Northern Needles

Sometimes, he’s just a frog.  That’s a lesson we all can learn, not every frog we kiss turns into a prince!  I keep telling my girls this.

I had fun tonight sewing this into a pillow along with a couple of other finished projects, one was from 2005!!!! 

Here is a Margaret Sherry design called Purrfect Partners.  It was a cover kit in a UK magazine that has long since disappeared somewhere.  I’m sorry I can’t share the issue number.

And this is my 2005 finish!  It’s a Stitcher’s Habit design I believe (someone correct me if I’m wrong, it was so long ago!).  Finally I can display it.  So many finishes in that rubbermaid tub, I better keep sewing!

By the way, I finally took a picture of my new baby.  My Christmas present.  My Bernina.  She’s an Activa 230.  Isn’t she beautiful?

I have another quilting class on wednesday so stay tuned!!!!  This time, we’re doing curves.

Happy stitching!  Viv

I’m so excited to share!  Wilma is stitching fast and furious and so far has not only finished all the Snow Blizzard patterns as they come up but also finishes them off!  (I take about a year to finish some things off…maybe 2…maybe 5 LOL!)

Here is Wilma’s version of my pattern.  Thank you so much for stitching this and having so much fun doing it, you are TERRIFIC!!

Retha in WY stitched my Trimming the Tree pattern from The Cross Stitcher December 2005 issue, and she made it into a pillow. She attached to the back my smaller companion pattern and it won a blue ribbon at the fair she entered! Congratulations Retha! I’m so happy for you and thank you so much for sending me pictures of the pillow’s finish.

I should wait until it’s all ready to go but I can’ wait…I have to tell you a little bit about a project I’m undertaking right now.

I’m working at getting myself out there in the stitching world…yes, cover of the Chrismas issue of The Cross Stitcher was great but that was MONTHS AGO! LOL!

I met a lady that makes buttons! And she sells them in an LNS/ONS. Well, I’ve created a pattern and she’s making a special packet of buttons to go with it. I just finished picking out the colours (courtesy of Brenda at The Dye is Cast) and am ready to send off to be model stitched. It’s a special summer pattern so keep an eye on this space!

If you do then I recommend visiting one of my favourite sites when I have an extra 20 minutes or more to sit back and browse and dream.

John and Felice are two wonderful people that have put together a very beautiful site called Cross Stitch Pattern Gallery. The simple explanation is that they take art and convert it to cross stitch. But that doesn’t even give you a glimpse into their work. I have two patterns in my stash of theirs and I love both. And I’m dreaming of my next one LOL! I’m working on my 3rd page of Keiki Rainbow Hula from the Sachi gallery. And I’ve started Native Princess II (who looks like me when I was a little native baby) from the Children’s Portrait Gallery. Next up? Blessings of course. That one is in the Dogan gallery. Or maybe the Red House.

The patterns are large and easy to read, you know the kind where you can practically see the image right on the chart? That’s it. My Keiki Rainbow Hula is a limited edition so it is packaged in a folder with an artist’ bio of Sachi and a certificate. Now how can you beat that?

I took my Rainbow girl with me on a weekend stitching retreat in the fall and everyone was wowed by the piece. If you take a step back, it looks like a painting. Incredible is the only way to describe it.

If you stop in for a visit, be sure to check out the Works in Progress and the Finishes pages. You’ll see the work of a special friend Bernadette in there who manages to finish a John & Felice pattern every other month it seems. She inspires me.

Enjoy your time there, you won’t regret it, although your entire stitching rotation might be thrown into an uproar!

I’m taking part in a quaker mystery SAL! Oh I like it so much. I didn’t join in for the first section, however I caved and joined when part 2 was released. Part 3 will be out March 25th so I had to scurry to catch up.

I’m using 28 count pearl linen (white) and Waterlilies by Caron in Blueberry with DMC 103 as an accent. I really like it!!!

You can join too! CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE!