Yesterday marked the day in 1981 when Lady Diana Spencer married the Prince of Wales in St Paul’s Cathedral. Those old enough to remember this day will recall that this was an important event throughout the world.

Many of us were glued to our TVs as we watched the newly married couple take their vows, knowing nothing of the highs and lows that were to follow in this woman’s relatively short life.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales was born Lady Diana Frances Spencer on 1 July 1961 in Norfolk, England. Before she met Prince Charles, she was a kindergarten teacher.

During her marriage, her family was very important to the Princess. She had two sons: Prince William and Prince Henry (Harry).

Princess Diana carried out a wide range of royal duties. Until the end of her life, she was involved with charities working to help children, homeless people and AIDS sufferers, as well as with the campaign to ban land mines.

After her divorce from The Prince of Wales, the Princess continued to be considered as a member of the Royal Family.

She was tragically killed in a car accident in Paris in August 1997 with the new love in her life, Dodi Fayed, and her driver. There were public outpourings of grief and disbelief following the announcement of her death.

Despite changing fashions, her beauty has a timeless quality that cannot be denied.

Many people have chosen to immortalise the Princess by recreating her image artistically. Cross stitching has always been a good medium for such tributes. There are a number of charts/patterns available worldwide.

Members of the www.PatternsPatch.com cross stitch club will know that there are a number of downloadable charts/patterns of the Princess available free of charge – along with hundreds of others. The only problem is choosing which one is best for your own personal needs.

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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In my last Blog, I wrote about the Seven Deadly Sins of Cross Stitching – those dark secrets that lurk in everyone’s cross stitching past – and even persist when we become more skilled. Today, I’m thinking of the opposite – the Seven Essential Secrets of the Best Cross Stitchers. You’d think that this may be the opposite of the Deadly Sins. But great cross stitching doesn’t just mean avoidance of bad habits. There are some things that you can do positively to get the best results. These include:

1. Use the best equipment you can afford. Stitching is a relatively cheap hobby. However, you will get better results from a good sharp pair of embroidery scissors, than an old pair of ordinary scissors. And you will see the difference between good quality threads and cheap floss that you can buy from a market stall. Usually, you get what you pay for. 
2. Invest in a good daylight lamp. It will prevent eye strain and minimise mistakes. If you cannot afford one, look out for bargains, or drop a hint just before your birthday.
3. Prepare your project before you start it. It’s important to sort out your threads before you begin – placing each colour in a thread sorter. It can be frustrating to discover when you are well into your project that you have used the wrong shade of a certain colour. Oversew the edges of the fabric to prevent fraying.
4. Store your ‘Works in Progress’ (WIPs) well. Good storage of sewing equipment will make your work easier to manage. As for the projects themselves, roll up your work, remove the hoop or needle, and place neatly with all the necessary threads etc. in a space where it will not get mixed up with another project. Never leave WIPs on shelves or at the backs of cupboards where they pick up dust and stains.
5. Make the back of your work neat! Trim the ends of threads. Use no knots or trailing threads.
6. Plan your route around the chart/pattern. This will prevent the temptation to trail threads across the back. Counting over short distances can help you avoid mistakes. It’s generally agreed to start near the middle of the chart, and work outwards.
7. Look after your finished work. You may need to wash it gently if it is stained. Otherwise, iron it between two soft towels. Be careful not to press too heavily on the stitches. The thread looks nicer if it isn’t flattened. Mount or frame your finished work with care. And take a photo of projects that you plan to give away.
Stitching Perfection!

Happy Stitching

Iona

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It’s easy to get into bad habits, isn’t it? Very often, impatience or laziness can prompt us to cut corners or to be sloppy with our work. Oddly enough, bad cross stitch habits rarely save us any time at all. The results of this can be seen in finished projects. This seems a shame, especially when we have worked hard to produce something of beauty.

We can resolve to kick out the bad habits now; if you are guilty of any of the habits below, I’ll show you how to get rid of them – for good:

1. Making the top stitches lie in different directions. As you know, the cross of a cross stitch is made with one stitch being partly covered by another stitch pointing in a different direction. Always start your stitches in the same direction. Otherwise, your finished work will not look smooth and consistent.

