Favorite Designers?

Do you often find yourself drawn to certain designers?  Do you find yourself buying patterns just because they're from a certain designer?  Do you have to have everything from said designer even if it means spending lots of money on ebay to get that one pattern that's out of print and you absolutely have to have it to complete your collection?  Well, I have done that in the past and it's sad to say I'm still doing it.  In the past I've loved Just Nan and had to have all her new patterns that came out.  Then all of a sudden, I lost interest in her work.  Maybe it was because the charts just became too expensive for me to purchase any more.  Or maybe it was the exclusivity she tried to push.  For whatever reason, I lost interest in her patterns.  I think the last one I bought was Hummingbead Heaven.
 
Then there was Prairie Schooler, another one that I had to have all the patterns they put out.  I still like some of their older patterns but I have plenty, I don't need any more new ones.

I still like Michael Powell and his quirky little houses but let's face it.  I really can't afford them so I'll just be happy with the ones I have and leave it at that.

Then there's Lizzie Kate, La Broderie, Shepherd's Bush,  Drawn Thread, you get the idea.  I've kept my favorite designs and kits but most will have to be weeded through and rehomed.

My current favorite has to be Margaret Sherry.  My normal rule for buying a magazine is that there has to be at least 3 charts in it that I would stitch.  But if the magazine has a Margaret Sherry design in it, well then that issue is mine, regardless if I never plan on stitching anything else in it.  Just a couple of weeks ago, I saw in this month's issue of World of Cross Stitching that a new calendar was coming out in the next issue with 6 new Margaret Sherry designs.  Yep, you guessed it.  I haunted Barnes & Noble until it showed up there.  The designs are so cute.  They make me smile just looking at them.  I think it will be quite a while before I get tired of her.

Blog Hop #10 - My least Favorite Threads

Gosh, is it that time already?  Time for another blog hop?  I guess it is but I want to know where the rest of my year went.  Anyway, back to the business at hand.  I can't wait to read everyone else's response.

What’s your absolute least-favorite thread to work with?

I had to think about this because there are not too many threads I dislike.  I'm a fiber junkie and I can usually find something to like about any thread I use.  But I do have one thread that I loath and that's not too strong a word.  I hate the old DMC metallics, you know the ones that came on a big spool.  To me it was like stitching with electrical wire.  I once almost threw out a project because it was all stitched in them.  It sat in a drawer until I discovered Kreinik's #4 braid.  I haven't tried the new DMC metallics but with so many other threads available, I doubt if I ever will.

I also dislike DMC black and white.  Both seem kind of thin to me.  I much prefer the Anchor varieties. (actually if truth be told, I prefer Anchor in general over DMC).  I'll use the DMC if I don't have the Anchor handy but really dislike using them.

I love Weeks Dye Works and Gentle Arts threads but sometimes they can be frustrating to work with.  They seem to have thin spots and tangle real easily.  But I love the effect they create so I'm willing to put up with a little frustration to use them.

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Cleaning Up

For several months now, I've been trying to clean up my craft room.  When Sherrie had to move from the house she was in due to the mold problem, a lot of her stuff ended up here at the house.  That meant a lot of stuff moved into the craft room and I just never got around to cleaning it up.  I spent quite a bit of the day Saturday just putting things away and re-homing other things that didn't belong there.  I also found that I had at least a DOZEN tote bags that had projects in various stages of completion in them.  Some I hadn't even started yet but they are fully kitted waiting for me to get to them.  It was pathetic, the amount of projects I have started.  I really need a better system for stitching.  My plans now are to finish the baby sampler for my new grandbaby, stitch a wedding sampler for Brian and his new wife, and then stitch a stocking for said grandbaby.  Then when those 3 projects are done, I plan to take a good look at everything I've started and see if I plan on stitching them or if I should find new homes for them.  This is what the room looks like after 

several hours of hard work.

And can someone PLEASE tell me why there's a didgeridoo in my craft room?!? 

Blog Hop #9 Stitching Must Haves

It's that time again.  Time for another blog hop.  It's a good one.

