Category Archives: Random Thoughts

I have a hard time turning my brain off. Here is where I can let my thoughts out…

Apr 20 2017

Primitive Pincushions

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The June issue of Just Cross Stitch magazine arrived, and it has several great projects in it. One of them that I was immediately drawn to is this set of pincushions by Nicoletta Farrauto of Nikyscreations.

M53373_HelloSpring_300

I especially love the one on the bottom, with the two girls. The pattern is quite easy, and I think the whole thing could be worked up in a weekend. It also would be a great way to use up small scraps of linen, and I love the fact that it uses regular old DMC floss. I have the full line of colors, but this would be so easy to adapt to whatever little bits of floss you have leftover from another project. My husband is always agonizing over my lost needles, so I think this would not only look good sitting on the end table where I keep my supplies while I stitch, but it would be functional too. I do have a magnetic needle minder, but one of these pincushions would be great for when you are working on a larger project and have lots of needles threaded, ready to go.

You can visit the Nikyscreations blog at http://niky-nikyscreations.blogspot.com

XXX
Carrie

 

Apr 18 2017

DMC floss price increase

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Sadly, the rumors going around online are true. DMC is indeed raising the MSRP of their 6 strand embroidery floss, from 77 cents to 87 cents per skein. The change took effect on April 6, 2017. I have waited until today to raise the price on my website, from 44 to 47 cents. I hated to do it, but since my price went up I had to pass along the increase to my customers. But stay tuned; I plan to offer special discount coupon codes to readers of my blog in the near future. And, my price is still lower than many online retailers, who went up to 52 cents per skein. You can view the full selection of threads that we carry at http://www.crossstitchers.com/floss.htm

DMC-Logo-0001

XXX
Carrie

Apr 15 2017

Cross Stitch – a Dying Art?

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I am so bummed about all of the cross stitching magazines that have ceased publication recently. First, Cross Country Stitching published their last magazine in December 2013. Then Sampler and Antique Needlework Quarterly went out of business with the release of their Fall 2015 issue. Their sister magazine, Just Cross Stitch, has since published some articles and samplers in their issues, but it is just not the same. Cross Stitch and Needlework magazine, which has seen many name changes and publication changes over the years, first went to a quarterly format and then decided to cease altogether at the end of 2016. In exchange for the remainder of my subscription, I was given a gift certificate to Herrschners, which I am not sure what I will use on. (When you own a needlework store, you sort of have access to everything that every other store sells!) Most recently, the British magazine Cross Stitch Collection went out of business after the February 2017 issue. This came about a year or so after being bought out by another publishing company, and I just don’t think the new publishers cared much about the fate of it. It was a wonderful magazine, full of great patterns and articles, and it will be sadly missed. Since it is a British magazine, and therefore quite expensive to get in the States, I subscribed to it through Zinio (a digital magazine platform). I will treasure my back issue collection, and luckily I was given the remainder of my issues for that magazine in a different title (Cross Stitch Gold, which I was also subscribing to on Zinio). Back in 2011, Stoney Creek Collection changed to a quarterly format but they are still going strong. I believe Just Cross Stitch is the only other American magazine still in publication. I am hoping that our beloved hobby is not dying out. At least I have a stash of patterns to last me several lifetimes!

XXX
Carrie

Apr 6 2017

Gods of Egypt

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I am so excited! After months (years?) of searching for the missing portion of the Gods of Egypt chart from New Stitches magazine, I found the digital copy online! You can purchase this chart (and many others) from stitchdirect.com. The chart will be in pdf format and you will be given a link to download it about a day after you purchase it.

godsofegypt

This will be a large endeavor, but it actually looks pretty easy to stitch. Mary Hickmott’s New Stitches magazine was known for their full cross stitch only charts, with no half or quarter stitches and a lot of the time there is minimal backstitching. But this does utilize metallic threads, which will be a challenge. I can’t wait to dive in! Now I need to decide, after I finish the Pyramids, do I start this or the mermaid? Or the butterflies? I also need to finish the deer in the woods, A Summer Ball, and put my little hedgehog pincushion together. Oh, why can’t there be more hours in the day?!

