Monday, April 30, 2012

Loooooooong post -- stitching, finishing, prizes, concerts

First off, Ann Rayner.  If that's all you care to see, you can skip the rest.  :D  I've added Ann Rayner as a BAP challenge piece as part of BeckySC's BAP challenge.


She is so much fun to stitch, now that I'm in the good part.


Love this little house.


Next up, I sent some of my pieces off to Faye of Carolina Stitcher to be finished.   Here's the first piece.  It's Beneath the Waters by Carriage House Samplings.  I asked Faye to mount it on the front of this cool wooden box in the shape of a book that I got from the Attic a couple of years back.


And then there were all these pieces Faye made into pillows for me.


They are: the bottom left is In the Sweet By and By by La D Da (Faye used the finishing materials provided on this one), the bottom right is the Margaret Harris Sampler from the Honeysuckle Manor book by BBD, and the large pillow on top is the limited edition piece released at Nashville this year by BBD.

I'm keeping all these pillows along with the pinkeep I received from Anne in this souvenir bowl from Emma Bridgewater of the wedding of Prince William and Kate (Middleton).  Thanks so much for your great finishing, Faye!  I love it all!


Then I won a few things as well!  I won this lovely Jane Austen book from Edgar of Blacksheep fame.  It's a wonderful book, Edgar.  Thanks so much!


From Carol of Stitching Dreams, I won this adorable bunny chart.  I love it Carol!  Thanks!


And from BeckySC of Becky Bee's Stitching Hive, I received this lovely RAK of the Peter and Peep chart I've been coveting.  Thank you so much Becky!


Finally, this past weekend seemed to be music weekend.  First off, the boy child was the bass player for a show put on at a local jazz cafe by his jazz teacher and his teacher's wife, both professional musicians/singers.  There were a few high school musicians taking part.  Here is a pic of the scene.  You can see the boy child behind the piano there.


Then Sunday was the boy child's last non-school orchestra concert, at Avery Fisher Hall in NYC.  Last one!  Never again.  So weird to think after 6 years being with this orchestra group.

The famous Lincoln Center.


(All these pics were taken with my iPhone.  Not bad, huh?)

Inside Avery Fisher Hall, right before they started playing.


Don't you love how they remind you to turn off your cell phones and electronic devices?

The boy child playing.


He's first bass of course.  :D

And after the concert, in front of Avery Fisher.


Don't you love the pose?  The boy child was not thrilled about the photo taking.

Facing the other direction now.  The boy child was pointing at the moon.




When we got home, Mia had to get in the act.  Here she is, snuggled in the boy child's suit jacket.  The boy child has yet to clean the hair off his jacket from this episode.  lol!


Silly Mia!


Thanks as always for stopping by and saying hi.  I hope everyone has a great week!


75 comments:

Cari said...

Your Ann is beautiful Margaret. Once again your needles are smokin'. Don't you just love it when you get to the fun parts of the sampler. Next Monday I'll be looking at another beautiful finish!! The pieces Faye finished for you are so much fun!! Good job Faye!!

Your son is one talented young man. He looked so good in his tux !! It looks like you had one fun filled weekend!! Of course, Mia is as sweet as ever!! Hugs dear friend.

Sweet Sue said...

Ann is divine Margaret! Congrats on completing your box and pillows, nice of Faye to lend a hand. I must say it's been wonderful sharing in the boy child's journey with his bass. Please let him know we've truly enjoyed his accomplishments. Kudos on first chair, from a many moons ago first chair violinist:) Have a lovely week to come xoxo

Laurie in Iowa said...

Ann R. looks fabulous... I'm glad you're enjoying the 'fun' part of the sampler. Faye did a wonderful job with the finishing of your pieces. I'm in love with the book box... how different and how wonderful.
Nice gifts... enjoy!
Love the pics of your boy child.

Laura said...

What a fabulous post!!!!!! Ann Raynor is breathtaking!!!! Your finishes are amazing and totally gorgeous!!!!!!!

And the pics of your son's concert! Wow! That is very impressive playing at Avery Fisher Hall!!! I would have loved to have gone with!

