Hello from the desert!

Hi everyone - I'm Jeanne and I live in the southwest - Phoenix, Arizona to be exact. I am 52 (it sounds so old!) and I have been stitching I guess for about 30 years now. It was always my first love in needlework although I am also a quilter. I am married with no children except 2 spoiled dogs. I work full-time as an I.T. project manager. I like to stitch a wide variety of things - I'm just as happy stitching a little Prairie Schooler or Lizzie Kate chart as I am doing a big sampler. Like most of you, I have more patterns than I can ever stitch in a lifetime! This year I really tried to focus on cutting my UFO list in half and so far I'm doing pretty good. My long list of UFO's was really starting to bother me and this year I've started only a few small things like exchanges. Now I have a big case of "start-itis" and am looking forward to next year, especially "guilt free January"!

A few of my favorite designers are Carriage House Samplings, Little House Needleworks, Prairie Schooler, Blackbird Designs, Bent Creek, Brenda Keyes, Shepherds Bush, The Drawn Thread, and Victoria Sampler. I am fortunate to live 40 minutes from a wonderful LNS called Attic Needlework and they specialize in samplers. I can never get out of the shop without spending too much money. I also like stitching smalls although I really want to focus on getting some framed pieces on my walls.

I love being involved in the online stitching community and look forward to making new friends. The internet opened up a whole new world of stitching for me around the year 2000 and I have learned so much! As for Beatrix Potter, I have no ideas yet for my fabric and floss but I bought the pattern when it first came out. I'm thinking maybe a pink or raspberry silk thread - I would like to hang this in my sewing room when I'm done and I love pink. I'm glad we'll have a few months to plan as I want to get some sample silks from Vikki Clayton. I've found it's hard to pick out floss just from the website, you really need to see the colors in person. I have not tried Carrie's Threads although they look beautiful.

I'm glad to see so many younger women stitching and blogging - cross-stitch is such a great hobby and I'm hoping it makes a resurgence someday like knitting did. It's been sad seeing so many shops close in recent years and even the big craft stores around me have really reduced the amount of stitching supplies. Thanks Hazel for inspiring us and getting together this SAL! It's a lot more fun to stitch along together than by yourself.

Introduction

Hi -

I am Marie and I live in Sachse, Texas (Near Dallas). I have most of the Needleprint charts, but am embarrased to admit I have yet to finish one. Since Beatrix Potter is the first one I purchased, I thought I should get started with it and the SAL is just what I need to get going. Have not yet decided what threads I will use, but I think I will use 40 count Vintage Maritime Linen from Lakeside Linens.

I belong to the Tudor Rose Sampler Guild in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas.

hello,

I'm evelyne 36 years old ( sssst tomorrow 37) I'm married we have 3 children and i'm a housewife .....I love quiltling and cross stitching and I have a blog www.bloggen.be/quiltlien as the material for the SAL I have the dmc color that is mentioned on the chart and a 32 count white linnen

Hello from Perth Western Australia

My name is Janine. I am 50, married for over 30 years and have 4 fantastic sons (28,25,24 & 15) & 5 gorgeous kitty cats. I have been stitching since 1978. I am the owner of an ONS called Colours Down Under.
Unfortunately I didn't discover Needleprint until the BP sampler went OOP. I had been trying to find a copy until Jacqueline offered the PDF one for sale. I bought it instantly. I would still love to own an original (maybe one day).
I haven't decided what I am going to stitch mine on or what threads I will be using. One of my customers has bought the companion to BP and she is stitching it on 32 count Belfast Vintage - Country Mocha with Petite Treasure Braid 002 or something like that. The nice gold colour. It is absolutely stunning. I might do that one or I might try a few different colours on a hand dyed linen. There is plenty of time for that decision.
Anyway, I look forward to getting to know you all.

Hello Everyone!

Thank you so much Hazel for taking the initiative to setup this blog. It looks good as it is already :) Thank you too for letting me join.

I bought the chart as soon as Hazel mentioned it on her blog. Knowing very well how the NBPQ is retired, I grabbed it the first opportunity I had. I have no qualms with the chart being in file format. I was thinking of starting it soon after but other stitchings 'got in the way' :)

So starting NBPQ next year is a very good idea for me and my 'busy' schedule.

I've pretty much zoomed in on Nancy's (Victorian Motto) floss colour Pumpkins and Belfast sand fabric. I am also thinking of tea dyeing the fabric prior.

Barbara J

Hello from Hungary

Hi girls, I am Rita from Hungary.

I have already started this pattern, on an inherited hand-made linen (about 100 yrs old) and DMC 902 one over one, but did not get much done (due to other commitments). I am grateful for this SAL, as I love the design and want to finish it.

