Paris Hilton takes her Cross ...... To Jail
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"Cross Stitch Tips and News"
Brought to you by Patterns Patch Publishing
June 16th 2007

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CONTENTS:

- Paris Hilton Takes her cross stitch project to jail.
- A Top Tip for Cross Stitch Heaven... Waste Canvas. What is it and
...
- Recent articles posted at PatternsPatch.com
- Cross Stitch Patterns Uploaded Since The Last Issue
- Recent "Tips & Techniques" Forum Posts

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Subject: Paris Hilton Takes her cross stitch project to jail.

I don't know whether the above statement is true or not but it
certainly has quite an effect. Let me explain what I mean by this.
Like everybody else who sends out a news letter our biggest problem
is getting people to actually open the email.

So, we take advice from the Gurus who tell us that to get people to
open your email the headline (subject line) must be a combination
of the mysterious, intriguing, perhaps a little titillating, and
above all, interesting.

Now one of the big internet market research company's in the US
carried out a test of this theory by sending out exactly the same
email no less than eight times to a huge list of people; but with
eight different subject lines (headlines). All eight subject lines
were carefully designed to get the email opened, with one them
alluding as to what Paris Hilton took with her to jail.

As you know with most email systems you can only read the subject
line, and sometimes the top line or two of the contents.

By using a simple piece of tracking software the testers recorded
not only how many emails were opened but also the "popularity" of
the eight different subject lines. I'm sure you can see where this
is going... and yes! You're right. The Paris Hilton subject line
won by the length of the proverbial street!

Boy, do we live in strange times!!!

  ~X~

Our three winners (and their entries) from June 2nd issue's
competition: to complete the final paragraph on King Arthur's
Quest... What is the moral of the story?

The moral is that it doesn't matter if a woman is pretty or ugly,
smart or dumb. Underneath it all she's still... 

* Sandra from Philadelphia (a woman worthy of unconditional love
and independence).

* Mara from Albertville (wants to be accepted and loved
as she is, good or bad, ugly or beautiful).

* Sarah from Nashville (a lady who deserves to be loved and
respected).

All three winners have received a copy of our new Cross Stitch
e-book "Cross Stitch Made Easy: A Guide For Beginners ~ Get it
Right The First Time, Every Time".

The book will be offered for sale towards the end of July in our
new Store, and yes it will be discounted for Members.

  ~X~

Now then folks, who'd like an incentive? "We all would", I hear you
cry. OK! Well here's an incentive that MANY of you can buy into.
There are more than 130 cross stitch patterns in the Download
library. And that number will DOUBLE in the next year.

The incentive, for the first member to post a photograph of a
completed Patterns Patch Cross-Stitch pattern (what a mouth full!)
from the Download library, is to win a complete kit of their choice
(from the Download library).

The kits will include all supplies, charts, and instructions.

Put simply, what this means is the first member to complete and
submit a photograph of, say "The Milkmaid", wins a kit of their
choice... as does the first member to complete "The Big 5"... and
so does the first member to complete "The Last Supper"... and so on.

So, as you can see there's a nice little incentive for 100+ members
... and WE could be extremely busy assembling kits.

 ~X~

Reader Elizabeth emailed us from New Zealand last week requesting
help in tracking down a collection of "Sepia" Cross Stitch kits.
Fortunately we were able to find out who supplies them and the
details were duly passed on.

This got Leni thinking and so she set to and quickly created a
nice, neat artistic Sepia pattern of her own. From the next issue
we'll be trialling one Sepia pattern per issue for a while until we
get a feel for how well they are being received. We'll need your
feedback here folks.

Oh, and a little surprise will soon be on its way to New Zealand.

   ~X~

As a follow up to the noble knights' adventures in the last issue,
here's something both totally different, or somewhat similar
(depends upon how you look at it ;o)

You'll need Microsoft Office PowerPoint on you computer to be able
to view the presentation and it takes a while to open. I promise
those of you who DO open it WILL absolutely adore what awaits.

When you've opened it, wait for three or four seconds then click
anywhere on your screen to move to the next page ~ enjoy!

To open the presentation:

1. Click on this link:

   http://www.patternspatch.com/snip/106.htm

2. If you have PowerPoint on your PC, a window will open giving you
the choice of opening the presentation now or saving it to disc
(i.e, your hard drive).

3. Choose Open (you can always save it to disc later) and prepare
to be "moved". When opened, don't forget to click on each page to
get to the next screen.
     
