A little about my likes and dislikes

I'm involved in several exchanges, so I thought I'd post a little about my likes and dislikes here.

About Me

I've been stitching since I was a small child, thanks to my crafty mum - so that's more than thirty years, although it's only in the last ten or fifteen that it's become almost obsessive! I live in the middle of England with my Canadian partner (referred to in my blog as The Hermit) and two guinea pigs. I'm studying for a degree in Literature and Creative Media - principally because my other obsession is books! I also work part time for a circus theatre company as a Community Project Manager. My other hobbies include yoga, books, knitting and eating chocolate.

I have Multiple Sclerosis, which does mean I have to pace myself. I'm not very good at doing nothing though, so stitching is a real sanity saver!

I'm pretty easy to please on exchanges - this list below isn't intended to be prescriptive!

Favourites

Favourite designers: Bent Creek, Lizzie*Kate, Prairie Schooler, Shepherd's Bush, Little House Needleworks, Brenda Keyes, Heart in Hand, The Drawn Thread, Brightneedle, Homespun Elegance.

Favourite style: folky, slightly quirky, traditional

Favourite subjects: alphabets, bees, sheep, bunnies, seasons, stitching

Favourite colours: autumnal shades (rusts, golds, oranges), yellow, purple, green, jewel colours (rich rubies and the like)

Favourite threads: DMC, Gentle Arts Sampler Threads, House of Embroidery, most overdyes.

Favourite fabrics: evenweaves and linens in neutral/natural colours, 28 and 32 count.

Favourite finishes: anything - I have several baskets for "smalls".

Favourite techniques: cross stitch, blackwork, hardanger, freehand embroidery. For someone who likes blackwork, I actually try to avoid as much backstitch as I can on cross stitched pieces!

Dislikes:

Designers I'm not keen on: Marilyn Leavitt Imblum, Ellen Maurer Stroh, Vermilion Stitchery, Stoney Creek

Styles I'm not keen on: Sentimental, flowery, cartoon (Disney etc), conversions of artwork (HAED etc)

Subjects I'm not keen on: angels, fairies, cats, teddy bears, religious

Colours I'm not keen on: blue, pastel pinks

Threads I'm not keen on: Weeks Dye Works, rayons, metallics

Fabrics I'm not keen on: blues, bright primary colours

Finishes I'm not keen on: none

Techniques I'm not keen on: none

Destashing - Charts for Sale or Trade!

I'm trying to make space, and be practical. Not things that come easy, but I seem to have acquired charts I'll never stitch, plus duplicates, plus stuff I've stitched once and won't repeat... well, you know how it goes!

So, without further ado, please find the following offerings for sale - or offer me stuff in trade ... (okay, it won't make any room but I know times are tight and bartering is great! None of the prices include postage, but that will be at cost only. I accept Paypal - and from the UK, cheques and bank transfers. For multiple buys, I may be prepared to haggle.

To keep the post within reasonable size, I'm not going to post pictures here, but if you would like to see anything - and a Google or Hoffman search doesn't come up with anything - let me know and I'll get a picture to you.

Anchor
Exquisite Drawn Thread Work - AEL010. £1.00
Timeless Array (Hardanger & Drawn Thread Sampler) £1.00
Creative Canvaswork (elephant, thistle fob, pincushion) £1.00

Canterbury Designs.
A Woodland Welcome. New and unused. £2.00

Carolyn Mitchell
Seasonal Samplings in Hardanger Embroidery. Booklet. Unused, but came from a shop's old stock. £2.00

Charland Designs
Beehive Sampler - chart only from kit, gently used.£2.00

Chessie and Me
Daily Labours - used. £2.50

The Cricket Collection
Flowers and Bees (Book 157). New and unused. £2.00

Cross My Heart
Earth Dragon. New and unused. £2.00

Cross 'N Patch (Emie Bishop)
First Steps in Hardanger Booklet. Unused. Lots of pretty things and great instructions! £3.00

