Welcome to ChitChat!

I am now 1 month since knee replacement surgery. I am moving in the right direction but as all recovery tends to be, its been 2 steps forward, 1 step back, 1 step sideways, repeat. I find that my operative leg tends to ache. The physiotherapist said this is the muscles, tendons and ligaments being realigned after surgery. I'm measuring progress by looking at what I can do today that I couldn't do last week. Besides there is no medal awarded to those that get through this with flying colors. I still find it exhausting to have a shower or do too much around the house. I am thankful hubby does what I cannot when he gets home I have put floss to fabric. I am working on some small Christmas projects and on a birth announcement for our anticipated 6th grandchild. Putting the days in. NOT missing work at all. Happy stitching! Mary

Hunter with a pumpkin head on at pet Smart! My husband kept apologizing to the dogs for the girls And me putting hats on them!

Why is it companies seem to think we as stitchers will accept anything to get hold of a pattern that has caught our eye and will turn a blind eye to fabric and thread that is sub-standard???? I have just spent a week undoing all the stitching of a pattern I bought - due to the thread (supposedly DMC ) being absolutely terrible. It stitched up badly and unevenly but I kept going thinking it was me and it would look alright when I had finished. Silly me I should have followed my instincts and stopped earlier as it didn't. Even the material was not good and I have now bought a new piece of material and good thread (genuine DMC) out of my stash and am now restitching the pattern. It looks a hundred times better. I now know why I prefer to buy patterns and get my own material and thread when I wish to start a project. Ah well some of us have to learn the hard way.

While I appreciate the effects of backstitching, I find it tedious to do. BLAH! Most instructions will tell you to complete the cross stitches first, then add the back stitches. A colleague of mine who is also a stitcher says she backstitches as she goes along so she doesn't have to do it all at the end. I'm interested in learning what others do. Do you leave it all for the end? Or, add it as you go along? Mary

How does everyone store their thread? Looking for advice/opinions......thanking you all in advance.

Is this pattern fully crossed stitched or is there areas where there is no stitching and the fabric shows. For example on table cloth and wall.

Chestnut and Lucky on a canvas! Just love them! There is another one of them Together that is on the way! I will post when we receive it! Miss my babies so much!

Looking for more advise :) Use hoops or no hoops???? The woman that taught me to cross stitch doesn't use them...just taught me to keep even tension on all my stitches (don't pull too tight)....is there other benefits from using a hoop?

Unfortunately, My memory isn't what is was 20 years ago. But while reading through the chat, I realized trying to remember the state, province or country everyone is from is becoming increasingly difficult, so I'm starting a list of who is from where so I can get unconfused. No body is under obligation to offer where they reside and for security purposes, keep it to state, province or country. Thanks to all for your assistance. I'll start first: Bermuda: USA, South Carolina and Ohio

This coming Thursday - the 28th - I am heading to Georgia to visit some friends for a long weekend. They live about 1 hour north of Atlanta, so I drive down, takes about 10 - 11 hours. All depends on how many orange trees are along the expressway 😉 . I have a couple of new projects all ready to go with me - fairly easy ones. My friend has to work part of the time I am there, but that is ok by me. This trip gives me a break from the normal humdrum house and yard work plus taking care of my 93 yr old mother. Of course it has been so hot and humid here lately that I haven't wanted to do anything outside and as luck would have it, the weather is suppose to break on Thurs and be 20 - 30 degrees cooler. Of course, I am heading to heat - smack hand on forehead. I enjoy warm weather, especially on a cruise ship and can be snorkeling or swimming, but just to be in heat and weed - yuk! Should be able to get a lot of stitching done - yahoo!