Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2019 i The World of Cross Stitching

This issue is bursting with stitching treats for you! We’re sure you won’t be able to resist adding these gorgeous designs to your must-stitch list. Whatever the style or complexity level you’re looking for, we’ve got the answer for you. Easter is soon upon us and we’ve got plenty of seasonal inspiration – you’ll love the cute bunny decoration kit (your exclusive gift this month), stitch the sweet chocolate sampler by Emma Congdon on page 20, try Fiona Baker’s Assisi-style cards (p62) and make a fun Easter egg hunt set (p38) for the whole family to enjoy. Test your skills and have a go at stumpwork embroidery to bring Lesley Teare’s picture-perfect cottage and garden to life (p70). You’ll use various embroidery techniques to create a 3D finish, adding depth…

The smell of freshly-baked, spiced hot cross buns heralds the start of spring and Monty Mouse has been busy baking the classic Easter treat! Bring the flavours to life in stitches with this sweet design – it’ll make a perfect card to send Easter greetings to a loved one. Baking Mouse key This design was stitched using DMC stranded cotton Missed a chart? ISSUE 278 Dressed in her yellow dress and blowing dandelion seeds, Lizzie is ready for spring! ISSUE 277 Monty in his cosy jumper will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside! ISSUE 276 Lizzie’s ready to help make your New Year go off with a bang! For back issues, call ☎ 03330 162 137 or visit http://bit.ly/1NwX3Rv…

CHARITY OF THE MONTH NO TO PLASTIC! Help reduce the use of plastic bags and keep textile waste out of landfills by making ‘morsbags’ – a reusable bag handmade from recycled material. The idea is to get together with people in your local community, eat cake and make reusable morsbags and then give them away! Find the free basic bag pattern and bag pattern for the backs of wheelchairs on the Morsbags website. There’s also a ‘How to Make a Morsbag’ video. Over 300,000 morsbags have been made by stitchers like you, potentially replacing 160 million plastic bags! So, declutter your fabric stash, old clothes or washed out bedsheets to turn them into something truly unique and good for the environment! MORE Visit www.morsbags.com to get involved WHERE AM I?…

Q It will be my husband’s 70th birthday soon. A present from the family will be a flight in a chipmunk. I would be very pleased if you could design a cross stitch card with the design of a chipmunk, then I could sew it for him and give it to him for the occasion. Sheila Laker, via email A Jenny says: Sheila, what a wonderful way to mark a special birthday. Your husband will always be able to look at his own little chipmunk aeroplane and remember this amazing experience forever. 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. Chipmunk Aeroplane key This design was stitched using DMC stranded cotton Remember…

I’m just about to embark on my first evenweave project. I’ve only used aida before – any hints, tips and advice? Karen Bate, via Facebook Fiona says: My top tip for those starting on evenweave is to use 28-count, as this is the equivalent of 14-count aida. Due to there being double the amount of threads, you need to work your cross stitches over two threads of the fabric, as shown in this diagram. Fractional stitches are easier on evenweave too, as there’s a central hole spare in the middle of your cross stitch, so you don’t need to split a block as you would on aida. I have sweet card-sized pieces made, but cannot find cards to mount them in. What would be an alternative to tri-fold cards? Katie Dart,…

40 RETRO DESIGNS Relive the icons of yesteryear thanks to these delightful designs by Cheryl McKinnon ⨯ 40 quick-and-easy motifs ⨯ Cheryl McKinnon’s design inspiration ⨯ Stitches for every skill level ⨯ Helpful tips and advice ⨯ Unique present ideas for your special someone JUST MY TYPE For a cute card, patch your stitching (19) onto patterned paper then onto a woodstock square card measuring 120x120mm in Pistachio (343) from PDA Card and Craft*. THE GREAT OUTDOORS Stitch this epic mountain view (13) for the adventurer in your life. Wrap stitching around shaped card and finish with fringe and cord made from a matching thread. FLOWER POWER Never lose your place again by stitching this funky design (35) onto 2in aida band and making it into a bookmark by hemming…

