WHAT DO YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU HEAR BOSTON?

Paul Revere?  Boston Common?  Boston Marathon?  USS Constitution?  Boston Tea Party?  Freedom Trail?  Lobster? Sand?

When we do our Have a Ball in Boston stitching tour in June 2017, we will be touching on all of these things and more.  And most of these events are during the daylight hours - right?  Well, what about the nighttime?

Never fear!  We are here!  On our second night in Boston we will be hosting a Pajama Party/Ice Cream Social Stitch in!  Yep, you heard that right!  And . . . there will be prizes.

Now, you are not going to win a prize just for any ole pajamas!  Nope!  You must have a theme!  Think of the possibilities!  Look around at all the history, the beaches, the food, there are all kinds of things to draw from.   My pjs are going to be so cool that nobody will even come close!  But not to worry because I can't win - 😊 !

So get those creative juices flowing.  Just a hint - you might want to bring a robe to travel from your room to the stitching room.  We wouldn't want to scare all the other guests away now would we?

Full details are below so scroll down to a previous post.

Earlier in the day we will have lunch at Cheers - yes the establishment made famous through the television series.

From there we will make our second shop visit.  The Stitch Boutique.  Kim has some unique designs to share with us that are also Boston related.  The ones that really struck my eye are the ones highlighting the fabulous Boston Public Park.  Most people familiar with this area immediately thing of the Swan boats and the ducks.  The designs I have chosen to stitch and create a stitch guide for are (1) this beautiful 4" x 4" square design featuring one of the swan boats going past a fantastic weeping willow tree.

Here it is stitched.  There will be a stitch guide available.

and (2)  a 3" round ornament with the end of one of the boats where the swans are featured.

Both these designs can be preordered and prepaid for prior to our trip.  Details will be posted on the secret FB page Have a Ball in Boston for those who have registered for the tour.

          These are not classes!  These are area specific designs that the different shops are going to showcase for us and provide full kits if we desire to purchase as a reminder of our great time.

          The CLASS CANVAS was received yesterday and I will be sharing that as soon as I get all the threads together and start preparing the stitch guide.  The Class Design will be for an optional full day in Cape Cod and will be the subject of next week's tour highlight post. Costing details will follow on the secret Facebook page for Boston Tour Participants.  Come join us!  There is still plenty of time.

PARTY ON THE PO has blown out of proportion!  We have over 50 participants!  Isn't that amazing.  We still have people signing up and straddling the fence but as far as this end is concerned we are busily stitching the exclusive design for the trip that is theme related.  Those details will be provided to the participants via the secret FB page Party on the Po.  I am just waiting for the prices from the painter and participants can begin preordering their kits now.  The kits will be forwarded (after receiving from painter - 3 mo. +/ ) so you can add to stretcher bars and be ready to go.  The stitch guides will be shared in Italy!  I am loving this piece!  Can't wait to share!

ONLINE MYSTERY CLASSES

The  ONLINE MYSTERY CLASS ITINERARY 2017 was released last week.  Scroll on down a couple entries and you will find it in full bloom.

In the meanwhile, we are preparing to start the next set of lessons for Happy Haunting Grounds the last Session 6, boo hoo, Robin’s Wreath Session 4, and Santa’s Reward  Session 2.

And, believe it or not, it is time to send out invoices for our mid-January class -Large Easter Rabbit  from Brenda Stofft.

For information on any of the above feel free to email me at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com. We always like to add more people to play with us!

Have a great holiday weekend and remember to stitch with a smile!

Sandy

PARTY PARTY PARTY IN BOSTON!

Thought I'd share a little more with you about the upcoming Boston tour - Have a Ball in Boston June 2017.

Yep!  Rumor has it that when we Have a Ball in Boston one of our nightly stitch ins will be a PJ Party!  But. . . not just any PJ Party.

First it will involve an Ice Cream Social (at least that is the plan at this point of the game).

Second there will be an optional mini-class.  What is it you say?  Well, we will be creating our very own beautiful tassel from a full kit – everything provided – walk out the door with a completed project.  Price and preorder information will be available on the secret FB page for those registered to take the tour. The lovely hand painted tops, ribbons, guides for cutting ribbon – everything! Lots of color options.

 Next up – a        Contest  !  Four Categories

General Rules:

Must wear pajamas  (or night gown and robe).

