Was it just a week ago?

It feels like it was months ago, but The Diligent Needle, Winterthur's needlework symposium, started just slightly over a week ago.

Because this entry would be way long if I talked about the whole thing at one time, I'm going to divide it up (and talk about the rest of the Great Escape) on different days--this was day one of the symposium, day three of the Great Escape. And this is going to be long enough as it is.

First of all, before I say anything at all about the event itself, I want to say the best part of the whole thing is getting to spend time with friends who are as passionate about this stuff as I am. Some of them I get to see on a regular basis, some of them I only get to see a couple of times a year, and some of them I was able to reconnect with for the first time in years.  For that alone, it's worth the price of admission. And, happily, it will be held every two years rather than every three, starting with 2016!

This event offers four lectures each morning, then classes, tours, and other lectures in the afternoons. The lectures on this day were the following:

• Amanda Vickery's "Rescuing Domestic Crafts from the Condescension of Posterity"--in short, women's needlework and other crafts tend to be disdained in favor of male artistic accomplishments, even though the design, level of skill, ability, and talent may well exceed them. Amanda is an engaging and enjoyable speaker who made her point quite easily.
• Tricia Nguyen's "The Workers Behind the Work: 17th Century Cabinets and the People Who Made Them"--Based on her research, the caskets that a bunch of us are stitching may have been inspired by the draftsmen who drew the designs, looking for markets for their work as the interest in embroidered clothing waned. It's a fascinating thesis, based on intensive research, and one that is most logical, especially since three primary artists have been identified due to their individual styles. As one of the casketeers involved in Tricia's online Cabinet of Curiosities class, I found this lecture one of the most interesting.
• Marla Miller's "The Mystery of Rebecca Dickinson"--Marla Miller wrote a fascinating biography of Betsy Ross a couple of years ago, and she continues her research into women who made their livings with a needle with research into the life of Rebecca Dickinson. Rebecca did not follow the usual path of women of her time as she never married and was self-supporting. She also kept diaries. The interesting thing is that what she wrote about her life is contradicted by the journals and diaries of contemporaries who could be said to have known her well. She talked about being lonely and unloved (nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I'll just eat worms) but other people wrote about her wit and kindness and popularity! I always enjoy Marla's talks and reading what she's written and look forward to more about Rebecca.
• Aimee Newell's "Threads of Time: The Needlework Samplers of Aging Women, 1820-1860"--I'm not sure I agree with her definition of stitching samplers, since she documented only two samplers actually stitched from start to finish by aging women (defined as women over 60--imagine the reaction she got from the audience on that definition!). The rest of them involved family record samplers that had names and dates added to the original schoolgirl sampler, or schoolgirl samplers that had ages and/or dates removed or altered.

Winterthur feeds its symposium guests quite well, with lovely pastries at the coffee break, a buffet luncheon, and a delightful reception at the end of the first day. If I lived in the area and needed to have an event catered, I'd talk to them!

Anyway, after lunch, we all separated for various tours, lectures, and classes. Since Joanne Harvey was teaching, I signed up for both of her classes. This was the day she taught Ann Almy, a Rhode Island sampler.

We had a wonderful slide show on Rhode Island samplers. I had seen it in Williamsburg last Christmas and was hoping to have the chance to see it again, and it was just as drool-worthy this time as before. And Joanne Harvey is always entertaining.

I also engaged in just a tiny bit of additional stash enhancement. I couldn't fit Margriet Hogue's class into the schedule, but I was able to buy the kit for it:

Did I work on anything at all when the day was over?

Uh, no . . .

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And on to another topic entirely . . .It's November. When I first started reading blogs, bloggers united to post every day in November, and it was loads of fun to travel from one favorite to the next.

I don't think I've heard anyone even talk about that this year. A lot of my favorite bloggers have moved to other platforms, some have dropped out entirely, some have talked about getting back into it (some have, some haven't).

Because I'm contrary, I'm hanging onto my blog and hereby announce that I'm going to make a valiant effort to blog every day in November.

Days Three and Four

There will be a blow-by-blow account of the two days of The Diligent Needle, the textile symposium at Winterthur.

At the moment, though, my head is so full that I need to give everything time to percolate through.

Suffice it to say, I had a wonderful time, spending time with good friends, listening to outstanding authorities, and taking some involving classes that have my fingers itching to embroider.  And it was announced that this event will occur every two years rather than every three.

This is very good news, since at the moment I feel as though I blinked and it was over . . .

Day Two

We arrived at Winterthur today. I'm going to the symposium tomorrow and Saturday, but we came a little early to see the exhibits.

The Costumes of Downton Abbey are on display.

And, of course, I focused on the embroidery and beading:

Naturally, I also found a sampler, a beautiful whitework design:

Now if someone would reproduce this one . . .it's exquisite!

The symposium starts in the morning. I've been counting down the days. . .and now the hours . . .

