Who we are and what we do.

Kim, age 35, Helena Alabama Married - two kids Home School Mom Previous owner of Fabrics2U, current owner of Kim's Stitching Shop (which is currently liquidating stock to go out of business). Cross Stitch is my favorite, but I also crochet and have quilted in years past. Hardanger is a favorite too. I haven't even picked up a needle for a couple of months now, but now that summer has started, things are slowing down and I hope to get some stitching in this week. We just adopted a dog (Manchester Terrier) from the Humane Society, and also own two kittens (1 year and 8 months), so things have been more hectic than usual lately! Kim

Resident curmudgeon, age 60, who enjoys all types of needlework, including hand sewing. Dianne - Wisconsin-U.S.

Maureen, age 48, Vancouver 'burbs Canada. I too like all forms of needlework, but do mostly petit point and surface embroidery. Married, homeschooling 2 DD and looking for p/t work to support my needlework addiction. :))

Maureen Miller

Stitcher wrote:

Ericka, 38, mother of 3, Virginia, lots of different forms of needlework (less cross stitch, more counted work, some surface embroidery).

Best wishes, Ericka

Jere, aged 59 (60 in July, I can hardly believe that!), wife, grandmother, stitcher....I've done crewel and some needlepoint, but presently am addicted to x-stitch. I also do decorative painting, and have taught that.

The most time-consuming of those jobs is grandmother -- it's also the most joyful. I'm so grateful for those children, since the first was born just a couple of years after my breast cancer had been diagnosed, and I'd been afraid I'd never live to see grandchildren. That little girl is 8 now, and has two brothers. I am richly blessed.

-- Jere

Anne, old enough to be a member of AARP, young grandmother of 1 and if things go the way they should, step-grammy to an adorable 3 year old

I'm 'dyslexic' when it comes to cross stitch -- my hands don't remember where my brain thinks the needle should go. Despite this problem, I've been able to do a few very simple, small blackwork pieces.

My forte, if I have one at all, is not being afraid to go my own way with free style embroidery, the chunkier, funkier the better.

Pat P - 70 in July, married to John, two daughters, one son who`s a detective, six grandsons (one in Iraq) aged between 13 and 26 plus one absolutely soppy Cavalier King Charles Spaniel called Maggie (Our old lady died a couple of weeks ago).

Design and stitch cross stitch charts mostly of our local scenery and old buildings, although I`ve also done a big one of a Suffolk Punch (Suffolk being where I live in the UK). Used to do other stitching and stuff before I had a stroke 13 years ago, but it`s just cross stitch now. Like photography, nature, history etc., etc.

Who started the "Who we are" thing up this time? It`s a good thing to do every so often as people come and go, and you tend to forget the details with so many of us!

STILL LOOKING FOR A COUPLE MORE UK/EUROPEAN MEMBERS FOR A CHART SWAP (And yes, I know I`m shouting !!!)

Pat P

I'm Linda, 48 yrs. from Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. I've been married for 27 yrs, two son's Mark, 21 & Chris, 23, and 1 cat, Muffy.

I've done a lot of counted thread work over the years, cross stitch, hardanger, drawn thread, pulled thread, canvaswork, etc. I also sew, quilt, knit, and crochet. My current passion is making Japanese temari balls...sooooo addictive!

take care, Linda

Dora, age 47, Calgary Alberta Canada. I currently do cross stitch, 'the other embroidery', needlepoint, knitting, crochet, beadweaving, and wirework. And gardening. I live with 2 cats, Maggie and Max.

Dora

Yvette Stanton, 30, Sydney Australia. Mother to 2 young children.

Personally, I do hardanger, merezhka, Mountmellick, beading, candlewicking, patchwork (rarely), and general embroidery. Historical forms of whitework are my main interest. LOVE anything William Morris - he's my hero!

Professionally, I run Vetty Creations, write needlework books, articles for magazines on needlework history, and provide projects for magazines. I have a range of kits, patterns and Mountmellick supplies.

I'm looking forward to our renovations being finished. Then we can move on to the garden. Except that I hate dirt.

Yvette

I don't think I've ever posted to one of these before - even though I've been reading this group, irregularly, for about two years.

I live in a suburb of St. Paul Minnesota, called White Bear Lake. Recently moved from a big house to a small townhome - really loving the freedom that brings!

I live with Alan, my DH of nearly 31 years. I'm 57. Son #1 is serving in the US Navy, currently on shore duty in Virginia. Son # 2 is studying for his Ph.D. in Archaeology at Boston University - digging this summer in Belize and Quintana Roo. Daughter is finishing up a degree in Biology in Pensacola FL - hoping for Veterinary school next year. I work in professional services billing for a specialty children's hospital.

