Garden Stitching

Some of my favorite designs by Victoria Sampler are the garden bellpulls. Here are just three of them that I have stitched. Of these three, Butterfly Garden is my favorite! I have been working on designing a garden design of my own...but it is different than these, it has lots of hardanger and is square...this design is coming together very easily, or as in the words of Sally Field, I think it likes me!!!

This week has been very busy with wedding preparations for Allison and Chris's wedding. I can see that this is going to be the pace around here for the next couple of months. I am trying to talk Alli into having a picture taken of her and Chris to use on the wedding programs, but she is resistant as she hates having her picture taken. I asked her what she was planning on doing to avoid pictures on her wedding day. She said "well, that will be different, I'll be beautiful that day!" Isn't that the truth, that for at least one day in her life, every woman thinks she is beautiful?

Victoria Sampler

I have the greatest privilege to be a small part of The Victoria Sampler. I have been working for Thea (pictured) for about 5 years now, as a stitcher, and over the course of that time we have become dear friends. Thea is one of the loveliest people I know, kind, sweet, generous and always encouraging. Thank you Thea for allowing me to be a part of your life and The Victoria Sampler! She has a great webpage that is updated bi-monthly with all her new designs and news. Check it out: www.victoriasampler.com . Thea has continually challenged me to improve and grow in my stitching abilities, and is even encouraging and "mentoring" me in beginning to design a few pieces of my own. And the other ladies that work in her office are equally as lovely, Lisa and Cathy are delightful to work with and a joy to know. What a wonderful group of people to work with. I am so blessed!!!

My daughter Allison's wedding is in less than two months, September 10th to be exact. I am having to face the challenge of getting myself into wedding mode...which has been hard for me to do for some reason...only because of life, NOT because I object to the wedding!!! GRIN. I have designed and stitched a ring pillow (even tho Alli and Chris are not having a ring bearer), but she doesn't know yet it is for her wedding. I hope that she will be agreeable to just having the pillow sit on the altar with the rings attached. Or perhaps Lizzie will carry it in as part of her junior bridesmaid duties. I think part of the reason I am having a hard time getting into the mode is that I am also facing three other huge changes in my life in the next months. I am going to work full time days in August after working part time evenings for the last 9 years. Lizzie will be starting in a regular school after having been homeschooled for her whole life. And our oldest daughter is expecting a baby in November!!! Huge changes! And so many of them all at the same time!

A is for Angel by Victoria Sampler

A hot Monday afternoon

For rainy cool Western Washington, we are in the middle of heat wave. It is 86 in the shade on the north side of the house, and feels to be about 120 on the sunny side of the house! Its probably not THAT hot, but it sure feels it. Today is my first day back to normal after 10 days of vacation. I have to leave for the office in about 2o minutes...and I am having a hard time getting back into that frame of mind. My day has gotten away from me with catch up cleaning and errands, but I have taken a picture of one of my WIP (works in progress)...it is called A is for Angel by Victoria Sampler....more about Thea and VS tomorrow! Stay cool!

The Lacey Thread

The name of my page is The Lacey Thread, and it has a double meaning. I live in Lacey, Washington, right next door to the capitol city of Washington, Olympia. I also love stitching anything lacy...such as pulled thread, cut thread and hardanger...

The word "thread" is obviously something I use when doing needlework...and it also makes me think of following a train of thought or succession of posts to a web site.

I am still figuring out how to use this blog website. I finally figured out how to upload pictures. My daisies in my garden are in glorious bloom right now, so I will try and get a picture posted of those. I had to go to two of the Kit's camera stores this afternoon...my brand new digital camera was acting up...not turning on basically. So they traded me straight across for a new one...how wonderful to have a working camera again!

More tomorrow, maybe I will actually get some photos of my needlework uploaded.

Sunday Morning

It is 7:00 AM on a beautiful Sunday morning. We are having church outside today, with a big barbeque afterwards. It will be very casual and laid back, and I wrestle with the decision on whether to take some hand work for this afternoon. Some people I know think it a bit rude to be working on needlework as we visit...have you had that experience? They think that if you don't give them full attention every moment, you are rude....I tend to think it makes me a better listener, as I am the type of person that hours of casual chitchat makes me rather bored....having something to do with my hands helps immensely...as well as satisfies my craving to stitch.
So, I'm off to get ready for the day....I think I will take along that pattern for a crocheted baby sweater just in case.... Happy Sunday.

My Introduction to Blogging

I have just returned from a delightful 3 days of visiting friends in Kennewick, WA. It has been way too many years since we have spent time together like this. While visiting with them, I was introduced to blogs. Now, I have known that they existed and had even read a blog or two, but I had no idea that it was something that I could do myself, or that so many other people that share my interests (especially stitching and reading) had beautiful blog sites. I knew right away that this was something that I wanted to do, and so Gary and Von directed me to this website. I am intending to talk about my life, my stitching and my reading...enjoy!