Hello from Wales

[fuchsiafairy]

Just to say Hello to everyone. I am Polly & been cross stitching only for a few years but really enjoy it. Decided after several years of tapestry I would try something else.

Have been on 2 other forums but did not enjoy them - not many members replied to posts. I have been searching again & came across this forum. Decided to spend few months perusing to make sure it was one where people were friendly. I didn't want to join & the same thing happen, you are all so kind to one another on here & get along very well. Amazed at many of the wonderful projects members stitch.

I am interested in learning new things & seeing what other people stitch. Last year we went to Dorset & Cotswold areas for our holiday & I fell in love with the beautiful thatched cottages with their colourful gardens, so much so I came home & bought 2 cottage garden kits. As yet not started as a little bit nervous. I know I can do them even though they are larger than what I have stitched before.

Last couple of years have been collecting larger kits, Mostly Dimensions as I love those. Have a preference for animal & scenic projects & recently found geisha in my 'waiting to do' collection' which I had forgotten about. I love cats, all animals in fact but cats are my top animal. Have a rescued tabby & white cat, is 9 years old & still very sprightly. Got her 3 years ago. No photos as she does not like anything flashing. Previous owner told rescue centre she had been scared as a kitten, even though she was indoors, by a neighbour's firework display when something went off near a window. The lady had turned TV up but obviously not loud enough to keep all bangs out.

Have sorted out cottage to start stitching - notice others on here are doing same. Periwinkle Cottage. It is based on a cottage tea shop in Exmoor National Park apparently. I did not realise that until I undid the kit. Is it OK to put masking tape on edges to stop fabric fraying? In the past I have always over sewn them but decided to make life easier where I can. I have been reading tips but cannot remember about edges. I know to only part grid the fabric. Only recently starting gridded projects but it is much easier - will be especially useful on larger works.

Thank you for accepting me on this forum & for reading this. Hope to become a useful member although I do not know as much a many on here.

[Serinde]

Welcome from the West of Scotland! So glad you found us! Jump right in. If you've been lurking, you know all about the Stash & Grab for virtual refreshment and St Cross Stitchers in case of illness or injury. Not to forget the gardens, which had a protective shield to guard against Storm Hector (unlike my garden, alas) so are looking lovely and, of course, the treehouse.

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you. Yes, have read about the 2 additional places attached to the forum. Stash & Grab facilities make me smile - sounds wonderful place with everything you can think of & no battling the elements. Hospital useful if you fall out tree house as well as going there for R&R when needed.

Understand about winds & storms - much bending of shrubs recently with sadly limp leaves & no flowers on them yet - looks like they've been through a hedge backwards even though they are supposed to be sheltered by fences. Winds swirl a lot & some days you feel you're in a maelstrom being buffeted one way & then another.

Looking forward to getting to know other members.

[Serinde]

Golly, I don't think anyone has fallen out of the treehouse yet! We do keep a ring by the Loch's shoreline, however, so that a person could be fished out again...

[Podolyanka]

Hello, Polly, and welcome to the Forum from Kyiv. From what I have seen of Wales- from Chepstow to Cardiff, then to Aberystwyth, plus a steam loco trip to Devil's Bridge- I like your country. It is so beautiful.

This Forum is really friendly and very supporting. I am sure you will like it here. And believe me, a 4.3 metre x 1.6 metre tablecloth does not much differ from a 10x10cm card. It is all the matter of time you spend on stitching. As long as you enjoy the process, you will cope with any project.

Happy stitching!

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you.

So glad no one has fallen out of the tree house.

The tablecloth sounds amazing. Wales has beautiful scenery but I am biased, of course. We get blustery winds coming through the valleys & other wide open areas as well as the coasts. When sun shines it is glorious & rain means rivers, lakes & waterfalls are other added attractions for tourists. There's something for train enthusiasts too - several narrow gauge railways run during the holiday season.

[Nicola Main]

Hi Polly and welcome to the forum! So nice to have you with us and I can't wait to see you start Periwinkle Cottage! I love cottages too though haven't stitched any. I'm rather tied up with Wrendales!

[Garnet]

Hello from North East Wales We are rather sheltered on this side of the mountains, in fact we think we have our own micro - climate.

Jump right in and you'll soon feel right at home, we are a friendly bunch, and if you have any questions just ask, there is usually someone who will know the answer, oh and by the way the only silly question is the un - asked one!

One of the lovely things about this forum is the wide variety of projects and how we encourage each other, cottages aren't my style, but I will certainly enjoy watching yours come to life under your needle.


Glad you decided to join us.

[poppy]

Hello and welcome, Polly So glad that you have joined us
We post progress pics of our projects in a Stitch Along Thread and it really spurs one on. I am sure that you will feel right at home with us.
Looking forward to the start of your Cottage...

[rcperryls]

Hi Polly and welcome to the forum from a very hot and muggy South Carolina! We most certainly do cover the globe and if you read Sally's (Squirrel) post you can tell that she and I are clearly on opposite sides of the world since she is living in a deep freeze right now.

