Monday, May 3, 2010

Blooms and music

Miss Jane is going well.  Except for a few cases of the frogs, which was quite annoying.  I'm trying not to look at how huge this project is!  lol!

Jane Atkinson by the Scarlet Letter
40ct Sugared Coffee by Sassy's Fabrics
AVAS silks





The over one letters are going to be a killer as usual.  I'm hoping to break them up with all the other stitching I have to do.  Hopefully I won't leave them until last like I did with Sarah Woodham!

 

In other news, various of you have been asking if the boy child's 99 NYSSMA score means he'll be going to All State.  Believe it or not, it doesn't guarantee that at all.  Since he has a 99, he will be in consideration for All State automatically, and he should be in Area All State for sure (I think).  But All State is really tough to get into.  For some instruments, even a straight 100 or perfect score doesn't guarantee that you will be in All State.  It will depend on how all the other bassists in the state fared.  We shall see.  The boy child's bass teacher said in all his years of teaching students, he's only had one go to All State.  And he's a good teacher.  But no matter what, I'm so proud of the boy child and his 99 score.  Just one point from a perfect score!

Yesterday was the boy child's non school orchestra concert.  He belongs to this orchestra which pulls talent from the county -- it's impressive when you hear the youth orchestra play.  Every year the orchestra has its final concert somewhere in New York City.  In the past, the boy child has gotten to experience playing at Alice Tully Hall and Avery Fisher Hall.  This year was the penultimate -- they got to play at Carnegie Hall.  How cool is that!  The boy child got to see the exhibits Carnegie has in their Rose Museum.  There he got to read about and see the program from the Beatles concert that took place in February, 1964 (the boy child is a Beatles fan like his mum, I'm happy to say).  And then of course, he got to play on the same stage that they played, in the original hall, Isaac Stern Hall.  And my gosh, what an experience!  Even the boy child admitted that the acoustics were extraordinary, and that it was a really wonderful experience for him.  And it was a wonderful concert!  It's funny, I had no clue what Carnegie Hall looked like -- it's very different from what I'd pictured!  lol!  But the acoustics!  And when the orchestra played, you could feel the music vibrating in the floor beneath your feet!  Fantastic!!  I was in heaven, and so was the boy child, for once.  Despite it being classical music.  :D  

Before the concert, the father type and I had lots of time to wander in NYC, so we decided to go to the American Folk Art Museum.  I'm so glad we did!  They had an exhibit there called Women Only: Folk Art by Female Hands.  It was a small exhibit (it's a small museum), but oh so spectacular!  I think this was my first time viewing antique samplers, and they were amazing!  There were 2 or 3 Rhode Island style samplers, and various other samplers as well, including a mourning sampler where the embroidery was so fine it was hard to tell it was stitched as opposed to painted!  And there were quilts as well, plus a hooked rug and various other wonderful pieces.  Not everything was needlework, of course.  Just a lovely variety of items done by the hands of women.  Wonderful!  And of course, the museum itself was wonderful too.  I was in heaven there as well.  

We had to wait for the boy child after the Carnegie Hall concert at the back stage entrance.  No cameras were allowed inside, so these are the only pictures we have.  It was the boy child's first bow tie concert.  Very formal!




I think he was ready to go home!  lol!  It was hot outside, but luckily nicely air conditioned in the hall.  All in all, a wonderful day.  And now orchestra is over for another year.  Yay!

Thanks for stopping by and saying hi.  It's lovely being a part of the blogging community.  Have a great week!

46 comments:

Sherry said...

Oh my, Jane is beautiful! I just love the colors!

Congratulations to your son! Bless his heart in that last picture! lol. He looks so bored with it all! lol.

The exhibit sounds wonderful! Wish I could have seen it with you.

Giovanna said...

Great progress on this stunning sampler!

Unknown said...

Jane is just beauitful, Margaret.

Your son does look quite tired but handsome in his tux. It sounds like it was quite an exciting time. To play at Carnegie Hall is an amazing opportunity!

Have a great week.

Nancy said...

Your sampler is looking stunning!

Natasha said...

Carnegi Hall WooHoo congrats to the "boy child" that is awesome.

Your Miss Jane is looking fantastic. I wil be cheering you on when you are stitching the over 1 letters. You can do it!
Take Care and happy stitching

KarenV said...

Oh bless! He looks exhausted poor thing ;) Playing at Carnegie Hall must have been an amazing experience all round.

Love your progress on Jane - I'm sure we'll see a finish by..ooh..the end of the month maybe ;) The colours are just gorgeous in this one!

