...About Cross 'N Patch

Cross 'N Patch was started 18 years ago as the brain-child of Emie Bishop. As a life-long stitcher and artist, Emie had always sketched, painted and also been involved in every form of  needlework.   It was while taking an art class that these interests came together in her head.  She began designing her own samplers, combining what she knew about art and how to create images with her love of fabric, texture and threads.

It wasn't long before other people became interested in Emie's designs, and soon she was selling them from the basement of her home.  This location continues to be the site of Cross 'N Patch.  She designs in an upstairs studio that looks out on the mountains to the west;  in the basement below, her staff ships these designs around the world.

Cross 'N Patch designs have evolved as Emie's interest in needlework has grown and deepened.  Hence, there are titles that focus on cross-stitch and others that include a wide palette of surface stitches, elaborate Hardanger, and other forms of cut thread work.  As Emie's understanding of stitches deepens, she and her staff  prepare detailed illustrations of each stitch, allowing her publications to be  generously  illustrated.  The most recent, The Unfinished Sampler,  has 140 illustrated stitches  as well as numerous images and charts.  As a member of the Charted Designers of America, she has revised and  created the illustrations for member firms to use in their publications.  Emie  uses any  direct contact with needleworkers to evaluate, rework and rewrite  her stitch illustrations and explanations.  Emie sometimes says she feels blessed with a mind that never runs out of ideas:  each design teaches her something new and the next  is in her head before the last has even been stitched.

When not designing, Emie stays busy supporting her 5 grown children and 7 grandchildren. Not content to be just a spectator in the lives of her family, and with her family cheering her on,  Emie  learned to ski, water ski and ride horses.  Today the  family  can ski  together in the winter and spend the summer hiking, boating or riding horses throughout the Inter-mountain West.  But even these activities serve as a fuel for designs. People and places she loves have often been the  inspiration for a design or book.

Perhaps what Emie enjoys most about Cross 'N Patch is that pursuing her love of needlework and beauty has enabled her to meet people from around the world.  She delights in connecting with other stitchers, hearing their stories, and coming to understand why  needlework is important to them. She feels honored when someone chooses one of her designs to showcase their needlework skills.

If you would like to reach Emie or learn more about her designs, you can
e-mail her at emieb@sunrem.com or view her designs in Hoffman's online catalog.

Back to the Cross 'N Patch home page.