A Finish and Some Thank yous!

Hi everyone.  How are you all?

I am confuzzled: I panicked because I thought we were much closer to Christmas than we were, and now sit twiddling my thumbs because I am obviously slightly more prepared than I thought as it isn't as far into December as it felt....def. a Winnie the Pooh moment!

 Saying that, it is a very low key Christmas this year.  Commercialism is out.  Funds are very limited and so are the pressies and yet I am fine with that.  Fun will be had by all. The food will be great, the company sparkling and we will rejoice.  Well, we will when I can be bothered to put the tree up.  Not today though...maybe tomorrow?

I've finished my last Christmas chart for this year (apart from the SAL).  I would like to introduce Holmsey the Hare and Fergus the Deer.  I've a feeling these two will be featuring a lot in future charts!

 It's stitched on on 32 count Belfast linen, Summer Khaki: I used Crescent colours Barn Door (antique red), Eggshell (light parts of body),Spinach (antique green), Fergus's body is WDW Hazlenut, his antlers are WDW Schneckley and Holmsey is stitchin in the Gentle Arts 7007. I've given the DMC version with the chart which in my opinion best match the colours used. Size approx 5.63 x 6.8 inches.

The green and red are quite muted which I love; makes it feel much older in style than it is.  Hmm, I wonder if Holmsey is going to respond to Fergus's mistletoe?  Ah, sweet.  Fergus is very naive and feels it is just the thing to cheer up his more sobre and sensible friend Holmesy!

I have some thanks to offer out to blogland.

Firstly, thank you to those of you who responded to my query re; pricing the charts.  It was very kind of you to take the time to get back to me.  I will just answer the odd query that came up.  No; this is not a business/business and no I am not sure what style I will adopt.  I make what I fancy stitching or designing because that is what is the most fun for me.  If I altered that then it becomes work.  Yuk.  Who wants to ruin a perfectly good hobby by turning it into work?

Saying that, I do love Charles Dickens and there will be more from him. The Little Maids will def. be reappearing as seasonal charts and I love hares, especially Holmsey.  I feel his character will grow as my drawing skills improve!

So there will def. be more charts, and more freebies.  In fact I think I have now given more free than I am selling so you can see how un-work based this is!

And because it is the season of giving I am putting all my charts on sale from now until when I remember to to take them back off!  The sale will be on pdf versions and will be 25 percent off!  enjoy.

Secondly, I would like to offer a huge, huge thank you for my friend Maggee.  I made friends with Maggee last year when we both took part in a private Christmas exchange.  We are both in the same gang and even though we are divided by many, many miles, the encouragement and support I have from her is all the more strong to make up, I feel, for the miles.

Maggee emailed me to let me know a package was on the way.  Oh no!  I hadn't even thought of Christmas yet (as those of you who have read my previous posts know): so I quickly rushed off to look through wishlists and in a way, Maggee's email made me get my ass into gear.  Just as well or it could have been Christmas Eve before I realised I hadn't bought my children their pressies!

Anyway: after a long stay in one part of the USA (can't remember where but it must be a nice place to visit) and poor Maggee worrying it wouldn't get to me, yesterday it arrived.

Wow!

And again (for dramatic effect) Wow!

 

All this amazing fabric is to go to fund raising..there is loads and it is all a wonderful quality!  I have ideas for some of it already.  We seem to have the same tastes as if I had the luxury of a fabric shop nearby it is exactly what I would have bought!

Firstly I have to finish cutting the fabric Carolyn sent me; I know exactly what that is going to be made to and I have had a word with hubby.  Research into breast cancer is global: so for larger items offered in say for example, silent auctions: the funds will be given to the breast cancer charity of choice for the purchaser.  So if you are in America, I will give the funds to an American BC charity: if you are in the UK, it will go to a UK charity.  They all work together ultimately so we all win.  And boy am I excited by what I want to make from Carolyn's fabric!  I just have to finish a few xmas gifts and will get straight on it!

Finally I want to say thank you to Nancy at the Victorian Motto sampler shoppe.  I have been experimenting with threads from all sorts of company's.  I will always have DMC details in my charts because I need them to be affordable: but I like overdyed threads.  However, I do not like threads that constantly tangle and twist and sneakily knot up at the back eventhough you are untwisting the thread every five minutes! 

I used one of Nancy's threads for the gingerbread chart.

 And I loved it!

So I contacted Nancy with a shopping list of threads which arrived today.

 

I will be using them for my next Little Maids charts and once each is finished, Nancy will be providing me the thread packs for them. So you buy the chart from me, and buy (if you wish) the thread packs from Nancy!

I am so excited!  And many thanks Nancy!

Right finally note (sorry.... a very long post..hope you didn't drop off there!)

My giveaway package is growing.

I have some hand dyed threads to go in, some evenweave fabric to go in and what looks like several (all if I remember to order the extras lol)

LHN Santas Village Charts to go in complete with buttons!  More will be added on a daily basis so don't forget to click the link on the side bar and leave a comment and share the news to enter!

Good luck!