Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2018 i The World of Cross Stitching

We’re pushing our stitching skills to the limit this month with heaps of new techniques to try. Whatever your stitching ability, get set to add the patterns and ideas in this issue to your must-stitch list! To start with, what about our adorable cover star, Bebunni? See page 10 to create our sweet long-eared pal – he’ll make the perfect gift for someone special. Try something new with Rhona Norrie’s mug cosy designs (p18). There are five fun patterns to choose from, with each one achievable in just a couple of evenings. For stitchers who want a bit more of a challenge, Faby Reilly’s sparkling collection of peacock-themed stitching accessories will keep you busy (p74). Plus, stitch with variegated threads in our all-occasion cards project (p38), try blackwork with our…

GIFT 1 Aditi READER PANEL “I can’t wait to start stitching this pretty rose! I love floral designs and this card kit from April Rose will be a joy to stitch. I think it would be the perfect birthday card to give to a good friend of mine.” Inside your kit… To help you sort your threads, here is a list of the colours and number of lengths inside your kit: Pink x2 Green x2 Light green x2 Very light pink x2 Light pink x3 Very dark pink x1 Dark pink x1 Turquoise x1 Dark green x1 Total: 15 lengths STITCH COUNT 28 high x 29 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 5x5cm (2x2in) This design was stitched using stranded cotton from your coverkit How to… mount your…

OWL LOVE YOU Hello there, I’m a fairly new starter with cross stitching and really enjoy your magazine. I just wanted to send in a picture of a project I’ve just completed for a colleague’s wedding. As this was a same sex wedding it was pretty difficult finding a design that didn’t include a bride and groom! I chose this one with two owls and adapted the colours from pink and blue to a nice neutral teal. They were pleased with the gift and especially liked the personalisation I added too! Thank you for your great magazine. Mandy Finlay, via email Sue: I love your custom design Mandy! You certainly wouldn’t think you were a new starter to cross stitching – you did a brilliant job changing the colours of your…

PET OF THE MONTH No. 1 pet Design my pet! Q Dear Durene, it would be such a thrill if we could have a cross stitch design of our two lovely Maine Coon males, Nefer and Harri. Nefer weighs in at a hefty 9kg and his litter mate and best buddy Harri is just a little shy of this at 7kg. Nefer lives with me, Harri with my mother Monica. We get them together for a daily playdate and they can’t wait to see each other. They’re always into mischief together and where you see one, the other is usually just a hair behind. We call them ‘hairy cannonballs’ as they thunder about the place at top speed! Nikki Desborough, Peterborough A Durene says: Hi Nikki, thank you for sending…

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…

Sarah McKeown: Blackwork has a rhythm to it so once you’ve done the pattern a couple of times you get in sync with it and can stitch it really fast. I love the effect of blackwork but remember to pay attention to your pattern in case you have different levels of thickness of threads for different parts. Daniell Howens: Measure your stitching area before you start. But also have a go at playing about with different styles first. Lynne Price: Holbein stitch gives a smoother effect than backstitch and keeps the back of your work neat. Tracey McKenzie: I always do the outline first then fill in each section with the blackwork pattern. That way, once you have mastered the pattern you do not have to keep referring to the…

Spring flowers PRETTY PURPLES SPRING GARDEN PARTY Tempting Tangles’ beautiful sampler-style design features iris, purple spring blooms and fluttering dragonflies. Download a chart from Creative Poppy* and choose whether you want to work with DMC threads or Dinky Dyes overdyed silk perlé – thread codes are provided for both. Stitch count: 113 wide by 113 high, 11.75x11.75cm (4½x4½in) on 25-count lugana by Zweigart WALL HANGING SPRING SCENE This kit by RIOLIS from Stitcher* shows an idyllic corner of the garden full of spring pots. The details of this kit make it a special experience: the large chart, with symbols and in full colour, will be pleasant to work from; a wooden hanger is included so you can finish the design as a wall hanging; and the flaxen fabric is the perfect…

PRIZES WORTH £256 Crazy cards If you’re looking for cards to mount your cross stitch designs, you need look no further than this lovely card bundle from Craft Creations*. Each pack contains 70 white cards in a range of sizes and aperture shapes, envelopes in a selection of bright colours, white and a beautiful pastel pearl finish, plus a couple of peel-off sticker sheets to embellish the cards. We have nine card packs to give away so enter today! TO ENTER To enter text keyword WOXS267CARDS or label a postcard ‘Craft Creations cards giveaway (WOXS267)’ PRIZES WORTH £256 Show time We’ve teamed up with the organisers of The Creative Craft Show Birmingham to offer you the chance to win a pair of tickets to the fantastic crafting extravaganza. Taking place…

