Paris Hilton Comes Up Smelling Of Roses ... Yet Again!!
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"Cross Stitch Tips and News"
Brought to you by Patterns Patch Publishing
June 30th 2007

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CONTENTS:

- Paris Hilton Comes Up Smelling Of Roses ~ Yet Again!!
- A Top Tip for Cross Stitch Heaven... Reversible Stitches
- 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 Comes Up Smelling Of Roses ~ Yet Again!!

In the last issue of this letter I told you about the problems we
have in "encouraging" subscribers to open their emails and where
Paris Hilton fitted into this. Well amazingly, thanks to good ol'
Paris, our opening rate soared by an amazing 87% (yes, eighty seven
percent). To say we were stunned when first looking at the figures
is putting it mildly and made us think long and hard why this could
be... and we certainly have to give the Guru's respect because they
called it correctly.

Now, you can find pretty well anything you want on the Internet.
So, a quick search for "Most searched for keywords" produced a list
from a professional outfit "WordTracker" who consolidate the
findings of the eight most popular search engines ~ from Google and
Yahoo down to Mama and Dogpile (what a great name) ~ and what
interesting reading that list makes.

The usual suspects were at the top: myspace, google, yahoo, eBay
... with our pal Paris in 10th place. Further down were a whole
host of less familiar names. There was Rihanna and Fergie (a couple
of R&B singers), Jessica Alba (a young actress), followed by some
rather more familiar names packing well in the early 30's (Madonna,
Pamela Anderson and Britney Spears). Down at number 50 was Abba,
and how many years have they been retired?

We stopped at this point and do you think, after all this, we're any
wiser? Not really but don't be surprised if you see some strange
but intriguing headlines in future issues.

     ~X~

HELP!!! We need some help from our dear members. We urgently need
testimonials for Patterns Patch. Any member who will kindly send a
testimonial of say, three or four sentences, together with their
name and location will have our heartfelt thanks, which extends to
a free copy of our new book: "Cross Stitch Made Easy, A Guide For
Beginners ~ Get It Right The First Time Every Time."

Here's what one of the testifiers had to say about our book:

"The e-book is well put together. I have one or two other books on
cross-stitch methods and I like them but yours stood out from the
other ones I have. The pictures are great and easy to understand,
the directions are concise and easy to follow, and the back-ground
information on the needed supplies is wonderful.

You even included some advanced stitches, one of which I have never
seen before (ex: Needlelace Flower), bead work, and even mounting
and displaying. Anyone that would want to learn to cross-stitch
should get and read this book."

We have many more similar testimonials for this excellent Cross
Stitch book so if you'd like a fre* copy, please write telling us
what you like about Patterns Patch.

     ~X~

Next month sees the launch of our new Cross Stitch Store, which
will of course be part of the Patterns Patch website. The products
in the store will range from fre* to heavily discounted for
members. One range that will definitely interest some members is
our made-up kits.

What this means is when members download a pattern and decide to
stitch it, they can, if they wish, order the kit from Patterns
Patch and we'll then assemble the kit and send it to wherever they
live in the world. In the store, the prices and postage will be
clearly displayed for each kit, so you'll know in advance what the
cost will be to the nearest penny.

Watch this space in late July.
     
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A TOP TIP FOR CROSS STITCH HEAVEN...
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Reversible stitches

When done, the reversible cross stitch forms a cross stitch on the
underside of your material. Usually, this is done on evenweave, and
the effect is little more than a dot of color, visible through the
hole of the material. This one normal cross stitch is followed by a
reversible stitch, that helps create a recurring pattern of cross,
dot, cross, dot. Done over an extended space, these reversible
stitches produce a vertical stitch at the end. But if you work this
on Aida, you end up with a gap about one stitch in size between the
stitches on the front.

To get this effect, first stitch the first diagonal as normal, but
instead of making a vertical stitch on the back, make a diagonal
stitch in the other direction. If you do this, it brings the needle
through the material in the perfect place, ready for the next
stitch -- or a zig zag effect with half a zig zag at the back of the
material.

When you reach the end of the row, make a vertical stitch and then
return down the row in much the same way, but this time stitch the
other diagonal on the front. The result: you have a row of cross
stitches of every alternate on the front of the material and the
same on the back of it.

