BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL CAPE COD AREA!

What a delightful teaching assignment I have had these last few days!  Osterville Needlepoint is such a super host!  This is truly a lovely shop and if you are ever in Mashpee you need to stop by and say hello.  You will be treated royally! 

I so love lighthouses and got to see two more up close and personal.

Had an extra day and was able to get in ma little shopping too

I have wonderful students - many of which took my class last time and some have been able to sign up for the next class!  I am very blessed.

What a gamut of designs I have been able to work with this weekend!  Some serious, fun, landscapes, birds, Christmas, seascapes (surprise, surprise!), critters, samplers, etc.   Such a wonderful array to work with.

I could not ask for better hosts nor students!  I am very blessed.

When I get  back home i will be concentrating on the ANG Virtual Seminar.  After that I will be preparing for a couple contracted shop visits.

For right now I am tired and must prepare for tomorrow's canvases!  Stay safe and I'll check back in next week with more news.

 LOOK OUT NETHERLANDS HERE WE COME!

Space is filling up!  It is so exciting to see the lovely people who are joining us on our upcoming stitching adventure!  I am always thrilled at the number of people who share our passion.  It is great to be able to go to exciting places with like minded people!  Isn't it wonderful to share out passion with our peers and not feel the need to justify what we are doing or explain all the time.  I'm not talking about sharing and teaching - which I love to do - I'm talking about the critical comments we sometimes get. 

We begin our journey in Amsterdam.  Here we will have our first get together and our first formal class.

We will gather at our hotel and try to shed some of the jet lag - although the excitement takes care of a lot of that.  

Then we will have our first exciting adventure to visit the tulips!  They promise to be magnificient!

Our second night at the hotel will be our first gathering as a stitching group and our scheduled stitching class.  We will go over some of the details of the Optional Class Kit for those of you who purchased. For those who chose to bring something from home we will share your questions and recommendations as time permits and we go through them.  

I always suggest that you bring a doodle cloth because you never know what someone is going to ask or what Teresa or I might be teaching.  

Next we will travel to our home on the river!  So beautiful!  A lovely experience just being onboard the elegant SS Antionette!

We'll have lots to see along the way.

But never fear, we always have plenty of time for stitching and playing with the needle and thread as we learn new things and strengthen our friendships.

Heck, sometimes we even have some surprises along the way in our two other scheduled stitching classes.  Who knows?  One thing though, you must be present to partake of the surprise adventures or miss out.  No having friends collect for you, etc.  It becomes and administrative headache trying to keep up with a bunch of excited women in a beautiful environment!

Check with our agent Liz at lwolak@vikingtvl.com for travel information and available space.  Our reserved spots are dwindling quickly and I have not asked about how the rest of the ship space is going.

For stitching questions email us at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com.

ANG Seminar registration is over and I hope you were able to register for the class(es) that you wanted to take.  There were lots to choose from.  We'll be setting class dates before too long so be sure to stay tuned.

Oh my gosh!  She is finally home!

For those of you who have been following me over the years, you are aware that the Royal School asked if I would loan them my stumpwork angel - Patriotic Angel - to be on exhibit at Hampton Court from September 2019 to March 2020.  Well what do you suppose I said?  Duh! Of course!  This exhibit was devoted to Faces and Figures in Embroidery.    There were 121 entries in the catalog and Patriotic Angel was No. 68.

There were a whole menu of techniques that had to be included for this piece to be judged by the RNS  - applique, off canvas creations such as her vest and over dress, wired elements, such as her skirt edge and wings, fingers actually holding something such as the flag and olive branch, independent objects such as the flag and olive branch, flowing hair, etc.  Now, keep in mind that there is also a size restriction.  This little gal is only approximately 2.5" x 4.5".  A lot of 'stuff' in such a tiny space.

She has had a rough trip apparently.  First of all she arrived home without her frame!  Have no idea what happened to that.  But the interesting part is that she is postmarked February 6, 2021 and she just arrived home yesterday June 18, 2021..  She sure is tired but I am thrilled to have her back. We can fix her mishaps that occurred such as everything is flattened out and some things are whopper-jawed, etc. but nothing major.

     

F2F CLASSES. -   YAY!

I'm off to Cape Cod this coming week to teach at Osterville Needlepoint Shop.  If you are in the area stop by and say hello.  Would love to see you.  We always have great fun there and I am blessed with  fantastic students!  

So must get back to the finishing touches for my stitch guides - don't want to disappoint any of my students.

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

 SEMINAR REGISTRATION FOR ANG 2021 IN FINAL WEEK

This is the last week to take advantage of a unique ANG Seminar that is virtual!  The way things seem to be progressing we may be back to normal in-person venues next year!

We would love to have you in one of our classes!  Go have a look at what is available at www.needlepoint.org.

ONLINE MYSTERY CLASSES

Later this week we will be posting our monthly lesson in the sweet Two by Two design of Noah's Ark from Strictly Christmas.  

Wonder who we will feature this time around?  Stay tuned to see who it may be.