Also, I would love to see a picture of the Kate and William bowl you have your pillows in....it looks very intriguing!!!

Have a great week!

Vickie said...

Such beautiful stitching Margaret. :) I LOVE the last picture, the one of Mia. squee!

Keeper of the Crowes said...

How exciting!!!!
Ann is really coming along, isn't she. And just so beautiful. I really like your idea for finishing you BBD piece. I may just have to "seal" that!!! Thanks for sharing all your wonderful pieces.
Linda

BrendaS said...

Margaret -- WOW -- lots of eye candy. Ann is looking gorgeous with all her beautiful colors. All of Faye's finishing and your stitching just look great:)

Nice pics of your son. Thanks for sharing.

Annie said...

Your Ann sampler looks great. Those colors are just gorgeous.

You really have a treasure in Faye. The 'book' mount is such a great idea.

Love the photos of your budding musician. So elegant and different from all of those taken when he was napping!

Miss Pants said...

Your sampler looks great! And thanks to your pillow finishes..I now have to go look up Honeysuckle Manor. :-P

Ellen said...

If it's Monday morning, it's time to check out your blog, right? I know I'm always in for a treat.

Ann is looking great....you are really moving along. I guess we'll see a finish next week.

Know that you are so proud of your son and all his accomplishments.

Bertie said...

Ann is growing on me so much, she is gorgeous!
Love the little pillows, they are beautifully finished. Congratulations on your wins!
Looks like your son is enjoying himself a lot, good to see:))
Have a great week!

Samplings from Spring Creek said...

Ann is looking good.

Love the finishes from Faye--she is so creative!

Mia loves her Boy Child! She is going to miss him!

Jenny said...

Wow on Ann Rayner - I am pretty sure that I have said it before; what a beauty!
All your pillows are adorable too. What a great finishing job! And I love the "book box", how cool!
Thanks so much for sharing all the other pics too, it is always so much fun to see what your family is up to. You must be so proud of your son - love all the poses! LOL
Mia is a cutie, but I can totally see that there is white fuzz everywhere now.. just like my Princess at home.
Have a great week!

Beth said...

Ann looks great and she certainly qualifies as a BAP! Some many interesting motifs in the design. I love your pillow stitches and Faye's finishes. Great photos of the BC - I was 1st chair viola and lots of kids in my orchestra became professional musicians - including the 1st bassist - He teaches in Texas and runs a bass camp: http://music.unt.edu/strings/bradetich-master-class

Melissa said...

A lovely long post full of goodies! Ann is looking wonderful! Faye did a great job with your finishes! You were so lucky to win all those great things!

The boy's concerts must've been wonderful. Do you get teary eyed at them, or are you over with that by now?

Lovely to see Mia in her peekaboo pose!

The Inspired Stitcher said...

What a fun post! I love seeing what all you've been up to. Your Ann is coming along nicely. Love the colors! What a great bunch of finishes too. Thanks for sharing pics of boy child's happenings too. What fun!

Giovanna said...

The sampler is gorgeous, and so are the finishes. Mia will get a complex if you keep calling her silly every time you post :-)

Erica said...

Ann is coming along just beautifully! I love the little house too!
I have also been coveting Peter and the Peeps! Haven't had any kuck finding it though.

Hazel said...

What a lovely post! Your Ann is just coming along splendidly and you got some lovely gifts. Love the rabbit from Becky. xx

Loraine said...

You are really coming along on Ann! Hope it's been a fun stitch, you are sooooo fast!
Love the finished pieces from Faye. Wonderful!
Your son is an amazing kid. I would have loved to have heard the concert. So sorry he is moving on in life.
Congrats on all of your wins. Have a wonderful week!

marly said...

Whoa! Bunches of good stuff! Ann is fabulous and all your finished pieces are being added to my wish list. Then there's the book. The BOOK!!! Sensational. Nice music man photos, and of course, Mia. How will she manage when he's at school!! Nice winnings and don't ever think your posts are too long for us.

Chocolates4Breakfast (Terri Malinovich) said...

Anne is looking beautiful, Margaret! Her colors are just so pretty and fresh! Love your finished finishes from Fay (say that 10 times, fast)!
Bittersweet moments with the BC will always be cherished memories, I know. Great pics!