CALL THE HOTLINE TODAY 03 330 162 137 Issue 266 The latest issue of your fave stitchy mag is packed with over 161 designs and ideas you’ll love. We have egg-cellent Easter projects, sparkly unicorn cards designed by Angela Poole, a glamorous kitty from Margaret Sherry and so much more! Plus, you’ll find expert stitchy advice and fab prizes to be won! YOUR FREE GIFT: Springtime bird greeting card kit Issue 265 Cookie Bear card kit, spring blooms, Mittens & Cyril, ideas for Mother’s Day, cuddly koalas, colourful fish, Chinese dragon, hoop art for kids Issue 264 Pretty foxgloves bookmark kit, tropical kitchen collection, lion cushion, fruity sampler, cute kittens, Valentine’s Day cards Issue 263 Tatty Teddy 2018 diary, delicate snowdrops, hot water bottle, cute baby sampler, stylish all-occasion cards,…

ISSUE 268 ON SALE 19 APRIL ELEGANT LADY Bring this fashionable female to life in stitches with this classy design HOME SWEET HOME This playful scene designed by Durene Jones is the perfect gift for cat lovers SUMMER SCENE Escape to the beach with this Cornish coastal chart stitched on evenweave FRUITY BAG DESIGNS Try these two fruity patterns and learn how to make them up into bags THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching EXCLUSIVE Stitch these oh-so-sweet mice in teacups! You’ll adore stitching Lucie Heaton’s three mischievous Furry Tales mice as they carefully climb the delicate china! LOVING LILACS Brighten your home with Faby Reilly’s stunning lilac sampler and biscornu set PLUS MUCH MORE • Visit the wild west with the motifs in our Design Library • Stitch a funky…

• 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.…

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…

RHONA NORRIE Rhona loves designing patterns with a quirky touch and her five mug cosy charts on page 18 will certainly put a smile on your face. But which to stitch first?! SUSAN BATES Mark a little one’s christening with Susan’s personalised cross stitch memento on page 84. This delightful sampler is sure to be treasured by the whole family. DURENE JONES Enjoy stitching two projects from award-winning designer Durene this month – a magical fairy silhouette (p28) and pretty alloccasion cards (p38).…

Pretty Polly This colourful chap looks like he’s in the middle of dancing the fandango! The ‘Parrot on Parade’ kit, designed by Hannah Dale for Bothy Threads*, includes 14-count speckled aida, DMC threads, a needle, colour chart and instructions. The finished design measures 26x26cm (10x10in) and the kit costs £29.49. Dog tired We love ‘Murphy’ (2001359) from the Cecil Aldin Man’s Best Friend range of kits by Creative World of Craft and available from SewandSo*. He looks like he’s opening one eye mid nap, just to check he’s not missing out on anything! The kit costs £15 and comes with a chart, needle, 14-count aida and DMC stranded cottons. The design measures 17x11.4cm (6¾x4½in). Mosaic moggy This clever kitty design looks like it is made up of mosaic pieces. It’s…

THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching CHARITY OF THE MONTH UNTANGLED THREADS Use your stitching talents to mark the centenary of Armistice Day and help raise funds for Combat Stress, a charity which supports former servicemen and women in dealing with issues like trauma, anxiety and depression. Inspired by the embroidered pincushions made by convalescing First World War soldiers for loved ones at home, Untangled Threads have made 1,568 Sawdust Hearts (one for each day of the First World War) and they want your help to decorate them – you can be as creative as you like. The hearts will be displayed in Scarborough in November 2018 and will feature in a catalogue sold at the exhibition. MORE For more information and to find out how to get involved in the…

Abigail Middleton is a student from Perthshire What are you stitching at the moment? A Riolis cross stitch kit that I was given for Christmas – it’s called ‘Piglet’ and the design is of a pig wearing a leaf hat! I’ve just started it now! What’s your fave design from a recent WOXS? The ‘Ice cream Cards’ from issue 257. They looked good enough to eat! Fave cross stitch project? I love the giant teddy bear design that I have stitched on a pillow in my bedroom. What would be your idea of cross stitch heaven? Having an endless supply of threads and no exams! What drives you mad about cross stitching? I really can’t do French knots so I tend to avoid designs with them in. Most memorable stitching?…

Star Letter A MAMMOTH PROJECT Dear ladies, I am sending a photo of me with ‘Loving Mother’. I bought the kit from Country Designs. The size is 48x38cm (19x15in) on 16-count aida. The design uses 69 DMC colours and has 69,120 stitches. It took me 16 months and 1,175 hours to do. I am 73 years of age and still enjoy my cross stitching. Stanley Burrows, Telford Hannah: Wow, what an impressive feat of stitching Stanley! Thank you so much for sending in your picture – you must feel very proud of the finished piece. It’s great that you know exactly how long it took you to stitch – I must start logging my stitching times too. Keep cross stitching! Win! Our Star Letter writer wins this ‘Irresistible Insects’ cross stitch…

THE WORLD OF Cross Stitching PICK OF THE MONTH Rainbow colours BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL Bursting with vibrant colours and clever, repeating patterns, these designs from theworldinstitches* on Etsy are so relaxing and uplifting to stitch. You can buy them as an instant chart download (prices shown) or as full kits. Shown here are ‘Folk Roosters’ (bottom right), measuring 20x20cm (7¾x7¾in) on 14-count aida, ‘Spectral Mandala’ (top), 26x26cm (10¼x10¼in) on 16-count aida, and ‘Hazel the Fox’ (far left), 13x13cm (5¼x5in) on 14-count aida All these designs use whole stitches only and contain 10-14 colours. The kits include DMC white aida and threads, plus a needle and colour chart. HAPPY STITCHING This colourful picture has a sentiment after our own heart and is perfect to stitch for your wall to remind you…