Here's my last standing:


I am still considering over-starting it, but still might just keep on with the original one.
Votes are welcome!

Hugs,
Rita

Hello! My name is Ann, and since there seem to be so many of us I go as Ann70821. I live in the United States, in Louisiana to be exact, and I've been stitching since I was a little girl. I love needlepoint and cross stitch, and I'm hoping to learn to crochet in 2009 so that I can finish an afghan my mother started years ago!

I'm nearly 50, married for 3 years now to a wonderful man (a first marriage for both of us in our 40s!) no children, but several cats. I work part-time helping out at the nearby Catholic school with the extended-day program for 3 hours, 3 days a week. Other than that I do research for political campaigns.

I'll be stitching the Beatrix Potter Sampler on 35 count linen from Vikki Clayton in either the white (which is really a lovely, soft, antique white) or Kodiak (a light, soft, golden beige color) using a varigated floss she made from several of her Fish Pepper shades. I've got to do a bit of test stitching on both fabrics to see which one I prefer for this project.

I like stitching Quakers, Christmas designs, primitives, fun little quick pieces like those by Lizzie Kate, and samplers in general. I'm also always on the lookout for Revolutionary War (Spanish Colonial soldiers especially) Civil War themed stitching (Confederate, naturally!) and Napoleon themes since my husband is a re-enactor (and a dead-ringer for Napoleon).

Some of my favorite designers include Prairie Schooler, My Big Toe, The Sampler Girl, Needleprint, Carriage House Samplings, 4 My Boys, Little House Needleworks, and too many others to list here!

I'm currently stitching a series of Name Trees from Nouveau Encore Designs to have made into ornaments for various family members as Christmas presents.

In addition to Beatrix Potter, my other big project for next year is The Summer Ball by Sandy Littlejohn. I've got the kit and I've started to grid the fabric so that it will be ready to start after Christmas.

I work on all types of fabric and I like to use both silk and cotton floss. My two favorites are the silk floss from Vikki Clayton and the wonderful vibrant colors from Carrie's Threads. (One note about Carrie's, I always rinse, rinse, rinse, and rinse again before using her threads because they are not color-fast! But they are so beautiful that I'm willing to go to the extra work! And actually, I rinse all my threads except for DMC just to be safe!)

And finally, thank you Hazel for organizing this SAL and inviting me to be a member of it. I'm really looking forward to sharing our love of stitching, and to seeing all the wonderful versions of Beatrix Potter that we create!

Hello

Hi everyone, I'm Hazel and I live in the High Peak in the UK. I am 33 and married with two children, Lily aged 5 and 3/4 and Elijah 7 months. I am a Christian and attend a local church where my dh plays on the worship team. I love stitching and have been stitching since I was 17. Love all sorts of styles of design but have grown particularly fond of traditional folky styles. Favourite designers include: Carriage House Samplings, Blackbird designs, Exampler Dames, Little House Needleworks, Prairie Schooler and many such others. I am particularly enjoying learning new and different techniques and making "needlework smalls". Also, I have been blessed to be in some wonderful exchange groups and have met many wonderful people through them online. Looking forward to making new friends on this blog. I am going to be using Victorian Motto threads but can't decide which ones or if I am going to just use one colour or four. Still not decided on fabric but most likely it will be a cream or antique white coloured linen.
xx

Hello .... I'm Julie

Thank you Sally for telling me about this SAL and to you Hazel for inviting me to join.

I live in the UK, married, 2 kids - DS 23 and DD 19 and have 2 cats.

I've been stitching for about 12 years now, used to be a 'kit only' girl and also did tapestry/needlepoint. Was introduced to the internet and that was it ... i was hooked on all sorts of exciting things. Its great to be part of the wider stitching world and to see what others do and to show off your work and encourage each other. I have learnt so many things in the past 4 years and my hobby has turned into an obsession. I also like to knit.

I think i have decided on thread and have ordered Carries in Wedgewood, i will offer this to the various fabrics i have and see which i like when it comes.

Looking forward to starting this one.

Hello!

Thanks for setting up this blog Hazel! I am here and am looking forward to this SAL:) I'm stitching mine with Victorian Motto threads in Antique Rose. I haven't decided on fabric yet but it will probably be 25 count:)

For those of you who don't me my name is Sally, I'm 44, married with 2 daughters aged 17 and 13 and I live on the coast of East Yorkshire in England. I have been stitching for 16 years and love a variety of designers including Just Nan, Shepherd's Bush, Blackbird Designs, The Drawn Thread and many others. At the moment I'm stitching several larger projects including Ink Circles Sea Stars and Bygone Stitches A Quaker Christmas.