This morning, I was saddened to read that every year, the future of the world’s wild animals becomes more uncertain. Almost 800,000 elephants were slaughtered by poachers during the 1980s for the ivory trade. Now, it is being decided whether to resume legal killing of elephants to produce ivory and boost the gift trade.

Yesterday, it was announced that nearly half of world primates face extinction. This is due to the destruction of their habitat, and killing for skins and meat.

We can donate money to charities that work to conserve animals and their essential environments, we can campaign, and we can choose to avoid buying wildlife products such as ivory, animal skin coats and coral; and exotic pets such as birds, monkeys, snakes, lizards and particular species of birds.

The long-term approach lies in changing everyone’s attitudes and making awareness and knowledge of conservation a natural part of our everyday lives.

Creating a cross stitch design of beautiful wild animals and placing them in your home can be a way of celebrating the beauty and importance of these animals.

There are many designs available. Members of Patterns Patch can download a wide range of wild animal designs, free of charge. The only problem is choosing! My personal favourite is The Big Five of the African Jungle (pictured below).  I started cross stitching this design recently, and although it is a big project, I am enjoying the small triumphs of completing each animal; two down – three to go. I like to start with the eyes of each animal; then the creature appears to come alive straight away on the fabric. This is great motivation to complete each one.

Many people have favourite animals. I cannot decide which wild animal I enjoy stitching most. Do you have a favourite animal subject?

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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Fairies only reveal themselves to those who believe in them, I am told. However, they appear in many world cultures; from Shakespeare’s Fairy Queen and the fairies of Victorian art to the Middle Eastern Jinn, The Kami (which means ‘spiritual essence’ of Japanese Shinto). There are also ‘nature devas’ in Buddhism and Hinduism. Moral fairy stories also exist in Judaism.

For believers, many Flower Fairies work and play in woods, fields and gardens. They live alongside their chosen flowers, plants or trees, caring for them as they grow.

Created by Cicely Mary Barker, the Flower Fairies are famous throughout the world. Cicely was born towards the end of the nineteenth century, and during childhood illnesses, she read Victorian fairy stories which – along with a love of art and nature - inspired her to draw pictures of Flower Fairies. Her father took one of her pictures to a stationery printer, and some greetings cards were made. She then went on to have many more of her illustrations published and enjoyed huge success.

She was careful to choose the flowers that accompanied her fairies. She matched the flowers with the personality of each fairy. Therefore, the Heather Fairy is depicted as being carefree, wind-blown and wild, just like the Heather plant itself.  If she couldn’t find a flower that she needed from her own garden, she would contact Kew Gardens for help.

Her early success occurred just after the first world war. As people were trying to adjust to life without war, it seems that the innocence and child-like qualities of Cicely’s drawings were very appealing. It is clear that their popularity has never subsided.

Not surprisingly, the cross stitch community was quick to discover Cicely Mary Barker’s work, and you can see many of her Flower Fairy pictures in her trademarked cross stitch designs. They are attractive to adults as well as to children, and perhaps it is the charming, simple benevolence of each picture that can provide a contrast to the complex troubles of our everyday lives.

Do you agree?

If you wish to enter the secret world of the Flower Fairies visit www.FlowerFairies.com.

Happy Stitching!

Iona

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I love vintage designs. Do you?

The word nostalgia describes a longing for the past, often in an idealised form. Former times can appear to be very appealing as we look back through our rose-tinted glasses.What better way is there to put aside our current problems than to bask in the memories of good times, frozen scenes or memories, kept as golden times, unaffected by negativity and worries.

Did we really spend our childhoods walking along river banks, paddling in rock pools at the seaside and flying kites? Well, yes, we probably did do those things – but not every day.

For many cross stitchers, there are many ways to relive the past through choosing design that represents their favourite emories of how things used to be. Of course, cross stitching can provide a form of time travel – as we stitch, we can be transported to other times as bygone eras are  brought to life as we stitch. Former times also represent a world that moved more slowly than our present fast pace.

