To my fellow lurkers

I too will try to post more (on topic). Keeping things on topic I think will encourage more participation. I know I don't even check the postings as often as I used to several years ago. Off topic flames drive a lot of people away. John

Excepting Mirjam's roast of those of us that jumped on the latest spammer/phisher, it's been just about flame free here for a while.

Cheryl

Also, people have been really good about using OT in the headers of off topic posts. John is using Agent and it is perfectly possible to use OT in the Subject Header and killfile/delete, then he need never see another OT post. Meantime, that would leave those of us who like to chat, to do so.

Mirjam's wails were the first in a long time and I wouldn't really call hers flames.

I know I have said this many times but when I stitch with my Guild on Tuesdays, there is plenty of chatter going on (just as it has for centuries where people sat down to stitch) until and if someone asks for help, then they will receive help in bounteous quantities, just as it is here!

So John, use your kill filter on the Subject OT, rather than trying to change us.

I read on a blog somewhere that the second week in January is (Inter)National DeLurking Week. I don't know if this will be a good thing or a bad thing though!

I think we ought to declare it such then!

Not that I have to delurk....

R, D, H

Lucretia !!! I see your Holiday did you good and you stocked up on your usual manner of talk !!! Wailing ? hahahahha mirjam

Who invented this week ???? sound a bit like an Urban legend to me ,,,, it is well experienced that Courses and classes fill up in winter ,,, maybe that `s why this was told ??? mirjam

I probably haven't posted here in over a decade, although I skim through the postings several times a week. So I'm delurking with this post (and even if I don't post again all year, I'm still doing better than in previous years:))

I enjoy hardanger the most of all the needlework I do, with pulled and drawn thread a close second and third. I enjoy using crosstitch to embellish a piece but don't really enjoy doing a whole piece in crossstitch (don't ask me about my 10 year WIP TW's Tapestry Cat...) Thea Dueck and Emie Bishop are among my favorite designers.

Happy New Year to you all!

Kate

Welcome back, Kate!

I suspect we have a lot of "old-timers" who check up on us and silently monitor the group!! Pop in and say "Hi" once in a while!

I haven't had the guts to try hardanger and so forth; however I do enjoy doing all the Specialty stitches that one sees in the Victoria Sampler designs ( that IS Thea Dueck isn't it?). It breaks the monotony of just xxxs.

Gillian (Florida)

O God !

I know - you de-lurked to make me feel guilty about the Emie Bishop bell pull that I have nearly finished. It's all done except for the hardanger on the bottom end, and I enjoy hardanger so it isn't that, go figure!

Happy New Year to you too.

Bring on next week and let's see who it brings !

Next time you come north, Bobbie and I will work with you! It was so easy to learn! C

Welcome back. You are encouraging me to try one of the little VS pieces I have! Cheryl

Kate i once made myself a Hardanger Shirt ,,,, it was so nice i hesitated to wear it I enjoy Part Xst and rarely filled a whole canvas , [ only when it was needed from artistic matters. ] mirjam

Thanks to all for the warm welcome!

Gillian: Thea Dueck is only one of the designers at Victorian Sampler these days, although she's certainly the most prolific. She seems to have run more lately to cross stitich designs, but she came out with a new Welcome Hearts bellpull this month that is back to almost all hardanger. I felt a compulsion to order it immediately :)

Lucretia: I have an Emie Bishop in my WIP pile too, so don't feel bad. I need to get it out and finish it because it would look perfect on my bedroom wall.

Cheryl: Yes! You should really try on of VS's smaller samplers. She also has a nice group of teaching pieces to walk you through learning basic hardanger and then the more advanced stitches.

Mirjam: I can't imagine a hardanger shirt! It must have been beautiful and after all that work, I'm not sure I'd have wanted to wear it either.

I embroidered it on the front and some timy ones on the collar ,,, and than was afraid to ruin it ,, mirjam

I have several of the "learn a stitch" pieces. After I finish the piece I'm working on, maybe I'll pull one out

I bought a bunch of those little teaching pieces at closeout prices at a Hobby Lobby a couple of years ago. I did them up while vacationing in Hawaii and then made each one into a Christmas ornament to give to co-workers that Christmas. They are fast and easy to do if you already know how.... I have no idea how hard they'd be if you were just learning.

Kate (in beautiful Denver) Current: A Christmas Village by Victorian Sampler The Red Thread Sampler by Bent Creek Waiting UFO: Christmas Fairy by Mirabilia