Hello from a newbie!

[Angelite]

Hello from sunny Yorkshire! (Well it is at the moment but wait five minutes!) What crazy weather we’ve been having lately. I do hope any users here haven’t been affected too badly in any way. We still have our roof and the several trampolines in the back gardens when I live are still there too – thankfully but it was a bit touch and go with our fence at one point! You can tell I’m British, talking about the weather LOL.

Anyway, back on topic! I have just joined the forum and I thought I’d pop in and introduce myself. I first started cross stitching many years ago now and then I had a big break as life got in the way. A friend of mine recently encouraged me to take it up again as a hobby and I realised just how much I had missed it so I am now well and truly re-addicted! The same friend also introduced me to HAED and Mystic Stitch so I have been collecting charts and I’m getting ready to start my first two. There are so many lovely designs to choose from! I noticed a few people stitching them here too so I look forward to chatting about progress, tips, etc, etc.

Recently I’ve been stitching Heritage Crafts designs and I love both the silhouettes and the John Clayton circles. There are lots of blended stitches and fractionals too but to be honest I quite enjoy these as they really do give the finished pieces their detail. I also love stitching samplers and have now completed several. There are just too many wonderful charts out there and not enough hours in the day or life to stitch them all! Sigh….
I look forward to chatting with you all,
Happy Friday!
Vana

[marigoldflowers]

Hello & welcome to the forum Glad you found your way back to cross stitch, esp at this time of year when weather not so good, great to have an absorbing hobby.

I don't do HAEDs but admire those who do stitch as they are amazing designs. So may varied crafts & designs on here also lots to learn. Members always willing to offer advice of anything you are not sure of. Heritage Crafts are wonderful kits. I love the John Clayton country designs as well as the bird ones he does.

Looking forward to seeing your work as we all photos.

[Garnet]

Hello from a stormy North Wales

Glad you found us and look forward to seeing your photos

[Angelite]

Thank you Marigoldflowers and Garnet for the welcome from Wales I do find I stitch more in the colder months. It seems mad now to look back to a few weeks ago when we were all wishing it would cool down but I did put my projects on hold when it was hot. I am sure I probably wasn't the only one!

My HAEDs will probably take me years but I will be telling myself it's just one stitch at a time when the going gets tough

I have lots more of the Heritage Crafts designs to stitch in my stash so hopefully once i've read how to post photos I'll be able to put some of them on here. I look forward to seeing both your work too if you have some in the gallery!

[rcperryls]

Hello Vana and welcome to the forum from South Carolina! As you can tell from my signature I am one of those HAED addicts but there are so many designers out there it is difficult to pick and choose. Be warned that we have a tendency to encourage stash collection whether it is designs, fabrics, threads, styles and the wide variety of extras that are available. But as long as it is fun that is what matters. Looking forward to seeing your work and to getting to know you.

Carole

[vanessanjf]

Hello and welcome
I love HAED’s too. I have completed 2 and I am working on my 3rd. I am looking forward to seeing some of your work

[richardandtracy]

Welcome to the forum, Vana.

Certainly it's a good place for inspiration. When I arrived in 2014 I'd never tried anything more complex than 14ct, 29 colours, but knew there was more - just didn't know what. HaED was one of the first specialist words I learnt. I've never done a HaED, but I'm charting my own blended thread images using 150 thread colours with software I've developed from scratch. I honestly had never even imagined such things were possible when I came here, and would never have been inspired/egged on if it hadn't been for the members here. Great bunch of people, a wonderful resource of ideas and help.
And, as you rightly say, it's just one stitch at a time. How hard can it be?

So, please join in, and do what the forum does best - generate ideas that feed off each other and do create something new.

Regards,

Richard.

[Squirrel]

Welcome Vana from me too in sort of sunny Brisbane - showers are forecast but none on the horizon yet.

I am looking forward to seeing some of your work and yes I am sure that the HAED's you have acquired will take years to do. I have not tackled one as I prefer to get some finishes sooner.

[sapphire]

Hello & welcome Hope you soon settle in as lovely people on here . I look forward to seeing your work. I have not posted much recently as been busy but will be back to normal soon.

I do ordinary designs, love lt of Dimensions kits/ Heritage Crafts are beautiful & hope you can show us some you have done. Will be interesting ot see your HAEDs as they are gorgeous from what I have seen on here.

[wendywombat]

Welcome from me in SW France where summer has yet to lose it's hot and humid grip!

I'm looking forward to some cooler days and getting a bit more stitched! We are coming over to the UK next week (where I know it's cooler ) but the grandchildren will take up my free time and attention!

[Angelite]

Morning everyone,

Thanks so much for the lovely welcome. I can already tell that I am going to enjoy being a member of this forum. I have only ever belonged to one in the past (not cross stitch related) and that sadly folded so bear with me whilst I navigate around and get my bearings.

