Visitors from MN ....

All last week, I was looking forward to the

week-end ... I met the delightful CathyB

(With Needle + Thread Blog)

and her Mom, Marlene.

Cathy + I have been blogging friends for several years and I was over-the-moon when she let me know there was a possibility to get together in Indiana!

We met at House of Stitches in LaPorte + enjoyed talking, shopping, 

and enhancing our stash ; )     Marlene and I had a tatting good time..   

Cathy has a lovely post on her blog w/photos ...

did I mention Ruth Ann from C Street Samplerworks 

was also there?    Cathy is the President of The C Street Fan Club!!!!!

Cathy gifted me with a tatted tarlet --- 

Isn't the tatted tartlet cute?   Thx so much!!!!

(Tatting by Marlene + finishing by Cathy)

I picked up Anna Brambles Sampler

and a beautiful wooden box for scissors + needles

 (DJV design needs to be stitched and mounted)

Until next time .....

I'm looking forward to The Giving Quilt by Jennifer Chiaverini, the next

novel in the Elm Creek Quilt series.

Look for it Oct 30th!!!

a bit of stitching

a few motifs on aida cloth

tucked into luggage tag holders ...

these are from

Tutorial ....

Edited 9/30/2012:    Per request, I added some patterns I created / used to the tutorial.    And enlarged some of the photographs (tho, I think if you click on them, they will enlarge on your computer screen).    

Welcome new readers from Craft Gossip dot com!    I was excited to be featured.     Link here.     

I have tried a step-by-step

tutorial for the 

matchbook style needle books 

that were favors for a recent NANI workshop.

Direct link HERE

or from the sidebar.

If you have questions, please send me an e-mail.

Barbara (and others who have asked):   

I hope to have the kanzashi tutorial up soon.

fun stuff + giveaway

Party Favors!!!

On Saturday, before the workshop began, each participant selected a gift bag.

Inside was the kit (instructions, linen, perle cottons, needles), an ort container

(made by the lovely and talented South Paw Stitcher)

and match book style needlebook - open the matchbook + there is felt where the matches should be.

(made by yours truly)

Interested in seeing photos of the stunning

show-n-tell?

Visit South Paw Stitchers' post.

Interested in having an ort container of your own?  

Along with some needlework stash?

Visit The Molly Giveaway post for details.

I am over the moon with my new patterns ...

Here are some of the designs I created on the matchbook covers:

and ... the ones left over from the workshop

will be sold at the Holiday Boutique.