My Aunt Liz says my family is descended on one side from William the Conqueror and on the other side from Charlemagne. Maybe that's why I'm so interested in the Middle Ages, in particular the reigns (both France and England) of Eleanor of Aquitaine. One of my ancestors in the renaissance was named Cecily deRomilly, hence my name.

I don't have an excuse for my love of 18^th century and Victorian Europe (notice I don't say Britain) and the needlearts.

But all of the above led me into my chosen field. I'm a needlework designer, specializing in cross-stitch designs with a medieval/renaissance/fantasy theme. My design company is Golden Circle Designs, and offers a variety of designs, from cross-stitch to historically inspired designs for 18^th century clothing embellishment.

My favorite forms of needlework are the purely decorative. Although I do costuming for myself for my various reenactment activities, I don't particularly enjoy it. Except for the embellishment part. Right now I'm working on a pair of 18^th century pockets, two men's waistcoats, also 18^th century, and a gown (the embellishment is all going into the petticoats and stomacher). I wish I had the time to work on them consistently.