For a while, I worked as a self-employed IT recruiter while helping GeckoRouge behind the scenes with IT, web design, and anything else I could. It wasnāt easy juggling jobs, and although I knew recruitment wasnāt where I wanted to be, it helped me support Gecko financially in the early years, including buying our first stock of cones and fabric. Iāve always believed that some of the unexpected things in life happen for a reason and in 2015, everything changed overnight.
A burst Thames Water main caused a flash flood that swept through my street. Iād just come home from a friendās poker night, and about an hour later I looked outside and saw bins floating past. A pregnant neighbour had to be rescued in a dinghy. It was completely surreal, but in that moment, that small sense of stability disappeared.
Trying to carry on with recruitment without a home, a car, or any clear direction made the decision for me. So while still helping Gecko, I took on a few temp jobs to get by like customer service, sales, even strimming hedges for the council. I did what I could and waited for the moment Gecko could afford to pay me for a few hours a day.
Itās always been tight financially, and weāve definitely had our share of difficult days. The kind where you wonder if you should have just stayed in bed. As impossible as that would be, I know... but despite it all, I wouldnāt want to be anywhere else. Even though Iām not a cross stitcher š
I do love seeing the finished pieces. Itās so satisfying to see the end results and works in progress, especially when itās a design I created or charted. Even though Iāve been charting on and off for years, I still get those anxious moments right before pressing the ādisplayā button on the website. I double and triple check everything, print full-size test sheets to catch the details, run checks across multiple screens... and yet, every now and then, a silly mistake sneaks through.
I always get nervous watching Flosstubes so much so, Iāve been known to search the transcript first just to know whatās coming š Weāre incredibly lucky to have so many kind Geckos sharing their thoughts and experiences with the world. And sometimes, yes, thatās also how I find out if Iāve made a mistake, like the great Magpie incident, where the cover size had reverted to an older version and the fabric measurements were all wrong. So embarrassing.
Call it fate, but thanks to that unboxing video and the kind comments, I realised the error. And while it was costly to fix, Iām grateful it was spotted. Now I always double check that part too, every single time. And still worry for days afterwards.
When I see those kits stitched up, I feel a mix of excitement and relief š My biggest fear is that someone might spend months or even years on a piece, only to discover an issue at the very end. Thankfully, I donāt think thatās ever happened because of an error on our side. Any close calls have been caught early. But it's something Iām always conscious of, because the last thing Iād ever want is for someone to feel the exact opposite of what this is all meant to be about.