Cross Stitch Crazy
Update Summer 2008: As mentioned in the comments below, a group for cross stitchers in Ireland has been set up at Yahoo: Emerald Isle Cross Stitchers Group. I’ve joined up and have already picked up a few tips from other members, so if you’re at all into cross stitch, pop by and join us – the more the merrier! 
I vowed in my opening post that this blog would never get too personal.
Yet somehow all my skeletons are coming out of the cupboard these days. Not content with coming out as a non-drinker in Ireland, I am now risking complete ostracism by revealing one of my darket secrets. I fear, that at the ripe old age of 24, I have become addicted to cross stitch.
I’m not sure where it all went wrong. Was it feeling sick so often in recent months and being so fed up that drove me to it? Perhaps it was being at a loose end the odd weekend due to my nearest and dearest cramming for exams? Maybe my innate nerdiness meant I was always destined to take this path?
Whatever it was, I have to admit I like nothing better these days than letting my head empty as I embroider away to my heart’s content. I have received plenty of slagging for this of course but that’s perfectly reasonable under the circumstances! The bottom line is, computer addict that I am, even I realise that *anything* that keeps me away from the monitor for a bit is a good thing…
While there are not too many shops left in Dublin catering for the cross stitch enthusiast, Hickeys have a selection of patterns and threads, as does the large Inspiring Ideas store in Blanchardstown. The Woollen Mills at the Ha’penny bridge also sell all the threads.
Although cross stitch and other crafts have a bad image, and seem to be dying out completely judging by the lack of availability on the high street, the internet reveals that cross stitch is all the rage these days – I’m not alone! There are thousands of kits and patterns available, with new ones being released all the time. While I’m still completing my first large kit, a rather traditional and somewhat staid floral affair, I quickly found that there are designs to suit all tastes.
So far, I can highly recommend 2 sites for buying cross stitch kits online:
Stitch1Knit1 have a huge selection and cover all sorts of needlecraft. The site is indeed extensive and well laid out. Postage to Ireland is quite reasonable and you know the charge before you order. I picked up a funky Mr Men months of the year sampler here, as well as a cute Country Companions Computer Whiz illustration which is right up my street One of the kits was out of stock for a couple of days and I was very impressed that they sent the one they had in stock out right away, instead of waiting to send both together to minimise their postage expenses.
The Cross Stitch Zone is a smaller site which concentrates solely on selling cross stitch kits, threads and fabrics. I chose a colourful Care Bears Follow Your Rainbow kit and it arrived within a couple of days. The personal service from Kathryn who runs the Cross Stitch Zone was the icing on the cake. I’ll definitely be buying more kits there in the future, although I suppose I should wait until I have at least *started* the ones I have already bought!
Mind you, I have never followed that logic when it comes to computer books…
May 13th, 2005 at 8:53 am
Jesus.
How long after giving up drink did this happen? I just want to know how much time I have left.
Pray for Mojo.
(Crap – just thinking more about that. My Dad just bought an embroidery business…. The descent has begun.)
May 13th, 2005 at 9:00 am
well it was a hell of a lot longer than a year so you should be safe!
although, the dad factor may mean your future hangs in the balance – not that i want to drive you back to drink or anything 
May 13th, 2005 at 1:56 pm
I’ve not given up drink, but I enjoy embroidering too
I’ve always used pre-existing patterny things before, but have just started messing around on my own. We’ll see how long it takes me before I give up…
May 15th, 2005 at 11:22 pm
jeepers fence – i never thought i’d find another irish blogger who like embroidery! fair play with coming up with your own patterns. i’d love to get into that too. when i’m making web pages and see everything as pixels, i see that anything could become a cross stitch design – well that’s my theory!
June 6th, 2005 at 12:45 am
Well, I don’t know what that makes me. As a 43 year old ministers wife who does puter stuff all day long as an office manager where I manage several different puter programs/interfaces, I have been xxx for over 25 years! I used to sell it but promised myself 15 years ago that I wouldn’t sell or even give up my work anymore. It is so soothing and gives me a sense of completion. We have trouble here in the US finding stores that carry supplies. But I have found some here in the south where I live……Happy XXXXX
September 1st, 2005 at 8:55 pm
It’s not that bad surely? LOL
I’m 32 and have been xstitching for years and years. I design and sell my patterns online and I’m based in Cashel, Co Tipperary. Don’t see much xstitchin Ireland though (used in live in Australia where it’s really big). I sell mostly to US stitchers (that’s why my site is mainly in USD), but I’m trying to start a dedicated crafters club in Cashel for meet, stitch and bitch…anybody interested let me know. 
