First Day of Classes

This is what I forgot to show you yesterday.  These are the pieces of overdyed velvet that I got at Stacy Nash's Studio.

It is Saturday and our first day of class with Catherine Theron.  I've never had a class with her.  I am so good, I walked this morning.  My hotel is in an area where I can walk safely on a sidewalk or just around the parking lot of the hotel.  My friend and I set off for the class.  It is at a restaurant.  It's a good thing that we have GPS so we can find it.  It is in a lovely community.  We are in a large room downstairs.  I thought we would be early but most of the people are here already.  I see some more friends that I know.  Paola is here, I'm sure she has something fantastic to show me.  She has been working on Franzi.  Oh my is it beautiful.  She works on 40 count.  It is just perfection.  Well, better than perfection because she has changed it to make it even more challenging.  Then she has the Jeannette Douglas book which she has also changed and made even more gorgeous.  I am thrilled and inspired to see her stitching.
This is what we are making today:

Catherine Theron has our kits all passed out and there is that joy of getting a whole new kit to work on.

 It is very interesting as it has a bargello front done in a different count than the inside of the needleroll.  It is challenging to set up the bargello.  But once you have the framework all set, stitching will go fast.  I wish I had my serger handy to overcast the edges.  I'll do that when I get home.  I'm know I'm going to be happy when there are interesting designs and challenging stitches.  The directions look to be well thought out and complete.  Yeah!  There is a little boutique of her designs and I pick up a couple of smalls with strawberries on them.  I love strawberries.

 Catherine also has some teaching pieces on display.  Wow, there is a reversible sampler that I really like that has whitework on one end.  I like the other sampler too.  I am not familiar with these pieces but I would love to take them.  The restaurant has lunch for us which is quite convenient.  Nancy has brought some homemade cookies that are just fabulous.  I don't dare ask for the recipe to make those payday-like bars.  They are so delicious.  The almond ones are gone before you know it.
Catherine goes through how to make a spiral trellis stitch.  We'll use that on the flowers.  I have done that stitch before on Amy Mitten's scissors holder. The day just flies by. This is all I get done:

 We go through the finishing directions and then class is over.  We are all meeting tonight at Ciao restaurant but we have a couple of hours until we have to be there.  So we go to a small needlework store called "Persnickety".  It is fun to look around.  They have a ton of threads and have needlepoint as well.  I find a few threads that I can't live without.

 It is so funny how much threads vary.  I used Dinky Dyes Ghost Gum in a Drawn Thread kit.  I love the color but when I went to the Attic, that color was totally different.  Now I find the version I want here at Persnickety.
We are done at Persnickety.  What now?  Well, Nancy has invited anyone who wants to hang out at her house.  So we take her up on her offer.  Again, our GPS helps us find it.  Nancy is such a great hostess.  She shows us her stitching that is all over her house.  She also has some very interesting cartonnage.  (French for making boxes).  It is so inspiring to see all her fabulous creations.  She has Mistress L's Band Sampler all done and hanging on her wall.  I'm reminded that I want to finish mine.  It is fun to sit around and talk until it is time to go to the restaurant.
Ciao is an Italian restaurant and has some interesting specials. There are 18 of us eating all together.  The Crab Bisque is wonderful.  I look for any salmon but there isn't any so I try the pasta carbonnara.  We all get enough in our entrees to feed three people.  I'm so stuffed but I want to try the chocolate crepe for dessert.  Only three of us go for dessert.  It looks like chocolate soup, doesn't it?

It is delicious but I can hardly eat any of it.  I make a valiant effort though.
Again, we have had a great day and are sooooo full and soooo tired.
A