Happy Birthday Blog

Yes it is one year ago today that I made my first posting to the blogging world :-))

I was given the idea from my sister Su whose blog you are nearly all familiar with. Before that time the only blog and album I knew about was Vero M's :-)) which I loved. Since then I have found so many more :-)) I was a bit unsure about starting my own blog, as I don't have alot of time to do my hobby and thought I may not have enough of frequent interest to feed a blog...but with a bit of encouragement from Su......I thought why not :-)) I also thought it would encourage me to make time for myself to do my hobby!

I had no idea I would actually get any visitors to my site when I started and when I got my first comment, from another person, apart from Su I was amazed and delighted. I also had no idea that nearly 28000 of you would visit my small space in the year. Although this is quite a small figure compared to other blogs traffic, to me, it is incredible and I value each one of them, not just from the lovely people who comment but the quiet visitors too...I know you are there :-)) I also know I am not very well known yet in the stitching world having only been around online for 1 year.
I have a summary of
85 visits per day
596 visits per week
2285 visits per month
4% of my visitors leave a comment :-))

I really appreciate all these visits and comments... as I know ;-) I am a much slower stitcher than most of you and I only blog when the inspiration takes me. Inspite of that you still come to see my finished works and for some to leave me a kind word, I am very grateful :-)) My stitching world has expanded this past year...I have joined a couple of BB's in this last year for the first time ever, made new friendships with some lovely, lovely ladies and acquaintances with other lovely ladies, joined into my first SAL (which I have yet to finish, I will Eva, I promise) and taken part in exchanges. All this is such good fun and I love the friendship that we have together as 'embroidering machines'. Don't you think its great how that French word sounds translated into English ;-)

I love the hobby that we share as a common passion and the pride we all take in our works big or small. We all only have to take a look around the blogs and albums that are on-line to feel instantly inspired by something or some-one. We all have our favourites that we naturally gravitate towards and this is a good thing as it gives us all admiration and a little dream or a hope to be able to achieve and create something beautiful ourselves from our own heart . Needlework 'finishing' has been something new to me this past year and I have totally been enjoying the experience, I love to challenge myself to new things and to improve and develop the stitching talent I already have. I have a long way to go and alot to learn to get to where I want to be but even then I will move the boundry further out, this in itself is what I most love about embroidery in its many forms, you can never get bored!!

So my dear 'embroidering machine' friends of every nation and country there is some amazing talent out there...many of them are you... so remember, we are the stitchers of today, creating a future for our hobby and the history and heirlooms of tomorrow with every piece we stitch in whatever form it takes. I am so happy to be one of 'todays' stitchers with the technology available today to be able to share in this great passion.

I want to thank-you all yet again for taking the time to come to my small space, I have found looking through my comments that one lady in particular has been with me from the beginning offering kind words and support this lady is Von (On the Dry Side) and I say an extra special thank-you to you :-)) I would also like to say it is very close and another 2 ladies have supported me right along the way, these ladies are Nicky and Barbara again a special thank-you to you both. I was going to offer a small gift to just one person (Von) as a thank-you but feel as it is so close I would like to give a little something to Nicky (Plush) and Barbara (Mainely Stitching) as well. Now this may not be a xstitched little giftie (you know how slow I am ;-) but it will be something made by me just for you, so if you can send me your addresses I will get them out to you this next week. I dearly wish I could have the time to make each and everyone of you a little gift to show my appreciation but sadly this is not possible as 'real-life' gets in the way sometimes, I hope you will understand and know I do appreciate each and everyone of you, so very much :-)))))

I shall now leave you with a slide show of the works I have achieved in this last blogging year, I am very proud of my 'small things' I have accomplished and I hope you will enjoy it too. :-))




love Helen xxx