Hi Carole and Vanessa - it's lovely to meet fellow HAEDers. I'm just at the start of my journey but I hope i'll be able to contribute to the HAED talk as i've already learnt a lot in preparation and it would be great to see the progress on our work. Carole I am impressed with your HAED wips! I did laugh when I read what you wrote about encouraging stash! I have already found I am stashing different fabrics and my thread stash has increased ten fold already! It has to be done!

Hi Richard - HAEDs had completely passed me by too until a friend who stitches them told me all about them. I know they are mostly huge but having seen some of the amazing finishes that my friend has done I've got to give it a go. That's amazing that you have been inspired to create your own program. 150 colours is most definitely HAED-like territory! Have you managed to complete any of your designs yet? I'd love to see some of your projects.

Hi Sally - i'm glad you are getting some sunshine there in Brisbane. Such a lovely part of the world. I've family to the North and South of the area and have visited them there and the weather was superb the whole time!

Hi Maddie - I hope the weather in Wales is a bit calmer today. I have some Dimensions kits too. (I have so many kits in my stash!) They have some lovely designs don't they? I like their petite gold ones and I also have a beautiful peacock kit that I must get around to stitching. I look forward to seeing some of your work in the future!

Wishing everyone a very happy stitchy weekend

[Angelite]

Thanks for the welcome Wendywombat I hope you get a chance to cool down a little whilst you are visiting the UK. It's rather brrrr here where I am today. I'm not complaining though! I'd personally rather be cold than hot any day! Have a great weekend!

[sapphire]

Glad you are feeling more relaxed, it is a bit daunting at first.

Quite a few stitch Dimensions kits & you'll find more Heritage Craft stitchers too as you get to know members. Nicola (Main) loves the Wrendale designs so you'll see plenty of British wildlife critters from her. There are little pockets of us all over the place who like stitching the same designs. Like mini groups if you like

I think quite a lot deigned to put their x stitching down in the heatwave - so very hot those few months. Even in N. Wales they had hottest temps in the UK for 3 days consecutively in the Llyn Peninsula . Think it was Pwllheli. That's a most unusual occurrence in itself as we are known for having a lot of rain in Wales. But that in turn makes everything so very green.

Thank you, it is much quieter today but very gloomy. Need lights on since we got up! There must be a lot of static in the air as Internet still irregular & my spell check keeps throwing up funny words & things come up I never asked for. But when all is calm it is fine.

[Serinde]

And welcome from the West of Scotland!

[richardandtracy]

Vana,
Thanks for your comments. I have only finished two projects from my program - it's fairly new and the type of project it's best for is not quick to do.
The first was a portrait of my wife from a photo I took when we were on honeymoon. I charted it before the program could do blended threads. That's here (the link is to the framed piece):
http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... &start=303

The second finish was a test piece to see if blending of threads worked. The thread is here:
http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=27900

Since 2016 I've been working on 'Gryff' and 'Luz', currently on pages 1&3 of the SAL forum.

Steve M has been working on a 350 colour (!!!!!!!) conversion done with my program, here:
http://www.crossstitchforum.com/viewtop ... =6&t=28279. I think having a baby in his household has put a few things on hold..

Look forward to seeing your work,

Regards,

Richard.

[karen4bells]

Hello and welcome to the forum!!

[Angelite]

Thanks for the welcome Serinde and Karen!

Hi Maddie - I will look out for Nicola's work as i've never heard of the Wrendale designs. I have some of the Derwentwater Designs animals and birds which are lovely and they are waiting for me in my stitchy stash

It must have been strange having such hot weather in Wales as like you say it rains a lot there but I remember from many happy holidays how lovely and green the valleys are. You also have some beautiful beaches (my favourite is Rhossili Bay) and some fabulous castles. Love Conwy!

Hi Richard - thank you for the links to your work. Your picture of your wife is so lovely! What a perfect way to remember your honeymoon and have a forever family keepsake. I also love the detail in your 'eyes' too. 350 colours I do believe beats a HAED hands down! Having perused their website many times I don't think I have seen any charts over 250! (I could be wrong here but I am sure they don't do as many as 350!!!) Steve M's ship will look amazing when it's finished. Your program looks like a real winner to me and I look forward to seeing more of your work too!

All the best,

Vana

[poppy]

Hello and welcome!

[Lulu22]

Hello and Welcome Vana

I'm a fellow Haed stitcher too, I am working on a design called 'Snow' which they stopped charting a while ago but the artist has her designs charted on her own website now.
Have you looked at Gecko Rouge cross stitch they are also fab but you have to buy whole kits unfortunately!

I'm looking forward to seeing what your future wips.

[Angelite]

Hello Hélène! Thank you for the welcome

Hi LuLu and thank you for your welcome too! It's great to meet another HAED case I'm just at the very start of my journey but I am sure I will enjoy it although I'm equally positive there will be days of confetti when I will feel on a go slow but no pain no gain as they say!

Is your 'Snow' the one by Maxine Gadd? I had my eye on that in my wish list and then it disappeared. I had already purchased two of her others that I loved before the charts were retired at least. I didn't know she has started up her own website so I will be investigating that. No I haven't heard of Gecko Rouge so I will also be checking them out too. Eeek! more future projects!