Charlene ♥ NC said...

Busy, busy! love all your finishes and wins. Enjoy all the last time events.

Leneslines said...

You do such wonderful work. I am in awe. I really liked the finishes. Mia is silly, but so cute! She is going to miss the boy child, though...

Siobhán said...

Ann looks great!! The pieces that Faye did are so nice--fantastic finishing from her as always! Loved the pics of the boy child--the one of him posing with the bass is too cute. :)

Poussy Stitches My Love said...

Ohhhhhhh very lovely your stitches ... I love the picture Mia ...

Small kises for you my friend

BeckySC said...

WOW, she is looking so lovely :)
Your finishes are certainly lovely as well :)
((hugs))

Carol said...

Oh, I just love all the little pillows that you and Faye created, Margaret--you're a great team! And your Ann Raynor is looking wonderful, too. Nice wins--you are o a lucky streak, that's for sure!!

What a talented son you have--I'm so glad he's going to follow his heart with a musical career :)

Anonymous said...

Wonderful pieces. Your BAP is coming along nicely. You should diffinately make it.
The box finish is really cool. Neat chart for that too.
Congrats to your son on his first chair violin. I love classical music.

Penny said...

Stitching goodness galore! :) Ann is beautiful as is all of your stitching! Faye did a beautiful job of finishing - I think you and Faye make a great team. :) Enjoyed the pictures of your son. He looks very professional in front of Avery Fisher. And of course, Mia is a sweetie! :)

barbara said...

What a fabulous post! I love the stitching and finishing, and your son is SUCH a pro now (OMG, how does this happen????) and Mia is always an utter delight. :)

Anne said...

Margaret!! Your Ann is looking stellar! That house is so quirky and cute!! Gorgeous finishing by Faye! Wow! I should maybe enlist her services too!!! I love the bowl of little pillows!! That stitching box is so cool!!! What a great idea to put a nice stitched piece on top!! Great to store all sorts of stitchy treasures in!!

Loads of concerts! Wow! Your son must be tired from all the playing!! You must be so proud of him!!

Oh Mia, I love her spots she finds and nuzzles into :D

Hugs

Melanie said...

Wow!! Can't believe how fast Ann is coming along!! It's looking fabulous. Love all the little finishes that Faye did too. :)

Congrats to your son for playing at Avery Fisher Hall!!!!

doris said...

Ann is really coming along. I love how you said you're on the good part now. So true. One alphabet is fine. More than that feels like punishment sometimes.

Pretty cool to have pics of your son playing at Lincoln Center. I'd say you've earned some bragging rights.

woolwoman said...

WOW great post Margaret - I love your Ann - so pretty - great photos of your DS - love the casualonewith him leaning on the bass looking out the other way. Mia is sure going to have withdrawls when he goes away to college next fall. Poor baby girl. hope you have a good week! mel

woolwoman said...

ps - forgot to say how much I loved your beautiful finishing by Faye and I'm glad you won P&P - it is a fun stitch to be sure.

Katrina said...

Ann is gorgeous and Faye did a fabulous job finishing all your pieces, they are so sweet. Fun gifts and contest wins too.

Love the boy child and kitty pics :-).

Liz said...

all lovely as always Margaret, I absolutely love the colours in your Ann sampler, just divine...
Lizzie
xxx

Michelle-ozark crafter said...

I really, really enjoyed this post! Huggles.

robindefender said...

Congrats on all your prizes! Your Ann is coming along fabulously, and I love how all your finishes look!

Catherine said...

Fabulous post Margaret! Your Ann is stunning! And all of those wonderful finishes Faye did for you!
You've been n a lucky streak ~ bought any lottery tickets?
Great photos of your son and his performances. It must be so bittersweet for you.
And Mia, she sure loves to snuggle in, doesn't she?!?

Deborah said...

Ann is beautiful. Wonderful colors.Faye did a great job on all of your pillows. The book box is really nice. Mia is really going to miss the boy child when he goes off to college.

Faye said...

Oh Margaret~~~~ They DID turn out to be a very nice collection! I always love doing finishing for proficient stitchers such as yourself~~ Ann is coming right along and can I just say I am so happy you finally have Peeps! Its on my list to own one day...