Day One of the Great Escape

Dearly Beloved and I have escaped from responsibilities.

We're on vacation.

After almost forty years of marriage, we've figured out how to do vacations. I like to do things when I have time off from work. Dearly Beloved likes to take naps and read and do less than nothing whenever possible. So, I find an event I want to attend and he goes to wherever it's being held. I attend the event, he does as little as possible, then makes dinner reservations. It works.

I'm on my way to the textile symposium at Winterthur. He has a stack of books and his pillows.

Naturally, I packed needlework:

Notice that they're all small and involve a variety of stitches.

Notice that I'm not stitching on any of them.

I didn't bring my light, and the lighting in this hotel room is less than bright.

I think I'll go to bed early.

Chains and mail

I've spent a lot of time this week working the broad chain stitch on the side panel of Fair Maiden:

And you really can't see it unless you enlarge the picture, but every line on this section is filled with broad chain. The whole thing is outlined with broad chain worked in Gilt Silk Twist which can be finicky and works best if not rushed. This is not necessarily the time to use the electric needle and compete for who can stitch fastest--it's much prettier if worked carefully and deliberately. As I am not the most patient stitcher, I've had to take a few deep breaths along the way and remind myself I want it done well, not just simply done.

Maybe it's some kind of karmic reward for being careful. The mail carrier has been very nice to me this week.

First, this showed up:

Catalog for the Morven Museum exhibit of New Jersey schoolgirl samplers

This is a beautiful book for a sampler lover and includes extensive notes on the lives of the stitchers as well as information on each sampler. If you can't get to the exhibit, this is the next best thing. If you can get to the exhibit, this is a wonderful reminder.

Then, on the same day:

A kit from Alison Cole

There's an embroidery frame that arrived with it, but I can't get it all in the picture easily, so just take my word for it.

My dad's side of the family had a lot of Welsh blood and I've wanted this for awhile. I will probably wait to start on it until I have some days off during the holidays--I want to give it my undivided attention when I start.

The MOST exquisite laying tool

Hanson Stone, Portland OR

Gay Ann Rogers just wrapped up her eWeek and,this year, she offered some beautiful wooden and beaded accessories. They were all lovely and if my budget had allowed, I would have grabbed more. The artists who made this also do blown glass and buttons and so much more--and I'll share that info when I lay my hands on their business card again. I have already filed it in my collection of important business cards for artisans and crafters, since I know I will be contacting them again.

Other than that, I am puttering. I've reached the danger point on a number of projects--the middle--the point where there is no longer the excitement of starting a new project nor the thrill of seeing a finish in the near future. This way leads to disaster--or starting even more projects--and I have enough started, thank you very much.

Plus I'm taking several classes at Winterthur this week, which will add more to the Project Pile. This  symposium  offers lectures in the morning, then you get to choose among tours, more lectures, or stitching projects in the afternoons. I found with my first trip to Winterthur that I tend to get very heavy-eyed at afternoon lectures, so I need to do something, and doing something involves a threaded needle--so I have a class with Tricia Nguyen and two classes with Joanne Harvey.

And Shining Needle Society has announced the fall schedule:

• a stumpwork class with Marsha Papay-Gomula. She's teaching two sewing accessories featuring birds, which will go very nicely with the needlecase I stitched from her through SNS a couple of years ago
• Janet Zickler Casey's needlepoint Santa ornament
• Carole Lake and Michael Boren's Stitchplay Stitch for a Cure project, this year to benefit Doctors without Borders and the fight against Ebola in Africa

What did I say about having enough started?

Sheesh.

the big frame-up

Since recovering from The Procedure, I have been more of a Domestic Diva than a Stitching Goddess, so I don't have much to show for the last few days.

However, I did manage to get the framework for the side panel for Fair Maiden set up:

I think this part of the project will probably be the most heavily embroidered, as I look at its directions.  It will have spangles, too, with beads. And, since I like all the stitches that must be done, this is going to be an enjoyable part of the process.

I'd be much more excited if I didn't also know that I'm going to have to put in some overtime hours at work this week so I can leave on vacation next week guilt-free.

There's always a trade-off.

Jack's progress

Thus far this week, a situation has interfered with my stitching plans.

Sunday I had to begin The Preparation for The Procedure scheduled on Monday. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you are obviously under fifty. Bless your heart, your time will come.

To avoid TMI, let me just say that the effects of The Preparation precluded any other activity from occurring.

Then yesterday I had The Procedure. I also had an unpleasant side effect, about which no more needs to be said, other than my afternoon did not go as hoped.

Because of the side effect, I didn't go back to work today as planned but stayed home to completely recover. I was told to take it easy, so I pulled something out that would be easy to stitch.

And the embroidery on Jack-in-the-Box is complete!

I need to press--one reason I absolutely hate to work in hand--and do the finishing work--which would not be taking it easy--so I think I'm going to read for awhile and continue to take it easy so I can go back to work in the morning.