Stitch Camp Finale & a Giveaway

All too soon, the final day arrived. 

I had to show you that Faye of Carolina Stitcher was with me in spirit at the camp - I used the wonderful project bags that I won in her giveaway and received many compliments :) I thought it was so appropriate as Faye had used a Stacy Nash design :)

One of the best parts is time spent with kindred spirits - both new friends and old.

I had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful stitchers (& designers) from places as far away as California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Arkansas, Pennsylvania and New York!

It is also so inspiring to see the wonderful finishes and works in progress that people bring with

Fran brought with this incredible hardangar runner that she is working on. 

 At the end of the camp, Jeanne and Stacy had a drawing of the "overachievers" - those that finished their book construction and tray sides - there were several of us. I was so thrilled when they drew my name!

This is what I won:

A lovely pinkeep made by Stacy herself!

What a treasure that I will cherish!

Thank you Jeanne and Stacy for such an incredible camp!

If you ever have the opportunity to attend an event at Country Sampler, Go! You won't be dissappointed, and will create memories to last a lifetime.

You can't be at Country Sampler for four days without doing some shopping.

Here are my purchases:

I bought a few wool kits for Maggie's last book and couldn't resist a great deal on "The Maine Project"

by Blackberry Primitives. I have been thinking about it for a while and it was on sale so I couldn't pass up the kit. I think there are a few left here in case you can't live with out it as well. :)

On my way home, I took my time and did a bit of antiquing. 

Thought I would share a few things that caught my eye, but that I didn't buy...

Love the textures

and the patinas.

This is what did come home with me - a tramp art frame (to be used for some stitching), antique velvet, a flower frog to hold antique thimbles and my favorite find! An incredible rughooking - the wool strips so fine that they are almost as narrow as yarn. The colors and detail are wonderful. It is framed in wood and can go right on my wall.

Isn't it fantastic? And the best part:

On the back is its history along with...

a newspaper article from Maine on Ethel Fitzgerald, the woman who created it.

I am just thrilled with this find.

I think it will be pretty hung with a find from a few years ago.

A watercolor of a similar mill found at an Estate Sale.

You have been so kind with your comments while I rattle on and on, so I would like to have a little giveaway.

Since I now have the kit - I have an extra pattern for the Maine Project along with three pieces of different vintage wool army blankets. 

This giveaway is open to everyone. Simply leave a comment on this post or send me an email to pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with Maine Project in the subject line and tell me - what are you looking for at antique stores these days?

I will pick a winner on Sunday.

"Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many."

~1 Corinthians 12:12-14

Blessings, Patti

Stitch Camp Part 2

I loved that the camp agenda each day was posted on the board.

What a special day!

Our project today was working on this sweet velvet book.

Our day also included a special field trip.

A leisurely walk to the lovely home of Ruth Haas.

I was fortunate enough to visit Ruth's house back in 2011 and was so happy to return.

Here is a photo of our group that Ruth was kind enough to take.

Ruth's home was even more lovely, if that is possible :)

sweet vignettes

sweet views

sweet kitty

sweet pup

such a comfortable and welcoming home.

If you would like to see more of Ruth's home, click here.

Ruth had a tag sale for us with some wonderful antique and folk art offerings.

When I visited her several years ago, I fell in love with a wonderful antique mirror in her bathroom.

(You can see it in the linked post above.)

I've been on the look out for a similar mirror over the past few years, but with no luck.

I was so happy to see it in her tag sale and thrilled that it was able to come home with me!

 Here are my purchases from Ruth's sale:

A lovely fraktur by folk artist Pat Gaddy,

the long coveted mirror

and a little carved house.

After our field trip, we headed back for more stitching.

While we were stitching, the husbands of Jeanne and camp counselor Selma cooked a fantastic traditional Wisconsin Friday night fish fry for us! Yum!

What a great way to end another perfect day!

And here is what I accomplished so far on my velvet book :)

Still more stitch camp to come...

"To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines."

~ 1 Corinthians 12:8-11

Blessings, Patti

Stitch Camp Part 1

Last Thursday Stacy's Stitch Camp officially began at my favorite store :)

In my last post, I mentioned that I was assigned to "The Eye-lets" table and here we are:

Stacy and I are in the back and Kim and Ella are in the front.

It was so much fun to realize after a few minutes of chatting that Kim is my dear blogging buddy from ilovesamplers blog fame! Kim is also an artist from Early Work Mercantile.

What a treat it was to meet her in person and get to know her better. 

Both Kim and Ella make lovely jewelry ~ they are talented in many mediums!

I was so blessed to share a table with them!

Our first project to work on was the stitching tray. 

Stacy said she wanted to start with the hardest part ~ cutting the double mat board for the foundation of the tray. She was right! After that part, everything else was fun!

This is what I was able to accomplish. I finished the four sides, started stitching the base and made the two fat strawberries for the scissor fob.

The meals were all fantastic and after dinner we stayed and stitched a while.

I stayed at the Spring Green Motel and headed back at sunset.

Some beautiful flowers and a robin were there to greet me.

The gardens at the motel are so lovely this time of year.