What are pajamas?  For our purposes, pajamas require a top and a bottom (or gown and robe).

Pajamas should be tasteful.

 

Not cool! For this venue

Consider a robe as you must travel from your room to the meeting room - - - just sayin’

So, what are the categories?

1.           Most original Boston Theme pajamas

Surely with all the history around us you can come up with something creative!

2.           Most stitch related pajamas

I just gotta say that it is a good thing for you that I am not eligible to win ‘cause I got this one hands down!

3.           Most creative Onesie

This is a Onesie

This is a creative Onesie

 

 No you cannot copy this one!

4.            Most Creative House Slippers (must use flip flops as base – all others will be disqualified from competition)

The decision of our unbiased, expert judge (most likely the custodian on duty) will be final and accepted with grace!

Best of all, there will be prizes (as soon as I can get some lined up). 

So hurry up and join our group.  Email me for details or look under files (or scroll further down the page) for the brochure describing the trip.  Remember space is limited.

Email me at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com

Love to have you with us!

BOSTON IS ON THE HORIZON!

We are forging ahead in our Boston plans at breakneck speed.  I first wanted to share with you information on some specific things we will be doing as we will be traveling - sort of a blow-by-blow itinerary.  So here is the first infomercial.

Our first night will be busy as we will have a class immediately after dinner!  It's a secret and is in your goody bag!  Just a little warmer upper!  We will start the trip on a lighter note first - visiting a needlepoint shop!

As stated earlier, we will be visiting three (3) needlepoint shops during our Have a Ball in Boston Tour June 8-13, 2017!  And we will have something different in store for us at each.

First up will be Wellesley Needlepoint Shop.  We will have 3 hours to visit, shop and stitch in this wonderful place.  Wellesley is sharing with us a very unique design that we can preorder!  This piece is so indicative of the area that it just screams Boston and the coastline.

You can feel the ocean breeze coming in from the water when you view this design.  Can't you envision the sound of the waves and hear the sea gulls noisily waiting for you to share some of your catch with them?  Such a happy and colorful design to document your visit to this area.  It can be a picture hung on the wall in your sunny place or beach house - or a cute pillow tucked on the wicker chair in your sunroom.  Fun stitches will keep you occupied for a bit so be sure to get your preorder in right away if you plan to come on the tour.  And. . . . tour participants will be given a special  surprise by Wellesley so be sure to watch on the secret Facebook page - Have A Ball in Boston for full details!

This exclusive design - Cape Cod Fish Market - will be the topic of discussion when we play at Wellesley.  You will pick up your preordered full kit when we arrive at the shop.  Once we are there, we can look over our kits and discuss any questions we may have while in the shop.  Maybe do some stitch refreshers, etc. However, we may also shop through their wondrous threads, canvases and stitching accessories.  What a way to start a road trip!

AND the shop has advised me that our tour participants will get a special surprise when they preorder this kit!  Details will be available on the secret Facebook Page which is only available to paid registered participants.  So don't miss out!

Wellesley will also have several ornaments that they will happily kit for us for our adventure.  This one is particularly meaningful to me because it has the Boston skyline, the Charles River and the remembrance of the Marathon Event - it speaks volumes - all in one little ornament.

I have lots more to share with you so be sure too check back next week to see what we will be doing in the afternoon on our 'shop hop'.  

Won't this be a great way to get our play things ordered and paid for before we even leave?  That way we will have more purchasing power when we get there!  LOL.  (Well, that's how I choose to think about it.)

So once you have registered for the Tour be sure to check out the special kit surprise on our Secret FB Page and get your preorders in right away so there is no delay in having them painted in time!

If you do not subscribe to our secret Facebook Page and would like to just email me at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com with your email address and say please add me.  All who are interested are welcome.  There we discuss upcoming tours/trips/cruises.  Once you register and book a trip then you are moved over to a secret Facebook Page specific to that tour.  Right now we have Party on the Po with 50x+ and Have a Ball in Boston with half our goal which is 20.  Remember that space is limited on these events.  A deposit will hold your place.  Boston is June 2017 and Italy is October 2017 - come join the fun!  Also visit our sister blog www.needlesnfins.blogspot.com

ONLINE MYSTERY CLASSES
Invoices have been mailed and payments are being processed on our last class for 2016  Santa's Rewards by Devon Nicolson.