XXX
Carrie

Mar 28 2017

Ariel!

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mermaid

Okay, she isn’t exactly Ariel, but she is a mermaid with red hair. And she’s gorgeous! I just received the latest issue of Cross Stitch Gold magazine in the mail (well, the latest for the US, anyway) and it said that this beauty would be in the next issue. Of course, this happens to be one of the issues I won’t be getting because of their horrible subscription deal for US stitchers. The magazine is published 9 times a year, but only in Britain. US subscribers get 6 issues per year. This means that you get two issues in a row, then miss one issue, then get two more issue, miss one, and so on. Of course, being the addicted stitcher that I am (especially when it comes to my British mags) I have to have those missing issues. How do I solve this? By getting a digital subscription through Zinio, when they have their 5 issues for $5 deal going on. Since you can stack subscriptions, I re-subscribe any time they do this offer (2-3 times per year) to ensure that I never lose an issue. Yes, I do get issues digitally that I also get in the mail. I prefer to read the hard copies, BUT if I want to stitch a pattern it sure is nice to have the digital copy to print out the chart instead of having to scan it in. I simply cannot stitch something without destroying the heck out of the copy with either highlighters or colored pencils. So this way I don’t ruin my mags. Anywho, the DAY AFTER receiving a copy of Gold in the mail, the next issue came out on Zinio. And there she was, just wanting to be stitched! I have the pattern printed out and ready to go and have selected the fabric and beads. But I will not be starting this until the Pyramids are finished. I know I should work on A Summer Ball and the deer in the woods, but I have a feeling I won’t be able to stay away from this mermaid for long!

XXX
Carrie

Feb 28 2017

Hello again

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I cannot believe that it has been exactly six months since I last posted on this blog. So much has happened in that space of time… listing a vacation home, getting an offer two days later, driving 1200 miles to pack up all of our belongings and move them back home, volunteering countless hours in the school library, chauffeuring the kids to religious education classes twice a week, enduring physical therapy, surviving the Christmas season, and helping my daughter make videos for her YouTube channel. Last weekend my 7 year old participated in Jump Rope For Heart through the American Heart Association. This weekend she starts basketball (how is it that she is even big enough for that?). Needless to say, I have done no cross stitching in the last 6 months. None. As in, not one stitch. Time is always an issue in this household, but for the last year my neck pain has been so severe that looking down to do any kind of needlework would have been impossible. Reading is not so bad; I can hold a book out in front of me and not injure myself. So I have been spending every spare moment with the Chronicles of Narnia, Jules Verne, Lady Hardcastle, and Artemis Fowl. Reading is my second love (or is it tied for first?) so I have not been too disappointed that I haven’t been able to pick up a needle. But I have decided that I definitely need to spend more time on this blog, so I’m hoping this is the first of many posts to come for 2017.

XXX
Carrie

Aug 31 2016

What a Find!

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bear

Yesterday while out for a walk we spotted a garage sale where everything was free. There wasn’t much left, as it had probably been quite picked over before we got there. But imagine my surprise when I found a box full of cross stitch goodies! There were a couple dozen leaflets from back in the 1980s, some folded up pieces of Aida, and even a finished, framed piece. I could tell by looking at it that it was a Stoney Creek design. Of course, I grabbed anything cross stitch related and went home to check out my new treasures. The framed piece was taped to a piece of cardboard and then put in a cheap frame with a broken piece of glass. I removed the stitched piece and will wash it, and then I will reframe it and hang it in my shop. I did a quick search on Google for “Stoney Creek cross stitch teddy wheelbarrow” and found the book it came from – Teddy Treasures, Book 158.

Another finished piece came from the booklet Something Special in Plaids and Monograms by T&N Designs Inc, Book 4. Copyright 1982! Ironically, it is a finished pillow cover with the name James, which is my husband’s name! But the date, 1991, means nothing to me. I have no idea what I will do with this. I am not sure if it was meant to commemorate the birth of a child, or to represent a last name.

james

There was a barely started piece from the book Country Barnyard which I think I will just cut up and save the smaller unstitched parts for other projects. It is not my style, so I won’t bother finishing it. But the Aida is in good shape and should be fine after a quick washing.

