Needlepoint Stained Glass Kitty

Interesting. I think with their stuff it's who (as in which copy painter) did it. The last batch we got was fine - but I totally understand what you're saying. They are, however, really economical for the level of design. I actually ordered a really nice Zebra design for myself, and it came in, and was sold before I even got to the shop!

Ellice

What a lovely relationship! Good for you!

Elizabeth

=A0The Amethyst Dreams is the class I've just

(Grumble, grumble) Must you do this to me Ellice? I *love* Laura Perin's stuff - I finished Starry Nights about a month ago, have done several others, am thinking about ordering Flamingos in Flight, and now, NOW, one that I thought I could resist and it turns you have five! colorways, at least two of which are calling to me? Sheesh!

Sooo - What kind of bribe do I need to offer to get the pattern and other colorways?

Linda

Gee, and here I thought I was the only one she enabled! LOL

Cheryl

Not by a long shot. I just asked her to put something together for me.

Like I needed another project, right???

;*) Lucille

Not to worry, Jim. He can do all the basics. He wasn't a Boy Scout leader with Gilwell Badge etc. for nothing. For instance, he CAN cook, but his stuff is decidedly pedestrian and he much prefers the "grace notes" I add to our meals.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

No limo, thank you. Particularly not one of those horrid, vulgar "stretch" limos. I'll need a taxi from the airport, but after that I'd just as soon get around town in one of those neat pedicabs you have. If I'd seen them earlier than my second last day there in April, I'd have used them exclusively.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

F.James Cripwell wrote: >

I'll second that. I see it in two widowed friends about my age.

One used to manage a restaurant, and when the cook called in sick, he had to cook, so he puts together some good meals ... I've been invited over to eat a number of times, and it's not just hot dogs. His chicken parmigiana is better than mine.

The other was one of those guys who only knew where the kitchen was because that's where the cold beverages were stored. In the few months between diagnosis and death, his late wife taught him very very basic cooking skills. He buys a lot of prepared food, and mutters a lot about missing good home cooking, but because he never spent much time in the kitchen, he has no clue how to do it. When I come across an idiot-proof recipe, I send it to him just so he's not eating the same 3 or 4 things over and over.

I'll second that. I looooooooooooove Laura Perin's stuff. I'm working my way through her collection of floral collages. (Latest addition to my collection, which should surprise no one, is Lily of the Valley.)

They ain't cheap to kit up, though, because there are oodles of specialty fibers where you won't even come close to using up the skein. I've finally justified the expense to myself as "gift to lifelong friend" ... BFF is a crazy quilter, and I really do think nothing of sending her half a dozen skeins of super-expensive fibers for her birthday or Christmas. So, that's what I've convinced myself I'm doing, except that I'm helping myself to a couple yards of each first. (and if there's one I really really like, I keep it for my own specialty fiber collection)

I keep an herb tea box next to my stitchy spot, and all the unidentifiable leftovers from kits, that last yard from knitting yarn, ribbons, scraps of backing fabric, etc. go in there. When it's full, I send it to her. Between her own CQ and her volunteer work in art therapy, she finds places for all my leftovers.

During my 12 years in the RAF I met an RAF cook who was very proud because he had gathered 99 recipes involving corned beef. My culinary skills are limited, I boil my eggs for hours and they still come out hard.

Says the woman who's always e-mailing me "have you seen this?"

LOL - some of my "alternate" colorways for classes seem to have been really popular - so I've had a few customers ask for a list of something - even to do on a different canvaswork piece. I'll send you the word doc with the list - just I'd rather not have it given out without a little citation ;^) But, the Black/Silver combo is Donna's.

Starry Nights is a gorgeous piece.

Just send me a note directly - if your e-mail is anything other than this one, and I'll send you the file. I just need to correct a couple of typos. In the classes - everyone gets the big matrix of all the colors, so they can see what the original was, and what their thread is. The only way I can keep us all straight when I'm teaching.

Ellice

I firmly believe in sharing the wealth ....or spending thereof

Who, me????

Cheryl

Thank you. It works for us. But then, it has never bothered him to help around the house. He is sufficiently secure in his masculinity not be be self conscious about running a vacuum cleaner or mopping a floor when necessary. And when the kids were babies he used to take care of bath, story and bedtime every night. That was HIS time with them after being away at work all day.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

LOL - and some gorgeous fabric for that is sitting in my house right now - brought it home to photo!

Ellice

Some really nice pieces in that.

I don't want to contradict your experience, but..... Actually with several of the designs, most of the thread is used up - in fact, you need more. In doing Amethyst Dreams - people needed a 2nd skein of the overdyed silk, at least a 2nd card of Frosty Rays - the most likely not to be used again specialty. And for the rest - used up over half if not all. I did swap folks a Hilites for a Silk Lame - which meant they needed 3 cards of silk lame - which is only 10 yds a card versus the 40 of the original.

Honestly, I find it really depends a lot on if you do any doodle stitching before doing the more complicated stitches, and which of the design series. I don't think the Floral Collages have the amount of layered stitching that the Impressionist collection pieces do. And the quilts are mostly satin/scotch stitches - so it's straightforward.

If there's a lot of specialty stuff left, well, that's how stash builds. And it's great for doing quick small things with some ooomph.However, after doing this class, my correspondence with Laura - besides colorways - does have a "where we needed more than one skein" . The class wasn't happy that if they'd done the chart on their own, would've been short on some important things (not to mention a few conflicts between chart coding versus instructions). Pieces like this are great in a class - cause the leader has to be responsible to ferret out all the disconnects, and explain any less than clear instructions.

That's a nice idea.

Ellice

If anyone wants to see the black/silver version, contact me and I'll send you a link to photos.

Donna in Virginia