Festive Blackwork

Towards the end of September, I published a post with the title Cross-stitch Software Evaluation, which had included several images. Well, after publishing that post, I decided to go ahead and stitch some of those festive-themed designs, but before my stitching could commence, I was required to have S.E.X. (a stash enhancing experience). Sorry folks, but that stitchy acronym never fails to amuse me!

All the designs you see featured below were stitched on 18-count Aida, using metallic thread. The cards I used measure 144mm x 144mm, and the dimension of the aperture is 96mm x 96mm. I purchased a bulk quantity of the cards from Craft Creations several years ago, so that was one thing less to worry about when I had S.E.X. Having checked the website, they are still available for purchase, along with envelopes, clear card bags, and plain insert sheets. Craft Creations do stock printed inserts sheets, although not for the size of cards I used. However, it’s not that difficult to turn a plain insert sheet into a printed insert sheet, bearing a greeting of your choice, but I’ll explain more about this later. Finally, the cards were embellished with peel-off stickers that had also been purchased from Craft Creations.

Christmas Bauble

This was the first design I stitched, using one strand each of DMC E310 (black) and E3852 (gold).

Christmas Bauble

This was stitched with one strand each of DMC E321 (red) and E3852 (gold).

Christmas Bell

On the chart I followed for this design, the clapper (the bulbous part at the bottom of the bell) hadn’t been filled, nor had the bell’s hook, and I personally felt the design would look so much better if they were. I used one strand of DMC E3852 (gold) for the Blackwork and the cross-stitches.

Christmas Present

I have to confess that I found this design to be an absolute nightmare to stitch. The ribbon on the chart I followed hadn’t been filled, but I opted to fill it because I really wanted it to stand out. For the present, I used one strand of DMC E3852 (gold), and E321 (red) for the ribbon. I should add that I used two strands to outline the ribbon.

 

 

Christmas Stocking

When one looks at a Christmas stocking, furry fabric is often used for the trim at the top. I wanted to try to replicate that look when I stitched this design, so used two strands to outline the trim. The rest of the stocking was stitched with one strand of DMC E3852 (gold), and E321 (red).

 

 

Christmas Tree

The tree was stitched with one strand of DMC E699 (green). On the chart I followed, the trunk had been stitched using the same colour that had been used for the tree. Well, I don’t know about you, but I’ve never seen a tree with a green trunk! As the DMC range does not include metallic brown, it was a matter of searching for a brand that did. Eventually, I took a gamble and placed an order for Madeira Metallic No.4, colour 4029. This is the first time that I’ve used Madeira, and separating the strands was quite a challenge. However, the shade is perfect, so the gamble paid off.

 

 

Christmas Wreath

On the chart for this design, all the stitching for the wreath (not the ribbon) was green, and I found myself thinking, “But one can’t have a Christmas wreath without berries!”  I used one strand of DMC E699 (green) for the wreath, and one strand of E321 (red) for the ribbon. As for the all-important berries, I used Mill Hill glass seed beads (shade 02013).

 

There are some more festive-themed items that I’ve stitched, but before they can be made up into cards, they will all need to be washed. This is something I prefer to do in bulk, and as there are more items I would like to stitch, I’m afraid it will be a matter of waiting and watching this space.

 

Printed insert sheets

Unless you have the patience to use whatever tools are at your disposal to cut a quantity of paper to size, I would advise using pre-cut insert sheets. At the time of writing this, Craft Creations are charging £0.07 per printed sheet measuring 88 x 114mm, and £0.03 per plain sheet, meaning that it’s more economical to purchase the plain insert sheets.

 

When printing on to plain insert sheets, I prefer to use Microsoft Word. The first step is to change the paper size to Custom size, by accessing Page Setup from the File menu. In this instance, the dimensions of my insert sheet (for a 144mm x 144mm card) are 138mm (height) x 276mm (width). After entering the dimensions (in centimetres), I then switch to the Margins tab. Now, I don’t want to add any text to the left-hand side of the insert sheet, and I know that I’d like a margin of 1.5cm around the right-hand side of the sheet. In order to set the left-hand margin, the width of the insert sheet (27.6cm) is halved (13.8cm), and then added to 1.5cm (15.3cm). In addition, the orientation needs to be changed to Landscape.