September 30th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
Hello can you help me look for shops here in Dublin where they sell cross stitch stuff like threads, patterns, etcetera. You have mentioned some places in your blog but I have no idea where they are located because I just moved here in Ireland last March. I am pregnant right now and not working, I wanted to do some cross stitching to keep me busy while waiting for my baby. Hope you can help me, thanks.
October 1st, 2005 at 12:44 pm
nice to know there are lots of other cross stitchers about!
eve, i’ll e-mail you to try and help you further but if you are in dublin there are not many shops i have found that sell cross stitch stuff unfortunately
as i mentioned in my post inspiring ideas in the blanchardstown shopping centre has a great selection. hickeys in henry street and the woollen mills at the ha’penny bridge in the city centre have small selections. i think argos are doing a few kits now though so check your catalogue!
the good news is that with card crafting etc really taking off, more and more shops will be stocking crafting stuff…
but if you are interested in baby designs etc, your best bet is probably the internet. there are tons of shops in the uk with huge selections. the postage charges are very reasonable and things usually don’t take long to arrive.
as well as the shops i link to in my post, check out the baby categories at:
sew and seo
johnson crafts
cross stitch uk
October 28th, 2005 at 2:19 pm
Hi Janine, Enjoyed reading your cross stitch article. Do you know of any classes (in Dublin) where embroidery is taught? Keep up the cross stitching.
October 30th, 2005 at 11:56 am
hi julia,
i’m afraid i don’t know of any classes in dublin.
but i did a bit of digging and there are 2 embroidery guilds in dublin (dublin and dun laoghaire rathdown guilds) which may be of interest. you can get contact details for them at
http://branches.embroiderersguild.com/branch_details2.php3?id=DUBL20
http://branches.embroiderersguild.com/branch_details2.php3?id=DUBL10
also, i’m not sure if you saw my post on this, but there is a knitting and stitching show on at the rds next week. the details are at http://www.twistedthread.com/knittingandstitchingshow/rds.asp
good luck!
November 6th, 2005 at 10:36 pm
Janine, thanks for the info on embroidery classes in Dublin. Have sent an email to the Dundrum branch asking if there are any classes in Dublin city centre and will let you know the outcome. It may be of interest to another blogger.
December 16th, 2005 at 11:25 pm
Hello, I came across your site when searching for kits and patterns online. I am only 23 and I’ve been stitching for years. My husband makes fun of me constantly
I work on computers all day and come home and stitch. I have to be world’s biggest nerd! I also have a bad habit of buying kits while I have kits at home that I haven’t even started on, so I try to buy kits online where my husband won’t notice 
December 19th, 2005 at 7:43 pm
I too unexpectedly found myself addicted to cross-stitch at a young age and have endured gentle mocking from friends and family. My love of cross stitch not only causes me to spend many an hour on line searching for the next kit but means I have spent a fortune on cross stitch related magazines with those cute free kits on the front!
February 21st, 2006 at 10:43 pm
heya, just wanted you to know you’re not the only young stitcher out there!! I’m 16 and have been at it for a couple of years!! Rock on cross stitch, who says it’s for old people?!!
March 13th, 2006 at 3:56 pm
Pleased to hear from another non drinking irish person. I am an irish- american and live in tucson az usa. If you want to combine both computers and cross stitching try pc stitch it is so cool. by the way nerds rule!!! since I got pc stitch I am exprimenting with making my own patterns. I have been addicted to cross stitching for 25 years since a freind gave me my first book at 18. so there is a life after addiction. chin up!!!
March 9th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Ha! Cross Stitching is a much healthier addiction than drinking!
Glad to see young stitchers out there too.
Kindest Regards!
-Julie
Julies Cross Stitch
March 25th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Hi!