There was another barely started piece, a sampler, which I actually would finish and frame, but the chart was just a photocopy and I actually don’t think it is all there. The top of the piece is the end of the alphabet, and no top border design. I have no idea what the piece is called, and could not find it when searching Google. I think I will post a picture of it on Facebook and see if anyone knows what it is.

sampler

The last piece has a good amount done on it and I can tell it was stitched on Smoketone Aida. It is a sampler with an alphabet, some waves, and lightning. At first I could not find anything like it in Google, and then I decided to search for a Noah’s Ark sampler. It turns out that not only do the waves and lightning represent Noah’s Ark, but that the pattern was with the leaflets I got! It is the cover piece from Cross Stitch & Country Crafts magazine, Jan/Feb 1987. The magazine is in such bad shape, I didn’t even realize the pattern was there all along until I saw the images on Google. At first I thought I might finish this one, but now that I know what it is, I doubt that I will. It is a huge project and I just don’t have time to work on something like this. It is also done on fabric much darker than the magazine sample, and the pastel colors kind of get lost. I think I will probably cut the excess fabric off of this one, too.

noah

I don’t know the woman who owned these charts or stitched pieces, or why someone was giving them away for free at a yard sale. I do know that they had belonged to a woman named Julie Ziegler. I found a birthday card with her name on the envelope, and inside it was signed Jeremy, Jessica, and Travis (her children, I presume). The card came with “birthday coupons” for things like breakfast in bed and a day of housecleaning. None of them had ever been used. There was also a photocopied recipe with her name at the top. Perhaps she died, or just couldn’t see well enough to stitch anymore. Maybe her children had no idea what the items were. But I feel good knowing that at least one of her pieces will be “rescued” and put back up on the wall.

Also included in this set of goodies was a couple of small kits and a Dimensions stocking kit. It has been opened, but all of the materials are there and are in good shape. I don’t care for the design, and I don’t need to stitch another stocking anyway, but this will be a nice piece of fabric to add to my stash.

 

XXX
Carrie

Aug 29 2016

Goodies in the Mail!

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It’s always a great day when The World of Cross Stitching arrives. But this month has a great free gift – a thread cutter pendant! Now this is something I can really use. No more lost scissors!

freecutter

There’s also a great free design of a rose included this month. I love these bonus designs – they are printed nice and big, and on thick shiny cardstock. My magazines tend to get ripped up when I stitch from them, but these freebies are printed on a nice long lasting quality paper.

XXX
Carrie

Jan 4 2016

Where has the time gone?

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Wow, I can’t believe how long it has been since I last posted. So much has gone on here, although not much of it was stitching-related. It started just before Halloween when my daughter Adrienne got strep throat. After that, there was so much sickness in this house. Our son Aaron got it the end of November, and then my husband Jim, and then me. Aaron was not responding to the antibiotics, so they switched his to something more powerful. Jim took his round but then had to take another round after that. And Aaron ended up getting strep again about 2 weeks after finishing his meds. During the Christmas holidays we lost power due to strong winds. We were without power for 4 days, including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I actually did get some stitching in during that time, because there wasn’t much else to do. But I could only stitch when there was enough light in the front window, which wasn’t for more than a couple of hours per day. I finished my hedgehogs, but have not had a chance to sew them together yet. I then started working on the deer in the woods again, not because I love that project so much but because it would have been too difficult to find supplies for a new project in the dark! On January 3 we were without power once again, but this time it went out at midnight and was back on by the time we came home from church. The kids went back to school today, which means I can finally get caught up on some work. I suppose the Christmas tree should come down, but I don’t feel too motivated to do that yet.

Looking back on last year, I suppose I got a good amount of stitching done, considering my hectic lifestyle. I am hoping that 2016 brings even more free time so I can do what I love to do the most. Happy New Year!

