Consumer's Guide to Mother's Day Cross-Stitch Patterns

Ahh, cross-stitching. Something of a forgotten art. It's something that moms and grandmas do, not a self-respecting Gen Xer. But it is really quite simple, and makes a great Mothers Day gift, even if she doesn't normally like stuff like that, because you made it. Remember all those Mother's Day card you had to make in grade school? I guarantee that, if possible, she still has them. Not because they were the greatest looking, but because you made them. There is just something about their kid making something that Moms seem to like.

Choosing a pattern is rather easy, just chose something that she will like. If she is into horses, make a horse. If she likes the Minnesota Vikings, do the team logo. The nice thing about finding patterns online or in a book is that you don't need much skill to make something using cross-stitching; you just follow the instructions. If you're making a pillow you might need some skill, but for the actual design, it is pretty easy.

Finding patterns is easy too. A quick Google search for cross stitch patterns brought up 1 million plus hits, and the very first one was a free site with some good patterns. Not only that but I found a site once (sorry, but I don't remember where) that allows you to turn any JPG or Gif file into a pattern. Got a great family photo you want to stitch? No problem. Like I said, I don't remember where I found it, but a Google search should find it. You can also download some from www.freepatternsonline.com

If you don't know how to cross stitch, don't worry. It is rather easy to learn, and most craft stores carry kits for making Christmas ornaments and other things of that size. That is how I got started. My mom picked some up for me and my sister to do when home due to snowstorms. You should be able to order kits and pattern books online. If you don't want to learn from a pattern or a book, you can also go online. Again Google has the answers. A search on how to cross-stitch brought up 600 thousand hits.

You will need to get some supplies, like thread and fabric. If you are just starting out, I would recommend not getting regular fabric. Get some even weave fabric. It will make it easier to learn, and eventually you will be good enough to do it on fabric, although all the cross-stitchers I know still use even weave fabric. It just makes it easier.

One piece of advice that I learned from my grandma is to get a highlighter to cross off the parts you have done. A highlighter is easy to see, and you can still see through it enough in case you realize you messed up.

if you have net access, which you do since you are reading this online, it shouldn't be too hard to get the supplies and patterns you need. With out net access it can be a bit harder if you don't lice near a store that sells the stuff you need. But it is worth the effort, because you mom will love it, probably more then any card you can buy.