I am so not upset anymore

You wouldn't believe it but Larry (my darling husband - and yes he is British and his mother really did name him Larry and it's not short for anything) had picked up the post and thought that the two brown stiff envelopes were from the book company I had ordered the two smaller grandchildren's'

Son, Darling Daughter-in-law, and 5 year old Grandson and 3 year old Granddaughter

books for Chanukah (that's Christmas to the rest of you but earlier).  However he never noticed, and I must admit neither did I, that  they were different sizes and it wasn't until last night when I was walking upstairs that I looked down the stairs that I noticed.  One was the books (I hope cause I haven't opened it up yet) and the other one was the parcel from Karla with  all my stuff in it.  So it didn't get lost at all and I have it and am going to serge (overlock) the fabric tomorrow and I have more fabric to serge because I have only just bought another one.  Long story but I sold my original one about 4 years ago because I was never going to stitch again and here I am stitching again and loving every second of it.

This is some things I stitched in the past

Until next time
Hugs

Patricia xxx
Pinterest

I am pretty upset right now

Why you ask (if you are reading this)?  Because the wonderful Karla from The Patchwork Rabbit sent me these things

1.  A special cut of Zweigart 36count Floba Superfine (Cream) to stitch

Mary Hurst 1661

And the chart as well AND

All Was for an Appil

And

Mary Gail

And some silk threads as well for another project.  It was sent out first class last Wednesday before 2pm and the envelope still hasn't arrived.

Maybe I will have better news on Monday.

So in the meantime

Hugs

Patricia (I've decided I'm grown up now) xxx

Pininterest

A few things really ...

Well the first one is, let me think, does anybody know who designed this please (and yes I know it isn't a sampler but I can diverse and it kinda talks to me

I have no idea what this is even called - all I know is that it is Cross Stitched and I would really love to know who designed it and where I can get it from.

The second thing is I belong to a Facebook Group called Our Scarlet Letter Years and Nicola Parkman started it and she is offering a fantastic giveaway.  Recently the group reached 1,000 members and so Nicola decided to have a giveaway.  I don't know if any of you know about the Millenium Frame made by Needle Needs but it is the best frame I have ever used and trust me I have used quite a few in my time.  I think I must have tried every frame known to man, woman and child but this one beat them all.  It keeps your fabric as taught as you want and never leaves a mark on it.

This is what Nicola has said on Facebook and the Blog

"This is a very generous prize and the waiting list for the frames is long as demand far exceeds supply.

If you would like to be entered the rules are (hopefully) straightforward :-

1. You need to be a member of the group
2. You need to have told another stitcher or stitchers about the group and the giveaway.
3. Comment below stating how you passed on the news - own Facebook page, blog, Facebook group, guild, craft class,needlework store etc.,

or

4. Introduce a stitcher to the group leaving a comment with that stitcher's name. Every stitcher introduced will entitle you to another entry.
5. A name will be drawn by a random number generator on December 31st.
6. The giveaway is for worldwide shipping with despatch by me on the first working day of the New Year.

GOOD LUCK 

But please goto one of the two sites to hopefully you can read the whole post and join us.  I am not displaying this because I want to win the Millenium Frame, because I already have two and it wouldn't be fair.

The last thing I want to tell you is how bad I've been.  I mean really really bad.  I have ordered 4 Scarlet Letter charts I think plus I received a kit from Marsha just last week (like I don't have enough to do already).  But I will share what I bought on my next post because I think this one is long enough already.  But I just want to tell you that next year we are having two SALs (that's Stitch A-Longs) which are going to be so much fun and you will learn some new stitches (which are on my Pinterest Board Called Marry Hurst 1661and Mary Hurst Videos (I think)).  So come on and join us and have some fun next year and maybe you will be the winner of the Millenium Frame.

If you decide to join our group I want to personally wish you good luck in winning the frame.

Until next time

Patricia xxx

My Pinterest Boards

I've had expensive hobbies in my time

Well I have.  But if I were to start this one it would really take the biscuit.  Whilst I was idly looking for stitch diagrams for Mary Hurst 1661 I happened upon some needlework that I thought, oh that's really cute (I know I'm not usually into cute things) but as you can see this is really something with different stitches and everything and it kinda appealed to my rough side and she is very cute.

So I went hunting because she appears on so many Pinterest Boards and I finally found the blog that it originally belonged to (persistent little devil aren't I?).  The blog is called It's Not Your Grandmother's Needlepoint and it is painted needlework where you can buy it like this

wait for it, for $133.00 without any threads or anything.  Somehow I don't think this will be in my future (not my live future if DH finds out) but I do like it and a whole lot more that is there because she really has a lovely shop in the States.  I used to buy from the States all the time but with the postage prices having risen so much and that darned £8.00 fee for charging me the 20% VAT, I stopped and now just swallow the fact I'm paying £'s for $'s all the time because if I brought it in I wouldn't save any money and just get really annoyed at the £8.00 handling fee!

