Only yesterday, I purchased Quick to Stitch Cross Stitch Keepsakesand just can't wait to get started on the many beautiful designs suggested. Simple is best, in my opinion, and as a cross-stitching novice these patterns are not only achievable but will also produce the loveliest gifts and house decorating accessories. Having just moved to the UK from Belgium, I am missing my friends and family a lot, so cross stitching personal gifts to celebrate some very important occasions in my friends' and family's lives will not only help me to feel closer to them, but will also show them how much I care! One project I will tackle is the cute ‘Bootie Card' and ‘Baby Stars' (on page 8 and 10 respectively) for my sister who's expecting her second child later this year! I've also just moved into my boyfriend's house so adding that feminine touch is highly necessary and I know that the colourful hangings shown in this book will add that something special to our wardrobe -and door handles! I especially like the ‘Be My Valentine' hanging on page 25.
If you're looking to find the cutest patterns and gifts ideas I would highly recommend this book...
DMC have just launched this great new board game. It's a stitcher's take on that world famous board game Monopoly. I'm going to have to get one for my best friend Debbie! Now you know what we will be doing one weekend with a few bottles of wine.
DMC - ‘A fun, new property trading game to share your love of needlework with friends and family.
Players select their favorite needlecraft token to represent them as they navigate the board. Each player collects needlework techniques and becomes an expert by buying and trading different needlecraft stitches. The goal is to "Start Stitching" and progress around the board without having to "Pull Out Thread" or "Lose Your Needle" while building your own needlework studio and empire. Players get chances to "Go Shopping" and look in the "Needlework Stash" pile of game cards that keeps the play fun and exciting. Game includes directions for standard play or shorter version.'
What a busy time I've been having, both at home and at work.
I'm having a new kitchen installed and there's dust everywhere so we are trying to limit the amount of rooms we need to go in. The easiest thing is for us all to stay in the lounge for most of the evening. My husband can watch the TV to his heart's content and I've managed to really steam ahead with my latest cross stitch project. I'm stitching an adorable design from Faye Whittaker's book ‘All Our Yesterdays Cross Stitch Collection'(UK edition). To see the design I am stitching see our group's gallery. It reminds me of when I was young when my dad and my uncle made a swing outside our beach hut for my cousin and me. I'm going to use it to cover a photo album and give it to my mum for her birthday. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is doing the French knots. Does anyone else struggle with them too or does anyone have an easy way of doing them?
Hi, everyone. At last, this is the second member of the Cross Stitch & Needle Arts team dropping in to let you know what has been keeping me busy this week. My name is Cheryl and I work as a senior commissioning editor at David & Charles Publishers in the United Kingdom. I specialise in commissioning the cross stitch list, working with a very talented group of authors from Britain, the USA and Australia to bring our readers the best cross stitch designs we can. We have eight books publishing this year covering a wide range of subjects including fantasy, Christmas, cute teddies and classic art nouveau style. I think we offer a pretty diverse list, but if you think we are missing something, I'd love to hear what you would like to see published.
I've just returned from the UK's biggest trade show this week, which took place at the NEC conference centre near Birmingham. I like to think of Craft, Hobby and Stitch--or Stitches as you may commonly hear it referred to--as the UK's one-twelfth scale version of CHA, that trade craft show to end all trade craft shows that has only just recently concluded at Anaheim, California. Unfortunately, as occasionally happens, these two great shows fell very close together this year. CHA ended Wednesday 13th February and Stitches began on Sunday 17th February, and, as a consequence, there were a good few visitors, demonstrators, and exhibitors at Stitches battling against jet lag, fighting a desperate urge for a 5-minute power nap. (Why resist, say I.) But those who made the trip to both shows were undoubtedly well rewarded. Stitches just seems to get bigger each year, now taking up two of the NEC's halls, and demanding two days of my time to ensure I see everything there is to see. What I love about this annual trade show is that although you get the odd craft cluster (Row A, for example, is cross stitch aisle, Row N, sewing textiles) you'll mostly find all the crafts mixed up together, which makes for a very interesting show experience. A one-aisle wander can expose you to a giddy range of crafts and products, from ceramic painting to cross stitching, from mohair to mosaics.
There was much to admire and inspire at the show, and favourites for me included Amanda Loveseed's Cut Thru' cross stitch designs produced by Bothy Threads. My absolute favourite is the Lighthouse design--all that wonderful detail including the mermaid in the lighthouse keeper's bath! Those who love historical sampler designs should check out the Historical Sampler Company's latest offerings. I love their use of vibrant colours in their traditional cross stitch and needlepoint heirloom-style samplers, and new for 2008 is a wonderful Cup Cake design, a really modern twist for sampler design. Let me know what you think.
