Ever wonder how and where you can find fellow stitchers to share your common bond, stitchers who might well become your cross stitch friends in time? You may feel sometimes that you would love to chat with other cross stitch lovers but have no idea how to meet these people. Well, lots of options exist. With just a little research, you can find others with whom you can trade cross stitch tips, share some laughs, and offer encouragement and motivation on difficult projects.
To start searching for fellow cross stitchers, try looking locally first. Perhaps there's a club near you that you can join. A great place to ask about local clubs is at your craft store. They may know of clubs, and even better, they may have a club that meets at the store. If no club exists, you can always form one yourself.
This will require more thought and planning than you may at first realize, but will reward you many times over. Do not cut any corners here. You'll have to decide where you will meet (think: good lighting, comfortable chairs, refreshment facilities, car parking, and so on) and whether you wish to focus on cross stitch or whether you should include other embroidery or craftwork too. Finding a meeting time that suits most people is one of the biggest decisions.
You'll also have to think about the subscription rate, the aims of the club and any specific rules for members. It may be a good idea to discuss initial plans with your first members so that your club can be fine-tuned to meet most people's needs. Don't forget that cross stitch uses your hands and your eyes -- so you can chat and listen at the same time.
If the thought of organizing a club seems a bit ambitious, then why not ask some friends and acquaintances round for an evening and suggest some stitching together. You can even show a newbie how it's done. Before long, you may end up with a regular club -- so much more sociable than just meeting up to drink and eat.
In addition to finding cross stitch friends locally, you can find fellow stitchers in the unlikeliest of places.
The most obvious way to cast the net of friendship is to seek out penpals. There are many stitching websites that have a penpal section, and many popular magazines contain find-a-penpal pages. This is wonderful way of making cross stitch friends from all over the world, and you may have the opportunity of exchanging small projects if you so wish. It's often helpful to discuss your stitching projects -- you can motivate each other to finish those tricky pieces you've been putting off.
The internet has many penpal sites too, although in my view, it's worthwhile taking time to ensure that the site you're engaging with is a good one. Never add your postal address or telephone number to their database. Your email address will suffice for the first exchanges with a new friend, and you can give her or him more contact details when you are sure that the person is genuine. You may prefer to have an e-pal, as opposed to a snail mail friend.
Many people prefer to chat with their penpal using email rather than snail mail. When you email, you tend to get a quicker response. This makes it simpler to keep in touch. Also, some people don't like writing letters, although they do enjoy writing emails. If, however, you and your penpal enjoy writing letters, then you'll be in for a treat sometimes when you visit your mailbox. In addition to letters, you and your penpal also can exchange little gifts for added fun.
As you explore the internet for other cross stitch enthusiasts, consider looking at e-groups that use both email conversations and traditional mail. Yahoo has a cross stitch group that calls itself XStitchpals. In this group, everyone really gets into the fun. They send each other cards that they've cross stitched each month. The cards have a theme. Also, with this group, you can visit the forum and talk about what's on your mind, both regarding stitching and also other events in your life. Many people have found real friends in this group.
So what are you waiting for? There are lots of new cross stitch friends out there if you spend a little time looking for them and hey! Why not look a little closer to where you are right HERE, right NOW -- go join the forums at Patterns Patch private cross stitch club.
