Monday, October 26, 2009

Cross Stitch in the Community

I love seeing the artistry of cross stitch and the dedication of stitchers recognized in local press outlets. Take note of this neat article about a Tennessee stitcher!

Monday, October 19, 2009

News Item

I just love this article about a woman who took her passion for cross stitch, embroidery, and textiles and turned it into a career. Really inspiring! I also love her philosophy that anyone can be creative - I totally agree. Her point about wanting to encourage younger people to learn this art form also rang true for me. I completely agree with her that I don't see as many younger stitchers around as I would hope for. I keep pondering how to change this, but I don't have a great answer yet... any brilliant ideas, feel free to share!

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Freebie Focus

This go around, some simply sweet freebies from Debbie Draper Designs. These will stitch up quick, and would be great to customize with your own color scheme of choice. Enjoy!

Monday, October 5, 2009

Fandom....

Well, there's fandom, and then there's... fandom.

The fact that this made the news makes me grin. And in the UK, no less - didn't I tell you they are into cross stitch?!

Cross Stitch Party

Want to have some fun with your fellow cross stitchers? Consider throwing a stitching party! Enjoy some great food and drink, then settle in for concentrated cross stitch and conversation. You'll probably want to keep the food simple, low-key, and fun - and minimally messy, given all the fabrics and floss around! Here are a few ideas for the food...

1. Follow the lead of Urban Cross Stitch in the UK, and throw a Cupcakes, Cocktails, and Cross stitch party! Make a selection of your fave cupcakes, or order some from your favorite bakery. Alternatively, have each of the attendees bring some, and make it a cupcake potluck party! Accompany the cupcakes with some cocktails made for a crowd. Personally, I'd choose ones that can be made in large quantities in advance, such as sangria. Food Network has a ton of mixed drink recipes, such as this Southern Comfort Punch, as does Epicurious.

2. A wine and cheese party is always a classic.

3. Focus on dips -- make a few, then ask your attendees to each bring their fave party dip. Yum! My inspiration for this idea is a local Dip Club, an article about which appeared in my local paper.

4. A dessert party is a sweet way to go. Pair the dessert table with a coffee bar, and you're ready for hours of stitching. A variation on this is the coffee and chocolate party.

5. A sandwich and soup buffet is an easy, fun, casual way to feed your fellow stitchers. Put out a variety of sandwich makings so your attendees can make their own sandwich creations, and then have a couple of soups as well. For other similar ideas, check out these make-ahead buffet menus.

There you have it - there's no reason not to bring your stitching buddies together for a fun and tasty cross stitch party!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Friday Freebie Focus

Being that I am most certainly a cat person, this week I couldn't resist highlighting the cute freebies from Stitchy Kitty. Very sweet - check them out!