Sunday 10 June 2012

Cross stitch software

Just a quick post to update you today! (After so many weeks of silence - two posts in a week!)

A couple of weeks ago I "found" my cross stitch software, which I last used about 4 years ago. I contacted the company (Ursa Software) and discovered how to update it. So I have spent a few days familiarising myself with it, and playing with various small designs. As I found minor niggles I contacted the support line and have been amazed to receive answers within half an hour at one point! (Mind you when I contacted them, they did say that they recognised my name!)

Yesterday I was playing with importing a Wordle design. (Google it if you haven't tried it). I wanted to make a quick design out of it, so I imported the picture, and started playing with colours. In the space of a couple of hours it crashed several times, so I emailed support last night, and this morning I have a reply and a solution! How good is that?

I have to say I have no affiliation to this company, but if you are in the market for a cross stitch generation programme - give them a look. They even have a Mac version. Ursa Software rocks! I'll post some pics of what the screen looks like soon.

I even managed to copy my mandala pattern into it, and have played around with reversing the motifs, as well as the assissi type versions I was thinking about. So maybe I'll get round to stitching those too as I now have the patterns ready to go.

Have a quiet Sunday and talk soon
Sandie

Thursday 7 June 2012

Tigermum's WIPocalypse June update

Hi all
been a while I know, been dragging my heels here about updating as there seemed to be so little progress!

Anyway now I can knock off another finished project! My Mandala is not only finished, but sewn into a cushion and now sits proudly on my sofa! And I had a lovely email from one reader who wanted info about it!
 Here's the mandala finished!


And here's my cushion. The fabric is the remains of the blue I used for Jessica's Christmas Stocking! Never throw scraps away!


And here's Egypt. The backstitch is still bugging me, but this side just has the outlining of the hieroglyphs to finish before I can move over to the other side.

I've been knitting too - a jacket for Jess in a very easy cable twist pattern. As my camera has run out of batteries, I'll have to post that next time. But I have done the back and one front. So not far to go now.

My son-in-law has just been made redundant from his job. He is was a graphic designer for a computer on-line gaming company in Cambridge. Not sure just how easy it will be for him to find another job like that in the area; but he's hoping to get ANY job to get some money coming in, and then take his time to lok for something suitable - but in these days - who can tell? So if any of you have room in your prayer lists, please send hopeful thoughts his way - Tony might appreciate any help he can get.

Last weekend we had the long Bank Holiday for Jubilee celebrations. Did we do anything? No!! Did our neighbours? No!! Our courtyard has 11 houses. There are 2 houses let out to students, and most of the rest are elderly (like us! 60+ years). For the Silver Jubilee we were all young families together and went out, kids playing and parents sitting chatting and eating together. It's a sad reflection of today's society that apart from one or two of them, we don't even know the names of our neighbours. Mind you with the way the weather turned out it was probably just as well we didn't have anything planned! The weekend before (when the Bank Holiday should have been) was brilliant weather-wise; move it to the following week to fit with the extra day for the Queen's Jubilee (and subsequently the school's half-term holiday week) - and it pours with rain - go figure!

We're off on a week's holiday from 23rd June. Going to Seefeld in Austria for a relaxing week (we hope). Have to decide yet what sewing to take with me!

Best wishes and happy stitching
Sandie