Designer Stitches/Disney
Seven Dwarfs. DS7. Unused. £2.00

DMC
William Morris Booklet - 16 different designs for smalls. New and unused. Glossy cover and paper. £4.00
Art Nouveau Booklet - 15 different designs for smalls. New and unused. Glossy cover and paper. £4.00

Dover Needlework Series/Barbara Christopher
Miniature Samplers for Cross Stitch Booklet - 73 designs. Gently used. £3.00


The Drawn Thread
My Favorite Things. Gently used. £2.00

Elizabeth's Designs
A Year in Stitches - 12 designs, comb bound. Gently used. £3.00
Sweet Spring Garden. New and unused. £2.00

Green Apple Co.
The Tale of Peter Rabbit - 12 different designs.New and unused, but came from a shop's old stock. £4.00
The Tale of Pigling Bland - 10 different designs. New and unused, but came from a shop's old stock. £4.00
Kate Greenaway's Mother Goose - 12 different designs. New and unused, but came from a shop's old stock. £4.00

Homespun Elegance
Neat Country Stuff. Lightly used. £1.00

Imaginating
A Special Friend. Unused, but came from a shop's old stock. £1.00

JBW Designs
Merry Hearts III - out of print. New and unused. £2.00

Just Nan
Morning Song. Gently used. £2.00 SOLD
Morning Meadow. New and unused. £2.00

Kustom Krafts
Great Horned Owl MBW-006. New and unused. £2.00

Lanarte/Stoney Creek
Girl With Cat -New, Unused £2.00

Lavender Wings
Planted Hearts. New and unused. £2.00 SOLD


Linda Gillum/Leisure Arts
Bibs By The Bunch. 34 designs. New and unused. £2.00

Lizzie*Kate
Good Things Come To Those Who Stitch Snippet. New and unused. £1.00 SOLD

Winter Basket Snippet. Gently used. £0.75 SOLD

St Patrick's Flip-it. Gently used, no charm, £0.75 SOLD

Meow Flip-it. New and unused, with charm. £1.50 SOLD

Follow Your Heart Snippet. Gently used. £0.75 SOLD


The Need'l Love Company
The Herb Garden. New and unused. £2.00

Patricia Ann Designs
Honeybee Harmony. New and unused. £2.50

Rainbow Gallery/Rosalyn Watnemo
Garden Song. Hardanger Chart + charm. £2.00

Scotstitch
Clan Crest Badges Vol 1. Booklet. 36 designs. New and unused.£4.00 - out of print and hard to find, there's some silly prices out there from book dealers, I'm assuming more in hope than expectation!

The Sewing Circle
Fit Words. Used, slightly crumpled. Postage only.

Shepherd's Bush
June. Chart only, no charm. £1.00

Sisters and Best Friends
Housework Makes You Ugly. New and unused. With little canvas bag with the saying printed on! £3.00

Something Different
Evans-Morris Band Sampler. New and unused. £2.00

Stoney Creek
Signs of the Zodiac. Book 289. 14 different designs. New and unused. £2.00

Teresa Wentzler
Petites - Dragon and Castle (Leisure Arts charts). Also known as Castle Ridge and Above The Clouds New, unused - and out of print. £4.00
The Princess and The Dragon. New, unused - and out of print. £4.00 SOLD


The Trilogy
Bee (chart from a Treats kit). Gently used. £0.75
Summer Spots. New, unused. £1.00
Spring Spots. New, unused. £1.00

Twisted Threads
You and No Other. New and unused. £2.00

The Victoria Sampler
Pansy Sampler. New and unused. £2.00
Heirloom Family Sampler. New and unused. £3.00
Rose Arbour Sampler.New and unused. £2.00
Friends are Treasures. New and unused. £2.00
Crowning Glory. New and unused. With Accessory Pack containing silk + beads £3.00

Waxing Moon Designs
Chocolate Makes Your Clothes Shrink. New and unused. £2.00

Zweigart/Ursula Michael
Holiday Treats. £1.50

And one final chart. I have a copy of Prairie Schoolers "Friends" - Book 84. This is now out of print and hard to find. It's in new and unused condition. I'm looking for offers on this - the last one I saw sold on eBay for $30.00 (which is approx £20.00).


