Saturday, February 8, 2014

February 8 Interview with Magical

Magical, her name says it all....she IS Magical. I always feel as if she is socked away all by herself, because in our little group she IS.  She is late in the day, or tomorrow due to her time zone,  and getting her into the Hangout during IHSW while everyone else is there so we can ALL visit can be a little tricky.  Our sweet Magical does try and we REALLY appreciate her and her knowledge of all things "stitchy".

May I please introduce to you, Magical!


 
1) Please, introduce yourself and be as windy as you like.  I know you have done so in your blog so if you choose to skip this part that is fine :D


I'm Known as Magical. or Magical525 depending on if a site already has a Magical, online. I am the mother of 2 growing boys - one is at the complicated age of 12 and the other is 10 and we live in a house in The Netherlands. I am blessed with a rare form of rheumatism and as a result I get to be a SAHM for my kids. I enjoy quilting, cross stitching and baking/cooking as the mood strikes me/my body allows.



2) When did you first pick up a needle and what was your very first cross stitch project?


I did some sewing when I was a young girl - I know I had an embroidery kit - table linen of all things, given to me when I was 7 just before we moved abroad, but I don't remember if I completed it or if I ever even started it. My first cross stitch that I remember making was when I was 14 or 15 at school during crafts lesson - my teacher had given it to me as an extra thing to work in at class as I'd completed my task well before anyone else and I was one of the few who were genuinely interested in his class. I can't even remember what it was of but he was really pleased with the results and asked to keep it. Then he offered to let me have some linen, floss and needle along with a pattern we picked out together from his stock and I was allowed to take it home to work on during the summer term and summer holiday. It was a pattern of stylized flowers in greens and blues which I loved but I never completed it as I found that i'd made a terrible mistake in counting and then cast it aside.



3) How many Teresa Wentzler patterns have you stitched?

Magical's Futurecast


One - Futurecast 

3) What made you decide to take on the TW project you are or will be stitching?


Seeing everyone else working on their projects and I really rather liked the dragons she designed.



I have in the meantime decided to also do the peacock tapestry as I'd seen that when it was first out but it was well outside my means to buy the kit so I'd put it into the category of things I cannot do. I didn't know at the time that it was even her work as the magazines I'd seen the kit advertised in don't tell you who the designer is. When I was looking for 8ct aida the other day I saw the pattern on offer along with 2 others and jumped for it. With the fabric I picked up not so long ago and the fact that I have collected all the DMC threads I should be able to go a long way to being able to do this pattern without having to buy too much more :)



4) For you, what has been the most brutal stitching project you have ever stitched and why?


I think it was the butterfly on a branch that really did me in due to the uneven weave of the thread - it was sometimes almost impossible to see if i'd gone over 1, 2 or even 3 threads and it seriously did my head in as a result.



5) Any advice for those stitching or planning to stitch any of these patterns?

Magical's Triple TW


Read Teresa's instructions very carefully at least 3 times she has so much information in them that you can easily overlook something and then not understand what you are supposed to do.



For Futurecast I'd strongly suggest reading the instructions as you pick the colours and then again once you have picked them.



6) Feel free to add anything else!


Don't let the pattern scare you too much and just do a bit at a time.



Well after this interview was completed, Magical then received three more patterns in the post and has decided to stitch the English Cottage Sampler!  I'm so excited because that means I have someone else doing this at the same time and I can ask questions or answer, depending on time of day, who has chocolate and who doesn't and if we run out of tea.



Please visit her blog Magical Quilts and More for updates on her progress with this and her other WIPs and UFOs.  If you are looking for a yummy something to cook, she also has recipes.  Did I mention she's Magical?






Until Tomorrow!

12 comments:

  1. She is Magical and brave to be doing the Peacock and English Cottage.

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    1. Not to mention the mushrooms pattern that pinky made for me.. that too is a big one (180 x 261)

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    2. Pinky's photo patterns are so lovely

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    3. Indeed they are :)

      I think I shall put it into "rotation" after I finish the tile floor get another section done before embarking on another huge embroidery.

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  2. Aww thanks for such a lovely intro <3


    Running out of tea is nigh on impossible - and I was good and topped up on chocolate too!

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  3. Another great interview - I'm so happy Magical will join us 'in full' with ECS, finally someone on my side of the ocean ^_^

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    1. I blame the lot of you for making me want to do these things... buncha borg!

      And the peacock.. well I fell in love with that umpteen years ago and decided it was too difficult and too expensive for me so didn't get the kit, so I was a bit of a pushover on that one lol.

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