While it's true this technique can be time-consuming, it
nevertheless can make for an interesting change to an otherwise
mundane project, and is well worth trying when you're seeking a
little inspiration.

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RECENT ARTICLES POSTED AT PATTERNS PATCH:
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1. The Rich and Varied Traditions of Hungarian Cross Stitch

Hungarian cross stitch is a form of embroidery that dates back to
the year 1000.  This unique style of cross stitching displays the
authentic style of folk craft that has originated from Hungary and
is so admired by many. The oldest embroidery relic from Hungary is
a king's robe that dates back to the year 1000. This item is an
extraordinary relic that is displayed in Budapest at the Hungarian
National Museum...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/190.cfm >

   ~X~

2. Cross Stitch Bookmarks: A Great Alternative to Cards

As cross stitchers, we love to create personalised cards for our
nearest and dearest on birthdays, at Christmas or other special
times. The chances are that these cards are much appreciated by the
recipients, displayed prominently for a few days, and then...
perhaps placed in a drawer or a cupboard, where they will stay for
many more months, rarely seen. Here's an idea...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/122.cfm >

   ~X~

3. Fabric: What's Right for Your Next Cross Stitch Project?

A few months ago some friends and I were chatting about which
fabric we enjoyed cross stitching on, and it seemed that we all had
strong allegiances to our favourites -- aida and evenweave. Then we
asked ourselves why we chose these fabrics... and discovered with
some disappointment that we tended to use a particular fabric
because we were familiar with it, rather than for any other reason.
I decided to experiment with different fabrics over the next few
weeks, and was pleasantly surprised to discover a new dimension to
my stitching...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/132.cfm >

   ~X~

This is just a small sample of the more than 130 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/269.cfm >

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

   ~X~

 ** Patterns For Members Only **

- "We Three Kings" by Susan Crawford

- "Bottoms Up" by Thomas Kinkade
 
- "Noah's Ark" by Charles Viola

- "The Gathering" by Kevin Daniel

         ** SEPIA Pattern For Members Only **

- "Sensibility" by Rosemary Babikan

 ** BONUS Download for ALL Readers **

- "Born Hunters" by Gary Ampel

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/269.cfm >

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RECENT "TIPS & TECHNIQUES FORUM POSTS
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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. Looking For A Pattern...
   
Member "Duchess" posted this query, which, so far has
attracted 21 replies and is set to run and run...   
   
"Does anyone know of a pattern for a land surveyor? I can't find
one and would really like to do one for a friend of mine. ."

 ------------------------------------
 
"I've never seen a pattern for this...but what a wonderful
solution. It is just amazing that there is nothing out of the reach
of cross stitchers today!!!!"

"I think that's an awesome service, and one that's probably needed
quite a bit. I know I've seen some projects in the past, but then
lost track of them. I might have to see if I can remember which one
I wanted most..."
   
"I really think it would be beautiful and something you all would
cherish... I like the vines made out of the names and I think the
idea of a poem in the center is really nice:) ..."  
   
Read the rest of the discussion here:   
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/107.htm
 
    ~X~  

2. What Gets YOU Motivated?...

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

"I'm working on "Barnyard Kitties" which is a Dimensions kit. I'm
stitching this for a friend of mine who has recently beat breast
cancer!"

"I've been working on this for a year and feel like I'm getting
nowhere on it. It's dark colors on black aida and very hard to work
on."

"My question is this....

when you're working on a piece that you just don't want to do, how
do you stay motivated in order to complete it?"

"Usually I try to do 3 needles worth of work on this project before
allowing myself to work on something more enjoyable. Just wondering
if there's a better motivational system out there though, as this
is getting old and I still feel like I'm getting nowhere on this
piece."

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

"I would try to set a time when I wanted to have it finished and
try to concentrate more on wanting to make the timeline you have
created... might make it a bit easier having a goal to work towards
:)"

"It also seems to help when I think of giving the gift and the joy
it will bring...Just set reachable (not overwhelming) goals and
enjoy the feeling of accomplishment."

"When I find myself in a position like this, I usually set myself a
goal. When I've then reached the goal, I treat myself with
something very nice, like the nicest piece of Toffee fudge. So why
not set yourself a goal and treat yourself with something that you
really like?"

Read the rest of the discussion here:
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/108.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 July 14th 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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