A mother’s love PICK OF THE MONTH From £8.69 STITCH NOW, OPEN LATER A must-stitch, these personal messages come in a collectible series titled ‘Letters from Mom’ by Jeannette Douglas. These lovely monthly notes eventually build into a larger sampler (13 in total). The last in the series is being released in March 2019 (the June/July/August designs). You can get all previous nine of these Quaker-inspired patterns from Arts and Designs*, as well as the gorgeous ‘Letter Bag Insert’. Prices for the kits range from £8.69 to £11.83. Each pattern is approx. 8x14cm (3x6in) and worked in whole cross stitch, brick stitch and Rhodes stitch – each kit comes with a sheet of stitch diagrams, threads, plus a large scale black and white chart. This’ll be something you’ll treasure forever.…

Join us on Facebook Chat 24/7 on our Facebook page – here’s what you’ve missed! OUR FAVOURITE POST Martina Doyle Adams says: “My best friend and I have made a New Year’s resolution together to complete WIPs in 2019.” Looks like you’re making great progress on that ‘Ship’ (479) from Riolis, Martina. Good luck! YOU LIKED Karen Ferguson says: “I love this pattern so much that I’ve stitched it twice now!” And we can totally understand why, Karen – isn’t this just adorable? Do you have a pattern you love so much that you’ve stitched it more than once? And the winner is… We asked you on Facebook: What do you like to stitch at Easter time? It looks like all those fuzzy and adorable baby animals have captured your…

Issue 278 This issue is a celebration of spring! Stitch a tweet bird hanging, make a leaping hares bolster cushion, try an elegant beaded unicorn, create a perpetual calendar and you’ll love the fun treasure map design! You can also stitch Mother’s Day cards and a spring sampler. Plus expert advice, tips and prizes to win. YOUR GIFT: A sweet birdhouse greeting card kit Issue 277 Stitcher’s notebook & sticky pad, spring blooms, wedding sampler, blackwork hoop, dreamcatcher ABC, floral cushion, easy home style Issue 276 Winter chart book + 2 skeins metallic thread, Tatty Teddy, winter wreath, family appliqué sampler, fireworks cards, penguin ABC Issue 275 Polar bear card kit, vintage Santa, sweet fairy, trio of beaded table decs, festive stag, elegant cushion, winter sampler, cheeky elf ABC Issue…

Kelly Stephens has always been a very creative person. As a military wife and young mother, Kelly couldn’t afford many cross stitch patterns or kits, so she designed her own. “One of the things I designed and completed was an A to Z soft book for my children. In turn, all four of them ‘chewed’ on this book as I turned the pages, trying to instil the letters into them,” Kelly says. Now retired and living in Texas, Kelly has a lot more time for cross stitch. One of her favourite creative things to do is combine cross stitch with scrapbooking. Sometimes taking inspiration from The World of Cross Stitching magazine, Kelly has stitched Tatty Teddy onto the front cover of a friend’s baby scrapbook and in the future she…

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…

LESLEY TEARE Learn a new technique with Lesley’s pretty cottage and garden featuring stumpwork embroidery (p70). We show you how to add 3D depth to the design! EMMA CONGDON Stitch yourself a tasty treat in time for Easter with Emma’s delightfully retro sampler (p20). It’s a real celebration of all things chocolate! HELEN BRINDLEY If you’re an animal-lover (who isn’t?) then you’ll love Helen’s humorous design on page 10 featuring a furry foursome delivering the mail!…

GIFT 1 Double-sided design Factbox Approx12hours Crossstitchhalfcross stitch, backstitch Beginner Easter Bauble key This design was stitched using stranded cotton from your coverkit Inside your kit… To help you sort your threads, here is a list of the colours and number of lengths inside your kit: White x1 Dark grey x2 Grey x3 Dark pink x2 Pink x3 Orange x2 Yellow x4 Light yellow x3 Tangerine x3 Light grey x3 Green x2 Light orange x2 Light pink x2 Blue x2 Very dark grey x4 Total: 38 lengths Stunning spring luxury chart Enjoy stitching this pretty flower with buzzing bees and blackwork-style hive! GIFT 2 My inspiration “There’s nothing lovelier than a springtime stroll with colourful blooms bursting to life and bees hopping from flower to flower! I…

