Annual Woodlawn Show and A New Start!

Hello! My beautiful mom and I went to the annual Needlework Show at Woodlawn in Alexandria last week. We noticed fewer cross stitch projects and more canvas needlepoint and embroidery. It was all interesting to see, but one thing that has always bothered me about this exhibit is that there is ZERO MENTION of the designer or project names on any of the exhibits. You also can't photograph close up so you can look for it later either.

I was able to get some photos of the lovely old rooms and the awesome needlework quotes they have on the walls there. Maybe I'll contribute next year. We will  see.

I have a finish, but it's a gift and being framed, so that will need to wait a bit. I do however, have a fun new start!

Be back soon with some progress pics on my new start. I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you may all have time to stitch this week! Until then,

The Elusive Chicken Pattern Odyssey

WHOOOPPEEEE!!!!!!!! I found my chickens. So, remember THREE YEARS ago, when I was looking for this chicken pattern? I found a photo on Pinterest and HAD to have it, so I made a blog
post to see if anyone could identify it.
 

Well, no one could, lol. To say I have been obsessed with these little chickens is a gross understatement.  Seriously.  I have, in the midst of everything, been searching for this pattern with fervor for three years.

I decided a couple weeks ago to try again, as I have regularly been doing all this time.  Yeah, I know.  So I did a reverse image search on google and it directed me to a French blog, where someone was, years ago, doing a SAL with this pattern. Enter the French to English google translator. I had to copy and paste a bunch of stuff into it and it directed me to the originator of the SAL. After a bit more translation, I discovered the name of the BOOK it came from! (Cue angels singing and a heavenly light shining down from above...)

I searched Amazon. No luck. Etsy. Nada. Ebay---YES!  One person, from France of course, had a copy and I snatched that thing up so fast it would have made your head spin.  Here she is now:

This book is chock full of wonderful designs. I don't know much about the designer, Helen Wind, but her designs are AWESOME! Primitive type, think along the lines of Prairie Schooler, or Bent Creek, etc.  SO adorable!  And yes, the chickens are there and they are glorious. I have to laugh at myself at the sense of satisfaction I'm having at received this today! I mean, it obviously doesn't take much to make me happy. Not at all. And here's the obligatory pic of the pattern, but with my finger in it so I could blur it a bit-'cause I hate when people post patterns on blogs!

Oh yikes.  I need a manicure and some hand lotion stat.  Please forgive my ugly finger!

I will update VERY soon, as I am nearly done with another project!  I have been stitching my buns off, to make something for someone special (hi Mom!). It's really pretty too! And best of all, I'm still in my stitching groove and feeling great about it.  I hope you all are.  I will check in soon, and in the meantime,