I have an anniversary coming up. Something I’m rather proud of. The Cross Stitch Guild was formed by yours truly back in 1996, so we are coming up to our 25th Anniversary in March 2021.
Looking back, I can pinpoint the moment the idea came to me. It really all happened because a customer came up to me at the Knitting & Stitching Show in some distress because someone on another stand had told her that her cross stitch was not real embroidery! I was incensed and said “I will start a Guild for people who count!” Within the week I had taken advice and started planning.
The Guild was formed as a Limited Company on 16th March 1996 and we had a big launch party at the Needlework Centre at Longleat, Wiltshire. I was so excited about the event as my parents were arriving for it and Lord and Lady Bath were guests of honour. The late Lord Bath had always been an eccentric man, but I thought he was just lovely. He wore a cross stitched waistcoat to the event and was absolutely charming throughout. My father, of course, reminded Lord Bath of the day they met him whilst the young Lord was washing all the family cars as some sort of punishment. Ho Hum.
I ran the CSG from a warehouse in Fairford (near our home in Gloucestershire) for many years and was wondering how I could keep up as I teetered towards my big Birthday and I could not have been luckier to find Andrea Thompson feeling the need of a career change and having itchy feet. Bear in mind this clever girl took a First in Mathematics at Sheffield Unniversity and has all her wits about her! A former CSG member and fellow stitching addict, she was just the person I needed to take the Guild on.
The Cross Stitch Guild is a worldwide organisation with a committed and enthusiastic body of members and deals with cross stitch and all other forms of counted embroidery including blackwork, hemstitch, pulled and drawn thread work, Hardanger and canvaswork.
Do check out thecrossstitchguild.com for more.
I am still working for the CSG and probably design or stitch something every day as well as thinking up things for you. I probably have the best job on earth!