Q I have designed a memorial sampler for my mum, including everything that she enjoyed, but I am struggling to find a greyhound. I’d love one either racing or just standing, and to be able to fill this last box on my sampler! Mrs J Jones, Newquay A Jenny says: What a lovely idea to stitch a memorial sampler for your mum. I hope my greyhound chart fits in his box nicely! The design has a few fractionals to give you the best shaping. STITCH COUNT 24 high x 30 wide DESIGN AREA 14 HPI (28-count evenweave) – 4.5x5.5cm (1¾x2¼in) This design was stitched using DMC stranded cotton Please note: Jenny can only fit in fairly small designs and for copyright reasons she is unable to chart logos, or characters…

Hello, I am looking for a small bride and a small groom to stitch for my son and future daughter-in-law, to have on the table as a place setting at their wedding breakfast. Can you help? Pamela Evans, Hertfordshire Hannah says: This ‘Bride and Groom’ design (JBDC1215) is available from Jenny Barton* for just £1.99 as a PDF download chart. Listing DMC stranded cottons, it uses whole stitches only, and has a design size of 7x6.5cm (3x2_in) on 14-count fabric, which should be perfect for your place setting! Hi, I have an Anchor cross stitch kit (PCE866) ‘Settle Railway Station’ but have lost the key. Can I get a new copy? Geraldin Duffy, via email Heather says: I’m afraid Anchor discontinued this design, but why not post a request in our forum…

32 FANTASTIC IDEAS Stitch these cosmic designs by Jenny Barton to make great cards and gifts for your loved ones 32 quick-and-easy motifs Jenny Barton's design inspiration Stitches for every skill level Helpful tips and advice Unique present ideas for your special someone BEST WISHES Send a special wish (29) to a loved one. Patch onto snazzy paper and stick to a PDA Card & Craft* single-creased square card (105x105mm) in citrine (209). PENNIES FROM HEAVEN Jazz up a plain purse with this sunny motif (1). Back your stitching with iron-on interfacing and cut around, then patch onto your chosen purse. WRITTEN IN THE STARS A great gift for a friend, this bookmark (30) is easy to make. Fray one block of aida all around your stitching and back with…

19 APRIL ON SALE: THE WORLD OF CROSS STITCHING Don’t miss our June issue 268, packed with fab summery projects to inspire you! There’s a Cornish seaside scene, a lilacs sampler, an elegant lady, cute Furry Tales mice, a kingfisher ABC and much more. Plus, you get two FREE skeins of thread with an ABC chartbook! See page 94. 12-13 MAY LACEMAKING, QUILTING & NEEDLECRAFT EAST OF ENGLAND SHOWGROUND, PETERBOROUGH Packed with inspiration for all crafts, browse oodles of stalls, take part in a workshop and view the exhibitions. Held from 10am-4pm, tickets cost £6.50 on the door, under 14s free. Buy discounted early bird tickets from www.makitfairs.com 17-20 MAY QUILTS UK THREE COUNTIES SHOWGROUND, MALVERN Visit this show for spectacular displays of quilts, a great workshop line-up, including needle…

Ready, set, shop! Getting started Where to buy your cross stitch essentials. Turn to page 96 to see what you’ll need! ANCHOR www.makeitcoats.com Kits, fabrics & threads available in the UK from SewandSo www.sewandso.co.uk 0800 013 0150 CRAFT CREATIONS www.craftcreations.com 01992 781900 For blank & aperture cards DMC CREATIVE WORLD www.dmccreative.co.uk 01924 371501 For kits, fabrics, threads & more JOHN JAMES NEEDLES www.jjneedles.com 01527 830941 For needles & sewing essentials MADEIRA www.madeira.co.uk For fabrics, threads & accessories, buy in the UK from Barnyarns www.barnyarns.co.uk 01765 690069 THE WORLD OF CROSS STITCHING SUBSCRIPTIONS www.buysubscriptions.com/world 03330 162167 ZWEIGART www.zweigart.de For fabrics, buy in the UK from SewandSo, as above Products to drool over! Browse the latest stitching designs and ideas on PAGE 24 Your projects Find all the charts, kits, threads & accessories…

Cast your mind back a few months and you’ll no doubt remember entering your votes and nominating your top stitching choices of 2018. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony attended by the biggest names in British craft, held in February at the Craft Hobby + Stitch International show at the NEC in Birmingham. From the top stitching designer, to your best-loved products, did your faves get to scoop an award this year? Well, the time’s come to unveil all and lift the curtain on the winners! DESIGNER OF THE YEAR Durene Jones “I was over the moon to win! This award means a lot to me because it was voted by the readers. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who voted for me and…

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 is usually worked over two threads of the fabric so it has an equivalent design size…

Fractionals let you create rounded edges 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). Three-quarters 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.…