Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2015 i The World of Cross Stitching

What makes a top cross stitch design? For the projects that we judge for our Design Round-Up selection, we review the quality of materials, hours of stitchy enjoyment for the price, and more. See our new findings on page 35. As for a ‘must-have, swoon-worthy, I’d-give-up-Poldark-for-it’ (wink!) mag project? I hope you’ll agree we’ve a few contenders! I can’t resist fresh florals – effortless simplicity, that’ll work wonders in any home. And with our easy-to-follow charts and keys throughout the mag (symbols and full colour!), Lesley Teare’s show-stopper roses would be a worthy holder of the prize. Get started on page 10. Throw into the mix a time-honoured cutie in the shape of Cookie Bear (p18), cards to impress (p64, p24) then gorgeous home decor and gift ideas. Top it…

Whether you love spending time in your garden putting those green fingers to work, or just can’t resist brightening your home with a posy of pretty flowers, you’re sure to adore this gorgeous project, star of our cover this month. Exclusively designed by Lesley Teare, this true-to-life stitch recreates one of the most glorious flowers, the rose, in all its splendour. You’ll acheive the lifelike shading and detail purely in whole cross stitches and backstitch, with no fiddly fractionals in sight. And, with a minimal colour palette of corals, pinks and greens, this delightful design couldn’t be easier, whatever your stitching ability. Worked on 14-count aida, you could easily have this floral portrait finished in just a couple of weeks. In fact, once you get started, we’re sure you won’t…

Cute cross stitch LILI OF THE VALLEY KITS Get your favourite papercraft characters in cross stitch now LILI OF THE VALLEY KITS Much loved stamping and papercrafting company Lili of the Valley* has released their first set of beautiful cross stitch kits! After the success of their cross stitch charts, they have launched a range of gorgeous kits, so everything is now provided for the avid stitcher. The 12 new designs include some of their most iconic images, such as 'Wedding Couple' and 'Rocking Horse' as well as some new designs, such as the super cute 'Odd Dog'! All kits include pre-sorted DMC threads, Zweigart 14-count white aida, two blackand-white charts and a goldplated needle. TO WIN BOTH $LAZY AFTERNOON$ & $ODD DOG$, TURN TO PAGE %& NOW! BLACKWORK BEAUTIES…

Ruth Southorn Ruth, our Editor, has been a cross stitcher since she was tiny and is ready to share everything she knows Anne MacGregor Anne can answer even the most difficult technical questions with her encyclopedic knowledge and skills Jenny Barton Design pro, Jenny has been creating projects for us for years and is ready to take on your design challenges Fiona Smith With her ears to the ground for the hottest stitching merchandise, Fiona’s all set to search out the stash you need Katriel Costello Stitching guru Katriel has worked in the industry for years, so has ample knowledge to answer any queries CONTENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT Colour changing advice from designer Durene WISHES GRANTED Jenny’s designed a Dobsonian telescope for Viv FRIENDLY ADVICE Help from fellow stitchers on…

Wild horses This realistic stitch is just what Poovan is after I’m not sure what kind of glue I should be using when I finish my cross stitched cards. Can you help please? Bethany Niall, Newquay Anne says: We suggest that glue isn’t the best choice at all – even fabric glue, as you will find that using double-sided tape gives a much better bond. Look out for either regular doubled-sided tape (with the white, paper backing) or the super-strong version, sometimes known as Redline tape, which has a red film-like backing. Both will ensure your stitching stays put when mounted in your cards! Can I get a design of horses please – hope you can help? Poovan Linda, via Facebook Fiona says: There are lots of lovely projects both…

Fathers are a guiding light in your life, there to pick you up when you fall and help you grow. So this Father’s Day let your dad – or any special man in your life – know how much you care with one or all of these great gift ideas. Worked in whole stitches and backstitch only, this uses a vibrant colour palette to show off the cars’ gleaming bodywork. They’ll be great for any car enthusiast or hardto-stitch-for chaps that you know, whatever the occasion. We’ve finished off ours into a variety of gift ideas, but you could use the smaller motifs from the bookmark to make gift tags, or frame the red car from our Kindle case as a picture for your dad’s office. It’ll only take about…

