ANG Seminar

On Friday my roommate and I arrived in South Carolina. First we stopped for some terrific BBQ in North Carolina. And a bit of shoe shopping in North Myrtle Beach. We were totally surprised to find a huge sale going on at the shoe store complete with a live band and people gathered outside in their lawn chairs enjoying the show. I did purchase exactly one pair of Alegria shoes, my first pair. I believe I will be buying more.

We easily found our hotel, checked in, dumped a huge amount of stuff in our room - I regret not taking a photo of the luggage trolley - and headed off to the registration desk. 

We got the lay of the land, found a few of our friends, and headed off to dinner. 

The next morning found food and left for our first class. 

  

This is Color Play, a Teaching Excellence Class, by Jennifer Riefenberg. I have to say I picked this class because it is a Teaching Excellence Class, not for the project. Here's the painted canvas we started with. Just five hexagons painted like color wheels. 

So here's my progress on the first day. OMG. I love what happens on this piece. Totally cool. And Jennifer is a terrific teacher which is good because I've got another class with her on Monday and Tuesday. 

This is my progress after two days. I got lazy today, the second day of class. I could be further along. Do you like the blackwork pattern background? I do. Except for the fact that it is stitched with DMC Jewel Effects. I had given away all the skeins of that particular thread because it's horrible to work with. I will persevere with this even though I will grumble. 

If you'd like to see more about Jennifer and her art, her website is the Art of Sunshine.  

Happy Dance

I finished the pillow complete with extra rows the finishers want. Got to leave it at the shop yesterday before heading off to the American Needlepoint Guild seminar in Myrtle Beach.

We're here now getting ready for our first classes tomorrow. In a happy place.

(edit) This is a Charley Harper canvas called Lil' Sipper. You can view all Harper canvases on the Treglown website, http://www.treglowndesigns.com/artist-s/1857.htm. But you must order through a needlepoint shop. 

And Then This Happened

So life was moving on in August. My son, his wife, and my almost two-year old granddaughter moved to Italy courtesy of the US Army. We're happy for them. Jealous, even. Sad for us. It's been nice having them be a six hour drive down the road from us. But I will now get to make that long awaited Italian vacation. 

Then end of month approached and I was just starting to ramp up some planning for attending the American Needlepoint Guild Seminar in Myrtle Beach in September. When one morning, rushing off to work, I fell right in front my own house. We used to have a half-step in our sidewalk that collected water and had puddles and ice and was generally useless. In the spring when we had our sidewalk redone they eliminated that half-step. 

Apparently that morning my muscle memory remembered the step. And down I went like the proverbially ton of bricks. I knew I'd hurt a finger on my left hand - I actually thought I'd ripped the nail off. And that my right knee was questionable. I limped back in the house. Bandaged my fingertip. Took ibuprofen and grabbed and ice pack for my knee which I kept on it while driving to work. 

The next morning I knew a visit to the ER was in order being a Sunday and all. 

Sure enough. Broken finger. (I think there were two broken fingers.) A splint. X-rays showed no broken bones in knee. A few days later I got to an MRI machine and few days after that I finally had a referral to an orthopedist. 

Meanwhile, I've been sitting with ice, ibuprofen, and the occasional vicodin. Hardly moving and watching my knee swell. And wallowing in self-pity because what if I had screwed up my trip.

I got to that fateful appointment with the orthopedist this past week. Had the needle under the kneecap to drain fluid. And then another to inject a steroid. Don't ask how much this hurts. Because I'll have to use very bad words. 

Meanwhile, all kinds of things that should have been getting done, weren't. Hubby stepped up nicely with cooking and laundry. But all my usual planning and organizing for Seminar wasn't happening. 

So today I sit here. Able to sit at a table again. First hurrah!

I've got water on the knee. This should dissipate with time. RIGHT. It's uncomfortable. And annoying. 

And I have nerve damage from the fall. Can't feel my skin from my kneecap to half-way done my leg. That's disquieting and strange. This, too, should improve with time. 

But I can move without massive amounts of pain. And I didn't tear anything major in the way of ligaments. I've got a follow-up appointment this week with Doctor Pain and then I am leaving for Myrtle Beach. 

Stay tuned for updates!

Sipper Progress

Charley Harper canvas I'm doing for my mom. Pretty straightforward. Only basketweave. Mostly Planet Earth silk. Except the flower is DMC #3 pearl and the hummingbird head is Silk Lame Braid. Needed just s touch of sparkle.

Name of this canvas is Lil' Sipper.

And that's how far two skeins of Planet Earth got me on the background. I've got three more skeins and two may be enough.

Finished Now Framed III

Here's the third and final piece I picked up on Saturday.

This is a Design by Kathy. I originally saw it stitched at Everything Cross Stitch in Fredericksburg. And it wowed me.

I think this is a Crossed Wing fabric, but it could be Picture This Plus.

Love, love, love it.

Finished Now Framed II

Quick photo at the frame shop as this on didn't come home with me.

They put the wire on like it's a square, but it's a diamond. Words should be level, people.

You can see the date - 2010. This was a diamond Quaker challenge for my guild from Pam Darney of Guildhouse Samplers.

We picked our size of diamond, our colors, and then turned traditional Quaker motifs to fit our space.

I decided that I was never going to go back and tweak the few things that bother me (slightly.) It's all about positioning.

Photo doesn't do justice to the red frame from Total Framing!

Finished Now Framed

Last Saturday I fell. Stupid. Broke a finger - ring finger none stitching hand, phew.

But I'm waiting to hear about the MRI on my knee. Could be an ACL tear. But here's a photo of the backside. Yikes.

Meanwhile picked up some newly framed stuff.

One Sleepy Hollow. Finished six years ago.