Progress Report on Seaton Delaval Hall design

Those of you who are patiently waiting in the wings will be pleased to hear that I am making progress with the Seaton Delaval Hall design. I have stitched all the major features now, and am starting on the fill for the remaining stone work areas. My first attempt, on a small area, did not create the effect that I wanted so I'm taking another tack. However, there is a light at the end of the tunnel now. All I can say now is "Watch this space..."

Home instead of Away

My homestead has been sadly neglected over the last few weeks while I've been concentrating on my Seaton Delaval Hall design. Although it isn't quite complete yet, I'm taking a couple of days off in order to catch up with some of the chores. I will get back to it shortly so those of you who are patiently watching for the chart to become available needn't be faced with a long wait. The grass is long enough to make hay now, so, while the sun shines...

Back to Seaton Delaval Hall I go...

I'm going to be back at Seaton Delaval Hall this coming Sunday, the 8th of Aug., 2010, and again on both the 13th and 20th of Aug. I am making steady progress on my blackwork design of Seaton Delaval Hall so these dates should hopefully push me into finishing it by the end of August. Famous last words!! At least that is my aim. With any luck, I'll not be too long after that producing the charts for sale although I'm not actually able to sell them from my table at the hall.

The support and interest in my work has been fantastic - thank you one and all for that. And I am really enjoying chatting with everyone so please continue to stop by for a 'hello' at the very least. Hope to see you there on Sunday!

Seaton Delaval Hall centrestage experience

All I can really say about yesterday at Seaton Delaval Hall is "Wow"! I haven't talked to so many people for a very long time. Far more of you stopped to have a chat than the week before - many thanks for that. I honestly don't know where the time went.

Needless to say, not a lot of stitching was accomplished, but at least I did have enough in place before I arrived so you could get some idea of what I was doing. Working for oneself can sometimes be quite isolating so it is really useful to be out in the public eye from time to time. You are proving to be quite a motivator for me so I sure hope I will be granted a few more spots there.

And, I must also give a big "thank you" to the National Trust for granting me these centrestage spots. It allows my business to stand out from the crowd. It's a bit different to the usual sort of publicity such as flyers and adverts. I appreciate the opportunity to 'put a face on my business'.

So, what's next? Well, I shall keep working on my Seaton Delaval Hall design so there is even more progress to show the next time I'm there. And I would like to finish the hoopoe design so that chart can go on sale. So it's onwards and upwards with drawing pictures on fabric using needle and thread!

Centre Stage at Seaton Delaval Hall

I am about to go centre stage at Seaton Delaval Hall on July 25th. There is a charge to visit the property. You are most welcome to stop by for a chat, or for help with a cross stitch or blackwork problem, while I stitch my latest design. Finished and nearly finished designs will be on display. Samples of printed charts will also be available for viewing but sales are not possible on the day. Hope to see you there!

Ryton Summer Festival

Yet another craft fair is upon me. I have a table in the craft tent at the Ryton Summer Festival so please do drop by to say hello if you are coming along. There is an entrance fee to this event so please check their website for the prices and times. Speaking of times, I will be there until 4:30 p.m. only. Somehow, I don't think I'll be able to compete with the music later on so it makes more sense for me to leave when the organisers allow a break in proceedings. Hope to see you there!

Back from market

It was a very busy day at Bede's World yesterday despite the World Cup football match. In fact, they had a very busy weekend. I managed to make a wee bit of progress on my new design but there is still quite a way to go yet. When things calm down a bit, I'll post some progress pictures here. I'm preparing for the Ryton Summer Festival (I'll be in the craft tent) this coming weekend so it's all go, go, go at the moment.

Off to market

It's early o'clock and I've nearly finished packing so I can head off to Bede's World for the day. I'm taking along the new design I'm working on so you can watch it progress throughout the day. With any luck, it won't be too much longer before it becomes available for sale. Bye for now!

Craft Market and Stitch-A-Long

As you have probably noticed, I haven't managed to make any entries since the last stitch-a-long. Researching places where I can sell my charts has taken far more time than I thought. So, I'm starting where I left off with the last stitch-a-long as I head into the one this weekend.

