Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2017 i The World of Cross Stitching

While I wish we could give every stitcher more free time for stitching, I have to apologise as unfortunately it’s not a gift we can magic up. I hope that until a time-machine’s invented you’ll carry on loving the fab gifts we do have in store for you, though! This month’s are no exception… TWO stitchy treats! You’ll love our Fizzy Moon card kit, adorable to stitch for all kinds of occasions. Plus, you’ll be transported back in time by the elegant French countess, a luxury chart from Joan Elliott. With the rich shading of her gown to enjoy, she’s definitely added to my queue! See page 8. And check out the fabulous flamingo, inspiring these sunny days even more, with a flavour of paradise. Head to page 10. For…

GIFT2 Get creative We painted a plain wooden frame lilac, using craft paint, to frame our 'Elegant Countess' design, but this isn’t the only finishing option. She’d also look amazing made up into a wall hanging or handstitched onto a tote bag. Or, for a no-sew creation, you could even turn the piece into a canvas! My inspiration You’re sure to enjoy stitching this graceful French lady in her sumptuous, colourful gown – and don’t forget to send in a pic of your finished stitch to the address over on page 17! JOAN ELLIOT, DESIGNER…

Q Please could you design a South African fur seal for my son Marlon? Here’s a photo of him and Solo the Seal – Marlon is bonkers about seals and when on holiday to Wales, we have to visit the SeaQuarium most days. Grace and Marlon Rawson, via email A Jenny says: It was so fun to design this sweet fur seal, Grace, and I do hope Marlon approves. You’ll use several shades to create its mottled coat and backstitch for the bold outline. Enjoy! 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. STITCH COUNT 23 high x 30 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 4x5.5cm (1½x2¼in) This design was…

R ecently I purchased a kit with 14-count aida but due to the strain on my eyes, I’d like to complete it on 11-count aida. The problem is, I can’t find a supplier of the right fabric. Do you know of anywhere I could find 11-count navy aida? Diane Maynard, via email Katie says: Fabric Flair* has the biggest selection of 11-count fabrics we know of, Diane. Whilst they don’t produce a specific navy shade, they do sell a Deep Blue, which could be a good substitute. Prices start at just £7 for a piece measuring 50x55cm (19x21in). Hope this helps! C ould you recommend a cross stitch pattern creator software… not too expensive and including fractional stitches? Thanks. Julia Newstead, via Facebook Katie says: All cross stitch software programs include fractional…

ISSUE 225 ON SALE 25 APRIL FRESH NATURE Stitcher’s Challenge project – bring this realistic wildlife study of a puffin to life! ALL-OCCASION CARDS Fast-to-finish ideas, embellished with ribbon bows – make & send in no time STITCHER’S DREAM Can you relate?! Join us in making this colourful cross stitch saying MAYDAY CELEBRATION You’ll love the fun and frolics with Margaret Sherry’s cuties! Exclusive! Stitch cute Cookie Bear Don’t miss the new design of this adorable pal – perfect for you, or to stitch as a gift EXCLUSIVE SWEET GARLANDS Try coloured aida for our pretty wholestitches- only animal designs. So easy! PLUS MUCH MORE Stitch lovely makes for a newborn with our baby ABC Part 3 of our butterfly charts + tutorial to finish your quilt Tips and tricks!…

At my local craft group, we were chatting about the panic that is setting in for a few members who’re working to tight deadlines – wanting to stitch and knit gifts for birthdays and anniversaries. It’s all very well trying to resolve that they’re “better late than never”, I expect lots of us fall into the trap of ‘panic crafting’… manically stitching late into the night to get a project done?! It’s where my pals and I got to talking about crafting superpowers. What a dream to be able to stitch at mega-fast speed! With the skill to get projects finished faster – wow, I’d soon get through my massive list of must-makes! We decided too that it would be worth the sacrifice of steady relaxation to be able to…

Be on the panel! Get a sneak preview Appear in the magazine Receive a stitchy gift Evgeniia Koroleva is a student and teacher from Sweden How did you learn to stitch? My mum taught me. My passion started when I saw how beautiful her projects were – and I’ve been cross stitching ever since! Fave recent design? The winter sampler by Durene Jones in issue 249. I can’t wait to stitch it! Best cross stitching moment? I stitched a bunny for my mum’s birthday! It was a big project, but the result was worth it. She was so touched and I’ll never forget seeing her emotion when I gave it to her. Who do you stitch with? My mum is my stitching buddy – even though we live in different…

Winged friends! SEASONAL BIRDS PICK OF THE MONTH These stunning bird patterns – one for each season! – are guaranteed to keep you and your needle captivated for many happy hours. 'Four Seasons Birds' (1013533) by Vervaco is available from SewandSo* and all four designs are included in the kit. You’ll love bringing these winged darlings to life in stitches, with each pair of birds so perfectly framed by seasonal foliage – from the pretty spring blossom to summery poppies and cornflowers… from the beautiful russet hues of autumn to the ripe berries of winter! The kit includes charts and instructions, needle, 18-count white aida fabric and pre-sorted DMC stranded cotton threads in a thread organiser, so you’ll have everything you need to start stitching straight away. The finished size…

