Rita's Needlework

2010-01-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

Here it is 2010 and it has been two years since I posted.... shame on me! My only excuse is that I have gotten into quilting big time.... joined a guild, attended an AQS seminar in Paduca, KY, and have made many quilts... Sadly, I have neglected my crazy quilting and the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery..... have done a bit of applique.

I lost my last surviving Aunt Mary Ann in August, quite unexpectedly and certainly neither she or I were ready for it..... but God has His way of doing things and we just need to accept his judgement. I do miss her so much. What a delightful gal she was. There was only 8 yrs difference in our ages, so she was more like a sister. Her knowledge and love of the birds, flowers and trees were remarkable.

I am now depressed, thinking of the loss of her....so will close for now..... plan on doing better in keeping up my notes and pictures of my projects....

Rita

It's me again, Margaret

2008-01-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Time again is my biggest enemy. Is it only me, or does time go faster each day? The old addage "The Hurrier I Go, The Behinder I Get" certainly applies to my life. I now have added needleturn applique and "sane" quilting to my needlework, like I needed something else to collect stash for...lol... I do love mixing the hand applique with the traditional quilt blocks.

Since I last posted my two outside dogs passed away. Polly and Whoopie were both 12 years of age and died within 6 weeks of each other. They both are sadly missed. However, the morning after we buried Polly, a three legged red bone coon hound appeared at the farm. I truly feel Polly sent him to ease my grieving. I named him Tripod and he is a joy. What a happy dog he is...so appreciative and loving. I do so admire his attitude....he doesn't know he isn't like other dogs....his gait when walking is quite wobbly but when he runs you would never know he was missing a front left leg. I am guessing he was born that way...I see no scars...I had seen him before about two miles from here about a year ago...so he is a survior...

I will see if I have any photos of him to post....and also look for some pictures of some of the quilts I have made...TA TA for now.

Rita

Where does the time go?

2007-05-05T14:14:00.000-07:00

It is only me or does the time seem to go faster each day. I have been busy lately doing some "sane" quilt tops... (I do the quilting part with my credit card..lol). I really need to get on the ball now and work on the two classes I will be teaching at the Omaha Crazy Quilt Society Conference in July. One is for beginners in Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery and the second one is an advanced class..."Let's Knot and Make Some Flowers". I taught the Beginners class year before last, so that won't be much of a time consumer getting it ready.

This past March, I lost a very dear friend, Barbara Riegle. At 85 she was still such a force to be dealt with. A very generous, kind, motivated lady... I met her through a crazy quilt internet group, Chatty's Angels, about ten years ago. She was so talented in her stitching...in fact, in everything she did. At the age of 72 she got her degree in communication.....having spent most of her working life as a reporter...traveling the world over. She leaves such a large void.

That's about it from the "funny farm" today....promise to do better in updating my blog.

Rita

Rita's Needlework

2006-08-16T16:08:00.000-07:00

Rita's Needlework
I am doing the Stitcher's Happy Dance... I found out yesterday that my BDE piece, Verana (the second photo down) won first place in it's category and also Best of Show......WOW!!!

I almost have two other designs completed and will post them as soon as it is done...they are Peggy Crawfords' Ole World and Anna Grist's Sabrina.

Just for a change of pace, I have started a "sane" quilt top....Garden Impressions....which includes applique....have to say that neither one of these are my best suit...lol....but good to stretch one's mind.

Rita

Rita's Needlework

2006-06-08T14:32:00.000-07:00

Rita's Needlework
June 8, 2006

Where does time go? I am getting ready to leave Saturday to visit my Sis Froggie in Federal Way.... We will attend the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Seminar the week of the 12th in Portland, Oregon. This will be our fifth seminar. This one is special as a dear certified teacher of BDE, Peggy Crawford, will be teaching again and the lady that introduced me to BDE, Rosalie Long, will be attending the seminar, too. How lucky can one girl get? Following the seminar, Froggie and I will follow two Canandian BDE teachers, stitching friends, Mary Kurbis and Pat Carefoot, back to their home for a short visit. Then Sis Froggie and I will have some time for just us, as I don't return home until the 3rd of July.

I wasn't able to attend the Crazy Quilt Society Retreat in Omaha this year due to prior committments, but hope to teach two classes in BDE there next year... the retreat will be in July next year and it will either be the 9th or 10th year for this event...

See you when I get home....

Rita

September 23, 2005

2005-09-23T07:47:00.000-07:00

It is difficult to believe how fast time goes by. My friend, Froggie (Carol Anfinson) returned with me from her home in Seattle the 20th. She had a torn rotator cuff repaired the 7th of this month and I flew out there to spend 2 weeks helping her post surgery. She will be here until the 11th of October. We both are deeply into Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery and Crazy Quilting. Currently we are both making a half inch Grandmother's Flower Garden Baby Quilt....I am not sure we will be able to part with either one of them....there is a mightly lot of stitching in these little items...lol

Another BDE teacher and friend, Peggy Crawford, from Blacksburg, Virginia, will be joining us next week. We will drive over and "kidnap" her, post spending a couple of days there....then she will be here with us for a few days before her SO recues her...we did this last year and had a delightful time full of stitching.

Rita

2005-06-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

Creeping Flower....a JDR Design....Using this for class in Omaha on Beginning Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery.

2005-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Verana is now matted and framed....Isn't she lovely?

