Yiota's Cross Stitch

I love you design

2012-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

Apologies for not updating my blog. I have been so busy with orders and ....stitching. I have just finished an adorable "I love you" design. I meant to give this to my husband for Valentine's day but he caught me stitching it and saw it a little bit earlier than Valentine's day :-)

Here is a photo:

This is available from my website as a pattern or a kit:

Valentine's I love you cross stitch

Cross stitch reviews

2011-10-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have asked other fellow cross stitchers to review my cross stitch kits. I am pleased to report that they all loved my products and they have already start stitching my kits. I follow their progress with great enthusiasm and I am looking forward to see their finished pictures. I want to share a few of the reviews, so grab yourselves a cup of tea (or coffee) and visit their lovely blogs below:

Albastitcher - cross stitch review
Crosses n kisses - cross stitch review
My xstitch corner - cross stitch review
Connie Gee designs - cross stitch review
Serendipitous stitching - cross stitch review

Debbies cross stitch - cross stitch review

Meari - cross stitch review

Craftgirl78 - cross stitch review

Midges crafty corner - cross stitch review

New christmas cross stitch designs

2011-10-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's early October and it is so hot here in UK, it is just unbelievable. We didn't had a brilliant summer as we had a lot of rain but it seems summer came late this year. This weekend I stayed in and designed new Christmas cross stitch designs. Now that I am thinking about it, I should have gone to the beach but it was so crowded that I don't think I would have enjoyed it.

Anyway, here are a few of the new designs below which can be found here: Christmas cross stitch. Let me know what you think:

New cross stitch

2011-09-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

I had a lovely couple of weeks designing new cross stitch kits and patterns. I have updated the collection of Dega cross stitch with the famous ballet dancers.

I also updated the collection of Christmas cross stitch kits, who doesn't love robin birds and cute animals with a Christmas theme?

And finally I added two egyptian cross stitch kits and patterns of the egyptian eye and the famous Isis.

Hope you drop by my shop and browse around.

Extra large cross stitch

2011-09-02T09:45:00.000-07:00

We have added extra large cross stitch that are over 16 inches. They are mostly victorian designs (as I am in love with Victorians). We will be adding more extra large designs soon.

One more review and podcast

2011-08-12T13:50:00.000-07:00

The lovely Kelly reviewed the Tea time cross stitch kit. I love her review and take all her comments very seriously in order to improve my kits. She has also created a podcast which is more detailed.

I am sorry that Royal Mail destroyed the packaging, however please note that if something similar happens to your orders, we will replace it immediately and complain at Royal Mail.

Anyway, if anyone wants to drop by Kelly's blog and check out the review here it is: http://ppkart.blogspot.com/

Baby angel cross stitch on youtube

2011-07-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Cross stitch kit review on ebay

2011-07-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

My best friend bought two cross stitch kits from ebay last week and she had the most awful experience. It made such a great impression to me that I wanted to write a review and share this with my readers.

First of all, she found some fantasy fairies cross stitch kits really cheap! And when I say cheap I mean extremely cheap, each kit was £9! She couldn't resist and bought them. When she receive them she wasn't too impressed but because she liked the designs she decided not to return them and she started stitching them. The threads were non-brand threads and they were mixed all together which was time consuming to unpick them and manage them all in a card organiser (which she bought separately). The chart was of a poor photocopy (or a poor print out) and the photo of the finished design was the actual picture not the finished work or at least a simulation of the finished stitched work.

Besides all that, she started stitching one of the two kits. Half way through she run out of threads and also she realised that the fabric was too small so there was not enough aida to actually finish the design. When she contacted the seller, he refused to send her more threads and new fabric. He even refused to take the kits back or refund her.

My friend researched the kits on internet and found out that the actual designs belonged to the famous artist Nene Thomas. She contacted Nene to ask if she could suggest other cross stitch sellers. To her surprise, Nene never gave permission to the particular ebay seller to sell her designs which means the ebay seller was in fact an illegal seller.

Well, my friend has actually lost her money and she can't complete the kits with small aida and not enough threads. But the good thing is that ebay actually suspended the "nasty" seller. Be aware of very cheap kits and read the ebay description very carefully. Also check at the photo provided. Hopefully this review will help other ebay buyers.