Zoe Cassidy is a mental health nurse from Bedworth How did you start stitching? I’ve been stitching for about 15 years. I’m useless at sewing and knitting, but I loved the charts you get with cross stitch, so I gave it a go, found out I was actually good at it and never stopped. What are you working on? A sampler for the birth of my niece, due in August. It has an old-fashioned pram and a rhyme about cobwebs and dust. What’s been your fave design from an issue? The Monaco 'Grand Prix poster' from issue 227. It’s perfect for our house as we’re all Formula One mad. Who do you like to stitch for? I like to stitch for family, but mostly I stitch for myself. “I love…

Star Letter MARVELLOUS MOUSE Flicking through some of my back issues of your magazine, I came across the baking mouse by Lucie Heaton from issue 225. I felt I had to stitch it and add the caption ‘Baking Day’ as, when I get time off from work, I arrange a baking day with my 91-year-old gran! A perfect stitch and I finished it in time for our next baking day! Kim White, Co. Durham Ruth: What a great idea to celebrate those happy days with your gran. We’re all huge fans of the Furry Tales mice, too. Find this month’s design of a ‘pampering mouse’ on page 82, plus stand a chance to win a signed print of Monty mouse, plus a limited-edition Titch chart if you enter our crossword…

Taking inspiration from hot-offthe-high-street geometric prints, these whole-stitch-only card patterns are just the thing. When you’re short on time but still want the impact of a handmade sentiment, one of these speedy florals is ideal! Using a simple pastel palette along with dark accents to bring out the signature abstract look, these funky florals with a patchwork of easy-to-stitch repeat prints will really stand out. And they’ll be handy to have ready for when you need a lastminute note. (We’ve all been there, wanting to send a quick thank you for a kind deed, or caught out by a family member who needs to send a birthday card, haven’t we?!) We love that these fast-makes will suit so many occasions, too. Either add your own backstitched sentiment below each bloom…

Staring at the stars Jenny’s Dobsonian telescope chart is ideal for a star-gazer! Q Hi, I am looking for a chart to cross stitch of a Dobsonian telescope – please can you help me? Viv Threlfall, via Facebook A Jenny says: Thanks for the request Viv, I think this is the first time I have been asked to design such a specific telescope! I hope you (or the lucky astronomer who receives it) will enjoy it in its dark-sky setting – even down to the sparkling stars I’ve included in the chart, which use silver metallic thread. Please note: Jenny can only fit in fairly small designs and for copyright reasons she is unable to chart logos, or characters from films and TV Telescope key STITCH COUNT 30 high x…

Getting to grips with hoops Hoops are a great way to keep your fabric taut – try the Plastic Spring Tension Hoops, 12.5cm (5in) or 17.5cm (7in), £2.15 or £2.60, by DMC* Getting to grips with hoops Q I’m currently doing the Gorjuss 'Poppy Wood' pattern that I received as a subscription gift. I’m working on quite a large piece of aida, so it creases a bit from where I hold it. Do you know where I can get one of those round things to grip it with? I’m not sure what they’re called! Yemaya Marsden, via email A Anne says: It’s good to hear you are enjoying the 'Poppy Wood' kit – I’d definitely recommend using either a round stitching hoop or a rectangular stitching frame to keep your…

SEW SOCIABLE, LEICESTER Meeting once a month at St Martin’s Cafe Bar, the club hosts guest speakers, runs workshops, challenges and more. Upcoming, Mr X Stitch is their visiting speaker for June. Anyone with an interest in sewing, novice or expert, is welcome to join. For more info, please email to julia@sewsociable.co.uk or call Julia 07791 966917. APPLY: Want to tell us about your club? Write to the address (p17) or email letters@cross-stitching.com WHEREHERE AM I? This is me in front of St Michael the Archangel’s Church (or the Garrison Church). This is my third trip to this city and I always bring some cross stitch to pass any free time. Hannah Clarke, via email Send in your travel snaps! Send us a photo of yourself with a copy of…

