Cross Stitch Club: More FR*E Memberships up for grabs... ================================================================

"Cross Stitch Tips and News" Brought to you by Patterns Patch Publishing August 11th 2007 ================================================================ CONTENTS: - More FR*E Memberships up for grabs...

- A Top Tip for Cross Stitch Heaven... Excellent lighting for

- Recent articles posted at PatternsPatch.com

- Cross Stitch Patterns Uploaded Since The Last Issue

- Recent "Tips & Techniques" Forum Posts

================================================================

 Subject: There are more FR*E Memberships up for grabs...

Thank you to all of you who asked for a fr*e membership in the last issue. Unfortunately there can only be one winner, but we are going to offer at least one fr*e membership (for three months) for those who ask, with each future issue of this letter (more later).

~X~

From reading the posts in the forums, we can see many of our members enjoy photography... and if you're thinking, "Me too!", we just might have a treat for you, because in this issue we'd like to show you a superb photo management tool from Google (and it's FREE), which allows you to do pretty well what you want with your photos... it's called Picasa and what's more it's VERY easy to use.

* After you've downloaded and installed Picasa on your PC you then run the program and it will locate every single photo on your computer ~ including those you'd long forgotten or thought were lost.

* Following that, you can organise, edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks of your mouse.

* Share your photos with others through email, prints and on the web: it's fast, easy and free.

I could go on and on here about Picasa's benefits and features but will give you a link shortly where you can go and check everything out yourself. In short, Google Picasa is a fantastic image gallery application, which allows you to search for, edit and view all the pictures, images and video stored on your computer.

But it does MUCH, much more than that because it it also provides a simple upload interface that you can use to upload your images to a web album at Google for viewing by the general public or limited to your family and friends.

You can download a free copy of the program here: http://picasa.google.com/

After clicking on the above link, if you wish to know more before downloading Picasa, scroll a few inches down the left column to the entry "Take your photos further with Picasa from Google" and click on the 'Learn More' link.

Here you'll find an overview of all Picasa's features. It's well worth reading.

In case you think there's a catch ~ I can assure you there isn't, it's all Fr^e (our favorite price remember). We've simply found this excellent piece of software that we want to share with you ~ our members and subscribers ~ enjoy!

~X~

As mentioned above we're offering members and subscribers the chance to win three-months fr*e membership to Patterns Patch.

How this will work is as follows: Somewhere in all future letters there will be a brief entry that says, "If you'd like to try and win a fr*e membership, reply with the word 'Mercury' in your email subject line". Note that this word will change with every future issue.

Our offer of free membership is open to both members of Patterns Patch and subscribers to our fortnightly "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter.

Since we believe in rewarding perseverance your entries will be cumulative. Which means if this was the fourth time you've asked, you'll have four entries in the draw, whereas a member or subscriber who only asks once will only have one entry in the draw... and only those who are in the current draw are eligible for entry.

If the winner is a member, then we'll refund you three month's subscriptions. Obviously, if the winner's a non-member then the prize is free access to the complete community for three months. At the end of their fr*e membership period, winners must start asking again.

IF there are sufficient requests we'll draw a second, and possibly third prize of two and one month's memberships respectively.

So! If you'd like to be in with a chance of winning three-month's fr*e membership, just ask me: john@patternspatch.com and put 'Mercury' in the subject line ~ please don't write anything else, I'll understand what it means.

The winner and any runner-up will be always be announced in the following issue. I hope this is all clear. If not, please send any questions to john@patternspatch.com and we'll include them in the next issue, since it's rare for a query to be unique to a single person.

~X~

Oops, nearly forgot, the winner of our 1st draw for three-month free membership is:

*~* Bill Jones (from Canada (?)) *~*

Commiserations to those who didn't win this week. But hey, perseverance is a virtue; try again next week ~ it could be YOU!

===============================================================

A TOP TIP FOR CROSS STITCH HEAVEN...

================================================================ Excellent lighting for your cross stitch

Ideally, you need the best lighting you can while you cross stitch, it can, and often does, make a world of difference to your work, and to the ease with which you make progress each day.

With good lighting, irrespective of the time of day or night, you can see subtley different colors as they really are or the tiny holes in your fabric. True, there's nothing to beat natural lighting, but that only means you don't work after sunset.

For many of us with our busy lives, evenings are the only time of day when we can indulge ourselves in stitching. Fortunately, fluorescent and incandescent lamps are now available in different colors.

But the catch is that if you don't get the right color of incandescent lamp, you will run into problems of color changes, you can minimize this by making sure you use "daylight" bulbs.

The ideal choice for cross stitchers is fluorescent light as this is the closest to natural light, followed by halogen lamps. If you want to spoil yourself, you can choose to have either a table top or floor standing lamp, depending on which one you prefer and your work space.

If you're thinking about buying a new lamp for stitching, consider the following:

* Check that your lamp is multi-purpose.

* Does it have a magnifying lens, adjustable arms to focus light where you need it more, and trays to hold your needlework accessories?