Glenna said...

Love the SL Jane goodness. They had that chart at the LNS the other day too, but I gave myself a firm talking-to (although I hardly ever listen, so I'll probably get it next time). Your son is an absolute cutie--very handsome.

Ranae said...

The SL is looking so beautiful, the colors so vibriant
The bow fits him well, very handsome

Vonna Pfeiffer said...

Your stitching is extraordinary as always. Just gorgeous and so effortless :) (I know that there's a lot of effort though!)

And Congratulations to the dear boy child and his beautiful music!
Carnegie Hall...WOW!

Marjorie said...

The sampler looks amazing so far--great colors and I love the fabric! Lucky you getting to wander around NYC. I haven't been there in ages and I miss it, especially around Christmas. Just look out for suspicious vehicles, lol.

valerie said...

Wow, Jane is looking gorgeous so far. Love the colors! Congrats to the Boy Child. Carnegie Hall...wow! And that exhibit sounds wonderful! I can't wait to get to NY someday and see both. :)

Carol said...

Your stitching is so beautiful, Margaret and I especially love your latest sampler.

I'm sure you're so proud of your son's success with his music...What a wonderful talent that he can share with others throughout his lifetime.

Anonymous said...

Ah, All State...brings back such fond memories for me! I was an All State first soprano my sophomore, junior and senior years. I remember all those try outs and how fun/terrifying they were! Congrats to your son! I hope he makes it.

I am entrenched in Sarah Woodham's flowers as we speak. I love your Jane. Beautiful! I really want to stitch this one except I just can't get past the Sasquatch Adam and Eve! Ha! Poor Jane could design flowers, but not so much the human body! Every time I look at this piece I get a chuckle. :)

Deb said...

Jane looks so awesome Margaret! The colors are so beautiful.

Congratulations to your son! I love the last picture - it looks wiped out. I can only imagine how wonderful the music sounded in Carnegie Hall.

And visiting the Museum - I'm so jealous. Every year when I go they're closed because I really only have a Monday to run around the city. Guess I should my change my vacation days. And glad to hear that you weren't bothered by what went on in Times Square yesterday. Scary!

BeckySC said...

So gorgeous...the colors are amazing :)

Sylvia said...

Oh your Jane is just gorgeous. So lovely.

How nice to have such a wonderful day in NYC - I am so glad yo got to see the textile exhibit. Old samplers are a joy to look at.

woolwoman said...

Margaret - your trip to NYC sounds wonderful - how proud you and your husband must have been - your son is a very handsome young man and must be incredibly talented. I love that you went to the AFAM - one of my favorite places in the world - I love how it is housed in that tall narrow building and the exhibition you saw sounds wonderful. I love the Rhode Island samplers - they are awesome. Speaking of awesome! your Jane is just to die for - I knew you must be using AVAS because the colors are stunning - that is my fave solid colored silk - no comparison to me but that is just my opinion - not that I don't like NPS - I just prefer Soie D'Alger. Can't wait to follow your progression and oh goodness yes - I would think it would be advisable to tackle that nasty over one as you go along. Enjoy! Mel

Valerie said...

Jane is just stunning! The more I see of her, the more I have to have her! The colors are magnificent and the flowers are just lovely.

Your trip to NYC sounded like a wonderful experience for the whole family! WOW...you have a child that played in Carnegie Hall! I am sure that your whole family is just beaming. I have my fingers crossed for All State!

Juels said...

Oh, oh, oh, Margaret! Jane is looking wonderful! Makes me want to haul mine out and start working on her. Doing a little of the over 1 at a time is a good idea.

Kathy said...

Your stitching is just gorgeous. I just love the vibrant colors in this.

And mega congrats to your boy child. :) I remember those NYSSMA days. I still have my medals somewhere. I competed in vocals. And did make all state choir a couple of times. The Carnegie concert must have been a wonderful thrill for you all.

Sandy said...

Oh my, Jane is pretty, pretty, pretty!!!

And good for Eli ... what an experience! (even though he seems to be wilting just a teeny bit) LOL

Karen said...

Oh...I love the colors in this one. Very vibrant and pretty together. Can't wait to see more.

Laurie in Iowa said...

Jane if gorgeous. The colors are fabulous... what a very special sampler this will be when you've completed the stitching. YGG
You should be proud of your boy child. He's accomplished so much in his young life.

Loretta a/k/a Mrs. Pom said...

The boy child's expression reminded me of you so much! He is just adorable! And I'm sure he won't want to hear that from his mother's old friend.

