Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i The World of Cross Stitching

Spring has sprung! The flowers are starting to peek through and the garden is full of birdsong. We’ve packed this issue with fresh new projects to herald the start of spring. The star of the show is Claire Comerford’s oh-so-pretty bouquet of daffodils (p10) – sure to bring the brighter weather into your home. Continuing the springtime theme, we have a set of two topiary designs from Amanda Gregory (p72). Make a beautiful hanging featuring a tall hedge with a pop of yellow colour, or a quick-finish floral card. This issue is filled with cute characters that can be made up into the perfect Mother’s Day gift or card – there’s a collection of sweet card designs and gift tags on page 76, we’re reunited with best pals Mittens and…

£16 £22 £15 Spring is here Choose from the super-sweet Genny Haines range to decorate a nursery THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching PICK OF THE MONTH Spring is here CUTE ANIMALS Goldleaf Needlework* have long worked with talented designer Genny Haines to develop their must-stitch kits, and we just love these new releases that celebrate all things spring! Featuring adorable animals that are just bursting with personality, these designs can be bought as charts or full kits depending on your preference. Collect these to decorate a nursery, or pick your favourite for a stitch that you’re bound to enjoy. Shown here are ‘Bouncing Buddies – A Cracking Spring Day’, which measures 16x11cm (6x4½in); ‘Peek-a-boo! The Three Little Pigs’, which measures 15x11cm (6x4½in); and ‘Cherry Picking! – Buttercup Bunny’, which measures…

Join a stitch-along SALs are a fab way to be a part of the stitching community Join a stitch-along Q I would love to take part in a SAL but have no idea how I go about it. Claire Trotter, via Facebook A Kate says: A Stitch-Along (SAL) can be a mystery or a fully shown pattern which is released in stages to form a complete design. It is usually based on a particular theme and varies in the number of parts. There are no deadlines to keep to, so you can stitch at your own pace and start at any time, but before it starts, a part of it may be released as a ‘sneak peek’ indicating the style and theme. SALs enable a lot of people to work…

Cats & kittens £5 DREAM TIME GREAT VALUE A kitty snuggles up with her favourite cushion in this charming design from Lesley Teare*. ‘Dream Time’ (LJT074) is available as a downloadable chart from Lesley’s website. The PDF chart is printed with symbols and the design is printed over six A4 pages. Using mainly whole cross stitch and backstitch in 26 colours, the key gives you the option of stitching the pretty lace detail in white or ecru. Stitch count: 154 wide by 98 high, 42¾x32¾cm (16.9x12.9in) on 14-count white aida £14.50 NAPPING KITTEN GORGEOUS DETAIL You’ve got to admire a cat’s ability to sleep anywhere! Part of the Gold Collection from Dimension, ‘Napping Kitten’ is available as a kit from SewandSo* and is the perfect stitch to take you into spring.…

Be on the panel! ⨯ Get a sneak preview ⨯ Appear in the magazine ⨯ Receive a stitchy gift Michelle Lewis is a beauty sales rep from Lancashire How did you start stitching? I started stitching 15 years ago when I was a care assistant and a lady introduced me to stitching. Fave cross stitch designer? Bothy Threads – I especially adore their fairy-tale range. Who do you like to stitch for? I love to stitch for my children. Favourite design in WOXS? I loved all of the projects in issue 250, especially ‘Prancing Pony’. Proudest stitching moment? My proudest moment was presenting my father with a Titanic piece I made him for his 60th birthday. Sadly, he passed away last year so now it has been returned to me…

Beautiful blooms Kim found a frame but then needed to fill it! Star Letter BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS Thought I’d share my stitching with you all, even though I may have done it the wrong way round! I found the frame and fell in love with it but the challenge then was to find something that would fit inside it! Cue The World of Cross Stitching! After looking through the Design Libraries in my back issues, I came across the perfect design from issue 217! I’m really pleased with the end result. Kim White, Co. Durham Hannah: What a lovely finished project, Kim. We love the idea of finding a frame first, then looking through back issues for a design to fit. Our Design Libraries are handy for small motifs like this one.…

In loving memory Jenny has created this chart so Marian can remember Monty Q Dear Jenny, please can you design a chart of my cousin’s dog–he was a Weimaraner and recently passed away. Monty was such a loving dog, and it’d be great to have a cross stitch picture of him as I enjoy doing them. Marian Wilde, West Sussex A Jenny says: Thanks for your request, Marian. I hope this design resembles Monty. To stitch this chart you’ll use whole cross stitches, just a few fractionals and backstitch for the outline. 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. Weimaraner key STITCH COUNT 28 high x 28 wide DESIGN AREA 14…

No. 1 pet Design my pet! Q I moved in with my boyfriend, Tony, in February. So now my 12-year-old cat, Tabby (the grey cat), has to live with Tony’s one-year-old kitten, Rex (the black cat). At first they didn’t like each other, but over time they have settled down and become the best of friends! I would love a chart of the two of them sitting together so I could stitch and frame it for my new house. Sharon Dickinson, via email A Durene says: Thank you for writing in, Sharon, and I hope you like the chart I’ve designed for you! It’s wonderful that these two cats have now become friends–I know it can be tricky when they come from different homes. These feline pals will be fairly…

