General Chat

Carole......perhaps we should have a competition for the longest running project....I'm sure you'll finish it one day, lol. Susan.....I've wondered about cross-stitching the family tree too, not sure how to go about it though or how many generations to include. Rose.... my mum used to knit arran sweaters for my children, they were lovely and warm. Jane.....I always want to make something when I see or hear of someone knitting or stitching...let us know how its going. Len... your wife's quilt sound ever so interesting and unusual. I don't remember ever seeing anything like that. Heather

Since this thread started I have found my knitting and actually finished tha back. Just started on the front so I might have a new jumper soon. Not until next year though! What books have you written Rosemary? Time to get them in print and make money. Then you can spend it on certificates and travelling to all the places your family have lived. Oh all those parish records, graveyards and photo's to take.

My wife does patchwork and quilting. She is my main source of new expletives. For my last birthday, she made me a patchwork quilt depicting my family tree. She got me involved in using my printer to enlarge/reduce photos then print then onto image-transfer paper which she could then iron on to fabric. Len

Jane we had an ongoing joke in our house when we were kids-it took Mum 15 years to knit a sweater for Dad When she finished it he could not stop laughing. She said' I would have finished it sooner if he hadn't have kept on about it so' I do a lot of craft work and write craft books. Now Mum has gone I will try and get some of them in print. I love doing miniaturists work and belong to a guild I make tiny carpets and furnishings for my dolls house,which is very strictly 18th C. I too get vey bored with TV and don't watch much of it. Recently I have knitted a lot of Arran sweaters for my grandsons. I always like to have something on the go. Rose

I'm still cross stitching a birth sampler for my son - he is 6 in May!!!! LOL

I love cross stitch and I am working on a birth sampler for my cousins new baby girl at the moment. As always, I get too ambitious and buy a large chart...baby is here, and IM not yet finished lol. I stitch while Im watching tv normally. I posted a while back about cross stitch charts for family trees - that is something I will do one day!! Sue

Hi Isobel Sewing costumes would send my blood pressure through the roof! Knitting is more relaxing but do you find that it makes your arms ache if you haven't done any for a while? Heather

Does sewing 6 bookworm costumes every day for nearly two weeks count? I've been up sewing at 6am , because I found myself saying " I'll do them" ! Took up knitting again a few weeks ago to relax as I have got extremely high blood pressure now and thought it would" de-stress"me. Although not had time for it at the moment! Iz

Caz, I've heard that many people find cross-stitch therapeutic, the hours fly past so quickly and just looking at the beautiful colours of the threads cheers me up in the winter months. I'm not too good with the flower arranging but usually manage an arrangement for Christmas using bits from the garden and I made a christmas garland one year with evergreens, rosemary, dried slices of oranges and cinnamon sticks.....it smelled lovely. Ann and Rach, I always feel on edge using a sewing machine, don't find it relaxing, perhaps it reminds me of school (long time ago.) Sylvia, I keep reading the card-making thread and was very tempted when I visited Hobbycraft a few weeks ago .....I've resisted temptation for the moment, lol. Pat, confession time.....my husband bought me a kit of The Haywain about 20 years ago which is almost finished .......just the cart left to do! Heather

Yes, love cross stitching. Am just finishing off one of the "All Our Yesterdays". This is the third one. I make all my own greeting cards and sell some too. I never started out with the thought of selling any, but have had several people say how much they like my cards and could they buy some from me. I use all sorts of ideas for my cards, combining different techniques. Sylvia xxx

My wife as always at in the evening. Its great ....... keeps her quiet!! LOL

I do cross stitch when i have time, used tomake the children's clothes sewing and knitting, also had a knitting machine when theyw ere young. Still knit occasionally but not for a while now. Incidentally my daughter does beautiful cross stitch and my son in law also does cross stitch occasioanlly. Ann Glos

Its lovely to know that some of you are out there stitching, knitting and even spinning and weaving. I wonder if the younger generations will learn to do these crafts, I taught my daughter everything I know but grand-daughter aged 19 isn't interested. Heather

Gerri...We once had a dog and the breed was a Samoyed. Her coat was long, white and woolen. We could have sent it off to have it spun but never got round to doing it. To this day every time I wash a wool jumper the smell reminds me of her on her bath days. Lynn

There are so many things I'd like to try, tatting, bobbin lace and patchwork, just not enough hours in the day! Heather

I went to new zealand this year and fell in love with a spinning wheel...I just had!!!! to have one....you should have seen one of our cases...bulging at the seams tied up with a leather belt as it wouldnt quite close lol Gos knows where Im gonna find a sheep thats willing to lose its fleece! Yes I too have always done handicrafts...but the REAL sort not this junk in boxes they sell nowadays. I once made three patchwork quilts all made from the girls outgrown dresses and my maternity dresses....it made a very nice bedtime chat when putting the kids to bed.

I know what you mean my hubby use to go mad at the clatter of the needles now he is just pleased if I sit with him as long as I am not on the puter LOL Debs.

Heather, I have just finished a 'santa stop here' sign in Cross stitch. It is really cute, but didn't take too long to finish, only about 10 hours! The problem is, my niece saw it ands begged me to make her one, So now I am half way through another one! Pat

my dad can knit and sew , his mum taught him and he helped me with my sewing machine , and my mum taught me to knit, i recently bought some more wool to have another go but daughter has made me hesitate after saying 'you were going to give me a home made jumper,' with a smile on her face.

My dad taught me to knit! As a child he was ill and bored so his younger sister showed him how it was done. He made all the gloves for our children cos he could do knitting on 4 pins. I hear that loads of men do cross stitch, never seen one though. Heather