A Guide to 'how to never be bored again'

A lot of people have shown an interest in/been asking where I find my cross stitch patterns from so I thought I would share the love and put together a list of the best inspirational websites with the lushest stuff on! But be warned, once you get your hands on some of this stuff  you will wish there were more hours in the day!

1. http://www.emilypeacock.com/

 

Starting with the best :) , Emily's designs are so unique and so lovely to stitch! Don't be put off by the price, they are worth it, in quality and in giving you a project for a good few months, plus there is no other way to get her patterns. Another great thing about her kits is that they are all only available as kits and not completed cushions so you really will have your own unique item! She is bringing out a book in the summer too so look out for that! 

She is amazing and so so lovely so buy buy buy!

2. http://crossstitcher.themakingspot.com/

If you want to start with something smaller then I would highly recommend Cross Stitcher magazine, it has some really cool contemporary designs ranging from small to large so you can decide whether or not it's for you! You have to buy all your own materials obviously but it is a good way to start off without committing to a kit.Available at all good newsagents.

3. http://www.grannyknits.co.uk/

This is another good site with lots of kits and bits and bobs! And a good size range of projects too. Look out for the mini vintage ric rac...so lush!

4. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cath-Kidston-Stitch/dp/1844008738/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301862845&sr=1-1

If you are into all things Cathy then this is the book for you! Has some lovely pieces and patterns which are all florally and kitschy and cute. Also comes with a free kit to get you started. 

She also does a 'sew' version which, if you prefer the sewing side to cross stitching, has loads of things to make like bath hats and oven gloves and cushion covers and stanley the dog!

5. http://www.futureplc.com/2011/03/14/future-to-launch-new-craft-magazine-mollie-makes/

The wonderful people at future publishing are bringing out a new magazing in May called 'Mollie Makes', and it looks amazing!!! It's focused around home made fabric crafts and all things trendy at the mo :) Read the article for more info, I've already subscribed!

And here are some good sites which sell really nice fabrics and haberdashery (I love that word) bits:

http://www.deckchairstripes.com/index.html


http://www.clothkits.co.uk/index.php

ummm yar I think that is all! For now!

Crafty

So this is my new hobby, isn't it pretty!!!!

The Rum Diary

It's been a while, but I have new exciting things to blog about now, so I am back...but firstly, to keep things relevant, I have just finished reading The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson, and it was AWESOME!

Quite frankly, not much happens, in terms of large scale plot events, but the day to day life of an american journalist who has ended up in Puerto Rico is fasinating! As the title would suggest, it involves lots of drinking, writing and basically a man roaming around a new town, contemplating whether or not to make a life there, stumbling upon a brief romance... The narative is beautiful, the humour is subtle, and the lead character is so normal and believable that the story seems very real (infact as I found out today, Thompson actually did a brief stint as a writer in San Juan, hence the believability of the plot).

Annnnd there is a film adaption to be released this year, featuring Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, so I am very excited to see that!

A Fraction of the Whole

While I'm here still, I'd just like to recommend a fantastic novel by Steve Toltz, which I read last summer but which I am still in awe with. It is one of those books which stays with you for a long long time (10 months and counting!) and which when reading totally absorbs you. If you like life stories, similar to American Wife, then this is one of the best I have read (maybe apart from Coming Home by Rosamund Pilcher) as it follows a father-son relationship from birth to death, with eccentric characters, deceptions, riches, and an infamous criminal uncle, all set within exotic locations.

It is one of those books where, afterwards, you feel as though you have run a marathon...with the characters...maybe...not that I would know what that feels like! Just go read it :)

American Wife

So here goes the second attempt at starting a blog! My original is somewhere lost in the ether after an email address change has meant that I cannot access it anymore! Any who, I am still determined to write an intelligent, fair review on the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, but for now I will quickly comment on my current read, American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld.

I LOVE THIS BOOK and really cannot get enough of it! After a wonderfully sunny weekend of relaxing and reading I am already half way through and wish that I did not have to work so that I can carry on reading it all day (story of my life). If you are looking for a book which flows smoothly, succinctly, keeps you yearning to find out what happens next and which fulfills all of your womanly (or manly) needs to nose into other peoples lives, then this is the book for you.

Starting when Alice is in her teenage years at high school in 1960s middle America, Alice narrates us through the ups and downs, family issues, boy friend and best friend dilemmas whilst still upholding a desirable, intriguing intelligence, offering the expectation of a successful future (she eventually becomes first lady of the White House. It says this on the back of the book, don't get cross please).

Sittenfeld writes in a way which pre-empts events (university, marriage potentials) to keep the interest alive which creates a genuine empathetic need to follow Alice's life journey. A shocking event sends shock waves through her small town, mostly average life and causes Alice, and the reader to see life in a completely different light.

Alice is clearly a likable, attractive character bringing the added appeal of romance to the story, which moves along at quite a pace as she follows her heart, despite the baggage which may come attached to this and the unfamiliar world into which she is launched! Unfortunately there are gaps in the narration of her life (I would happily read about every part) as the book is broken down into long chapters specified by the houses she lives in. Each chapter jumps forwards a decade or so; I guess this is one the reasons it is so readable as Alice's situation, acquaintances and opinions are changed which holds the attention very nicely.

Well I am only half way through so that is all I can say for now, I just wanted to stress how much I am enjoying this book and offer up a few inclinations as to why this may be! Will be back later than I would like. If I had my way I would finish it by tomorrow. Ta-ra!

UPDATE
So I finished American Wife, after a rainy day marathon and I must say it lived up to my expectations! The last couple of chapters are a whirl wind of life as the wife of the president, and really gives an emphasises on how a normal, grounded woman, from a normal neighbourhood can still be that same person despite her sudden fame and responsibility. Although brief, the chapters provide an insight into the lives lived at the White House and how it can affect the lives and relationships of those drawn in.

Alice very much remains herself to the end and you really feel as though you have grown with her, sharing her trials and tribulations, her triumphs and her determination to morally and truthfully live her life as only herself, and not how other people may perceive or prefer her to be.

A wonderful, charming and exciting read which mixes every day normality with unlikely possibilities.