1. Please introduce
yourself.
I'm Clare, known online as Aimetu which is a made
up name from the French words for 'friend/like' and 'you/your'. I
live in the Midlands with my Hubby and grown up son, we've lived here
over 30 years. Our grown up daughter lives in Wales which is
beginning to feel like a second home. Life was quite difficult in
2017 as I had an accident and broke my left ankle in three places and
my right foot. I am still not 100% mobile but everything is
improving. Life for us in 2018 will be changing as at the end of
January as Hubby is retiring, we are looking forward to days out,
holidays and just being able to chill a little.
Wedding gift for Niece and Husband
2. How long have you been
stitching and how did you start?
I have been stitching since I was
in my late teens; I'm not sure how or why I started. My Grandmother
was very crafty, her main hobby was flower arranging. My Mum loves
crafts too, her main hobby is quilting but she has made lace,
tatting, knits, does machine embroidery and card making. Her quilts
have been shown in international exhibitions.
Mum's Birthday
3. How long have you been
blogging and what inspired you to start? Is there a story
behind your blog title?
I have two blogs; Aimetu's (about my
travels and our wine tasting hobby) and Aimetu's Stitching (about my
crafts). I started my crafting blog on 30th March 2008 so this year
is my 10th birthday. Why did I start blogging? I have been involved
with online forums for a while and for the last 7 years have hosted
Needlecaft Haven - blogging seemed a great way of keeping an online
diary in one place about my main crafts whilst the forums have many
sections.
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
stitch for purpose, usually gifts. It is rare for me to stitch for
myself. I love exchanges and in the past have enjoyed Round Robins. I
stitch in the Four Seasons SAL on Needlecraft Haven and try to
complete the Monthly Challenge. I do enjoy gift stitching, it's fun
to source a chart for a particular person and occasion, always
enjoyable to stitch any piece and then there is the added pleasure of
seeing the gift received.
Four Seasons SAL
5. Do you have a favourite
designer or style of design you are drawn to?
I don't have a
particular designer; Lizzie Kate, Jardin Prive and Sue Hillis are
designers I go to first and I do enjoy stitching Mable Figworthy
hardanger designs.
Lizzie*Kate - Promise Me
6. Which piece are you
most proud of in your collection?
That's a tricky one, the biggest
piece I stitched was the Millennium Sampler, it took me 18 months and
came on many holidays so I have memories of where each square was
stitched. I stitched The Quiltmaker for my Mum's 65th birthday which
was a challenge as there is so much blue in the skirt. It was pure
pleasure to stitch a sampler for my daughter's graduation and tricky
work keeping my Hubby's family tree secret.
Lavender & Lace - The Quiltmaker
7. What has been your
worst stitching disaster?
I remember once stitching on a piece of
hardanger in the garden and paused to enjoy a cup of coffee ... and
spilt it on my work. I wouldn't wash out so after the piece was
finished I dyed it in coffee - not quite the finish I wanted but it
looked ok.
8. Which new technique
would you like to try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?
I am always trying to think of new things to use my stitching so
finishing ideas are always good. The use of my hands is limited as I
have Multiple Sclerosis so really stitching, card making, baking and
sewing is enough for me, I can manage a little beading but knitting
or crochet are impossible as I do not have the dexterity in my
fingers.
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 do have a few pieces unfinished, I'm not sure if
they will ever get done. I also have quite a few stitched pieces that
have not been made into anything. I have recently finally framed a
Round Robin piece from 2012 and a year sampler I stitched over 10
years ago. I should finally finish the others too.
10. Which of your projects
most represents "you"?
I guess the table cloth in my very
first blog as it is a mix of stitching and hardanger. I took time to
plot this so the sayings faced everyone around the table. All the
sayings mean something to me; I love to see it on the table.
11. Tell us a secret about
yourself. Or a joke. About anything!
No secrets, no jokes, I'm
just me and some would say that is more than enough !!