New astrology cross stitch designs

2011-07-16T09:16:00.001-07:00

We have some new designs. The artwork is licensed from Erin Ewer and it is all about astrology fairies!
These are large cross stitch kits but they do worth stitching them. Erin is a fantastic painter. Have a look here: Astrology cross stitch

Review

2011-07-13T09:48:00.001-07:00

Sandie has written a review about one of my products, the baby cheetah.
Thank you Sandie! Looking forward to see pics soon.
http://tigermumscreativecorner.blogspot.com/

Competition

2011-07-04T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hi all,
we are running a competition/giveaway to win 3 Christmas cross stitch cards.
Enter here: Cross stitch competition.

Bird

2011-06-29T07:09:00.000-07:00

I stitched a blue bird cross stitch card for my best friend. It's for her birthday in a few days, hope you like it.

SAL - tree of life

2011-06-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Our SAL seems to be going very well. Emma has finished the first of the 4 pages and it looks fantastic (see photo below). She decided not to stitch the background, I think the design will look stunning with the background but still her work is fab so far. Looking forward to see it finished!

Cross stitch habits

2011-06-16T09:16:00.001-07:00

I have been stitching for many years now and I have developed some cross stitch habits. I was curious to know if other stitchers have the same or different habits and so I run an online survey to find out. Bear in mind the habits below and try to improve your stitching time and finished project. Here are the most common habits while we stitch:

1. Leaving scissors anywhere. Scissors are very important while stitching, they are used every time we pick a new thread and every time we finish stitching with that particular thread color. Most of us leave our scissors nearby without actually paying attention where they are left. I personally end up loosing them and when I stand up to look for them, I always discover I am actually sitting on them! Be very careful where you place them as this bad habit can cause unwanted accidents. It might be a good idea to invest in a scissors holder.

2. Needles are also dangerous so keep them in a workbox or invest in a needle organizer. A bad habit is to poke your needles in the couch or sofa chairs.

3. Prevent aches and pains. Straining forward to read patterns can make your back ache. Sit comfortably with your back supported. Maybe ask someone else next to you to tell you if you slouch. Good light on your work prevent eyestrain. On bright sunny days, place your back to a window, so that light falls onto your stitching. A good lamp is also a good idea for those dark days.

4. Tidy up your work and keep your projects clean. All your cross stitch kits should be organized well in boxes (shoeboxes are great for storage) or plastic zip folders. Projects left on tables or chairs look untidy and can get dusty or stained.

Always make sure you wash your hands before stitching and do not use any hand creams. Avoid eating, drinking and stitching at the same time for obvious reasons. However if you do get a stain in your work, wash it gently into warm water with a little detergent added. Then rinse well in cold water.

5. It is certainly a bad habit to have UFOs (Unfinished Objects). Most stitchers have at least one unfinished project in a cupboard. Out of sight is not always out of mind. Give a promise to yourself to finish a project before starting another one.

SAL and update on the tree of life

2011-06-05T06:48:00.001-07:00

Unfortunately my cross stitch for the tree of life is not going so well. I have been very busy with work, making new designs, introducing new artists therefore my stitching has stayed behind.

I have though organised an SAL (stitch-Along) for the tree of life and I had a very good response. So a few ladies will stitch with me the tree of life. No doubt I will stay behind a bit as I am busy with work but will try to keep up :-)

I will upload photos of the SAL progress soon.

Update on Klimt

2011-05-26T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's been days since I started the tree of life by Klimt. I had some downfalls. My computer decided to stop working, over heat or something like that. So I was left 4 whole days without a computer. Hubby who is in IT tried to fix it but no luck, my beloved imac is gone. So I am using a spare mac now until I decide what I am getting next.