2. Working with unclean hands. Always wash your hands before stitching. Even perfumed hand cream can be greasy, and can leave a stale odour on your work. Eating is a definite no-no. As for drinking, keep cups or glasses well away from your stitching.

3. Leaving a steel needle parked in your work, or an embroidery hoop still fixed to your project. The needle may leave a rust mark (unless it’s gold-plated), and the hoop may pull the threads or fabric too. Roll your work up between stitching sessions; this will avoid stubborn creases.

4. Using knots to start or finish a thread. (I bet you knew this habit would be on the list.) Instead, use a loose end start, a loop start or a waste knot start. If you do not know what these are, or need reminding, we’ll be revisiting this in my blog soon.

5. Working in a poor light. This can happen when the light is getting duller throughout the evening. Not only can this cause eye strain, but the chances of you making mistakes increase. Invest in a daylight lamp if you haven’t already done so.

6. Allowing the edge of your work to fray. It only takes a couple of minutes to oversew the edges of your fabric before you begin your project. Remember that evenweave frays more easily than Aida.

7. Trailing threads across the back of bare fabric. We are all tempted to do this. Perhaps you only need to work a couple of stitches a few inches away from the area you have been working on. The trail will be visible from the front of the project, and may also produce a bumpy effect. Always finish off – and then start again in a new area of the design.

If you have any other ideas for busting bad habits, do share them with us!

Happy Stitching!

Iona
 

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I think I’m a typical cross stitcher. A creature of habit. When I plan a new project, I reach straight for the Aida fabric. There’s something comforting about always doing things in the same way. Today, I’ve resolved to move out of my comfort zone. Nothing too dramatic though. It’s just that my next project is going to be on evenweave, not Aida.

So – what’s the difference? Well, it has more of a rustic look. Evenweave provides a finer background to the stitching. There are regular numbers of holes per inch (hence the name). Threads are woven singly rather than in blocks. The warp and the weft are woven evenly. Working on evenweave is not difficult for the Aida addict. Just different. Evenweaves are available in many different colours and counts.

Here are some quick tips for using evenweave:

1. If you are using a design that recommends Aida, but you want to transfer this to evenweave, just double the Aida count for the correct count of evenweave. For example, for a 14-count Aida, use a 28-count evenweave.

2. DMC fabric is colour-matched to some of the company’s threads. This makes things very easy!

3. Be aware of the tension of your stitches when you are working on evenweave. If your stitches are too tight, you can warp the fabric. A stitch hoop or frame can be useful here – but remember to remove it after each stitching session to prevent marking or stretching the fabric.

4. Evenweave frays more quickly than Aida, so bind the edges before you begin your project.

5. Make every stitch over two threads of the evenweave or into every other hole.

6. Good news – it’s easier to make fractional stitches on evenweave because there’s a hole in the middle of the block where you can work a tiny quarter stitch.

7. Always use a tapestry or cross stitch needle with blunt ends. (A tapestry needle has a larger eye than most other types of needle. It is oval in shape which makes it easier to thread a number of strands at the same time.)
Because the threads on evenweave are woven individually, the threads form more easily than Aida, and this makes evenweave fabric suitable for all sorts of other uses. As well as using it for stitching samplers, pictures and cards, try stitching designs to use as cushion covers and tablelinen.

If you are still wondering whether or not to try evenweave, why not try a small project – like a card or a bookmark – and see how you get on. Do share it with us too!

Happy Stitching!

 Iona
 

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If you are choosing a cross-stitched gift for someone special in your life, I think that an Angel may be a design to consider.

I have recently completed an Angels cross stitch project from the Patterns Patch club as a free download. This will be a gift for a neighbour who has been good to me, and I wanted to do something that showed my gratitude to her. I was wondering wonder why it is that Angels are so popular – in cross stitch and other arts.

