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WHAT'S THE STORY? Who the hell are you? Welcome! I'm Julie Jackson: discoverer of new forms of dorkiness, avoider of unnecessary phone calls and social commitments, most popular girl in the office (I work alone). Subversive Cross Stitch began in the spring of 2003 as a form of anger management therapy when I was dealing with a mean idiot* boss. Since I got such a kick out of it, I thought I'd share the idea and offer this crafty form of therapy to others through kits. Then things got crazy. *she once told me to make sure we had lots of film for the digital camera. Hellooooo? What's in a kit? How is the Basic Kit different from the Deluxe Kit? Here's a link to photos for comparison. Both kits have a pattern and instructions, thread and material. The Deluxe Kit also includes an embroidery hoop and two needles. The material is 14-count Aida white, which I have professionally die-cut by a big machine on the west coast with zig-zag edges to prevent messy fraying. The thread is DMC six-strand cotton and the needles are size 24 tapestry needles. I also try to include a bit of swell swag with every order, from Subversive or other crafty businesses. If you're ever concerned with the quality of materials, please let me know. I use the basics for my kits because most of my customers are new to the craft, so I try to keep it simple. That said, I don't cut corners, so please feel free to tell me if anything doesn't meet your expectations. I'm buying this as a gift and I have no idea what to choose... help! The Deluxe Kit is for the stitcher on-the-go, the beginning stitcher or the unorganized stitcher who'd rather have everything they need in one handy place. If you're buying several kits for one person to use, you probably only need one Deluxe Kit - they can use the hoop and needles with any Basic Kits. If you're not sure, give a gift certificate! If you want me to slip a little gift card or message in with the order and send it directly to the recipient, just email me! I'm not crafty, can I do it? Will it take years or days? Cross stitch is one of the easiest forms of stitching because you're working on a grid (the material) and it's kind of like connect-the-dots. It's enjoyable for crafty types, but also for the kind of people who like to do puzzles and solve problems. The pattern and the instructions are very clear, all you have to do is read through them and you're good to go. I think you'll be surprised at how quickly you'll finish a piece -- it's more a matter of hours than years, I promise. A night or two of stitching in front of the TV should do it, or a cross-country flight. Then you're done - instant bragging rights! And remember: cross stitching is fun for a girl or for a boy, young or old, reserved or gregarious. It's an equal opportunity pasttime. For extra help, check out our animated instructions. Slap it in a frame, put it on a shirt, pin it to the wall -- if you're handy, you can make it into a pillow (a soldier in Iraq this very moment has a pillow that says "BITE ME" on it). You can also look around craft stores for all kinds of tacky, insane items with cross stitch material built right in, like sippy cups or bookmarks or guest towels. Just think - "Happy Fucking Holiday" guest towels! A "Babies Suck" sippy cup! Be sure to share your creation with us by posting a photo in the Subversive group on Flickr! Gosh, do I HAVE to pay for shipping? USPS first class mail shipping is included in the price of all kits. My gift to you. You also have the option to add Priority Mail or International fees once you reach the Paypal screen during checkout. This process is new as of February 2009--previously, we asked you to add shipping fees on each screen, so this just works more smoothly. Please let me know if you disagree or have any problems with the new way. SHIPPING SCHEDULE: When will my order arrive, dammit? I ship as soon as possible, but sometimes it's pretty insane around here. I always ship Priority Mail orders first (within 2-3 days, tops), so IF you're in a rush, please add the Priority Mail upgrade when placing your order. I make sure that all Priority Mail packages are moved to the top of my list. Regular orders and international orders usually ship within 5 business days, but it may take as much as 10-15 business days for me to get your order out. Usually, it's less, but that's the worst-case-scenario. If you're in a TIZZY, email me and we can always FedEx or I can just start running in your general direction with kit in hand. Seriously, it's no big deal for me to FedEx your order, either with your account number or mine. Our FedEx guy is adorabuls! I can also ship UPS, but don't make me use that awful DHL. Ick. Here is the current shipping schedule, which you can always access from the index page as well. Maybe I don't like Paypal. Do you take checks or Matchbox cars? I prefer Paypal, since it makes transactions go smoothly and quickly. You don't even need to sign up for a Paypal account, you can just use a credit card if you'd rather. It's very easy, I've been using Paypal since 2001 and I LOVE them. If you'd rather pay with a CHECK, that's cool: please click here for a printable form. Ix-nay on the ars-cay. Will signing up for your newsletter make you like me more? Are you kidding? If you sign up for my newsletter, I will love you forever and ever. Plus, you'll be the first to know about new stuff and you'll get