Have you ever participated in a SAL on one of the BB's or with people in RL? How did it go? If no, why not? and would you ever consider do so?

No, I haven't, I can't really keep up with that sort of thing......... I don't have a lot of time and am not a fast stitcher, so I would rapidly fall behind. It's something I might do in later years, when I am not working like this - at least I hope I won't be, you never know with the lifting of the retirement age!

What do you think of Chatelaine designs? have you ever stitched one or do you want to? What do you like/dislike about them? And finally how do you feel about projects that cost over $150 in supplies?

Some Chatelaine designs are OK, I quite like that Japanese box, for one, but most of them don't do much for me. I think they are rather like Teresa Wentzler designs, and I am not especially keen on them either. If I did do one, the Japanese box would be a possibility. I don't mind the cost really, or wouldn't for something I was fond of, but I don't like this whole thing of you have to get the pattern through a yahoo group for some of them, its way too much hassle.

What types of stitching and design styles appeal to you most? What types and styles don't appeal?

I am a total sucker for counted whitework, such as hardanger, hedebo and the current Lefkaritika, and will spend hours and euros pursuing this. Of the regular designers, I like Indigo Rose and Drawn Thread very much, also Emie Bishop, I like stuff with specialty stitches. I'm interested in things with a historical basis, so other designers like Barrick Samplers appeal very much (I saw "Withering Tulips" yesterday on one site, I love that). I'm not very keen on things that are for Christmas or other "special occasions", especially American ones like Halloween. But I do like designers like Lizzie Kate and Heart in Hand who have nice things in GAST or WDW, with sayings that mean something to me, either on a frivolous or a deeper level.

You will have gathered from this that I have given up on work temporarily, I have a little headache, D has been either in his office screaming into the phone or out of his office screaming at one of us for most of the morning. I think he was screaming at Nicky for part of the time, which is unfair, as it was 3am in Chicago, for one thing. He also sent email in which he mis-spelled both "Nicky" and "Rosetta", which I think is just pig-ignorant after working with them both for a year.

I intend to spend the weekend recovering from the horrors of this week.......... I am hoping that I can find the folk museum open tomorrow, it is rumoured to have an excellent collection of Lefkaritika, but as it opens very rarely and not at the times on its noticeboard, it is very difficult to get to see this. I'm also going to go and buy a huge quantity of coton perle no 8, for future Lefkaritika and so on.