Packed full of exquisite detail, this beautifully designed scene from Anchor depicts a breathtaking snapshot of a pride of lions on the open grasslands of Africa. As mother and baby lie together, the magnificent male watches over his family, keeping a close eye in the far distance for intruders. Poised and ready to roar menacingly at the first sign of danger, his thick, luxurious mane almost glints in the sunlight, as does their rich golden fur. This impressive project is certainly one for those stitchers looking to take on a challenge, as you’ll use a variety of techniques across the design. From the half cross stitches that create a soft, subtle background and depth to the whole cross stitches and fractionals that create the shape and shading on these powerful…

MAKE FOR THE MAN IN YOUR LIFE Shopping list Zweigart* 14-count white aida measuring 13x15cm (5x6in) Stranded cotton as listed in the key Size 24 tapestry needle Card, patterned paper and ribbon of choice Nuts, from hardware shops, for decoration Thread & fabric cost Approximately £15 *For stockists see page 90 TOP TIP For a quick and easy sampler, stitch just the tool motifs together on a large piece of aida. Just make sure to space the designs out carefully DIY ABC key MAXIMUM STITCH COUNT 21 high x 21 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 4x4cm (1½x1½in) These designs were stitched using DMC stranded cotton Janine READER PANEL “These motifs are perfect for my dad, who is a DIY superstar. This alphabet set is definitely one I…

ISSUE 231 ON SALE 18 JUNE SEW CHIC Exclusive! Cross stitch a dressmakers-pattern idea, by April Rose Illustration ON YOUR BIKE! Part two – stitch the new design in our vintage-look sport poster series “CONGRATS TO YOU!” Quick-make card ideas – stitch to send your kind wishes on their achievements TRY BLACKWORK Enjoy the stunning detail in this exotic hummingbird design Stitch Tatty Teddy with us! Relax and make this super-sweet project of your favourite blue-nosed bear, from DMC www.dmccreative.co.uk STAND TALL Go on safari – great giraffe patterns, large & small! MAKE FOR YOUR HOME Inspired by folk-art paintings and fabrics, enjoy a fast-finish floral project PLUS MUCH MORE Wedding bells! Personalise a shabby chic-style sampler Stitching queries? Grow your skills with our expert panel Tropical fish ABC +…

Choose your project… With our Factbox guide in every one of our projects, you can make sure you choose the right level for you. Absolute beginners should aim for a design without fractional stitches. Buy your materials… To make sure your design looks great, use our Shopping List for each project, which specifies everything needed, like size of fabric and finishing materials. Using another fabric with different HPI, will give a different finished size of design. Calculate your fabric requirements like this: Stitch count divided by HPI of ‘new’ fabric choice = new size in inches. Add at least 10cm (4in) on each dimension to allow for mounting, or less for cards. Get ready… We always recommend starting in the centre of a design and working outwards. Our charts are…

Quarter The chart shows which corner has the fractional. Bring the needle up in that corner and down in the centre of the square, halfway across the diagonal (diagram 1). Threequarters Work a quarter stitch, then, a half stitch across the other diagonal arm of the square as in diagram 2. Like quarters, three-quarter stitches can face any direction. Two symbols When two symbols share a square, work a fractional in each colour. Decide on the quarter stitch for the background colour, then a three-quarters stitch for the main one (diagram 3). Back-to-back For a stronger outline, work a three-quarter stitch in each colour, stitching them back-to-back (diagram 4). Make sure that the two half stitch arms lie neatly parallel to each other.…