Here are some essential facts:

1. It seems that many people believe that angels are guiding spirit beings who act as God’s messengers. Although the characteristics  of Angels and the tasks given to them vary across many traditions and religions, in Christianity, Judaism and Islam, they typically act as messengers from God. Other roles in religious traditions include acting as warrior or guard; the concept of a Guardian Angel is popular in modern Western culture.
2. A recent survey published in Time magazine revealed that 69 percent of Americans believe in Angels, and 46 percent of that group believe they have a personal Guardian Angel. Many people believe that Guardian Angels are spiritual beings that assist people here on Earth in various ways.
3. Angels are anthropomorphic - meaning ‘in the shape of men’ - winged forms intended to transmit the word of God to humankind. Angels personify divine will and are the messengers of God. Winged messengers appear in a number of religions as intermediaries between the spiritual and material worlds, but appear most often in Islamic, Jewish but most particularly the Christian faiths.
4. The word Angel comes from the Greek ‘aggelos’, meaning messenger. The concept of angels probably evolved from winged deities described in Egyptian, Sumerian and Semitic beliefs.
5. Symbols closely associated with angels in art include trumpets, harps, swords, sceptres and wands. Angels are usually portrayed as young men with wings and halos, representing their divinity. The representation of angels as Cupid-like young boys or babies, ‘putti’ did not occur until the period of the Renaissance.
If you are thinking of choosing an angel as a subject to cross stitch, you will find that they are a wonderfully inspiring subject. There are many wonderful images of angels that can be perfect to send a positive message as a gift to a friend. You can be sure of sending a message of friendship, love and hope that angels symbolize to your friends and family.
Have you stitched an Angel design as a gift? They do appear to bring pleasure to the recipient. Do share with us your ideas!
Happy stitching
Iona 

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I have just watched a TV advertisement for cider. It stated that ‘time is at its best when you lose track of it’. I agree with this – especially when I am stitching. I have known hours to fly past when I have been engaged in a particular project that has interested me. However, ‘time’ can be a luxury nowadays, when we all seem to have so many things to do every day. I have therefore thought of some time-saving tips for stitching; these will hopefully help you to complete projects quickly when you need to.

Store your stitching stash well. It is very frustrating to have to spend time looking through your cupboards and boxes for some essential stitching item. It’s therefore a good idea to spend a couple of hours organising all your stitching paraphernalia, so that they are easily accessible.

Travel with your cross stitch projects. Keep a small project carefully packed in a handbag or tote bag when you are out and about, and when you have time – waiting in a doctor’s or dentist’s waiting room, or travelling on a bus, you know you can have a few minutes’ stitching.

Spend an occasional evening with stitching friends. You can all stitch, have fun and talk together.

Try stitching all the left-to-right arms of your stitching first. Then, you can take your project on a train journey and fill in the right-to-left stitches without having to spread out a chart in front of you.

Stitch more than one project at the same time. Keep a large project – where you have to concentrate hard – for evenings at home. Take card or bookmark projects to work – or elsewhere - with you. You never know when you will have an unexpected five minute when you can sew just one length of thread.

If you enjoy music or listening to the radio, what are your hands doing? They could be stitching. And remember – hands that are stitching are not in that biscuit tin!

Do you have some tips to add to this list? I’d love to receive them.

Happy Stitching

Iona 

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I had always thought that I wasn’t creative. Now, I believe that everyone can learn to look and to see things creatively if they wish. Yesterday, I was reading an article by stitching guru, Jane Greenoff. She and her husband had visited Hampton Court Palace near London, and were on their way to lunch at a café. Rather than concentrate on what food awaited them, they looked around - and were drawn to colourful patches of pansies and violets. They stopped and took photographs from many different angles, and as a result of that diversion, Jane launched a series of designs, called ‘Pansy, for Thoughts’ that has delighted thousands of cross stitchers worldwide.

The moral seems to be that inspiration is never far away, if we open our eyes and observe our surroundings. Here are some things that can delight you if you look carefully:

Countryside: leaves, grasses, flowers, tree silhouettes, bark, patterns of fields, stones, feathers, clouds

Towns: brickwork, paving stones, wheels, angles of roofs, plants in containers, urban sunsets

Seaside: shells, pebbles, rocks, pools, seabirds, seaweed 

At home: people, pets, vases of flowers, houseplants, still life, teapots, toys.

