Jo from Serendipitous Stitching

SerendipitousStitching

I hope no-one minds but I'm starting with me!  I'm such a narcissist LOL

1. Please introduce yourself - name, where you are from, family, pets etc.

I'm Jo, a stitcher from the East of England, married with two boys still in school.  I work part-time as a bookseller and also run a Baby & Toddler Group as well as helping out in school when I can.


2.  How long have you been stitching and how did you start?

Like many of us, my first experience of stitching was a Binca mat in Primary School which my Mum kept for many years on top of the TV (when TVs were broad enough to be used as an extra display space, unlike today's flat screens!).   I didn't really think about stitching again until 1993 when I saw a friend making a Country Companions piece for her young son.  The subject matter didn't appeal but the craft did so I went to the local John Lewis department store and bought an Anchor mini sampler kit.  Then another one.  And the rest is history!

3.  How long have you been blogging and what inspired you to start? Is there a story behind your blog title?

My first introduction to stitching on t'internet was through the cross stitch forums on Yuku.  I noticed that many people had links to their blogs in their signature and started to explore the blogosphere from there.  I saw everyone joining in with the TUSAL and wanted to be part of that.  Of course, you need a blog to take part so that was the incentive to start mine!

I thought long and hard over the name.  I wanted something more than "Jo's Stitching Blog" as there are so many people called Jo, I wanted something unique.  I love words and wordplay so wanted to have alliteration in there.  I thought about all the times the perfect design just appeared at the right time for me and Serendipitous Stitching was born.  Yes I do sometimes regret the name when I have to type it in freehand LOL.

4.  How would you describe your stitching style? Are you a serial starter, a rotator, a OAAT (one at a time), highly organised, random and eclectic, etc.?

I used to be a strict OAAT stitcher, until I joined a Mirabilia Mermaid SAL.  Now I would say I am definitely an Organised Rotater!  I have four SALs which start on the 26th of each month with the Now I Know my ABCs, then I stitch the next letter in the Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooke's Books in preparation for The Alphabet Club on the first Saturday of the month.  Next I stitch the piece for the Hallowe'en Ornie SAL followed by the piece for the Christmas Ornie SAL.  After all four of these I turn to my Focus piece for the month.  Oh yes, there is also my evening stitching - currently the border on Joan Elliott's 12 Days of Christmas and my Ten-a-Day piece!  So I stitch a minimum of two pieces a day, usually three.


5. Do you have a favourite designer or style of design you are drawn to?

I always say I have four favourite designers - Nora Corbett, Joan Elliott, Teresa Wentzler and Just Nan.  There is usually at least one piece in my annual list by each of them.  I do love samplers and fantasy, particularly dragons.  I like a design I can really get into, something with speciality stitches or metallics, lots of detail.  Spooky Hallowe'en designs are another firm favourite.


6. Which piece are you most proud of in your collection?

My first large Teresa Wentzler design is a real Rite of Passage for many stitchers - The Castle, you know, the one with the large dragon wrapped around a castle on a rocky outcrop!

7.  What has been your worst stitching disaster?

Let's just say that Jack Daniels and Coke does not mix well with whitework!  Never, ever leave your stitching on a table when your friends are drinking.  It made a nice practise piece instead.


8.  Which new technique would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?

Beading.  As in making things with beads rather than adding beads as an embellishment to stitched pieces.  Here are three blog posts which are making me want to take up this hobby!

D1D2 - De Rose Vetues

Needle, Pen and Sword - Beaded Box

Caring Stitcher - Beaded Apple

9. Do you have a box of finished-but-not-fully-finished pieces? Or is everything FFO'd? What's your favourite way to fully finish a project and what do you do with them?

I have a folder full!  I recently put all my finished smalls into one place and the plan is to FFO at least one each Sunday (if I am not working).  So far, so good!  I scrapbook a lot of my smalls, it's a nice cheap hobby as the 12x12 pages are less than £1, you buy bulk pads from The Works sometimes and I use simple card mounts.

Here's a nice Spring themed page:

I also started finishing projects as low-sew Cubes, completing 18 for the two Primitive Hare series!

10. Which of your projects most represents "you"?

I like to change and adapt designs to suit my space and style.  Joan Elliott's Christmas Angel is a perfect example of a design I loved but didn't have time to stitch it all, or the space for another big design on the walls.  I bought a multi-apeture frame and stitched parts of the design to fit in the spaces.  Cross Stitch Collection featured this in one issue and Joan herself commented on when I posted in the Facebook group.

11. Tell us a secret about yourself. Or a joke. About anything!

A secret?  I'm secretly a narcissist but you already know that!  So here is a pun, as I said in Q3 I love words and word play.  This is my own design I made for a giveaway:

The first (lumpy) ornie I ever made!

Anything you would like to add.

A little Thank You to everyone who joins in with the community activities on my blog, the Blog Hops and the SALs.  They would not happen without the support of my lovely followers.  Not much point of a blog hop with only one participant!

Also a Thank You to everyone who voted for me in the British Craft Awards last December.  I didn't win but I did get Bronze!  I got a lovely email letting me know I came in third place.  The winner is still a mystery to me because no-one has announced it on their blog.  Immediate Media didn't send me a medal but they did send me a badge for my blog!

I hope you all enjoyed this first post on our new blog.  If you would like to be featured, please email me and I will send you the questions.

Happy Stitching

Jo xx