22 MARCH ON SALE: THE WORLD OF CROSS STITCHING Embrace spring with our May issue (280), with our cute insect ABC, spring wedding Design Library and cheerful folk art coasters. We’ll show you how to make an adorable fabric peg bag and a sweet tulips draught excluder, too. Plus your exclusive gift, an elegant birdcage bookmark. See page 94. 4-6 APRIL THE CREATIVE CRAFT SHOW EXCEL, LONDON A haven for knitting, cross stitch, paper crafting, jewellery, dressmaking and stitching enthusiasts! You’ll find everything from kits, charts and patterns to fabrics, yarns and threads, plus opportunities to glean advice from industry experts. Day tickets start at £5. Visit www.stitchandhobby.co.uk for more. 12-14 APRIL BRITISH QUILT & STITCH VILLAGE UTTOXETER RACECOURSE, STAFFORDSHIRE This quilt and embroidery show will be a fun day…

PET OF THE MONTH No. 1 pet Great backstitch detail Factbox Approx6hours Crossstitchfractionals backstitch, French knots Intermediate Design my pet! Q Hi, I was just wondering if you have ever done a sprocker in chocolate colour in the magazine? If not, is it possible to please design one for my partner’s mum? She has a labrador – that I’ve already completed twice – and a chocolate sprocker. I’d like to stitch them both for her. Thanks! Emily Bradley, via email A Durene says: The high energy levels of sprocker spaniels are well known, so I wanted to create a pose that reflected this. Here we have this adorable little guy looking up at you, eager to play! Your partner’s mum will be just as excited as this…

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 Editor and is on hand to answer any technical stitching questions that 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 Stunning stag Q You say to use a canvas for the ‘Festive Stag’ project in issue 275 but I can’t find this size anywhere! I’ve…

⨯ Mary Moss: I love the Harrogate one. Do not buy the first thing you see! It is so easy to go mad, so restrict the spending or you may need to remortgage! ⨯ Katie Beattie: Look round before you buy. If any workshops interest you, book early. Take loads of money, but check your craft stash before going mad! ⨯ Sharen Winston: Alexandra Palace in the autumn! Take a notepad to jot down where you’ve seen fab things and plan to go back and buy. Can never re-find or remember where the stand is! ⨯ Ki Es: Take smaller units of currency. I’m in the US and take nothing larger than a $10 bill. Many small vendors don’t take credit cards. ⨯ Ruth Houghton: Have a bag that has…

BRIGHT COLOURS ALL ABOARD £5.50 Lesley Teare’s* ‘All Aboard Birth Sampler’ (LJT072) is a download that consists of ten A4 pages of charts in full colour and symbols. There are lots of tiny details to enjoy in this big stitch. It comes with a separate alphabet and numbers chart so you can personalise the design. Stitch count: 284 wide by 143 high, 51.5x26cm (20¼x10¼in) on 14-count white aida QUALITY KIT HUGGLES FEATHERWEIGHT £20.99 Drawing on the time when newborn babies are frequently taken to be weighed during those first precious few weeks, ‘Huggles Featherweight’ (XIH3), a kit by Bothy Threads*, shows a baby bear peeking over the sides of a pair of scales. Baby’s name, date of birth and weight can all be recorded on this sweet design, which comes in…

PRIZES worth £1,184! PRIZES WORTH OVER £346 The bright side A splash of colour is what you need to banish the last of the winter blues – and we have just the thing courtesy of our friends at Artecy*! You could win one of 10 sets of three popular and vibrant patterns, worth £34.65 altogether. ‘Night Colours’ is an impressionistic feast of purples, oranges and greens; for a fun combo of smileys and other motifs, you’ll love stitching ‘Peace and Harmony’; while ‘Westminster Sunset’, with its fiery skies above London’s most famous landmark and iconic red buses, is a capital design. TO ENTER To enter visit our website www.crossstitching.com or label a postcard ‘Artecy charts giveaway (WOXS 279)’ PRIZES WORTH OVER £299 Paris in the spring Packed with cafés, the…

