Hi Julia,

Thank you for the warm welcome. It's not often I'm first at anything
so curiosity got the better of me and I have to ask - how long has
the button been on the website?

I don't know if I should admit to this here but, I didn't used to
like Michael's designs! My sister was the one who said she thought
they were nice, something different (this from someone who stitches
Heaven and Earth Designs and Teresa Wentzler's pictures). So I got
one of the magazines that had one of Michael's designs in and studied
it. From then on, they have definitely grown on me. Quirky is just
to my liking right now! Lighthouses are even more to my liking! I
love anything to do with Cornwall and the seaside in general. But I
also love Christmas and anything with lots of nice bright colours.
The only thing I'm not too sure about is the longstitch. I realise
it wouldn't look right as backstitch as it would lose some of the
impact, but I'm not good at getting things framed straight away
because of the expense. So my finished pieces tend to hang around a
bit and I'm worried the longstitch would get pulled out of place.

That said, I've still yet to stitch one. I've downloaded the free
charts from the website, but some of them aren't too clear so I'm not
sure which one will be my first MP design to get stuck into. I'm
just really drawn to the snowy/Christmassy ones! My sister likes
foreign countries and Wales so there's plenty for me to choose from
as presents for her!

My current WIPs (well the main ones anyway - I have about 30!) are
mostly small things for exchanges at EMS cross stitch board because
I'm one of the staff members there in charge of organising the
international exchanges. That's great fun! I also have my own
Yahoo! Group which started because a couple of friends and my son
wanted to do a Round Robin! It's all sort of snowballed from there
really.

I have to admit now that I don't have much patience for knitting.
Shame really. My Mum used to knit my son all his winter woollies but
since she passed away 3 years ago, he hasn't had any new ones. I
really must get the old needles out again, but I find I don't have
time to do big elaborate designs and I get bored with plain stuff. I
guess it's one of those sacrifices I'll just have to make! As it is
I already can't get enough stitching time! LOL But I don't think for
one minute that I'm the only one in that boat!

It's interesting how you got into designing. I just fiddle about
with shapes and colours more than anything. Sometimes they fall into
place and sometimes they don't. For me it's something I've always
wanted to get into, and since the blossoming of the biscornu craze in
the cross stitching world, I've found something I can do! Who knows
where it will lead?

Anyway, that's enough waffling from me. This has to be one of the
longest posts I've ever written! LOL

Thanks again for welcoming me to the group!

Best wishes,
Linda x


--- In michaelpowellcrossstitchart@..., julia rees
<juliaruth71@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Linda and welcome. Congratulations on being the first person to
join the group via the new link on the website! Now that the button
is there I am hoping that we will attract lots of new members.
>
> I knit too, my yarn stash is something that we only talk about in
hushed tones :))
>
> I got into designing by accident really. It started with people
asking me to stitch something for them with simple things altered,
like adding names. Then someone asked me to stitch a design "but
please leave out the cat because I don't like cats". So I had to
design something to fill the space. That made me realise that this
was something that I could do. Eventually I was able to start
selling my designs to some of the cross stitching magazines. I was
so chuffed the first time I saw myself in print! Now all my work in
done for Michael, but I sitll do special pieces for family births and
weddings.
>
> Keep encouraging your son to stitch! My 19yo has done several
pieces in the past, but stopped when he discovered girls and
motorbikes.
>
> Are you stitching one of our designs at the moment? I'm not,
because I am busy with the designing, but I have every intention of
doing the new Venice tryptich once it is finished. It is going to be
stunning!
>
>
>
> Julia
>
> http://community.webshots.com/user/juliaruth
>
> Please consider supporting this charity walk in my son's name,
raising money for CancerResearch UK. Thank you.
http://www.justgiving.com/blackscardiff
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----
> From: Linda <cariad837@...>
> To: michaelpowellcrossstitchart@...
> Sent: Tuesday, 10 July, 2007 10:32:31 PM
> Subject: [michaelpowellcrossstitchart] Hi all
>
> Just found this group through Michael's website. I'm 41 years old
and
> divorced. I have one 11 year old son who also stitches, and one 7
> year old black kitty who doesn't! I've been stitching for the best
> part of 20 years and also knit and crochet. Have an ambition to be
a
> designer of some sort in the near future but am finding website
> building a bit of a challenge!
>
> It's very quiet here so I guess everyone's really busy stitching...
>
> Best wishes,
> Linda x
>
>
>
>
>
>
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