Cross Stitch Club: Patterns Patch Across the Planet...
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"Cross Stitch Tips and News"
Brought to you by Patterns Patch Publishing
August 25th 2007

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CONTENTS:

- Patterns Patch Across the Planet...
- A Top Tip for Cross Stitch Heaven... Should I Buy A Stand?
- Recent articles posted at PatternsPatch.com
- Cross Stitch Patterns Uploaded Since The Last Issue
- Recent "Tips & Techniques" Forum Posts

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Subject: Patterns Patch Across the Planet...

Hi [firstname]

Some of you will have noticed that since the last issue a colorful new graphic has appeared at the top of the home page on Patterns Patch ~ we call it our army of translators.

As we all know, the internet is a truly international community and the web reaches into almost every corner of the planet.

Now when I last checked, we have subscribers to this "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter from more than 60 countries. And guess what? English is not the first language of many of these subscribers!

But we native English speakers are notoriously lazy. We expect other people to speak English. And, of course, many people do have English as their second language. And their command of it puts us native English speakers to shame when it comes to speaking other languages. However, from the emails I receive it's obvious some have at best a limited grasp of English, but hey, full respect to them for at least trying!

So we felt it would be great if we could translate our website into other languages. Yes, every single page of the site is translated into no less than eight other languages. What is more, when you follow links from these translated pages, the pages that they are linked to are also translated into that language.

Now it's far from perfect but it is a start, and hopefully more laguages will be added with the passage of time.

So! Do we have an army of translators working for us? Of course not! Just a few lines of code in the home page ~ the marvels of modern technology never cease to amaze!

Magic, eh? Mind you, this is "machine translation", so native speakers of any of the eight languages might find some of the translations highly amusing or puzzling ~ some feedback here would be appreciated.

     ~X~

One of my roles in Patterns Patch is to keep a watching brief on what's being discussed in the community forums. It's become increasingly apparent that one of our members is having way more than her fair share of tough luck these days. I'm certainly not going into detail here but trust me, as you read this, you probably wouldn't want to swap places with this poor, dear young woman right now.

I received the following from a friend a couple of days ago, which I hope you find inspiring and helps you view today in a new light... and I'd like to dedicate it to Sandye. As you read the following, please join me in sending Sandye a silent prayer and a virtual hug; our collective love and good wishes will help her enormously.

TAKE HOLD OF EVERY MOMENT

A friend of mine opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package, "This," he said "isn't any ordinary package." He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.
 
"She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on. Was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it."

He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothings he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died. He turned to me and said:

"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion".

I still think those words changed my life.

Now I read more and clean less.

I sit on the porch without worrying about anything.

I spend more time with my family, and less at work.

I understand that life should be a source of experience to be lived up to, not survived through.

I no longer keep anything. I use crystal glasses every day. I'll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket, if I feel like it.

I don't save my special perfume for special occasions, I use it whenever I want to. The words "Someday..." and "One Day..." are fading away from my dictionary.

If it's worth seeing, listening or doing, I want to see, listen or do it now. I don't know what my friend's wife would have done if she knew she wouldn't be there the next morning, this nobody can tell. I think she might have called her relatives and closest friends.

She might call old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I'd like to think she would go out for Chinese, her favourite food. It's these small things that I would regret not doing, if I knew my time had come.

I would regret it, because I would no longer see the friends I would meet, letters... letters that I wanted to write "One of these days".

I would regret and feel sad, because I didn't say to my brothers and sons, not times enough at least, how much I love them.

Now, I try not to delay, postpone or keep anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives.

And, on each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day.

Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.

If you got this, it's because someone cares for you and because, probably, there's someone you care about.

If you're too busy to send this out to other people and you say to yourself that you will send it "One of these days", remember that "One day" is far away... or might never come!

Please share this with someone YOU care about.

       I JUST DID.
      
        ~X~
     
In the last issue we told you about a free Google tool called Picasa that enable you to easily manage your digital photographs.
Well, to complement that, in this issue we'll show you another Google offering, also free ~ Google Notebook.

This latest product in the Google labs should appeal to all, particularly those among you who carry out any form of research on the Internet. This handy program allows you to organize your notes and clippings as you travel the web.

Instead of just bookmarking a site in your favorites and trying to remember why you liked it, with Google Notebook, you can highlight what you want and hit the "clip" button.

You can then organize your notes however you want and then search through your note text at any time.

You can even share your notes with others.

It's a simple browser plugin that goes in your browser's status bar at the bottom of the screen - so it's not another tab at the top, taking up space. Versions are available for IE and Firefox. It took less than a minute to install on my system. It looks neat! Here's how to access this tool:

http://www.google.com/notebook/

To download and install it, you will need a Gmail or Googlemail
account (it's free too)~ it takes literally two minutes to open one and is well worth having for the flexible email facility alone.

I find Google Notebook particularly useful for storing websites that I might want to go back and visit in the future ~ give it a try.

     ~X~

If you'd like to win a "Three months membership to Patterns Patch
for Free", go here and take a look (it's really easy to enter):

http://www.patternspatch.com/public/231.cfm

The latest winner of our draw for "Three-months membership to Patterns Patch for Free" is:

*~*  Dulcey Robison  *~*

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

And for those of you who didn't enter, why not? Don't you want this valuable gift?

You've got to be in it TO WIN IT!
 
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A TOP TIP FOR CROSS STITCH HEAVEN...
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  Should You Buy a Stand?

Floor and lap stands are great ways to free up both hands to work on your cross stitch. You'll be able to have one hand above the fabric and the other below, which often makes stitching easier and faster.

