Ellen Frost

Try Before You Buy With Free Counted Cross Stitch Patterns.

It used to be that if you visited your local needlework shop you may have found a few sheets on the counter from the big manufacturers containing some free counted cross stitch patterns. Now with the internet, it is much easier for both the designer and the stitcher to find each other.

So how do you do that? There are two main places to look, the search engines and freebie list sites. Just try Googling for "free counted cross stitch patterns" or "cross stitch freebies" and you will find more than you could ever stitch.

Some sites exist solely to help you find free cross stitch patterns on the net. Categorised by subject matter or even technique they make it easy to find just what you are looking for. If the site has an RSS feed it is even easier nowadays, you can be informed as soon as something new is added.

So why do designers and manufacturers give their work away for free? Freebies allow them to show you the quality of their charts and instructions. If they are easy to follow, then you will have confidence that any patterns purchased from them will be equally clear.

Thread manufacturers also offer free patterns that use their speciality fibres. They can give you ideas and guidelines for making the most of the threads and encourage you to purchase a few colours to try out.

Remember, although these patterns are offered freely, the designers still hold the copyright. They are not free for you to make money from, after all the designer themselves aren't!         If you stitch for charity, it may well be worth asking the designer for permission to stitch a limited number in order to raise funds. I am usually agreeable to this as long as I am asked and the stitcher doesn't intend to make hundreds of items.

You will find more than just free counted cross stitch patterns on the world wide web of course. A freebie is an ideal way of learning a new technique such as blackwork or hardanger. So why not branch out and try before your buy? All you need are basic supplies, a printer to print your free pattern and some spare time, have fun!