Stitchtastic Newsletters

Lots of news and some new designs this month, as well as our tribute to the armed forces, which fits fantastically with our new Red Arrows design. First though, I wanted to show you my most recent completed stitch which is a very simple design, but looks absolutely brilliant.

Spring Cleaning is done (well, nearly) and I've finally finished my Vauxhall Corsa design. It was a great stitch, although I must admit I'm looking forward to stitching something that's not in grey! Apologies if the picture looks rather creased, I haven't had time to iron it yet but I promise I will.

Apologies for the slight lateness of this newsletter but we've just returned unscathed from 2 of the major stitching shows of the year - Stitch & Craft 2011 at Olympia and Sewing for Pleasure at the NEC in Birmingham. It was fantastic to meet so many stitchers, and particularly great to meet existing Stitchtastic customers who came back to say hi, to look at the kits they were working on already finished, or simply to have a browse for their next project.

A serious note to start our newsletter this month. As you may have read, cotton prices have gone through the roof over recent months. At a trade show in February, I chatted with the DMC VIPs, one of whom had come over especially from the USA to meet with all of us UK cross stitch manufacturers and to talk about the price of cotton. If you'd like to know more, have a look at http://realbusiness.co.uk/sales_and_marketing/cotton_prices_at_record_high , for an in depth look at the issue.

Stitching feels great in the Spring. The plants are on their way, the sun is just poking through and most people get a little spring in their step (sorry about the pun!) However, February is not well known for the start of Spring, more for the last gasp of winter. So if you're stuck inside, waiting to plant those seeds, or really wanting a lovely country walk but knowing that the foot of snow outside would really hamper your idea, get stitching! Pick out a beautiful Spring design, or go mad and head straight into Summer! Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/catalog/flower-designs.aspx to see our lovely colourful flower range, which will brighten up any nasty February day. By the way, if you read our newsletter from the southern hemisphere, I'm sorry that I talk about the seasons the wrong way round for you!

I hope you've all had a wonderful festive season. Now's the time to take down all those decorations of course, so if your walls are looking a bit bare, why not invest in a new design to stitch to brighten them up? This month we're featuring some of our most popular TV and Film designs such as the wonderful Scooby Doo Mystery Machine pictured here, so find your favourite and get stitching! For those readers who have been well and truly snowed in during December (UK and East Coast US readers, this definitely includes you!), let's hope it doesn't happen again. However, if it does, stitching is definitely the way to fill a boring day stuck in the house!

I did promise not to mention Christmas last month, didn't I? Well, I promise I will just mention it the once, in this paragraph only, so skip onto the next one if the spirit of Scrooge is upon you at the moment! I hope you're all sorted for the big day (or weekend this year, isn't it?), whether you're having a quiet one or looking after the whole family. Just make sure you give yourself some stitching time. No more Christmas cards or banners to stitch, just your own stitching for you. Enjoy, and happy new year.

Thanks to all our customers who came to see us at the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace a couple of weeks ago. It was an incredibly busy show, and despite what I said in the last newsletter about summer being over, the weather was beautiful! Behind our stand it was boiling hot, and so I popped out for 5 minutes to find dozens of people sitting on the steps eating ice cream, didn't expect to see that in October!

Summer is over. Official. Despite a week of rather lovely weather towards the end of September, it's now turned decidedly chilly and the heating is on, I'm afraid. But let's not be downhearted! Autumn means it's time for the Knitting and Stitching Show at Alexandra Palace. If you haven't been to a stitching show before, now's your chance to bag some bargains and have a good look round at some of the amazing textile work going on in the UK and elsewhere.

If you're preparing for Autumn now, you might have been protecting the tomatoes from blight (if anyone knows how to do this, please let me know!), covering the garden furniture and getting the cat in a bit earlier, because the nights are definitely getting chillier already.