I'm so glad you found us as we are a very friendly and encouraging and sometimes (well, maybe more than sometimes) can be a little whacky too . The one thing you should probably watch out for is our tendency to encourage the acquisition of all sorts of stash and to also encourage you to try anything you want to from small to big projects and new forms and styles of stitching.

A lot of cats and dogs and birds help many of us stitch. Looking forward to seeing your projects and getting to know you and your kitty too!

Carole

[vanessanjf]

Hello and welcome

[Squirrel]

Hi Polly and Welcome from me too in Chilly Brisbane, it is so good that you have joined us. I look forward to seeing your updates on your new start. I love the cottagy ones too but so far have not bought any and don't really need any more either. My cupboard is rather full of 'stuff' to do.

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you for such a warm welcome It is lovely that this forum is global as good to see what other people in the world choose to make, & also see their designs. I like the Nordic red & white as well as Dutch blue & white designs as well as bright coloured projects.

The variety of subjects stitched is amazing & it is tempting to go & buy a lot more but for the moment I will do some I have in my stash box'. Got several in a drawer & decided to keep all in large plastic box as my stash grew. Will put my latest bus on after this.

When we used to go to Mum's relatives in Shropshire we noticed eastern part of Wales is warmer than where we live. Also had friends near Mold. Lovely there. He got a job with Airbus so they moved up. Love Mold market - also went to nearby bird gardens & visited Chester. Not been since they moved again.

[fccs]

Hello from Colorado and welcome to the Forum.

Reference your masking tape question, I used to always cover my edges with masking tape. A lot of people say never do that, but I never had any problems with it damaging the material. I always taped just the edge and when I was done stitching that edge would be cut off. Now I use Fray Check or I use my sewing machine (or I just do nothing with the edges). In a bind I would still use masking tape if necessary. Some stitchers say it leaves a residue that will work its way into your design from the edges, but I have pieces that I stitched 30 years ago with no damage.

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you Debby. Glad you had no problems when using masking tape. I read somewhere not to use sellotape as that leaves a sticky residue.

Try to avoid aerosols as had bronchial problems last few years. Years ago I used shake 'n' vac on carpets when we had a dog as well as a cat. & think over time it must have affected me. Never smoked but DH did for years until he had heart attack. I imagine passive smoking didn't help me either. When I last made cards used stick glue & double sided tape. I will use masking tape & as you did, cut if off before framing as I usually trim them anyway.

What a beautiful part of USA you live in. Always think of John Denver when I read about Colorado, love his music.

[wendywombat]

Hi Polly from me in SW France where summer has finally arrived!! I'm an ex-pat and last place I lived in the UK was Bristol so we used to pop 'over the water' to Chepstow and South Wales regularly.

I love cottages too and had a bundle in my 'to do list' In fact I have a bundle of stuff in my 'to do list'
I love stitching Puffins and have those lovely quirky birds in all shapes and forms all over the house. I even have a Puffin Wine Cooler....so handy for those bottles of white and rosé wine for summer!

[sina28]

Hi Polly and a huge welcome to the forum from Germany! So nice to have you here with us.

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you Sina

[richardandtracy]

Welcome to the forum from deepest, darkest Kent.

I used to live in N Devon, so understand how the wind can be. My dad recorded wind speeds over 100 mph every couple of years, and there were occasions when a walk could be on the 'exciting' side of bracing, particularly on the cliffs near Hartland Point. Within 20ft of the edge and it was dead calm, 50 ft further back and you could barely stand up. Same when I was a brat in Pembrokeshire when my dad was posted there - but I was too young to really remember that properly now.

Fortunately Kent is more moderate, and it took me nearly 20 years before I could leave the house without clutching a raincoat, even on the sunniest of days.

Anyway, the forum is nice and friendly, the reason I came here myself just over 4 years ago. I have learnt so much from the members here, and can't get over how, with that learning, how my pictures have changed.

Regards,

Richard.

[fuchsiafairy]

Thank you Richard & also Wendy who I did not thank last time I was on this topic. Didn't realise you could buy puffin wine coolers. What a lot of puffins you must have, but they are cute birds & so colourful. Love to see them with their beaks full of sand eels. Amazing how they manage to carry so many at a time. Also fascinating that they use burrows. Not seen any film of them actually making their burrows but hard work for any bird & still must be even for puffins even though they have very stout beaks.

Oh my, yes Richard, those 'point' named headlands are always windy. Heard of Hartland Point & think I've been there but can't be sure. Do remember Cape something or other - had a lighthouse - that walk was on a windy day & we did not realise just how strong the wind became the further you went round the path. I do remember we did not get very far along the footpath before we had to turn back. Even turning round was a major effort & caused laughs as well as us all moaning about the wind.

Understand about you always took a jacket with you for many years when you moved to Kent a it is a force of habit when you live in rainy areas. we always carry a jacket of some sort in case it rains & anoraks in the boot in case we do happen to forget one day.

Glad you found the forum useful for your stitching abilities. The cat project of yours is just wonderful as are some other intricate designs, like the one of Jesus at the door. Amazing what people can stitch when they really become dedicated to this lovely hobby.