Afghan – a woollen blanket with areas inset for cross stitching, often used for baby designs Aida band – a narrow strip of aida, available in varying widths, and finished with a decorative edge Aperture – a hole through which a design is seen in cards & frames Backstitch – used to add detail & definition. See how to stitch it in our diagram above! Beading needle – a longer, finer needle than a tapestry needle, used for adding seed beads to a design Counted stitches – embroidery stitches worked on counted, or evenly woven, fabrics like aida & evenweave. Cross stitch is the most basic counted stitch Floss – USA term for stranded cotton Fractional stitches – made from either a quarter or three-quarters of a cross stitch, these…

2-in-1! HANGER & STITCH KIT How to... make a hanging 1 When you’ve added the last stitch in the design, tidy up the back of your stitched piece and make sure there are no loose threads. If you like, protect the back of your stitching and hide any loose threads by ironing on some lightweight interfacing. You can easily find this from all good craft shops and haberdasheries. 2 Turn and press a 1cm (½in) hem around the side edges and along the bottom edge of your stitched piece. Pin in place and then hand- or machinestitch, using white sewing cotton. 3 Turn and press a 2cm (¾in) hem along the top. Place the wire hanger from your kit inside the hem, pin in place, then hand-sew neatly to secure.…

Valerie Fisher Burnley: Depends on the stitching. I don’t expect ornaments, tea towels and cards to be protected. If something took an extremely long time, get it professionally framed. Other than that, have fun with it. Aleksandra Łanuszewska: I use good colourfast threads so it can be washed. I like making things to be used – pillowcases, bookmarks… Now I’m stitching on some clothes using waste canvas – thus no protection is possible. Natasha Honeybourne: I use iron on interfacing for mine, then I back them with a pure cotton fabric, which keeps the back stitching ends from fraying and coming undone and also looks nice and neat. I also frame the very special ones and I have also made a pillow for my daughter, which has her name on.…

Ceramic chic SIMPLE MODERN DESIGN BLUE CUPS Your go-to brand for contemporary Scandinavian cross stitch is Anette Eriksson, whose work is uber-stylish and, thankfully for us, now available in kits! Find this one from Stitcher*, with china mugs vividly decorated in modish patterns. The threads are separated into hanks, and it comes with a symbol-and-full-colour chart which is printed over two A3-sized pages. We love this stylish kit plus of course the versatility of the design, as individual cup motifs can be used for cards and other gifts! Stitch count – 233 high x 253 wide, finished size 36.5x39.5cm (14½x15¾in) on 16-count cream aida PRINTED AIDA BLUE DELPHINIUMS If you think this collection of elegant blue-andwhite china vases looks as pretty as a painting, you’d be right because that’s the…

Fun facts about chihuahuas • In a comparison of brain to body size ratio, the chihuahua is the leader of the pack with the largest sized brain. • The chihuahua is in fact the smallest of all purebred dogs. As of 2014, a chihuahua named Milly – 9.65cm (3.8in) tall – was officially recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records. • A chihuahua puppy was born in Japan with the pattern of a heart on his coat – he was named Heart-Kun. Design my pet! Q The photo below is of my chocolate brown chihuahua called Mickey (Mouse). He is the sweetest, cutest, funniest, most lovable dog! He means the world to me. Please can you chart Mickey in your Pet of the Month series? Thanks in advance. Jilly…

Take a ride in the clouds and enjoy the view with every stitch as you make up a batch of these sublime cards, sure to raise a smile on yours and the lucky recipient’s face. Worked in a palette of gorgeous pastel shades on 28-count antique white evenweave, it gives these cards a wonderfully vintage and soft feel. Containing fractional stitches to give shape to these pretty balloons and their patterns, these designs are a great project for beginners looking to stretch their skills. Fractionals are much easier to work on evenweave, as you don’t need to split any aida blocks.… check out our ‘How To’ guide on page 97 for stitching fractionals. If you’re still keen to useaida, then using 14-count will ensure your makes are still the same…

