I'm leaving on a jet plane,



My preferred airline



Madame Muriel here, reporting on my difficult decision regarding my next hostess.  I really was spoilt for choice, from Cornwall (relatively close to my current home) or back to the antipodes via Europe, America and Canada.

I've been offered music, sun, sunsets, cacti, candy, tea, scones and cocktails as well as stitching and the company of other like-minded people at stitching groups.  There even appears to be a job offer from Julie and Becky!

I was tempted by the class on sym-stitching, an unknown quantity for me but in the end I decided to emulate one of my hostess' favourite bloggers and let the Compote of Decree decide.

Here is a map indicating the area I will be travelling to:

So that narrows it down to two potential hostesses.  Here is another clue:

The final clue, a picture of my new hostess:

Who could resist an invitation from this lovely lady?  Her name is Zoe and she lodges with a charming couple called Gracie and Mr. H.  More details on Zoe's life and her pet's stitching can be found here at Needles Pins and Dragonflies.

I am very excited to be heading back to the US of A.  I thoroughly enjoyed my last visit with a canine host (read all about it on Stewey's blog here) and I can only hope that Zoe's pet is slightly more on the sane side of lunacy than Stewey's poor dear Spinster.  There is a Mr. H. so I feel all will be well in Arizona.

My hostess is currently running around sorting out my travelling accomodation muttering "English things, I must send English things".  So Zoe, if you would like some black pudding now is the chance to speak up and request it.

Finally, my hostess stitched a lovely card for a good friend of mine - Maggie.  Maggie is Anna the Stitch Bitch's grandmother of Maggie Monday fame.  This year Maggie is 90 years young.  She is actually Anna's real Grandmom not a substitute.  (in-jokes for regular Stitch Bitch followers).  Her devoted granddaughter was attempting to give Maggie 90 cards for her 90th Birthday.  She failed.    She gave her 106!  Including one from the President and Mrs O themselves.

My hostess stitched the backstitch first, then coloured the numbers in with one of her ubiquitous felt-tipped pen, a green this time.  Then she stitched the pink, blue and green flowers and leaves.  A very pleasant effect.  She did not have marguerita glasses so used with twin wine glasses stickers to decorate the cards.