Precious Moments Cross Stitch

Sometimes, two things just seem made for each other. In this case, those two things are Precious Moments figurines and cross stitch. Precious Moments celebrates those moments in life that we cherish most. Cross stitch is a craft that brings mothers and daughters together and creates moments to remember. Could there be any more suitable theme for cross stitch than Precious Moments?

You may be surprised to discover that the cross stitch designs created from Precious Moments figurines are the product of two ladies, Pat Carson and Gloria Steele. Their company, Designs by Gloria & Pat Inc., was founded in 1973 as Gloria & Pat Originals. The name was changed in 1975 when they incorporated.

Their web site explains how they ended up making Precious Moments patterns.

"In 1979, the girls met with Samuel J. Butcher, artist and now renown creator of Precious Moments®, to show him his Goose Girl (Honk If You Love Jesus) and two angels on a cloud (Love Goes On Forever) that they had converted to cross stitch. The rest is cross stitch history!"

There are now 16 titles by Designs by Gloria & Pat listed on Amzon.com. Gloria passed away in 1984, but Pat remains as President of the company.

Cross Stitch is one of the easiest crafts to learn. It can be done almost anywhere, and the costs are minimal. It is a wonderful hobby if you want to create works of art that can last several lifetimes. I know I still have pieces created by my mother almost 30 years ago.

Precious Moments also have heirloom value. The best thing about Precious Moments is that they commemorate happy occasions. Many of the pieces celebrate events such as the birth of a new baby, a wedding or an anniversary. When these events are commemorated in figurines depicting images such as teddy bears and adorable children, the cute factor is almost more than you can stand.

By combining the unique qualities of Precious Moments with the personalization of cross stitch, you can create a unique gift from the heart that will be cherished for years to come. The designs by Gloria and Pat capture the charm of Precious Moments pieces wonderfully, and with over 400 colors in the DMC color list, they are able to get amazingly close to the same look as the inspiration figurine.

The only website where you can legally download Precious Moments® cross stitch patters is patternsonline.com. The patterns have been converted to a proprietary format for a program called PCStitch. PCStitch is a commercial program that costs $39.95. The Pro version is $79.95. You do not need PCStitch to download and view the patterns. All you need is the companion software PCStitch Pattern Viewer. You can get more information at http://www.patternsonline.com.

There are several free patterns available for non-profit use. The most popular is the Precious Moments® bear which was designed exclusively to benefit charitable endeavors like Operation Teddy Bear. Other patterns include an angel, bears posed as Uncle Sam and the Stature of Liberty, the breast cancer ribbon and a collection of Christmas patterns. You may view and download the patterns at http://www.gloria-pat.com/resources/free_charts_toc.html. Please respect the restrictions on the use of these patterns so more will be made available.

If you're looking for a gift that will be cherished for years, you can't go wrong by combining cross stitching and Precious Moments. They are two things that just seem made for each other. Whether you buy a book, download a pattern or use a free pattern, you're sure to create something wonderful.

To learn more and to receive updates about Precious Moments Cross Stitch, go to Precious Moments Cross Stitch.