 They do a wonderful job and there was nary a weed (unlike my own garden :)

There is a trickling waterfall and pond in the back.

And these flowers were outside the breakfast room.

 

The breakfast room became the community stitching room late into the night!

We even met some sweet quilters from Canada that happened to be staying at the hotel. They brought along their sewing machines. We had lots to chat about.

Stitching that night I finished this:

"Dream Big"

design by Maggie Bonanomi 

for Country Sampler's Girls Club 

And this is where it now resides.

(Sorry about the lighting...)

More Stitch Camp posts to come...

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.

There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.

There are different kinds of working, 

but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good."

~ 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Blessings, Patti

Home from Camp!

Well, just like with our kids, I was so busy that I didn't even have a chance to get home sick :)

We started on Wednesday evening with a "Meet and Greet" to meet our camp leader Stacy Nash and our camp counselors - Jeanne and her fantastic shop girls. And, of course, to meet our fellow campers - old friends and new! 

What a wonderful meal! Beef sandwiches, over the rainbow mac and cheese, watermelon and cherry vodka lemonade (yum!). And do you see the sticks in the tall red bucket? Those were for our s'mores! Double yum!

Each table had a stitchery related name and I was assigned to "The Eye-lets".

Go Eye-lets!

At each place setting we found an awesome camp messenger bag.

Our name tag was appropriately campy and made of wood and twine.

And underneath... 

was a great burlap project bag filled with all of our supplies.

Our finished camp projects were on display.

A lovely sewing tray complete with two plump berries.

And a wonderfully aged velvet sewing book.

Don't you love the color and texture of the aged hand-dyed velvet?!

And inside the book a sweet wool heart.

Stacy brought along the models of some of her other designs. 

Pomegranate Sewing Tray (already kitted at home and ready to go lol) 

Her newest design ~ Three Sisters Pinkeep

And the beloved Emilia Poole.

Also kitted and ready to go at home!

After seeing it in person, I really want to start it soon!

So many projects, so little time to stitch!

Stacy also brought the model for her newest club kit.

I took a picture, but don't want to spoil the surprise for the other club members.

Let me just say... Think Autumn and you are really going to LOVE it!

Well, this was just the first evening. I'll try to get back soon with Day 1

"You did not choose me, but I chose you

 and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—

and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 

This is my command: Love each other."

~John 15:16-17

Blessings, Patti

A Finish and off to camp...

"Country Sampler Spring Gardener Sewing Roll"

Design by Stacy Nash

for Country Sampler Girls' Club

I just had to share my latest finish.

I was excited to find an antique mother of pearl flower shaped button in my button box. I think it makes a sweet addition.

Here is the back.

I tweaked the colors just a bit.

Here it is as you begin to open it...

There was supposed to be a button and button hole, but I was to afraid to cut the linen :) So instead I added a little ribbon attached with some tiny buttons to wrap around the flower button for a closure.

On the inside I added some hand dyed velvet and a little wool and button flower.

And here is the entire stitched piece:

In just a few moments I am off to camp!

Stitch Camp that is!

With Stacy Nash as our Camp Leader at Country Sampler in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

You can read about it here.

I will be back in a few days with a full report :)

"Now glory be to God, who by his mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of—infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. May he be given glory forever and ever through endless ages because of his master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ."

~Ephesians 3:20-21

Blessings, Patti

Stitching Progress and a Winner

I thought I would share my progress on the Inspired Summer Seminar Projects.

The strawberries are all stitched and now. I just need to find an afternoon or evening were I can sit down and put them together.

I've made a bit of progress on "Liberty Inn" from the Seminar as well and it really is a fun stitch.

(The little quilt stars are reminding me of the fireworks from this past weekend :)

Thank you so much for the 40 entries in my giveaway! 

It sounds like a lot of you enjoy the fireworks too. I'm jealous of those of you that can watch them from home :) Random.org selected as my winner #38 - Amy of Bumble Bee Lane!

Congratulations Amy! Please email me your mailing address and your prize will be on its way...

"What profit is there in gaining the whole world when it means forfeiting one’s self?"

~Luke 9:25

Blessings, Patti

4th of July Giveaway

Time for a giveaway!

I may be a little late, but you can enjoy these for the rest of the summer and have them early for the next 4th of July :)

Included in the giveaway are:

•  A cross-stitched pillow (I think it is a Lizzie*Kate design) featuring four of my handmade buttons (that I used to make and sell.) 
• A cross-stitched quilt
• And a star pillow from an antique quilt top

As always this giveaway is open to everyone.

Simply leave a comment on this post or email me at pgagliardi9@hotmail.com with "4th of July" in the subject line. 

And tell me are you a fireworks fan?

I will pick a winner on Monday, July 7th.

(I just had to share this favorite picture from a few years back.)

Last night we attended our local fireworks and as always the finale thrilled me :)

To me there is nothing better to make it the 4th of July than fireworks, family and friends!

Wishing you a safe and spectacular 4th of July!

We are so blessed to live in this country ~ even with its imperfections,

as nothing is perfect, but God.

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,

the people he chose for his inheritance.

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind;

from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth—

he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.

~Psalm 33: 12-15

Blessings, Patti