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| KNOW-HOW |
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| Starting a Stitching Club |
A cross stitch club is a great way to meet like minded people and make new friends. Follow our six steps to starting a club in your own area.
1. FIND YOUR MEMBERS
Make eye catchng posters and put them in shop windows, on the noticeboard at the community centre and in the post office window. Spread the word amongst your friends and hand out leaflets at the school gates. Tell your local needlecraft stockist - they may provide some raffle prizes in exchange for a bit of publicity! Don't be discouraged if only a handful of people turn up to your first meeting - the numbers are sure to grow in time.
2. FIND A SUITABLE VENUE
Look for a room where the lighting is good and the club can meet regularly. Watch out for any extra costs such as insurance. If numbers are small to begin with, it may be best to start off the meetings in someone's home and see how things go.
3. GET YOUR SUMS RIGHT!
Be realistic about costs right from the start. Write down how much it will cost for the venue hire, tea, biscuits and any prizes you may have to buy. This will help you decide on a charge for the meetings so that you cover all the expenses and don't lose money or end up being out of pocket yourself.
4. THE FIRST MEETING
Hold the first meeting in your own home. Invite everyone who comes to make suggestions for club activities and events, and try and share the work of running the club by giving jobs such as treasurer to willing volunteers.
5. USE YOUR LOCAL SHOP
Get to know your local needlecraft shop and framer and try to negotiate a discount for your club members. Ask if you can obtain goods on a sale or return basis when looking at trying different techniques. Remember this can be beneficial for the shop too - you may be introducing lots of new customers to their shop!
6. OUTINGS AND PROJECTS
Plan a day out to an exhibition or a well known shop everyone wants to visit. These outings get everyone chatting and help people to feel part of a worthwhile group. Your members may also be interesting in stitching something for the local church or community centre to commemorate a local or national event, and these joint efforts are always good ways of getting everyone in the club to know each other better.
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