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A Top Tip for Cross Stitch Heaven...
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Waste Canvas! What Is It and Where Do I Use It?

Waste Canvas is a grid of thread that is held together with a
starch glue agent. It functions as a guide material to stitch on
non evenweave type fabrics such as clothing, bedding, wall
hangings, and... you get the idea.

Fixing waste canvas to the pocket on, say a dress or pair of jeans
enables you to stitch a neat pattern of the correct size. When the
pattern has been completely stitched you remove the waste canvas,
thereby leaving a neat counted cross stitch pattern on the piece of
clothing.

To cross stitch onto a piece of waste canvas, you will need a
crewel needle -- a size nine if you're using 14-count canvas or a
size three if you're working on 18-count canvas.

To find the center of the canvas, fold the material in half. Then,
fold it in half the other way too. Mark the center point with a
pencil or tacking stitch. Now, you are ready to attach the waste
canvas to your fabric by putting a few tacking stitches all the way
round.

Make sure you're using good quality threads so the colors don't run
because items of clothing get washed regularly. Now, stitch your
motif or pattern to the waste canvas AND the fabric beneath, using
the squares of the canvas as if you would use Aida or evenweave
fabric.

Position your stitches with great care, as the squares of the waste
canvas are larger than your material. Stitch through the middle of
the hole to get a normal sized stitch. See that the points of the
crosses touch each other or there will be ugly and visible gaps.

After you finish stitching the motif, it's time to remove the
canvas. You do this by lightly wetting the waste canvas (and so
loosening the glue) then remove the tacking stitches. Now take a
pair of tweezers or small narrow-pointed pliers and carefully pull
out the waste canvas threads one-by-one, altering the direction of
pull to avoid distortion.

When all the waste canvas threads have been removed you'll need to
check for loose or missing stitches, which can be tidied or added
with a sharp needle.

  ------------------------------------
We've repeated this tip from the last issue because as new member
Sandye pointed out, a couple of important facts weren't clear (my
fault I'm afraid ~ apologies to all! And a special thank you to
Sandye).

An Alternative Way to Anchor Your Thread

One way to anchor your thread when you begin stitching is by using
the loop method. Use this only to begin your very first stitch in
the center. This method works particularly well when you are
stitching with two strands (or any even number of threads).

This example is for a two-thread requirement. Using a single
strand, start by measuring out twice as much thread as usual ~ 36"
(90cm). Then, fold the thread in half and put either the loop or
both loose ends through the eye of your needle.

Pull the thread through the needle, until the needle is closest to
the loop end. Leave at least six inches (15 cm) between the needle
and the loop.

From below, push the needle through at the spot where you want to
anchor the thread, but only pull most of the thread through the
hole. Leave a 2-3" (5-8cm) loop on the underside of your fabric.
Complete your stitch as usual by pushing the needle back through to
the underside.

Next, put the needle through the loop, and pull the thread so the
loop closes. You now have anchored your thread.

One thing to keep in mind when you use this method is it works best
with single-color thread rather than variegated.

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RECENT ARTICLES POSTED AT PATTERNS PATCH:
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1. Finding the Correct Threads for Your Project

Any beginner cross-stitcher can get a little overwhelmed in the
cross-stitch section of the craft store.  There are all kinds of
fabric, designs, and threads that can be used for different
projects. One of the areas that tends to get to stitchers is the
multitude of embroidery floss available for projects...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/143.cfm >

   ~X~

2. The Joy of Jobelan Fabric

Jobelan fabric is great to use on cross stitch projects where you
want an old-fashioned or elegant appearance. Since it is an
evenweave fabric, Jobelan has an even number of threads running
both vertically and horizontally. One advantage to evenweave
fabrics is that they are softer than Aida. In fact, Jobelan is
smoother and softer than Aida and most linens...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/240.cfm >

   ~X~

3. Cross Stitch and The Healing Properties of Wild Flowers

Wildflowers and herbs have been useful to mankind in many ways,
ever since the beginning of our history, other than subject matter
for art and needlepoint.  Lately, alternative medicine has taken
over part of the front seat for medicinal purposes, due to the each
individual wanting some say-so in their medical choices...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/112.cfm >

   ~X~

This is just a small sample of the more than 100 cross stitch
articles enjoyed by our members. If you'd like to read more,
click here to become a member
< https://www.patternspatch.com/public/5.cfm > joining is easy!

===============================================================
CROSS STITCH PATTERNS UPLOADED SINCE THE LAST ISSUE
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We're giving EVERYONE who reads this letter a FR^E Bonus cross
stitch pattern ~ Follow the download instructions carefully
and email me john@patternspatch.com if you have any problems.