NEEDLES 'N FINS STITCHING ADVENTURES - private Facebook Group

Join our private Facebook Group to follow what we are up to!

We are thrilled with the activity happening on our upcoming riverboat stitching cruise!  We will be visiting the beautiful tulip gardens as we cruise from Amsterdam down the wonderful Rhine.

Have you had the wonderful good fortune to participate in a riverboat stitching cruise?  I had one of our participants for the Tulip Time on the Rhine stitching cruise ask me recently about different tools, where do we hold classes, etc.  I shared some pictures with her of stitching events thinking this might help see.  Her response was that a picture is worth a thousand words.

I'll share a few pictures of the stitching segments from various previous cruises to whet your appetite!

Looks like a party maybe!

Our butler made us feel extra special on our UniWorld ship.  He presented every lady with a long-stemmed red rose!  

Stitching is hard work!  Gotta keep those beverages flowing.  Isn't iced tea wonderful?

Hey!  Wait a minute!  That's not stitching!

We never know what our accommodations are going to be as once we get on the ship we are at the Captain's mercy.  As I think is reflected in some of the pictures above we have alway been well cared for.

If you would like information on the upcoming trip and/or the optional stitching kit and stitching plans just email our agent Liz at lwolak@vikingtvl.com for travel info and us at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com for stitching info.  We would love to have you join us.

Okay I must get back to the grindstone!  Have a great weekend!

 ANG SEMINAR REGISTRATION IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE!

The ANG Seminar for 2021 has once again been forced to be a virtual event.  This presents a very unique opportunity for more persons to be able to attend than ever before.  

        This year you are not restricted by travel.  No need to make those airline reservations.

        This year you do not have to stay at a hotel.

        This year you are not restricted due to responsibilities at home that prevent you from                   attending.

        This year you are not restricted to class selection due to overlapping schedules.

        This year you may take as many classes as you desire.

So what is holding you back?  By all indications of the direction our country is heading, this could be the last time you have these opportunities!  Come on and get those registrations filed! Go to needlepoint.org and get the ball rolling!

It is my guess that my class of Heloise Hooty is filled and not available for registration.  There are unlimited spots in most other classes, however, offered by many wonderful teachers.

One of my project classes that you can register for is the Vessels class.

As you can see there are lots of spaces to learn the stitch showcased on each Vessel.  We also work on the shading of the areas.  Come join us for this lovely collection of baskets and pots.

NEEDLES 'N FINS STITCHING ADVENTURES  - a private FB Group

We are so excited at the activity that is going on for our upcoming riverboat stitching cruise along the Rhine!  We leave on March 31, 2022  - that is just around the corner!  So much awaits us on the river.  

I must say that these cruises are the topmost relaxing vacations we have ever taken.  Even though these are working trips for Duo Designs the stress and anxiety just melts away. 

On this cruise we will be hosted by the S.S. Antionette of UniWorld. We have had the good fortune to have sailed on this ship before!  So excited to get to visit her again. She and her staff provided the ultimate in care and attention.Well, all of UniWorld ships that we have been on can boast that!

One exciting aspect of this year's adventure is that we are seeing a trend of several mother/daughter pairs joining us!  How wonderful is that!  Not only are they enjoying creating wonderful memories together but they (for the most part) also share the love of needlework!

We have several singles joining us too.  They say they like the feel of safety and the great camaraderie that they experience on our journeys.  Also, we occasionally have someone looking to share a roommate.  If you prefer a roommate just let our agent Liz know. 

To receive a brochure and more information about the travel aspect of the trip, contact Liz at lwolak@vikingtvl.com. Our block of staterooms are dwindling so be sure to get your cabin reserved right away!  March/April isn't that far away!  

Email us at duodesignsinc@yahoo.com for our stitching itinerary or questions you might have on that part of the trip.  Other than the second night on land all our classes are on the ship.  No class will conflict with the advertised excursions!  So we have the best of both worlds!  Seeing beautiful spots in another land and stitching with great friends!We'd love to have you join us.

ONLINE MYSTERY CLASSES

Yesterday we shared the last Session for the Raymond Crawford American Train Series.

Those who have the desire to do so can get their stitching finished in time to display for the July 4th Holiday!

Soon we will be sharing another Session of the wonderful Two by Two from Strictly Christmas.  This has been such a fun piece to do.

POCKETBOOK SERIES - Books based on selected themes

Are you familiar with our fun Pocketbook Series books?

Be sure to check with your local needlepoint shop to get your very own copy.  I have it from a very close source that No. 5 is about ready to go to the printer!  So exciting!

DuodesignsbySandra-   Etsy Shop

Have you checked our Etsy Shop lately? We are adding more and more stitch guides as time permits.  We will soon be adding a full line of handpainted canvases too so stay in touch!

It is a beautiful day here in Central Kentucky and the weather man has promised no rain.  He could not promise the same for the rest of the weekend nor next week however, so we best enjoy while we can.

Stay safe and remember to Stitch with a Smile!