Britain's No.1 ISSUE 266 ON SALE 22 FEB HAPPY EASTER Try something new with this Easter basket set, stitched on plastic canvas MAGICAL MAKES Add a touch of sparkle to your stitching with these unicorn-themed cards GLITZ & GLAMOUR Capture the charm of the 1920s in this delightful Art Deco design HOME SWEET HOME This colourful street scene will make a perfect ‘new home’ gift Say hello to our trendy feline friend Enjoy stitching Margaret Sherry’s pretty kitty as she gets dressed up in her finest! THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching EXCLUSIVE NEW SEASON Stitch this delightful hanging to bring fresh spring blooms into your home STITCHY CHALLENGE Take your stitching to the next level with this Venice carnival mask design PLUS MUCH MORE ⨯ A Design Library filled with…

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…

Inside your kit... To help you sort your threads, here is a list of the colours and number of lengths inside your free kit: Cookie Bear key STITCH COUNT 35 high x 25 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 6.5x4.5cm (2½x1¾in) This design was stitched using stranded cotton from your coverkit Factbox ⨯ Stitching Time Approx. 4 hours ⨯ Type of Stitches Cross stitch, fractionals, half cross stitch, backstitch ⨯ Ease of Stitching Beginner Stitch for any occasion How to…mount your aperture card 1 After you have gently washed and pressed your finished cross stitching, carefully trim around your stitched piece with a pair of sharp fabric scissors. You’ll want to leave a border of at least seven squares of aida around Cookie Bear, as this will make…

Fiona Baker Fiona is our Technical Editor so she’s all ready to answer your problems on all things stitch and chart related Heather Nugent Heather is our Charting Assistant and is on hand to answer any technical stitching questions you have Jenny Barton Design pro Jenny has been creating projects for us for years and is ready to take on your design challenges Hannah Kelly All set to hunt down those elusive charts and products, Hannah’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 Mr & Mrs You can now buy Tatty Teddy charts from DMC* Mr & Mrs Q My friend is getting married soon and I really want…

⨯ Theresa Chalmers: Sort your threads before you begin. Many kits provide them pre-sorted, but if you’ve bought your own threads, it’s worth putting them into a thread sorter (or a piece of card with holes punched in it) and label each colour. ⨯ Janice Peret: Make a copy of your pattern and highlight the stitches that are complete as you go. ⨯ May Lacanilao: Fold the fabric horizontally, then vertically to find the centre and start there. ⨯ Emma Punton-Li: Don’t try to work with too long a thread–it twists more easily and loses its sheen by the time you get to the end. ⨯ Vicky Singleton: Always stitch in good light. ⨯ Faye Mulhern: Invest in really sharp, good quality craft scissors. ⨯ Nicola Smales: The first cross…

SWAP STITCHING FOR CHEERING AT THE BATH HALF THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching CHARITY OF THE MONTH Fundraisers will be tackling the Bath Half Marathon on 4 March to spread the word about Dorothy House Hospice, a charity that provides end-of-life care in the South West. Get involved by cheering them on, or by donating towards the effort–for every £1 the charity receives from the NHS, they need to raise £4 to keep supporting patients. MORE: To find out more about events and how to show your support visit www.dorothyhouse.org.uk WHERE AM I? Near the spot where I’m standing, a statue once stood of the Titan god of the sun, Helios–one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was sadly destroyed by an earthquake, but the Greek harbour…

Mouse and birdie key STITCH COUNT 39 high x 32 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 7x6cm (2¾x2¼in) 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! Show time PRIZES WORTH £260 We’ve teamed up with the organisers of The Creative Craft Show* to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to this fantastic extravaganza for craft enthusiasts. Taking place at ExCeL, London, from 19-21 April, the show is a haven for anyone who fancies indulging their favourite crafty hobbies and stocking up for spring projects. Tickets cost £10 in advance and we have 13…

Expert stitchy advice simple step-by-step tutorials TRY STITCHING A ROMANTIC CARD P64 ⨯ Issue 264 Love is in the air in our February issue. Your fave stitchy mag is packed with 130 designs and ideas you’re going to adore. Inside this issue you’ll find 90 must-stitch charts – create a tropical kitchen collection, lion cushion, fruity sampler, stunning wedding sampler, cute kittens, floral ABC, plus heaps more! YOUR FREE GIFT: Pretty foxgloves bookmark kit CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY ☎ 03 330 162 1 37 ⨯ Issue 263 Tatty Teddy 2018 diary, delicate snowdrops, hot water bottle, cute baby sampler, stylish all-occasion cards, fun robot ABC, beautiful fairy ⨯ Issue 260 Cute Bebunni 16-month Calendar, Christmas robins, autumn posies, Santa clock, home sweet home, festive blooms, Oriental sampler ⨯ Issue 262…

Stitching’s a breeze! Let Technical Editor Fiona show you how it’s done in our 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…