There are many vintage cross stitch designs available as kits or charts/patterns. These include the All Our Yesterdays series by Faye Whittaker, and the Lilliput Lane collection. Members of the Patterns Patch club have a wide range of free designs to download, so may be spoilt for choice.

Here are some tips for stitching nostalgic themes:

1. Consider using specialist fabrics. Stitch your design on rustic beige linen to add the appropriate texture and colour as a background for your theme.

2. Use some specialist threads. Consider the more antique colours, such as copper or deep gold. Muted colours and pastels such as light greens or blues are preferable to bright pinks or yellows.

3. Use embellishments to decorate your project. Old buttons or vintage charms may add an extra to your work.

4. Use an appropriate frame. This involves personal choice. However, it may be a pity to frame a nostalgic scene in a modern frame, so look for a frame that reflects the time of the picture – possibly a classic coloured mount.

5. Convert an old favourite photograph into a chart/pattern. If you don’t have the skills to to do this yourself, then there are many companies who will do this for you. Patterns Patch club members may have this service free of charge.

Do share with us your favourite design of a bygone era.

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 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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Wedding Cross Stitch Patterns – An Heirloom in the Making

When a you or a loved one plan to get married, your thoughts can turns to having a memories to last your lifetime and naturally there will be lots of photographs. Choosing a wedding cross stitch pattern which can be customized with the bride and Groom’s names and wedding date is excellent way to accomplish this task and create a family heirloom too!

If you are thinking about completing a wedding cross stitch pattern, you will need to begin early – in fact, the earlier the better. Cross stitch, while a beautiful art and craft form, is quite time intensive. Be prepared to spend hours completing the project. However, if done with love and care, it will surely be a treasure for years to come.

Many people seek Free Wedding Cross Stitch Patterns, Counted Cross Stitch Wedding Patterns, and don’t forget, you can then do seek out Free Wedding Anniversary Cross Stitch Patterns as an anniversary gift!

There are a number of companies that have created either Free or Counted Cross Stitch Wedding Patterns especially to celebrate a wedding day. Some of those companies are: Kooler Design Studio, Dimensions, Bucilla, Leisure Arts, and many more. In fact, most cross stitch companies will have some type of cross stitch patterns for weddings. And, while you might think only of creating a sampler to be framed, the designs can include anything from pillows to wedding albums, all lovingly cross stitched by hand.

Traditionally, the sampler was used as a teaching tool for a young girl in Victorian times. The young girl would learn how to sew, embroider, and cross stitch by completing an alphabet, a picture, and often acted as way to record family information. It’s quite possible that it was out of this tradition that the wedding sampler was born.

Choosing your pattern for you cross stitch project may not be easy, especially since there are so many wedding cross stitch patterns on the market. You might consider the tastes of the couple, as well as the colors they plan on using for the ceremony. Are they frilly and mushy – requiring flowers and lace? Or are they more modern and likely to go against tradition?

One of the best ways for you to discover counted cross stitch wedding patterns to choose from is to do a google search. When you want to search here’s what you do:

For “Free Wedding anniversary cross stitch patterns” enter “Free wedding anniversary cross stitch patterns” into your search box. Do the same again if you want: “Free wedding cross stitch patterns” or “Counted cross stitch wedding patterns” etc. etc. One thought to consider when choosing a wedding cross stitch pattern is using the lyrics of a special song, if they have one.

You could also use the text of a favorite poem, or have a picture of them made into a cross stitch pattern that you can complete.

Whatever pattern you choose, remember that it will take some time to finish, so you might want to look at simpler patterns. Every bride wants to remember her wedding day. Besides the photographs taken, there is no better way for you to help her do that than with a hand-stitched counted cross stitch wedding pattern gift. Choose carefully from the myriad patterns available.

The wedding cross stitch pattern you choose then use will be an heirloom for the couple to cherish for years to come.

Warmly

Julia Wigham
PS. To discover details about Free Wedding Cross Stitch Patterns, Counted Cross Stitch Patterns . . . even where you may find Free Wedding anniversary cross stitch patterns - claim your Free Gift - A comprehensive FREE Report on cross Stitch at:
http://www.patternspatch.com

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