Thanks for looking!

Charts/Kits Wishlist - March 2010

This is something of an aide memoire for me - I don't expect to acquire all these charts, I don't have room to display all the completed stitching LOL.

Bent Creek
The Lighthouse
Blue Bird Sampler
Brown Bird Sampler
Cabin in the Woods
Cow
Gobble
The Swirly Sampler
Yule
Hark

Snappers:
Happy Arbor Day
Happy Christmas - thank you!
Happy Easter
Happy Hallowe'en
Thanksgiving

Elizabeth's Designs
Black Sheep Sampler
Sheep
Two Sheep
Birds and Bees
I Love Sheep
Celtic Knot
Acorn Sampler

Lizzie*Kate
Easter Sampler
Easter Flip It
Halloween Flip It
Christmas Flip It
Gather A Harvest
Happy New Year
Thankful Sampler
Big Girl Panties

Prairie Schooler
Country Seasons
Farmer's Almanac
Measure of a Year
Old MacDonald
Pumpkin Patch
Rain Rain Go Away
Summer Samplers (OOP)
Fall Samplers (OOP)
Thanksgiving Comes Again
Two By Two
Weather Wise


Praiseworthy Stitches
Be Ye Loving

Shepherd's Bush (these are kits - I would be happy with just a used chart!)
The Wool Gatherer
Americana Roll
Bee Garden
Bee Keeper's Cottage
Bee Scissor Fob
Bees
Birdhouse Roll
Blackberrie Sampler
Busy
Easter Egg Roll
English Christmas Roll
Fa La La
Folk Heart Roll
Friendship Roll
Garden Roll
Happy Day Roll
Happy Wishes Fob
Harvest Fob
In My Garden Needleroll
Keeping the Bees
Lamb Bag
Love Fob
My Garden
Pansy Roll
Pine Pin Roll
Pumpkin Hill
Shepherd's Hill
Soft Spring
Spring Scissor Fob
St Nick Roll
Thanksgiving Needleroll
Thisbe Roll
Tudor Roll
Violet Roll

Shepherd's Bush - charts
- any freebie charts, especially those with sheep, lambs, bees or bee hives
Shepherd's Earth

The Drawn Thread
Brown Ranch
Cottage Garden Scissors Case
English Garden Pocket
For The Birds
Hana's Little Spot
Linen and Lace
Little Spot Sampler
Minute Spot
Morning Glory
The Perennial Border
Real Roses
The Riddle
Sanctuary
Souvenir Sampler
Spot of Autumn
Treasure Box
Two Friends
Wayward Garden
Welcome Spot

Homespun Elegance
Colonial Life I
Friendship and Blossoms
Miniature Samplers IV
Miniature Samplers VII
Sheep May Safely Graze
Spring Patches
Summer Patches
The Stitcher II


Little House Needleworks
Freebies I haven't got (I have Summer House, Thankful for Ewe, Early America, Star Light Star Bright, Miniature Garden Game Board)
Blossoms and Blackbirds
My Needle's Work
The Counting House
Abigail Winslow
Elizabeth McGuire
Emmaline Whitcomb
Hannah Purington
Julia Flynn
Lucy Fairchild
Rebecca Small
Garden Pleasures
Herb Garden
Moon and Stars
Morning Berries
Nature's Beauty
Necessities Sampler
Needlework School
Night and Day
Season of Growth
Season of Hope
Season of Plenty
Season of Rest
Starlight Sampler
Sailing, Sailing
The Library,
Lavender's Blue
Be True
Bee Sampler
Alphabet Rhyme
Traveling Stitcher
Autumn Harvest
Heart and Home
Embroidery Guild
The Rain Fell
Winter Whites
Acorn Hill
Home of a Needleworker
 
Brightneedle
Finger Lakes Sampler
Little Houses Sampler
Quiet Night Sampler


Carriage House Samplings
Haunting Mermaid
The Mairmaid's Song

Country Cottage Needleworks
Daisy Sampler
My Beloved
Raspberry Patch
Sunflower Sampler
Summer Garden
Geranium House
Garden Girl
Holly and Ivy