XXX
Carrie

Jun 24 2015

Something a little different

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It seems like my stitching time has been nonexistent lately. But today my daughter wanted to do some beading (basically, stringing beads onto cord to make necklaces) and I figured that would be a great time to do some beadwork of my own. I had picked out some beautiful glass beads months ago in the hopes of making a scissors fob but never actually got around to constructing it.

fob1

It only took a few minutes and voila! I think this turned out pretty well. It helped that I have done quite a bit of jewelry making and had the necessary equipment, like pliers and crimp beads. The lobster claw clasps that I had were not quite big enough to fit my usual pair of scissors, so I had to attach this to my pair of Hardanger “Lil Snips”. But that worked out pretty well because these scissors are so small, they are easy to lose. The beads are glass, so hopefully they won’t get chipped. I would like to get some bigger clasps (or even pretty ribbons) and make more fobs for my other scissors. The hardest part is deciding what beads to use and what order to arrange them in!

fob2

XXX
Carrie

May 22 2015

So Little Time…

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Wow, so much has been going on lately, I feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off! My two favorite men (my hubby and father) have been replacing the roof on my store. On Tuesday they worked from 7:45 a.m. until 9:45 p.m. Hubby came home for a can of ravioli for lunch and then skipped dinner. Wednesday and Thursday they quit at dinner time, I think from sheer exhaustion. This roof was probably close to 100 years old, and had layer upon layer that had to be ripped off. I am hoping they get done today because tomorrow is probably going to be the last day without rain. Actually, while they were working it started to snow. Yes, I said SNOW.

I have been going to the orthodontist since November to try to address my major TMJ issues. In January I got a bite splint which makes me look really weird, and for the first few weeks I couldn’t talk very well. But I was amazed at the results. My headaches disappeared, as did my sinus pain. My earaches went away and I actually got the hearing back in my left hear. I could walk up and down the stairs or around the grocery store without my knees killing me. I could sleep at night. And I was finally able to eat again. I had lost about 9 pounds, which is not a good thing on an already skinny person. Now that I have had the device in 24/7 for 4 months, we decided to continue with braces. I go next Wednesday to get them on my lower teeth only, so that I can still wear the bite splint on my top teeth. So running to the orthodontist for bite splint adjustments, x rays, impressions, and consultations has really eaten up a lot of my time.

It’s just about the end of the school year, which brings about lots of excitement and stress at the same time. The kids are excited that they only have 10 full days and 2 half days left, but I am stressing about their fighting which will start up about 5 minutes after they are forced to be together on the first day of vacation. I am not sure how I will handle that all summer long. Next year they will be in separate schools, which will probably make our routine even harder than it is this year.

We have also been making plans for the summer, which include going to DISNEY WORLD! This will be my son’s 5th trip and my daughter’s 4th. It will also be our longest trip by far. Normally we do 3 or 4 days, and the last time we went we did 5 days because Disney gave us the 5th day for free when booking a 4 day trip. This time around we will be in the park for 7 days! My daughter’s birthday is the middle of August and our trip will be right after that, and we will get home just a few days before school starts up again.

I have been stitching a little bit each night, but not taking progress photos. My current project is one I kitted up last summer, so it is technically from my stash.It is worked entirely in silk, which I had not used before. But I am finding that the Kreinik Silk Mori is a dream to work with. It doesn’t knot as bad as DMC, and it glides through the fabric (I am stitching on linen). The pattern is from an old issue of Just Cross Stitch, which I found at a thrift store. After deciding to stitch it, I found that issue on my Just Cross Stitch DVD which has 10 years of issues (see my previous blog post). I was able to print the pattern out so that I could cross off my stitches as I go and not ruin my physical copy of the magazine. I LOVE these DVDs!

house1Here is my slow progress from the past couple of weeks. Maybe since it is a holiday weekend (and my birthday!) I will get some well deserved stitching time in the next few days.

house2

XXX
Carrie

Apr 23 2015

Follow me on Instagram!