So you would think I had plenty of spare time to do some cross stitch. Yes I did but I was too stressed about my imac that I have done so little stitching. I have done some work on my cross stitch kit but not a great deal though. I will upload a pic soon once I find my cable :-)

Klimt cross stitch

2011-05-10T01:33:00.000-07:00

I have finished two of my cross stitch projects and I was looking for a new one to start. I wasn't sure if I wanted to start a small or a large design. I had an idea, maybe leaving stitching aside for a while and paint something nice for my living room. I love Klimt so I could try to paint his tree of life which I love, it wouldn't be so hard to paint it, I think. I must say that I am a self - learner on painting and I am not great, I just like to paint.

Then I had another idea, how about to stitch the tree of life instead of painting it? That's it, I made up my mind. Decision made. So here I am, today I am starting stitching the tree of life by Klimt. I don't know how long it will take me as I am a slow stitcher but I am certain it will look great when finished.

Hope everyone is enjoying their stitching projects.

Tree of life cross stitch

New ladybug free cross stitch pattern

2011-04-07T12:33:00.000-07:00

I finished designing and stitching a cute ladybug. It took me about a couple of hours, easy and quick stitch.
I am offering the pattern free so you can download it here

New freebie: Car

2011-03-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

We have added more freebies in our website. Our latest one is a cute cartoon car.
Download it here

Easter

2011-02-10T04:54:00.000-08:00

We have designed a lovely Easter card and we are giving the cross stitch pattern free.
Download it here

2011-01-21T14:24:00.001-08:00

We have now added cross stitch cushion kits by Pako.
Have a look here

New cross stitch designs

2011-01-10T12:53:00.000-08:00

Check out our new cross stitch designs:
New designs

New freebie

2011-01-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

A new freebie has been added to our collection - a lovely bunny.

Get the pattern here

New Van Gogh cross stitch patterns and kits

2010-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

We have added some new Van Gogh cross stitch kits and patterns and they are more coming in the next couple of days.
Check them out here

New - cat free cross stitch pattern

2010-12-16T10:10:00.000-08:00

We have added a new free cross stitch pattern of a cute cat.
Download here

New free cross stitch pattern

2010-12-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

Yiotas XStitch has added a new freebie, just a quickie of shop til you drop!
Ready in an hour!

New freebie

2010-11-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

New freebie: Snowflake cross stitch pattern: here

Reindeer with fairy cross stitch kit, pattern

2010-11-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

New cross stitch kit or pattern from Monika Prok-Byard.
Reindeer with fairy cross stitch kit, pattern

New competition

2010-11-03T06:22:00.000-07:00

Yiotas XStitch is running a new giveaway/competition to win a free cross stitch kit of toucan birds.
Join our competition here

New mini santa freebie

2010-10-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

We have added a new mini santa freebie.
To download the pattern go here:
Santa pattern

New cross stitch freebies from Yiotas XStitch

2010-10-13T09:38:00.000-07:00

Yiotas XStitch have 3 more new free cross stitch patterns for download.
Country spring lady, get the download here.
Art deco flower, get download here
Creation of Adam, get download here

New free cross stitch pattern - Jesus

2010-10-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Yiotas XStitch has added a new free cross stitch pattern of Jesus.
Download it here: Jesus

New competition!

2010-09-27T14:30:00.000-07:00

We are running a new competition to win a free cross stitch kit of Klimt.
Ends 20th October 2010.
Enter here: Competition

Unfinished cross stitch projects

2010-09-27T11:02:00.000-07:00

How many of you love cross stitch so much that have two or more projects on the go? But also a few unfinished ones somewhere hidden in the house gathering dust. This is a guide to give you some ideas of what you can actually do with all your unfinished cross stitch projects.

There are so many beautiful designs out there that it is impossible not to buy them. But sometimes we end up having too many projects on the go that some will be left aside to be finished at a later time. Others will end up at the back of a drawer because the cross stitch pattern was lost or a page from the pattern has gone missing.

First, you need to decide how important it is to finish the project. Where you planning on giving it to someone for a special occasion? or was simply to decorate your house? Go through all your unfinished cross stitch projects and decide whether you want to keep it or no longer have a passion to finish it ever.

The ones that can not be finished due to pages of the pattern missing, maybe is a good idea to through them away. Unless you are happy to do a bit of investigation, go back to the manufacturer and try to find that particular pattern.

