Hi Everybody... Robin here.
Sorry to be so long to blog. Everything is fine. Just busy with deadlines.
So let's see... where were we?
I traveled to The Needle Bug (Montgomery, AL) and taught two lovely classes. The first class was The Thistle by Zecca (ZE 178). Everyone enjoyed my Neon Rays technique making The Thistle into a 3D delight. No need to compensate around this Thistle. What a dream canvas! ... and did I mention it is only 3.5" x 5.5"? Sweet.
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| Working The Thistle at The Needle Bug |
We had a special guest in class: Marie-Therese Baker (Director of the Callaway Gardens School of Needle Arts) who drove from her Kansas City home to take my class. Actually, she was at The Needle Bug the day before speaking to the local (and well attended!) Montgomery, AL ANG group about the upcoming 2014 Callaway Gardens Needle Arts event.
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| Marie-Therese Baker at The Needle Bug |
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| Marie-Therese in my class. What an honor. |
Callaway Gardens School of Needle Arts (located in Pine Mountain, GA) is about 1 hour 35 minutes from Montgomery, and it is about 1 hour 14 minutes from Atlanta. It is certainly the "Jewel of the South" for any needle arts lover. The upcoming 2014 event (Sunday, January 12, 2014 to Wednesday, January 22, 2014) will have such famed needlearts teachers as Meredith Willett, Marnie Ritter, Phillipa Turnbull, Terry Dryden, Lois Kershner, Carole H. Lake & Michael Boren, and Joan Thomasson, to name a few. Believe me there are more teachers and classes... read about them on this Course Descriptions link.
The Needle Bug brought and ran the "store" at Callaway in both 2013 and will return in 2014. Great feather in your cap, Leigh.
After The Thistle class, Leigh scheduled a Tasting event for her customers and friends at The Vintage Olive. This is a lovely locally-owned store operated by husband-wife duo, Ed and Carly Gannon. They sell Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oils, Aged Balsamic Vinegars, Seasoning Packets, Sea Salts, Rubs, Pasta and Pesto. (Yes, you can order online, too.) A feast was prepared for our group; each dish featured their various Olive Oils, Balsamic Vinegars, and Seasonings. We had Appetizers, Salad, Vegetables, Cornish Hens, Shrimp, Salmon, and Dessert.
Ed cooked Salmon - two ways - on his Green Egg Grill. Leigh took these photos; testimony for how good the food was.
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| Chef Ed at The Vintage Olive Montgomery, AL |
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| Our dinner is cooking at The Vintage Olive |
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| Oh, yes... both Salmon dishes were THAT good. |
For those culinary folks who are following along, here is the description for the Salmon dishes:
- Grilled Salmon fillet with Red Apple Dark Balsamic & Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oil marinade with hand-blended Coffee BBQ Seasoning blend.
- Grilled Salmon fillet with Maple Dark Balsamic, Roasted Walnut Oil marinade & Italian Herbal Sea Salt.
The underlined words are the products from The Vintage Olive. I purchased an assortment of products and brought them home to Memphis. May I just say fresh Strawberries drizzled with Maple Balsamic Vinegar is brilliant.
The next two days at The Needle Bug were my Canvas Enhancement classes. Ten stitch guides had been written. All we needed to do was finalize the threads and stitch. Here are some of the beauty shots:
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| Bird in Tree (Maggie Co. M-1536) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Cross (Ann Wheat Pace 101AT) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Laying down the first stitches on the Cross. |
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| Elephant (Melissa Shirley Designs MSD 218-L) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Fetch It Yourself (Maggie Co. M-1472) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| This dog is coming to life. |
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| Martini Glasses (The Point Of It All P224) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Stitching this canvas on 13mesh can be its own drinking game. Say "Cheers" after you finish stitching a Martini glass. |
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| Vintage Welcome (Mindy 25R) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Bedazzled (Maggie Co. M-1517) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Raised Stem is a fun stitch to do. |
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| Big Bad Witch (Melissa Shirley Designs MSD 702) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
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| Llama (dede Ogden 653) Stitch Guide by Robin King |
I had a great time at The Needle Bug. Always do. Looking forward to my next visit.
On my way home I got back to work... writing stitch guides.
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| Halloween Night stitch guide available soon! Ruth Schmuff (RS 8174) by EyeCandy Needle Art |
My next deadlines will be here soon. And, shameless plug, as you know... once the customer has their stitch guide, it is available for you, too. Either directly from me or through your LNS. Just email me with your inquiries: creativecats@comcast.net.
Until the next time... Hugs, Robin
I am loving my Cross! It is going to be stunning when I finish it. I have had to put it aside for a Chriatmas stocking with a pesky finishing deadline.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne. Good to hear from you. Deadlines are pesky, indeed. But, look at all what we get done because of them. I know your Cross will be stunning. Looking forward to its progress. Hugs to you.
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