Some Rules & Regs

SOME RULES AND REGS REGARDING YOUR DONATIONS AND STITCHED WORK – ALWAYS WORTH REMEMBERING!!!

The Post…
Please, please, please, take your parcels to the Post Office to make sure you put the correct postage on. And most definitely put a return address on the outside of the parcel, and get a certificate of posting!!! Here is a little example from Karen, our secretary, on why this is so important: “Over the last month, the office where I work has been getting mail returned “address incomplete”, “address not known” etc in abundance. The addresses have been checked with Royal Mail itself, and we have been advised that there is nothing wrong with the addresses.” So if there was no return address… Bye-bye to all of your lovely hard work, as undeliverable mail gets incinerated!!! At least, if you have a Certificate of Posting we can claim for compensation, which then benefits our charities… So, please be VERY careful and apply these rules diligently!!!

For Regular members
Please return the CHARTS TOGETHER with the PICTURE so that we can use them again!

For Independent members
It’s great that you use your own materials, but we have LOTS of charts… Feel free to ask Sarah for some, then you can be certain that you are stitching what we need without having to look around…

Seasonal Crafts

Please remember that Christmas sales start in October, and that sales for other seasonal occasions need to begin about 6 weeks beforehand. If you are not finishing yourself, consider the extra time needed for the double mailing (to the Finisher, then to Petra) and for the fact that the Finisher may not be able to attend to incoming pieces on the spot…

Super Quick Review of designs and projects needed

Things that sell:
1) at least 2x2" size with enough detail to make them easily recognisable
2) whole scenes rather than bits and bobs i.e. a whole cricketer rather than just a "bat and ball"
3) eye-catching designs use metallic threads, beads, wiggle eyes, sequins, buttons etc within the stitching or when finishing the cards
4) cards with writing - greetings stitched beside the motif or sayings, poems etc as main feature
5) cards for more unusual occasions - Sympathy, Christening, New Home, round birthdays, anniversaries etc, as well as the usual special occasions like wedding and new baby.
6) bookmarks of any description, but particularly with religious context; also “cross in a pocket” items.

Things that don’t sell:
1) motifs that are hard to distinguish what they are, usually whole stitch designs, often without backstitch
2) mini motifs, depending on the above
3) dressed up animals and teddies of general description (special critters like Disney, Peter Rabbit etc are okay)

Some people are not happy with doing more complex stitches than whole cross stitches, and so may be a little put off by our request for less of those types. If that is the case, have you tried simple geometric patters, which can be used for bookmarks, or blackwork, which isn’t as boring and colourless as it may sound? If you’d like to try things like that, but don’t have any patterns, please get in touch – we can always find a few for you to try!