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I have decided to finally set up an Instagram account, but it will be cross stitch related only. I wasn’t thrilled about setting up an account because the pictures are completely public, but I figure if it is just stitching related there can’t be much harm done (have you seen some of the stuff people put on there?!). I will be posting pictures of my completed projects, along with stitching products I can’t live without, and maybe even stitch diagrams or examples. The next thought, which has been in my mind for several years, is to start video tutorials on YouTube. But I don’t have a great camera, and I am very intimidated by the editing people do to their videos. I’m a cross stitcher, not a movie maker. Yet I have often searched for things there that I know how to do – like french knots – and been unable to find any really GOOD videos. So I feel it could be a great service to people to help them learn something that I am good at. That might be something to think about setting up this summer.

You can follow me on Instagram here: https://instagram.com/crossstitchers/

XXX
Carrie

Apr 20 2015

Thread Heaven

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Nothing is worse than constantly having your embroidery floss tangle and get knotted while you are stitching. Luckily, there is a product on the market called Thread Heaven which not only claims to prevent thread tangling and fraying, but also to reduce hand fatigue.

heaven1  heaven2

Adam Beadworks, the manufacturer of this product, has been marketing it for years for quilters, but more recently cross stitchers have found that they just can’t live without it. For a while I was skeptical that it would work, and certain that it would damage the fibers or fabric. I have been selling it in my store for a few years, and it is one of my best sellers. But I just didn’t want to try it myself. Finally I decided to have a go at stitching with it and this is what I found.

Fresh out of the package

Fresh out of the package

First, I was surprised at how the product does not actually coat the floss. I figured after wiping a strand of floss across the Thread Heaven it would be all goopy or waxy. But you really can’t tell it is there. So then I wondered if it would actually do anything. When I stitched with it for the first time, I was amazed at how it went through the fabric smoothly instead of being drug through it. I have only stitched with several thread lengths so far, but I can definitely tell a difference compared to when I have not used it. The only downside so far is that it is time consuming to coat each strand (you are supposed to do each strand separately, then recombine them) and it is a bit awkward to use because the container is so small. But I will keep at it and report back here when my project is finished. I started a new small card kit just for the purpose of trying out the Thread Heaven. I did not want to start using it midway through a project.

One thing the Thread Heaven website does mention is that a separate box should be used for light and dark colors. If the product gets really gunked up with floss, you can pry it out of the box, turn it over, and put it back in to use the other side of it. Also, you should not lick your floss (a habit I personally have) because the mouth is very acidic.

There is debate among stitchers whether Thread Heaven has glitter in it. Some say that they can’t imagine having a box of it without the glitter in it, as it makes it “heavenly”. Others say that they have used several containers of it and have never once had glitter in theirs. The box I opened up is from my own shop and since I sell so much of this stuff, I know it is “fresh”. At first glance the product did not seem to be glittery, but when I took a closer look I could indeed see microscopic pieces of what appeared to be glitter. So my guess is that the glitter has either gotten smaller over time, or those who think theirs doesn’t have it just never noticed it before.

The glitter in Thread Heaven kind of matches my nails!

The glitter in Thread Heaven kind of matches my nails!

You can purchase Thread Heaven at my store, www.crossstitchers.com where it retails for $3.39.

XXX
Carrie

Mar 17 2015

ORT Jars

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ortjarRecently I mentioned my ORT jar in a post, and a reader asked what that was. I thought I would write a blog post all about the wonderfulness of ORT jars.

Here is a picture of my current ORT jar. As you can see, it is nothing more than a jelly jar filled with snippets of embroidery threads. I keep this jar in my “stitching spot”, which is on the end table next to the couch. Any time I finish a kit, the threads go into this jar. If I am stitching a chart that did not come with threads, and therefore am using threads from my stash, then I wind up the leftover threads back onto the bobbins. But if a piece is deemed too short to use again, it goes into the jar.