Ruth Southorn Ruth, our Editor, has been a cross stitcher since she was tiny and is ready to share everything she knows Fiona Baker Fiona is our Technical Editor so she’s all ready to answer your problems on all things stitch and chart related Jenny Barton Design pro, Jenny has been creating projects for us for years and is ready to take on your design challenges Katie Lewis All set to hunt down those elusive charts and products, Katie’s here to find shopping answers that you need Katriel Costello Stitching guru Katriel has worked in the industry for years, so has ample knowledge to answer any queries CONTENTS 32 IN THE SPOTLIGHT Shannon Wasilieff on using evenweave and aida 33 WISHES GRANTED Jenny’s come up with an adorable fur seal…

Tanja Gruijthuijsen-de Bont: Usually I frame the smaller pictures myself and I buy frames at a second hand store. For bigger pictures I go to a professional framer. Robin Beket Arnhold: I bought a number of wood frames on sale some years back. Each one cost about 75 cents and they are standard sizes. I always do my own mounting and framing. Emily Gaspar-Philpott: I usually use mounts of some sort – it really makes a difference to the picture as it draws your eyes to the centre. Sometimes, I get creative with scrapbook paper or ribbon if the work itself is plain! Lynn Blanchard: I tend to have mine professionally framed and I always use glass that doesn’t create a glare with sunlight. Sometimes I paint a canvas, attach…

Friendly fox ideas GORGEOUS DETAILS FOLK FOXES T his attractive design comes in a thoughtfully put together kit, and combines two handsome foxes with modern, bright colours and folkart style. By UK-based designer, The World in Stitches*, on Etsy, this lovely kit includes a large colour photo of the finished design to use as a guide and inspiration as you stitch. Plus, the large-scale chart, spread out over four A4 pages, is in colour and includes symbols, too. The kit contents are good quality, with pre-sorted DMC threads and the design uses whole cross stitches only, with no backstitch. Stitch count – 111 high x 111 wide, 20x20cm (8x8in) on 14-count white aida BARGAIN BUY MR FOX W hole cross stitch, fractionals, backstitch and French knots are all used to create…

Join us on Facebook Chat 24/7 on our Facebook page – here’s what you’ve missed! OUR FAVOURITE POST Sandra Ford said, “Finally finished all the cross stitch on my floral wreath by Maria Demina – now to start the backstitch!” We recognise this design as 'Watercolour Wreath with Flower and Bird'. You’ve stitched it beautifully, Sandra! YOU LIKED Irina Kostakis said, “Waiting for spring, I’m stitching flower teapots. The rose one is finished, poppy and tulip ones are coming soon!” This 'Flower Teapot' design by Soda Stitch is gorgeous – and you’ll enjoy stitching the other teapots! And the winner is… We asked you on Facebook: What is your favourite animal to stitch? We’re not surprised to hear you love stitching all things wildlife related, but lots of you also…

Cast your mind back a few months and you’ll no doubt remember entering your votes and nominating who you wanted for the top stitching choices of 2017. Well, the time’s come to unveil all and lift the curtain on the winners of this year’s categories! Read on to share in the excitement of the event, held at the NEC in Birmingham, as everyonewho’s- anyone in the crafting world waited with bated breath to see if they’d been lucky. From the top stitching designer, to your best-loved products, did your faves get to scoop an award this year? DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Durene Jones “I was over the moon to win this award! It was a great honour and I never expected it. I would like to thank everyone who has…

GIFT1 Factbox Stitching Time Approx. 5 hours Type of Stitches Cross stitch, fractionals, backstitch, French knots Ease of Stitching Advanced beginner Stitch in no time! TOP TIP Use the loop method to secure a thread when star ting off – it makes your stitching much tidier. See p97 for our handy how-to! Inside your kit... To help you sort your threads, here is a list of the colours and number of lengths inside your free kit: White x4 Dark tan x1 Tan x2 Cream x2 Light tan x2 Dark cream x2 Yellow x1 Light blue x1 Blue x1 Grey x3 Total: 19 lengths Fizzy Moon key Cross stitch in two strands STITCH COUNT 41 high x 25 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 7.5x4.5cm (3x1_in) This design was stitched…

Star Letter PRETTY AND PEARLY Loved the pendeloques in issue 250 as soon as I saw them! Here is the one that I made as a birthday gift for my mum – I changed the colours, added pearl beads and filled it with lavender. She absolutely loved it and it is now hanging up on her wardrobe door! Julia Degnan, via email Lynne: What a gorgeous gift, Julia! I love how you’ve personalised our sweet pendeloque design with pearl beads, and what a super idea to stuff it with lavender! No wonder your mum was delighted with it. We hope you find plenty of inspiration in this issue – be sure to check out the fun making-up ideas in our Design Library on page 48! Win! Prize worth £55! The writer…

