Love Embroidery Issue 72

Get ready to spread Christmas cheer from ear to ear! We’ve packed this issue with all the projects you need to make this your most magical hand-stitched Christmas ever. From strings of twinkly felt ‘bulbs’ and cracker-shaped napkin rings, to hoops depicting snowy scenes, and THE ultimate Christmas cardi makeover – we’ve got your winter to-stitch list covered. And that’s not all. Don’t miss our festive hack for matching family PJs (p48), our fun advent tree cushion tutorial (p34), or the pattern for the super cheeky elf toy shown here (p51). Watch out though, he might just cause some mischief!…

Turn on the twinkling lights, pop on your fave festive tunes and grab your needle and thread. It’s time to get serious about making for Christmas. Whether you’re looking to treat your home to homemade decorations, or family and friends to hand stitched gifts, the key to success is starting early. Not only does it give you time to get everything done at a more comfortable and doable pace, it also allows you to take joy in the making, and after all, that’s what we are all here for, right? To lose yourself in the stitching. So clear your schedule, pour yourself a cuppa and make sure you have a pen and paper to hand as you flick through all the amazing projects in this issue – you’re going to…

Letters to Santa Make this adorable felt envelope, addressed to the big man himself, and then use it to store precious festive notes from your little ones, family photos, recipes and more! Originally designed for issue 45 of LE by the brilliant, Clare Albans, this delightfully seasonal project is now available to buy as a PDF pattern from the Gathered Shop. Stitch it today and create a modern family heirloom that you can add new, magical memories to year after year. www.gatheredshop.com Little helper Looking for something cute and Christmasy to stitch this weekend? Then treat yourself to a PDF pattern of this adorable Bobbin the Reindeer design by Sew Yeah! Worked in felt for ease and speed, it’s packed with incredible details and festive accessories to sew – including…

Templates for digital readers on p71 MATERIALS Printed cotton fabric from your kit, or any cotton fabric: 16x16cm, white Stranded cotton from your kit or: 1 skein of cranberry, white, yellow Embroidery hoop from your kit or: 11cm diameter Fabric paint: green (optional) Very fine paint brush (optional) Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED French Knot, Satin Stitch, Straight Stitch 01 The stocking design is printed on the cotton fabric in your kit. But you can also transfer the design from the template on p71. To recreate the printed design, use green fabric paint and a very fine paintbrush to paint in the holly leaves, green present and main stocking section. Allow to dry completely before stitching. Mount the design into a hoop with the design central and the fabric taut. Using…

MATERIALS Felt sheets: A4, lime green, grass green, orange, tangerine, dark pink, magenta, sunflower, yellow, custard, royal blue, marine blue Lightweight faux leather fabric: metallic gold DMC Stranded Cotton: 1 skein each of 18 (golden yellow), 702 (green), 718 (magenta), 947 (orange), 3045 (tan), 3842 (blue); 2 skeins of 712 (cream) DMC Diamant Metallic Thread: 1 spool of D3821 (gold) Waxed freezer paper Fabric glue Seed beads: gold 3mm ribbon: 1m, gold Toy stuffing Basic embroidery kit STITCHES USED Backstitch, Fishbone Stitch, Lazy Daisy Stitch, Running Stitch, Seed Stitch, Split Stitch, Straight Stitch, Trellis Stitch, Weave Stitch, Whipped Backstitch Treat your home to a dash of dopamine décor this winter with Jenni Davis’ bold Christmas-lights-inspired garland. Made from layered shapes of colourful felt embellished with ornate stitching and sparkling beads, this…

BLUE BULB Cross hatch on marine blue piece: Trellis Stitch, DMC Diamant gold, cream, 1 strand, 2 strands Lines on blue: Split Stitch, cream, 4 strands. Seed beads on edges: gold Securing the edges: Whipstitch, blue, 1 strand MAGENTA BULB On the magenta pieces: Lazy Daisy Stitch, cream, 6 strands Cross hatch on magenta bulb: Trellis Stitch, DMC Diamant gold, cream, 1 strand, 2 strands Securing the edges: Whipstitch, magenta, 1 strand ORANGE BULB The top and the bottom of the orange: Running Stitch, cream, 2 strands Branches on the orange: Split Stitch, Fishbone Stitch, cream, 2 strands Spiral design on tangerine: Whipped Backstitch, DMC Diamant gold, 1 strand Securing the edges: Whipstitch, orange, 1 strand LIME GREEN BULB Along the join of the lime green and green: Lazy Daisy…