November 10

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!

So the hot weather really brought people out, and a particular thanks must go to our newsletter readers who mentioned the newsletter and received a free gift. This applies to all shows that we attend, so advance notice-if you're at the Stitch & Craft show at Olympia or Sewing for Pleasure at the NEC, both in March 2011, don't forget to come & see us and mention the newsletter!

That's a long way off, so in the meantime if you'd like to take advantage of a special offer, we've extended our offer of 'buy 2 kits or charts and receive a free chart'. Simply visit the website and click on the link at the top of the homepage.

Over the last few months, as most of you know if you have received previous newsletters, we have been building up a following on facebook. Recently, several facebook friends have suggested some new designs we might want to produce, and their wish has been my command! So I thought I would show you these in the newsletter, before anywhere else.
All of the new designs are modern cars, and all have our usual caricature flair. First of all, the Vauxhall Corsa. Measuring 13.8" by 9.3", this design has a real 'drawn' feel about it, perhaps because of the grey colourscheme, which works brilliantly. The kit uses only 10 colours, so is quite an easy stitch for an inexperienced stitcher. Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/vauxhall-corsa-cross-stitch-kit.aspx .

Next, the Fiat Punto. This is a very striking stitch, using a number of beautiful blue shades. I think the DMC range excels in terms of its blue shades, so I really went to town on them here. It's slightly smaller than the Corsa, measuring 12.6" x 7.4" but uses 21 DMC colours. Have a look at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/fiat-punto-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx .
Hi to Karla, the facebook friend who suggested these 2 designs and waited patiently for them to be completed. Hopefully, her pictures of these when completed will feature in an upcoming newsletter and with the product at http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/fiat-punto-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx .

Finally, the most recent addition to the Stitchtastic range is the fantastic Alfa Romeo Mito, the cutest design I think I've ever done! It was suggested by a show regular (in fact, she's suggested it as previous shows as well!) and reminded me on facebook (thanks for that Tracey!) It measures 13.4" by 7.5" and uses 22 DMC colours to create that striking beautiful red effect.  Can't wait to see this one stitched! Visit http://www.stitchtastic.com/product/alfa-romeo-mita-caricature-cross-stitch-kit.aspx for more info.

Another exciting development from the world of Stitchtastic is happening in our accessories department. As many of you know, our acrylic range is really popular, particularly our round and square coasters. We have had quite a few customers ask us for glass coasters, so we investigated and we're delighted to introduce our new range of glass coasters and placemats to display your stitching in style.

Both the coasters and placemats have felt backing and so stay in place on the smartest of dining tables. The felt is sticky on the inside and so once your stitching (or photo, lacework, papercraft, the list goes on........) is inside and sealed, it won't move about and looks fantastic. Turn the coaster or placemat over and you'll see a beautiful silver or black frame, which not only looks great but also hides any wavy or frayed edges!

All in all, these new glass products make personalised, stylish presents for friends and family. We gave them their debut at Alexandra Palace and they went down a treat, so why not give them a go?

As you have probably gathered from reading the articles above, our facebook page is fast becoming the place to be for Stitchtastic fans. Have a look at www.facebook.com/Stitchtastic . Come and click 'Like' to become a Fan, and keep up with all our stitching antics! You can put your own pictures of our designs that you've stitched up on the page, or just make a comment on the wonderful work of our brilliant stitchers.

I shouldn't mention it, should I.....but I'm going to........Christmas! In December's newsletter we'll look at some more of our unusual designs and I might try not to mention Christmas at all........yeah, right!

Don't forget to send in your completed stitching pictures.