Periwinkle Promises
April Sampler Accent

The Trilogy
Autumnology
Cardiology
Christmas with Friends
Easter Spots
Family
Gardening Spots
Halloween Spots
Happy Heart Heart Day
Happy Ho Ho Day
Happy Mom Mom Day
Ornamentology
Seaology
Simple Blessings
Springology
Summerology
Thanksgiving Spots
Trilogy Square
Winterology
Zoo Lineup

Heart in Hand
Any of the long legged "bird" charts, apart from Valentine
Celebration: Autumn
Celebration: Summer
Celebration: Winter
Forest of Trees
Blackbird Sampler
Favorite Hearts
Pumpkin Hill
Flowers
Pumpkins
Little House in the Woods
Love Letters
Gardening Medley
Family Medley
Halloween Medley
Valentine Medley
Christmas Medley
Spring Medley
Summer Medley
Autumn Medley
Winter Medley




The Goode Huswife
In The Beeman's Garden
1798 Quaker
Live Simply

The Cricket Collection
Autumn Alphabet

JBW Designs
Autumn Harvest
Alphabet Pumpkin
The Reindeer Sampler
Christmas Motif Sampler
French Country:
Amour
Petite Stocking
Nordic Mitten
ABCs
Apple
Rabbit
Wreath
Turkey
Christmas Alphabet
French Hen
English Plum Pudding

Jeanette Douglas Designs
Needle and Thread Sampler
Autumn Stitches
Take Time to Read
Take Time to Quilt Autumn

Just Nan
Christmas Eve
When Barnabee Met Bella Biscornu
Needle in a Garden
Barnabee's Quest
Peacock Cypher

Threads and Fabric Wishlist - Updayed 19 August

For trades and exchanges, I'm happy to receive most things - although I'm not keen on metallics, or Weeks Dyes Works threads. My favourite colours are autumnal shades, plums, purples & greens. I'm not a fan of pastels or blues.

I usually stitch in DMC or Anchor for solid colours. My favourite hand dyed threads are Gentle Arts Sampler Threads.

This is a list of specific colours I'm after, it mainly here to help me complete sets.

Anchor Multi colour Stranded Cotton

1300, 1301, 1303, 1316, 1318, 1342, 1347, 1352, 1353, 1355, 1360, 1385, 1390

Gentle Arts Sampler Threads

Any colours will do really, but these are ones I would especially like:

Aged Pewter, Apple Cider, Apricot Blush, Autumn, Baby Spinach, Bayberry, Berry Cobbler, Black Raspberry Jam, Blackboard, Bluebell, Bubblegum, Buttercrunch, Buttermilk, Camoflage, Chalk, Chamomile, Cinders, Cotton Candy, Currant, Daffodil, Daisy, Dark Chocolate, Dungarees, Freedom, Gingersnap, Grape Arbor, Grasshopper, Green Pasture, Harvest Moon, Holly Berry, Huckleberry, Jasmine, Kiwi, Lambswool, Lemon Drops, Lexington Green, Liberty, Mint Jubilee, Mistletoe, Mountain Mist, Mustard Seed, Old Hickroy, Orange Marmalade, Pebble, Picket Fence, Poinsettia, Punchberry, Raven, Royal Purple, Rustic Cottage, School House Red, School Yard, Shaker White, Spring Grass, Stormy Skies, Sugarplum, Summer Fields, Sweet Pea, Sweet Petunia, Tea Rose, Tin Bucket, Tutti Frutti, Uniform Blue, Weathered Barn,

Fabrics

28 count and 32 count linens and evenweaves in neutral to dark colours are my favourites. I'm always happy to receive fabric in cream, antique white, flax, bone or parchment shades.

Welcome!

This is a little spot to organise trades, exchanges etc - both stitching and book related (I'm a member of Bookcrossing and BCUK). It's also going to act as an aide memoire for things I would like, someday...


I'm based in the United Kingdom, so please take postage (both to and from...) into account when arranging trades.