. In addition, we had the chance to admire the progress people have made on the stocking. Gretchen V. has done some of the buildings with a burden stitch. Diane B. has done the sky, the moon, many buildings, santa and his sleigh and the bridge and the trees. It looks great. Her trees were stunning and she used basketweave for the blue building behind the trees so that it does recede.

Next month we will be doing a work session to give us time to stitch.

Circle of Hearts

I taught the Circle of Hearts Class today. It was fun to see the piece come to life with other people stitching it. I had finished the background last week using a heart pattern from Dede's chapter in Amy Bunger's Celebrity Chefs. I used Designer's Dream and 1/16 Kreinik ribbon.

The backgrouns really made the circle stand out. I promise I will take a picture.

I was lucky to have that canvas for the class without restitching the whole thing. About three weeks ago, I realized that I couldn't find the canvas. I searched the store and home. Finally, I drove out to Shelter Island to look again. I still couldn't find the canvas so I had to ask my husband to look again at home. He couldn't find it either but did find all my works in progress! Finally I found the canvas tucked in the back of another canvas on a frame.

Then on Saturday, one of our customers accidentally took the canvas home! Fortunately I had it back later that day so I could do prepare for class.

I definitely will teach this class again but might split it into two sessions.