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Hi, just wondered if anyone has any kits going spare? fairly new to stitching but I am on a very tight budget and am running out of the free kits I get with my magazines.

Have borrowed books from library, and downloaded from net, and I have some threads and Aida in my small stash, but just wondered if anyone has any patterns or kits they don't need or won't get round to doing.

Any size welcomed, large or small, although smaller ones pref as I have only been doing it a few months. In the North of UK, and would love to show you the finished result, I know it's cheeky but I'm so skint, however I just love stitching.

Many thanks in advance. xx

There are lots of free patterns on-line if you look.

http://www.dmccreative.co.uk/DMC-Club/H ... jects.aspx" target="_blank"
http://www.coatscrafts.co.uk/" target="_blank
http://artofstitching.top-site-list.com/" target="_blank

These are good...for starters.
Charity shops are great too...only wish they were here in France. You can often pick up bags of threads for pennies, for when you run out of magazine cover kit threads.

We all love stitching here, so would love to see photo of your finished pieces.

Those are some really great sites. Your feeding my addiciton.

Sandycheeks wrote:Those are some really great sites. Your feeding my addiciton.

Happy to help!

Amazing what's free these days! I'm finding some wonderful knitting patterns too!

Thanks for your suggestions. I have scoured the 5 charity shops in my area every few days for a few months and nothing has come up yet, but I will keep looking.I was after kits rather than just the charts, as I don't have much floss to follow the charts. I have downloaded patterns online so I'll just have to wait till I build my collection up... Thanks all for ur replies. xx

With all the information and charts you can get free online I'd be tempted to put the money I'd spend on magazines to one side and browse the Internet instead to get your info fix!!

That way you can spend the magazine money on stash building. At across town stitching £16 will get you 50 dmc threads, you can do a lot more with that than you can the 4 magazines the same money would buy you.

On many of the online shops you can get a decent size piece of fabric for the cost of a magazine.

destructiveernie wrote:With all the information and charts you can get free online I'd be tempted to put the money I'd spend on magazines to one side and browse the Internet instead to get your info fix!!

That way you can spend the magazine money on stash building. At across town stitching £16 will get you 50 dmc threads, you can do a lot more with that than you can the 4 magazines the same money would buy you.

On many of the online shops you can get a decent size piece of fabric for the cost of a magazine.

Well said!

I got a bunch of stuff on craigslist--I paid $75 for a cross stitch stand, 5 cross stitch towels, 2 thread storage boxes of DMC thread with over 144 colours, 3 packs of assorted needles,5 hand towels with stitchable border--3 green and 2 white, 5 packs of 14 ct. 12x18 unopened fabric,1 small hoop, and about 30 pattern books, magazines and leaflets.

I agree with destructiveernie There are soo many free patterns online. The magazines are hit and miss to whether or not you will like the design then you can spend that money on floss etc. The only magazines that I have ever used are some that someone I knew handed down to me. I have had a chart or two sent to me from friends on here who were getting rid of the magazine or chart.

Here are some freebies from Ink Circles:

http://www.inkcircles.com/html/Goodies.html" target="_blank

Just about every cross stitch designer you can name will have a website with freebies available - I've got a whole host of designs from Victoria Sampler, The Drawn Thread, Chatelaine, Tereza Wentzler, The Sampler Girl and of course there is our very own Kell with Kincavel Krosses!

Thanks so much to all of you. Those websites were particularly useful. I was re-reading my original post and realised that it did sound rude, so apologies to anyone I offended. I'm new here so the last thing I wast to do it put you off me.

I will defo be stitching a few of the smaller ones but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas for a larger one? I have yet to find anything that inspires me, maybe a cute animal or something? All the free ones I've seen seem to be so small. I don't mind paying a small amount, because as you said, the money I spend on the magazine could be better spent. xxx

Hi Kate
Here's one of my favorite ones to get free designs--hope you can find something there

It's http://www.cyberstitchers.com" target="_blank There is a link for free charts on the left column

karen4bells wrote:Hi Kate
Here's one of my favorite ones to get free designs--hope you can find something there

It's http://www.cyberstitchers.com" target="_blank" target="_blank There is a link for free charts on the left column

Thanks alot Karen, just heading there now....xx

KateThePlate wrote:

karen4bells wrote:Hi Kate
Here's one of my favorite ones to get free designs--hope you can find something there

It's http://www.cyberstitchers.com" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank There is a link for free charts on the left column

Definitely bookmarking that one! Thanks alot Karen, it's got some great patterns. xx

KateThePlate wrote:

KateThePlate wrote:

karen4bells wrote:

Definitely bookmarking that one! Thanks alot Karen, it's got some great patterns. xx

Glad to help you out--they have a LOT of fantastic freebies there! I go back from time to time to see what I may have missed LOL

i have a few..i'll have to check when I have daylight..as they are in my bedroom and hubby's sleeping. I can't afford to post though since my hubby is out of work atm...and things are rough..but I'll let you know what i have..and provide pictures. If they are to your liking..i can post..but from the US to the UK may be high for shipping..but I'll try to help

coffee_freak wrote:i have a few..i'll have to check when I have daylight..as they are in my bedroom and hubby's sleeping. I can't afford to post though since my hubby is out of work atm...and things are rough..but I'll let you know what i have..and provide pictures. If they are to your liking..i can post..but from the US to the UK may be high for shipping..but I'll try to help

Thanks alot, that would be brill. I can cover postage if its only a few dollars. xx

And Karen, I have got up to page 85 of the free patterns, there's loads. Some really nice sweet ones too. xx

KateThePlate wrote: I will defo be stitching a few of the smaller ones but in the meantime, does anyone have any ideas for a larger one? I have yet to find anything that inspires me, maybe a cute animal or something? All the free ones I've seen seem to be so small.

Large free designs? What about Heaven & Earth Designs (HAED on here). Sorry I couldn't resist - ignore my stupid sense of humour . I don't have any kits (hate them and the few I had I ebayed) - but I have a feeling I have a little bag of random anchor/dmc threads on bobbins somewhere. They aren't numbered - but you could just go by colour. I probably also have some magazine cover kits (no charts to go with them but the thread and aida may be useful). PM me if you're interested!

Ebay is a great place to stash up on a budget - it helps to familiarise yourself with all the different types of fabric available so you know what you are looking at. I'm a thrifty stitcher by nature (more so that I can splurge on silks and hand dyeds really!) and always know roughly the cost of most types of fabric so know whether an ebay bargain really is a bargain! The amount of people that completely overbid when the item is readily availble cheaper for brand new! I've found that Across Town Stitching is the cheapest source of DMCs/Anchors, especially if buying in bulk and Tandem Cottage the cheapest for fabrics.

HTH

If you've got some magazines, maybe there are some cute bigger designs in them. Then if you buy the threads and fabric gradually.. Bingo!!

When you've built up a few posts here you can perhaps do a swap of patterns for fabric/threads you'd like.