 

The next step is to add the text, and I prefer to do this by entering it into a Text Box, simply because it’s easier to reposition. By the way, you will need to ensure your view is set to Print Layout before inserting the Text Box. By default, Word will add a black border around the text box, but it’s easy enough to get rid of. All you need to do is right-click the Text Box and then select the option to Format Text Box. From the Colors and Lines tab, select the drop-down menu for the line colour, and choose No Line.

 

I hope I’ve explained the above clearly, but in the event that I haven’t, please let me know and I’ll see if I can put together a visual tutorial.

 

Introducing Laurie

I’ve been intending to post this for a while, so I hope I can be forgiven for the delay.

Several weeks ago, my mother unsubtly hinted that she was sure my gran would like to see my Blackwork, and so I decided to stitch Laurie, by designer Jeanne Dansby, over at Byrd’sNest.

 

Laurie

 

Laurie was stitched on 14-count Aida. I used DMC shade E3852 for the gold outline, and DMC shades E703 (green) and 4018 (pink) for the filling stitches. The card was one that I just happened to have in my stash, and it’s down to pure luck that the colour of it happens to work so well with Laurie. The piece of batting I placed behind the Aida could have done with being fractionally larger, and because of this, I feel it spoils the overall look of the card. It’s only been during this past year that I’ve started to use batting, and in my opinion, cutting it so that it is exactly the right size, is definitely an art within itself.

 

Getting musical

When I was at high school, there was a guy in my year that could often be found playing the drums in the school’s music room. Since then, his musical abilities have gone on to include (amongst other things) song writing. Earlier this year, my acquaintance entered a YouBloom song writing competition, which is judged by a panel of industry experts (including Sir Bob Geldof).

The current state of play is that my acquaintance has done well enough to become a semi-finalist (which I am absolutely thrilled about), and has been required to make a supporting music video.

When I listened to the song for the first time, I was immediately hooked, and found myself playing the song over and over again. Although I have an eclectic taste in music, I am quite choosy about what I like and dislike, and it’s not often that I hear a song that I feel compelled to listen to repeatedly. I consider the lyrics to be catchy, along with the music. Possibly because of my acquaintance’s musical influences, it feels familiar (in a good way), as though it’s a classic that was always meant to be, if that makes sense.

Anyway, if you like the song as much as I do, I’m sure my acquaintance would be delighted if you were to show your support by sharing the link to his video.

Starburst Blackwork Birthday Card

In my Autumnal Update post, I mentioned that I’d completed a spur-of-the-moment Blackwork project. Earlier on in the month, I decided that I would make a Blackwork birthday card for a friend. The design I chose is called Starburst, and is actually for a Blackwork biscornu (an ornamental pin cushion), which I stumbled across on Kincavel Krosses. I realised the design was somewhat ambitious, especially when compared with the Blackwork designs I’ve previously stitched. In hindsight, it had also been incredibly ambitious of me to think that I could get all the stitching done, and the card made up and posted within a week!

Had I not opted to add couching to the design, I would have been more-or-less on track to meet my self-imposed deadline. Below is an image of the stitched piece when it was almost completed… or so I thought.

After finishing off the couching, I had washed the stitched piece, and it was at this point that things started to go spectacularly pear-shaped. I had used several strands of DMC Metallic Sewing Thread for the pink couching (shade 4018), which obviously hadn’t liked being washed because it looked utterly dreadful. The only option I had was to unpick the pink couching and start again, using DMC Precious Metal Effects (shade E168) instead of the pink DMC Metallic Sewing Thread.

Could things get any worse? Well, yes!  When I was ready to position my stitched piece, and adhere it to the card, I discovered that I was running low on glue, meaning that I had to apply more pressure when squeezing it of the bottle. This resulted in considerably more glue coming out of the bottle than I required, which then spread to visible areas of the Aida. Admittedly, it wasn’t by much, but enough to be a problem and cause me to promptly separate the Aida from the card, and then attempt to remove the glue. Now, if you have ever attempted to remove glues containing latex from Aida, you will know that it can be a complete nightmare. The advice I read on the internet was to spray WD40 on the glue to loosen it, and although I didn’t have any WD40, I had an equivalent, which worked an absolute treat. However, the stitched piece absolutely reeked of the stuff I had used, meaning that it had to be washed for a second time. I then decided that I really wasn’t happy with the quality of the silver couching, so ended up redoing it, along with the green couching.

After what had seemed like a labour of love, this is what I eventually ended up with.

