Having a REALLY good month so far!  We're entering STAGE 2, which means our church held services last week - though we didn't do our 'walk-about' (meet & greet), we all stood up and waved at each other, LOL.  We also sat apart, and there were no hymns - though the organist serenaded us instead.  We actually had another couple over for a bbq after church (since we normally go out to lunch together, but restaurants are still closed), but we sat out in the beautiful screened room Bill and I built during this isolation period,  

It's 10x20, with an eating area and a seating area, LOL, so lots of room to stay apart as well.  But was lovely to finally get together with people!  One of our favorite local restaurants IS open Thurs-Sat (takeout only), so we were also able to get a meal from there - though we had to call early, as they booked up fast! 

As for stitching and designing... one of my guild ladies (hi Linda!) wants to do a Hardanger 'alter cloth', but was having trouble getting a pattern she liked, so she came for a visit, we discussed ideas, she went away, LOL, and came back a few days later to see what I came up with.  I made some changes (while she waited) to suit what she saw in her mind's eye, and since her fabric had also arrived, she was able to leave with pattern; pearl cotton; and a huge piece of Hardanger fabric!  I look forward to seeing the finished project... and since I selected a HEARTS & CROSSES theme, I may end up doing a table runner version - which would be adjustable to enlarge widthwise (so it could hang down on either side of an alter table) - or adjustable to turn into a full tablecloth, with border all the way around... we'll see (wink). 

Great news - the CASTLE project is DONE!  It will be in the NEXT issue of A NEEDLE PULLING THREAD (Issue 53), so be sure to check that out.  I actually had the stitching done by the end of May... but I had another stitcher helping me with the second large part of this 6pc design, and the post office took OVER A MONTH to return the project to me!  Bill made me a beautiful frame, sized to fit a mat I (luckily) had on hand.  The mat is cream with an inner black accent line, so we painted the frame black as well.  The hinges (for the 4 window pcs) worked even better than expected, and I was very happy with how the whole thing went together.  It IS very thick though - pretty much exactly 1" thick with the mat - which is another reason he made the frame for me!  

Also awesome, is how fast my model stitcher worked up the WONDERLAND tribute chart I was telling you about (back in April) - it's already back and finished, so watch for that coming out later this year - I suddenly have my releases early, LOL, rather than biting my nails, hoping something gets back in time to be released!

I mentioned last month that it was almost done, and the EARTH FRACTAL has come home too!  This will also be in ANPT, but not until Issue 55 (the other 3 ELEMENTAL FRACTALS will be in the following issues - 56-58).  It is very cool (if I do say so myself (wink)), and I'm very pleased with it.  These are going to have simple framing, just plain square wood stretcher bars, with foamcore inserted for stability... sort of FRAMELESS FRAMING, though that tends be be glass panels, LOL.  Art canvases could also be used, but no one around here has 15" square canvas, which is what I want, so I'll either use stretcher bars, or get Bill to build me something once again (wink). 

I have TWO designs that are just waiting to be gathered up to go out to stitchers - that's on the list for this week - and there's one more I'm hoping to get out to a model stitcher by the end of the month (that's only half-designed)

- AND I have a friend waiting for a 3D ELF ornament pattern I made the mistake of telling her about back in Februrary, LOL, so she wants it NOW, so she can do up few DOZEN for Christmas... (whew), so much to do! 

But, fInally, for my own stitching, I am back working on the WONDERFUL WORLD blues project (also for ANPT funnily enough - Issue 54).  It's a tribute to Louie Armstrong (all in blues of course!), and I've really enjoyed working on it, so I'm glad to be able to get back to it... and that's your PEEK for this month... happy stitching, stay safe, and we'll talk next month!