Issue 229 Last month’s issue was packed with fab, fun projects – from Fizzy Moon and best friend Bunny to a beautiful hydrangea cushion design, easy inspirational sayings and a delightful folksy fox. Plus, a summer meadow picture from Kate Knight, teacups ABC, travel Design Library and THREE FAB GIFTS: two packs of pastel Madeira threads plus a gorgeous chartbook with 42 designs CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY 0844 826 7341 Issue 228 Tatty Teddy kit & Lavender Fields chart, Joan Elliott’s bunny, magical pixie house, pretty bunting, floral clock, 3D garden sheds Issue 227 Bebunni card kit & bookmark chart, sweet kitty, magnolias, Country Companions, vintage sport (part1), carousel horse cards Issue 226 ‘Heart of roses’ sachet kit, adorable bathtime mice, Home Sweet Home sampler, tulips field, hearts bunting, All…

Picture the scene… you and your friends are strolling along in the sunshine, and you come across a gorgeously retro ice cream parlour. With just enough change in your purse for a lavishly decorated sundae, all you need is a fabulous 50s style dress, and your day couldn’t be more perfect! Evoking the memories of the classic posters that hung on those pastel-coloured restaurant walls, this on-trend design also has a motto that many of us live by – after all, ice cream really does fix everything! As fun to stitch as it is to look at, Durene’s striking project is brought to life with a variety of techniques, and seed beads add an almost-goodenough-to-eat feel, just like sprinkleson top. Thread a few different needles with the same shade before…

Stitching’s a breeze! Let Senior Technical Editor Anne show you how it’s done, in this guide 1. FABRICS Begin with either aida or evenweave. Aida is best for beginners, with regular woven blocks and obvious holes. It’s stiffer than evenweave, but will soften slightly as you work. 14-count aida is the most common. It’s harder to work fractional stitches on aida, as you’ll need to make an extra hole in the fabric, in the centre of the aida block. Evenweave is a lovely fabric to work on when you have a little more experience. The fibres aren’t woven in blocks as with aida, so it’s softer and the fine weave has more threads-per-inch – the most commonly used is 28-count. One stitch is usually worked over two threads of the…

Loop start With both ends of a strand threaded, bring your needle up (1), leaving a loop at the back. Work the first arm of your stitch (2) & secure it by passing your needle through the loop. Backstitch Add detail and definition. Bring your needle up at (1) & down at (2), come up again at (3), then back down at (1) & so on, to direct each stitch ‘back’ towards the line of the growing backstitch. Cross stitch Bring your needle up at the bottom left corner (1) & down in the top right (2) for the first ‘arm’ of your stitch. Work the second arm, coming up in the bottom right (3) & going down in the top left (4). French knots Easy with practice – come…

Symbols Look for a symbol close to the chart centre – the arrows on our charts easily show the centre so you won’t need to count! Find this symbol in the key. The codes in that row show which thread shades to use for cross stitching blocks with this symbol. Thread brands The thread shades are listed in separate columns for the different manufacturer brands of thread. For best results, you should stick to one manufacturer for the whole of a design. Backstitch & French knot shades The shades used for these are listed under the cross stitch symbols. The number of strands needed for these can vary, so make sure you check how many to use, as specified in the key. Butterfly key STITCH COUNT 20 high x 20…

What is better than actually stitching, I wonder… Stash organisation? Browsing stitchy blogs online? Visiting a stitching show or exhibition? One thing I enjoy doing is joining in with a local club. Getting together with fellow crafters is a big part of the appeal. I myself run a craft club here at the office of Immediate Media. It’s easy to organise, and there’s a “biscuit rota” for our lunchtime get-together every other week. Not just stitchers but also knitters, crocheters and sewing fans get together. No fuss, no pressure and free to join in… And when it’s sunny, we sit on blankets in the park. Craft clubs definitely take on different forms… I once belonged to a knitting group. It was great fun, always with practical advice to be had…