Front of card

Back of card

Stitched label on back of card

Changing the subject, I PASSED the ITQ/ECDL Presentations module on Tuesday, with a result of 94%. Although I felt pleased and immensely relieved, I didn’t experience the same sense of elation that I’d felt when I passed the Word Processing module exam, and the Databases module exam. I’ve now got two months in which to complete the Spreadsheets module.

Cross-stitch software evaluation

In my previous post, I mentioned that I had purchased and downloaded a PDF file from Artecy, consisting of charts for nine Blackwork Christmas Motifs. After studying the designs, I found myself thinking that it would be great if I could find some software, which would enable me to experiment with different shades of metallic thread. My reasoning was that this would enable me to get a rough idea of what the designs would look like, before I committed myself to stitching anything, and used up valuable stitching supplies.

 

In the past, I have downloaded evaluation versions of cross-stitching software, and although good, they haven’t included a palette for metallic threads, which on this occasion was what I wanted. As luck would have it, I stumbled across a website for StitchCraft. The StitchCraft software is available to purchase in three formats (Home Edition - £95), Designer Edition - £496, and Publisher Edition - £1,548). Each version of the software allows the user to save charts as a PDF file, and includes a palette for metallic threads, from the DMC Light Effects range. Needless to say, I wasted no time in downloading an evaluation version of the software, and was suitably impressed. It’s just a shame that in order to purchase the Home Edition (never mind the other two editions), I would need to rob a bank, or else find myself a wealthy, generous boyfriend!

 

During the course of last night, and the early hours of this morning, I was in my element experimenting with the software. As with most evaluation software, I was unable to save my work, but I was able to take screenshots, which I then cropped.

On the chart for the images below, the design was stitched using 1 strand of DMC 498 (red), on white Aida. Using the evaluation software, this is what I came up with.

Metallic Black and Metallic Gold

Metallic Blue and Metallic Silver

Metallic Pink (NOT from the DMC Light Effects range) and Metallic Silver

Metallic Purple and Metallic Silver

Metallic Red, Metallic Gold, and Metallic Silver

On the chart for the two images below, the design was stitched on white Aida, again using 1 strand of DMC 498 (red). In addition, the ribbon wasn’t filled, so I thought it would be good to see what it would look like if filled with cross-stitches, and fractional cross-stitches.

Metallic Purple and Metallic Silver

Metallic Red and Metallic Gold

Finally, on the chart for the bell below, the design was stitched using 1 strand of DMC 699 (green), on white Aida. The hook on the bell wasn’t filled, neither was the clapper (the bulbous part, at the bottom of the bell).

Metallic Gold and Metallic Silver

Autumnal update

Since my previous post, I haven’t managed to get quite as much stitching done as I feel I ought to have done, despite Rainy Day Crafter repeatedly threatening to crack the whip, so to speak. Considering I have a secret project that I had ideally wanted to complete a few months ago, it is rather ill-disciplined of me. However, I am pleased to report that I recently finished an impromptu blackwork project, which I intend to publish a blog post about sometime next week (after the recipient has received it). 

During recent weeks, I have been continuing to keep myself busy with my ITQ/ECDL course, and am due to sit the exam for the Presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint) module on Tuesday. Whilst I am confident that I will (I hope) pass, I have an overwhelming feeling that I will achieve a slightly lower result than the Databases (Microsoft Access) exam. Given the existing knowledge I have of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Access, I had honestly thought that I would find the Presentations module to be an absolute doddle, but this has turned out not to be the case. In my defence, I’m blaming my age and my hypothyroidism, which both contribute to my inability to retain information as well as I was previously able to. Lol.

Several weeks ago, I became aware that the nights were starting to draw in, followed by a noticeable chill in the air, making it feel very autumnal. Although I don’t dislike autumn, it would be fair to say that I always feel sad (and much more tired) when summer comes to an end.  I miss the sun not rising as early, and not setting quite as late. In addition, I miss the warmth generated by the sun during the summer months. For people like me, who feel the cold easily and find it difficult to warm up, the cooler months of the year are quite frankly, a major inconvenience. 

