Introduction

Hello everyone! My name is Katy from Just A Little Stitchin' and I'm new to this group and just started my very first Chatelaine! I have several of these gorgeous patterns in my stash, it was hard to pick just one, but yesterday I started on The Medieval Town Mandala.

I will admit, I was intimidated before starting this piece. All the specialty threads, specialty stitches, beads and treasures, let alone the instructions that came with the design itself all made me a bit nervous, but once I got started, I loved every single stitch!

I'm doing this on 32 Lugana in Truffle from Picture This Plus. This was my first time using Needlepoint Inc. Silk, Gloriana, Waterlilies, Silk 'n Colors and Rainbow Petite Treasure Braid, which are all in this picture. I absolutely loved every single stitch and am looking forward to when I work on it next!

Can't wait to see everyone's progress and to cheer you all on!

Until next time!
~Katy

Introduction

Hello everyone! 

I was invited to this blog by dear Joyce awhile ago, however, I didn't have enough time to post anything about myself until now.  I am an elementary Learning assistance teacher and work like crazy all week and weekends when it's report card time.  Thankfully, I am finished the reports and am now on Spring Break! Woohoo!! Now I have a wee more time to stitch and blog.  

Chatelaine's are just magnificent aren't they?! I have admired Martina's creations for about 4 years now when I discovered her designs.  I've only stitched two of her freebie designs and have one on the go right now, Knotgarden.  Once I am finished with Knotgarden, I hope to start with Hummingbird Garden, a SAL with Joyce, for my mom.  I stitch a lot of other designs, especially old samplers.  I've finished 2 samplers thus far and am working on another.  My aim is to stitch one a year.  I also stitch a lot of smalls and make them into all kinds of finishes and lately, I have been on a big crochet kick.  Something about crocheting in the evening works better for me while I am working.  No need for counting or looking at a pattern, just hooking!!  My blog, Doll's Musings, started 4 years ago and have met and been inspired by many wonderful people along the way.  Without further ado, here are my humble Chatelaine's I have stitched.

Debbie's Roses finished as a biscornu

Tiny Rose Garden Mandala - framed

Knotgarden - WIP for my husband

Looking forward to watching everyone's Chatelaine's grow and become magnificent creations, a feast for the senses!!

Take care!

Anne

A brief introduction

Hello all! My name is Sherona but I'm probably better known as blackmageheart, and I'm an avid gamer and stitcher and...gamestitcher...? Yeah, that. I'm 32, I'm from Durham in the UK and I live in my little house with my 5 year old daughter Ivy, my sister Dolly and our cat Lulu and dog Yuna.
I found out about Chatelaine Designs through the beautiful and talented Joyzse and her Random Ramblings. I had been wanting to stitch one but never got around to it until the idea of the SBCC popped up. So off I went to find me a mandala. I'm dipping my proverbial toe in the proverbial water with the Tiny Rose Garden Mandala and here are a couple of pictures to show you all where I'm at with it!

My Tiny Rose Garden so far!

A close up of the centre

I'm stitching it on a lovely green marble-effect aida, and when I'm done I plan to get myself started on one of the big designs!

Lovely to meet you all and great to be involved with yet another awesome stitching event! Toodles!

Introduction - Jessie Stitches

Hello, all! I'm Jessie from Jessie Stitches. I'm in my mid-20s, living in Virginia, USA with my boyfriend (soon to be fiancee) and our 18 month old bulldog, Thor. I'm working on my Master's in Education and hope to start teaching soon (so I can have summers off to stitch!).

As far as cross stitch is concerned, I'm relatively new but absolutely addicted. The first time I discovered Martina's designs I was absolutely hooked. SBCC is going to be the kick start that I need to really get going on tackling one of these beauties. I do have one finished Chatelaine, a freebie, Martina's Roses.

For the SBCC, I was trying to decide which beautiful design I was going to finally get started on. I have Autumn Fairy in my stash (not yet kitted up) but decided to go with Frosty Knotgarden (I'm originally from Michigan and love the beauty that *can be* winter time). 

So that's all about me. I look forward to working my Frosty and see you all progress on your projects as well. Happy stitching!

Introduction-Stitching Madness

Hi stitching friends =).

I'm Katharina from germany. I'm 31, married and have two small kids.
I have a Stitching Blog over at Tumblr (Stitching Madness) and I can't wait to tackle my Chatelaine Wip's. I've finished a few Minis and I am working on Mystery XV (Deep Blue Sea) for quite a while now. I hope that SBCC gives me the necessary motivation to finally finish it.
So here are pics of my Chatelaine WIPs I want to finish this year:

Mystery XV (Deep Blue Sea)

Kingfisher

Finished Chatelaines:

Raffle April 2011

Raffle 2010

Springtime Roses (Freebie)

More pictures and close-ups you can find at Stitching Madness. 