As many others sing his praises, we are all so so very proud of your son and have enjoyed the ride as we have watched him grow and excell. You have every right to be a proud momma!!!!

Take care my friend and oh!...what a wonderful win from Edgar also~~ You're on a total roll!~~~~~ Faye

Robin said...

Your Ann R piece is coming along wonderfully. So lucky to have those wonderful finishes back from Faye. Thanks for sharing all the fun with your son and the concert. We've all been there whether it is ballet, recital or soccer. Bittersweet when one chapter ends. And congrats on your winnings! Lovely post. Thanks for sharing.

Littlebit said...

Wow! i loved this post and all the busy-ness!! Your Ann is wonderful, of course! How many Anns does that make??
As always, your handsome son and his little sidekick, Mia..whats a little cat hair between buddies!? Lol!

valerie said...

Wow, you're gotten so much done on Ann! She is looking great! And Faye did a great job on those pillow finishes. How fun to have a little basket starting up!

Congrats on your winnings! You should buy a lottery ticket or something. You seem to be on a roll!

Jackie's Stitches said...

Great post! Ann Raynor looks fantastic and Faye's finishing is just perfect. Your smalls look wonderful in their bowl.

Deb said...

You're really making progress on Ann! I do have to admit that the fun parts seemed to go much faster than all that alphabet at the top.

Wonderful pillows from Faye and great pictures of your son. I love where he's posed next to his instrument. And Mia, what is she going to do when your son goes off to college? He'll have to leave something on the bed for her to snuggle in.

Mugwump Woolies said...

Hi Margaret,
Ann is just gorgeous...and all your finishes are wonderful as well. You never cease to amaze me with all you accomplish! Love seeing you young fellow and all his talent. Good job Mom!
Robyn

Daffycat said...

Beautiful stitching, Margaret! Look at lucky you winning giveaways & RAKs left & right. The finishes look fabulous, BTW.

Patty C. said...

Beautiful stitching -
Lovely RAKs

Chris said...

Hi Margaret!
Ann is looking Maaahvelous! All those wonderful motifs.
It must be very exciting as your son moves from one part of his life onto the next, bittersweet too.
Hugs to you and Mia!

Lanie said...

WOW, Margaret, your "Ann" is looking beautiful! Wish I had some of your stitching speed! Love your finishes...Faye is one of the best...so creative and talented! I know you are enjoying your son's end-of-year activities. After they go to college, what are we going to do without concerts/recitals/etc. to attend? My girls will be at the same college next year and plan to be in the same dance troupe. I tease that I'm coming too so they can continue to be my entertainment!

Cathy Lloyd said...

Hi Margaret! I so love Ann and I'm envious of your stitching time. How do you like that book Edgar gave you? It has piqued my interest! Love how Faye finished your projects! Any your boy child...he is so handsome! Love Mia too! Have a fabulous week, my friend!

Stitch Wizard said...

Your Ann really is gorgeous Margaret! I have that pattern in my stash too and love it. I need to figure out what threads I want to use. Your DMC looks really beautiful and I may use those too since there are so many threads called for. I love silks but it can get kind of expensive with so many! I love all of your finishes too and want to learn to make some little pillows sometime, but finishing is not my best thing yet. I love seeing your progress and your finishes so much!

Stitch Wizard said...

Your Ann really is gorgeous Margaret! I have that pattern in my stash too and love it. I need to figure out what threads I want to use. Your DMC looks really beautiful and I may use those too since there are so many threads called for. I love silks but it can get kind of expensive with so many! I love all of your finishes too and want to learn to make some little pillows sometime, but finishing is not my best thing yet. I love seeing your progress and your finishes so much!

ROSELLA69 said...

SPETTACOLARE,BRAVISSIMI,IN TUTTO CIO' CHE CREATE,UN ABBRACCIO A TUTTI E AL MICIO.

Krista said...

What a wonderful post, Margaret! Your Ann Rayner is so beautiful. I love how it is coming out and you have gotten so much done!
Great finishings from Faye, she is so good with that. I have to try someday, I am just sewing challenged!
What great photos of your son in performance and in NYC. It must have been very exciting for him to play at Avery Fisher Hall.
Enjoy your day!