99 on NYSMA is very cool. Mystery Man played at Lincoln Center (trumpet). glad the days of sweating out the auditions are over - but sad that he hasn't picked up the trumpet since high school.

Liz said...

The colours on your Jane sampler are just fabulous Margaret and your stitching of course is amazing!!! Very handsome young man you have there in his black and whites and what a great opportunity for him....
Lizzie
xxx

Jules said...

Congrats to the boy child and lovely work on Jane!

Melissa said...

Wow! Carnegie Hall! My oh my, it must've been WONderFUL! *sigh* One talented boy cookie there...even if he did look bored for mom's photo!

I love Jane A. I think I will have to get her. Flowers are so me and these are stunning. You're making such great progress!

So now I will have to check out Sassy's Fabrics too as I've never come across them before. It's nice to discover new things!

samplerlover said...

Hi Margaret,
OMG Miss Jane is beautiful. You have made such wonderful progress on her. Looking forward to seeing more and more of her.
It is such an exciting time for the Boy Child. Sounds like a wonderful opportunity for him. Lovely photo of him.
Thank you for the link to the exhibition. I would have loved to see it. I checked out the link and I really love the painting with the 2 small boys.
Still no news on the computer front. Would you believe I have 2 sheep to go. - Sandra.

Nicole said...

Oh wow Jane is gorgeous Margaret! The colors are just amazing. Congrats to your son - It must have been so much fun to see him play in Carnegie Hall. I hope he makes All State - I'll keep my fingers crossed for him! :)

P.S. The museum looks so cool! I would love to see that exhibit.

Cathy Lloyd said...

Your sampler is so beautiful Margaret! I am just LOVING it! Congrats to your very smart son!

The Scarlett House said...

Oh, be still my beating heart! Jane is beyond beautiful. Those colors...my oh my oh my! I can see a whole lot of enabling going on from this one.
You know, NYC seems like the "big" city to me. I can't imagine just going there like you can do. I've never known anyone who went to Carnegie Hall, let alone played there. Too cool!

Dona said...

Carnegie Hall! That is just too cool. Great pictures of him, too!

Jane is amazing! I love the colors!

mainely stitching said...

I am just SO in love with this design! :D And what cool pictures of your son. :D

Lois said...

Lovely progress on Jane! Those colours just pop off the fabric.

Congrats to your son. Love the pictures!!! What a thrill to have played at Carnegie Hall. I will be keeping fingers crossed for the All State.

Alice said...

Miss Jane is just breathtaking. We will all pull for you when you get to the over one part. How exciting about your son. I believe in life that whatever is meant to be will be. He did the best he could and the rest is out of his hands. I keep my thumbs crossed for him anyway. : )
Alice

Littlebit said...

Beautiful, Margaret, as always!! Awww, look at that sweet face. We will see his name in lights some day!

Karoline said...

Jane is looking gorgeous, great progress.

Congratulation to your son on getting to play at Carnegie Hall

Katrina said...

Love Jane!!!! She's so gorgeous.

Congrats to your son. He must be super talented. And what a fun day, seeing him perform and a needlework exhibit :-).

Siobhán said...

Fantastic progress, Margaret!! It is so pretty. Love the pics of your son, especially that last one. I'm glad you all had such a fantastic time, and congrats to your son on his fantastic scores!!

Isabelle said...

Margaret, the colors of this Jane Sampler are just gorgeous and so cheerful :-)
Oh My God, your son seems to be exhausted by his great experience, you must feel very proud of him and of his talent .
Have a great afternoon,
Isa

Sherry :o) said...

Your stitching is marvelous. I really don't mind over one - but I like to do it early in the evening and outside in good light...but when I am just sitting down to stitch at 9 or 10 p.m. - forget it.

Congrats on the scores and how cool is it to play Carnegie Hall!

Bre said...

love the colors in your new stitching project, can't wait to see the progress! the boy looks sharp :)

Cari said...

OMG Margaret....Jane is BEAUTIFUL, and your son is so HANDSOME!! Congratulations on both! Have a wonderful Mother's Day!! Hugs

corinna said...

congrats to your fabulously talented son

i know you are proud of him & rightfully so

it would be amazing to see a concert of talented youth

and your progress on the sampler is
crazy fast--- go go go

Donna said...

I love the colors on the sampler and I always love any kind of flower. Your son looks so tired, but very nice in his tux. You must have been proud.

Kajsa said...

Your son must be a very talented musician to play at Carnegie Hall. Congratulations.

Jane is so pretty!