Cross Stitching with DMC

Cross stitching is a hobby that I have enjoyed for almost 25 years. It is a hobby that gives me the satisfaction of creating a work of art. Though over the years, I have created dozens of different pictures, towels, purses and quilts I have very little to show for my accomplishments. Most of my work has been given away as Christmas, birthday, anniversary and wedding presents. That is the thing about cross stitch; you spend hours and hours putting in each tiny stitch, only to give it away when you are finished. Cross stitch makes beautiful gifts that are appreciated by everyone, especially, your fellow stitchers who know how much time and love went into each stitch.

In all my years of cross stitching, I have found that floss made by DMC is by far the higher quality thread. DMC has been in business for many years and they continue even in these rough economic times to provide high quality stitching accessories. They continue to come up with new ideas, such as beading, color variation, light effects and satin floss, to help us bring our stitchery to life.

The DMC website offers many beautiful cross stitch patterns. The difficulty of the patterns range from beginner to expert, so that you can choose the pattern that is right for you. A few of my favorites are: School, an intermediate level pattern in black and white; Tea Time, this pattern is for the expert stitcher and comes printed in color. Unless, you are a pro at stitching I would save this pattern for a later time. Two more of my favorites are the Birdhouse and Spring Bouquet. Even though, they are listed as intermediate, they are both nice size black and white patterns that shouldn't present any problems for someone who has already completed a few simple pieces of cross stitch. These patterns and many more are free and can be downloaded from the actual website. You can find the patterns that I mentioned about at: www.dmc-usa.com . You can also join the DMC club and download many more free cross stitch patterns. Sign up for the DMC club is free.

There are many more sites on the web that offer free cross stitch patterns and many that have patterns for sale. For example, www.123stitch.com , www.cross-stitching.com and http://cross-stischers-club.com all carry the patterns, kits and supplies that you need for your cross stitch projects.

If you have a particular cross stitch designer whose work you enjoy stitching, you can usually order patterns directly from their site or they will give you a list of locations where you can find their work. One of my favorite designers, whose patterns I have used many times is Alma Lynne. She, also, offers a few free patterns on her website that are particularly good for beginners. If you are interested in checking out her designs you can find her on the web at: www.almalynnestudio.com. You can also check out Jeanette Crews website at www.jeanettecrews.com and find patterns and designs by most of your favorites including Dale Burdett, P. Buckley Moss and many more.

Summer is an excellent time for cross stitching. You can start now and have those beautiful gifts ready in time for Christmas.