Cross Stitch Cafe 2011

shelly

Chicky, what a fantastic letter for the mag. Thanks for taking the time to make it so full of detail

chickywiggle wrote: »

ohh and I don't think we ever agreed on a charity for the quilt so (assuming the magazine send me the kits they had advertised as the prize for appearing) is everyone happy for us to go with 'bridge' as per bubbles suggestion for the 'prize' to be auctioned for??

What would people prefer.....do you want me to:
a) send them the kits and tell them to 'do what they wish'
b) ebay em and see what they make
c) compose a list of what we get, scour the internet for the best current selling price, then post a list here of what there is with a reduced price (say 20%-25% cheaper then best online and sell them on a first come first saved basis then do (b) or (a) with any leftovers.
d) something else...........what??



personally I like (c).......but only incase I see something i like in there

I too personally like C incase there is something I like in there but I also like what ellie said about giving Bridge the whole kits. I believe Bubbles said Bridge do taster courses so maybe the whole kits would be nice for them to give to the ladies who do the courses.
Or do C then A or B with what's left?

23rdspiral

morning everyone. i've only read to number 7 in Chickys amagamated answer... i'm going to have to stop for a bit as my eyes are all teary.

shelly

Welcome to the cafe TryingToBeOldStyle and trying hard. :j

23rdspiral. Love the tattoo! Thanks for the pic.

elliep. Welcome back Love the giraffe kit you are doing!

sophieandemily wrote: »

On that note does anyone have any suggestions for a wedding sampler thats fairly modern looking my brother has been abroad and got married in secret last week so I would like to stitch something for him but everything I am coming up with is a bit too flowery, fancy for his and his new wifes tastes

How about the Rennie Mack sampler that both Louise and I have stitched? Too plain?
Here if you want to see (scroll down a little) http://www.countrycrossstitchkits.co.uk/
I loved stitching it and of course colours can be changed.
If you like it you know what to do

Keiss_21

Thanks so much chicky for compiling the reply...really lovely.

I agree with everyone about option c, not sure how the payments would work though.

Started a Fathers Day card for Dad last night...also have my 18 year-old DS2 stitching a card for DH (both from last month's X-stitch Collection). He actually asked to do it...his first cross-stitch ever! I am really proud of him...he is even doing the half stitches now (or funky do-das as he calls them! :rotfl:) - hard on Aida...probably should have used evenweave, but though Aida would be easier to "spot the holes". Unfortunately DH has been ill the past week and has been home, so DS hasn't managed to get much done so far...but he should get it finished the next week as DH has gone back to work! :T

Last night the two of us were stitching away while DH was out at a meeting...something I never thought I'd see, really loved it! I hardly had to help him last night at all..he has really taken to it like a fish to water. It was funny to see him get frustrated when his thread was getting short and him wanting to do "one last stitch" before starting a new thread. He's good at threading the needle...better than me!

I will get him to look through all my books and charts to see if he wants to do something for himself after this card...or perhaps start making Xmas presents. Not sure if he wants the wider world to know he does this yet (this is the rugby player speaking)...so keep it under your hats!!

Very soggy today, so think I will get some stitching done later :j

Have a good day everyone.

Keiss_21

shelly wrote: »

How about the Rennie Mack sampler that both Louise and I have stitched? Too plain?
Here if you want to see (scroll down a little) http://www.countrycrossstitchkits.co.uk/
I loved stitching it and of course colours can be changed.
If you like it you know what to do

sophieandemily - I agree with shelly...I plan on doing this for my 30th anniversary (have 2 years to get my but in gear! ), and might do it for a couple of friends. Mind you, I love Charle Rennie Mackintosh!!

Flat_Eric

chickywiggle wrote: »

ohh and I don't think we ever agreed on a charity for the quilt so (assuming the magazine send me the kits they had advertised as the prize for appearing) is everyone happy for us to go with 'bridge' as per bubbles suggestion for the 'prize' to be auctioned for??

What would people prefer.....do you want me to:
a) send them the kits and tell them to 'do what they wish'
b) ebay em and see what they make
c) compose a list of what we get, scour the internet for the best current selling price, then post a list here of what there is with a reduced price (say 20%-25% cheaper then best online and sell them on a first come first saved basis then do (b) or (a) with any leftovers.
d) something else...........what??


personally I like (c).......but only incase I see something i like in there


ohhh and have updated the member numbers.....haven't I been a busy bee.....but on that note hubby has switched the PS3 on so i think i will abandon him with tinywiggle and go to bed.

I think what you have written chickywiggle is really good. :j:D:j you have obviously spent a lot of time and effort on it and big :j:D :T:T:T:D:T:T:T :jfor you.

Yes I am happy with the Bridge charity (or indeed another charity that involves mental health). I have had a look at the Bridge website from the link Bubbles posted (repeated here http://bridgeproject.org/main.html) but when you click on the raising funds tab - what comes up doesn't seem to relate to the Bridge website ? :doh: so its not clear from their website how they raise funds etc or how to make a donation

I think Option A is attractive (giving the whole kits to the Charity) because if you do Option B, someone has to list the kits (and pay the associated costs) then if the payment is received by paypal, there is the commission to paypal too and I can't remember if ebay take a percentage of the final selling price as well ??? plus there is packaging costs and postage and whilst ebay can be profitable if you are selling the right item, I don't know if the kits would attract a good enough price to make it worth it or to raise a good enough sum for the charity. I know every penny helps but I think we would all want the best we can.