I just moved back to Ireland after living in the States for 9 years. I’m also a non-drinking, cross stitch addicted Dub! There was a gorgeous cross stitch shop quite close to me in Long Island, so I have stocked up on loads before coming back home. I would do most of my shopping there, on the internet or at shows. I’m thinking of starting a stitching/crafting group now that I’m home. I’d love to hear from another ‘local’ stitcher.
April 21st, 2008 at 12:06 pm
would be very interested in your stitching/crafting group, just started stitching and need advise. There are no good crafting classes in dublin, if you need help setting up would love to hear from you.
May 7th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Thank goodness! Cross stitchers in Ireland!!!!
Just moved over from the Uk wih my Irish husband and family, and was amazed at the lack of cross stitch! Decided to sort it out myself and now sell kits I bring over from the Uk on Ebay. I am in Roscommon so too far from the groups mentioned but was wondering about starting a postal group with things like round robin cross stitching etc. Very popular in the UK. Would appreciate feedback.
May 25th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
It’s great to find other stitch addicts in Ireland! I’ve lived here since 1964 – came from London and couldn’t get away! Have been stitching for hundreds of years and don’t know any other like minded people here.
The idea of a postal group interests me – how about a yahoo group too?
I belong to an online group but am the only member from Ireland, the others are mostly UK or USA based. Am currently taking part in a round robin.
There is a sad lack of supplies in Dublin – when the shop in Dawson Street closed down it was a great loss. I get all my stash online now. Best suppliers are Sew and so (UK) and Elegant Stitch (USA). I find it’s very much cheaper to get supplies from the USA because of the favourable exchange rate between the Dollar and the Euro.
May 26th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Sew and So are great, and I manage to buy wholesale and then shove them on ebay..which is heartbreaking because whenever new stock comes in I fall in love with all of then and then wonder if it would be possible to work on them all and get them all done myself. (Smart Arts Cross stitch and Crafts)…not promoting site though..sure you all know ebay, but if we did set up an Irish group I would be happy to donate materials etc. I was tempted to join a Uk group to see how it all works but if you would be happy to give inspiration, I think a yahoo group would be fantastic and would love to take part. I noticed in a Uk cross stitch magazine a group has started in N. Ireland, but that would be too far for me to go, a yahoo group would be great though and I would be happy to advertise it in the ebay shop and help in any way possible.
best wishes
Gaynor
May 26th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
Gaynor, I’ll get in touch later today via your ebay details.
Anne.
May 26th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
I dont think you can search for individual shops on ebay anymore, but if you put a random search in ebay.ie for kits I should come up, or cross stitch kits in ireland. I thnk you only see individual shop names when you look at items,but I think I am the only one in ireland selling on there at the mo so ebay .ie the best option.
Gaynor
May 28th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Hi,
iIshould be doing the ironing so of course I found something else to do:
I have opened an Irish yahoo group dedicated to cross stitching…now I have started it but as the invitation says, everyone who uses it should have a chance to have a say on how it is run and what it should provide etc
I took advice from a friend who also has several of these groups going for other reasons (home education etc) and she said to link the viewing of the site etc to members only as a safety measure, prevent spamming etc.
You will find it on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/emeraldislecrossstitchers
so feel free to join and add ideas.
I have a feeling we are all going to be surprised by the number of cross stitchers in Ireland (I hope!).
Hope no one minds that ihave done it…darn…now I have to iron with guilt!
May 28th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Hi Gaynor,
That’s a great idea and thanks for setting this up. I have had good intentions in the past of setting up a site for Irish cross stitchers but just never find any time unfortunately. I have joined your Yahoo group and look forward to participating when time allows!
November 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Janine,
Just rediscovered this post while checking out my company’s SEO rating.
In reference to the post above, I’m now RUNNING the embroidery company (see my URL). Scary scary stuff how life changes so fast!
M
November 24th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Hi Markham,
I hope you’ve been doing a bit of embroidery yourself to fully appreciate every facet of the company 
I could do with one of your machines to stitch a few Christmas cards for me as I don’t think I’ll even have one finished in time – eek. Best of luck with A Stitch in Time – good name by the way!
Fair play! Running a business empire and journalism keeps you on your toes I’d say!