The word “ort” is an archaic term that means scraps. But stitchers have turned this word into an all-caps abbreviation which can mean different things. I personally use “old random threads”. Others call it “odd ratty threads”. So what do you do with these threads when you have your jar filled up? Well, some people toss them to the birds to help them make nests but others think that is dangerous because the birds can choke on them. I think the chemicals and dyes used can’t be good for the birds, either. Some people start a new jar each year and then at the end of the year they put the snippets into a clear glass Christmas ornament and use a marker to write the date on it. I have to confess, this is my first ORT jar. I used to just toss the tiny little “tails” in the trash, and save any longer pieces. I have threads from every kit I have ever stitched, sitting in a box. Doing nothing. I finally decided that enough was enough; I was never going to actually use them again. And most kit threads, I find, are not very good quality anyway. So for now, they just sit in this jar.

A word of caution: don’t leave your glass jar near any windows. There was a story in the news recently about a girl who burned her house down because she had a Nutella jar on her bedroom windowsill, full of loops for a weaving loom. The glare from the sun on the glass jar started the fire. This was in Europe, where Nutella comes in glass jars and not plastic like in the US, but it can happen anywhere. Keep your jars away from the sun. Better safe than sorry!

XXX
Carrie

Mar 11 2015

Beads!

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While stocking the store I noticed that some of the Mill Hill beads I am getting in are not the same color as the last batch I received. Here are some examples.

beads1

The beads on the right were the seed beads 02048 that I had in stock, and since I was down to 2 packs I ordered more. The ones on the left were what I received. A quick Google search found that stores selling online are divided on which image to use. While the photo above is my own, I found “swatches” from various stores that look like both. For instance, here are the images that are being used on 123Stitch and Stoney Creek’s websites.

   stoneycreek02048

Hmm, they look exactly like the beads I have! But which is “correct”? Since my website shows the darker color, I guess I will sell those until they are gone and then change the swatch to the lighter color.

beads2This is not the only color this has happened with. These pink beads 62004 were the first that I noticed. I even emailed Wichelt Imports (maker of the Mill Hill beads) to see if I had gotten a bad batch. I didn’t hear back, so I wrote again a couple of weeks later. Still no response. My guess is that the dye lots can be so different at times, they don’t really care. And maybe no one else does either. Maybe I am being overly “picky”. What bothers me the most is that if someone orders a large number of packages, I won’t be able to send them beads that all look the same.

 

 

 

 

 

The last example is of three different colors for one bead type. Since I only had one pack of the bottom color (what color? It looks almost clear!) I decided to just take that one out of stock. The rest will get sold based on how many packs each person needs, I guess. I am very conscientious, when someone places an order with my store, to send them all the same dye lots on things like beads and threads. But not all stores will check when filling your order. And if you run out during a project and need to order more, chances are the dye lots will be different by then. So let these pictures serve as a warning – ALWAYS BUY PLENTY OF BEADS OR THREADS BEFORE STARTING YOUR PROJECT!

beads3

In a future post, I will talk about the color differences between dye lots in DMC floss.

XXX
Carrie

Jan 21 2015

Digital VAT and the demise of our beloved designers

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On Sunday I finally started on A Summer Ball by Sandy Littlejohns and Deborah Lester. Sadly, their website has now been taken down. I am so lucky that I was able to purchase this pattern when I did. So many designers from the UK and other parts of Europe are closing their businesses or at least not allowing charts for purchase online any more. Due to new VAT (value added tax) rules, businesses can no longer sell products digitally without collecting VAT. It sounds innocent enough, but each country collects a different amount of tax and in some countries, it varies based on location within that country. Each business has to register for VAT in every one of the countries in the EU (European Union). When they make a sale, they need to charge the appropriate amount of VAT based on where the customer is located, anywhere from 17% in Luxembourg to 27% in Hungary. The problem is, a customer can lie about where they are from, and it comes back to the business owner to PROVE that the sale was accurate. This can be done by collecting the customer’s IP address, but it is not that simple. A customer can be traveling and therefore their IP address won’t be the same from day to day. Businesses also now have to keep records of their sales for 10 years including the IP addresses, and some customers don’t like that because they feel it is an invasion of privacy. If businesses do want to continue to sell their goods digitally, they can register with MOSS (Mini One Stop Shop) in the UK or they can register with each individual country that is in the EU but not the UK. A third option would be to find a third party who would be responsible for the VAT. But many cross stitch designers are choosing to stop selling their charts digitally completely.

