Happy New Year 2020!

Hello to you!

Well here it is my first article of 2020 and I'd like to wish you a wonderful New Year 2020! Let it be filled with love and laughter, happiness, lots of cross stitching, colour and wellness!

With this new year at it's beginning I wanted to take the opportunity to tell you a little bit about me. who I am and why I do what I do, so that all you new readers who've just joined us, get to know me a little better and also feel at home here. I want this blog to be a safe and nice space for you, where you'll feel good. I want you to feel relaxed and truly happy..once you do life seems to be easier and everything just falls into place. 
On this blog I'll talk to you about cross-stitch, embroidery, color and energy and share well-being tips for you to take time for yourself without feeling uneasy or guilty!

Who am I?

As most of my clients know, but for those of you who are new here, do not necessarily know, my name is Melanie. I was born 50 years ago (yikes) in Wimbledon in the suburbs of London, the first of three girls. My Dad is English and my Mother is French..so I'm lucky to have both nationalities.

I did all my schooling there, and yes in uniform and tie (a kilt even from ages 11 - 16) and knee high socks ... in a house like Harry Potter ... but with a little less magic than him ... I loved school ... Every summers (8 weeks) were spent in Perpignan at my maternal grandmother's (seamstress) .. the heat, the sea, the huge and tasty tomatoes and ... handicrafts (yuk) .. she taught me canvas embroidery, knitting and worse of all crochet ... for me it was waste of time - I could rather be in the sea ... but I got to spend time with her and for that there was no price ..

After my A levels (equivalent of the BAC), a French degree and a post graduate year in education , I leaned towards a career as a language teacher .. one side of my family was and still are teachers ... the other side are artists and colourists ... some of them even do both professions in one! Anyhow here I am teacher..a job that I always told myself was not for me..but in my veins ... in my guts ..

THE encounter that changed my Life

And then I meet Gilles ... in France ... at the beach near Perpignan..a brief holiday romance..with not much of a future ... or maybe not ... After 5 years of round-trips (and ups and downs) I find myself in Dijon, teaching English and still with Gilles. Every day walking to work, I had to go past a haberdashery, located next door. Every day I stopped to look in the window, then one day I went in. I bought a mini DMC Cross Stitch kit ... two teddy bears one pink and one blue..I quickly went home to stitch it .. the crosses went in all directions, it was ugly but I loved it ..and the sensations of the needle came back to me and memories of my grandmother too ...what joy ... 

The Start of the Beginning!

Then one day a desire to embroider an alphabet with the theme of the Catalan country came to me..but couldn't find it anywhere, it didn't exist..so I decide to create it myself and work on it for a year! Following the encouragements of my family and friends I design the chart and approach a haberdashery .. they contact me 7 days later to order 10 more... wow it's cool!

Catalan Sampler - 2004

The second Encounter that changed my Life! 

So armed with my new earned positiveness, I defy myself to create a design for a contest. I take my stitching to a frame shop in Salon. The owner asks me if I'm a cross stitch designer and if I can show her my drawings. A week later I come to collect my framed piece and I show her my drawings. She makes an offer I can't refuse.. she asks me to stitch some of my designs with her new hand dyed stitching thread range and see what I think ... well it looked great! My creative career was born that day..and Martine (The Fil Atalie) became my professional mentor and fairy godmother.. I was in the right hands! 

The Moral

Whilst writing this article, I realise all the wonderful opportunities I had and that my encounters throughout this story were truly guided. I am about to change the company's formula (it's been 15 years that I started it) . I will carry on with the embroidery designs, and the hand dyed fabrics and threads of course, but I'm going to introduce plenty of new and fresh ideas and add an approach that is a little different, to bring you even more pleasure and especially to make you feel good! It's my Mission!

The moral of this story (if there is one to be found) is that you have to trust your lucky stars and be open to everything, be flexible. Even when you think something is bad or negative or that something is blocking the road, there is a good reason why it's happening to us and I truly believe it's because there is an even better solution a little further along!

Where you are is exactly where you need to be.  THE moment for women to shine and come together in strength has arrived. This is an opportunity for you to take your space and attention you deserve. You are wonderful and full of talents that you have to share with the world. We will learn and grow together!

I really would like you to leave me a comment at the bottom of this article, or if you prefer to send me a message by mail tometlily@hotmail.com or on FB messenger. Tell me who you are and how you feel right now, what you are working on, or anything else that comes to mind!
See you soon!

Happy Stitching!
Melanie
xxxxxx