special offers and we'll be best friends. It's kind of like a cootie shot. Only better. No spam and usually no more than one email a month. Plus, if I annoy you, you can unsubscribe and walk right out the door. You won't even have to see me cry and I won't spread vicious rumors about you, either. Check out these sample newsletters, then sign up below! I want to take our relationship to the next level: do you sell wholesale? I thought you'd never ask! Sure, I can get it for you wholesale. Email me for the scoop. If you want to order books, notecard sets or calendars wholesale, you'll have to contact Chronicle Books. To order magnets, coasters or matches, contact your pals at blue Q. What's the deal with your Etsy shop / outlet store? Subversive Jewels - I started it in February 2009 because I wanted to offer some one-of-a-kind necklaces for Valentine's Day. Then I decided it would be fun to have an outlet store. It's great place to pick up supplies like extra material, thread, needles, or plastic hoops. Plus it's where I destash craft supplies from my huge personal collection, or previous limited edition kits, like Valentines. You never know what you'll find. Plus, I'm happy to support Etsy, I shop there all the time, so they have to succeed, right? Who did the graphics for your pins? Who did your website? My illustrious illustrator is Matt Hinrichs, he designed the "retro girl" that is on some of my pins and postcards. He also provided the illustrations for my book and for the animated instructions page. It took a raucous rollergirl to breathe new life into my website - kudos to Beth Been of Groovee Fortune. Beth's alter ego is Scarlot Harlot and she was one of the original Austin Roller Derby gals way back when. She kicks ASS! Oh, and my pins are cranked out by the fabulous folks at Busy Beaver Buttons, who always do an incredible job. I can't recommend them highly enough, seriously. Will you sponsor my cause / my craft group / me in AA? Shoot me an email! One of the good things about working for myself is that I can contribute to good causes. I'm particularly partial to animal rescue groups and women's rights organizations. I've also sponsored small craft groups that have had Subversive Cross Stitch theme nights. And now and then I contribute some of the profits from kit sales on this site to a good cause. Pitch me an idea and I'll do what I can. Can't help you on the AA thing, though. I'd be a bad influence there. Are these the same kits I saw in Urban Outfitters or some store somewhere? Yes - three of my kits were carried in Urban Outfitters' retail stores, print catalogs and online in 2004-2005. Urban also carried my book and notecard sets, and the blue Q products. You may also have seen them on the web at Target.com's Red Hot Shop or BUST magazine's Boobtique, to name a couple. You can also find them at the fabulous Crafty Planet in Minneapolis and several other places throughout the US and UK. In 2010, a great outfit called Noted produced a posh version of my kits in French, German and British English. These can be found at museum shops and other stores throughout the UK and Europe. Also, check out my (horribly outdated) press page for a list of places you may have heard of SCS in print or on TV. I saw your stuff at a gallery show. Do you sell finished, framed pieces? I have tried not to become a stitcher-for-hire, but it doesn't hurt to ask. It just depends on how busy I am at any moment. I love special projects and have done a CD cover and all kinds of stuff like that. Also, I sometimes sell finished pieces at galleries, but mostly I do it for fun. For example, for the group youarebeautiful.org, I stitched up a simple piece with their words ("You Are Beautiful"). After hanging all the entries in a gallery, they set them free, placing them throughout the streets of Los Angeles. Here's where mine ended up -- it's that tiny square up high on the wall by the pipe. That's my kinda fun. I've got my own crafty thing going. Will you trade links / trade goods / swap swag? Hey, cousin! The deal is, I think of my links page as a resource, since more and more I'm asked for that kind of thing. I really want to keep it short, so I can't just add a link for anyone who asks to "swap links" - that's so last century, anyway, right? As for trading goods, I'm almost always up for a trade or barter situation as long as it doesn't involve hostages. Email me and let's talk about it. As for swag, I love to put fun pins, cards, etc. in all my outgoing orders--who doesn't love free samples? Send some freebie promo stuff to the PO box below and let me know if I should send you some as well. Oh, by the way, I do not accept paid advertising (well, I have a lame Google ad, but that's it). If you see something on my site or Facebook page it's because it's something I truly like. I'm not recommending anything because someone's slipping me a few bucks on the side. Not gonna happen. If I find a book or shop I love, you're gonna want me to shut up about it because I can get pretty enthusiastic!
I really appreciate your feedback and suggestions, and I STRONGLY encourage you to strike out on your own--there are several ideas in my book to get you started. I hope you'll drop me a note and share your stories of subversive adventure! Mi casa es su casa, so please make yourself at home and let me know if you need anything. Thanks for visiting! Julie
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