I'm looking forward to see all your pics, because I know this will be a big motivation for myself =).

Hello from me

Hello everyone.

I'm Kerry. I live in Auckland, New Zealand and I'm currently working on my third Chatelaine. I hadn't done much on it for ages, but got going again at the beginning of this year and have just finished part 6, so this SAL came along at the perfect time for me. I'm hoping to alternate between this and a HAED as my main projects in 2014.

So picture!

I'm currently working on Illuminated Medieval Sampler and, as I said, have just finished part 6.

Illuminated Medieval Sampler by Chatelaine, stitched on Tiger Eye from Silkweaver (now discontinued)

I've previously stitched Mini Mystery J and Alpine Seasons Garden. You can find pictures of those (and a number of my other cross stitch finishes) in the gallery on my own (often neglected but I'm trying to do better) stitching blog at http://lahaylia.wordpress.com/cross-stitch-gallery/.

On a more personal level, I'm married and the mother of a wonderful 10 year old boy who has ADHD and so keeps me pretty busy most of the time. I have ME/CFS myself, so those two things combined mean I'm a SAHM who needs a lot of rest. I love my stitching (and patchwork) as it is one of the few things I do where I can see concrete progress that I'm achieving things in my life. I don't stitch nearly as much as I would like as I get too tired if I do too much, but I'm so glad I have that creative outlet in my life and don't know what I'd do without it.

I hope to keep up with the SAL, but as with everything in my life it all depends on health and circumstances. All the same, my intention is to work on part 7 once I finish the page I'm currently stitching on my HAED.

Thanks for having me.

Hello from new member and questions!

Hi!  My name is Kelly, and since I just joined this lovely forum, I wanted to say hello.  I just discovered Chatelaine designs last week, and I'm completely in love... I ordered the Swan Lake pattern as my first, and I'm so excited!

I had a couple of questions as I start out:
-What do you usually use to keep your fabric taut?  33x33" seems too big for stretchers, and I'm concerned that hoops or q-snaps might hurt my stitches if I clamp them.
-Have you found a big difference in silks vs. DMC?  I'm planning to buy the silk threads if they have special variegated colors, but if they are solid colors that have a good matching DMC, is there really a difference?

-I also saw this Chatelaine consolation prize picture posted on this forum, and I'm totally in love with the pattern.  I honestly think it's the most beautiful cross-stitch I've ever seen (even more so than Swan Lake or the big Mandalas), and I'm dying to stitch it.  I know Martina doesn't sell the Consolation Prizes (this was the Easter raffle of 2011), so I'm wondering if anyone can help me get a pattern for it?  I believe we're allowed to sell old Chatelaine patterns if we don't keep the original.  I would so love this pattern!

Thanks very much,
Kelly

Hello from France

Hello!

I live in France and is addict to the Chatelaine gardens. I don't speak well english but I am very happy to write on your blog. Here is my alpine seasons garden I stitched two years ago.

Hi y'all! Here to share my Chatelaine obsession!

Hello fellow members of the Chatelaine Collective! Thanks to Joyce for the invite as well, since I have so many Chatelaines going at the present (tho' I'm sure I'm not the only one!). I thought I'd share a little bit about myself and invite you all to visit my StitchinKat's Pawprints Blog. I am a married homemaker and mother of one daughter, almost 17 (she's taking finals this week for her junior year of high school). We live in my home state of North Carolina and I have been stitching for over 30 years, only becoming obsessive in the last 15 however. I discovered Martina's designs when a stitching friend was working on one of the early mysteries, and was facinated! I first tried a couple of her freebies, before jumping in feet first in 2005 into the Egyptian Garden. Next I did the Tree of Hope for New Orleans (now a Cotton Sampler). I have a couple of long standing WiPs, Evening in the Park and Holland Landscapes, and started Hummingbirds earlier this year. I have the Winter Watergarden kitted and ready to start, but got totally distracted by the new Chinese Garden Mandala and had to start it as well! Plus I'm doing the Micro set, having stitched the first two and kitted the third. The fourth and last is due out in August. Also own the Misty Meadows kit (the unicorn box) that I'll get to someday, and have a bunch of the freebies waiting as well. Here is my lineup of finished and framed Chatelaines....the pics should be clickable.

Christmas Tree Mandala

Tiny Rose Mandala

Tree of Hope

Egyptian Garden on SW Days Gone By

These are finished but not framed....

Micro 01

Micro 02

And now the WiPs!!

Evening in the Park through Pt. 8
on SW Blue Mystery Opalescent

Holland Landscapes through Pt. 7
on SW Dreamin' (working on this one right now...
filling in the last window!)

