The 'C' Word

Now I wonder who is so into their crafting that they know instantly what the C word is, and which of you have minds stuck down the sewer????

It was pointed out to me on a blog yesterday that it was the first of July: we are on that downward slope towards winter, and along with our winter comes the C word!

Yes, Christmas.  Some evil shmeagal then put on facebook exactly how many days it is till Christmas.  You will be thrilled to know that I'm not that cruel.  If you want to know, work it out for yourself.

I am working on several projects at the moment but last night I decided to make a start on my first Christmas charts.  I am still on a really basic programme because I need to sort out the spare room ready for the other computer and the more up to date programme which hopefully will allow me to save work.  If it does, then I don't have to stay up until nearly 1.00 am because I need to finish it and print it and save it in a finished form rather than risk losing it all. Which is what I had to do last night! Or this morning as the case may be.

I honestly don't think I will buy any other charts.  I have had a look at the charts that are around at the moment and a little bit of me feels we are being suckered.  Mystery projects; monthly buy alongs and SALs, all designed to make us buy, buy, buy.

Now I know those of you who really love A Certain Designer will be swooning at my outrageous suggestions.  I can feel the de-friending button clicking as I type.  And I don't care.  This is my personal view on my personal blog.  You can always just read on to the next paragraph and hopefully by then you will find it in your heart to forgive me and my ignorance of your passion for A Designer.  Or put it down to sleep deprivation in which case you would be correct, at least partially!

I also read through my past issues of the Christmas JCS.  And I have to say I won't be buying it again.  I haven't done a single chart from the last one.  I was really, really disappointed with most of them to be honest.  And the recipes!  I found it really hard to actually find a recipe or what I would class as a recipe.  They all seem to be combinations of canned (tinned) products with packet products.  Yuck.. So unhealthy.  The only tinned (canned) things we eat are baked beans (when I am too lazy to make my own) or tinned tomatoes (when I run out of passata).

Sugar, cheese, more sugar, more cheese seems to be the order of the day with their recipes.
 It may be a cultural thing, I don't know.  But they are all yucky so if I don't like the charts and I don't like the recipes, there is no point in my buying it.

  I will resist the temptation of buying it for buying its sake!  Darn it..there goes more un-following clicks.
Ah well.  I'll live

 Ok..you may need to read more than one paragraph to forgive me my outrageous views. I suspect you are just about giving up on at me this moment.  What can I say?  I always was a rebel: the first one in my school to turn up with bright orange dyed hair which I dyed pink when they objected to the orange. They didn't object again because I threatened purple if they didn't like the pink!

I'm not saying my designs are as commercially likeable as your Favourite Designers.  I'm new to this. I will make mistakes and I will learn from them but.....I do get to make what I actually want to stitch.  I don't think I have ever done a chart and not changed it: whether adding bits, taking bits away or altering colours.  So I might as well just make my own charts.

 I will carry on getting Santa's Village, even though I've only done the first one but that is it.  I just can't afford to keep buying in charts. I have three WIPS going and I have some lovely charts which were sent me off my wish list and which I won in a giveaway.  Any more I will have to make.

I would appreciate your feedback with my charts. And I'll continue with the Friday Freebie while I have lots of ideas.

I love this Friday's.

But until then. do you want to see what I was doing until 1.00 am this morning?

(Just a second: I want to give those I have offended time to slam the door and unfollow me..there they go).

Ok: I am hoping there'll be one person left, so just for you, wonderful person who can accept me and my extremist views..here are my first Christmas Charts.  I am sure I'll tweak them a little more before I stitch them but we will see.  Feedback always appreciated: constructive, not cruel if that is ok xxxx

And I look forwards to seeing you on Friday with the new freebie.  Oh, should say: the pics don't fully illustrate the colours faithfully: in fact, they look nothing like the actually colours used which are quite tasteful in truth.    Have a lovely week faithful reader: you must have the stitching skin of a rhino but I love you all the more for it!

Rejoice with cardinal

Rejoice with Robin

Rejoice!

Have a great week. See you Friday
(BTW I hadn't allowed for international tones of conversation rofl: this post is slightly tongue in cheek though I am completely serious about the yucky recipes !)