If you have not received your invoice please email me right away.  The first lesson was just posted and we are on our way! email:  duodesignsinc@yahoo.com

As promised earlier, here is the agenda for our Online Mystery Classes for 2017!

          Check out the ad in the recent Needlepoint Now Magazine - back cover - listing agenda.      

REGISTRATION IS IN FULL SWING!

All classes (unless specified otherwise or a specialty class) are 6 months in length.  One lesson a month is posted through a secret Facebook Page.  Lessons are posted mid-month.  The class fee for the 6-lesson packet is $150.  Invoices are forwarded through PayPal.  For questions, or to register for any of the upcoming classes (you may register at any time and you will be placed on a notification list and notified one month before invoicing and beginning of class - however, invoices are not processed until one month before the scheduled class) just email me at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com

Mid-January 2017 - Larger Easter Rabbit

Brenda Stoff will start us off with her delightful Large Easter Rabbit.

BRENDA STOFFT – B264 

                                                    10” x 14” on 18 ct

In case you have no caught on, most pieces I teach offer a plethora of opportunities for embellishing, adding dimension, creating a different approach and experimenting with luscious threads, beads and ribbons!  This guy is full of such opportunities.

Mid-February - Steampunk Fox

Yep, another Brenda Stofft design.  This guy was not supposed to be on the slate of 6 classes for the year.  However the outcry was such that we just had to squeeze him in.

10” x 14” on 18 ct 

   

How could we say no?  Just look at that face!  What an attitude!  How chic!  I am so excited to be working on him!  (Oh, by the way, he is one in a series of three that we will be doing- there is also a Cat and an Owl that is included in our classes.)

Mid-March MENORAH

Tapestry Fair Designs joins us again on our Mystery Classes.

MENORAH  #3004

The design area for this piece is approximately 15.5" x 10" on 18 ct mono canvas.  What a beauty!  I love blues and this piece does not disappoint. Lots of bling going on here I bet! And, this design is available in individual canvases featuring one candle each!  So if you want something smaller to work on here ya go!  They are exactly the same as those represented on the larger canvas. The only difference I have noticed is that the illumination light is not present on the individual canvases. 

Mid- May SONGBIRDS

Danji is joining our party this year with a beautiful Laurel Burch design.

LB-117

As always, Laurel Burch designs offers up lots of beautiful colors with which to play.  The design area is approximately 10” x 16”  on 18 ct mono canvas.  Whatever will we do?  Ooooooo.

Mid-July CUPCAKES

Another newbie for us is BB Needlepoint.  Who doesn't love cupcakes?

BB-91

The designer specially painted this canvas for us in a larger size so we would have more room to play.  The original was much smaller but she gave each cupcake a little more room and made them a little larger for us to savor every bite - I mean stitch!  This will be a lot of fun.  I bet there will be a ton of embellishments! Design area is approximately 10" x 12" and canvas size is approximately 14.5"x 16" on 18 ct. mono canvas.

Mid-November GINGERBREAD HOUSE

Rebecca Wood Designs has this fantastic piece that called to a lot of you.

This is another piece that was not on the original agenda but some of you ganged up on me and recruited others to join you and here we are.  And I am so happy that we are.  What speaks to holiday fun any more than Gingerbread Houses?  We will deck ours out with lots of candy in various shapes and forms!  You don't want to miss this one.  When completed it finishes up to be a 3-D building about 9" in size.

MID-DECEMBER   SANTA WREATH ORNAMENTS

Raymond Crawford Designs has this colorful and happy piece.

I believe there are approximately 25 ornaments on this wreath and that does not include Santa!  I think we are going to have a busy 6 months with this one.  Design area is approximately 9" x 10" on 18ct canvas.

(My bad!  I listed the current Santa - Santa's Rewards - as the December class for 2017 in the Needlepoint Now ad on the back cover.  Don't know how I missed that one).

So currently we are featuring 7 classes for 2017.  We may need to push the December class back a little but we'll see as we get closer to the time.  Normally it should start mid-January but it just seems that he should start in December so that is what I have listed him as and hopefully can manage that.

There you have it!  2017 in a nutshell!  Email us to join in the fun - we'd love to have you.  duodesignsinc@yahoo.com

Looking forward to hearing from you and having you join the fun!

In the meanwhile have a great weekend and remember to Stitch with a Smile!

Sandy