Welcome to the Caterpillar Cross Stitch 'Stitcher of the Month' competition for September 2023 where the winner will win a £20 gift voucher! The community we have built together is so special, and I want to showcase the personality and story of a special stitcher each month.
Each and every member of our community is so valued, and this exciting monthly giveaway is a great way to recognise and celebrate your contributions.
To enter, simply email us at support@caterpillarcrossstitch.com (with Stitcher of the Month in the subject line) with your full name, location and include:
1. 3 x high res photos of some recent stitching (any design or brand)
2. 1 x clear, well lit, high resolution photo of yourself or the nominee
3. Let us hear about your personality, background and experience with stitching including a tip for beginners (300 words minimum please)
4. Your favourite piece, how you started stitching and why you love it!
The winner will receive a £20 Caterpillar Cross Stitch gift voucher and have their work shared on social media, our website and in the next email! At the end of each month, the Caterpillar Cross Stitch team will pick one winner based on the set criteria: creativity, interesting story, enjoyment and passion for cross stitch and overall impression. The winner will be contacted by email and will be interviewed for our blog and social media channels.
And now on to our WINNER for September 2023... Congratulations Anne!
Anne says:
I was born and raised in the UK and emigrated to New Zealand with my husband and son in 2007 when my son was 6 years old. At the end of 2019, we returned to the UK for a 6 week holiday, and it was while we were staying with a friend in Birmingham that I became interested in stitching. She is an avid stitcher, and I loved seeing her work!
When we returned to New Zealand in 2019, I purchased a few bookmark kits but then didn't think any more about stitching.
When the world changed in 2020, we found ourselves in lockdown. I work in a hospital genetics lab, so I am part of an essential service. During lockdown, I worked 3 days a week and was then at home like everyone else for the other 4 days. At this point, I got out my bookmark kits and started stitching!
Little did we know at that point how devastating COVID -19 was going to be. In our little country in the southern hemisphere, we watched with horror as everything changed. We watched as world leaders tried to navigate their way through a pandemic that no one had ever encountered before.
At the time of the election, I'd moved on from bookmarks and was stitching a blackwork map of New Zealand. As I watched the election results come in, it was obvious that Labour would have a historic landslide victory. I had the idea that maybe my map could reflect the results. I also had what I thought was a daft idea, but wondered if I could stitch the map for Jacinda Ardern.
I changed the colours of the stitching to reflect the results, with the percentage of each colour reflecting the percentage of seats win by each party. Red for Labour, blue for National, green for the Green party, yellow for Act and black and red for the Maori party. I also changed the colour of the fish in the sea to represent seats that were lost (23 National seats - blue fish, 9 New Zealand First seats - black fish).
I've recently completed my first Caterpillar Cross Stitch kit 'Oh Beehive' (with a few personalisations). It's a gift for a friend in the UK who I've just visited - she is a beekeeper and makes honey.
My advice for fellow cross stitchers is to connect with other stitchers as much as possible (if you're able, meet up with them and ask lots of questions!) I also recommend watching FlossTubers and other cross stitching-related content on YouTube.
If you would like to join over 18,000 stitchers in the Facebook group, please click here. Well done Anne, we hope you enjoy your £20 Caterpillar Cross Stitch gift voucher!
Nominations are now open for our next Stitcher of the Month competition - I can't wait to see them!
The design is a magical, fantasy landscape, featuring all of your favourite mythical creatures - a beautiful, folklore-inspired design, that looks like as though it belongs in a storybook.
Places for the 2024 membership open on 29th November at 7pm (London time)!
For just £45 you'll receive 4 x new exclusive PDF patterns including 'Carlos the Caterpillar', a £10 e-gift voucher, an exclusive All-Star needle minder, your own unique discount code for 10% off products all year round, Lucky Dip entry, early access to tickets and SALs, live events and more!
