[what i am wondering is this:]

please accept my apologies if this question does not belong under clothing; i thought it was the best fit since it is a sewing question...

so, yesterday i was at wal-mart when i discovered a product called "Chenille SHort cuts" by june taylor (on clearance for $3 for 216 linear inches) claiming to be the "quick way to create chenille. just cut, sew and fluff" .... the idea of the product is that you can make designs out of chenille; i want to add this chenille to the chenille fabric that is striped in order to re-create vintage chenille blankets (think white background with pretty flowers, all in chenille. very cute and very soft)

-- the product is a 2.5" x 36" strip of "chenille waiting to happen" that is three pieces of 100% cotton.  let me clarify the shape:: it is a rectangle with 5 long straight stitches that one is to cut between in order to create the strips of "chenille"   does that make sense?
-- one is to sew their strip into the desired shape (directly onto the other fabric) then mist with water and fluff with a tiny brush (instead of buying the brush they reccomend i am going to use an old toothbrush) to create the "chenille"

what i am wondering is this:  was i completely ripped off because this is something any craftster can make by just sewing together three sheets of 100%cotton fabric? and making her own strips?
has anyone heard of a product like this before?  if anyone has used it or something like it, please let me know what you think of the product!

thanks so much

Last winter, a friend of mine had a party.. this is not my point... a girl at said party put on the most amazing sweater before she left.  it had one sleve and then wrapped over her shoulder and down her front. i loved it... but couldn't catch her to ask where she bought it/ found the pattern....

if anyone has any idea what i am talking about.. which is saying a lot, since i am vague... please let me know where to find a pattern online or in a book..

i think the beauty of the sweater is obvious because its almost been a year, and i am still drooling!

If one of you lovlies could teach me how to sew in a zipper I would be soo happy!!
Thanks!!

So, three years ago I learned to cross-stitch.  It became my first real obsession with crafting.  However I have never mastered the art.  It always seemed to me that my X's were smaller than they should be, even on the fabric that is made for cross-stitching.  It just never looked good enough and I always quit before the piece was finished.  I'm not just complaining, but I am begging for advice.  I would love to finish these projects, but I don't know why my X's are too small.  They seem like they don't fit together the way finished projects by talented stitchers do..
Please help me!