The difference this weekend is that I'll also be attending a craft market at Bede's World on Sunday June 27th. I'll be stitching my latest design while selling my charts. More craft market and exhibition information is to follow soon.

Morpeth Gathering Weekend

What an enjoyable weekend I have had at the Morpeth Gathering! I have chatted with so many lovely people that I can't begin to count. The organisers also treated me very well, and made me feel most welcome. Although I am no stranger to the Gathering, it was my first time selling my charts and demonstrating cross stitch there. Needless to say, I am keen to return next year.

I have also taken advantage of the weekend to network with like-minded crafts people. I am sure we will be keeping in touch as time marches on, and some will probably even become good friends. I feel as though my enthusiasm has been thoroughly recharged now.

I have also taken some photos to develop into potential designs. They will be a little while coming but I am definitely getting plenty of ideas for the future. Hopefully I'll have 3 or 4 ready in time for next year's Gathering.

Meanwhile, I have loads of work to do now. Many thanks to both those of you who purchased charts, and  who helped make the time fly by stopping for a chat. Hope to see you in the future!

Jobs on the go

Well, I made the mistake of fiddling with my page tabs at the top just one more time. I encountered a lot of problems with the HTML formatting so I'm going to leave well enough alone for the moment even though the formatting is not consistent across the board. I may experiment with the new Blogger Template Designer in future to see if I can find an easier way of posting. However, that is going to have to wait until I do a couple of other jobs first.

One of these jobs is to link into social networking sites in some way. I have noticed some other cross stitch companies doing this so I thought I'd experiment with that as well. I would rather not blatantly advertise my business on relevant group pages though. Yes, I might pick up a few sales that way, but the group pages really have a different purpose. I suspect I would stand a better chance of just annoying people. It doesn't feel quite right to me to blatantly advertise there despite the fact that others do so. I'll add my blog address in any special areas specifically set up by the groups for that purpose, but I won't take it any further than that unless I have received permission to do so.

The other thing I really must do this week is to get organised for the Morpeth Gathering. Posting here may therefore become a bit scarce until after the 11th of April. I'm getting quite excited about it. I've been attending the Gathering for several years now, usually as a competitor in a couple of different events that interest me. This time will see me selling my charts instead, as well as demonstrating my craft. I will miss the events in which I have participated but the time has come to move on. I'm sure this new move will prove equally exciting and interesting for me. Hope to see you there!

Stall at Morpeth Gathering

Well, I've pretty much sorted out the page tabs at the top now. There will be the odd bit of information and a photo or two added here and there, but they are basically complete. These page tabs contain the information that is most likely to be revisited over time. It saves you scrolling through all the posts trying to gather the information each time.

Now... if I could just figure out what goes wrong with the formatting each time, I'll have it made! I find I have to keep dumping information into a text editor before transferring it into these posts and the pages. Otherwise, I end up with huge gaps between paragraphs and a different size font with each post. It's maddening!

But enough of the trials set to try me. I will be attending the Morpeth Gathering from 9-11 April, 2010 inclusive. I'll have a table set up inside the room housing the craft exhibition at the Morpeth Town Hall. The organisers charge a small fee to enter the exhibition area and you can find this information in the program section of their site.

My Spring at Cragside and Saltwell Park charts will be on sale there. I will also be demonstrating cross stitch and possibly even some blackwork so feel free to stop by and have a chat with me. Maybe you are struggling with a particular stitch that you are using in one of your cross stitch or blackwork projects? I bet French knots will feature heavily... (smile). I am happy to help guide you, and will also bring along some of my favourite reference books for browsing purposes.

Hope to see you there!

General Stitching Notes... or How to...

I have just added a How to tab at the top of this page. This gives general information  about the stitching that goes into each of my designs. More tabs will follow, including one that gives more details about what is included in each of my cross stitch charts. Watch this space!

New Year Inspiration

Happy New Year everyone!


