Cross Stitch Tips & News

Your Free Cross Stitch Tips & News letter is brought to you be Patterns Patch Publishing and is issued every two weeks, usually on a Saturday

We Have A Winner

A big thank you to everybody who entered our competition... some people sent in several entries. Unfortunately, there can only be one winner and that lucky winner, of this our very first competition is... Julie R from the UK.

Julie wins the cross stitch kit (value $50) of her choice from our Download Library ~ we'll let you know in the next issue which pattern Julie selects.

We also had three runners-up: Florrie, Annemari and Valerie. It didn't feel right to let them leave empty handed so we've given them a complimentary membership to Patterns Patch by way of compensation for having gotten so close.

Just in case you'd like to know what the error was, you'll see that Steps 2, 3 and 4 were completely wrong in the section immediately below. This was thanks to my PC crashing at a most inopportune moment. The correct Steps 2, 3, and 4 are listed further though this newsletter.

Several weeks ago I mentioned we were talking to a number of cross stitch designers with a view to offering some new lines of patterns for members to download.

Well! This week I'm delighted to announce we shall shortly be including cross stitch patterns by "Nanae" a young Japanese designer who specialises in the Japanese "Manga" Style of illustration.

The Manga style is perhaps best likened to slightly comical, or cartoon-like characters. Look out for Nanae's first offering next week.

A Top Tip For Cross Stitch Heaven

Recent Articles

Here is a taster of some of our most recent Cross Stitch articles. There's a further selection of articles in our Sample Articles section and many more under "Feature Articles".

There are a number of reasons for taking up cross stitch, ten of which are shown below, so continue reading then pop off to your local craft shop and start your cross stitching career today... Keep Reading

When we begin to design our cross stitch, we love to choose our favorite colors, running the colored threads through our fingers. The colors of blues, greens, yellows, reds, and purples, for example, offer emotional impact and visual appreciation to the eye. We think of specific threads that we would like to use for a particular look we are striving for: silken or cotton threads for roughened texture or softened feelings... Keep Reading

The ancient art of cross-stitching a wedding sampler has many meanings for the future of the bride and groom, embodying their hopes and dreams for their wedding day, and the life they will soon be sharing. Each cross-stitch design is a symbol of the life to come and is ... Keep Reading

Here's a couple of popular discussion threads from our Tips & Techniques forum:

"Does anyone out there have a letter they send to other designers to ask for permission to use the stitched product from the patterns you buy from the stores to sell the finished piece at craft fairs, or to ask for permission to convert something you would like to do in a cross stitch pattern.

Member Katherine sparked off an thoughtful exchange of ideas with this question:

"I've heard people talking about waste canvas. Is this just canvas that is no good for anything else?

I probably sound like an idiot asking this question but I really am curious as to why people would buy fabric that is no good! I'm obviously missing something.".

To view larger-sized illustrations of this issue's FREE downloads for members, Click Here. You'll find additional information and can also leave comments and rank (from 1 to 5) each download, if you wish.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 15.5" x 20.0" (39.4cm x 50.6cm)
No. of Stitches: 217 x 280.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 14.0" x 13.4" (35.6cm x 34.1cm)
No. of Stitches: 196 x 188.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 18.9" x 16.6" (48.1cm x 42.1cm)
No. of Stitches: 265 x 232.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 16.1" x 19.1" (40.8cm x 48.4cm)
No. of Stitches: 225 x 267.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 18.7" x 14.5" (47.5cm x 36.8cm)
No. of Stitches: 262 x 203.

Pattern Size:
Measurements: 9.3" x 11.1" (23.6cm x 28.1cm)
No. of Stitches: 130x 155.

Here's the link to view this issue's FREE patterns for members. You'll find additional information, plus you can also leave comments and rank how well you rate each pattern's picture.

This issue's puzzle is a familiar tale. Next month, we'll start awarding prizes to the winners.

"A couple with teenage, twin daughters was finding it difficult to keep track of their daughters' dating lives. Kiri, who was sweeter and quieter than Kaylie, was dating a football running back named Jared. Kaylie, who was rather wild, was currently dating a drummer named Dave.

Dave drove a small, black car with white fangs painted on the side, had a nose ring and always sported several henna tattoos. Although clean-cut Jared, who dressed more conservatively, seemed like a nice boy, their parents were still cautious. They were ever vigilant about who was coming and/or going. The rule was: no boys in the house when Mom and Dad aren't home.

One rainy afternoon, the parents went to the mall for some shopping. Upon returning, they found evidence that a boy had been in the house while they were out. Three glasses, with just the ice left in them, sat on the kitchen counter. The parents assumed two of the glasses belonged to their twins and set about discovering whom the third glass belonged to.

When they queried their daughters, each denied that their boyfriend had been over, so Mom and Dad called up Jared and Dave on their cell phones and asked them to come over for a talk.

After the boys parked and entered, Mom asked them to sit at the kitchen table for a little visit. Thus began her interrogation. She asked each in turn if they had been over while the girls were alone. Each replied no. Dave, dressed all in black, said he had been at the library studying for over two hours. The library was only a few blocks away, but he insisted he had a lot of studying to do and was too busy to come over. She noted that he was not wet from the rain, but that didn't prove anything as he could have driven. On the other hand, he offered his completed homework as evidence that he was telling the truth.

Jared's explanation was that he had been over an hour away in Dawson picking up a load of hay from his brother. They had tossed around the pig skin in the front yard for a bit before he headed back. He was only just arriving back in town when he received their call. Sure enough, in the back of his red truck, was a large stack of bales, barely visible beneath a blue tarp. That certainly lent credibility to his explanation. His fleece sweatshirt, with his number 22 on it was dry, but then it could have dried during the drive back.

By that time, Dad had come in the house and was listening to their explanations. He had been studying each boy carefully, pausing only a moment when he spotted Dave's tattoo of a centaur. Nothing seemed noteworthy. He waited patiently until the boys had finished their explanations and then accused one of them of being in his house while he had been out. Who did he accuse and why?"

Here's a hint: Dad noticed a large, nearly dry area in the gravel drive, but what really gave it away was the boys' appearance.

Do you have any views or opinions you would like to see included in tip of the week? If so, send me an email at john@patternspatch.com

... and finally, if you have children, give them a hug and tell them you love them.