Queen of the Armchair...What's In A Name!!!

I've been reading around on blogs about how we came to our Blog name....

Dawn started this off so pay her a visit if you would like to  join in...

I wasn't going to write about this but the more I read the more I wanted to join in...

so here is how Queen of the Armchair aka Dzintra Stitcheries came by her name...

This lovely machine embroidered piece was sent to me by Bev...
Thank you so much Bev!!!

I have been known as Ingrid but Dzintra (pronounced without the D...a Latvian name meaning Amber) was my first name which I started to use when we made our Sea Change 4 years ago...
it just seemed right!!!

My Hubby bought me a computer while I was recovering from emergency surgery in 2005 as I couldn't do anything but rest....

I started to read blogs (lurking)...

started an email and for want of a better name I called it dzintrastitcheries as I started to do stitching...

In 2007 I was reading a blog and followed it through to the button 'Create Blog')...

I pressed this and had no idea what I was going to say so I left it there...

Roll forward to 2008...

more surgery and not allowed to do anything again...

AND still lurking!!!

Got chatting to Barb of Theodora Cleave...

told her I was sitting around on the computer and she said something to the effect of...

So you're Queen of the Armchair then...

and Bingo...

I went to my untouched Blog...

wrote My First Post and the rest is history!!!

I thought I would write about our Sea Change...My Stitching...Family...Baking...Reading  and most importantly about Caring for dear sweet JoJo...

our Daughter who has a disability and who opened our eyes to a whole New World...

I also started another Blog...'My Dolce Vita' as I started a TAFE Course in Commercial Cookery to improve my cooking skills and get confident in trying out recipes and to meet people in the area...

 I chose Dolce Vita (Italian)...meaning the sweet life...or the good life in Italian...
and that's what I thought this course was all about!!!

I haven't looked back since pressing that little button that said 'Create Blog'...

I have made new Friendships...entered Swaps...Giveaways...learnt so much and most importantly Blogging keeps me in touch with the Outside World as Caring can be isolating at times...

And for this I am so grateful to each and every person who comes by...

I never dreamed I would still be here 3 years later!!!

Thanks Dawn for inviting us to tell about How We Got Our Blog Name!!!

OPAM...a workshop and Needlework Group Quilt

 Not a lot done for OPAM

 (One Project a Month) this month...

just these 2 little wallets...ideal for coffee cards and various other shopping

cards we all seem to accumulate...

This one was made for my dear Friend Geo as she had said to me that she would like one when I blogged about them for a previous OPAM...

I decided to put a little timber button on her one...a little angel as she loves angels!!!

Button is by Barb of Theodora Cleave...

Thank you to Peg and Kris  for hosting OPAM...a wonderful idea!!!

At the end of the week I am off to a workshop at Steph's...

called Quilt in Stitches...a workshop run to learn more about the stitches on my (nearly) new sewing machine...Only 2 fabrics required, a solid and a patterned...

I have chosen a tea dyed look homespun and Civil War fabrics...

Above right from left to right...

first one will be with the solid (also above left, in the centre)...the brown one also above left will be inner border...(1st left above)...the teal colour will be the outer border (above left, 3rd) and one of the other 2 will be binding...

And while on the Civil War I have received my copy of The Union Quilters, the latest book by Jennifer Chiaverini in the Elm Creek series...

thoroughly enjoying these books, especially the ones that talk about the Civil War/Slavery/life in the 1800's...all of which I find fascinating!!!

And here is a quilt top put together by Jenny from my Needlework Group which I have recently gone back to...still not driving though as arm is still a bit stiff and I don't feel confident...

All the stitcheries were done by ladies in the Group and the quilt will be raffled off later in the year...

Thank you to Fiona for organizing these stitcheries and quilt for us all...

Wouldn't it be lovely to win...it's oh sooo pretty!!!