To view full-sized illustrations of this week's FREE downloads (for
members), go here
< http://www.PatternsPatch.com/public/267.cfm >

You'll find additional information and can also leave comments
and rank (from 1 to 5) each download, if you wish.

   ~X~

 ** Downloads For Members Only **

- "Little Hope" by Dona Gelsinger

- "Light of Peace" by Thomas Kinkade
 
- "Navayo Weaver" by Vincent Ferrato

- "Summer on The River" by Kevin Walsh

- "The Weary Poker Pup" by Jenny Newland

 ** BONUS Download for ALL Readers **

- "The 55 Chevy" by David Lindsley

The download page for your bonus pattern is here:
< http://www.PatternsPatch.com/public/262.cfm >

Please note that you have until the next issue of your
"Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter to download this pattern.
After then it will be available only to Members in the
Download Library.

   ~X~

We're trying to introduce as wide a range as possible in the
download library to cater for all tastes. So if there's a
theme we've missed that you'd like to see patterns for, then
please drop me a quick email to the address towards the
bottom of this letter.

To view this week's gallery, here's the link again
< http://www.PatternsPatch.com/public/267.cfm >

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RECENT "TIPS & TECHNIQUES FORUM POSTS
==============================================================
We believe there's been further link problems. Since the last issue
we've acquired a link shrinker, which should resolve the problem in
the future.

The Tips and Techniques forum has continued to post many
interesting threads. If you haven't taken part yet, why not
take a look and maybe join in. Hey! You might even enjoy it.

   ~X~
   
1. Washing an Older Finished Piece...
   
Member "Slckstitcher" posted this query, which, so far has
attracted 18 replies.   
   
"My fiance's relative just "inherited" some older completed pieces
from a friend of hers. She wants to "save" some of the finished
pieces and make them into a quilt, pillow, etc. and give them back
to her friend. The friend's mother stitched these years ago and had
them hanging on the wall. The problem is there was no glass in the
frame, and they were both heavy smokers. The pieces are all
yellowed from the cigarette smoke.

We wanted to wash the pieces and weren't sure: 1) how to do it
safely without ruining the piece, and 2) can the yellowing be taken
out just by washing the pieces or is there something special we'd
need to do to them?

Any suggestions anyone has would be greatly appreciated."

 ------------------------------------
 
"You might first test the floss to see if the color bleeds. If it
doesn't, I would wash the pieces by hand, in a sink or tub, with
woolite, then hang them outside in a shady place to dry. It might
take several washings but the items should freshen up nicely."
   
"I also have used Woolite for years and have never had a
problem...I wash the piece in cold water, roll it up tightly in a
towel to remove excess water and let it dry..."  
   
Read the rest of the discussion here:   
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/102.htm
 
    ~X~  

2. Removing Rust Stains...

Member "Mamab" posted this question, which, so far has also
attracted 18 replies.

"I don't recall this being asked before, but I need help removing
rust where I left the needle in the fabric too long. Does anyone
have any ideas on how to get rid of it without ruining the whole
piece?"

------------------------------------

"If the material is white, you can use lemon juice and salt on it
and place it in the sun...it acts as a natural bleach."

Read the rest of the discussion here:
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/100.htm

   ~X~

3. Pricing Completed Cross Stitch Pieces.

Member "Sagemother" posted this question, which again has
attracted 18 replies.

"I don't know how many of you sell your work but what is a good
formula for pricing?"

------------------------------------

"I think small pieces would be the way to go. I picture things like
gift bookmarks laminated after they are finished, or cute name
plates/tags for a teenager's room. Do not disturb signs would be
cute too."

"Years ago a friend suggested three (3) times the cost of materials
as a fair price for hand-made craft items. That just doesn't seem
to be enough for cross-stitch, especially the more difficult
designs."

Read the rest of the discussion here:
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/101.htm

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This newsletter is still being developed and will be shaped
according to the wishes of its readers. If there's anything you
do or don't like (or missing), from the newsletter, please send
a short email to john@patternspatch.com telling me what you'd like.

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

Sincerely,

John Wigham

PS If you're not already a member, why not? You're missing out
on so much! click here to join now:

< https://www.patternspatch.com/public/5.cfm > joining is easy!

You next "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter will appear on
Saturday June 30th 2007.
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Missed an issue of our Cross Stitch Tips & News letter?  Find them
all at
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/department27.cfm >
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