What a busy month this June will be.

2005-05-31T18:29:00.000-07:00

This Friday I leave for Omaha, Nebraska...to attend the Crazy Quilt Society Retreat. On Sunday I will teach a class on Beginning Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery. I am truly looking forward to exposing these Crazy Quilt stitchers to my beautiful world of BDE. While there I will take a class with Helen Gibb on Silk Ribbon Embroidery. She is a world wide known teacher of this needle art and I feel honored to get to meet her and learn from her. Also, Nancy Kirk is teaching a class on promoting your work on Monday, and I look forward to that, also. the other good news is that I will be rooming with "Nark", Nancy Royer from Arkansas, a crazy quilter I met at this retreat in 1998. She is also a member of my "Angel" group.

Monday night, the 6th of June, I return home and prepare to fly to Seattle, Washington. I will be visiting my "Sis Froggie", Carol Anfinson. We both will drive to Portland, Oregon to attend the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery International Guild's Seminar. It is always so great to take classes there and learn from the very talented teachers. Post the seminar, Froggie and I will meet with five more of our "Angel" group. There are eleven of us, scattered all over the United States and one Angel abides in Nova Scotia....so it is remarkable that seven of us will be in one place. I will return home on the 28th of June.

I fear that in getting ready to teach my class and preparing for two trips back to back, my stitching has been far and few between...but, there will be a lot of it done in Omaha and Portland....lol

Rita

2005-04-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

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Adding a Few More Pictures of my Stitching

2005-04-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few more pictures of my stitching..

Today has been a rainy, cooler day...and the weather man says we may get some mix of rain and snow tomorrow night and Sunday morning....Hopefully, this will be our "Onion" snow...usually comes the end of April. I was so anxious for Spring and colorful flowers, I bought several and now am taking them out on the deck during the day and back into the breakfast room at night....good exercise....lol... Plan on planting and potting them the end of next week.

Rita

2005-04-22T18:22:00.000-07:00

One of my Silk Ribbon Projects

2005-04-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

A Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Flower

2005-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

My Frog a Fishing

2005-04-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

A seascape I did

2005-04-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

My Stumpwork Dragon Fly

Monday, April 18, 2005

2005-04-18T19:42:00.000-07:00

I had company this past weekend. My favorite cousins from St Louis. They left this morning and my Aunt and I drove to town (Lewisburg...about 20 miles). I dropped her off at Walmart and went on over to my second bout of exercise at Curves. It was more difficult to complete the three rounds today. I think because the pace was faster than last Thursday when I was trying to learn how to work the machines. But, I will go again on Wedneday...hopefully, it will be a little easier.

With company, I haven't stitched for a few days. Perhaps with company and trying to finish the online class on Building Your First Web Page, my mind was just too occupied....perhaps it is an artist's block. Sure hope it passes soon.

April 13, 2005

2005-04-13T19:30:00.000-07:00

Today has been a cold,rainy and dank day here in my little valley. I did finish my online class in Building Your Own WebPage...and the highlight of the day was receiving my sampler back from the Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery Round Robin. The work done on this piece is wonderful. There are two areas that I will need to fill in and then I will frame this and enter it in our State Fair. I used black trigger fabric for this project and the colors of the Edmar threads are spectacular.

Tomorrow is my first work out at Curves....winter was long and cold and I fear I added a few unnecesary pounds....now I have to pay the price for that indulgance.

2005-03-28T15:18:00.000-08:00

This is a 6 inch block I stitched for the Crazy Quilt Society Retreat Raffle Quilt. Proceeds go to Breast Cancer Research. I am teaching a class at this Retreat June 5th in Beginning Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery.

Monday Morning

2005-03-28T06:55:00.000-08:00

We had a "gully washer" rain last night. The creek is wildly running, but thus far has maintained it's banks. This is a sure sign that Spring has arrived in our little valley of Blue Sulphur Springs. Daffodils, crocus, snowbells and hyacinths are popping up post a long winter's night.

I am sharing this 6 inch crazy quilt block I stitched for the Crazy Quilt Society Retreat Raffle Quilt. We raffle quilts off each year at the annual June CQS Retreat, held in Omaha, Nebraska. The monies raised go to Breast Cancer Research.

This year I will be teaching a class in Beginning Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery there. I used several BDE stitches in this block. Come join in our fun and learn this amazing needle art. Information regarding this retreat can be found by going through Google, searching for the
"Crazy Quilt Society Retreat". Or, you can email me and I will give you all the information.

ENJOY!!!!!
Rita

2005-03-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Verana....an Edmar Design.

2005-03-22T14:34:00.000-08:00

This teapot was a fun project. I especially love the drapping flowers at the mid top of the pot.

2005-03-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

This is the first piece of BDE that I did. It was an online class that Rosalie Long taught.

Just setting up my Blog

2005-03-20T16:33:00.000-08:00

I fear I am not a computer expert, so setting up this blog will be a challenge. I want to share my hand stitched needlework. Currently, I am deeply involved with Brazilian Dimensional Embroidery, Crazy Quilting and Silk Ribbon Embroidery. I teach all three. I will be teaching a class in Beginning BDE this June at the Crazy Quilt Society Retreat in Omaha, Nebraska. Also in June, I will be attending my fifth BDE Seminar at Concordia University in Portland, Oregon.

Keep in touch and bear with my lack of computer skills....