Still Lurking!

[Arianwen]

Hello everyone how are you all?

I thought I'd pop my head up and say I'm still lurking if not actively posting.

I dont get a huge amount of time for stitching any more due to a change in job and taking on extra work and doing a language course! But I'm trying to change that and make more time because I have missed my stitching!

I have a question though.

Where is your go to place for fabric now the beloved sew and so has closed?

I haven't really had to buy much since they first changed hands (didnt like that new site at all) and then got amalgamated with LC and I do not like that site at all - I don't think I even ported my account across. I believe the shop itself is around still but its a little too far for me to comfortably visit.

I have tried Lakeside and they provide excellent service but I can't always get what I want there.

I am currently in need of quite a large amount of 25ct lugana (enough to do 20, 6x6 inch squares and would like to increase the border slightly if I can) and looking at the prices there its going to be a pretty penny. Ive checked out wool warehouse and they dont have what I need in stock so I was looking at sew inspiring, has anyone used them?

My other option would be to contact the FOTM club I am in and see if they would be able to provide a continuous length of what I need

Thanks everyone - Hope everybody is still doing well. Now I am off to the SAL pages to try and kick start my stitchy bug!

[Nicola Main]

Look at sewitall.com I've used them before and they have a wide range of counts, colours etc. Nice to see you posting again!

[wendywombat]

I've bought from https://sewitall.com/ and they are good...fast postage and lots of choice in colours and counts.

[rcperryls]

Welcome back!! You have been missed and I am glad to know that you have been "lurking". Something I think we all do now and then. Hope you find the fabric you need. I'm afraid that none of the places I go to would work for you given shipping costs these days. Sounds like you have quite a large project in mind and I hope you will share it with us.

Carole

[Serinde]

Lovely to see you!

I'd not come across Sew It All before, so thanks for that, WW & Nicola.

I usually need to use a couple of different suppliers, including one of the few LNS in the area. If you are looking for one large piece, it might be worth letting, say, Lakeside, know to see if they might supply it?

[Arianwen]

Nicola - thank you for that I will check them out for sure!

Wendy - good to know someone else has used them and found them good!

rcsperry - its good to see you too - its been a lot fo change and upheaval so I've lurked for a while to get my head back on straight and I realised how much I missed everyone!

Serinde - I am fairly sure I will need to use a couple of different suppliers - I need brass charms too so planning to order them from Lifetime Samplers, and I need some skeins of caron waterlilies and perle cottons.

I did consider that for the fabric but the price jumps from £17 for a piece 50x140/70/100cm to £76 for a piece 140x200 which is a bit more than I was hoping. I need about 300cm square worth of fabric. Sew inspiring were offering a piece 140x 100 for £32

For those that have asked - I am planning to recreate a bell pull/wallhanging I made about 7 years ago using the Victoria Sampler's beyond cross stitch series, level 1 patterns. The original was lost in a house fire about 5 years ago (I *think* I have posted about this briefly before - several of my pieces were affected and I am working my way through to try and sort what I can) and I have slowly been trying to source replacement charms etc as I still have the charts but the original company have stopped making the charms so I am having to make some substitutions.

This time I want to make one for my parents, one for my parents in law, one for me and my partner and one for my sister, though I might make some into flat folds rather than a wall hanging. There were 5 samplers in the set so 5 samplers x 4 - I am not expecting to get them all done this christmas but I am in position now to be able to start as soon as I gather the different bits and pieces!

In the meantime I am working on a wrendale designs piece I was gifted by my sister which is really cute but the pattern is difficult to read. I am also hoping to start hand spinning wool at some point soon - I got addicted to using a drop spindle when I was volunteering and I would love to do more!

[Serinde]

OOO! Spindle spinning! With one of my other hats on, I’m part of a local Guild of Weaving, Spinning and Dyeing. Some of the spinners in our Guild are producing the most wonderful novel yarns.

As to all the stitching, yes, I guess £72 is a bit steep! I remember that fire. Awful. I wonder if the designers’ companies might have some of the charms in a box on a shelf somewhere… ( probably not). Anyway, I think your plans are really positive and the pieces will be true gifts for the recipients.

[Arianwen]

Yes Serinde drop spindle spinning! I work with a preventative conservation team with one of my other hats and before covid hit we worked the whole process of working the wool from a sheared fleece, cleaning, combing and carding,washing and dying and then spinning by hand using a drop spindle, a spinning jenny ( the biiiiiig manual standing one) and a more modern spinning wheel, as part of a display in the museum I work at. I LOVED it and was pretty decent at getting a fine, even spin on the batting using a drop spindle. I wasnt bad with the spinning jenny either but I cant get the foot and hand co-ordination for the more modern spinning wheel. We also used some pre-spun wool to 'string' an iron age loom and did some work on that.

I'm hoping to get some roving and start spinning by hand and I have a small weaving loom that would be big enough to make patches - eventually I would love to weave patches for a woolen blanket but thats a while away.


That was my thinking too and it may be thats what I end up spending anyway but I think I will buy my missing threads and charms and one piece of fabric and start there and get more as needed.

I did contact the design company and no they dont have any stock left, and they were unsure if they would be able to get any more either. I've noticed they have stopped producing them as kits now for at least level 1 and now sell them as charts only. I've sourced exact replica's of 3 of the 5 charms, 1 is an alternative and the final one will have to be something different altogether.

I hope so - I know my mum would really like a replacement she gets a bit wistful every christmas when she doesnt have it to go up, and my partners parents never saw it but would love it. I always planned to make one for us but my sister's one is a bit of a shot in the dark - I would rather do it and keep it as spare than not offer it to her though

[Mabel Figworthy]

A belated Welcome Back !