So if you aren't into stitch Reproduction Samplers in Silk like I am go on girl go for it, that's if you can afford it of course.  My DH would kill me if I spent that much on one piece.  Ummm don't think he has any idea about my samplers and let's just keep it that way shall we.  Shhhhh silence is truly golden.

By the way just as an addendum if you live in the U.K. Sew and So have reduced their AVAS 

Soie d'Alger Silk Embroidery Thread from £3.25 a skein to £2.70 a skein and now they are the cheapest in the UK and what's more they have every single colour in stock.  YAY Sew and Sew!!!

Oh yeah and I almost forgot.  Our younger grandson - this is him

called DH a Cucumber and me a Pumpkin.  Maybe I should diet (you do realise that this is die with a t on the end) again!

Hugs until next time

Patti xxx

American by birth and MOUTH

but British in every other way possible

My Pinterest

P.S. Please leave me a comment if you like or loathe anything because I love hearing what YOU have to say.

I'm Starting To Stitch

I have finally started to stitch again sort of properly.  I am so much slower than I was when I quit it's quite scary.  But started I have.  I have started stitching

 American Quaker Band Sampler 1803

by 

The Scarlet Letter

And so far mine looks like this after a good few hours stitching.  I think I told you that my right arm isn't great and I am trying to stitch two handed with a wonky arm but it's okay because it's resting on a table and my left hand is on top and is working so much faster than my right hand.  But I'll get there.  I also goofed on this and miscounted and stitched the first upward line 14 stitches instead of 15 but I can get this right by adding an extra stitch on the right hand side so it ends up all present and correct.

I also bought the Lizzie Kate kit (apart from the fabric because I have so much) for Things Unseen Mystery Sampler and I have Part 1, the threads and the button pack from The Patchwork Rabbit owned by Karla and her husband.  It's not exactly my style but I shall stitch it for one of my children.

Well that's it from me for now except to say that I love hearing your messages so please leave me one.

Lots of Love

Patti xxx
My Pinterest

Welcome to my new Blog

Hi,

As you all know, well maybe some of you don't know,  I have had a couple of blogs on here before but haven't written on either for ages.  So as I am now stitching again and reading as well I thought I would have a new blog so I can write about both.

I stopped stitching about four years ago and decided to teach myself quilting via Craftsy, which was called something completely different when I started on there and there was only one class if memory serves me right.  But it is truly a great way to learn a new skill or even brush up on some old ones.

But boy has the stitching world changed in that time.  So many stores have closed down here in England and HobbyCraft which is quite local has practically nothing Cross Stitch related and what they do have is really expensive.  DMC for £0.90 a skein!!  

What a ripoff.  Never mind these things are sent to try us.  So I'm ordering online again but not from America because the postage costs are too high and you Brits charge VAT on anything coming in, which I have no problem with at all.  But it's the £8.00 so called Handling Charge for charging me the VAT that I have the problem with.

Well about a year ago, or maybe just over that my right arm decided it didn't belong to me anymore.  Well it feels like it isn't mine if you know what I mean - I have absolutely no power in it and can't even open the boot (trunk) of my car anymore so guess my independence has gone and left me.  Oh no it hasn't - I just ask people now to do what I can't - strangers even.  I think I'm very brave or else very stupid but it works for me.

So for a year I become a couch potato and did absolutely nothing but watch TV.  Talk about boring!!!  Finally I have joined a new book club and started stitching again both of which I am absolutely loving to pieces.  So if I'm not reading a book I'm listening to one whilst I sew.  Larry (aka DH) always said I should only have a radio because you can't watch TV and sew at the same time.  

Here is the main online store I am ordering from here in the UK:

Patchwork Rabbit and Karla who owns it is as American as me.  YAY!!!  If she doesn't have what you want she will order it for you.  She has just ordered me Scarlet Letter Samplers and they are totally gorgeous malorgeous!!!
Sew and So - They are good for just about everything 
West End Embroidery - This is good for AVAS threads
Needle Needs - for my stitching frames.  They are the best but like anything that's really good you have to wait.  I have ordered a new Workstation from them and all I was told was that I would get it before XMas

Mary Hurst 1661

by

The Scarlet Sampler

And All Was For An Appil

By

The Scarlet Letter

As well as those two I have also started And They Sinned which was stitched by a couple of my friends.  One was stitched by Marjan and the other by Nicola.  This one belongs to Nicola who has a blog and to the righthand side you will see an icon for Nicola's Scarlet Letter Year so if you would to join us on this SAL please join by clicking on that link.

Well that's all from me for now but I will be back lickety split with some photos of what I am stitching.

Hugs all round

Patricia xxx
American by Birth and Mouth
but British in every other way
My Pinterest Boards