Welcome to the Caterpillar Cross Stitch 'Stitcher of the Month' competition for January 2020 where the winner will walk away with a £20 gift voucher! I love this community we've built together and I want to showcase the personality and story of a special stitcher each month.
Every one of you is so valued and I want to recognise and celebrate your contributions through this monthly giveaway. On the first day of every month, I'll ask for your nominations. You can nominate yourself or someone else.
Simply email me at info@caterpillarcrossstitch.com with your full name, email address and include a photo of some recent stitching. Don't hold back! Let us hear about your personality, background and experience with stitching. Where you're from, 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 January 2020... Congratulations Mari!
Mari says:
My name is Mari Keenen and I live in Arvada, Colorado. I started counted cross stitching in about 1980. YIKES ! ! ! I loved it then, but life got in the way and I hadn't done any for a few years. I saw on one of the Flosstube videos about the Caterpillar Cross Stitch 'Deck the Halls' stitch along and was hooked once again!
I can't believe how things have changed. No more backstitching (or very little), they used to recommend that you wash your project in a gentle soap and press it dry. Don't hear of that anymore either . . . several other little things, but things tend to move forward and I sure love what I have started up again!
I have only worked on 14 count aida before, but would really like to try an evenweave fabric for cross stitching on. Not sure the eyes can handle it, but there's only one way to find out, right?! I love that we were given enough time to complete the Deck the Halls SAL project in time for Christmas. I must say, I got myself involved in Stitchtober but didn't have very long to complete the projects!
This is a little embarrassing, but I get all excited when I tell my friends that I got a package from England and was doing a Christmas stitch along... a little silly, but it is a first for me! Thank you so much for sharing your love of cross stitch with us.
I cross stitched back in the 1980's because I loved how precise and beautiful the pieces looked. I made a Care Bear cross stitch piece with my niece's name (Shannon) then of course cross stitch birth samplers/announcements for her and her brother.
Eventually I had my own kids and did large samplers for them and whatever else I liked. I also crochet, scrapbook, quilt and plastic canvas and there sure isn't enough time for all of it, but I'm trying - I have 2 grandsons now to spoil!
Deck the Halls was one that inspired me the most. When I saw the amazing Gingerbread needle minder, that was all it took! I had never seen a needle minder before.
If you would like to join over 5,000 stitchers in the Facebook group, please click HERE. Well done Mari, your £20 Caterpillar Cross Stitch gift voucher is on its way to you! Thank you for all of your wonderful entries - it was tough to pick a winner as they were all so lovely to read with some amazing stitching shown! Nominations are now open for our February 2020 Stitcher of the Month - I can't wait to see them!
Crafting isn’t just about making something beautiful (although that certainly is a huge advantage!), it’s also about finding something that makes you happy, calms your mind and brings you a sense of enjoyment and accomplishment.
For neurodiverse people, crafts can offer amazing benefits, from improved focus and confidence to reduced stress and anxiety.