Re-activated my cross stitch habit with a vengance when my nest went empty - now I stitch on finer fabric, more intricate designs, I discovered all those specialty fibers and stitches - having loads of fun!

Hoping to retire some day - to the Gulf coast - stitch and listen to surf - heaven!

Liz, 49, Applegate, Oregon, USA. Discovered RCTN in 1997 & through that, discovered the local EGA group. I used to do mainly XS and NP. Since joining our great EGA group & reading rctn, I have at least tried a little bit of almosts everything. :-) No kids, but a wonderful DH, three great sisters, three nieces (14, 16 & 16) and two nephews (14 & 17), a dog (reminds me of Hank the Cowdog, but female), lots of homing pigeons (not racing right now), 15 asorted chickens, 23 langshan chicks and assorted turkeys, deer & miscellaneous animals that live on & around the property. Also work at a small rural branch of a larger system 20 hours a week. Liz from Humbug

What a beautiful place to live. I have been in that part of the woods before and I love it there. Judy from near Portland.

Hello - Melissa here - I live in a semi-rural area south of Sacramento in the Central Valley of California. Best farm country in the world but quickly being covered by concrete. Live with my husband Mike (going on 19 years together), DD who is 14, DS who is 12 and various critters - 2 cats, 3 labradors, 2 horses and a bunny. Not counting all the critters in the pond and garden :) Love to vegetable garden and I can and pickle a lot of what I grow plus make jams - there are several truly delicious strawberry farms down the road from us. I really enjoy cooking and baking and seem to have a few side jobs lately of special occasion cakes !

I work fulltime as a computer tech but stitch and sew and read as often as I can. I cannot remember a time when I didn't embroider - my mom liked crewel work and I used to just doodle on my blue jeans as a kid! Have found that I really like intricate detailed work, working on high fabric counts, stumpwork and working on my own designs (have even taught a few classes to my local EGA chapter). I'm also known as the Mom with the creative Halloween costumes!

I also love to read but don't often have enough time in between work and chores - when I do it's often cookbooks, history, archaeology and mysteries - currently reading "Lake of Sorrows" by Erin Hart and it's eerie and beautiful ... combines Irish history with archaeology and mystery (preserved bodies found in the bogs!).

Melissa You can see photos of some of my needlework here -

I sort of did Pat. I said I thought it was time to start another round of who we are and what we do, and it just sort of took off from there! lol

Maureen In Vancouver, B.C.

Helen, currently living in suburb of Seattle; soon to be relocating to Kodiak, Alaska.

I have a nearly 22yo husband, a nearly 18yo daughter (she graduates from Conservatory on Friday), and two cats. In our 22 years together we've lived in Washington twice, Oregon, Alaska (soon to be twice), New York City, and Virginia.

I'm currently working part-time for the City of Seattle; don't know what kind of opportunities will present themselves in Kodiak. I'll be leaving my job in two weeks in order to prepare for our move. We'll be leaving on August 1st for a protracted trip to Philadelphia, where we'll settle our daughter at school (University of the Arts) before transferring ourselves to Kodiak courtesy of the Coast Guard.

I have been seriously cross stitching for the past ... 15 years; have modelstitched for a number of years, too. Enjoy samplers, drawn and pulled thread, as well as traditional xs. Just recently picked up knitting again. I'm in the process of creating, free-hand, an afghan for daughter to take to school.

Helen

Grea age 48, living in the Netherlands with husband and 6 year old son. Needlework designer, most counted charts but tried 'everything else'. At this moment tapestry, samplers and embroidery on application are my favorites. I don't post a lot because of language but I enjoy reading about all this needlework experience here.

Cheryl Isaak, age 46 in southern New Hampshire. Married to DH for 17 years. Two hockey players, DS, nearly 13, DD 6 years old. Now a substitute for my school district after 6 years of SAHM and a 18 year engineering career. And I shouldn't forget, Brownie leader and PTA volunteer.

I stitch, mostly cross these days, did lots of crewel and free hand stuff in my younger days. Also a reader and gardener.

Cheryl

At least twice in the past, I have kept statistics from this sort of thread. For many reasons, I am not going to do so this time. Maybe someone else who loves numbers might be willing to take on the job.

-- Jim Cripwell. From Canada. Land of the Key Bird. This creature of doom flies over the frozen tundra in winter, shrieking its dreaded call; "Key, Key, Key, Key rist but it's cold!!"