January 13

Happy New Year

Welcome to 2013! Another year gone by, as usual it has gone incredibly quickly and we're here again, wondering what 2013 will bring. We're hoping it will bring lots of new people into stitching, as an inexpensive hobby that produces beautiful gifts that are satisfying to complete and greatly appreciated by their recipients. If you have a family member who hasn't had the chance yet to appreciate your stitching, perhaps this year it's time to find something to stitch for them. I hope we can provide that idea for you, have a look through the newsletter for some inspired ideas for this coming year.
And I've just remembered - the world didn't end - hurrah! Why not celebrate our lucky escape with some new year stitching? Read on to find out more.
Harry & Friends Spotty Dog Cross Stitch
Harry & Friends

Top Ten 2012

It's a little bit of a tradition for us to review our sales at this time of year, to see what has been popular and sold well, and to see if the stats are different to the previous year (new designs not withstanding, obviously!)

Our best selling design of 2012 is also our best selling design of all time and it's a design we're very proud of. We've always been known for our VW camper van designs and this one always catches the eye. It's available in 10 different colours, but the most popular by quite a long way is the sand coloured camper, followed by the red version. The kit costs £29.95, and measures 131/2" by 8". It's a great gift for a teenage birthday, they're always tricky to stitch for but camper vans are a sure bet (although check their favourite colour first!). Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/volkswagen-camper-van-bay-window-detailed-cross-stitch-kit.aspx for more details or to order.

At number 2 in our best sellers (sorry, I know I'm meant to count down the list but I wanted to start with number one I'm afraid) is a very popular design which is a massive hit whenever we visit stitching events, as it seems to stand out from the aida. It's our Eddie Stobart caricature and is a fun and colourful tribute to the famous haulier. The design measures 17" by 11" so it's a really substantial, dramatic stitch but don't think it must therefore be a difficult stitch - it consists of quite a few blocks of colour which are great for stitching in front of the TV, or whenever the mood takes you! The kit costs £35.95 and comes with Zweigart aida and DMC threads, as do all of our kits. It's on our website at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/eddie-stobart-lorry-cross-stitch-kit.aspx, or give us a call on 0114 3830333.

Our third design is a very detailed one, that produces an amazing piece of art when it's finished. It's based around a McLaren Formula One car, and is ideal for any motor racing fan. You've just got time to stitch it before the Formula One season begins again in March! It measures 15" by 101/2", using 19 different DMC colours. Priced at £35.95, it's at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/formula-1-f1-mcclaren-cross-stitch-kit.aspx.

Another camper van design comes in at number 4, but this one is very different to our other design. It's part of our caricature range and comes in 3 different colours - blue, orange or green. Blue is our best seller, but only just. Priced at £29.95, the design measures 10" by 111/2" and uses 18 DMC colours. It's at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/vw-camper-van-split-screen-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx.

Next is the first non-transport kit in our top ten. Designed by Ann Edwards, this is one of three based around the 'Princess Whiskers' character that Ann created specially for us. The Ballerina design is wonderfully cute and super for those recipients of your stitching who aren't that into transport. The kit contains 21 DMC colours, pastel shades that I don't get to use in my designs very often! It measures about 10" square and is set off by a small amount of backstitch. The kit costs £24.95 and is a delight, have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/ballerina-princess-whiskers-cross-stitch-kit.aspx.

Our first motorbike is at number 6. Harley Davidsons are by far the most popular motorbikes in our large range - in fact, all of the motorbikes in our top ten are Harleys, but don't be mistaken in thinking that's all we do, we have a huge range of other bikes too, including Norton, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki. However, back to the top ten, this Harley is a Heritage Softail and is very detailed, producing a wonderful piece of artwork when complete.The kit costs £29.95 and measures 15" by 8". You'll find more information at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/harley-davidson-heritage-softtail-cross-stitch-kit.aspx.

Number seven on our list can be found at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/mini-cooper-union-jack-roof-cross-stitch-kit.aspx as it is our most popular Mini design. Based on the Mini Cooper with a union jack roof, this caricature design has been very popular since its release, consistently reaching the top ten. It's available in 5 different colours but no one colour stands out as being the most popular, I'd go for red myself but pink and blue have sold just as well. The kit costs £29.95.

Another non-transport design features at number 8 in our list. This one is based on artwork created by Kate Mawdsley, as part of her 'Harry and Friends' range. It's a cheeky looking black cat and is a lovely stitch, covering all of the aida fabric with its union jack background. The kit costs £24.95 and can be found at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/harry-friends-black-cat-cross-stitch-kit.aspx, along with his ginger cousin. If you're more of a dog person, don't worry, we have 2 dogs in the same range too!

At number 9 in our countdown (actually countup!) appears our most popular Land Rover kit, the 1986 Land Rover. Available in blue, red or classic green, it's a must for any fans of the older utility vehicle. The kit costs £29.95 and can be found at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/landrover-1986-lwb-defender-cross-stitch-kit.aspx.

To finish off our top ten we have another Harley Davidson motorbike, the Ultra Glide. This one is a beautiful maroon red and has been our best selling bike previously, it's a guaranteed hit if you want to stitch an American looking bike for someone, even if you're not sure which one they like best. Of course, it may be that this is the one they like best, in which case well done! The kit costs £29.95 and measures 15" by 9". Visit http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/harley-davidson-ultra-glide-anniversary-edition-cross-stitch-kit.aspx for more information.

So, there you have our 2012 countdown. I hope there's something there you like, or you can visit www.stitchtastic.com and browse our whole range of over 500 designs.


Volkswagen Camper Van Bay Window (detailed) Cross Stitch 
Number one - VW Camper Van.

F1 McLaren Cross Stitch 
Our F1 design at number 3 looks amazing!

Ballerina Princess Whiskers Cross Stitch 
Number 5 is as pretty as a picture!

Mini Cooper Union Jack Roof Cross Stitch 
Number 7 is the Mini Cooper.

Land Rover 1986 Cross Stitch 
Number 9 is a Land Rover blast from the past.


Eddie Stobart Cross Stitch 
Eddie is our runner up.

VW Camper 'Splitty' Cross Stitch 
Lovely Splitty at number four.

Harley Davidson Heritage Softail Cross Stitch 
The first bike in the top ten, the HD Heritage Softail.

Harry & Friends Black Cat Cross Stitch 
Number 8 - other animals are available!
Harley Davidson Ultra Glide Cross Stitch 
And finally....the HD Ultra Glide.

So you did read until the end!

It's always good to know who reads my newsletters all the way through, so here's a little treat for those of you that do. I said in my last newsletter that this one would contain some new year bargains and it does - in fact, everything could be a bargain! I've a special sale code for my loyal readers - 20% off all charts and kits on our website (but not fabric, accessories or acrylic items), valid right until 1st March! Just visit www.stitchtastic.com , place your items in your basket and check out in the usual way, entering code JanSale2013 when prompted. Happy Shopping!

Computer Sayings Cross Stitch Kit 
Our January Sale also includes our designer ranges.

NNext Time

This year my new year's resolution is not to go on about how quickly the year is rushing by so I won't mention the fact that it will be March when the next newsletter appears in your inbox...? We're going to look at our Formula One designs as the season starts again in March, so hold on to your helmets!

See you then!
Next Time

Questions or comments? E-mail me at sarah@stitchtastic.com or call +44 (0) 114 3830333

Until next time
Sarah
Designer


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