If you decided the excitement has gone for some unfinished projects, you could donate it to your local charity shop. Someone else might be interested in having it and continue the beautiful work you started. Or you can give it to a friend who is now learning to cross stitch.

The other option is to sell it. You will be amazed how many unfinished cross stitch projects sell on ebay! I would suggest you sell it as auction rather than a buy it now price.

If you decide to keep some projects, make sure you get a storage container and place the project and your supplies there. It will keep them nice and tidy away from dust. You could also arrange a rotation. Include your unfinished project in rotation with your other projects. When you get bored of one project, put it aside for a while and start stitching the other.

Free fairy cross stitch kit

2010-05-09T00:58:00.000-07:00

Yiotas XStitch is running an online competition to win a free fairy
cross stitch kit. Only one question to answer. Competition ends June 30th 2010. For more details visit: Competition

Fine art paintings in cross stitch

2010-01-20T01:23:00.000-08:00

Lately fine art paintings in cross stitch are very popular. Fine art paintings from the famous Monet, Van Gogh and Klimt are complex paintings but they look great in cross stitch. Most of us have posters of the old masters in our rooms, why not stitch a painting and hang it in the living room.

Fine art cross stitch can be complicated, challenging and can also take some time to finish but you will capture the drama and different colours of an old famous painting and also create a heirloom for the family. A cross stitch painting is a wonderful keepsake and you should be proud to have made it.

Many cross stitch shops offer designs from the Old Masters like Monet, Van Gogh, Klimt, Waterhouse, Renoir and many more. To choose your favourite design, decide which painting you would like to stitch and then look first online for all the bargains. Online cross stitch shops can afford to offer better priced and competitive cross stitch kits and patterns. There is a huge variety of fine art cross stitch patterns online. These days, you can also get your cross stitch pattern via email or download so you are saving money on postage. You will need to have a printer to print the pattern or you can email it to a friend who can print the pattern for you. You can not miss your favourite painting into cross stitch, just search the net for fine art cross stitch patterns and you will find it. However if you can not find your design, just email any of the fine art cross stitch shops and most of them will be more than happy to make it for you into a cross stitch pattern.

There is not so much variety of fine art in cross stitch kits, you may need to search for your favourite design a bit more. If you can not find it online, it is a good idea to ask your local craft shop in case they can direct you to the right place. If you still can not find your favourite design into cross stitch kit, then you will have to find it into a cross stitch pattern and buy the materials - fabric and threads - separately.
Once you find the perfect fine art painting in cross stitch kit or pattern, be sure you stitch your initials and date at the bottom of your cross stitch design. It is nice to know who made a masterpiece!

More at Yiotas XStitch

Cross stitch ideas

2009-11-02T14:23:00.000-08:00

If you do not know what to get your loved ones for Christmas or birthdays here are a few ideas within a reasonable budget.

Make Christmas or birthday cards yourself! Find a free small cross stitch design and stitch all the Christmas cards yourself. Go to any major search engine like google and search for small cross stitch pattern, you will find thousands. Find the one that you like, stitch it and then buy some A4 white card paper (ebay is a good place to get cheap A4 card paper). Divide the A4 paper into 4 equal squares and cut it, that will give you 4 cards! Place and stick your cross stitch design in the middle of the card and on reverse write your Christmas or birthday wishes. You just made four cards!

Buy your friends and family a cross stitch kit or even better buy the kit for yourself, stitch it, frame it and give it to your friends and family for a present! You can then keep the chart and stitch it again for you or your loved one.

Buy a downloadable cross stitch pattern. If you own a printer, just go online and find a store that sells cross stitch patterns by download or email. These are usually very affordable and you save money on postage. Buy it, download it and then print the pattern in a good quality paper, wrap it and give it as a gift to your friends and family who cross stitch!

No need to spend all your money on expensive gifts. Spend within a reasonable budget and remember that most people always appreciate handmade well presented gifts.

More at Yiotas XStitch

How to make a biscornu

2009-10-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Free cross stitch patterns

2009-10-25T09:50:00.000-07:00

We all love freebies. Try our products and download our freebies - no registration or log in is required.
Cross stitch freebies