Quaker Sampler Finish

This Quaker Sampler was the project from my class at the EGA National Seminar in San Antonio, Texas.  The class was called "Stitching Friends" and was taught by Nan Euler.  It was interesting learning about Quaker schools and their samplers.  The most fun part was designing our own sampler!  We were given a grid and quite a few motifs to cut out and tape onto our grid to make our sampler.  Everyone's samplers were so different.  Our grid and motifs were black and white, but we were given a large amount of Gloriana silk threads in wonderful colors.  Stitching with the silk threads on the Glenshee linen was a joy!

Here's my finished sampler.  I wanted to take advantage of many of the beautiful colors of silk.  It was so much fun, I think I'll design another one and maybe stitch it all in red! 

Happy stitching!
Sherri

Hair Ironing and EGA

I imagine that some of my readers can relate to laying their hair on the ironing board so it can be ironed straight. My mother did this many times for me (and she only burned my scalp once!). Just another of the many things she did for which I haven't said thank you enough. Coming of age in the 70's was tough enough before adding the disadvantage of coarse, wavy hair that wouldn't lay straight. Especially since long, super straight hair was the style. So ironing, it was, or those big orange juice cans for rollers (ugh)! Then blowing-drying your hair straight with a big round brush became popular a few years later.

By the time I reached my mid-forties, I had pretty much come to terms with my hair and could wear it short and let it be what it was. Until recently, that is. The woman who did my hair for Elizabeth's wedding decided it would be "sooooooo cute" flat-ironed. I told her she was going to ruin me for the rest of my life but I let her do it anyway. I got soooooooo many compliments on my straight hair. I said "What is wrong with you people? Please don't like it so much because I can't keep it this way all the time!" I'm anxious to see the wedding pictures to see if it really looked that good.

Anyway, I must be a glutton for punishment because I decided to purchase a flat-iron for myself. It sat in the bathroom in it's box for days before I got brave enough to try it. I knew full well that this flat-iron thing was just another gimmick that would work on everybody's hair but mine! Can you imagine my surprise when the thing actually worked? And worked well? And my hair was done in about 5 minutes? Not only that, but it was the same the next day and the day after that. MIRACLE! Where was this wonder product when I really needed it?

All I can say is, if flat-irons existed when I was in high school I would be a different person today. That's neither here nor there or good or bad, just the truth. Because self-image is so important at that age and can affect our entire outlook on life.

So off I go (with my straight hair) to an EGA meeting. I had such a good time! We worked on our crazy quilts and went to lunch. I stayed after lunch and stitched for a while more with two other ladies. Oh BTW, I volunteered to lead 2 programs next year. Many thanks to Florence Area Chapter, Gifted Hands of Cary, and Carolinas Region for giving me the chance to try some of my projects with groups. I'll be doing the Beaded Frogger and the Button Nametag Lanyard.

Now off to the library.