* Better still, does it have castors? If it has all (or most) of these, try it out and check out your comfort level before actually putting down good money for it. If after all that, it is still the ideal light, buy it and enjoy its benefits while you stitch away the night!

================================================================

RECENT ARTICLES POSTED AT PATTERNS PATCH:

================================================================

We've had several challenging query's in recent weeks on the lines off, "How do I know your website's any good?". My reply is something like, "Try us for a month. If you enjoy your month, then we're good for you. If not, move on".

We have a couple of articles on precisely this, so have included both this week... plus Rudolph and his pals have started pre-season training!

1. How to Choose the Right Membership Website For You.

There are hundreds of websites today that are dedicated to the art of cross stitch so it can be quite difficult choosing that special one to join over and above the rest. Below are a few things to consider when making the choice... Read the full article by going here:

< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/104.cfm >

 ~X~

2. What to Look For in a Good Membership Website.

When I look for a cross-stitch website membership online, I personally look for them to be there for me all day, every day -- or 99% close to it. If not, why did I join?

Most people who work the Internet are not just the "8 to 5" type; they like working whenever they feel like it. This could be all night long or late evenings...OR maybe the early mornings. And they could be like me -- or perhaps not...

Read the full article by going here:

< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/125.cfm >

 ~X~

3. Cross Stitch and Santa Claus

Despite it being mid-August, Christmas really isn't that far off. There's still time to plan and stitch those Christmas specials.

Cross stitch is becoming increasingly popular today, and it is also becoming more accessible through information on the Internet. We can shop or check prices and charts online. If you have researched Christmas thoroughly, you will know that the most popular cross-stitch Christmas items depend on the part of the world in which you live.

In my country (the US), angels and Santa Claus are two of the favorites, along with Christmas trees, and holiday glitter. But my sister-in-law comes from...

Read the full article by going here:

< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/116.cfm >

 ~X~

This is just a small sample of the more than 140 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 ===============================================================

We're giving EVERYONE who reads this letter a FREE 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/295.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 **

- "Little Squirrels' Storytime"

- "The Vintage Violet Express"

- "Lifting The Potatoes"

- "Flowers For Mommy"

 ** SEPIA Pattern For Members Only **

- "Lady And The Lioness"

** BONUS Download for ALL Readers **

- "The Egyptian Princess"

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

lease note that you have until the next issue of your "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter to download the BONUS 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/295.cfm >

==============================================================

RECENT "TIPS & TECHNIQUES FORUM POSTS

==============================================================

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. Tweeding...

Member "hislamb" posted this query, which, so far has attracted 21 replies.

"Tweeding! Using two or more different floss colors in the same needle, usually one strand of each color. Have you ever used this in a cross stitch...I have blended colors for other applications but not with cross stitch..."

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

"Blending two colors or shades of floss is used by many designers to add more shading choices. Another use of blending is combining a color with blending filament or a metalic floss to add sparkle to some parts of a design. Most designs requiring this technique are rather large and more advanced."

"As mentioned in other posts, it is best to guard against twisting for the best effect. One way to eliminate twisting is to use shorter lengths of floss. Since most threads are produced by twisting fibers together, it is important to make sure each strand has this natural twist going in the same direction..."

"...It's very hard to see in a picture. My best suggestion would be to look up cross stitch, tweeding in a search engine (google or about.com) and see if they have a picture of it for you."

"I can do a quick sample piece for you, scan it and you can get an idea of what it looks like. I'll use two totally different colors so that you get a better idea of what it looks like. That's the easiest way to see it without being in person..."

Read the rest of the discussion here:

http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/132.htm

~X~ 2. Cross Stitch on Aphgan

Member "hislamb" posted this query, which, so far has attracted 19 replies.

"Years ago, a friend of mine crocheted an aphgan and then did cross stitch on it. Have any of you done this?"

 ------------------------------------

"I have never heard of anyone doing that before so I am curious to see how it actually looks since I have a difficult time imagining it :)"

"The secret to understanding crochet patterns is being familiar with the abbreviations used by the designer. Avoiding patterns that do not include a list of abbreviations eliminates most of the headaches ~ and mistakes..."

"... I've ordered a few beginner books and maybe this fall, when I'm ready to start something new, I'm going to find a beginner kit somewhere that will include the hook, maybe a quick beginner instruction book (to go along with the books I just got), etc. then I'll just try granny squares and stuff at first to get the hang of it."

Read the rest of the discussion here:

http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/133.htm

================================================================

Make sure your stitching friends know about Patterns Patch.

Forward this email newsletter to them so that they can subscribe (www.patternspatch.com) and receive future copies directly to their own mailbox.

To correspond with me, please send a short email to john@patternspatch.com.

... 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!

Your next "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter will appear on Saturday August 25th 2007.

================================================================

Missed an issue of our Cross Stitch Tips & News letter? Find them all at < http://www.patternspatch.com/public/department27.cfm > ================================================================