Hummingbird Mandala Pt. 1 on blue opalescent

Chinese Garden Mandala Pt. 1 on black belfast

Feel free to ask any questions about these as to fabric, etc. Working on the Holland piece this week and hope to go back to Chinese Garden next month and get caught up. I am rotating these and a couple of other large pieces this year, sprinkled with smalls in between. So far so good!


--Kathy, aka StitchinKat

Newbie!

Hi there Chatelaine Stitchers!!

I'm Heidi and am usually a Mirabilia/Joan Elliott design lover, but Joyce and Soozie have finally worn me down to dig my needle into one of these gorgeous designs..............or should I say TWO. LOL!! I'm going to start Watergarden as soon as I can get some jobelan in my posession to go with the kit Sooz gifted me (Thank you Soozie!!) and I'll start Autumn Watergarden when DH gets me a kit for my bday! (he's been informed that it's what he's going to get for me, he just has to pay the bill - hahahaha) ;) I'm enjoying looking at everyone's gorgeous pictures and the gallery is awesome! Hopefully I'll have something to share soon too!

Julie's Intro

Hi everyone. I'm new here and wanted to introduce myself. My name is Julie and I live in Cincinnati, Oh with my lil cat, Yes Dear. We're stitching Desert Garden Mandala right now. I"m on part seven (and Yes Dear is helping with specialty fibers) and really enjoying it. I plan on getting Evening in the Park, Japanese Garden, and A Fairy Garden this summer sometime, as long as I can afford it. Here's my latest progress pic of DGM. Thanks for accepting me here, and I hope to have a new progress piccy soon!!

new...

Hello Everybody!

My name is Marleen and I live in Belgium. I'm married, we have three boys; Andres, Brian and Jens and 3 cats; Melle (European chort hair), Stitch and Luna (sacred birmans)

I stitch about 13 years and I started 2 chatelaines a few years ago... but now they are ufo's...and I will get thim to W.I.P.'s again, so I wanted to be a part of this blog for it....

thanks for letting me in!

Marleen

I' ll post soon a few photo's

Margit's Intro

Hi all Chatelaine Stitchers,

I'm very proud to be part of the 'family'. I think we stitchers a very special breed and we have many things in common. It's wonderful to share our passion and to be connected all over the world.
I found Chatelaine designs some years ago just when the 'egyptian' class was closed.
I fell in love with that design and while waiting for it to be released again I started many other of Martina's gardens. I have currently 19 (yes, I'm ashamed 19...) Chatelaine WIP.
Most of them you can see in the gallery on my homepage.
So here is what I was working on this month:



This evening I plan to spent 'in' Konstantinopel. :-)

Big hug and happy stitching.

Margit

Hi from Mexico!!

Hello, my name is Yany, and I have been stitching for about 20 years. I want to thank Joyce and Sooz for this wonderful blog! A few years ago, someone tell me about this wonderful designs by Martina, and since then, I'm a fanatic!

I've only finish one big design, Covent's Herbal Garden, changing the center, and adding bicones in the corners.

I also finished a little bag with the Dragonfly freebbie design, the Mystery XII tryout as a box cover, and the center of CHG as a exchange gift:

And of course I have many Chatelaine's works in progress:

My main WIP is White Nights of St Petersburg:Misty Morning Vineyard:

Mystery XII King's Vegetable Garden:

Japanese Octagon Box:Japanese Garden:

Christmas Mystery II:
Taj Mahal:

Sorry for the many pics, but is really nice to share this great addiction :)

Right now, I'm in love with Venice Mandala, I saw some WIP pics, and IT'S AMAZING!!! I'll be waiting Svetlana wonderful progress pics. Perhaps I'll buy this kit next Xmas or so, cause lets face it, I have already a lot to play with...

Hugs from México!!

Jen's pictures

Hi everyone! First, Joyce & Sooz you did a fantastic job on this blog! I love the layout & colors. Second all of these pictures of finished Chatelaines & WIPS are amazing!!!

I am only stitching one Chatelaine though I admit I put it aside for awhile & did not pull it out until Miss Joyce roped me into this blog. I did start Watergarden quite some ago with a friend & we ended up putting it aside so I guess I'll have to dig that one out too.

Here are pics of my Convent's Herbal Garden. I love the colors in this one. First pic is a close-up of some specialty stitches & the other is the over progress so far. I can't figure out how to get the pics below my text.

Charbs' Intro

Hi, I too am new, both to the blog and to Chatelaines, so I'm not able to post any gorgous finishes.  In fact this picture shows the sum total of all of the Chatelaine stitching I have ever done!  This is my Winter Watergarden, half way through part 2.

I am loving it though and I think I may well become an addict.  I will be starting Chinese Garden in April and I can't wait.  If you are just surfing by and are tempted but a bit nervous to try your first Chatelaine I say go for it!!  It has been much easier and exciting than I ever imagined. (I am a bit of a techno phobe!)