I like option c although I will say I think chickywiggle you should be able to pick one of the kits for yourself for all your hard work and effort :j

Another option (d) that I would suggest is that when all these lovely kits are received, chickywiggle posts details and if there is a particular kit we like, we accordingly note our interest and then the kits are shared out amongst us for us to stitch for charity? Just an idea...


I think on balance though, option a is the best with a kit to chickywiggle too

blue_eyed_girl wrote: »

Looks quite nice out this morning. Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone whatever you are up to.

Happy Stitching

Can you send your nice weather down my way - its not stopped raining since the early hours ....

PS help yourselves

Help yourself! by Flat Eric on Flickr, on Flickr

My OH has gone to see Senna at the cinema and as this isn't my cup of tea, I am going to settle in front of the tv with my cross stitch, my hot water bottle!! and the cat if I can entice him down from the bed. He certainly has the right idea.

23rdspiral

wow! thank you so much Chicky. you had me properly welling up both times i tried to read your compiled reply. i guess because it does genuinely read as all of us it hit home how much this place and all of the people here mean to me. oh dear, there i go again...

~~~~~

nmm wrote: »

23rdspiral, completely off topic noticed your sig about broken £ sign, as an alternative you can press Alt and 0163 (on the numpad)

?? £ wow!!!! really £ £ £ that's totally amazing!!! :j THANK YOU nmm!!! :T

chickywiggle wrote: »

ohh 23rdspiral i LOVEEEE that tatoo - wish i had the guts ti get one - i've always wanted a butterfly in that 'hole' at the bottom of your spine above your bum (if you know where i mean).... but despite having been stabbed with needles twice a week for months with tinywiggle i can't stand the thought of them doing that to me.

awe, thanks. i'm really quite shy about it as you never know how people will react. mum hates it, fiance is indifferent in a nice way... oh and it really didnt hurt more than a cat scratch, nothing like an injection as the needle doesnt go deep just quickly repetative. if you want it, do it!

(btw, i'm very flattered and very surprised that you want to send a pic of my tattoo in with the article, not that i mind at all of course! it's just the timing of me being able to post pictures again and all our talk of stitching being supportive that brought it to mind for me. i promise i wasnt showing off:o)

thanks Observer and Shelly!:o:)

hello again SophieandEmily, i'd wondered how you were getting on.

Hi Ellip, well done on getting lodgers in if that's whats needed. that's very brave and pro-active. I think your Santa story should also be sumbitted too!

Keiss - so nice to hear about your son! (oddly enough i met a young man yesterday working in a charity shop who has started Xstitch... he admitted it to me whilst i was buying some old Xstitcher mags by saying he'd had all the newer ones!:rotfl:

chickywiggle wrote: »

What would people prefer.....do you want me to:

personally I like (c).......but only incase I see something i like in there .

i agree with Louise and Aislb, and i have to say i strongly think C... there might be a kit there someone is dreaming of and wouldnt that be a wonderful reminder of the cafe and this event? and then we could all cheer each other on with sitching them. and the proceeds could still go to the charity. so we'd all be gaining and the charity would gain too. i think that's a wonderful idea chicky.

Flat Eric, i like your idea D too. but dont think it needs to get that complicated... i'll get back to you...


for what its worth i think a charity like Mind should benefit as they take care of people all over the country with mental distress, something which a lot of us can relate to. (there are charitys that do this too of course, and i've never had help from any so am impartial as i can be.)

23rdspiral

Re auction costs... i dont think we need to involve fleabay or such and pay fees and paypall costs... either sell them just as chicky suggested in C

or if there are more than one of us wanting the same kit then why not a DUTCH AUCTION?

We all trust Chicky... she'll get the kits from the mag and list them with the average selling price as she suggested (maybe by email not on here?) ... then we could email / pm with our 'silent bid'... as much or as little as we could afford / want to give... and see who wins... as long as we agree that no one bids less than 20% lower than selling price as she suggested too.

23rdspiral

doh! i've posted so much but totally forgot to post the wedding sampler picture... here's the link to other sizes if that helps chicky...http://www.flickr.com/photos/23rdspiral/5821968556/sizes/z/in/photostream/ i'm going to step away from the computer now. its rainy here, so guess what i'll be doing!



i copied the heart, side twiddly bits and the 'e' 'i' and 'a'.. the rest i had to make up, including altering the top twiddly bit and creating the bottom twiddly bit.

Edit: doh! i've just noticed i forgot a second upward sprial on the right hand side bottom flourish on the top of hte 'branch'. oopsie.:o

smileyt_2

Chickywiggle I don't post often here (I'm more often on the workhouse thread) but I have to say your letter has made me cry, just to see what so many members have gained from being here! Sometimes life is so hard and this cafe seems to be a sanctuary for so many members, and I haven't read one instance of b*tchiness since I've been lurking/occasionally posting, so many thanks ladies!

Chicky you'd better gird your loins come September, because once that letter is published I expect the cafe will be inundated with new members all wanting you to give them a number :eek::T

I think (for what it's worth) that you should be able to pick a kit and the rest should be given to the Bridge for their members to stitch their way back to good mental health, unless one member on here particularly wants a kit and then maybe they can make a small donation directly to the Bridge.

The mundanities of cleaning my kitchen now call so I'd better get off the computer and go and do something in the real world!