On a brighter note, me and my son were recently treated (by my parents) to a trip to Oakengates Theatre in Telford, to watch a performance of Time Gentlemen Please!  by The Demon Barber Roadshow. The performance cleverly combined hip hop with clog, sword, and Morris dancing. Although I wasn’t sure what to expect, I honestly didn’t believe that combining hip hop with traditional folk dancing could work together. Well, it proved to be one of the most enjoyable performances I’ve seen to date, and I would go as far as to say that I found it to be 100% awesome! The atmosphere inside the theatre was absolutely electric, with plenty of foot-tapping, clapping, and laughter. The souvenir programme states, “Clog, Sword and Morris meet Beatboxing, Popping and Krump, in this humorous and unmissable visual feast. Think Riverdance with a false moustache and Stomp with bells on!” 

Recently, I have been eyeing up festive-themed Blackwork charts, and have even purchased a few. Thanks to Aurelia at Eglantine Stitchery, I really seem to have developed an intense liking for Blackwork, and now feel it would be fair to say that I'm finding it to be more enjoyable than cross-stitching. To be honest, I hope my love of Blackwork doesn't completely take over, especially as I have unfinished cross-stitch projects, plus ones I've yet to start!

Last night, I treated myself to a collection of nine Blackwork Christmas motifs, designed by Tereena Clarke, and available to purchase and download (as a PDF file) from Artecy.  In addition, I also treated myself to a chart (also a PDF file) for a festive-looking Blackwork Robin, from NeedleworkTips and Techniques, by designer Carol Leather. There are some lovely Blackwork charts available (by PayPal) on this website, but there is one thing that really lets it down. Previously, when I’ve purchased charts via PayPal, I have been notified that I will be automatically redirected to the download page, or that I will be e-mailed with further instructions. However, after I had committed myself to purchasing the Blackwork Robin chart, it was not made clear that I was required to select the option to Return to Merchant, which is what I had omitted to do after purchasing the charts for the Blackwork Star, and Blackwork Bell. I have since contacted Carol Leather, who has kindly supplied me with links to download the two charts. Going by the e-mail I received, it would seem that PayPal is automatically meant to redirect customers to the download page, but has recently been failing to do so. 

Before I get started on stitching any festive Blackwork designs, I really need to stock up on bling (AKA) metallic threads), as my existing supply is somewhat limited colour-wise. When it comes to Christmas and colour themes, it has to be said that I’m traditional and predictable, and am drawn to red, gold and green. However, I feel I need to start experimenting with colours that are not necessarily to my liking. For example, I have a chart for a Blackwork bauble, and I’m thinking that in addition to red and gold, purple and silver would be an excellent combination, along with black and gold. If you can think of any other festive colour combinations (using metallic threads), please feel free to share them with me. 

Finally, I have some exciting news to share with you. Aurelia at EglantineStitchery is hosting a Christmas giveaway (her first), which includes a delightful array of stitching-related goodies. Entry for the Christmas giveaway ends on October 12^th, and the winner will be chosen on October 13^th. For further information about the goodies, and to read the Rules and Disclaimers, please click the image below.  Unsurprisingly, there has already been plenty of interest expressed.

Blackwork Birthday Card Completed

I’m pleased to report that I finished the stitching for my Grandma’s 90^th birthday card earlier this week (see A new blackwork project). Below is an image of what Rosa looked like before I embellished it with filling stitches and seed beads.

Initially, I had planned on using a combination of pink and silver for the filling stitches, until I remembered that I’d used up the last of my silver thread (I must remember to get some more). I knew that I wanted to incorporate metallic thread, and as I had an adequate supply of gold (DMC shade 5284) for my project, I opted for a gold and red colour scheme. I’ve had my gold thread for quite some time, so to clear up any confusion, I should point out that the shade is now known as DMC Light Effects E3852.

I decided that I would use gold thread for the centres of the teardrop shapes, and had thought of using a combination of gold and DMC shade 321 (red) for the rest of the teardrop shapes. The result looked absolutely dreadful, and the visual impact of the gold centres was lost, so I hastily abandoned that idea.

For the centres of the small flowers, I used gold thread and Mill Hill glass seed beads (shade 02011). I felt I wanted to use a slightly different shade of red for the petals, so used DMC shade 498.

After completing the filling stitches in the centre of the design, I thought I was done. However, when I sat back and assessed the overall look of my work, I had an overwhelming feeling that it lacked something.

I’d been looking at the border, pondering over what I could do with it. Suddenly, I had a flash of inspiration, and it became blindingly obvious. Recently, my friend over at EglantineStitchery had written about couching in a number of her posts, and having seen photographs of the results that can be achieved with couching, I thought I’d give it a try.