‘But I can’t draw,’ I hear you say. Well, neither can I. Over the next few weeks, I’ll show you how you can discover your talents for observation and for transferring what you see into a beautiful design. This blog theme will pop upregularly. We shall look at software too that can help you. And if you need help with transferring a photo into a cross stitch design, then membership of Patterns Patch can give you a free service for that along with many other benefits.

Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Disneyland opening in Los Angeles 53 years ago! How many Disney characters have you stitched for younger members of the family – or even for yourself?

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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Today, I visited a friend of mine who has recently suffered from sight loss. She can still see strong colours and shapes, and she has used this ability to continue her cross stitching. Instead of using traditional patterns and equipment, she now uses Binca, a fabric that has a low hole-count, and also can be felt easily with the fingers as well as seen. She only also uses strong and contrastive colours – and hey presto… she completes great projects.

I feel humbled to think that her stitching is often neater than my own. With this in mind, I have drawn together a list of considerations to protect your eyesight, prevent eyestrain and to make stitching easier:

Use light wisely. When stitching during a bright day, sit with your back to a window if possible. The sunlight will stream over your shoulder and onto your stitching. Invest in a good Daylight lamp and magnifier. There are many to choose from, and the best can be expensive so consider putting one on your Christmas present list. Of course, you can use one for reading, writing and other crafts as well as stitching. For economy, consider replacing the bulb of a regular table of anglepoise lamp with a Daylight bulb.

Have regular eye tests and make sure that if you wear eye glasses, they continue to be the correct prescription for your needs.

Use a needle threader. Always. This can prevent a lot of frustration. 

Take your eyes off your work every few minutes when you are stitching. Focus on a distant object for a minute or too. You may care to stretch your legs at this time too. 

Use clear patterns/charts. You may notice that some are small and difficult to see in magazines. You may need to enlarge these via a photocopier.  The patterns/charts from the www.PatternsPatch.com club in contrast are very clear – and you can enlarge them to the size you require onscreen.

Today is St Swithun’s (St Swithin’s) Day. In the UK, it is a tradition to believe that if it rains today, then it will rain for the next forty days. Although we can laugh at this, research shows that in 70% of years, this is a true prediction! 

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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A warm welcome to the new blog from Patterns Patch.

My name is Iona and I look forward to writing blog entries every few days especially for you. We plan to make this an inspiring, friendly and upbeat place where you can explore cross stitch and learn new techniques.

As a seasoned cross stitcher and regular writer for cross stitch publications, I shall be sharing with you insider information, unusual facts, and short cuts to better stitching. I shall also be including series of themes, returning to them regularly, so you will always have a favourite topic to look forward to. These include:

1. Cross Stitch Across the World. You can learn about different cultures all over the world by following our theme that will visit wide ranging cultures worldwide.
2. Time to Cross Stitch. I shall remind you of important dates and celebrations worldwide throughout the year. What better way to celebrate than to cross stitch a design of your favourite celebratory day…
3. Creative You. This series examines creativity. How to be creative, or harness your creative skills to make beautiful cross stitch projects. I used to think that I was uncreative. Now I know that with a bit of encouragement, we all can surprise ourselves with our achievements. I’ll share some secrets of creativity, and you can add some of your ideas too.
4. Cross Stitch is Good for You. This theme explains how cross stitch can help you through difficult times, improve self esteem, help you to relax, convalesce, overcome any bad habits and make new friends…
5. Cross Stitch Dimensions… Have you explored a new design theme recently? Fantasy, Myths and Magic, Astrology, Celtic Art, Samplers, Quick-Stitch, Cross Stitch Gifts. We’ll be visiting those projects, and many more…

Among these blog entries, there will be surprise articles that will respond to your suggestions and comments. I shall also be gently challenging you to broaden your stitching horizons and stitch outside your comfort zone, occasionally.

I hope this will be an uplifting place where we can all have fun.

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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