I have been researching this for several months because, even though businesses were told 6 years ago that this day was coming, no one really did anything then. The internet has changed so drastically in that amount of time, and I don’t think the people in charge had any idea that digital sales would be as big as they are now. Or rather, what they were until December 31, 2014. One of the reasons I was interested in this was because I was worried that it would impact me as a cross stitch store owner selling physical charts to Europe. It turns out that this does not apply to me… yet. On January 1, 2016 the law will be changed yet again to include physical items, not just digital ones. What does that mean for me? Well, I will be doing what many of the designers are doing. In 2016 I will stop selling to any country in the EU completely. My sales will drop, just like many other businesses’. I won’t close down, because my international sales are not a huge part of my revenue. But I know many other businesses out there won’t be so lucky.

For more information, check out the great Facebook page that has been set up for this topic: Digital VAT 2015.

XXX
Carrie

Jan 12 2015

What am I supposed to do with this?

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I started a new kit last night, and all was going well until I came across this.

flossoops

Yup, a huge flaw in the floss. And of course it is right in the middle of the strand. Now what? I guess I will have to cut it out and stitch with really short lengths of floss, and hope I don’t run out.

I’m really enjoying these small cover kits, and it’s great to use up my stash. But I feel bad that I had to put that deer in the woods away yet AGAIN, and that I haven’t started on Summer Ball. I wanted to start it on January 1 and work a little bit each day. But these little guys are so fun and easy to work on with kids around; there isn’t much counting or sorting of threads. I did put a lot of work into gridding the fabric for Summer Ball, but oh well, I guess it will just have to wait.

XXX
Carrie

Jan 3 2015

DMC Floss Increase

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dmcfloss2015
My sales rep warned me that this would happen. On January 1, 2015 the suggested retail price of DMC embroidery floss went from 74 cents to 77 cents (US dollars). This means that most stores will raise their prices in the near future. Because I knew of the price increase beforehand, I ordered a lot of floss at the end of the year to get the old pricing. So I will not be raising the price in our store until we need to make another large order. So if you need floss, you should buy it soon, regardless of where you shop.

XXX
Carrie

Dec 30 2014

A New Year

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I am so excited about the new year and what it will hold in terms of stitching. This year, 2014, was my year to try new things. I think I accomplished this pretty well, although I do admit that I did not find time to do all of the things I wanted. But I tried my hand at Hardanger, Biscornu, and stocking finishing. (Yes, I had completed other stockings in the past, but they were not finished in the same way or as nicely as the one I made for Adrienne.) I made a Mason jar and a decorative pillow. I stitched my first Reproduction Antique Sampler. And I learned how to grid large projects. I didn’t get to try out Assisi embroidery, because I couldn’t find a pattern I liked. But I think that was about the only thing I wanted to accomplish this year and didn’t.

So what’s in store for 2015? LOTS! First of all, I have joined two groups on Facebook designed to help stitchers use up their stash and say no to new things. This will hurt me as a shop owner – I have to hope that not all stitchers adopt this plan! But for myself personally, I do have way too much in the way of stitching stash, and some of it needs to go. There are about 500 of us so far who are pledging not to buy ANY new stitching items in 2015. But each person does get to list exceptions. My exceptions are pretty simple – floss if I run out of a color part way through a project, and my current magazine subscriptions. I don’t want to cancel those because so many of them offer charts that are presented over several issues. So my first goal is to use up my stash and not add anything new to it. My second goal is to finish something new every month. I don’t care what it is, or what size it is. I don’t care who it’s for or whether it is new or an old UFO. I just want to complete one project every month. I have so many kits that came free with The World of Cross Stitching Magazine, I think some of those need to be tackled. Since A Summer Ball is already gridded and kitted up, I plan to start on that and get as much done as possible. That’s my third goal. But I am not going to worry if it is not completed in 2015. Depleting my stash is more important, and my time is so limited right now. And my fourth and final goal is to maintain my blog consistently. There have been times through the year when I have gone weeks without posting, and even weeks without stitching. I don’t want that to happen in 2015.

