Fiber Talk and Sarah Braizear.....

~ Greetings Friends and Warm Welcome ~

to you all!

Last evening (5/16/18)...

I was honored to tape the Mid-Week Podcast of

with Gary Parr. I was filling in for Christine and, like always, I had the best time and enjoyed every minute! 

Do you follow Fiber Talk? If not, you need to. ANY needle artist, needleworker, needlesmith, needs to follow, like and subscribe to Fiber Talk. Two podcasts per week: Sunday's Podcast is the day that features a special guest and Wednesday's Midweek Podcast is a chatty, topic oriented podcast that is filled with good information and fun. 

Here is where you can find Fiber Talk (there is no difference in any content among these sites, it just depends on how you want to listen, follow and watch on a few showcase videos)

YouTube: HERE

On Facebook: HERE

Website: HERE

While I was chatting with Gary, of course (if you follow Fiber Talk), you will know that they in conjunction with Sassy Jack's Stitchery and of course Nicola Parkman of Hands Across the Sea Samplers, are hosting a Stitch-a-Long of Sarah Braizear 1829 which you can JOIN HERE on Facebook. 

I knew about this SAL as I am a devoted listener and follower of Gary Parr.

I started to crumble a little when Gary posted this video of Sarah that he hosted along with Jean Lea of The Attic in Mesa, AZ . You may view it at this link: Sarah Braizear at The Attic

then I thought...

who am I kidding? ha ha Vonna you silly girl. You don't have time for Sarah!

Then I crumbled a little more when I heard the spontaneous Podcast that Gary posted featuring him talking to Nicola about large projects and high count fabric, which you can listen to: Big Projects, High Count Fabrics? NO PROBLEM!

but again....

I firmed my loins and said NO WAY for me.

then....

last night listening to Gary talk again about the piece.

Going over it again in my mind.

Watching the attic movie again.

A little shove from Gary during the show.

I went to the website last night before bed and after clicking and looking HARD, I said to myself: no.

Then this morning at 6 am, my alarm rang, I picked up my laptop and started clicking.

Yes. Sarah is on its way to my home escorted by a lovely piece of 46 count Lakeside Vintage Pearled Barley. 

I am weak.

Gary...thank you for the push. I'm ALL IN!

Hugs and love in stitches from me who is doing what she loves best always in stitches, 

Vonna xxxx

NO REGRETS!

now GO and subscribe to Fiber Talk....

and buy Sarah Braizear because she is nearly gone and join us for the stitch-a-long.

Monday, Monday....

~ Greetings Friends and Warm Welcome ~
I hope that this finds each of you well and enjoying your slice of the world wherever you are!

The last few weeks....
as every spring time right before the end of school has been very hectic, like I know it is for many of you with families. Katie has returned home from college after a very successful sophomore year. Her grades are all in and she has maintained her gpa and has stayed on the Dean's List for her 4th semester of college. She is studying Electrical Engineering and is the only female in her class. I am so very proud! She returned to work today at Crane NSWC where she works in research. Her Daddy is in another group in the same building also an Electrical Engineer and I heard them talking last night about meeting for lunch. That does my heart good to hear them talk about things that only they understand and to know that Katie will share her lunch with her Daddy.
💗💗💗

This weekend was Prom for our boys....
I was hostess for the 4th year in a row for the Prom Dinner.
Here is the table sporting dessert...
homemade yellow cupcakes with homemade buttercream icing.
DELICIOUS!
I made a variety of Chinese dishes for their meal:
Mongolian Beef
Garlic Chicken
General's Chicken
Beef Lo Mein
Crab Rangoon
(and a failed pot of Egg Drop Soup which really turned into brothy scrambled eggs that the cats enjoyed!)




Here is the Prom Party...
Jacob's date fell through so we encouraged him to go stag with his best friend Evan and then of course Ian and his girlfriend Edie
(Edie was a trooper! She spend the evening herding a bunch of boys - there were other stag boys that met them at the Prom)

Jake and Evan

Ian and Edie

I'm sorry but this photo of them reminds me of this classic scene from Napoleon Dynamite (one of my favorite movies of all time)

😂😂😂😂

So that catches you up on the homefront...Now to stitching:

I finished this sweetie on 36 count Weeks Straw linen
 using my own Classic Colorworks Conversion:
Black: Blackbird
Orange (light): Pumpkin Harvest
Orange (dark): Colonial Copper
White: Dulce de Leche
Skin: Sunkissed
Green: Pea Pod
Gold: Ye Olde Gold
Bats: Zach Black
Cauldron/Hair: River Rocks



you'll see more about how I finish this "Witches Night Out" coming up in the fall.

🎃🎃🎃


I also had a Mother's Day Finish last night!!!
🎉🎉🎉

I stitched this on 40 ct. cream Zweigart
Classic Colorworks in my own conversion:
Green: Weeping Willow
Red: Bandana
Brown (dark): Roasted Chestnut
Light Tan: Peanut Brittle
Black: Blackbird
Gray: River Rocks


On Deck Stitching...
starting this beauty tonight, I'd love to have it done by Memorial Day, but that is likely pushing my limits.

In my finishing cave....

I have been busy as a bee finishing for my awesome clients in the last 3 weeks:

Alrighty Folks....

that catches you all up!

Now to get my fanny down to work for this morning!

Have a super duper week ahead, keeping a smile on your face and one in your heart!

Hugs and love in stitches, 

Vonna xxxx

May is here....

~ Greetings and Warm Welcome Friends ~

May is here...

even though it is still a bit nippy in the mornings, I've mowed grass a couple of times so spring IS here! I just hope it doesn't go from being a bit nippy to scorching hot. 

May...

lots of things are going on this month. First I'd like to share the cover from the new Punch Needle and Primitive Stitcher Magazine...and specifically to the NEW FEATURE!

EXCITING!!

I just hope I did justice to this honor.

I'm very nervous about it.

Do you have a subscription?

Well if you don't, WHY NOT? It is a gorgeous, full color pages, heavy weight glossy paper. OR you can purchase a digital subscription too. Just go to this link: PUNCH NEEDLE AND PRIMITIVE STITCHER MAGAZINE

and sign up online for a subscription!

aaaannnndddd.....

This is happening.

Proud.

Happy.

and

Sad.

Where has 18.5 years gone? It seems like yesterday I was changing diapers, stepping on toys, exhausted....

Here they are all grown up. 

Both boys will be attending Indiana University Purdue University of Indianapolis.

Both boys are direct admits into the Purdue School of Engineering (on the IUPUI campus).

Both boys will be following in their Daddy and their sister's footsteps of becoming Electrical Engineers (God willing).

It is time for them to fly!

and then... THIS GIRL....

was just notified one week ago that she was a SMART SCHOLARSHIP WINNER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What is a Smart Scholarship? Well it is a full ride scholarship, with stipend and internship awarded through the Department of Defense. It is VERY HARD to land one, especially as an undergraduate. She got one! She got one! She got one!

and she got it through Crane where she already had an internship as an Electrical Engineer.

She is set for college, she is set for her career!

She is going through finals this week and nervous as a mouse in a room of cats. I don't know why though because this girl is the ONLY female Electrical Engineering student in her class. She carries a job, she is the president of  the Society of Women Engineers, an at large campus student senator, a student mentor for Women in Engineering AND carries a 4.0 gpa. 

Proud? Doesn't even begin to describe it.

To God goes the Glory.

Until next time,

I'll be trying to keep my emotions under control as we hit a lot of milestones along our life journey.

Thank you for reading and following me in all the mediums you may follow me.

YOU are special

and 

I love you!

Vonna xxxx