(such a) Fickle Stitcher

It’s a joyful day: my husband returned home last night from a three-week visit with his daughters/neice, grandchildren/neices, mother and sister! (And nothing super serious failed/died/broke/happened while the Man of The House was away!) I saw him for about 10 minutes then fell asleep. I look forward to a nice supper with him tonight.

I want to show off the Inchies which I put in the mail yesterday to a friend in France. (We had a swap at CyberStitchers EGA, and she sent more than everyone else, so I made up the difference — only it took me ages to get them finished and in the mail to her!) I basted wool felt to some muslin and stitched the crewel motifs with Heathway wool and Pearsal’s silk threads (from Tristan Brooks Designs).

The motifs are from a variety of in-progress projects by Barbara Jackson. My original intent was to complete all nine squares, but then I thought I would leave four for Virginie to stitch and have as a completed design by both of us… we’ll see what she decides to do with it.

. . . didn’t quite work out like I’d hoped, but at least I didn’t walk there. My little Kia, I’ve named here “Gobi,” averaged about 43 MPG over the whole trip, thanks to driving only 60 MPH.

The hotel (Hilton Memphis on the east side of town) was lovely, a circular glass tower with wedge-shaped rooms. Since DH was with me, we reserved a king-size bed — uh, that sounded odd… a room with one bed which happened to be a king — the rooms were well appointed, with single brew coffee pot, furniture that looked “real” not “hotel” and even a large flat-screen TV. To say it was comfortable is an understatement. Next time, I’d rather not be on the pool side, however.

The event (Tennesse Valley Region of EGA Share-a-Stitch XXVIII — my first), was delightful, even though I knew only a handful of the 100-plus people in attendance: my fellow chapter members, Rissa and Lisa, our teacher, Barbara Jackson, a few TVR board members, and an old friend from Mid-Atlantic Region who was also teaching at the event, Debbie Stiehler.

What didn’t work out was doing any sight-seeing while in Memphis, on my first trip of any time more than just passing through on my way somewhere else! No Beale Street, no blues, no Elvis look-alikes, no Graceland, no BBQ! (That last is my fault, however, for I chose to go to Carrabba’s Grill our one night with dinner on our own – we had BBQ at the banquet,  but that’s just not the same as going to a BBQ “joint” IN Memphis!)

Unfortunately, on Friday night I could take away only long enough to go get dinner from working on the bibliometric proposal submission for my summer class, which was due by midnight! (Got my grade today, and though it isn’t bad, the professor wasn’t much happier with one section than I was!) I tried to work Saturday night after the banquet to finishi another assignment — due midnight on Sunday — but it just didn’t come together, so we needed to drive straight home after the seminar ended at noon so I could work.

I posted in-progress photos of my class piece, Cherry Tree Cottage over on Crewel Intentions. Please go have a look. And I’ll just plan to return to Memphis some weekend in the future for BBQ, Elvis and Blues.

Oh, yes . . . I volunteered to chair the seminar committee for the Share-A-Stitch in 2010.  Probably a crazy thing to do, but I miss being involved in seminar planning, and the acquaintances throughout the region it brings.

Years ago, perhaps even before my sons were born, my FIL gave me a punchneedle kit for Christmas. I think he bought it at a kiosk in the mall. I was gracious, but not interested and put it away. I thought I had given it to my DSD, but she doesn’t remember it. Anyway . . .

When I went to The P is for Primitive (Canton) last fall for a rughooking class, I saw lots of cute little punchneedle items; also when I was in the stitching shops in Asheville (NC) there were lots of PN kits. So, it really wasn’t surprising that when we had a bit of our TVR education grant left over from Rhonda’s embellishment & Barbara’s crewel workshops, punchneedle was a choice that fit the bill — literally!

Last Saturday our EGA chapter got together at our regular meeting place, the Flowood library, not on our regular chapter meeting day and Rissa got us started, and once we all got going, she spent the afternoon giving us hints and technique tricks.  We all had a loverly day chatting and laughing and learning something new!

Tonight, I finished my “practice” piece. It was to have been only the three leaves on the blue background . . . but, . . . DH piped up with, “It’s poison ivy!” After he left the room, I decided I would add the white berries to make it so and surprise him.

I’ve placed an order with PunchneedleMarketplace.com for additional needles in all the other available sizes, and can’t wait to start another design.

Just goes to show, well, two things actually:

Everything old is new again and again.

Never dismiss a technique out of hand; you might just be missing out on a joyful experience.

Decided to post over on DMLA today.

At the EGA National Seminar in Orlando, Florida, I took a class with Jean Littlejohn. She was delightful and inspiring. I purchased a series of books by her and her partner, Jan Beaney. At that time there were about six published; I am parting with five, keeping the sixth as it is a tribute to Constance Howard. Here are images of the five I have decided to offer to someone who will make use of them.

Vanishing Act is by Jan Beaney; Voluptuous Velvet is by Jean Littlejohn; the other three, Bonding and Beyond, Transfer to Tranform, Gardens & More, are co-authored). The four by Jean Littlejohn are signed (to me). Each softcover book is 11.5 x 7.9 x 0.3 inches, 24 pages (plus front & back and inner covers),  and printed in full color. These are beautiful books; I had planned to have them bound together, but never got around to doing it.  Content descriptions are available at their Double Trouble Enterprises website in the Double Trouble Publications section.

I’d like to sell them as a set for $90US plus shipping. If you are interested, send me a comment or email to ficklestitcher at gmail dot com.

As president of the Mississippi NeedleArts Chapter, I received in the mail today the quarterly (I think) mailing from National HQ. Included was the new Petite Project (PP). I thought I would share a photo of it with you.

Hey! That’s two photos… how’d that happen?

The new PP would be the item on the right. On the left is my own “Poinsetta Noel” designed in the early- to mid-1990s, which has been part of my teaching portfolio (to teach traditional Assisi which uses Italian cross-stitch) for 12 years. 

Now, what is a teensey bit interesting to me is that about that (what seems like) many years ago, I also had two of my other designs published as Petite Projects. (In the intervening years, I withdrew them due to a change in use policy.)

This one (there is a larger, if a little blurry, photo here) was designed in 1995, published as a PP in May 1996, withdrawn (in ????)and has been available on the internet as a free on-line class since 2001.  Another very similar SRE project was published as PP in March 1997 (and is still available from National HQ for chapter and MAL use).

Am I trying to say that not once but twice my intellectual/creative property has been plagerized? No, but it is a mildly distressing coincidence when you see thing so similar to yours.