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Cross Stitch Tips & News - January 5th 2008
Patterns Patch Cross Stitch Club:
Cross Stitch Tips & News
Saturday, January 5th 2008 |
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Prefer to read this online? You can do that by going here:
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Subject: Another Clean Slate and Fresh Start...
Hi {firstname_fix}
Don't you just love this time of year? Yet another clean slate and fresh start to the new year. It's the traditional time for all those hopes, dreams, plans and resolutions. We all readily make them... and break them just as quickly. Let's be determined to be different this year. 2008's a leap year, so we've an extra day to get things right and achieve something special...
On the subject of resolutions,did you know the top 10, made by millions of people world-wide at the new year, are (in descending order):
- Lose weight and get in better physical shape
- Stick to a budget
- Debt reduction
- Enjoy more quality time with friends & family
- Find my soul mate
- Quit smoking
- Find a better job
- Learn something new
- Volunteer and help others
- Get organized.
There's lots of good advice for achieving each of the above in this website we showed you in the last issue:
http://www.goalsguy.com/Events/n_facts.html
If you've ever wanted to know all the verses of that famous song nobody knows, Auld Lang Syne, go to the site and you'll find them at the bottom of the home page.
Taking the site's advice onboard, Leni and I have made just one "realistic" resolution each, to try and lose a set amount of weight: half a pound a week for Leni, double that in my case since I've a lot more to lose. With a bit of will power it's certainly achievable.
We'd love to hear other members' New Year's resolutions and how they're progressing.
*~~* On a more sobering matter one of our younger founder members has been recently diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. The early months of 2008 are going to be tough going for Jean.
I hope you'll pause here and spend a little time thinking about, and saying a prayer for, our sick friend. Our good wishes, love and prayers will undoubtedly strengthen Jean's resolve and provide support ~ so please! Join with me and let's start the new year off right!
*~~*
By now you'll have noticed the format of this newsletter has changed from plain ol' text to a more colorful format. We can now show you the latest cross stitch patterns without you having to go elsewhere to see them. Mind you if you want to see them full-size, together with their specifications, you'll still have to use the link we give you.
*~~* We have a number of changes/improvements, to your Patterns Patch website, in place for this year. Two of them should appear, before this month is out:
- Members will soon start seeing' (and hearing) audio interviews with leading Cross Stitch designers. The full transcription of each interview will also be available for members to read. The first two interviews have been agreed and should appear before the end of the month.
- We're going to "open" the doors to the Forums and let subscribers to this newsletter have fr&e access to the Cross Stitch and General forums ~ further details in the next issue.
*~~*
Although this next tip hasn't anything to do with cross stitch, we've noticed in several cross stitch forums, members asking about easy-to-use spell-checkers. We've looked into it and if your Internet browser is either Internet Explorer or FireFox then you're in luck because we've found fr*e spell-checkers for both.
Firefox is easy. It has a spell-checker built in that automatically highlights spelling mistakes in the text boxes you are filling out.
For Internet Explorer, it is less simple, but still easy. Just go to ieSpell and
download their free program. It doesn't automatically highlight your errors
but it is just one click away as it installs a button on your IE toolbar.
http://www.iespell.com/
So! If you want to send emails confident that everything is spelt correctly, you now know what to do.
*~~*
In my Christmas stocking Leni added a tiny little book called "A Woman's Work is Never Done" by Rowan B. Murphy. This small book is full of brilliant anecdotes that generally puts men firmly in their place. We're going to share the best of them with you throughout this year. Here's one picked at random: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach him to fish and you get rid of him for the whole weekend. ~ Zenna Schaffer
Membership For Fr^e
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)
Don't forget to search for the mystery word in this letter. When you've found the word, just put it in the subject line and email it to me john@patternspatch.com ~ Good Luck!
The latest winner of our draw for Three-months membership to Patterns Patch for Free is:
*~* Barbara Wall *~*
Congratulations to Barbara 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!
*~~*
As always, you are encouraged to contact me with any questions or entries for future newsletters. You can do that here.
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This Issue's Tip:
What to Do When Dye Lots Don't Match
We all know how important it is to buy enough thread in the same dye lot to complete our project. Sadly, sometimes disaster strikes, and you need to buy more thread. If luck isn't on your side, you may have to buy thread from a different dye lot.
So how do you handle this color difference without ruining your cross stitch project? First, before you go to the craft store, decide what you will do if the dye lots don't match.
- Is the area you've stitched small?
Often the best approach is to remove the stitches and start over.
- Is the pattern so colorful that adding another color won't disrupt the design?
If your design has many colors, consider just adding another one to the project.
- Can you change the design?
If you are stitching a large area of one color, changing the dye lot may be noticeable. Examine your pattern and see if there is a way to alter the design so that you won't need additional thread.
- Can the new thread be merged with the existing thread?
