My Fleur Etui

My Fleur Etui

This is the decorated box I have been talking about  – I have been working on this in fits and starts for over a year and ,at last, it is completed.

I have to mention Brenda Midgley. a stalwart CSG Member and chum, who showed me her box making secrets….. Below there is  another view from the top  and one of the box opened out

The top view showing the decorated lid

Now you can see what happens when you take off the lid ………Da dar!

All this and more will be in Itch to Stitch Issue 90 which will be at the printers this week - I do hope you like it. I will have my Fleur Etui on show at the Festival of Quilts and at the Knitting and Stitching Shows (tied down, of course) .Will let you know when your Itch to Stitch is in the post – talk again soon……

Back from Norway and Subs News!

I know I have no excuse really, but after such a good trip, coming back to some terrible weather and too much paperwork has made me very grumpy indeed! Today, I have to do things like weigh packaging to complete Government waste forms and talk to card companies about Compliance when I just want to design and stitch. Sometimes running a business is not what it is cracked up to be!

As from May 1st (ie Next week) there is good news and bad news! I have to tell you is that we have had to make changes to our Subscriptions as a direct result of the Royal Mail putting up their prices by 60% ! I just cannot believe that they are getting away with these increases at a time when all business are struggling out there.

Subscriptions will be changed as follows: UK Full membership £35.00, UK Taster £12.00, UK Conversion £24.00

Non-UK Full Membership £40.00, Non UK Taster £14.00, Non UK Conversion 30.00

The good news is that we are making exciting changes to our postage rules. From 1st May, UK members will receive any shopping post free! We will also discount all members postage when going overseas – You will see more about this on the relevant pages on and after May 1st. Remember you will still have your Voucher for £7.50 when you join or resubscribe and 10% discount on your shopping…. Knowing many of you as I do, you will soon recoup the difference!

On a brighter note, Itch to Stitch will be off to the printers next week and I hope you like the special surprise in this issue. It is called the Fleur Etui and I am going to post pictures over the weekend.  I have included all the instructions, a large pull out chart and numerous pictures in Issue 90 and will offer full materials or embellishment packs to members only. And they will, of course be post free!

The spring shows still come as a surprise!

Hi Everyone,

This is a difficult month to keep in touch but, touch wood, all going well. Very busy show at Olympia – a record one for us which considering the climate generally, I am both pleased and grateful. Tomorrow, I am off to the NEC in Birmingham for Sewing for Pleasure &  Fashion & Embroidery so we are frantically packing it all up again.

I thought you would like to see the latest creation the Sampler Pochette. I am afraid it is my own photograph for the moment photography is next month and I could not wait to show you! Sometimes things just come together and work first time and this was one of those things!  I am so pleased with the end result and I hope you like it.

The Sampler Pochette

This was  inspired by a very pretty and very expensive antique reticule I spotted in a market in France when Bill and I were last in Paris ( my favourite city) It is made in four pieces with a square bottom and is linen in hand dyed wool felt. The pack includes all the linen, felt tapes and the button.

The back view showing the faux ivory button

Shows the felt and buttonholed rings

The App is out there!

I cannot tell you how exciting it is this end when I check out who is downloading the CSG Phone App. We have people all over the world using this amazing resource. Sometimes I have to pinch myself. When I think back to my school days – and just what the teachers said about me (Walmer Secondary Modern) I do have to chuckle to myself, not that I can claim much or any credit for this superb thingy! Ian Lawson Smith of IlSoft designed it with help from my marvellous team at Iconnet.

If you have not had a go at it yet – now is the time. I have it on my ipad with my palette of Madeira colours loaded so that I work from that instead of the main shade card. Why cannot I just have more time – my poor head is just full of ideas and there just are not enough hours.

Today is one of those marvellous days when I hope that I can keep doing this for ever! We are off to our Together We Stitch Weekend at the Hilton Hotel Swindon on Friday so I will at least be doing one thing at a time. Then I have my car booked for the MOT on Monday morning and I am going to sit at the garage for a hour and a half with some stitching and no phone! Heaven!

Back from Vietnam, Cambodia & Laos

Read the rest of this entry »