So, to recap, my goals for 2015 are these:

1) Use up current stash; no new buying for one year
2) Finish one project per month
3) Have one large project on the go (A Summer Ball)
4) Blog at least once a week

Happy New Year!

XXX
Carrie

Nov 8 2014

Lost Floss

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I ran out of floss. I knew it would happen. So many stitchers have complained about how Dimensions kits don’t come with enough floss, and I have been very careful with what I had. But then the unexpected happened. It was night time, and I stopped stitching for the day. I put the dark blue floss I had been using on top of my chart, and put that on top of my stitching bag. The next day, it was gone. Apparently someone walked by and either took it (not likely) or it got stuck to their clothing. I searched high and low for two days, to no avail. I had a tiny bit of the same color set aside for the borders, so I now have to use that to finish the sky to ensure that everything matches. I looked through every color of DMC trying to find a match, but to my dismay there is nothing even remotely similar. I have not gone through my stash of Anchor yet, so maybe I will find something close. I am hopeful that there will be enough to finish the sky and then I will just have to take the closest match I can find and use that for the multi-colored border. Hopefully it will not be too noticeable. Dimensions is supposed to send you more floss if you run out, but I don’t want to wait for that, and I have heard so many stitchers say that their requests never get fulfilled anyway. I have certainly learned my lesson… always take the time to put your stitching away properly!

XXX
Carrie

Oct 24 2014

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4019_1It’s here! Annie’s has released another DVD containing every issue of Sampler & Antique Needlework Quartlery. This time it is 1991-2000. They already had a 2001-2010 DVD, so now stitchers can have every page of every issue for a full 20 years of this wonderful magazine. Due to a mistake on my part, we only have one copy of this in stock at the moment, but more are on the way soon. You can view the full details and purchase the DVD here.

Here are just a few of the samplers featured in this edition:

4019_5  4019_4  4019_3  4019_6

The great thing about this DVD is that the price is less than that of the previous one; it is only $44.95 instead of $59.95. That’s $15 in savings!

XXX
Carrie

Oct 17 2014

2 months until Christmas!

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October has been a very hectic month. My son celebrated his tenth birthday, had his yearly doctor visit, and has had trips to the orthodontist. The braces come off October 28! So only one more visit to go until for now. After all of his baby molars fall out and the adult ones come in, we get to start “phase two”. Jim and I have also been busy making Halloween costumes for the kids (but he won’t let me say what they are until after Halloween; he is paranoid about someone stealing his great ideas!) So the stitching has been a bit slower than usual. I did get a good deal of the sky done, as well as Joseph and part of a shepherd in the Nativity scene. But it hit me today that Christmas is just over two months away. When you figure in the time needed to actually assemble the stocking, I figure I need to have the cross stitch done exactly two months from today to have it ready in time for Christmas morning. I still think I can do it, but it will be pushing it. I can’t wait to get this done so that I can get on with a new project. Summer Ball will be the one I start immediately, but I also have my eye on this one from John Clayton’s Elegance series:

charles

It reminds me so much of Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice, I just have to stitch this one as well. I already have the chart, but have not kitted it up yet. The only problem is, I cannot find a suitable lady to accompany this chart. John Clayton has such a large range of designs, but none of his ladies are in the Regency period, at least not that I can tell. Perhaps after stitching this one I will have to just chart my own?

I would love to get Summer Ball done in one year, but I am not going to push myself so hard that I start to dislike stitching it. I also want to get the deer in the woods finished for Jim (I really started to hate working on that one, so it has been put away for quite some time) and Peacock Tapestry has also been set aside for longer than I would have liked. As they say, so many stitches, so little time!

XXX
Carrie