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My New Blog

So, the main purpose of this blog is to keep my mum updated with what I'm creating at the moment. But, if you're reading this and you're not my Mum, that's great too. Hopefully some of the things I post will inspire you, or even just make you smile.

I want to use this blog to keep a record of all the things I am making - cross stitch, quilting, patchwork, embroidery and sewing. For the record, I cannot knit or crochet, despite my mother-in-laws attempts to teach me.

I started stitching when I was very young, inspired by my Grandmother who was a fantastic needlewoman, and encouraged by my Mum, who, if I remember rightly, always seemed to indulge my hobby. My first cross stitch magazine was Cross Stitcher from summer/autumn 1995, when I was 10. I've done so many pictures and cards over the years, most of which I've given away, with no record of what I've done. I still give away most of what I stitch, but now I take photographs!

Last December I went to a fabulous work shop at one of our local patchwork shops up here in the North East, the Fat Quarters, with Debbie from Letters Tied with Blue. We did some stamping on fabric and most exciting for me was some hand embroidery. I did some hand embroidery back when I was a girl guide, but always had a problem keeping an even tension. This time, with the correct materials, something clicked and the results were excellent. I enjoyed the Christmas workshop so much, that me and Mother-in-Law signed up for another workshop on my birthday. This time it was to make a fabric memory book, using a sewing machine.

Now me and sewing machines don't tend to get on. I have my maternal Grandmother's 1950s (electric) Singer, and I have my paternal Grandmother's 1980s Pfaff. Well. Neither of them would work. Admittedly, it has been a number of years since either was plugged in.... The end result was a trip to John Lewis and a brand new shiny, simple, fully operational, complete with instructions Janome sewing machine. Which is very beautiful and works....

So, two days later, we went to the workshop and had great success. I'll post some photos of the memory book later.

Once the workshop was finished, then came the shopping. I tried a small piece of patchwork for the first time for years early in January, and I had decided to make a patchwork quilt, so I bought all the fabric for that. I also bought all the fabric and pattern for a quilt designed by Debbie from Letters Tied with Blue called Wilding Angels.

Both projects are currently in progress, as are many, many others. This is where I will record progress of these numerous projects...

I hope you enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy creating the pieces that Ill record here.

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