Does nobody sell cross stitch charts any more?

After pretty close to three years of doing no cross stitch at all, I picked up the stranded cottons last night... It's amazing what having your own baby on the way does for motivation!

This afternoon I went out to get a few more threads (was missing a few shades I needed), and decided to browse around a bit...

Doesn't anyone sell cross stitch charts any more?

I hate working from a kit as I've worked from charts for so long and I've got a huge collection of stranded cottons (a completely new project usually means I've only got to buy around half a dozen new skeins at most)... but nobody seems to have charts any more! It was all kits from what I could see this afternoon.

I will admit that it was just spotlight and lincraft this afternoon, but spotlight used to be quite good years ago, now - nothing. Hell, I don't even remember where the local embroidery shops might actually be... but is cross stitch so seriously out of fashion that charts are hard to come by now?

Where do you buy/find yours?

BW

What is a cross stitch chart?

Sorry, I haven't cross stitched since I was seventeen or so and mum used to buy everything for me... Now I need to get back into it as I want to stitch our ring pillow for our wedding.

are you referring to the "boxed" paper to do your own designs?

If so, I used to get mine from tech drawing stores.

HTH??

I found a great ebay shop that sells some gorgeous baby ones - Johns Cross Stitch (I assume that's what you wanted to do?) and another online aus shop called crafts4you over in Cottesloe WA that has more than you can poke a stick at LOL.

ETA - or you could buy your own pattern maker CD-ROM - I have a DMC one and it's really great if you're up for designing your own chart.

If you ever venture into the CBD, there is a huge embroidery shop on York St, I have found stuff there, but I got kits, not patterns, but maybe if you were thinking of heading in, call them first and see what they have.

Nope, not up to doing my own charts just yet! I was starting to toy with it when I stopped.

I'm talking about buying the patterns for cross stitch that are just the pattern - don't come with fabric and threads - I've got an enormous stash of both!

And I generally prefer to work on even weave rather than aida cloth - and kits with something other than aida cloth are damned hard to find!

I'll be back later to check on more replies - right now if I spend more time in the study I'm in danger of passing out!

BW

I so know how you feel. Everywhere I go has kits, though i do prefer Aida to even weave. My recommendation is to go to The Fox Collection website .They will sent out a catalogue every 3 months and it has a combination of kits and just charts as well as other craft stuff like knitting, beading etc.

Also, not sure where you live but if it is near to a capital city, if you go to the Stitches and Craft show (held once or more in every capital city I think. Has a website as well, though not a good one last time I checked), most of the cross-stitch stalls sell kits and charts in the magazine racks in the front of their stalls. They are also happy to give out details so you can order through them direct.

HTH

I find the cross stitch magazines you can get from the UK (at most newsagents) have some good charts in them.


Happy stitching!

Last time I found the pattern online and then called an embroidery store I knew to bring it in for me. I used Petit Point in Tassie, but I think they may have closed down. They recommend the Lazy Daisy in Vic as a good store for supplies that are happy to post. If you have a brand or designer that you like you may be able to find their website and if so, they should list stockists. I love the Teresa Wentzler designs, you can some small designs for free on her website and some places will sell her books.

Hey BW. I wanted to get a baby sampler for Lachlan when I was pregnant with him. A friend of mine sent over a kit form one from America when I was pregnant with Kameron, so wanted to do Lachlan once as well.

I struggled to find a chart only. LIke you I have plenty of cotton and cloths. I did however eventually find one in one of our spotlight store. There was 2 patterns to choose from and not really to suit a boy, but I picked the most boyish one of the 2. Lachlan is now 4 and it isn't finished :redface: plus I now have Ashton's to do as well, but don't have a pattern for him. Haven't even looked.

Goodluck on the hunt ! We are lucky to have a pretty good embroidery shop close by, but even them at the time never had chart only baby samplers.

I think craft stuff like that goes in waves, with people doing it/them IMO.

Love

I've bought stuff from both the Fox collection and vicstitch before. They are both quite good, but there's just something that isn't quite as satisfying as being able to flick through all the different patterns in a booklet and being able to see everything up close...

I guess part of the problem is that I don't really like the "traditional" baby type stuff. I prefer bright colours to pastels, etc.

I also have several years worth of one of the UK cross stitch magazines around - but they are very hard to find now.

Trust me to be addicted to unfashionable crafts!

BW

I know it's a bit of a hke for you BW, but there are shops in both Mittagong & Bowral that are really good. I can't think of their names just now though :doh:

Huge hike! But I've heard of them and have always wanted to go... Perhaps I may just have to one day.

I've just wasted so much time looking at the website for the one Rufalina suggested in George St that I'm going to be late for work!

BW

BW - Did you find them??? I think this is it... here...

I found them, Ruf... and spent ages looking, dreaming and drooling... Once again, I'd LOVE to be able to get in there and just browse through them all, but it's really starting to look like online ordering is the only way to go with where I'm living on the extreme outer edge of sydney - unless I want to drive for several hours or drag my rapidly growing belly onto public transport.

I think I had the world's quickest shower this morning - 15 minutes before I had to be at work and I still hadn't showered! Ended up only being a *little* bit late!

BW

BW - if it helps at all, let me know what kinds of patterns you're after - a friend told me last night that she has heaps of mags (i think they were a part-works set) and i can go through and photocopy anything that might take your interest.

The fox collection does sell just patterns as well....

The only place that really sell patterns now are your small craft shops and they are so hard to find...

There was a shop in Darwin in nightcliff that was wonderful she had HEAPS I will try to google it as I know she would send out to people she might even have a online order now, never know its been many year sence I lived there...

I live near the Lazy Daisy and can highly recommend them.... I visit them at least one a month. Thanks for the Fox Collection suggestions girls. Looking them up now!