For a first attempt, I have to profess I feel quite proud of myself. In my opinion, the couching was precisely what was required to make my piece look truly complete, and give it the wow factor.

Seeing as the video for my previous Blackwork birthday card (see Blackwork Birthday Card) was so warmly received, I thought I’d try my hand at creating what I consider to be a slightly more professional-looking video. I must forewarn you though that the video is quite lengthy. In addition, the quality of some of the images is far from perfect, as they look slightly blurred in places.

I trust that you were able to view the video without any problems, as I recently attempted to upload it to Facebook and received a Notification of Alleged Copyright Infringement.

Anyway, having completed the stitching, my next task was to wave a magic wand and… [Cue drum roll] Ta-Dah!

Front of card

Inside of card

Back of card

A new Blackwork project

It’s my Grandma’s 90^th birthday in just over a fortnight’s time, and I’ve decided to try my hand at making another Blackwork birthday card. When I had made the Blackwork birthday card for my Grandma’s niece a few months ago, it had dawned on me that I would need to do likewise for my Grandma; otherwise her nose could be put severely out of joint. It’s not just something that I feel obliged to do, but something that I want to do.

Unfortunately, because I’ve been so wrapped up in my ITQ course, time had somehow lost its meaning, and my Grandma’s birthday had been inadvertently pushed to the back of my mind.

For my Grandma’s card, I’ve decided to use the gorgeous Blackwork design Rosa, by Jeanne Dansby over at Byrd’s Nest. The design can be found on Jeanne’s Blackwork smalls page, which features a collection of other delightful designs. As time is limited, I’d prefer not to waste it by ordering in supplies (unless absolutely necessary), so am hoping to stitch and embellish the design using threads and seed beads that are in my possession.

Exam update

Last Thursday, I sat my ITQ Databases module exam (see previous post). I had felt so anxious about it that I hadn’t been able to get a wink of sleep since I’d awoken the previous day. I was due to be at the Learn Direct learning centre for 1:30pm, by which time I was definitely feeling sleep deprived.

There were 36 questions to answer within 45 minutes. The exam consisted of multiple-choice questions, and practical hands-on questions. The latter involved following a set of instructions, and performing tasks on a mock-up Microsoft Access screen.

Because I felt so tired, I knew I had the potential to make silly mistakes, so I made a point of taking my time, and ensuring that I read everything at least twice. Despite taking my time, I completed the exam in less than 20 minutes.

The nerve-wracking moment came after I’d answered the final question, and submitted my answer, as I knew the next screen would display my exam result. I spent several seconds (which seemed like a lifetime), putting off submitting my answer.

I am pleased to report that all those hours spent cramming for my ITQ Databases module exam paid off. Ok, I didn’t get 100%, but I got close enough. It was a huge boost to my ego when my tutor commented that when she had sat the exam; her result had been lower than mine. Blimey!

Despite passing the exam, I still don’t feel that I’ve fully mastered Microsoft Access. I worry that if I don’t find a way of putting my recently acquired skills to use, I will forget what I’ve learnt.

Anyway, I was asked what module I would like to study next. The choice was between spreadsheets (Microsoft Excel), and presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint). I had already made my mind up weeks ago that I’d opt for the latter, so that’s what I’m studying now.

During a recent visit to the supermarket, I couldn’t resist putting a 20cl bottle of Freixenet Cordon Negro (Cava) in my trolley. When I arrived home from my exam, I decided it was the perfect opportunity to treat myself to a glass, which went down very nicely indeed.

Although the 20cl-sized bottle is adequate for one person, it has a screw-top, as opposed to a cork, which was a bit of a let down. From my point of view, there is something about the sound of a cork popping that adds to the excitement and overall enjoyment of drinking Cava.

Wish me luck!

When I initially created this blog, it was with the sole intention of posting stitching-themed content only. I was determined that I did NOT want it to become a personal blog about myself and all aspects of my life.

Regrettably, I have nothing new to report in terms of stitching progress, as I’ve had to temporarily put my cross-stitching on hold, in order to focus on my LearnDirect online-learning ITQ/ECDL course.

On Thursday, I am due to sit the exam for the Databases module, so have been incredibly busy revising. Revision was not something that ever came naturally to me when I was at school, and I’m not so sure that it is something that comes naturally to me now.