If you cross stitch a great deal, you may want to invest in one of these helpful tools. Moreover, if your hands fatigue easily or you have a problem such as arthritis, a stand may help. Another consideration is that stands enable you to adjust the angle of your work, which often reduces eye strain and back muscle fatigue. 

Stands come in several varieties, so consider your options before buying one. A lap stand is nice if you want to use it in a favorite chair without taking up a lot of space in your room. Lap stands attach to your chair or you sit on the bottom part to hold the stand in place.

Floor stands can be large, so consider how much room you will need to accommodate the stand. You can find smaller ones that tuck nicely against a chair. Also, many stands are wooden and may match your decor. You also can find floor stands that come with magnifiers and lamps.

Because some stands are expensive, consider what style suits you best. If possible, see the stand before buying it.

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RECENT ARTICLES POSTED AT PATTERNS PATCH:
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1. Cross Stitch Patterns for Horse Lovers.

We all have a favourite animal that we collect ornaments and pictures of but how many of us have a beautiful and unique cross stitched plaque or sampler picturing our favourite type of animal in pride of place on our wall. The internet is full of cross stitching websites with all manner of patterns, including a lot of stunning horse pictures for all the equestrians among us...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/153.cfm >

   ~X~

2. How to Showcase Your Talent As A Top Cross Stitcher.

Bringing Out Your Own Skill and Creativity using a cross-stitch sampler, which is an example of the craft that has been around for almost as long as cross-stitch itself. It is a decorative piece of work designed to showcase an eye catching variety of motifs, alphabets, and stitches, thereby displaying the stitcher's own personal abilities.

Samplers are "busy" patterns with their variety of colors and elements that, when well designed, blend seamlessly into a common theme...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/284.cfm  >

   ~X~

3. The Interesting History of Cross Stitch

Cross stitch has been embedded in our cultures for many, many years; its history and origins can be traced back beyond the mid 1600's. The earliest known cross stitch creation currently displayed is a piece of linen with silk embroidery which is displayed in Pilgrim Hall and was created by Loara Standish, the daughter of Captain Myles Standish, circa 1653.

Cross stitch is one of the oldest forms of stitching and has been a popular and beloved hobby for men and women, boys and girls throughout the years...

Read the full article by going here:
< http://www.patternspatch.com/public/157.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,
go here to become a member
< https://www.patternspatch.com/public/5.cfm > joining is easy!

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CROSS STITCH PATTERNS UPLOADED SINCE THE LAST ISSUE
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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/301.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 **

- "Adam and Eve"

- "Bountiful Harvest"
 
- "Pinkie ~ Sarah Barrett Moulton" by Sir Thomas Lawrence 1794

- "The Blue Boy" by Thomas Gainsborough 1770

- "The Vetch Fairy"

 ** BONUS Download for ALL Readers **

- "Posing in the Nude"

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 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/301.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. Crease in Material.
   
Member "hislamb" posted this query, which, so far has
attracted 26 replies.
   
"What is the best way to get the folded crease out of a piece of material..."

 ------------------------------------
 
"Baking soda or corn starch are useful for lifting oily stains from fabric. You simply sprinkle it onto the dry fabric and brush it lightly with a soft brush before washing. Corn starch is great for pretreating oily stains on regular laundry as well..."
   
"... I hadn't thought about trying the cornstarch but it makes sense, since it absorbs moisture. I have some old cloths that I have used to mop up little spills when I blend oils for the skin creams I make for myself. I think I'll try the cornstarch maneuver and see what happens!"

"Creases in blank areas have been successfully removed by applying diluted bleach with a Q-tip. Oxi-Clean Spray Away removed a coffee stain from my last project without damaging the stitching which was done with DMC floss. Some stains respond to white distilled vinegar or lemon juice but if you have any doubts, test any stain remover on a small length of floss first..."

"What a wealth of info in this thread. I have learned an immense amount. The steaming of those pesky creases. WOW, Thankx gals..."  
   
Read the rest of the discussion here:   
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/135.htm 
 
    ~X~  

2. Needlework as a Social Event

Member "sagemother" posted this query, which, so far has
attracted 25 replies.

"We have all heard of the old fashioned quilting bee's but I haven't heard of any gatherings of women, and men for that matter, centered around cross stitch or other needle work outside of those gatherings that are distinctly commercial.

Are there still things like sewing circles around these days?"

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

"... I can see how gatherings like this would be very useful for charitable causes. I imagine doing craft work for hospital patients would be good as well. Here, there was a group, and they might still be around, that made blankets, stuffed animals, and other comfort items for the patients at Children's Hospital here..."

"It sounds like it could be a nice project for students who have a community service requirement for graduation..."
   
"... One of our local needlework shops has a group that stitches together every Thursday evening. There is also Moonlight Stitching one Saturday evening each month with refreshments and a small project that can be finished during the session."

"Another stitcher sponsors a group that meets at her church to stitch during the day each Saturday. The sessions are an excellent way to set aside some uninterrupted time for stitching and getting together with friends..."

"Moonlight Stitching as last Saturday night with 15 stitchers. We had a great time eating and stitching! The hostess provided kits for everyone to make a bookmark using rainbow Perle cotton on a linen band. The design was "modified" Hardanger, (no cutting), and we finished the ends with nun stitch and fringe.."  

Read the rest of the discussion here:
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/snip/134.htm 

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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.

If you'd like to try and win a free membership, reply to john at patternspatch dot com with the word 'Planet' in your email subject line.

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! go 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 September 8th 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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