Do you have a Hobby?

Do you have a hobby that you enjoy doing? Obviously I'm into Stamping and Scrapbooking, but what else am I "into" doing? For my "book of Sandie" I've got pages about all sorts of little things like the meaning of my name, some family traditions that I have started with my own family. Yet I yearn to get more into "me" things. For instance I want to be able to show future generations my passion for cooking. I had such a blast taking the Cheesecake Class with a real Pastry Chef last year. It was such an amazing experience! I'm now know in some local circles as the "Cheesecake Lady". I love to bake many varieties of cheesecakes! I'm also into gourmet cooking, Italian being my all time favorite! I plan on joining a Gourmet Cooking group this fall.

Counted Cross Stitching- I learned how to do this my first winter in Maine 1990. I knew how to do embroidery and needlepoint (to some extent) but have never tried counted cross stitching. I took a class at a local craft and hobby store. I was hooked! Then my friend Lori Schiffer showed me some other tricks of the trade and my love of cross stitching was born! I had been stitching off and on for about 10 years when I had met my friend Susan Schuster. Oh my gosh her work was the BEST I had ever seen! We're talking Guild Quality work here folks! Susan is responsible for getting me re-interested in cross stitching. She's such an enabler, oh my gosh she would take me to these wonderful hole in the wall needle work shops. The artwork displayed on the walls was amazing! It made me feel warm inside. These were the things that I wanted to have hanging on the walls of my home. Remember how I said that Susan was an enabler...well she introduced me to hand dyed threads. Lets just say that cross stitching has never been the same for me since that day! Through Susan's help I realized where my stitching passions lay, it was in Samplers! I have a true fascination with them. Susan helped me to get motivated to do more intricate needlework projects and I in return have encouraged and gotten her motivated and excited about trying new and different things in Scrapbooking.

Quilting- I've done a small project here and there. But my true desire and aspiration is to make quilts for all of the beds in my house! I also want to make Christmas quilts for all of us. For a wedding gift to my children I want to be able to present them with a beautiful handmade quilt...from and made by me! I plan on joining the OSC quilting group this fall and to take some classes from the local quilting stores.