Second Saturday

You know, I should just hit myself over the head every time I think about how much fun I have at the Loudoun Sampler Guild meetings every second Saturday of the month. Why did I wait so long to join? I should have been here five years ago. That's five years wasted. 

Today we had Lisa from the French Needle who brought a trunk show for us to shop and she participated in the program. If you haven't explored this website for its fine French imported needlework goods, you need to, and you're in a for treat. Lisa has a discerning eye for lovely things. I admit to buying a small kit and there's another one on the website that I want - the Lily of the Valley pincushion. 

The program was a panel discussion with designers. This guild is so fortunate to have so many talented people as members! I'm going to have to apologize at the start because I don't know Jane's last name, but she designs with her heart and prayers and from her I learned a new phrase - girlie whitework! I will remember that and work it into a conversation someday. Betsy Morgan of Willing Hands who does not sell her designs except through classes, designs these extraordinary pieces, some with many smalls, that are simply too lovely for words. From here on, if Betsy is teaching the piece, I am taking the class. And Betsy if you stumble upon this while googling yourself, I really would love to stitch Gustav's Graffiti...Pamela Darney of Guild House Samplers has a website under construction. I participated in her Quaker Diamond class last fall and am stitching her Love and Live Happy sampler right now. Plus I have two more of hers and I'm taking another class with her in September. Can we just say quality linen and Glorianna silks? Pam does these throwdowns in her classes with yards of Glorianna silks and everyone has a delightful time. Patty Y. of Samplers Revisited stitches both lovely reproduction samplers and her own original pieces. I have her Tartan Pumpkins and a German repro sampler in my stash. After years of travel and family, it's great that she finally gets to do what her heart has always loved. Our last designer in this group is Barbara Hutson of Queenstown Samplers. Barbara is a delight. I first met her when I was in a LNS and she was touring the shops with her newest designs. Okay. I admit that I've got five or six of her samplers. Earlier this year one of my local shops had her trunk show and that was like wow! I think she's amazingly prolific, though she probably doesn't think so. It was tremendously insightful and funny day. Wish I could do this every Saturday. And to think I was reluctant to give up any family time on weekends before...


 And before we go:

Michael Boren's Starry, Starry Night done in a truly unique way. No one is ever going to reproduce this because I used a limited edition silk floss. I hand painted my ecru canvas. And I mounted it on a handpainted artist canvas. Wow! I think the canvas size is like 5" by 3 1/2". Color me happy!