1. Please introduce yourself – name,
where you are from, family, pets etc.
Hello, I am Sandy Palmer from the Gulf
Coast of Florida. I feel very lucky to live in such a wonderful
place. It is truly a beautiful place and I love waking up on the
bayou off of Choctawhatchee Bay.
I am a retired school teacher having
spent 31 years in the classroom teaching a little of everything. I
majored in home economics, but that subject had taken a major
downturn in the place I chose to call home upon marrying, so I taught
mostly 4th grade. I am married to the most wonderful husband who is
a great gift giver (more about that in a bit). I have two wonderful
grown children, a daughter and son. My daughter is married and
expecting our first grandchild in October. My son has a lovely
girlfriend who I would be happy if she is the one. My mother now
lives very near me too. I plan all my days around my family.
2. How long have you been stitching and
how did you start?
I started stitching in college in 1980. I saw it in a store, picked up a pattern and supplies and found a
life long hobby. I stitched the love chapter from the Book of
Corinthians as my first stitch. I was completely hooked. I stitched
all the time until my kids reached the age where ball seasons and
school just took up too much of my time. I picked it up again about 4
years ago when I retired from teaching. I try to stitch everyday. It
is my relaxation.
Love is Patient
3. How long have you been blogging and
what inspired you to start? Is there a story behind your blog
title?
I started my blog in the spring before
I retired in June of 2014. The name of course was my college major. Naming a blog is hard folks. I could not think of anything. I knew
that I was looking forward to all the things that my major offered
but that I had missed while working outside the home for so many
years. My blog is a hobby and just a way to share the highlight reels
of life. I have loved the community and sharing.
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.?
When I got back into stitching after
such a long break I felt I had some catching up to do. There are so
many new products out there and then the overload of pictures on
Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I love it, but I could never keep up
with the prolific stitchers out there. I tried the rotation and even
made a plan as late as this January to try it. I am not doing so well
with rotation. I am finding I am a bit more of a OAAT girl. I get
started and one just calls my name and I feel productive. When I skip
around I feel a little out of sorts. I do like to have a small
project going if I am doing something large so that when you get off
count and need a break, you have something to work on still. Surely,
I am not the only one who gets off count. Gee Whiz, my eyes are
getting older.
The one good thing is that I love all
the stitchers out there. I think there is no one right way!!! I love
the many things out there, but I try to stay calm and just enjoy it.
5. Do you have a favourite designer or
style of design you are drawn to?
I find that there are so many new
designers out there that I want to do so many in fact that I will
never have enough time. A few favorites that really draw me in are
With Thy Needle and Thread, Plum Street Samplers, and Blackbird
Designs, and what’s not to love about eBay and the oldies from the
magazines?!
I have started writing down the names
of patterns I want and making a wish list because I can’t keep
ordering and not having time to get to them:)
Blackbird Designs Bluebird of Happiness
6. Which piece are you most proud of in
your collection?
For my most proud of piece, I am going
to have to pick a tie between two of my more recent finishes. One is
the Books of the Bible that my husband picked out for me to do and
the other is a pair of cardinals that I did for Christmas by Stoney
Creek Collection.
Books of the Bible
Stoney Creek Cardinals
7. What has been your worst stitching
disaster?
I got so off count on a Blackbird
Designs piece about a year ago that I just didn’t want to rip it
out or try and make it work. I just simply got so frustrated and so
out of sorts with it that I lost interest and tossed it. IT was
bringing me stress, so I threw it out. Stitching should be fun. I
have to say that is the only time I have ever done that.
8. Which new technique would you like to
try, either stitching, finishing or another craft?
I plan to try my hand at smocking since
I have a grandchild on the way. If I enjoy it I will do it, if not, I
will just cross stitch the inserts or buy him some smocked pieces. My
motto is life is too short and too busy not to enjoy our hobbies.
I also am so inspired by the stitchers
using 40 count that I simply must try it. I have a light and
magnifiers and I am going to give it a whirl. My eyes will let me
know if I can continue with it or not.
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 don’t really have a box of stuff
unfinished. I try to keep them out until I finish them so that
doesn’t happen. I love all the ways you can finish them out there
these days. I am getting better and I love making little pillows. I
hope to do some Christmas ornaments in the coming months.
10. Which of your projects most represents
"you"?
I had to think about this one. I think
it might be one I had hanging in my classroom for years. It has an
early American feel and of course teaching as the theme.
11. Tell us a secret about yourself. Or a
joke. About anything!
I love history and especially space
history. I have a eclectic collection of space memorabilia and books
about the topic. I was known in the schools where I taught as the
“space lady.” We learned a lot about the subject in my class and
performed a play for our parents each spring. We did a mock launch
and turned the classroom into the shuttle, mission control, and
sometimes even Mars. My husband is a great gift giver, so on our 25th
anniversary he planned a secret trip to Houston which was one of the
few NASA installations I hadn’t toured. He got a top level tour for
me and surprised me with the trip. I didn’t know where we were
going until I was on the plane. I actually have a few space patterns
I want to cross stitch in the future.
12. Anything you would like to add?
Thanks to Joanne for inviting me to
play along. I absolutely love the stitching community. It is the best
hobby in the world.
