A visit to Betty Stitchkit

Since I finished the Tatty Teddy project, I’ve been working on four more projects, but am currently unable to say too much about them, as they are all being stitched as gifts.

Two of the items are from a pattern I ordered from the Arts and Designs website, and the other two items are kits that were magazine freebies.

At least one of the items needs to be backed with green felt, and I realised that the piece I’d purchased from Betty Stitchkit last week wasn’t going to be large enough.

Today, my mother took me back to Betty Stitchkit, so that I could buy a larger piece of green felt, and some more DMC thread. I had taken along the piece of felt I had purchased last week, in order to ensure that I purchased a larger piece in the same shade of green.

The DMC thread was 60p, and the large piece of felt (which is plenty big enough) was £3.45, but Sharon (the owner of the shop) said I could have it for £3. She then said that if I wanted to, I could return the original piece of felt. Instead of paying a total of £4.05, I ended up paying £3.10, so left the shop feeling very happy.

My mother had opted to wait for me in the car, and although I had told her that I wouldn’t be long, she was somewhat taken aback when I returned to the car after a matter of minutes. I love visiting Betty Stitchkit, as there are so many items to browse. Today’s visit will go down in history, as it’s the first time that I’ve resisted the temptation to get carried away, and treat myself to a carrier bag full of goodies.  After a previous visit, my dad had commented that it’s not the sort of shop I should visit frequently, because there are far too many items I like and want to buy.

Aside from the usual things, such as thread, felt, and cross-stitch kits, I have recently treated myself to a few must-have goodies. Having previously used Siesta Interlocking Bar Frames, I thought I would give their No-Sew Roller Frames a try. I now have a “mini” No-Sew Roller Frame kit, which includes a pair of 6” rollers, 9” rollers, and 6” side bars. It’s perfect for small projects such as bookmarks, bell pulls, and cards. In addition, I have a kit with 12” rollers, and 9” side bars. Over the years, I have tried various frames and hoops, and can honestly say that the Siesta No-Sew Roller Frames are the best I’ve used to date. They are easy to assemble, do an excellent job of keeping the fabric taut, and I would recommend them to any stitcher. In addition, all one requires to attach the fabric to the rollers is masking tape. What I would really like to invest in at some point, is a kit that will enable me to convert my Siesta No-Sew Roller Frames into a lap stand.

Bexfield Cushion-Soft 8½" Multi-Use Scissors

Siesta No-Sew Roller Frame