Veronica said...

I'm always amazed everytime I see photos of your stitching. Ann is gorgeous and Faye did a great job with the finishings.

Lovely photos of your son and the concert.

Hugs,
Veronica.

Natalia said...

Such a fun post, Margaret !! I love how Ann is looking and all of Faye's finishes. Nice pictures of your son's oncert too.

Isabelle said...

Hello Margaret, you made a great progress on your Sampler Ana : it is nice :-)It is strange, I love the Samplers and I didn't finish mine : what a pity !!!
What a lovely post with many pictures of your boy and your little so cute Mia :-)
I wish you a nice day,
Isa

Vanessa said...

Ann is looking great! Such pretty colors. I know you are enjoying this one. I really love all your little pillows!

I have been a lurker on your blog for some time now and have finally started one of my own. OneXataTime@wordpress.com

Hope you get a chance to stop by.

Vanessa

Dona said...

Margaret, so glad you are stitching Ann R. - it's beautiful! And on my someday list.

Love Faye's finishing and the wonderful mail you received!

Bittersweet that your son is done with his non-school orchestra events. On to the next part of the journey!

Mia! I say it everytime, but she is too darn cute!

Sally said...

Ann is coming along so beautifully.
Faye did a fantastic job on the finishing of your stitching They are all gorgeous.

Lovely gifts and wins!

Fantastic photos of your son and Mia:)

Michelle said...

Ann is gorgeous! I'm so glad you got her out and are enjoying her. And Faye did a fantastic job on the finishing. I especially love the book box!

Jean said...

Love your Ann, Congratulations to your son. Mia is too sweet.

Nicole said...

You're making beautiful progress on Ann! Congrats to the boy child!! I know you must be feeling so many mixed emotions right now!!

Nicole said...

P.S. Faye did a beautiful job with the finishing!!

Lois said...

Love how Ann is coming along. Such a nice one. Great finishes by Faye, what a lovely job she did.

Great pics of your son and, of course, Mia. Always love to see pics of Mia!

Gabi said...

Ann is looking SO beautiful Margaret. LOVE it. And your finishes look gorgeous too. The box and pillows are so lovely.
Your son is quite talented. You're right to be proud of him :)
And Mia is lovely as always :)

Jane in Wisconsin said...

Margaret. Your pieces are gorgeous as usual! Love allthe pinkeeps. Great finishes. Thank you for sharing photos of the boy child and Mia...............how wonderful to have such an accomplished son.

Sherry :o) said...

At first I thought you finished Ann - and I was going to gasp aloud that was quick...even with your quick stitching...LOL. You have made progress though, and she is stunning. I like too many parts of her, may have to add that to my pile of things to buy, stitch, drool over, etc. Your other pieces that Faye finished are beautiful. I like the pillows and have two of the three you did-even one is finish finished - In the Sweet...great stitching, great finishing.

Nice wins and RAK - lucky week for you!

I love the pics of your son outside - mine does some "fun" posing too...gotta love those sons for making us smile! Looks like a great weekend.

Have a good week - Margaret!

Brigitte said...

Wow, Faye's finishing skills are terrific. One day I also want to learn how to do these piped edges like on the LA-D-DA piece. Looking so great.
You were really lucky this past time winning so many nice goodies. Enjoy them all!
Ann is looking so good, I could definitely adopt her, lol. Won't take long and she will be finished.
Great pictures of your boy. So much will change for him and for you the coming months.

Kerri said...

You are such an inspiration Margaret!!!! Love the BBD pieces. I have been stitching houses and love the dainty one from Honeysuckle manor. Onto the wish list that one goes.

The CHS ark is just stunning. I am off to my first orchestra for my boy child. Hope he is as successful as yours!

Kerri said...

You are such an inspiration Margaret!!!! Love the BBD pieces. I have been stitching houses and love the dainty one from Honeysuckle manor. Onto the wish list that one goes.

The CHS ark is just stunning. I am off to my first orchestra for my boy child. Hope he is as successful as yours!