The Databases module has been incredibly challenging for me, primarily because prior to starting the module, I knew very little about databases, or Microsoft Access. Unlike the word processing module, I have found it considerably difficult to remember what I’ve studied. This has resulted in me repeatedly going back over what I’ve covered, which has been a rather tedious and time-consuming exercise.

During recent days, I have been completing diagnostic evaluation tests. In plain English, that’s a practice test. At the end of a test, I’m able to see how well I’ve done. To date, I’ve not been able to score any higher than 90/100. Rather frustratingly though, the information I’m supplied with does not state the questions I answered correctly and incorrectly, so it’s impossible to know for sure what my strengths and weaknesses are.

In order to pass the exam, I think I need to get at least 75% of the answers right. If my results for the diagnostic evaluation tests are anything to go by, this means I stand a good chance of achieving that. However, I know that if I don’t get 100%, it will really bug me, and I will personally feel that I’ve failed.

Stylish Blogger Award

Whilst checking my e-mails last night, I found myself feeling thoroughly elated when I discovered that I had received one from Aurelia Eglantine of Eglantine Stitchery, informing me that I was the recipient of a blog award.

I’ve been aware for a good many years that blog awards exist, but I honestly never thought that my own blog would be deemed worthy of such an award. To be honest, I think the last time I won an award was more than twenty years ago, when I was back at school. If memory serves me, I was presented with a Certificate of Merit for some English work I had done. At the school I attended, a Certificate of Merit was considered to be something quite special, as it was the highest form of recognition one could receive for one’s work. Obviously, I was thrilled when I received mine, but remember feeling acutely horrified at the prospect of having to receive it in front of the whole school, during assembly. I was so full of anxiety that my legs felt like jelly, I was sweating profusely, and also felt like there was an Olympic gymnast inside my stomach performing somersaults. Had my photograph been taken, I’m quite sure that I would have looked absolutely terrified, as opposed to looking incredibly pleased and proud of myself.

I’m pleased to report that on this occasion, I don’t feel anxious, and I certainly don’t look terrified, just incredibly flattered.

Anyway, there are three requirements to fulfil to accept the award, which are:

1)     Thank the Person Who Awarded You

Thank you so much Aurelia for considering my blog to be worthy of an award. It’s impossible for me to put into words just how flattered I feel, but suffice to say that it really has been an incredible ego boost.

2)     List Seven Things About Yourself

1)  I adore my pair of DMC Vichy ‘gingham’ scissors, which I’ve been the proud owner of for a number of years. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have them, as they’re just so lovely and quirky.

2) When my mother decided the time had come to potty-train me, she purchased a yellow potty. I liked it so much that I refused to use it for the purpose it was intended for, and instead took great delight in wearing it on my head (like a hat).

3)   Apart from when I’m stitching kits, I prefer to use DMC-branded threads. In my opinion, the shades are so much more vibrant.

4)   During the 1980s, Duran Duran were my favourite pop group, and I had a major crush on Simon Le Bon. I didn’t just want to marry him and have his babies, I wanted to dress like him too. There was a BBC programme called Jim’ll Fix It, and I spent many years desperately hoping that Jim would fix it for me to meet Simon Le Bon (not that I ever wrote and asked). Alas! None of the above was meant to be.

5)  When cross-stitch patterns state the size of needle to be used, I rarely pay attention, preferring to opt for a size of needle that feels right for me.

6) I used to be an avid Manchester United football fan, although never attended any of their matches. Incidentally, I was born at the same hospital as Ryan Giggs, and also attended the same secondary school as former Man Utd player, Lee Sharpe.

7)     I always make a point of washing items I have stitched, even if they look and smell clean.

3)     Pass the Award to 15 Other Stylish Bloggers

This is a tough one, as I only know a handful of bloggers. Therefore, I’m going to include links to some stitching, and non-stitching websites. I’ll list the blogs first, in alphabetical order.

1)     Byrd’s Nest

2)     Dancing in the Rain

3)     Dylan’s Diary

4)     Eglantine Stitchery

5)     Firefly Dreams

6)     Flossy Bobbin

7)     Stitchyangel’s Treasures

8)     CrossStitch UK

9)     Cross-stitching.com

10) Dimensions

11)  DMC Creative World

12) Mill Hill Beads

13)  Sew and So

14) The Art of Okse

15) Thyroid UK