Sometimes if the new dye lot is very close to the old one, you can merge the two. If you have been stitching with three strands, merge the colors by stitching first with two strands of the old thread and one strand of the new thread. Then switch to one strand of the old thread and two strands of the new thread. Before finally switching to all three strands of the new thread. If you'd like to try and win a fr*e membership, reply to john@patternspatch.com with the word 'january' in your email subject line. If you are stitching with two strands, stitch with one of each thread for a while and then switch to two strands of the new thread.
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Recent ArticlesHow to Make New Friends Through Cross Stitch
Cross stitching is often thought of as being a solitary pastime, perhaps sitting alone while everyone else is out having a great time. But this is not so! Cross stitch can be the ticket to make many new friends and have lots of fun -- and yes, complete those cross stitch projects too . . . keep reading
 The Most Difficult Cross-Stitch Design I Tracked Down!
I track things down on the Internet … that is just the way it is in today's times. I search and surf to my heart's content, finding what I need to know or do…eventually . . . keep reading
My Worst Disaster and How I Put It Right
My mother hung my first ever cross stitch attempt in her living room soon after I had finished it and to tell the truth I was in no hurry to have another attempt at one so detailed. However, my mother's friend asked if I would cross stitch a design for her so that she could give it to her mother as a present . . . keep reading
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Cross Stitch Patterns
New Cross Stitch PatternsWe're giving EVERYONE who reads this letter a FREE Bonus cross stitch pattern.
Follow the download instructions carefully and Contact me if you have any problems.
Some of our more experienced members have asked us to consider providing the occasional design that's a little more "challenging". We've listened and trust the first pattern below will rise to the task.
To view full-sized illustrations of this week's FREE downloads (for members), go here:
http://www.PatternsPatch.com/public/359.cfm
You'll find additional information and can also leave comments and rank (from 1 to 5) each download, if you so wish.
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 Cross Stitch Library.
We're trying to introduce as wide a range as possible in the cross stitch 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 a quick email to Contact us.
To view this week's gallery, here's the link again http://www.PatternsPatch.com/public/359.cfm
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Cross Stitch Forum Posts
The Cross Stitch forum has continued to post many interesting threads. Three of the most recent are shown below:
If you haven't taken part yet, why not take a look and maybe join in. Hey! You might even enjoy it.
| My First HD of 2008 |
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Posted by
slckstitcher
Jan 04,2008
4:18 AM |
I posted a pic in the member's gallery of my first finish for the New Year. It's a brass stitchables ornament that I got from a very dear friend of mine! It was a quick easy stitch, perfect for taking with me on my new years trip!! I started it on the December 30th and finished it on January 1st, 2008! I'm hoping this will be the first of many many finishes for me in the New Year! |
Posted by
Roguegal
Jan 04,2008
5:07 AM |
That is so cute! Congratulations on completing your first project for the year. Is there anyway I can get a copy of that pattern? It looks even simpler than the one I'm doing, which is a picture. I just started doing crossstitch again after almost 30 years. Maybe I should start with something small like that one. I've forgotten more than I can remember.
Members! Read the rest of this, and other, threads here |
| New Year's Resolution |
Posted by
hislamb
Dec 30,2007
5:40 AM |
Are you going to make a cross stitch new year's resolution? I am going to make one to finish all the projects that I have started!
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Posted by
mamab
Jan 01,2008
1:13 AM |
Hislamb, I hope that's one resolution you keep. :) I don't make them anymore because I know I won't keep them. Why set myself up for failure? ;)
Members! Read the rest of this, and other, threads here
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| Where do you stitch? |
Posted by
mamab
Dec 21,2007
7:23 PM |
I would guess that most people who love to cross stitch are kind of like me - they prefer to sit in one special chair while they enjoy their favorite past time. Where do you usually do your stitiching?
Since I can't get off my couch anymore (at least not without help), I generally do everything in my computer chair. It's not as comfortable as the couch, but at least I can get off of it!
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Posted by
sagemother
Dec 26,2007
9:16 PM |
I am usually sitting in front o the TV on the couch. That way I can look up every once in a while if something interesting happens. I don't have a special chair but have a special task light!
Members! Read the rest of this, and other, thread here
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... And Finally When the membership of Patterns Patch grows to a certain level we'll be able to approach major suppliers and manufacturers and negotiate discounts for our members. So please make sure to encourage your stitching friends to join 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.
Please do not reply to this email. It was sent to you by our computer, which is splendid at sending emails but absolutely useless at reading them! To get in touch with us, please send a short email to Contact us.
... and finally, if you have children, give them a hug and a kiss, and tell them you love them.
Sincerely,
PS If you're not already a member, why not? You're missing out on so much! go here to join now
Joining is easy!
Your next "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter will appear on SATURDAY January 19th 2008.
Until next time, Missed an issue of our "Cross Stitch Tips & News" letter? Find them all here:
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Cross Stitch Library