Evenweave to aida Q I like your beautiful Snow Queen design, but it’s hard to buy evenweave here and I don’t know how to translate 25-count evenweave into aida. Help! Mia Karlstrand, Sweden A Shannon says: There are some primary stockists of this blue Zweigart evenweave in the UK who ship overseas, including SewandSo*. I chose it for the frosty effect, and because the threads are slightly more widely spaced than 28-count evenweave, it’s easier for beginners to use. You can certainly use aida, if you prefer… There’s no exact ‘translation’ of 25-count evenweave into aida, but I’d suggest 14-count – try a pretty blue colour (502), but remember the change in the finished design size. To work out how much fabric you need, divide the stitch count of the…

KNOW-HOW Perfect patched cards Q I’m going to start my Christmas cards and want to put them on the fronts of cards this year. What do people use to stick them to the card with, and how do you stop aida from fraying? Thanks in advance! Tracy Greatwood, via Facebook A Fiona says: Adding stitching to the front of a card blank is what we describe as ‘patching’ it on, becasue the gently frayed edges look like a pretty patch, and then it gets stuck down. When patching our stitching onto cards, we always trim the aida, then fray one or two aida blocks all around to make the fringe. Then use a double-sided tape – we recommend a strong one, often called ‘redline’ tape as the backing layer is…

CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY 0844 826 7341 Issue 253 Our April issue was filled with inspiring stitching ideas, including an adorable cottage kitten, a playful spring sampler and whimsical fairy doorway cards. Plus, part 1 of our stunning butterfly quilt, marriage recipe sampler, language of flowers design, pastel Easter cards and teddy bear Design Library! YOUR FREE GIFT: Woodland pals 3-in-1 card kit Issue 252 Flower Fairies kit, pansies display, kingfisher cushion, circus sampler, Cookie Bear cards, vintage seed packets, Africa motifs, daffodils ABC Issue 251 Bebunni card kit, Cookie Bear, butterfly hoop, floral cards, fun treehouse, city scene, Oriental ABC, beaded sampler, baby sampler Issue 250 Margaret Sherry 2017 Stitcher’s Diary, Art Deco lady, carousel horse, seasonal sampler, 3D floral decorations, football ABC Issue 249 Ralph Robin card kit,…

PET OF THE MONTH PET OF THE MONTH No. 1 pet Fun facts about Samoyeds • As an ancient breed, Samoyeds are closely related to wolves • They were first bred for herding reindeers and pulling sledges • Their dense, double-layer coat is perfect for cold, snowy days! • Samoyeds are naturally very friendly – which means that they usually make poor guard dogs! • Characterised by an alert and happy expression, they have earned the nickname “smiley dogs” Design my pet! Q Hi Durene, I hope you can help. We have a fun and happy four-footed member of our family and we would love to have a cross stitch pattern of him. He’s a beautiful Samoyed and he loves crazy cold snowy winters! Many thanks – I really appreciate…

INDULGE IN A LUXURY NEEDLECRAFT RETREAT! SewandSo’s latest Craft Sanctuary event is perfect for those who dream of a weekend filled with stitching and stitchy gossip! Held on 12-14 May at Milton Hill House in Oxfordshire, you’ll meet fellow stitchers and learn new skills and techniques. In the workshops, you’ll stitch a charming spring scene using blackwork and bead embellishment, make a mini pillow using needlepoint tapestry and cross stitch a jute bag! Materials, workshops, food and accommodation are included in the price starting at £425. MORE: Call Sheena at SewandSo* on 01684 498031 or visit www.sewandso.co.uk/craftsanctuary for more info WHERE AM I? I n July 2016, we visited an area where a certain gentleman resides until he ventures out on his sleigh each December. It’s the furthest point north you…

Cinco de Mayo Mouse key STITCH COUNT 41 high x 39 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 7.5x7cm (3x2_in) This design was stitched using DMC stranded cotton Each month one crossword winner gets an original print of Monty Mouse plus a limited-edition Titch chart, both by Lucie Heaton. To find more adorable Furry Tales designs, check out www.lucieheaton.com! PRIZES WORTH £315 Sweet stitching PLUS Enter by text, postcard or online for the chance to be lucky in our amazing giveaways We have two kits by Rico Design* – 'Hare' (80171.54.00), worth £14.99, and 'Meadow with Hares' (80168.54.00), worth £19.99 – to give away to nine lucky stitchers! 'Hare' is stitched on 28-count purple evenweave and has a diameter of 10.5cm (4in), and 'Meadow with Hares', stitched on 16-count…

Stitching’s a breeze! Let Technical Editor Fiona show you how it’s done, in this reference guide CHOOSE YOUR ESSENTIALS… Start with these must-have items 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…