BEAUTIFUL BLOOMS Try your hand at this colourful purple and green blackwork-style sampler YOU’VE GOT THIS! Choose from six powerful, positive phrases for mental health awareness ELEGANCE & GRACE Discover the delights of Japan with this gorgeous geisha SPRING FRESH Brighten up any room with this pretty tulip draught excluder TRY SOMETHING NEW This cheerful peg bag with ric-rac edging will be a breeze to make – we’ll show you how! SEW AMAZING Stitch your own sewing machine and spool of thread motifs EXCLUSIVE Race towards summer You’ll adore this super-sweet bear and her cute pup, complete with matching bows! PLUS MUCH MORE Make coasters from folk art designs by Poppy Benner Enjoy Rhona Norrie’s cute garden insects alphabet set Our Design Library filled with spring wedding motifs Your cross…

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…

Diane Salmon is a Company Director from Kent Three words to describe you? I’m tidy, methodical and patient. This is why cross stitch is the perfect hobby for me! Favourite cross stitch designer? I love the work of Durene Jones, her designs are always bold and she uses great colours. I would love to be able to design like she does. Fave recent WOXS design? Having visited Paris and New York recently, I loved the ‘Fireworks Cards’ in issue 276. I plan to do the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Big Ben and then frame them in a triple frame. Memorable stitching moment? I will never forget when my daughter spent a weekend at her nan’s house stitching a beach hut for me. Not only was it a wonderful…

So cute! Great for newbies who want to hop into cross stitch, you can download this small 7x6.5cm (2¾x2½in), whole stitch-only pattern instantly from Sewingseed* where you will receive a PDF of an example photo, a thread list and a colour symbol chart – all for only £3.67. Waggly tail Calling all dog lovers! This charming ‘Wag Your Tail Cross Stitch Kit’ (PUWT1459) features eight adorable pooches designed by Peter Underhill for Heritage Crafts. The 17x21.5cm (6¾x8½in) kit from Past Impressions* is £20.50 and includes: instructions, chart, needle, 14-count aida and stranded cotton thread. Ready to pounce The ‘Forest Cat Cross Stitch Kit’ (2009099) by Lanarte is so lifelike! For £41.95 from SewandSo*, this big kit comes with light grey 14-count aida, pre-sorted threads, needle, chart and instructions. Approximate finished…

Taming metallics Q I know you’ve featured tutorials before, but I find that working with metallic threads is still tricky! And tips? Malvina Yock, via Facebook A Taylor Seville says: Many stitchers find stitching with metallic threads more difficult than other types of cotton, so you’re certainly not alone, Malvina! Whilst there are lots of hints and tips around for the best way to use the thread (shorter lengths, letting the thread hang loose every few stitches to untangle, etc.) they often are still troublesome to handle. That’s why we developed Thread Magic – the ultimate thread conditioner. It’s perfect for making thread stronger for less breakage, fraying and tangling. The acid-free formula is safe to use as it leaves no residue. Thread Magic is available in this round box…

KNOW-HOW That finishing touch Q I am having a difficultly in finishing off hoops and backing them with fabric neatly. Please can you show me how – I would love to learn. Cara Leanne Parton, via Facebook A Heather says: Displaying your finished stitch in a hoop is a great way to show it off! Firstly, if you’re planning on painting your hoop you’ll need to do this first, then leave to dry completely between coats (I’d recommend doing at least two). When mounting the fabric in the hoop make sure it’s super taut, taking care that the top of the project is aligned with the screw of the hoop, then cut away the excess fabric leaving a border of around 2.5cm (1in). With a needle and regular sewing thread,…