I am off to a good start for the New Year so I am hoping that the momentum will continue. My Spring at Cragside and Saltwell Park designs are now on display in the cafe at Saltwell Towers. They will stay there until January 29th. Saltwell Park looks gorgeous under its blanket of snow so I can highly recommend a visit even at this time of year. By the way, I've had some inspiration for two more designs featuring Saltwell Park thanks to the weather and the Enchanted Parks event that was held there in December. Those will become available later in the year when I display more of my work at Saltwell Towers in December of 2010.


I have also spent some time at Gibside National Trust in order to capture the atmosphere created by the recent snowfall. A new design featuring the Chapel is definitely on the horizon, and there may even be a second of the Banqueting Hall to follow hot on its heels. I have been talking with Lynn Huggins-Cooper who runs the Gibside Arts Organisation in the Stables at Gibside. Before too much longer, I hope to have my charts on sale there and will probably be demonstrating some cross stitch and blackwork techniques from time to time. I will list the dates as I firm them up.


So, it is all go at the moment. I hope that the New Year is bringing you as much excitement as it is me, and that I'll see some of you at Gibside during the year.

Jumping into the deep end...

After many months of debating the best way to start up as a counted stitch designer, I've finally decided just to jump into the deep end and see where it leads me. This is a dream that I've had for several years now, and I don't intend to let it pass me by. And, I have to admit, it's all rather exciting! A little scary too, but definitely exciting.


Going into business for yourself isn't everyone's cup of tea. However, I particularly appreciate the freedom and flexibility that it gives me. I think the internet will enhance that even further thanks to all the technological developments of recent times. But most of all, I am really enjoying the opportunity it is giving me to explore my creative side.


Although it does feel as though I'm leaping off a diving board, in actual fact, I haven't left it all to chance. I've spent a great deal of time consulting with Business Link advisors and attending numerous workshops that are available to people like myself who are starting up in business. (They were all free of charge too.) So, there are plenty of people around me to keep my feet on the ground.


I've also spent some time testing my ability to design cross stitch scenes in an amateur capacity. You may have seen my Spring at Cragside and Saltwell Park designs at the Gateshead Summer Flower Show in 2007 and 2009 respectively. They both managed to win first prize, and the former also took a first in the 'Own Design Needlework' class at the Morpeth Gathering in 2008. This, coupled with lots of encouragement from friends and family, has finally pushed me into making the leap.

Decision made, the next step was to figure out what form my charted designs should take. Should I have them printed on paper? What kind of packaging should I use? Should I sell them solely on the internet? Should I skip direct sales and go through a wholesale distributor? Should I combine them all? And so I wrestled with myself for a very long time. I have to admit, that decision has been quite a challenge because there are pros and cons associated with each.

To cut a long story short, I've decided to start with printed charts, in the form of booklets, instead of launching onto the internet. Those of you who know how 'techie' I am are probably surprised by this. No fear though. This doesn't necessarily mean that I'll never try the latter. I just thought it best to start on a smaller scale and expand into the wider opportunities once I have my feet under me.


The last few months have kept me busy beyond belief, getting my first two designs ready for the Christmas rush. I'm therefore only just getting around to setting up my blog. And it has to go live now because the charts are appearing at the Christmas Craft Market at Gibside National Trust property on Saturday (5 Dec., 2009).


I had the Spring at Cragside booklet printed first. When it came back, I noticed that I'd missed a few minor, purely cosmetic details in the booklet layout, despite rigorous editing. And I was so hoping that I'd be immune from human error! However, I hasten to add that none of them affect the chart that you follow while stitching. I corrected them in my template, and the Saltwell Park design came out as I had intended. Hopefully I won't introduce others as I produce new designs... At any rate, should human error strive to humble me again, please contact me so I can immediately fix the mistake(s) and resolve any problems that may result.


I'm also interested in finding out where people in the North East of England prefer to shop for their cross stitch and blackwork supplies. This information would help me network much faster. I promise not to keep your e-mail details so you can rest assured that supplying me with such information will not result in any spam.


Over the winter, I intend to work on some blackwork designs so there should be more to come by spring time. I'll use this blog to expand upon the inspiration behind my designs, as well as the process I follow, whenever I take a break from actual designing. And I'll be looking for stockists and more markets to attend which I will list here as the news breaks. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy stitching my designs.