Vacation Heaven

Hey, hey all!

As you know, Lynn & I went to VA and MD for an overdue vacation a few weeks ago...and boy did we have a great time!! It was wonderful to visit with my mother, sister, and best friend & family. Although we are not famous for our profuse picture taking skills, I did manage to get a few. This one is of my sister, Missy, and I at Mount Vernon. That place is gorgeous and warrants another visit in the future.

We were able to spend a few days in Fredericksburg with Missy and Mom. Did the tourist thing for a day and visited the Mary Washington House, the Apothecary Museum, and hit quite a few of the wonderful antique stores. And of course, I rounded out the visit with a trip to one of my favorite cross-stitch shops, Everything Cross-Stitch. It is small, but loaded with all kinds of treasures to be had...and they are so helpful!

Most of our time was spent with Michelle & family, however. This was their first chance to meet Lynn and get to know her, so it was very important to me! Of course, they loved her...we spent a day touring DC, made it to the Lincoln Memorial, WWII memorial, and the Vietnam Memorial. Talk about breathtaking...they gave me chills. And the weather was absolutely gorgeous for the entire visit! After Lynn headed home, Missy joined Michelle and I for more sight-seeing and even more stash purchasing! We visited Mount Vernon, which I loved!! Beeeeutiful! Of course, we had to visit In Stitches since it was just around the corner!! What a wonderful little treasure...this was our first visit ever and we loved it! Its going to be a staple for future visits! This is a snap of Michelle and I.We also celebrated the anniversary of Edgar Allen Poe's death with a visit to his home/museum in Baltimore...so sad that a man of such literary genius is regulated this tiny little shack for his remembrance! It was very disappointing to me, I must say! Since we were that close, we headed to Catonsville and stopped in at The Stitching Post...can you say "awesome" people??!! That shop is to die for, and the ladies are helpful and so friendly.

Now, the following snaps are of my newly acquired stash...please keep in mind that I do not normally purchase this much stuff...this was a 2-year long list-making endeavor. I do not have a LNS, and I am loathe to buy anything I can't see in person (pictures never do a pattern justice). So, my vacations are the only time I can spend on my needlework needs/wants! And, I managed to stick pretty closely to what was on my list; I only ventured off the beaten path once or twice!

This photo is of the stupendous fabric I purchased from In Stitches and Everything Cross-Stitch. Edgar always claims that his snaps are craptastic, well mine really are as you can tell. Our camera is a very old model and just washes all the color out of life sometimes. I am getting a new one, and soon!! The green and cream fabrics draped over the table were from In Stitches, and trust me, they are much better in person. They are both R & R fabrics; the cream one is 30ct Old Mill Java, and the green is 30ct Sagebrush. The tan and gray-green in the packages are Weeks fabrics: 30ct Parchment and Tin Roof, I bought them at Everything Cross-Stitch. The floss is a little of everything, GST, Weeks, and Crescent Colors; all needed for the patterns I have and the ones I purchased.

This snap is the first installment of patterns on my wish list. I love, love, love Halloween and just had to get as many patterns as I could find. They are from the top (L to R): Garden of Eerie (PSS), My Pretties (PSS), Sleepy Hollow (CC)(here's where I fell off the wagon, LOL!); bottom (L to R) Witches Stitch Too!! (HE), When Witches Go Riding (PS), Midnight Watch (BBD).

Next up is the second installment: all are from The Primitive Needle, top is Near Halloween and Witches Nine; bottom is Kindred Spirits and Hallow Sampler. Can you tell that I love Halloween??!!

And last, but not least, are the LHNs: in no certain order (since I can't see them) are Acorn Hill, Coming to America, Embroidery Guild, Lakeside Lodge, and The Library. Also pictured are two small kits of George & Martha Washington (from Mount Vernon) and Bent Creek's The Littles Uncle Sam. In addition to stash enhancement, I also found quite a few antique/old sewing accessories for my collection. I love old strawberries, petit point boxes, and darning tools. The box is perfect for note cards and such. The little petit point item is actually a mini measuring tape with a stitched insert...I love it, and it works perfectly!!

When I got home, I found this beauty at my local prim store and just had to have it for my needlework area...looks perfect, doncha' think? It has deep drawers and shelves behind those doors...plenty of room for my new stash of threads and gadgets.

I know the pictures leave a lot to be desired, but hopefully you can get some idea of what they are or have seen them somewhere else in a much better photo!! Sorry!!

So, that's all folks...it was the vacation from heaven, and I look forward to stitching all these wonderful patterns. It should keep me busy for, oh, another 50 to 60 years!! LOL!!

Hope everyone has a Happy Howling Halloween!!! Until later...

HAPPY STITCHIN'

Terri