Good news and bad news

First, the bad news, from the TNNA market this past weekend: Lee's Needle Arts is closing after 40 years in the business. Theresa Lee has decided to retire. Good for her, bad for the needlepoint world. Lee's has brought us wonderful leather goods and beautiful canvases to enhance them. You can see many of the company's designs here and here. If you've always wanted some of these lovelies, get them now! Farewell Ms. Lee! Please enjoy your well-earned retirement.

But there's good news out on the web today, too! The catalog for next January's Callaway Gardens School of Needle Arts is up. I've never been to Callaway, but I've heard wonderful things about this relaxing stitchy getaway. I won't be able to go in the next few years either, but it's so much fun to read the course descriptions and drool over the lovely pieces. I'd have a really difficult time choosing which class to take. At first glance, I'm enamored of four or five of them. Have fun window shopping!

SBQ: The Essentials

Don't look now, but I'm actually answering an SBQ for the first time in a very long time...

This week’s SBQ was suggested by Terri and is:

What items do you consider essential to your needlework that you keep in your stitching bag?

Let's see. In the caddy on the arm of my stitching chair, I can find:

• A variety of needles stuck in the pincushion; everything from 28 to 22 tapestry needles to #10 crewel needles (great for beading or for ending threads) to long beading needles.
• A tekobari (Japanese laying tool) in a wooden case.
• Two pairs of good scissors, one Gingher and one Dovo (because I like them both and I need to be able to find scissors easily!).
• One pair of serrated-edge scissors for cutting metallics (so I don't ruin my good scissors)
• Hemostats, which are wonderful for pulling needles through the back of tight canvas stitches for ending off threads. These are rarely needed for linen work.
• A pen
• A pencil
• A telescoping magnet, which is necessary for tracking down errant needles or scissors that fell off the arm of the chair.

In my main stitching bag, I can also find more packs of needles and clean cosmetic sponges (great for dampening unruly/kinked threads). Also, I take my Elan lap stand with me to all stitching events, since a pinched nerve in my neck means I can only stitch "in hand" for very short periods of time.

Great question!

Making My Day!

In catching up with my blog reading, I was very surprised and pleased to learn that Kathryn awarded me a "You Make My Day" award! Thank you so much, Kathryn!

Not knowing the actual rules for what I'm supposed to do now, I traced the award back to Mel's blog, which listed the rules for this award.

The Rules:
Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.

I read many more than 10 blogs regularly, so it was really hard to choose. In no specific order, here are some of the bloggers who frequently make my day:

1. Jane - whose blog is the place for inspiration and encouragement in stitching painted canvases, not to mention lots of notices of sales, new designs, and new threads.

2. Carol-Anne - who shares her journey of learning Japanese Embroidery with beautiful photos of her work.

3. Joanie - who stitches some beautiful reproduction samplers and is another upstate NY stitcher.

4. Elisabeth - who inspires with her amazing surface embroidery.

5. Karen - who mostly knits now, but her sense of humor still amuses me as it did when she was a local stitcher (before she moved away).
   

6. Jocelyn - who does a range of creative needlework styles, including some really neat freeform needlepoint - and she often leaves great comments here.

7. Rissa - whose blog highlights her amazing range of textile hobbies, from stitching to crazy quilting to spinning. Plus she's a fellow "dog person", though her pups are much smaller than my greyhounds.

8. Pierrette - who shares my enjoyment of many stitching techniques.

9. Karoline - who stitches gorgeous repro and historical-style samplers and smalls, and always leaves a kind word on my posts.

10. And last, but certainly not least, Kathryn - who somehow keeps track of all of her cross stitch projects (many with sheep!) while being constantly on the go between two homes (in Maui and Las Vegas) and the many conventions she and her DH manage. Plus she always takes the time to comment here!

Thank you all for making my day!

The Shining Needle Society

With not much progress on anything last night, I don't have any new WIP photos to share today. Instead, I'm going to tell you about an online group that has many stitchers (including me) very excited!

First, a disclaimer: I have absolutely no financial interest in this group. My only intention is to share a great online class opportunity with other stitchers, because I'm thrilled about it! :-)

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you've seen my progress on the redwork mystery sampler from Gay Ann Rogers. This sampler's online support group was the first offering from the Shining Needle Society, or SNS. Now that the sampler is almost done (Gay Ann sent out the last window this week), the organizers of SNS have started to reveal how SNS will evolve.

The mission statement of SNS is "To provide nurturing and inspiring opportunities for growth in the study of needlework, with the hope of continuing the legacy of embroidery art for future generations." The group has been described as "an online seminar", where top designers/teachers will provide opportunities to take online classes. So far there's an offering from Janet Zickler Casey, but Gay Ann says she'll be back with a new mystery soon, and there are hints of classes with Judy Souliotis and Jane Zimmerman. Plus some retired teachers may take advantage of teaching classes without the travel.

SNS is morphing from a single Yahoo! Group for Gay Ann's sampler. There is now a group for "SNS Home Room", and Gay Ann's sampler group is turning into her "classroom". Each new class offering will have it's own Yahoo! Group, available only to those taking that class, but anybody can join the SNS Home Room list to get announcements of future class opportunities. (If you're not already a member of any of Yahoo's services, you will have to create a Yahoo account.)

Yes, so far this group looks like it's primarily needlepoint or counted thread work. Perhaps if SNS hears of a need for surface embroidery also, some of those teachers may be encouraged to join in the fun!

I can't wait to see what new classes SNS has in store for us over the next few months!

Another busy week

Sorry for not posting much this week. For maybe the fourth time in a year, both EGA and ANG meetings fell in the same week! So I had EGA on Monday, ANG tonight, and the LNS stitch night tomorrow.

I've been working on the canvas for my cousin's daughter, which I started on the plane to Vegas. In case you're wondering, the canvas is one of Kathy Schenkel's First Christmas canvases. You can see it on this page of Kathy's site. It's number CO301, and I should be done with the stitching by Saturday or Sunday.

If you haven't explored Kathy's site, you're in for a treat. Her canvases are so much fun! My LNS has had her trunk show in each of the last two years, and it's always difficult to choose only one or two! :-)

Independent Needlework News

I recently discovered a really interesting and useful blog: Independent Needlework News! The name and tagline (It’s like CNN, but all needlework news, all the time!) say it all, so I won't bore you with my description.

Apparently I'm a bit slow in finding my way around blogspace (is that a word?) the blogosphere*, since this terrific site started back in February. If you haven't already paid this site a visit, what are you waiting for?

(Disclaimer: I'm completely unaffiliated with INN, except to enjoy it!)

*Thanks to DH for correcting my geek speak!