What are your must-have stitching tools and aides? Other than your trusty scissors, of course. Is there a problem you have had when stitching that you created your own solution for, or have you purchased a tool that helped?

I thought about this question and to be truthful, there aren't a whole lot of tools that I absolutely must have when I stitch.  Oh, sure, a pair of scissors is nice and I do have quite a few of those.  But when it comes right down to it, I've decided there's only 3 things I absolutely must have when I stitch.  The first is my Daylight lamp that sits right next to my chair.  In fact, I can't stitch without it.  I really can't see well enough to stitch without proper lighting or magnification.  So that's a must have.

The next item is my lap stand of my floor stand.  I tend to use the lap stand much more often than any of my floor stands but I just got a new K's metal ball swivel stand and I may have a new favorite.  It makes it so much easier on my back and shoulders if I'm not holding my work in my hands and trying to stitch.  

The last item (and I'm not really sure this is a must have) is my Q-Snaps or scroll frame depending on how big the piece I'm working on is.  I have stitched in hand before but lately as I get older, my hands get stiffer and it becomes harder to hold the fabric and stitch.  I also find I get a better tension when the fabric is stretched more.  

I do have a lot of little tools and gadgets which I love, but I don't really consider them must haves.  They're fun and I do use them occasionally but do I need them to stitch?  Nope, not at all.

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We have a Winner(s)!

Well, it's my birthday and as I promised, I picked 2 winners for the Christmas kit and the Simple Treasures kit to celebrate.  I listed everyone who had entered for each particular kit, gave everyone a number then used a random number generator to pick my winners.  So without any further ado, drum roll please, the winner of the Christmas kit is Stitchinrose and the winner of the Simple Treasures kit is Mii Stitch.  So congratulations to my two winners and I'll be getting in touch with you in the next day or so to get your addresses for mailing.  And thanks so much to all who participated in my little drawing.  Happy birthday to me!

Blog Hop #8 - My Favorite Project

 It's that time again.  Time for another Blog Hop from Stitching the Night Away.  It's a good one too.  

What has been your favorite project to stitch? (either finished or in progress)

I had to think about this one a little bit.  I've done a lot of different projects in the 30 some years that I've been stitching.  My tastes have changed a lot in that time.  Some of the stuff I stitched in the 80's is so elementary that I wouldn't look twice at it today.  I've loved a lot of designers that are no longer my favorites.  I currently really love designers like Michael Powell, Margaret Sherry, Lizzie Kate.  I have a few that have been my consistent favorites like Prairie Schooler.  But one company always consistently delighted me.  Color Charts.  I loved most of what they published.  I still have all of the charts I bought from them.  I may not have stitched them all but I still have them.  So when I thought about what my favorite project to stitch was I knew right away which one it was.  It was Portholes to Paradise by Color Charts.  It was stitched on navy blue aida and I called the technique I used on it stitching by Braille "oh, that feels like a hole, I think I'll stick a needle through it".  I used 3 strands (which I never do) and the stitches look a little bulky.  The chart was so well-used that it fell apart half way through stitching it.    Despite all these complaints, I still loved stitching on it and I still love it even today.  It's about 25 years old and it could probably use being framed again (okay, it absolutely needs to be framed again but there's not enough fabric on the edges to do it), but when all is said and done, it's still my all-time favorite project I've ever stitched.

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A Giveaway!

I realized a couple of days ago that I had missed my 5 year blogversary (is there such a word?).  I had fully intended to have a giveaway in celebration of that momentous occasion.  But with all the goings here trying to get Sherrie moved (again! 3rd time, long story) and kitty sitting, I let it slide by.  So since my birthday is next week, I decided to have a giveaway in honor of both occasions.  I'm going to giveaway the two kits shown here.  One is a lovely seaside treasure kit and the other is a Christmas kit which could easily be done in time for Christmas.  It even has a mat and will fit into a standard 8x10" frame.  All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  No extra steps are needed.  You can even tell your friends about it.  Just tell me in your comment which kit you would like.  I'll pick the winners next Thursday (September 20) on my birthday.  Oh, by the way, the kitten is NOT included in the giveaway.  Oops, I almost forgot.  Don't forget to add your email in the comment.