lucky me!

Stitch Witchie Friend, Deb (w/o blog)

made this awesome teacup pincushion for me.

Oh, so pretty!!!   

new stash ...

Pin Pokes I  (PFC-88)

Designed by Sandra Sullivan

c. 2010 Homespun Elegance Ltd.

You just never know what you'll spot at the LNS.    Yesterday, at House of Stitches, among many beautifully stitched shop models -- I saw a stitched pincushion from this pattern.    It caught my eye - and, the rest is history.   Into my hand jumped the pattern, and I switched out the fiber a bit (prefer the Weeks Baked Apple over the Crescent Used Brick - perhaps it is just the current dye lot).    What fun to search thru the bin of fabric cuts to find the "just right" colors.   I found a 30 ct Lt Espresso, 30 ct French Vanilla, and 29ct Glenshee which will work.   Never mind there are pre-made pincusions you can use!!!  Thx GF (yes, you know who you are) for the GC.

Once stitched, should complement my other HE pieces.  

Polly Miner, 1822

This is a progress pic of

Polly Miner, 1822

A sampler from the Sheldon Museum in

Middlebury, Vermont

A Scarlet Letter kit.

35-ct linen, DMC cotton floss

Have you been following the 

Scarlet Letter Challenge?

It has expanded into a second group

blog.   Check it out!   Link HERE.

(edited:   improved photo --- no flash + taken during the day)

cover of the pattern:

Prints

I'm so lucky.   DH took me into Chicago to the

Smart Museum.    I wanted to see the 

Awash in Color

exhibit (which closes Jan 20th).

What a fantastic exhibit!   Loaded with wonderful

prints from Japanese and French artists.

The display was lovely and there were books

open to various sketches, too.

They had an i-pad (or something) that showed the 

many images needed to create one print - also, video

showing how the woodblocks were hand carved.

Provided a wonderful introduction to these creative prints.

and the COLORS!   Rich and elegant.   Some

full of details - some more modern and classy.

Try not to miss - if you are in the neighborhood!

Special thx to Marjorie

who had a wonderful post on her blog

about this exhibit.

Did I mention I purchased

the exhibit catalog?   It is loaded

with color photos ; )

Awash in Color: French and Japanese Prints

This is one of the images off the web site - 

Henri Riviere

Vegetable Garden at Ville-Hue (Saint-Briac), 1890

Woodblock print.

More images shown on their

Facebook Page.

gifts

Isn't this lovely?

I am so happy to have this lovely

heart stitched and finished by

CathyB blogging at

With Needle + Thread;

My Adventures in Stitching.

We have been on-line blogging friends

for years + finally met at House of Stitches earlier this year.

What a treat!!!

Her blog is loaded with needlework and travels

and treasures!!!   Head over ....

and ...

Isn't this pretty?

I enlarged the photo so you can see the detail.

This will give you an idea of the size.

This necklace was a gift from Marjorie

blogging at

Moonsilk Stitches. 

If you have not visited her blog -

get over for a visit.   She is always into the most creative stuff!!!  

Last,

I've had this bookmark pinned to my wall

for a few years now.

The image is from a woodblock print.  It is from the

Clarence Buckingham Collection.

Wild Pinks and Butterfly.

And, I just noticed on the AIC web site,

that they have PART ONE of a Japanese Print exhibit

(gallery 107) from the 

Clarence Buckingham Collection.

Hurry, closes Jan 27, 2013